Making Some Changes

[gemsmom]

Opinions, please.
The new hire I have is not working out. I am hoping to make it past the holidays with her.

I am sick and tired of trying to find people to work here. I am tired of training them. I am seriously considering changing my hours after the first of the year so I can manage without a full timer.

Right now, I am open six days a week, 10:00 to 5:30 M-F, 10:00 to 5:00 on Sat. I am considering closing entirely on Mondays and closing at 3:00 on Sat. I would like to close on holiday weekends for three days to include Sat., and close the shop for two weeks during the year so I can take a vacation (unless I can find someone to watch the shop).

What I am finding out is, my customers want me. They call to find out when I am here, and if I am not, when I will be. My advertising is based on my knowledge and credibility, not my employees, so even new people look for me.

I hope to sell this shop in the next couple of years. I think that by being able to offer a profitable shop, where the owner makes a nice income without having to work ungodly hours may make the place more attractive to a potential buyer.

Does anyone think shortening the hours of operation will have an adverse affect?

[Emibub]

Pamela, My opinion is unqualified.(of course) If they come for you and only you I am sure they will adjust to your availability. That is the pay off to being successful. You have worked long and hard to establish yourself and now you can call those shots. I can only hope to be there someday myself. Right now I panic if I lock the doors for 15 minutse to go to the bank, because I might miss someone.

I have been reading with interest many of the problems all of you have that are employee related. I have to look long and hard at how big I want to be. I always assumed I'd like to be big enough to have two or three employees. I've always considered myself to be a good boss and a good judge of people too. But, when it is your own name and store it is a different ballgame altogether.

Good luck on your decision!

[Ron Eggers]

Pamela, I did exactly that when a full-timer who had been with me for 13 years moved on to greener pastures.

I will say I have been happier and healthier working alone. During prosperous times, I was less able to take advantage of the opportunities. During lean times (the last three years) I was in a much better position to weather them. I do a lot more framing and a lot less managing, book-keeping, hiring, training, firing, etc.

If you do this, you have to be willing to lock the door and take some time off. If you believe customers will go elsewhere if you're not open 6 days/week, 52 weeks/year, you'll be miserable.

But for me: I've had 26-or-so employees (some good and some marginal,) and I believe I would work for someone else before I'd be an employer again. I've been working alone for about ten years now.

Drop me a note if you want more detail.

[Ron Eggers]

BTW, I'm open 10-5 Tuesday-Friday, 10-2 Saturdays and closed Sundays and Mondays. I also close for about three weeks each year and take a few long weekends.

[RozR]

Pam, Emibub, Ron,

This is such a "hot button" issue for me, too!!

I agree with Ron that working alone is better than being an employer!!!

Pam, I think that your shop runs on your reputation and that you need to be consistent with your hours - whatever they may be. And what Ron says for his 3 weeks a year, long weekends and T-S only - I think is common and acceptable as a small independent retailer for the service and product we as framers provide. We are not a drug store, we are not the local 7-11 where you are expected to be open all the time. We are craftspeople and customers that don't appreciate that and would be offended by less hours aren't necessarily the customers you want anyways.

I know people have mentioned that they have stopped by at times when I am not here (rare! as my husband just said this a.m. - since I am rarely on time in the a.m. and we are here MUCH later than the posted hours - the sign should read:

Open: Around 10 a.m.
Close: 5 p.m. or when the lights are off!

But these customers have come back. That is a good feeling.

Now, Kathy, that fear of leaving for 15 mins and missing someone - I struggle with that, too. I have to leave today to go get lunch (soon!) and put a little post-it on the door "be back at 2:00, sorry for any inconvenience" so they know WHEN I will return... They may run other errands and return that same day or later. But most of them do come back.

I am struggling with next Sat's hours as I type this. We are going away for a long weekend. Sat-Mon... but debating whether to open at all on Sat. or close early rather than at the normal 4p.m. to hit the road. And then to be closed Monday. Some weeks these two days could make my business plan figures - others it wouldn't make a big different - but I never know. I guess that is retailing!!

So Pam, I'd say do what feels best for you. Get your sanity back in place and if you need to farm out some of the work... that could be an option.

Roz

[Cliff Wilson]

I've been open 10-6 Tues - Fri and 10 - 2 on Sat since last November. Took a week off and a couple of long weekends. No one seems to mind the hours. Many people say "I came on Monday ..." Since they are in telling me I guess they are coming back. Of course, I don't know if any didn't come back. On a number of Mondays I have been here and had the open sign out. Every now and then I do some business on Monday, but I don't think it hurts anything to be closed.

