Indie Bookstore Seeks Funds for Improvement

Hi there. My name is Trasie and I run an independent bookstore called Shorebound Books in the seaside town of Shelburne, NS Canada. Let me tell you a little bit about how that happened.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I found myself caring for my father who had lost his wife and was left alone. I left Toronto, Ontario to do this. Unfortunately, he passed away within four months and I was faced with deciding what to do next. 2020 was a scary year and I inevitably opted to avoid returning to Toronto. Instead I made the decision to return to Nova Scotia -- a place I'd lived as a child and currently the home to much of my family.

As I had arrived with an inheritance, I had time to relax, breathe, and become accustomed to the very small town I was settling in. It's been amazing. The people here are so friendly and supportive. At Christmas, not one child goes without gifts and there are frequent fundraisers to assist those in need.

About nine months in to my new life in Shelburne, the local bookstore - a favourite of mine and my son's - was closing down. Unfortunately, the building they were in was sold and they were not prepared, as an older couple, to carry on. I opted to obtain all assets and plan the reopening of the store which was called The Whirligig and had been in town for at least 25 years.

As I had bought my home on the main street of the town outright, I decided I would open the store right in my home. I would live upstairs and run the bookstore downstairs. It took a year to get it set up but in July of 2022, the store finally reopened to a community who was in full support. Those months in 2022 were amazing. With the backing of the local CBDC, I was able to successfully reopen the town's treasured book hub.

Shelburne is, in addition to a fishing town, a tourist town. In the summer, we receive guests from many cruise ships and travellers from all over Canada as well as the US. The town is lovely and historical, settled in 1783. We receive our fair share of sailors who sometimes dock over the spring and summer season and even into Fall in some cases. Naturally, for businesses like mine, sales are better during these times. Christmas is also a great season for business.

I went into 2023 with great optimism. My projections for the previous months were almost doubled at times. I knew that it would be at least March before I could expect those kind of numbers and it certainly was promising once spring arrived. Then in late May, the fires started. This continued through June and by the time they were under control, and it began to rain, the damage was done. Many of the usual summer visitors had opted not to come and the devastation meant very few were spending on anything other than necessities. The flames were followed by floods and then hurricanes. This all happened on top of an already precarious economy.

My goal has always been to keep Shelburne's beloved bookstore alive and to bring literary arts to the forefront of this community. I am hoping to be able to expand the bookstore so that it also includes a coffee and tea bar as well as an expanded music and entertainment section. I have extra space at the back of the house that used to be a hair studio that could easily be rented to a complementary business. At this point, however, the money is gone and it's not flowing in.

I need help getting caught up on bookstore-based debt and I need capital to improve and expand this business which I believe could have a very positive effect on the town, especially with regards to the arts. I believe it will also improve the economy. Help would be so appreciated.