After almost ten years in this location we are closing the shop and moving things to the house. I have to get a real job so I can get help with our health insurance. I would appreciate any sound advice having to do with keeping the customers we have, and what has worked for others as far as growing their business. Please post any generally useful information here or e-mail me. Thank You
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- Thread starter Le
- Start date
Le, in one sense, our situations may be parallel. One of the reasons I closed my storefront was to save $10,000/year on family health insurance.
But since I'm only framing one day/week, I'm not making any attempt to grow or maintain. I pick and choose the customers and orders I enjoy working with, which is a luxury I've never had before.
In ten years, you've developed some relationships that you'll be able to maintain through a home-based business, but I don't know that it's realistic to expect you'll keep everyone.
Good luck and drop me a note if I can help in any way.
But since I'm only framing one day/week, I'm not making any attempt to grow or maintain. I pick and choose the customers and orders I enjoy working with, which is a luxury I've never had before.
In ten years, you've developed some relationships that you'll be able to maintain through a home-based business, but I don't know that it's realistic to expect you'll keep everyone.
Good luck and drop me a note if I can help in any way.
Le, Hi from another "long time ago" member. Hopefully it all works out for you.
Jody
True Grumbler
I have not been in your sitution -- moving *back* however, I have always worked out of my basement (I can not address the 'how to retain customers' - although I would think your happy ones would stay sa long as they knew how to easily contact you). Think about those avenues that do not require a store front. For me that means Real Estate Agents (who give prints as gifts as thank yous to customers), interior decorators, builders who hang blue prints in their model homes, and mostly artists. Contact the local water color society or art schools and place an ad in their publication/new letter.
No doubt, it will be a much different experience. My overhead is absolutely minimal and my prices would reflect that but.... that is how I manage to work so well with artists - they would rather deal with a *me* then a store front that they can not afford (blinding glimpse of the obvious).
I have two young children so I do not have a tremdous amount of time BUT, if I had the time and inclination... I think I could stay very busy!!!
No doubt, it will be a much different experience. My overhead is absolutely minimal and my prices would reflect that but.... that is how I manage to work so well with artists - they would rather deal with a *me* then a store front that they can not afford (blinding glimpse of the obvious).
I have two young children so I do not have a tremdous amount of time BUT, if I had the time and inclination... I think I could stay very busy!!!