Happy New Year! And welcome to 2018! This is going to be a very exciting year for us. New year, new building, and so many changes ahead. I've got to say, despite all the work coming our way, I'm so exuberant at the prospect of moving the store. When a business grows into a place over 17 years, there are many things that "just happened that way". Some of them are lovely and a comfort -- those I'm going to miss. But many others are a result of one fast decision after another -- those I'm really looking forward to planning out and making smarter. Also, we have a legacy of choices that were made for good reasons, years ago. The reason for the choice is now gone but the results remain. Reassessing all of that and changing it to suit our current situation is going to make things so much better for both staff and customers. To say that I'm looking forward to the rest of the year would be a huge understatement.
But, before we dive into 2018, it's time to once again ask our sponsors to renew your support of Borderlands. The financing I did to purchase the building on Haight Street is structured in such a way as to make the operation of the building (property taxes, insurance, debt service, and so on) self-sustaining, but none of that affects the bottom line for the bookstore. We still need at least 300 sponsors to support us each year and to make up the difference between our income and the cost of increasing wages (at least until book prices increase to reflect higher national wages -- not out of the question since wages are going up all over, but it will still take a while to happen).
This year San Francisco's minimum wage will reach $15 per hour. I haven't closed the books for last year so I don't have hard figures yet but, my off-the-cuff estimate is that we're exactly where I expected us to be when I started the sponsorship program in 2015. Without sponsorships we'll be showing at least a loss of $30,000 per year starting in 2018. Another little surprise last year was that, because our wages increased, we went above the small-business exemption for local payroll tax and so we had to pay that for the first time ever. That may or may not continue into 2018 (I can explain why I don't know the answer to that but it's very complicated -- ask me if you really want to know).
So, if you would like to renew your sponsorship, I encourage you to do so. You can stop by the store in person, mail a check, pay by phone with a credit card or you can renew on-line at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html . However you renew, you'll also have the option of making an additional contribution to help with our moving costs, if you like. That contribution would be welcome but it is not at all required; we'll absolutely manage the move one way or the other.
If you do not wish to renew your sponsorship, I want to thank you for your support last year. Our total number of sponsorships increased by 2% last year as compared to 2016. That was wonderful news because it shows that the sponsor program is something that can last, rather than slowly spiraling downwards after the initial enthusiasm wore off. So, even if you don't renew this year, thank you so much for the confidence you gave us to move forward and take the huge step of buying a building. Without you, I don't know if it would have happened.
Speaking of thanks. I want to thank all the sponsors who have already renewed for 2018. I know that I had the pre-order page for renewals up quite late this year but, despite that, there was a huge showing of support that has continued through the first three days of this month. We're thrilled to see this kind of response, especially at this busy time of the year. Thank you all!
In closing, I hope to see many of you around the shop throughout 2018 and please, if you have any questions about sponsorships, Borderlands, our move, or anything else we're doing, don't hesitate to ask. Likewise, if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. You are the reason that we're still here -- I relish any opportunity to show how grateful I am for what you've done. Finally, I hope that 2018 brings you everything you hope for, along with peace, happiness, and health.
Warmest Regards,
Alan
Things To "see below"
Two things of special importance are detailed in the events section of this email. First, we're changing the venue for our monthly cocktail get-together to Haight Street. Second, if you want to go on the nighttime Alcatraz tour, you'll need to pay for your tickets no later than Wednesday, the 10th of _this_ month.
Ordering Sponsor Anniversary Hoodies
As I mentioned last month, we'll be placing the second order for the special Anniversary Sponsor Hoodies on January 15th. So, if you want a specific size and haven't let us know already, the deadline to tell us is Wednesday, January 10th. We'll be ordering some extras just in case but, if you want to make sure you get yours in your size, reply to this email with your request. No need to prepay, we'll sort that out when they arrive.
Upcoming Sponsor Events
The Grain-of-Sand version:
(1) Tuesday, January 23rd at 6:00/7:00 pm - NEW VENUE Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show and tell at 6:00 pm and then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant at 1568 Haight Street from 7 to 10pm.
(2) Saturday, January 27th at 7:00 pm. Sponsor Social at Borderlands Bookstore and Cafe. Please join us for our first quarterly party of the year. Potluck and BYOB yumminess plus team trivia!
(3) Saturday, February 10th at 4:00 pm - Tour and Tasting at Anchor Brewery. We are currently at maximum capacity for this event. If you are interested in being on a wait list for an opening, please reply to this email saying so. $25.00 per person, which includes tour and tasting. One guest only, space will be limited.
(4) Tuesday, February 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show and tell at 6:00 pm and then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant at 1568 Haight Street from 7 to 10pm.
