Time spent on framing

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I use to think that I could turn out a lot of framing in a week. After 6 months of running my own shop I've come to understand the complexities of being your own boss. After the interuptions I might have 20 hours in a 60 hour week to frame. I try to make the most of the framing time but it's 20 minutes here and 30 minutes there. When I was an employee you could just frame and keep it level in your head.

Well I know what I got to do. Get more organized.



[This message has been edited by framer (edited September 14, 2000).]
 
First thing is first... Stop hurting yourself.
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Second: Take the time to work a fwe hours when the shop is closed. You will be surprised at how much you can get done in one or two hours when you don't get interrupted.

Third: When you feel a little behind, put on some good music. Work to the beat of the music.

And last but not least, take a break. Five minutes rest won't hurt and may be just what you needed to get back to work.


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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"
 
For the record the stores only open 40 hours per week the other 20 done with the store closed and it is my most productive time.
 
Yikes, you are all singing a familiar tune!
Some days I feel that if I just show up and shuffle around a few pieces of scrap glass, that that is productive enough!
Some things that have helped me though...
-this infernal machine (the computer=organization)
-having my friends call me and visit me AT HOME! (unless they have their checkbook with them)
-insisting that reps call me at least a few minutes in advance.
-and, yes, staying late with the polka music cranked and the doors locked.

It is frustrating to do work and constantly be interrupted. Torturous, actually. Although I TRY to consider that among my strengths as a small business owner.. staying flexible and responsive and able to do several (hundred) things at once. Some days though my nerves sure are fried from having my attentions yanked around. So, even I have those days and I am...
The Goddess
 
Good advise Sue, afterhours is the only time to frame as I'm sure many will agree, I no longer even try to frame during the day as there are far to many hats to wear.
 
Poor baby! No wonder you're feeling frazzled. Here comes a point of view that will probably get me a lot of flack: this isn't brain surgery that we're doing here. No one's life has ever been ruined if their framing project takes longer to complete than you originally thought it would. If an order gets done a day late the sun still comes up and my cats still love me. Yes, I try VERY hard to get everything done on time (Sunday morning with the doors locked, the phone off the hook, and the rock station blasting on the radio)but sometimes it just isn't possible. Okay guys, let me have it. Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
 
ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder is a condition some people are born with and must cope with all their life. I believe small business people, particularly those working on their own, have this condition imposed on them by their work/life style. The point of this is that techniques used by ADD people can help small business people. The book "Driven to Distraction" by Hallowell and Ratey helped me organize myself. At first I thought I was ADD but later realized it was mostly the job. For example: when the mail arrives don't look at it - just put it in the in box until your scheduled "handle the mail" time, I find twice a week is enough, then sit down and handle the mail completely - don't sort it in piles to do later - do it now. If it's a phone bill write the check and file the bill. If it's something to read - read it, react to it, file it or throw it away. The rule is "HPO" - handle paper once. I do online banking - I open the phone bill, click online, pay it, book keep it, file the bill in 2 minutes whereas I used to put in a pile or file and forget to pay it and then run around looking for it when I found out it was overdue. This same attitude can be applied to many things in your day in varying degrees. It's nice to talk to customers but many times just smile and get back to framing, but you must have made this decision before they come in and get you talking. And the biggest one of all is to learn to say NO quickly, simply and mean it because you have finally faced the fact that your time is overloaded every day. Your work is a life style and your life outside work must be as important as your work.
 
You mean I might not have ADD? It might just be a byproduct of my vocation? I keep looking for the book "100 things everyone with ADD should know".
 
Framer - See what one little comment can start?
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I found out that although I will listen to almost any music, Clasical music makes me work faster. No, I don't mean soft Clasical, I mean up beat music. Fast music with no words to sing with.

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"
 
I'm with you, Susan May. Classical is the only thing I'm able to "hear" without actually "listening." If it's pop music or something with lyrics, soon I'm caught up in the thing and my 3/16's become 3/8's.

Re the distraction issue, are we calling ADD and OCD close relatives?
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And my biggest distraction is my retired spouse. He's a big help, but having a relatively uninvolved other person around you when you're working can drive you bonkers.

See some of you in Atlanta!
 
I think the point I was trying to make was taken wrong. In earlier posts, a long time ago, when I was an employee and controlling the frame shop with few interruptions a lot of work went out every week and I worked Mon - Fri 8 - 5. I responded to a few posts, on this board, about the amount of work that could be turned out in a week with an altitude like what your problem. I was trying to say that I now see the problems others are faced with and apologize for previous posts on the subject.

As for what I'm doing about it is two fold.

If business continues at current levels I will purchase additional equipment to speed up production. I'm currently using basic slow equipment.

I am spending time this week checking my price structure. I will increase prices to control work load. I'm currently having too few walkouts. In five months only 3 customers that brought in things to frame left because of price. Total customers that have bought is 151. That only 2% I would like to see that at 5%. Also that 151 customers generated 293 framing orders and a total 426 frames, so I'm getting a lot of repeat business. If I figure my walkout on framing orders it's 1%.

