Knowing When to Close a Chapter Is Just as Important as Opening One

Three months ago, our landlord asked us to stay.

Ako & sila, the fashion jewellery boutique my wife Jovelyn runs, had reached the end of its contract on one of its locations. The landlord liked us. He offered half rent to keep us on.

We said yes. December was profitable. January was profitable. February was profitable.

March wasn’t.

One bad month at half rent is still a bad month. The decision was straightforward: close that location, bank the good months, and move on. The other shops are still running and the brand is standing. And this week, after far too long, ako & sila finally launched its website. Late to the party, maybe. But the party is still going.

As my friend Chris says: “if it don’t make money, it don’t make sense.”
That is not a callous principle. It is a disciplined one. You give something a fair run. You read the numbers honestly. You act on what they tell you. No drama, no regrets.

Knowing when to close a chapter is just as important as knowing how to open one.