(5) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm -- Sponsor Karaoke with Seanan McGuire and Mishell Baker at The Mint (1942 Market Street, San Francisco). 21 and over, no cover charge (but there is a 2-drink minimum), guests welcome. Please RSVP so we know how many people to expect.
(6) Friday, March 16th at 7:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels
(7) Saturday, March 31st at 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting. Our annual meeting and update about how the sponsor program is going, along with much discussion about the directions to take the program.
(8) Saturday, April 21st at 6:30 pm - Alcatraz Nighttime Tour. $54.00 per person. Join us for a completely different vision of Alcatraz at night. Due to the ticket prices and chances of selling out, please prepay by Wednesday, January 10, 2018 (see details below).
(9) For those that like to populate their calendars; our next sponsor socials are May 12th, July 14th, and October 13th, 2018.
The Rock of Gibraltar version:
(1) Tuesday, January 23rd at 7:00 pm -- NEW VENUE Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. We thought it would be nice to give you a chance to see our new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show and tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant (formerly Martin Mack's at 1568 Haight Street) from 7 to 10pm.
(2) Saturday, January 27th at 7:00 pm -- Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books and Cafe. We ring in the New Year full of auspicious tidings. We invite you to bring your favorite food things to our next potluck gathering. Not only will Alan be regaling us with tales of store demo and inspection, he will be leading a challenging yet entertaining game of Genre Trivia. There may also be Special Guests.
(3) Saturday, February 10th at 4:00 pm -- Tour and Tasting at Anchor Brewery. We are currently at maximum capacity for this event. If you are interested in being on a wait list for an opening, please reply to this email saying so. $25.00 per person. From their website <https://www.anchorbrewing.com/brewery/tours>: "You’ll get a brief history of our company and a walk through three floors of our brewery. And yes, there’s a tasting session immediately to follow. Together, the brewery tour and the beer tasting last for about 1.5 hours." There will only be 10 spaces in our group so you're welcome to bring only one guest. Prepayment will be required - please RSVP by replying to this note and we'll make payment arrangements with you. 1705 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(4) Tuesday, February 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. -- Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. We thought it would be nice to give you chance to see our new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show and tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant (formerly Martin Mack's at 1568 Haight Street) from 7 to 10pm.
(5) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm -- Sponsor Karaoke with Seanan McGuire and Mishell Baker at The Mint (1942 Market Street, San Francisco). Nebula Award winning author, singer/songwriter, snake handler, Borderlands sponsor, and all-around amazing person Seanan McGuire has graciously offered to return as our special host for Borderlands Sponsors' Karaoke Night, and she'll be joined by the incredibly cool & talented Southern California author Mishell Baker, who was also one of our Year One sponsors! This will be an enormously entertaining event, and we hope you'll join us to show off your vocal prowess (or your irrepressible attitude that's great, too, if you happen to lack vocal prowess). The Mint is located at 1942 Market Street, San Francisco, and we have reserved space for sponsors. Some pertinent info about The Mint: it is a bar, so this event will be for those 21 and over. There is no cover charge, but there is a 2-drink minimum. Guests are welcome, and please RSVP so we know how many people to expect.
(6) Friday, March 16th at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels. Housed in the 118-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church (554 Fillmore Street at Fell Street in San Francisco) The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. http://www.churchof8wheels.com/. Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. We'll follow up with drinks at The Toronado (over 40 beers on tap - http://www.toronado.com), 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117.
(7) Saturday March 31st at 7:00 PM - Sponsors' General Meeting. If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. I'll outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stands and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. I hope to see as many of you there as possible because this is where I get my guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you can't attend in person, feel free to email me with your comments (we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards). Obviously, the major topic this year will be our new building and what the process of moving will be like, so bring your questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
(8) Saturday, April 21st, 6:30 p.m. - Alcatraz Night Tour. $54.00 per person. Due to the ticket prices and chances of selling out, if you'd like to attend, please prepay by Wednesday, January 10, 2018. The tour of Alcatraz Island at night is supposed to be much cooler than the usual daytime one. We'd love to have you join us for this event, but space is limited so please pay for your tickets as soon as possible. If you've already RSVPed but have not paid, please contact us to make arrangements by replying to this email. The tour leaves at 6:30 p.m., but we will meet at the dock at approximately 6:00 p.m.
From the Alcatraz website: "The Alcatraz night tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening. It includes special programs, tours, and activities not offered during the day. This tour includes: roundtrip ferry transportation, a live boat narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse Audio Tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee, and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night."
(9) Mark your calendars for our next sponsor socials: May 12th, July 14th and October 13th, 2018.
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