Small Bear's Annual "State Of The Cave" Message

[smallbearelec]

As I have done the past few autumns, I am getting up on my soapbox (stompbox?) to growl a little about what I've been up to. I figure that if George W can bend your ears every day, I'm certainly entitled to once a year--guitar FX being at least as important as National Security!

'03 has been a big year for SBE. The regulars here will remember that I hit a crisis last winter. Order volume had grown beyond my ability to cope alone, I was taking two weeks to get orders out, and customers were rightly upset. I was very tired, still plowing all of my income back into stock, and not sure when/if I would see daylight. I did the immediately necessary: Reorganized Cave so that other people could find things, hired my first help, and started working with a programmer on the design of the shopping cart. Fortunately, those changes have had the effect I wanted: We ship a lot more--once again usually timely--and I still usually get enough sleep. I have been able to keep the business in our home (very important for efficient use of time and financial health!), but growth of inventory may force me to rent some storage. In many places it wouldn't be a major business decision, but this is New York; you rent closet space by the square inch!

We have turned the corner: We are healthy, and a viable business that will be around for years to come! This is the first year in which Judy and I have had a clear sense that SBE will be our livelihood, as opposed to just a "nice-to-have" supplement! Thank you for your orders, and for the good recommendations to new DIYers; they are our most important advertising! We (well, I, at least) look forward to taking our act on the road, having a table at regional guitar shows and maybe meeting customers overseas when we travel.

The stock list will continue to grow, though it may be only an item or two at a time. I invest a lot in keeping the shelves stocked (notice that I am rarely out of key parts?) and I maintain a careful balance between spending on what I already offer and bringing in new products. I will never carry huge variety, but I will be deep in what I do stock.

Germanium transistors being one of my most important offerings, you'll want to know that I have secured supply of good raw stock for the next few years. I have invested in several thousand devices, mostly by known makers like Texas Instruments and Westinghouse. They're quiet, leakage is low, and gain spread is wide enough to cover everyone's needs. I will begin shipping these around New Year's.

I will continue to upgrade the web site, though that process will also be very slow until I can free up large blocks of design time. I hope to make that happen next year.

I hope that you are all as pleased as I am with the growth in content and offerings of the DIY-FX sites, especially Tonepad and GeneralGuitarGadgets. More and more, I see orders for the PT2399 from the far corners of the globe, which means that there are many people out there working on Rebotes and PT-80s. The same for parts for the Mutron/Neutron. The spread of the DIY hobby, and the community that supports it, is very gratifying.

One of the big stories of this year is the return of bucket-brigade delays based on the BL32xx chips. A Bearish "thank you!" to those who motivated me to make the supply connection, and a big one to the designers, especially Ed Rembold and Scott Swartz. Now that people can entertain these designs without taking out a second mortgage for the parts, I hope we'll hear more echoes of the 70s and 80s.

I'm satisfied and happy, but tired, so SBE will be taking some extended time off toward the end of the year. I will post notice of closing dates in good time to permit last orders for "must build" stuff.

To my Jewish friends and customers: L'shana tova um'tukah t'kateivu (Be thou incribed [in the Book of Life] for a good and sweet year). And to everyone: Much good music, health and happiness.

Yours In The Finest Of Home-brewed FX Noise,

SD

[The Tone God]

While I have not ordered anything form Small Bear I must say that it is one of the best reasoruces the DIY community has. What good are schematics, layout, diagrams, and ideas without the parts to make them happen. When a newbie, after reading the information made availible by others in the DIY community, decides to make the plunge into DIY I am sure you are their first stop. It is great to have a place to direct newbies to for help in sourcing parts.

I also must say that I am delight to hear that you will be able to make a living off this bussiness and to continue to offer this wonderful service.

Thanks.

Andrew

[80k]

Hi Steve,

Best of luck to you.  I have had nothing but great experiences ordering from you (your friendliness and helpfulness more than makes up for those 2 week waits!)

Any plans to upgrade to a shopping cart where bulk pricing is taken into account?

