Over the past weeks, we have been asked many times by generous folks what they can do to help The Wanderer. We have received multiple messages of support and even donations. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, and I want to reassure you, The Wanderer is here for you and will be here for you long into the future.
Like most of the small businesses we have as clients, we have spent years building a sturdy business model that has planned for hardship. We were established in 1992 while the country was recovering from a recession, and we are like a Depression-era family who will always be saving and planning for lean times. We pray those times won’t come, but if they do, we’re ready. In 2001 when the dot com bubble burst, we were here to help our clients rebuild. The bustling economy of 2007 brought many new publications to the area. In 2008, there were five weekly publications serving our area, right up to the recession in 2008. We stood by the small business we had served for years and weathered the storm. We didn’t plan for this, exactly, but we planned for something, and something has happened.
The economy of a newspaper is fluid, and in a semi-seasonal community, even more so. As the businesses in our area know, the winter is slow. We see fewer advertisers in the winter because there are fewer customers for those businesses. It’s just the way it is, and we plan for it. This year was no exception and in January and February we work at a loss; we have to. We work off savings from the summer months and cut back our personal expenses, knowing winter is coming. Each year it seems as summer is shorter and winter is longer but it’s still possible, and spring will come. Ironically in 2020, March 12 was the first week where all the bills were covered and everyone was paid in full. It’s ironic because now that was the only week in 2020 that we’ve run in the black so far. But spring will come! It’s just going to be a little late this year, and we’re well prepared for the setback that has arrived. We’re used to it.
We stand by our advertisers and they stand by us. By supporting those businesses and telling them you appreciate them advertising with The Wanderer you are doing more than your part to ensure the future of The Wanderer and community journalism. We are doing everything we can and adding more daily to get that message out through social media, in print, and through mailings of The Wanderer. Doing more for our clients is what drives us!
Thank you to those who feel The Wanderer is so important to the community to send in a donation. We will use that money to help the businesses that really need it today!
As for The Wanderer, we’re here to stay – you can bank on that.