Bully for You in Colfax made some big changes these past few months. They moved two blocks north of their old location into a larger building. 

“We’re obsessed with old buildings and old towns, and this building is perfect,” said Laura Storm, Bully for You co-owner. 

The bigger building means they can hold more furniture for their customers, Laura said. The new building is two stories tall, and the bottom floor will house furniture.

Over time, the top floor will be renovated so they can sell clothing and books. The unused space has a lot of potential, but it may take time for it to be completed, she said.

“We already have a small section devoted to books and to clothing, but we know we can have so much more,” Laura said. 

They do not have a specific budget or cost for the renovation so far, but they are following a five-year and 10-year plan to complete what they want, she said.

“We’re using ‘sweat equity’ — meaning, we do it ourselves or we have friends help out,” Laura said. 

The new building needs a lot of work, but one project the owners want to focus on the most is installing new plumbing. The building’s plumbing is not operating at the moment, but Bully for You makes it work for now. The owners and customers have been using the neighboring store’s bathroom. 

“Renovations don’t have to happen all at once. You can start and still reopen business,” said Austin Storm, Bully for You co-owner. 

With COVID-19 hitting Whitman County hard these past few weeks, they had to make some adjustments. Laura started selling items on their Instagram page. This way, they could maintain their business and avoid in-person contact, Austin said.

One of their main goals is to help promote Colfax. They want to help bring more people in to experience the community and see what they have to offer. The town has several local businesses to support, he said.

“People don’t realize that Colfax is a 40-minute drive from places [on the] Palouse. It’s very easy to make it a day trip,” Austin said. “Colfax is more of a region, not a little town.” 

Bully for You is not the only business that expanded this year. A Modern Plantsman relocated its business into a bigger building as well. 

The recent fire in Colfax did not affect Bully for You directly, but everyone was worried about the town, Laura said.

The tight-knit community helped everyone make sure people were safe and have a place to stay. A similar thing happened when Fonks Coffeehouse burnt down in March 2020.