Location, Location, Location

And mojo!

The location was good. It was at the very end of Main Street just before the bridge that crossed the river. When tourists visited the town they tended to walk the full length of Main Street downtown then stop at the park by the bridge to gaze at the river before turning and heading back down Main Street.

The storefront was small but Paul did not need much space. Being at the end of the block there were windows not only facing the street but also on the side facing the river. Windows were important to him. And there was the river park across the street. Out of every window he could see trees and nature and also the hills on the other side of the river.

The rent was fair though not exactly cheap. Though Paul did not have much resources he had just enough to open the store. He decided to employ a business practice than ran contradictory to all business norms. He called it, No Advertising.

He did not pay for his business to join the local Chamber of Commerce or the local retailer’s association. He purchased zero advertising from the local radio station and placed zero ads in the local newspaper — not even to announce the opening of his new business. He would run the business on a zero advertising budget.

On the first new moon of spring he hung an OPEN sign in his window and simply unlocked the front door. To draw in business he relied on only two factors; the quaint location and…

MOJO.

It had worked for him before with the last business he opened — and the location of that store was not nearly as quaint. With the business he had before that one he had used advertising relentlessly and it did not do so well. Of course he did not know much about mojo back then.

Before opening the store each morning Paul would meditate then smudge the store with desert sage then cedar then sweet-grass. Then he lit some lavender incense and primed all the crystals that were strategically located throughout the store. He then put on some soft, soothing and quiet music to go with the sound of the trickling water of his self-built water fountain. Then and only then he would put up the OPEN sign and unlock the door.

He then petted the cat while he waited for the first customer to come in.

The store became quite successful despite its high prices. People were soon coming from other towns a hundred or more miles away. Not once in the eleven years that Paul owned the store did he spend so much as a dime on advertising. Customers called the place a hidden gem.

After eleven years Paul decided to retire and sold the business to a young couple who were very open minded. He taught them the mojo he used to run the business then he moved far away to a mountain cabin to spend the rest of his life. The cabin became quickly filled with mojo. He lived there for the next thirty-three years.

Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved. This is a work of fiction.

Speaking of mojo…