The Picture Framer Apprentice?

CarolinaMoon

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Posts
12
Loc
Charlotte, NC
This may be a crazy thought, but here it goes...

I was curious if there were any picture framing businesses in NC,SC,TN,VA,GA or KY that would be interested in an "on the job" apprentice-style person to mentor and teach the picture framing business.

Optimally, I would like to spend a several days a month in a shop to learn the ropes and to gain experience and skills. I am not seeking any sort of compensation or benefits, just an education from a season professional framer.

Currently, I am professional and successful sales person who has been selling for 17 years in the healthcare capital equipment and software industry. I travel the specified states weekly and would be available to work out my schedule to accommodate such a position to learn from the best. My goal for this idea is to ramp up my home-based business to full-fledged storefront within the next 12 to 18 months and increase my skill set in the process . To be candid, my picture framing experience is limited, but I am very eager to learn and help out however I can. In return, I would be willing to offer your customer’s professional customer service and an extra set of hands in the store.

If anyone would like to discuss this arrangement please feel free to email me to the address in my profile. Lastly, if anyone else has suggestions on how to pursue this idea, please contact me.
Rob
 
Rob,
My personal experience with apprentices is not necessarily a good one. I found that in order to impart knowledge, I had to take more time to do a job than I normally would have. The apprentice ended up frustrated, as did I. My needs for another warm body did nothing for their expertise in broom pushing.

To fast-track your training, you might look into a framing school in one of the areas you visit. The trade journals have advertisements for such schools. Another option is to attend trade shows as much as you can. Join the PPFA and you will get all kinds of information on local, regional, and national educational opportunities. The regional chapters often sponsor mini-seminars.

And as altruistic as all of us are, I would be somewhat reluctant to train someone that I knew was interested in being in direct competition with me (well, at least reluctant to train them correctly :D ).
 
I have trained 26 employees - some of them from scratch - and a few new framers, for a fee, for shops outside my market.

I love teaching, but not at the same time that I'm trying to run a business. I would never do it again.
 
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