Off to a good start!

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j Paul

j Paul

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Posts
7,299
Location
Toledo,Ohio
Today (well actually yesterday as it is the wee hours of the morning) marked the begining of our third week of being open. Good things are beginning to happen.

Have had a lot of people in prior to doing any advertising. Many very positive comments, and a few small purchases of gift items.

Sold a large poster framing job last week.
Saturday had several small gift items purchased, and then one lady came in and purchased $276.00 in misc. gift items. (Had to pretend it was business as usual until she left)

Today sold two framing jobs, lady framing them as a surprise for her boyfriend, there are 3 more to do. He'll probably want those done after he recieves his gift of the first two.

Many more people stopping by after my first 3"x3" add came out one day in the paper. Have another guy who left a map to be framed, but decided he wanted to pick up another, so that he could have both sides done. That will be two more when he comes back.
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I don't want to impose any type of negative aura on you but be careful with that paper. When I opened I spent $1200 the first 2 months I was open with the local paper. That didn't buy much but it was what I thought I should do. In hindsight, I think it would have been much easier for me to burn that money out in the parking lot. That way I wouldn't have had to pay the bills and write new ads ever other week. This is what I have learned about the paper.

1 Can be nice for listing items and announcing "sales".
2 Horrible for branding!

For me radio has been much more effective and cheaper. I just encourage you to try several things at first before you sink to much money in any particular media.

I remember my first big sale! It was about my third week too. This guy who owns a restaurant came in and wanted 2 prints framed very "cheaply". He then eyeballed some barnwood. I told him (and I never would today) that I will give him a price on the barnwood but it isn't what I consider inexpensive. We moved on and I gave him a price on some less expensive moulding. He loved the price then eyeballed my L/E prints. He asked about some un-priced lab dogs. In haste I told him it was $220 (later learned the price was much closer to $120). He said "I'll take it and frame it in that barnwood (remember I already told him it wasn't inexpensive) and triple mat it. That total order was about $800. I called everybody I know about 30 seconds after he walked out the door. A few weeks later he sent a designer in who placed a $3700 order.

Also I think you opened at a good time. My July was DEAD. Mom and dad both told me that framing here always slowed when school was out and picked back up when it started. Well I have already done more last week than I did the entire month of July. Good luck and have fun. I am!
 
Hello all,
I am new to the Grumble and have been reading everything I can. This is a great group. Very helpful and honest, I like what I read here. I have been reading about J paul’s new store and the opening. I’m following it with great interest. My wife and I are hoping to be able to open a shop one of these days. From looking at your pictures and reading your posts I’m sure you will be very successful. Putting together your store was no small feat! You have done a great job and now it sounds like you are beginning to reap some of the benefits.
Keep us up on what’s going on. It’s a great education for us “Grumbler’s in Training.”
Good Luck!
Jeff
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Well Jeff, let me be the first one to welcome you to the grumble. This is a great place to be. I've learned alot from these people. Along with reading everything I can and attending classes. The people here on the grumble bring real life experience to what they have to say.

This post will put this back to the top, where more grumblers will be aware that this is your first post. I'm honored that you came out from being a lurker to a bonofide grumbler because of something in my progress/posts.

Today was another good day, sold two more frame jobs. Actually one customer, two frame orders. Gift items continue to move also.
 
Jeff welcome to the Grumble....where I have got my true framing education….the people around here are second to non…you will get a wide range of opinions ……..which will allow you to make a very good educated decision about how you would like to develop your business…...... good luck with your plans

J Paul
Congratulations on a very good start to your shop and thanks you for the very informative posts you have made……every good success in the further….
 
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