A few days ago, the FEDs brought Megaupload and Megavideo to a halt and arrested some of its founders. Many people who’ve used Megauploads and megavideo were all taken by surprised because some paid good money for a lifetime of unlimited uploads and downloads. But what does all this means to us at a small business owner for DVDs and blu – ray renters? Well, with more shut down on other file sharing places like filesonic and a few others – I see more renters if it keeps up. If they can’t download their movies – they would have no choice but to rent their movies right? so the FEDs might just be doing Independent Video store owners – the small guys a big favor too. We are going to have to wait and see if our rental sales has increased.
Movies have been picking up steadily ever since Movie Gallery closed shop – but to say that we are making thousands every week on movie rentals alone – then you are wrong. For those who wants to open their own movie rental store now – should re-consider for we too found out that a lot of people are downloading their movies and steadily becoming a pirate. So rental may be steady – but to say that we are making lots of money – then you might be in for a shock. For being in rentals for 11 years – we still have people come in and tell us that they didn’t know we rent movies – muahahah!!!
Yes, we went out to pick up more Christmas decor for the store this week – because they are now all on sale – at about 40% discount at the mall. I can’t wait to get some more Christmas stuff for both the store and home. This year – we’ve spent more on decor than other years, I think it’s because we are debt free – from credit cards and everything else – so I can spend money on things that I like to pretty up the store. I loved Christmas and have always wanted the store to look nice and Christmasy – this year – I have to say we are the happiest – with no employees to worry about – and a great help from Gary – who comes in to relieve us when we need to go home for supper. We really should have done this a long time ago.
We have many talented people in this town – and one of them is Kelly and her daughter – a customer of our store and a very good looking one too. She sings very well and plays several instrument – I loved her voice a lot – so when someone asked if we have any talent in Yarmouth, I think of Kelly all the time. And if I were Kelly, I would put out a CD and get someone to do her cd duplication service and start selling her cds. We’ve been asked many a times if we would do the cd duplication for our local talent here – but we don’t have the time nor the equipment to do it – but with a voice like Kelly’s, it would really be a pity if she didn’t put her voice on a cd and start to get some recognition for them. You check out the music yourself and let me know what you think.
Yes! the xmas parade was this evening and for the first time being in Canada – the weather was great – not too cold nor too warm – just nice for a Christmas parade. The boss came out to watch the parade with us till customers starting going into the store. Unfortunately, the parade is still nothing like the ones we have at home – but at least I get to see them first hand and not on tv eh. So I count my blessings – you can`t have it all.
A spectacular turnout for the downtown Halloween Parade – a lot more than we had expected and some of the entries were pretty good too. Younger children were mostly the ones in this parade and some adults and not forgetting their dogs. Great to see the event turned out well – and it was not too, too cold that night.
The boss decided to buy some guitars from people who came into the store to sell them not too long ago and as you all know – I’m not very keen on getting stuff that we are not familiar with. I don’t know how to tell a good guitar from a broken one – or the make and brand of it. Anyhow after the first one showed up at our store – we are getting more people who wants to bring in their guitar for sale. But of course, since the first one haven’t sold yet – I don’t think he was willing to buy anymore. Someone came in and asked if we were also giving guitar lessons here since we have the guitars at our store now – funny right! now if we had someone who knows how to play the guitar or even tune it – I wouldn’t mind buying more guitars for the store to resell – but as it is – no matter how funky looking any guitar might be – I just wouldn’t know how to price them up.
So I rather – he keeps buying the console guitars for Guitar Heroes and such – and even though we have a lot of those – I know we will sell them eventually. As I am writing this – another customer just walked in and asked if we give guitar lessons – hahhaha!!! I kid you not. So I’m figuring people do want to take lessons but don’t have anywhere to go to in this town.
Movie rentals has finally picked up this week – and even though it’s not like when we started 12 years ago – it’s a good sign for us – just as long – no one decides that we are making so much money and wants a piece of the pie. For in this area – you cannot support more than 1 movie rental place. I hope the rental continues to be good – but I think we are doing better with games.
