From global to specific (Chappell & McCullar specific), the title references what we face during the month that always forces us into a panic. Tax payments, both property and income, holiday entertaining, Christmas gifts, and the usual cost of keeping the place open, very little of which is offset by any significant revenue. Even with our short tenure in business, we should be used to this phenomenon, as it visits us every year. Regardless of the broader market meltdown, our December has been about the same as always- gallery traffic, but no one willing to commit to a purchase. Mind you, we have made some terrific sales to people who stopped in during the holidays to browse, but the sale was always booked in January. With all that, we dutifully mind the shop during the month. As anxious as we are for custom, we do though have to remind ourselves, or at least Keith has to remind me, not to pounce on anyone who happens to darken our threshold. Despite none of our customers that I can think of could be described as timid, they still find it off-putting to be pounced upon.
The fact is, we do all of us run out of money in December, and, while one would assume that somehow we would reserve for this, it is difficult to, certainly for us. You may, my 20 or so devoted readers, feel a bit blah early in the new year, but for us, it is cause for celebration, as design projects resume and what private clients that are in line for bonuses receive at least a portion of them by mid-January, and, praise heaven, some of this money is directed toward purchases from Chappell & McCullar.