Hope you enjoy your much-needed vacation.  I can only imagine how busy you are.  Your prompt and cordial email correspondances are much appreciated by the DIY community.

[Jered]

That is so nice to hear Steve. Continued success to you and your wife.
  Jered

[Peter Snowberg]

Congratulations!

I've dreamed of making a living with pedals for the last decade plus. It's great to see people who actually make it.

Here's to your continued success!

-Peter

[Mike Nichting]

Hi Steve,
I must add that it is an absolute honor to do business with you~!!  I don't think anyone would put up with my nonsense and constantly changing mind like you ;-)
 I wish you all the succes and hapiness in the world.

Long Live Small Bear~!!    

Your friend in noise,
Mike Nichting

[BILLYL]

Steve-

The best to you and your wife for the New Year!!!!!!!!!

BILLYL

[jsleep]

Thanks Steve.  Great service!

As we say in southern USA:
Shalom y'all  

JD

[Kleber AG]

Woowww!!!
My first post on the new forum and it goes to you Steve.
Congratulations to you and your wife!
Keep the fire burning  :mrgreen:
Blessings

Kleber AG
Your Brazilian friend!!!

[Ed Rembold]

Steve,
All I can say is- Thankyou.
If were gone,  I'd be gone.
It's as simple as that.
Ed R.

[Chris R]

I think there are a few of us that program on the forum..  

If there is anything i can do to help with the web page.. just let me know.

as always, keep up the good work steve.

C

[Doug H]

Congratulations on "turning the corner" Steve!

It's exciting to see you take this from a side business to your main source of income. You are a real inspiration!

Thanks for the great service you provide. Without it, this hobby would not be the same.

Good luck to you and Judy in the coming year,

Doug

[Marcus Dahl]

Steve has always been polite, honest, and timely. Even when he wasn't timely at the time of his growing pains, he was still honest and timely. :wink:  

I've enjoyed doing business with Steve, and I plan on continuing that business because of his honesty and politeness. Thank you Steve for having competitive prices and parts.

[Mark Hammer]

Beyond being a continuing (and gratifyingly so) source of good news, the State of the Cave report has also been a voice from the front lines of small business.  Steve has been forthright in his depiction of the trials and tribulations of setting up a small business that pays hommage to (and I think that's a little more than just "catering to") hobbies.  It's comforting to know it can happen, and useful to know it doesn't happen overnight, and instructive to see HOW it happens.  I think for many folks here, Smallbear is a case-study as much as a parts source, which is a double service.

There are a lot of folks here who aren't aware that the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, you could have lost Judy on her way to work.  Fortunately, you didn't and whether it was payback for a life properly lived or simply a divine advance on a business honestly and devotedly run, all the good things that have come your way since then are thoroughly deserved.

Continued success my friend.  The sweetest of years to you and Judy.  Have some kugel and kick back while the leaves change.  If you need a place to store things, there's always my basement.  :wink:

[troubledtom]

don't you hate it when you can't say a bad word about someone [SB/steve]
:wink:
    your the greatest,
                  - tom pollock
                        www.troubledvariance.com
ps; i'm sending a part to you to match ................... :twisted:

[moosapotamus]

Excellent message, Steve!
Glad to hear the Cave is doing so well! Small Bear certainly does fill a unique position in the DIY electronics community. It's great to hear that your efforts have been so fruitful.

Congrat's and thanks, again!
~ Charlie

[Deep Blue]

Add another name to the list of extremely satisfied customers.  I would be pretty screwed without Small Bear.

As far as upgrading the site...  Personally, I have trouble with the whole resistor thing.  Only 19?  And why "any value?"  Certain situations call for certain resistors.  Generally, you seem to provide me with the resistors I need to do whichever project I tell you I'm working on, which is great, but that doesn't always work, because some of the optional resistors are not always included, and sometimes I need a few odds and ends as far as resistors and dont' get to specify.

Apart from that, I love your site.  Keep it up.

And if you're going to be away for a while around the New Year, expect some massive orders from me.