The Memorial Day Reality Check

Memorial Day weekend seemed like the perfect time to sit down and reflect on this wild little journey called Backyard Bash Co. And by "sit down," I mean answer customer inquiries from a soccer field in New Hampshire while eating snacks intended for children, in the pouring rain while checking Instagram notifications between games.

Meanwhile, Maria has practically become a resident of New Jersey, spending 4 out of the last 7 days there. And currently while I'm writing this, she is sitting on a train headed back there for another 2 days. But she still somehow is texting me business ideas at all hours of the day.

Honestly, we've been working hard. Really hard!

We've had so many encouraging moments lately:

• Tons of new followers on Instagram and Facebook.

• Lots of people visiting our website.

• New inquiries and conversations with potential clients.

• Friends and family constantly sharing our posts and cheering us on.

And all of that has honestly meant the world to us.

But if we are being real? The rentals haven't exactly exploded overnight. Apparently, businesses don't become wildly successful after two weeks and a few Facebook posts.

Rude.

Somewhere along the way, we read that it can take FIVE YEARS for a small business to truly become profitable.

Five years.

As teachers, we immediately had mixed reactions. On one hand: "that makes total sense, building something meaningful takes time." On the other hand: "FIVE YEARS?!"

We are two very patiently impatient people. Teachers are used to immediate feedback. You teach the lesson, you grade the quiz. You revisit or you move on. Small business ownership is more like: post content. Wait. Wonder if anyone saw it. Question every life decision. Refresh Instagram. Eat a snack. Refresh again.

So this weekend, we went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves: What's stopping people? And honestly? We think it's the economy. People are just being careful with money right now. Extras feel hard to justify. Trust us...we get it.

We're over here trying to build a business while also looking at the grocery prices wondering how blueberries suddenly became a luxury item. So we are starting to think differently.

Our goal was never to become some overpriced luxury rental company where people need to take out a second mortgage to play cornhole for three hours. We genuinely want to create affordable, fun, hassle free experiences for people.

That's why this week we decided to start running more bundle deals, discounts, and flexible-pricing options. Because at the end of the day, we'd rather see people outside laughing, competing, and making memories than worrying about whether fun fits into the budget.

We're still learning. Still adjusting. Still figuring out what works. But one thing we know for sure: We want Backyard Bash Co. to feel approachable, affordable, and worth every penny.

With coffee, chaos, and big dreams,

Julie & Maria