seymour
Grumbler
Hi. Has anyone tried "Framer Select" ? What about the pros and cons? thx.seymour
framer select
- Thread starter seymour
- Start date
B. Newman
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
It was a good idea whose time had not come. (Operative word - "was") Last I heard, it was no more.
Betty
Betty
The PPFA, FACTS, Framer Select are all good ideas that enjoy little support from framers. I'm as guilty as the next person.
I wonder how many Grumblers there would be if framer charged, say, $25/year for membership. What about $125?
To clarify, I am aware of NO plans to make The Grumble a paid service. I think Bill's setup expressly prohibits it.
I wonder how many Grumblers there would be if framer charged, say, $25/year for membership. What about $125?
To clarify, I am aware of NO plans to make The Grumble a paid service. I think Bill's setup expressly prohibits it.
I think you would be quite surprised at how many people would chip in!
“The PPFA, FACTS, Framer Select are all good ideas that enjoy little support from framers.”
I sent my checks!
It seems to me that if you get enough organizations sticking their hand out they will all suffer a little bit and some will suffer fatally.
“The PPFA, FACTS, Framer Select are all good ideas that enjoy little support from framers.”
I sent my checks!
It seems to me that if you get enough organizations sticking their hand out they will all suffer a little bit and some will suffer fatally.
Baer Charlton
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
We are in the dead center of Anti-PPFA; both Washington and Oregon rejected their chapterhoods several years back.
Washington has a Guild that is awesome and VERY active. Oregon's guild . . . well, is very Oregon.
But all that said, there are several PPFA national members who pay their dues religiously and support the idea, philosophy, and organization at the drop of a hat, mat knife, glass cutter or anyother excuse. Just not a local chapter.
But we also had some people who joined framer select and got not one referal....
I, on the other hand, have had people call me at home because they got my number from PPFA. (They don't quite understand that home number is my Mfg Rep number.....
Washington has a Guild that is awesome and VERY active. Oregon's guild . . . well, is very Oregon.
But all that said, there are several PPFA national members who pay their dues religiously and support the idea, philosophy, and organization at the drop of a hat, mat knife, glass cutter or anyother excuse. Just not a local chapter.
But we also had some people who joined framer select and got not one referal....
I, on the other hand, have had people call me at home because they got my number from PPFA. (They don't quite understand that home number is my Mfg Rep number.....
I would have a hard time getting excited about the PPFA if we didn't have an excellent chapter in Wisconsin. That's where it's happening. I've seen chapters fold in Minneapolis and the Chicago area and framers driving 4-5 hours to attend chapter events here.
Even our chapter isn't what it was, say, 18 years ago when you could offer a program on wheat starch paste have have 75 people show up. We're rebuilding, though, and it's fun.
I'm sorry but, for all the educational benefits, it's the fun of hanging out with people who do what I do that keeps me involved.
Just like The Grumble.
Maybe that's FACTS biggest shortcoming. It's definitely not fun, although a lot of the people involved in it are great fun.
Spend an hour with Nona or Jim Miller or Wally Fay (or others too numerous to name) and you, too, will be a believer.
[ 10-30-2004, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: Ron Eggers ]
Even our chapter isn't what it was, say, 18 years ago when you could offer a program on wheat starch paste have have 75 people show up. We're rebuilding, though, and it's fun.
I'm sorry but, for all the educational benefits, it's the fun of hanging out with people who do what I do that keeps me involved.
Just like The Grumble.
Maybe that's FACTS biggest shortcoming. It's definitely not fun, although a lot of the people involved in it are great fun.
Spend an hour with Nona or Jim Miller or Wally Fay (or others too numerous to name) and you, too, will be a believer.
[ 10-30-2004, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: Ron Eggers ]
Like anything else you get back what you invest in time and participation.
We didnt get a lot of response from the FS leads, but we did get some fantastic marketing materials that worked well for our own campaigns.
As far as the PPFA, we're fortunate to have a very large and active chapter that draws in some impressive guest speakers. I'm glad we joined both of these, even though FS is gone.
We didnt get a lot of response from the FS leads, but we did get some fantastic marketing materials that worked well for our own campaigns.
As far as the PPFA, we're fortunate to have a very large and active chapter that draws in some impressive guest speakers. I'm glad we joined both of these, even though FS is gone.
I joined FS about 1 1/2 years ago. I saw 6-7 names per month, many times 2-3 of them were repeats. Most were hundreds of miles away. In the eight months I was a member I saw one name that was within driving distance but never saw that person.
At $120 per month it was just too expensive for the long distance names.
I still think it's a good idea, it just didn't quite come together.
I see their website is still running.
At $120 per month it was just too expensive for the long distance names.
I still think it's a good idea, it just didn't quite come together.
I see their website is still running.
oops...real post follows
It seemed like a hopeless case to me from the get-go. The only purpose I saw that it could possibly serve was if a customer was in dire straits to get something framed, and was moving from NY to Oklahoma.
Our BellSouth Yellow pages cover 2 or 3 counties, and if I was looking for a framer in Fuquay, NC, I'd check the YP's first, rather than do an on-line search for frame shops 20 miles away. That is, presuming that I, as a customer knew such a thing even existed.
I imagine it brought in quite a few bucks, though, while it lasted.
Try this, for instance: Do a MSN search for: picture framers cleveland ohio or search for picture framers appleton wisconsin
Our BellSouth Yellow pages cover 2 or 3 counties, and if I was looking for a framer in Fuquay, NC, I'd check the YP's first, rather than do an on-line search for frame shops 20 miles away. That is, presuming that I, as a customer knew such a thing even existed.
I imagine it brought in quite a few bucks, though, while it lasted.
Try this, for instance: Do a MSN search for: picture framers cleveland ohio or search for picture framers appleton wisconsin
I tried FS for six or seven months at $120.00 per month. It was a complete dud, so I quit. Many enthusiastic Grumblers claimed that it was not the referrals, but the camaraderie and education that counted. The rhetoric was pretty much identical to that of PPFA supporters.
I have been around this industry for a long, long, time, I should have known better. Any person or organization that, for a fee, promises to build my business, usually wont. It is pretty much the same as any, get rich, huckster schemes. The only person who actually makes any money, is usually the huckster.
If you want help building your business, call the SBA. They have retired businessmen and woman volunteers who will come to your business and help you for free. Your neighborhood library is loaded with simple, easy to understand books on retailing, marketing, and promoting your business.
The Grumble has countless people who have real world experience in our industry who are more than willing to help you, all at no charge.
What the PPFA charges, versus what they offer, is a bargain.
Look at the resources that are available to you for little or no cost before you "invest" in these, for profit, schemes that always seem to pop up from time to time. You can count on someone coming up with a foolproof replacement for Framer Select within the next few years, they always do.
John
I have been around this industry for a long, long, time, I should have known better. Any person or organization that, for a fee, promises to build my business, usually wont. It is pretty much the same as any, get rich, huckster schemes. The only person who actually makes any money, is usually the huckster.
If you want help building your business, call the SBA. They have retired businessmen and woman volunteers who will come to your business and help you for free. Your neighborhood library is loaded with simple, easy to understand books on retailing, marketing, and promoting your business.
The Grumble has countless people who have real world experience in our industry who are more than willing to help you, all at no charge.
What the PPFA charges, versus what they offer, is a bargain.
Look at the resources that are available to you for little or no cost before you "invest" in these, for profit, schemes that always seem to pop up from time to time. You can count on someone coming up with a foolproof replacement for Framer Select within the next few years, they always do.
John