second store

[IdahoDave]

We will be signing a lease on our second store tonight, any words from the wise?
will be in growing town 30 minutes north of current location
have been here and growing since 1998
started from ground up

[Jeff Rodier]

Good luck!

The jump from 1 store to 2 is the hardest in my opinion. You will find yourself needing to be at both places at the same time. 2 stores does not equal 2x the revenue, and certainly not 2x the income.

I currently hae 3 locations down from a max of 5 (4 retail, 1 production), I often long for the days of a one man shop. I guess the grass always seems greener. smile.gif

[RoboFramer]

Welcome to The Grumble Dave,

Maybe a second store is as difficult as a second book!

We've always thought that had we started earlier we would have a small 'chain' or one REALLY big place - you know - coach parties - restaurant etc.

Best of luck

PS we love piccies!

[Tim Hayes.]

Welcome Dave,
Kinda short notice for advice what with you signing the lease tonight and it's already late afternoon.
Best,
Tim

[IdahoDave]

I first asked the question at the breakfast forum at the wcaf two years ago and got the initial responces there. should be signed in an hour but replys would still be nice

[danny boy]

IdahoDave,
Welcome to The Grumble... I am excited about your new expansion and know you have put alot of thought into this. Good luck, and call if you get a chance.

Danny boy :cool: :cool: :cool:

[BILL WARD]

get a looong van or small cube truck in GOOD mechanical condition, get a good cell phone-w/video, make sure van has adequately strong coffee cup holder(with burger shelf), make sure van has good audio system....accept the fact that you will ALWAYS forget at least 1 item that was crucial to the trip, and that as sooon as you get down the road a ways your presence will be needed where you just left!

[Grumbler F.K.A. Harry]

Running multiple units presents a whole new set of challenges, but it can be alot of fun. I am looking to get there myself. Have done it for someone else in the past. It is hard, but in a different sort of way. You actually have to manage and rely on people to get things done for you. No more, just do it yourself. That may be the hardest part. The letting go of things.....

Good Luck!

[Bob Carter]

Maybe I am alone in this matter, but multiple stores have many more benefits than problems. But, perhaps the missing key is taking a personal inventory of your own abilities

Multiple stores afford buying opportunities unavailable to many

They afford a much wider base of intelligence with which to make important decisions (if you hire well). Hire people smarter than you and they will add exponentially to your own wisdom (if you have th esense to get out of their way)

You get to amortize so many expense that were borne exclusively on one unit (insurance, car, T&E)

It makes you think more creatively on the business

Now, if you would rather frame than plan, don't do it

If you worry about that shadowbox project more than how to make more money on it, then don't do it

If you have to be in control over detail in your shop and feel that you need to "supervise" every project, then don't do it

As you see, what you want and expect dictate this answer more than you may have considered

[Jay H]

That's true Bob. I have been doing allot of research on my granddad’s hardware stores ever since I moved my frame shop directly across the street from one of them.

As I have learned he bought an existing hardware store. He LOVED it. Business was on fire and you couldn’t stop him. A few years later he opened a second location (across the street). It was a True Value store. Even though both stores were very successful, it sucked the life out of him. He hated it and spent all day driving back and fourth between the two.

The two stores were both way too busy for him to run. He wasn't comfortable turning over his operation to anybody else so he closed the first location about 2 years later. He ran the True Value for about 25 more years, sold it, and retired extremely wealthy and happy (by my standards anyway).

While Bob might have thrived under these conditions, granddad couldn’t. So he had to focus on what he was able to do best. That decision had little to do with business and everything to do with ability/desire.

Recently I have gone through some serious soul searching as well. Bob’s advice and granddads experience is both ringing true in my recent past as well.

Carry on.

[Dave]

Good luck, Dave. As Bob so aptly stated there are many many advantages to operating multiple locations.

However, it is an absolute must that you be the overseer of the operation. You must have people you trust for day to day operations or the tail will quickly wag the dog.

Dave Makielski

[dgranati]

I have often compared custom framing to a gourmet restaurant. Multiple Restaurant don't usually work very well. The store will only be as good as the person who runs it. If their good enough to run your store why don't they open there own store. Multiple stores is a whole new set of skills. Good luck.

[danny boy]

So Dave. We here its open, any pictures to post???
Congrats and all...

[Jim Miller]

...I have been doing allot of research on my granddad’s hardware stores...he opened a second location... it sucked the life out of him. He hated it and spent all day driving back and fourth between the two...He wasn't comfortable turning over his operation to anybody else...

...While Bob might have thrived under these conditions, granddad couldn’t. So he had to focus on what he was able to do best. That decision had little to do with business and everything to do with ability/desire...

Jay, you are fortunate to have the lesson of your grandfather's experience. The downside of being a day-to-day, hands-on, putty-under-the-fingernails owner of multiple framing locations may be difficult to envision. That part is a bit fuzzy, but for ambitious entrepreneurs, the upside, growth and profit, comes in crystal-clear.

So, it seems most of us have to learn the lesson first-hand. I had a second store for about three years. It was quite successful, and I closed it.

If the owner must be in more than one location on any given day to get the framing done, then he/she will probably suffer some level of burnout. I do not know any framer who has been happy or sucessful doing that, long-term.

It is necessary to grow the business to a 'critical mass' at which the day-to-day hands-on work is all done by subordinates, so the owner can dedicate his/her time & energy to keeping it going. It is a tricky process to achieve that level of business, and then those numbers have to be maintained. And the owner has to keep him/herself out of the back room.

The take-home point in this thread is that each of us must decide whether to work in our business or on our businsess. Successful owners of multiple galleries/frame shops do not spend their time building frames. Instead, they spend their time managing those who do. For most of us, there is no middle ground.