As you  might have heard, my husband, Michael, is joining the Tinking Turtle team!  For a couple of months now, he’s been behind the scenes, helping the business run smoothly, and enabling me to concentrate on the things only I can do: knitting, crochet, finishing, designing and teaching.  Michael was scheduled to start contributing to the blog later this month, but was inspired by recent political events to begin writing early.  I hope you will welcome him now and in the future as he bring a unique perspective to the Fiberarts.

Shutdown.

For the past week, Washington, DC, and the nation in general, has dealt with the uncertainty in the government. Various news outlets have highlighted different sectors that have been affected, and I began wondering, what has been the affect on the Fiberarts Industry.  Below follows a list of government departments whose services have been impacted by the shutdown, and how they may have an affect on small Fiberarts businesses.

You’ll find a landing page like this at a lot of government websites.

Being just outside of Washington DC, Tinking Turtle has the unique perspective of a front-row seat, and in a roundup wanted to share our observations as to how these events directly impact those involved in the Fiberarts industry.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, and for more information CNN interactive has a great overview by department, agency, or program that is kept up to date for future reference.

The most noticeable impact to designers and publishers is the closure of the US Copyright Office.  While the physical Copyright Office remains closed, and any pending copyright applications are frozen in their current state, new applications can, as of the time of writing, be filed via the Electronic Copyright Office to start the copyright process and establish an initial date of registration should that be necessary.  In the same vein, while it is currently open, the US Patent and Trademark Office is planning on staggered reduction of services as the shutdown situation continues without a resolution.  In discussion with a friend who is a Patent Examiner with the Patent and Trademark Office, the Office has funds to sustain itself for another business week before an orderly draw-down of staffing and services would occur over the next several weeks.

For new publishers, business owners, or yarn store owners, the Small Business Administration is closed for all serves except providing for disaster loans, so any applications for financial assistance will not be processed until funding is restored.  Additionally, for any organization or entity which is required to file quarterly taxation statements with the IRS, while the physical filings can be submitted, the IRS is not available via telephone or in-person appointments for consultations, advice, or assistance.

There are a couple of pieces of good news for retailers, publishers, and other vendors: because the United States Postal Service is not subject to congressional appropriation, it does remain open for business, and mail is continuing to be delivered.

Locally in the DC area, many of the LYSs are taking advantage of having a cadre of furloughed government employees finding themselves with more time on their hands. For example, Fibre Space, in Old Town Alexandria, VA is offering free beginning knitting lessons for any government employee. You can reference Jennifer’s post to find out about more businesses who are running specials or offering deals in light of the shutdown.

We can all hope for a swift resolution to this unfortunate situation.  However, no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, I’d encourage you to think about or find ways to help people who are affected by the shutdown.