BUT, when I was looking to open and when a friend of mine was looking to buy a business, one that is driven by a single individual is a LOT less atractive than one that is "managed."

my 2 cents.
Cliff

[wpfay]

Pam, My hours are the same as Ron's. (odd that).
I have pondered all these questions and the one big point you made which you then seemed to ignore "What I am finding out, is my customers want me" and "I hope to sell this shop in the next couple of years".
The first statement would seem to me to put serious restrictions on the second. You cant sell a business that is based entirely upon your talents as a framer. Once you sell and are absent, all those that are calling for your talent will go elsewhere and your buyer may not be too happy.
You need to develop a talent base in your employees that will carry on the work that you do to the new owner, otherwise it might be more prudent for someone interested in getting in to the business to open up a new one on their own.
Short of going to work for the new owners to help with a seamless transition, I feel that employees are necessary to the marketability of the business.
Oh, and though you may not admit it, the new owner will have some mighty big shoes to fill. I don't think you can transfer the "Multiple National Award Winner" with the deed to your shop.

[AWG]

Wow, Pam, I don't know what to tell you but I'll share our story...

When we bought our shop (established 8 years) lots of people came in looking for the previous owner (some still do). Not to toot our horn, but when he made the decision to sell to US, he did so because he felt we would be able to continue run the business the way he had - qualitywise, customer service wise, etc. While we've made some cosmetic changes to the place (all positive according to our customers) we've stayed pretty much the same.
The established customers keep coming back; the new customers keep coming in, things haven't changed much.
I'm sure that we've lost some of the old customers - because framing is kind of a relationship business that's bound to happen. But overall we (and our customers) are happy with things the way they are.

On the hours thing: We're open 10-6 M-F and 10-4 Saturday. One of us is always here, and we close when necessary. One of the reasons for buying into our own business was the ability to set our life schedule the way we want - not at the whim of some corporate policy. When we went to DECOR we closed on Friday and Saturday. We felt the show was important enough.

I guess it's like this: no one will ever run the place as well or as efficiently as you do, whether you're there as a boss or absentee owner. Muddle through the holidays if you can (with the hope that she doesn't bail out on you sometime around mid-November) and then re-set your hours to best accomodate your life's desires.

A bit long winded, but I hope that helps. . . . .


Tony

[gemsmom]

You make some VERY good points, Wally, which I have to consider. It is not the work I mind so much as being a business owner. I enjoy what I do, but the day to day business of ownership is wearing thin. I would be happy to work during a transitional period, and for a period thereafter, only I would be much happier with less hours. But, I do understand what you are getting at, and it is something I will have to keep in mind as I think about what to do next.

[Sharonx]

I have been struggling for nine years regarding hours. I am open 10 to 5:30 Mon thru Fri and 10 to 2 on Sat. I have found that all what business I do on Saturday is done in the morning. I just had to explain myself to members of the uptown merchants organization. I realize they want to keep the hours uniform, but I will not stay open on Sunday. I am in my shop alone and will not work 7 days a week. I also do not do nites unless we are having a BIG city wide promotion. A lot of small retailers in our community don't open on Mondays. I have considered but with the economy the way it is, I hate to lose a sale. It gets kind of old. I find myself answering the phone at home with my business name. Must be because I spend 90 percent of my time at the shop.I do close for lunch but not from 12 to 1 as that is when my customers are on their lunch hour. I have been closing for lunch for nine years and don't think it has adversely affected my business. We have 7 framers in a community of 20,000. I can stay competitive by working alone and putting out quality work. My slogan on my advertising is Quality framing at affordable prices. Due to a couple of emergency's in the last couple of years I have had to close for a few days. My customers seem to understand and keep coming back.

[DB]