Anyway's after reviewing these numbers I feel I should have a small increase and check it again in a few months.

Does any one else check these type of figures?
 
Framer- There are two maxims in business:1) If you never run out of an item, You are stocking too much, and 2) If no one one turns you down because of price, you're charging too little. The trick is developing a balance between too high and too low. It's a skill called management and needs to be honed as assuredly as cutting a mat without overcuts. It seems to be the one skill that too many in our trade thinks comes naturally. As maybe one of the few non-framers on this site, I'll share something we do to help us make these decisions. We send all our troops into the field every 6 months to do competitve shopping. They do 2 in-store visits, and 3 phone estimates. We use the same criteria, so we can monitor price movement and chart that movement. I know some people will view this as inappropriate, but it's called market reasearch, plain and simple. I'll promise the big guys do it, and just because you're small doesn't mean you need to think that way. And please, don't shirk it because you are too busy. If not you, then get somebody; maybe a high school kid, or that retired spouse underfoot.With this data, you will be able to take the increases necessary to be competitive with out the fear that drives most resistance. We look for mark-up opportunities as well as new items and ideas. Get out more often. What percent of rejection is acceptable? Try going up a dollar at a time and monitor your rejection until you reach a point that it's too high. But the confidence comes from knowing what the market truly will bear, and you can't do that without a little research, and not just once in awhile. Do the reviews consistently and do the adjustments religiously. My favorite mentor always said" When you get real serious about the business, the business will get real serious" There is so much more to the dynamics of pricing than this mall posting allows, but I think the snoring might be deafening.I'll gladly expand if people think it necessary. I hope this is a start to making better decisions
 
Framer,
In growing and improving your efficiency may I suggest you hire your first employee. The employee that should have been my first hire as I found out later was a student for 4 hours each Saturday. The job is cleanup. This person would clean the whole store and shop - even the windows. As this person became faster at the basic cleanup and began to understand the store the job expanded to handling all the cuttings and leftover materials which were sorted, sized, discarded or put in boxes out front and sold off for a dollar or two. The job expanded over the years to all day and our design tables, mat corner samples, and frame corners are always clean, sorted and hung neatly and in order. It's always amazed me how important this job position is and how much time it saves me. A while back this person even painted the bathroom.
 
Excellent ideas here!
My life changed in beautiful ways when I hired my first employee!
And yes, yes, yes raise your prices immediately!!!
And Kit's attitude needs to be assimilated by all of us..."there is NO SUCH THING as a framing emergency...!" I love this business because no one's_______ (love life, vacation, job, health) depends on my expertise. yeah.
And Mister Carter is so "on it"-- ya gotta be a good bizness person as well as a genius framer. Luckily for us framers, this is well within our many capabilities!!! (My Mantra)
-The Goddess
 
Somehow I'm getting the feeling that you all are taking a simple thing and trying to make it complicated.
How many shop owners have the time to go around price shopping.
When you find yourself working many more hours than you can handle, you have to find a way to slow down the volume. The best way to slow the volume is raise your prices.
If your standing around with not to much to do besides working on business formulas, your prices are probably to high. This is why when we start a business from scratch we a generally cheaper than the competition.
Hiring more help to handle the higher volume without first rasing your prices is more than likely going to get you in some major hot water, especially if you find yourself giving major discounts so you can make your payroll or payroll taxes.
As far as stocking to much or to little you have to establish a Mini-Max system. It's a simple system if you want to go to the trouble. Each item has a minimum quantity and a maximum quantity that you want to stock
Have a specific day of the month you do your inventory ordering. Have a card with each item. The card should have the ordering information(stock Numbers ) and the maximum quantity you want to stock, it should also have the minimum quantity on hand before re-ordering. At first it's guess work but as time goes on and your consistent with your monthly order date you should be able to refine it so your rarly out of anything and you never have too much of any one thing.
I have found that with the size of my operation it's just to much trouble. If however your a distributer or an art supply store It's a must to have some sort of system.
John
 
Framer, I remember and accept the appology. This has brought up some more constructive advice. Thanks all.
 
I don't know what the liability laws are in your state but you might want to check them out before hiring anyone under 18 to work around "dangerous equipment". In Minnesota, that includes razor blades. Do you have a junior college or art school nearby? This could be a great source of part time help. Could you work out an arrangement where partial course credit would be given (maybe even in lieu of wages)? Many other businesses work with schools for internships - or slave labor, depending on your point of view. Good luck. I know conventional wisdom states that if you have more work than you can do, raise your prices. Last month we increased moulding prices 20%; number of framing orders increased by the same percentage. Go figure. Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
 
I went out of business twice involuntarily before I went to work for a friend in his shop. His solution for too much work was to raise prices. His solution for too little work was to raise prices. I have used many ideas from my days as a churl, and my bottom line is improving. Enjoy the journey.
 
