Required Reading for Framers and Business People

[B. Newman]

(Not to be confused with Ron's "Required Reading" over on Warped tongue.gif )

There's a lot of discussion going on about (maybe) oversimplified questions being asked. Hey, we were all new at one time. Remember when you thought "chopped" was something you did to onions, and a "hinge" went on a door?

I thought I'd start a list of what I'd consider recommended reading for framers and business people. And not only do I read them, I refer to them often, though not as often as I did before the grumble and HH.

First of all - you must have "The Library of Professional Picture Framing" Vol 1-6

Then I add:
Framing Collectibles in Shadow Box Frames - Kistler (and she has a new one in the works.)

Object Box Framing - Kistler

The Framer's Answer Book and More Answers for the Framer - Paul Frederick

Modern Matting - compiled from Decor articles

Creative Framing Techniques - Don Gottfredson

Cutting, Carving, and Decorating Mats - Brian Wolf

Mounting, Laminating, and Texturing - put out by Seal (This is an old one. Chris Paschke has a new one either out, or coming out soon.)

257 Framing Tips from the Experts - compiled by Kistler

As for the framing business side:

The Street Smart Entrepreneur - Goltz

The Articles of Business - Kistler

How to Sell More Framing - Decor

Accent on Selling - Joyce Zabell (one of my all time favorites.)

Owning and Operating a Frame Shop - Decor/Kistler

Pricing Custom Framing - Decor/Kistler (it's a good starting place.)

And business in general:

The E-Myth

The Guerilla Marketing Series (any or all of them)

The Woodworker's Marketing Guide (marketing is marketing!)

Up Your Cash Flow (a little deep, but good)

The Great Game of Business

and one of my favorite - Dave's Way by Dave Thomas

Then there's the magazines:
PFM
Decor
Art and Frame Review
ABN / AFN
Art World News (excellent marketing/selling articles by Todd Bingham)
INC
Fast Company
Entrepreneur

Some time back some of us were discussing reading the trade magazines. When you've read them for 25-30 years, it seems there's nothing new. That may be true, but as Ira Freincle says about his column in PFM - "For old hands that forgot and new ones that don't know..."

Keep all your owner's manuals together. Keep your notes and materials from seminars in a notebook for easy reference.

It's called continuing education. Most industries require it.

Betty

[ 10-23-2003, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: B. Newman ]

[dns ynko]

I dont think i can afford twenty five books on framing. So what is the best in eveyone's opinion? Lets say it is for someone that knows a fair amount..been in framing for about 3 years or so. thinking about getting there own buisness going, so the equipment thing is on the mind, and is into art heavily...what do you folks suggest?
d

[D_Derbonne]

Buy a few books at a time until you have the collection.
PPFA offers discounts to members.

[MAX]

Betty,

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Up Your Cash Flow OOP? I don't think it's been updated for 15 years or so. All the spreadsheets et al are hand-done in that book last I checked. It sure would be nice to see a copy that was updated for the Quickbooks age smile.gif .

MAX

[B. Newman]

Originally posted by MAX:
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Up Your Cash Flow OOP?
Oh shoot, it may be. Mine is only a couple of years old though.

Old marketing and business books are kinda like those antique framing books that Marc was posting a while back. There are still some things, like principles and such that are "forever."

Betty

[psychoframer]

Not only does PPFA offer discounts to members on book purchases, but now each chapter has a full compliment of the books recommended to take the CPF exam. However, Betty offered some additional titles that are excellent and well worth the reading. Heck, if you add a Peter Lynch, Charles Schwabb, and a Warren Buffett to the list you could become a day trader during those slow times!

[Andrew Larigo]

Betty

Thanks for that list! I am printing it out & will start to shop. I'm hoping an elitist view isn't developing here to (people like myself) newbies asking the same, perhaps boring but a necessity if of the above.

I'm hoping I don't owe an apology for any 'Stoopid!' questions I may ask, but as it goes "if you never ask, you never get."

Anyhow, Just a Thankyou once more for yet more invaluable info from this Forum. I now do come back every day.

Andrew

[B. Newman]

Thank you Andrew. Very few of us started framing right out of high school or college, yet somehow we tend to forget what, we ourselves, once didn't know.

Anyone who fears competition should read "Building a Marketing Juggernaut" in this month's INC magazine. (It's not on the web site yet - should be any day now.) It's about a guy called "the pool Nazi" by those who don't like his success in business and in his teaching others how to be successful.

(I've found that anyone who is successful - in any area - will have people who don't like them. It's the nature of success.)


Surely, others of you have books that you refer to often, doncha?

Betty

[AWG]

I've read Jay Goltz's book a few times - embarassed that I can't remember the title for the life of me.

[MAX]

"The Street-Smart Entrepenuer"

MAX

[Rogatory]

"Customer Satisfaction Is WORTHLESS Customer Loyalty Is Priceless" by Jeffrey Gitomer
Bard Press

-David-

[Bob Shirk MCPF]

Please add to your list "Why We Buy" by Paco Underhill. He writes about store layout, signage, and displays.

[GUMBY, GCF]

I thought I might add one of my favorites:

The Start-up Entrepreneur
by James R Cook
Harper & Row Publishing
Isbn 0-06-097070-7

[B. Newman]

Gee Jim, I didn't know you had written a book. Where can we buy it?

Betty

[JudyN]

One of my all time favorites is: GROWING A BUSINESS by Paul Hawken

[lyoncat]

My fav too, Judy. In fact I went to the bookshelf to refresh my memory, and remembered that I loaned it to my daughter.
That was the first book I read, and re-read, that helped guide me, and INSPIRE me to open my own shop.

I have many that Betty mentioned also. It is amazing how much of this info starts accumulating in the brain, and I forget the steps I went through in learning.


Marketing and merchandizing is my main reading at present. I am enjoying "Getting Business to Come to You" by Paul & Sarah Edwards.

Another, that I think you may have recommended Betty, is "Gettting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got" by Jay Abraham.

I love reading all of these, and have many more I am waiting to buy.

Good topic

[GUMBY, GCF]

Betty you can get the book
The Start-up Entrepreneur
by James R Cook
Harper & Row Publishing
Isbn 0-06-097070-
at Amazon.com just do a search