Summer time in downtown Yarmouth – is quite a sense in our town – we have a 2 weeks activities around downtown and every year – we make sure – we draw business into our store by placing some wireless speakers outside our store – and blast them with fabulous music. People are drawn to the music – and if we had tourists in town – even the tourist s would come in and check out the store. I know that this worked – because when we were down on Central Street – it was what we did – to draw people to come down from Main Street. I love our wireless speakers – because I don’t need to send the boss up to the top of the building and hook it up – because he don’t quite like heights – and to just hire someone to do that – seems a little silly. So yes ! wireless speakers – don’t need wires – and I don’t have to hook it up very high and when I’m done for the day at the store – I just bring them in or move them wherever I want. Pretty cool eh.
The called it the Wharf Rat Rally – and I’m pretty proud of the people up in Digby – for organizing this event and making it more and more successful. Now if only this town will do the same – and smarten up – but of course not! But come end of August – it’s happening again and I’m going for it ! They have all sorts of bikes in this rally and ATVs – the most amazing thing about this event – is the amount of people who goes for it. I hear that last year – they had people packed along the street – 10, 000 bikers and more. I know the spouse uses Polaris Accessories for his ATV and so does his friends – so I’m assuming that a lot of vendors are going to be there too. There will be entertainment – and lots of demo – and I’m definitely sure that this year will bring lots of money to the town of Digby – congrats! Those who loves ATVs, Bikes and automobiles – you have to go see it for yourself – it’s a darn good show!
Movies had been steadily picking up ever since the closed down of a competition – and I’m happy about it. But we also see some assholes who refused to return our movies – and who gives us fake contact numbers. As much as I love renting movies – it will come one day – where we decide it’s not worth the hassle no more. But for now we will still continue because there are more customers now – and because we are the only 2 places renting movies in town.
So we had the summer parade – as per every year – and like usual – the kid and I would get our chair out – and watch the Parade. This picture was captured by the local paper – and we are in it – woohoo! You can see tiny me and the kid – me in pink t-shirt and the kid the shape of her head – hahah!! cheap thrill for the day.
And of course – the MLA was also in the parade – I don’t know what he is dressed up as ? at first I thought it was a pirate – then I decided that it’s not – but it’s some kind of costume alright? George Washington?
Why can’t people understand that we won’t do anything illegal at the store? we don’t want to get into trouble with the law and if everyone starts burning movies and music cd – where would we be for our business? Today a guy walks into the store and asked if we burnt music CDs – the boss said no. He asked if we know any internet cafe where he can download music and then burn them off – we said we don’t. He asked where can he get on the internet – we told him the library perhaps – he then continued to ask if the library does burning of CDs – we said we doubt. He then asked if we know where he can download music – we said we don’t know – he was then quite upset – and we explained to him – downloading music and burning it or movies is illegal – so we don’t touch it with a yard stick or go anywhere near it. We don’t want to be going against the law right? some people just don’t get it.
The Zhu’s from the Chinese restaurant just celebrated the newborn’s one month birthday – and like everyone who have a newborn son – they give out cigar to everyone. I don’t mind the smell of cigar at all – as compared to cigarette – he said the camacho triple maduro buy online was found on the net – and he got the website address for me – so that I can get some for my customers on special occasions too. So this Christmas, we can give out cigars to our male customers – but what about the ladies? The spouse said to me – that some ladies smoke cigars too – haha!! I know some do – but not many – definitely easier to shop for the male customers that’s for sure. Maybe a potpourri candle or something along those lines.
Woohoo!! good news for us – looks like we may be the only video store in town soon – the competition down the road is closing its door in a week. And to think that someone was thinking of making movies and video big at that store. Poor Tim at E-One – burst your bubbles eh! I feel bad for the people who worked there – but not for that Tim fella that’s for sure. He must have thought that he screwed us up – when he pulled his movies and games out from us some 3 years ago – but see – we did even better. Outlasted that big boys like Movie Gallery and now him as well ! Serves him and his ego right!
I’m sure by now – you all know we have a wonderful town. The other day – I received a call from this guy who asked if I knew anything about the xbox 360 that he just bought not too long ago. He said he doesn’t have the 3 lights blinking on his console – but only one – so is there anything that can be done for it? or do I know what is wrong with it? The boss wasn’t around – so I wasn’t able to pass the phone. But you see I’ve smarten up too – and asked me – where did he purchase the console – in which he replied – oh – at Zellers! So I replied – well – give Zellers a call – maybe they can help – haha! Once again – why do people feel that we need to help them – when they never bought the console from us?