I am curious to know if y'all give out price quotes over the phone? We don't! Pure and simple! Our reason, there are so many variables for framing a picture that a person may or may not have considered. Including the exact measurements for their completed project. It isn't practical for a phone quote. So, we "invite" people to drop in, see our store, talk about the options and get a free no obligation quote. We also do not give out paper quotes to be shopped around. I have found,of those that take the time to come in 90% become customers, those that don't come in...don't. And we don't tie up our phone lines trying to decipher what a customer is trying to describe. A phone quote is a lose/ lose situation. Either we are too low and get the job and regret every minute or too high and lose a potential customer because they "perceive" us as too expensive.
 
Weve always tried to give them a quote just because most frame shops won't. My feeling is they will think, since were the only ones that would, that were the good guys and they should come to us.
Greg is correct though, most of it seems to be a waste of time.
We also give out written quotes as well, as far as were concerned, we want them to shop around, see the other shops quality and hear their prices. We want our customers to feel good about doing business with us, even though a lot of the time seems wasted.
John
 
Phone price quotes?!? NO! I hve found that they will call and tell you they have a poster, and when they come in they have an oil painting. There is a BIG price difference between the two.

Most customers on the phone either don't know about the art work, or they are working for another frame shop checking your prices. Either way you want to have them in your store to get a proper price quote.


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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"
 
Many of the people who call me for phone quotes have never had a picture custom framed and just want to know what they might be getting into so I'll qoute "neighborhoods" on the phone - say between two and three hundred. Then I go into Greg's speech about how of course it depends and why don't you stop by etc. I NEVER give out estimates on paper. I'll just file this for you so that when you decide to frame your piece ... And don't you hate it when they bring in an estimate from some other shop? Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
 
Actually, I once had a customer bring in a frame quote from another shop. The price told me that I neede to raise my prices. Their mats, exact same ones I had, were more than twice my price. And you don't even want to know the price on the frame. Lets just say that after the frame shop gave her a 40% discount their price was still more than twice mine.
Sometimes the customers do the price checking for you.
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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"
 
Sue-That's exactly the point I made about doing a little market research. You didn't know that pricing disparity until someone brought you an estimate; think how many orders were written before you made that realization? It's just one more necessary part of running a business. As far as estimates, anything that helps put a prospective client in a more favorable mood towards us, I think, is a positive. The fewer times you have to say NO to a customer the more likely they are to say YES to you. Sometimes a little salesmanship goes a long way. If your prices are fair(not low), you don't have anything to fear (oops, there's that word again). For the record, I don't know if we've ever given an estimate for a poster and had a client bring in an oil painting. Do some qualifying over the phone and you'll be fine.
 
Bob - We did ask a lot of questions, and the painting was on canvas paper. The customer was so embarressed that they didn't know that it was a real painting that they almost left. But we got the job, after explaining the difference to them. As I said, some people just don't know about their artwork.

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"
 
Call me a wide-eyed optimist! But there must be a better way of comparing prices than to call up other frame shops in your community and cerindipidously (I know the spelling is lousy)check pricing. I am in a small town with a large art community and an even larger framing community. I think of most other frame shops here as friendly competition. We all have a bond of helping each other out when the other needs it. Mat board here, a sheet of glass, etc. My point is...the mutual respect would be destroyed if anyone thought the other was using underhanded tactics to gain a competitive advantage. Again, I am in a small town a large city may be a different climate. Instead, whenever I am on the road out-of- town, I visit other frame shops, introduce myself and "talk shop" with the owner. Also, talk to sales reps, those with retail experience. I also think the PPFA should be a bit more proactive with helping frame shops work on pricing issues. Afterall, the framing chains have money to develop a pricing strategy, the PPFA should have some money to help it's members develop a pricing strategy. Sounds like "price" is and has been a major concern for framers for a long time.
 
greg,
santa cruz is not a small town. and if you still think it so, it it a small town with a whole heck of a lot of cash hanging out in the hills. go for the bucks, and not the crumbs (crumbs are good to, they lead to bucks).

for that matter, i would day i live in a small town. seriously. small town, is in the mentality of how you treat your customers. (knowing names and tastes).

as for framing time:
i think a new tread called hours of operation might be in order.
framer, you are open 48 hrs a week. so it averages to 8 hrs a day, six days a week. but you are working 10 hrs a day( 10 x 6 days a week).

maybe some hours of operation are in adjustment?

either post for 10 hrs a day, or drop to a even (consistent and easy to remember hours of operation) 8 a day (12 - 8), and service the late ones better, and do the over-work in the AM, from 9 - 12

did anyone else think that 60 a week (of work) was too much? too little? just right?

i was working on an hours of operation article. this may send it in another direction.

just to kick it off:
my hours of business
10 - 6 mon thru thurs
10 - 5 fri and sat

hours of framers (in back)
9 - 5 mon thru fri, sometimes 4 on fri

marc
 
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