Week 2 in the saddle

by Bold Apps

It seems only yesterday that I was writing a post about my first week; and here we are at the end of my second.

The shelves are fuller now, with a wide range of Field Notes books and accessories leading the way. Rhodia has made its first appearance, with the pocket version of the famous Webbie. Oh that paper...

Inside back cover of a Rhodiarama Webbie. Gorgeous.

There are a few writing instruments on the site now too. The synergy between notebooks and writing implements is obvious. I have started with my 'Every Day Carry' - a rough, tough and macho Brass Kaweco Sport and some of its cousins. Brilliant German engineering.

Papio Press have been a big hit, books flying off the shelves. Just today I took in more stock. Together with Back Pocket and Darkstar, we have a strong British contingent emerging on the site.

Pricing. I want to be very upfront about this, I am reviewing every price on the site. My aim is to be competitive, but sustainable. A weak pound has been great for exports - but it not so good for importing stock. You don't get as many Field Notes as you used to for a pound. Likewise, European suppliers are priced in Euro. I am doing everything that I can to reduce logistics costs, and I'm trying to broaden the range of products to appeal to every taste and budget.

Subscriptions. Largely as a function of the paragraph above, I am looking at the subscription model. For the time being, I have closed the model to new entrants. I will be launching a new model in the next week or two, but will continue to honour all current subscribers too for the time-being. Partly, I need to wait for the rest of the orders to come in, duty and tax to be paid to understand the actual cost of each brand.

Word.

Further stock. I know that the fountain pen users are lining up for 'Inky Fingers'. They are due this week, subject to couriers and HMRC. Also en route from the US are Word. , Write Notepads and Story Supply. Clairefontaine will be on the site tomorrow, and I have stock from Denmark on the way too. At the 'order' stage are Public Supply in New York and Whitelines in Stockholm. I have several more in the pipeline.

I am getting to grips with the software that runs the site and how it works. DIY is all well and good, but I suspect that ultimately, I will get an expert to give the place the once-over and a lick of paint, while I focus on keeping the shelves full.

Thank you for all the support, feedback and encouragement on social media, it really is a great help.

Right, it's middle of the day in the USA, time to put some chases in.

All the best,

Stuart