Pamela, I feel your pain. I reached that point a few months ago after two years of employee he**, a poor business economy and the insanity of being a new mom. I have always been open 6 or 7 days a week, at least 10-6, and in the not so recent past I was open M-Sat 9-6, Sun 12-5. I ran the store this way for years and gained some good clients because of it. After a lot of inner struggle, I decided in June to let my two full timers go. I have one employee wo works 25-30 hours a week and 3 or 4 others that I can count on for about 16-20 hours per month each (they fill in during busy weeks and help cover Saturday hours). I am open Tuesday 12-6, Wed, Thurs and Fri 10-6 and Sat 10-4. I will probably lose two of the employees right after Christmas...one is going back to school at age 42, and one will embark upon a teaching career at the tender age of 24. At that point I may change my hours again so I can handle things primarily by myself and still be home with my daughter 3 days a week. After 3 months on this new schedule, I am finally feeling in control of my personal life. Although it is hard to stay on top of things at work with the shorter hours, I am regaining control there as well. I am also getting the old excitement back when I am at work, because I am not burned out and I don't have to deal with the employee drama every day. I too find that many customers prefer to see me, and while a few may find the new hours a little inconvenient, no one has complained. In fact, at least once or twice a week a customer will tell me (male and female) haw glad they are that I made this decision for myself and my family. They call ahead to make an appointment if they really need to see me or they ask me to double check their selections if they worked with someone else. I still have some kinks to work out and I don't know what will happen when the holiday season is upon me, but I am determined not to fall back on my old ways. What we both need is a business partner, so we can both work 4 days a week but still be open 6 days! Anyway, you sound like you are ready for a change, so my advice to you is just do it. Even if it is just for a year to rejuvinate, you will be better off for it. Just my personal opinion. Call anytime if you need to Bit@*.
603-673-2136

[John Gornall]

As a one person frame shop where you are "The Framer" and this is the established connection with your clientel, don't try to put another person that is probably inferior to you (at least in the customer's eyes)in your place when you are not there. If you feel the need to be open 6 or 7 days per week or to put it in simple terms - be open more hours than you are willing to be at your store then get a suitable employee to "be there" - make it clear that they are not framers. They are there as a customer convenience for pick ups, front end sales, cleaning the shop and other related duties. Get this employee to do all the jobs they are capable of including back room work but you are "The Framer" period. And they can arrange appointments for customers with you at the times you will be at the shop.

Imagine coming in at 1:00 PM to a spotless store with empty garbage cans and clean windows and having a bright eyed person tell you about 3 design appointments in the afternoon and $4000 of framing picked up - and you've got time for coffee and Picture Framing Magazine before the first. And between the first and second appointment you can complete 3 frame jobs because you don't have to go out front and talk to "just looking".

or:

I saw a sign in a store in Port Townsend Washington a few years ago that I liked:

"If the door is open and the lights are on we're open - if not we're closed - Thank you."

[ 10-03-2003, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: John Gornall CPF ]

[Jim Miller]

I think Wally's right about the difficulty of selling a business that features the reputation & expertise of one person.

When the main person goes away, so does that value-feature of the company, which is one reason framing entrepreneurs so often decide to start their business from scratch, instead of buying an established frame shop.

Combine that aspect with the fact that starting a framing business is relatively cheap, and we realize why the resale market for frame shops is (and always has been) generally poor, compared to other kinds of businesses. Indeed, most frame shop owners are fortunate to sell for the market value of the mailing list, plus equipment & inventory. Many frame shops are simply auctioned or otherwise liquidated when the owner wants out. The lucky ones have an employee wanting to buy the business.

Framing companies of, say, more than $500,000 revenue per year are another story. That size qualifies as a "real" business. At that level, other factors come into play.

For one thing, that size business requires several employees. The owner then becomes less of a promotional feature of the company, less of a framer, and more of a business administrator. As such, an "owner transplant" would have a better chance of success -- and potential buyers know that.

Larger framing busineses sell better because it would be more difficult to build one that size from scratch, than to buy it already running.

Finally, business brokers don't go looking for $200,000 one-person businesses to sell. They take almost as much work to sell as a larger business, and the sales commission is meager.

Right now, I'm trying to decide which way to go: (1) continue having fun with this one small, easy to operate shop, and just walk away when it's over; or (2) suffer the work to build a larger, more saleable business, with plans to sell it for enough to fund my eventual, dreaded retirement.

Disposal of the business must be a common dilemma for frame shop owners, although it rarely comes up in conversation.

"How to Retire From Your Framing Business" would make a great class, wouldn't it? Trouble is, most framers qualified to develop such a class are retired. :rolleyes:

[B. Newman]

Gee whiz Pamela, I wish we were near each other. I want to run, market, and build this business and sell framing, I just don't particularly want to do the framing!

As for burnout, there's an excellent article in Entrepreneur Magazine on that this month. "Where's the Love?"
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,310962,00.html

It will be tough finding the solution that's right for you.

Betty

[gemsmom]

Jim, everything you say makes perfectly good sense. It is rather discouraging to think I have worked twenty years to build a business to where I am able to take a reasonably good salary, and show a respectable profit, only to be told my time and effort has been wasted. It doesn't make sense to me that a person would rather start from scratch, with no customer base, and possibly no income for a time, than buy something with a proven track record that will produce income from the start.