This year the Seafest Marshall is my favorite businessman – why can’t everyone be like Jim? Nice and unassuming always polite and non-confrontational and always giving a good word and encouragement. Oh and honest! It’s hard to come by someone with such good quality – truth be told – i’m also striving to be like him. But so hard when you’ve got some crazy demands from certain customers. Thank God ! we only get a few of those every month.
This year seafest was very colorful – I’ll have to say – they even got Clements Park’s float and a lot of clowns – of course – the RCMP is not to be missed as well. So the local town dispatch moved to our side of the town – did we see less loitering? Yes – around Tim’s – but they moved upwards – thank God – they didn’t move up to our store – HAHAHAHAH!!! but really – i’m sure they meant no harm.
The good youth of the town was in the parade too – i saw quite a few of our customers’ kids in this parade – all grown up. Even one of the boss’s cousin was in the parade giving out ribbons for MADD.
Woohooo!! Miss Canada International!!
The Seafest Queens – all dressed up – and all looking really pretty.
And our new MLA – Zach Churchill – it’s good to see the new MLA mingling with the locals but i’ve yet to see him at our store and I’m still watching his every move – afterall, we did vote for him.
Love the pipe pipers – who doesn’t right? makes me think of that story of the pipe piper. I do have more pictures of the entire parade – but I just wanted to share a few – to let you see what it’s like in this small town. This year – i’ll have to say was pretty impressive – but the prizes that went out to certain float – makes me wonder. But what do i know right?
The man is buying everyday – sometimes i cringed at the things he buys because i put myself in a customer’s shoe and I for one don’t mind buying used things – but if the previously used item is in rough shape then – i wouldn’t wanna buy it – sometimes I have sleepless nite worrying and need the best sleeping pill to sleep at nite. Like my grandmother used to say – the appearance is more important than the inside of a person – on first contact – so the same for any items one buys.
Even though acquired cheap – if it doesn’t move – no point at all. I hate storing things – because it gets moved around and then forgotten – this is only a quarter of our store and you can see how packed things are. And no we are not moving to Starrs Road yet – coz’ of how this town is currently and Dexter ain’t doing anything for us – just because we didn’t vote for a MLA he wanted (so the rumors go). So yes ! packed and busy – really can’t complained but still don’t want to keep buying non-stop everyday.
Amidst so much complaining from me about this town, one can’t even get shipping boxes without having to scream at someone – I’m proud to let you know that we have some decent and smart people here in our town. Jason and Matthew Doucette are customers of our store and I’m so happy that they won an award package of $100K in a Microsoft’s 2009 Dream Build Play competition. These guys worked very hard and we are really proud of them. Congrats again guys!
Xona Games is an independent game development studio targeting Xbox 360 and PC gaming platforms. The company concentrates on intensifying retro-style games and has already gained international recognition, placing 7th in the world and 2nd in Canada in Microsoft’s 2009 Dream Build Play competition. Xona’s game Decimation X is the number one rated Xbox LIVE Indie Game in Japan
Yarmouth brothers Matthew and Jason Doucette and Xona Games won first place – which comes with an award package worth $100,000 – in Zone 2 of the competition, which took in Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens and Lunenburg counties. They are also now one of five start-up businesses in the running for the overall provincial award in the competition.икони
A good customer turned friend just came back from their All inclusive family vacations .. to hand me some food he had picked up for me.. in the city, since I can’t get any here. While chatting, he had explained that he killed many birds with one stone on his trips. And one of them were passport for himself and his daughter. The reason why he was doing so was because he said he was always on a look-out for good deals for a vacation. And as soon as one does appear with the local travel agency, he would be all set and leaving for Mexico.
Yes.. one can get great deals .. going to Mexico.. and not only can one get to stay in unique beach resorts, enjoy the sun and the sea, you also get an all inclusive vacation for the whole family without any stress of planning your next meal, for all meals are included. Lots of programs and activities to enjoy but most importantly, you get out of the cold. . and get some warm .. and some fresh air and relaxation. We should start planning too.
