Funky Findz & Designs LLC closed its downtown Wausau two store
locations on Jan 9 2009. Factors such as a poor location,
( downtown in its entirety) massive and rampant theft, a fast
approaching recession , and finely, a ever increasing unreliable,
untrustworthy staff, and demanding consignees, were weighed in the
difficult decision.
After surfing the web and in google, I
typed in "Funky Findz". I was amazed at what I all found.
It is what has motivated me to tell my story. On one
hand, I was pleased to see all my hard work has
begun to pay off, our on line store
etsy site is
listed right on top, along with my and Funky Findz my space,
face book, twitter etc. But I was stunned by some of
the other links I discovered.
One that really stands out, was a posting from someone who
never had a monetary amount vested and minimal sweat
equity to measure, who really had no interest in the business,
who claimed that they were a partner. They were not. Her post
reads "I'm famous"...This individual came in like a tornado,
exciting from a distance but deadly on impact. She is an idea
person, who flooded the room with "I can and will do that, you
can count on me"...making believers of the greatest septic, myself.
I found myself disappointed and holding the bag for their
pet project. She started something that left the business
exposed negatively, if not completed. She would periodically
disappear , no phone call, no way to get ahold of her, no
idea what had happened to them. She left as quickly as she
came in. This type of individual is dangerous to any hard
working entrepreneur. I can only fault myself however.
Then there was the post I found from a news source that did not
understand why Funky Findz left downtown, when Goodwill and other
thrift stores ( one that was mentioned has since closed.) were
doing just fine. Vintage, they thougth, was alive and well. They
obviously never were in the vintage Boutique, for to compare it to
Goodwill, is absurd. One is a major corporation, remember that
all their inventory is gifted to them. They have no inventory cost
other than storage. This was compared to myself, a mother of four ,
who purchased or consigned all the inventory for sale. To make this
comparison is irresponsible journalism at best.
And lastly, there is the issue of the business partner, the real one ,
she ran out of town,leaving behind unpaid bills and her business,
to chase a man. This bartender/pseudo mother/con and in my
estimation certifiable social path , devastated the true
potential of the business . She left no forwarding address,
demanded payment of an absurd amount, knowing that to pay
this amount would crush not only the business but my family
personally. This blog story is title "The SHE devil who knew HOWE"
a play on words of her first and last name. As it is public
record who Funky Findz LLC members are, I see no use in
withholding her name...Shelia Howe. In this blog I will
relate my story of my experiences with this self centered
"she devil". Am I a women scorned? You bet.
that has hit.( Thank God we left before it really hit)
and then there is the continuing debatable topic of the downtown venue as a viable location for a successful business. It is not. Take a
look at the empyty stores.
I have never addressed these issues publicly. I have
wrestled with them on my own. In many cases licking my wounds
and finding sollice in the world that the Internet has provided
for me. For here, I can not have my merchandise stolen from me
by people whom I have given an opportunity , by those who pretend
to be my friend, while behind my back, they stuff merchandise in
there purse or hand it out the door to their friends. Yes this
went on. Check the police reports of the theft issues Funky Findz
suffered. The Police never did nor could do a thing.
After my google investigation , and the perpetual insitiance on
original content and not spamming ( advertising?) in ones blog,
I deduced OK, here it is . My story about Funky Findz.
So, this is the first post of a series that will deal with the whys,
all the brutal truths. I know that many other business
owners have suffered similar fates and who can empathize
with what befell me. And for those who are just downright curious.
Funky Findz found artist Funky Luke ...SPIRITUAL,COUSCIOUS... ART FOR YOUR HEART AND SOUL
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