Maybe I should look for an employee who has an interest in owning a shop one day. That would be the ideal I guess. Anyone interested? You'd have a REALLY GOOD teacher!!!

[MAX]

Originally posted by Pamela DeSimone, CPF:
It doesn't make sense to me that a person would rather start from scratch, with no customer base, and possibly no income for a time, than buy something with a proven track record that will produce income from the start.I don't think that is what Jim's saying. . .

[Framerguy]

Pam,

Buying a business vs. starting from scratch depends on a couple of variables.

1. Is there a viable business for sale in the area in which you want to relocate?

2. Is the drive and determination present to build another business from scratch or is it more advantageous to continue in the present location?

3. Does one have the confidence in their workmanship to go into a new area and compete for the business that may be going elsewhere at the present?

4. If nothing else, are you crazy enough to just pull up stakes and go to another area and try to better yourself?

In my case, I had little choice in the matter. The unemployment rate when I left my old location was over 10%. I found out recently that it rose this summer to just over 12%. I wasn't going anywhere with my business even though I was considered a darned good framer by most of my customers. The best customer you have becomes just another good friend when they lose their job that they have worked at for maybe 20 years or more.

I have had a slow start here in Florida since I opened in July. But it has only been 3 months. And I have picked up some very valuable talkative rich clients who have been spreading the word about my quality of framing, by far, the most efficient form of advertising known to framers. As I become better known in the area, I have no doubts that my business will thrive. I haven't changed my pricing policy from what it was up North and I thought I was well priced there. I was told just today by one of my repeat customers from Destin, the high roller area of the Panhandle of Florida, that she had used every framer in Destin and I was far and above much better and also less expensive than any of them. That is a real ego booster for new guy on the "block".

We all need to take stock of what we are trying to accomplish and whether any business that is for sale is really what it is purported to be. There has been some good advice on hiring professionals to check out the books of the business and find out exactly what those books tell you about the business. That would be money well invested if you are thinking of buying another business in any area that you are not familiar with.

Framerguy

[pcascio]

Hi Pam,

I've found that simply by hiring a part-time trainee, and simply teaching them to do fitting, I can reduce my production workload by about 40%.

There are plenty of quality people who want to become framers that would jump at the opportunity. Then, if they work out okay, you can let them learn more and take on other responsibilities.

Paul Cascio
www.pictureframingschool.com (http://www.pictureframingschool.com)

[Framerguy]

Paul,

Well, I am surprised! That has to be the first time that you actually offered some advice on the Grumble!

And all this time I thought you were just using the forum for a free classified section for your used equipment and framing school. :D

Why don't you make this more of a habit and drop in more often with some advice on problems. I know that you have alot to offer to new framers and some of us older guys/gals too from your "guerrilla framing" days.

Framerguy

[pcascio]

Sorry. I'll try to do better ib the future.

[RozR]

Paul.... Glad to hear you here too!!! Rozzie

[EllenAtHowards]

My cousin is an interior designer. She has found that the more restricted her hours, the more in demand she is. So maybe that might be the tack to take. If they are seeking you out then schedule appointments, be closed on Mondays and Thursdays, be closed 2 weeks in the summer, be closed between Christmas and New Years... they will not go running to another framer because you weren't there Thursday morning. They will read your sign and go "Oh, yeah! I forgot she is closed on Thursdays" and come back on Friday or next week or whenever. You'll be fine...

[framah]

I found out this summer how hard it is to run a shop by myself after having a helper last year. It was he**!! But at the same time, it was great!! When I had too much work, I closed for a few days to catch up. The sign said to come back when I reopen and get 10% off. Works everytime!!
Plus, when I need to go get lunch or to the bank, I put up my lunch sign and they go finish their shopping and come back later. Being in a smallish town helps as well. People are more laid back and it just isn't all that important to them. When I have to go away, I post a sign about it and add the 10% off feature and haven't had anyone complain.
When I go on vacation, the first thing they say is "Tell me all about it!!" then "Pictures, let's see pictures!"
I, too, have built my buiness on my reputation which is why I"m so reluctant to hire someone else. So far this summer, I've had to fix 3 pieces where the wiring failed due to how my former helper did it. That plus finger prints on the inside of the glass. Now, it's back up to my standards.

I always figure that when I sell my business, it'll be to someone who I'm comfortable with and whom I would feel comfortable recommending to my clients. I plan to send a card out to my list thanking them for their loyalty and assuring them of the continued quality of the work that will come out of the shop. Sounds good, right??

This plan would go a long way toward assuring the potential buyer that the people will still come in. After that, it is up to them to uphold my standards to keep them. :D