I had worked with the electric foam cutter at my previous job..
As far as affordability for me right now I am using an electric knife.
I had noticed in a supply catalogue a hand held 410 U-cut foam cutter .
Has anyone tried it ? I haven't checked the price on it yet but I think it would be definitely be cheaper than the electric ... when my business grows up I'll go bigger.
I also want to know what you have for button machines ..where I had worked we had a swivel die so putting in the tops and bottoms were done if a jiffy ...I didn't see the same unit in my books so I ordered the button Jr .machine
Its a real pain in the ''beeep !'' Slow process to making buttons ..I wish I could find a used one of the swivel but its hard to find and I think if I did find a new one it would be costly.
On another complaintive note...I'm on a roll now ! oooh how are minds start ticking when business gets tense ,,,sleep ? Whats that ?
I didn't think I would get into the state I'm in right now ..just before Christmas I was approved for a visa and overdraft for the business .
I have to be honest as I always am., but if it weren't for that I would have fallen flat on my face because all of a sudden right after being approved for this credit ..,business went dead !! I haven't made a deposit since January until last week which was not at all big my account looks sickly.
I was doing really good last year but I remember I had a contract that was keeping me busy that wasn't needing to be finished until May
I think I got over confident thinking I'de be busy this time of year ..nope !...the phone has just recently started ringing again ..not a lot but enough to get a few dollars in.
I can't believe how you can have 9000 bucks in the account one minute and into overdraft the next . It gets discouraging. how do you keep a float ??????
Sorry .. I got into some big time venting .
Around here furniture work always dries up from new years till Easter. It'll pick up again.
Elsie, I wish you were closer. I would keep you knee-deep in sewing. Oh, how I could use a reliable subcontractor that charges reasonable fees.... ::)
BTW, you can do great things with the turkey carver. The expensive saws are nice, but don't be dismayed by having to use a $12 electric knife. They will work wonders if you pay attention to angle, depth, and a spritz of silicone on the blades. But then, I don't refinish wood :-X
June
Thanks
I'de be right on it if I were there June !!
I have sewn since I was young and I am pretty good not needing patterns most times.... I like to be creative.
does it ever make you guys feel that when you get this slow that you should look for another job ??
I never want to go back to working for anyone else, !!! ,sometimes it makes me wonder at times like this...I know it will pick up I just have to learn how to budget for it...groan ...
The U-Cut 410 is for horizontal slicing of foam sheets. It's not for cutting across the width, like an electric knife.
Instead of trying to stock several different thicknesses of foam, I just buy sheets in 6" thickness, and slice with the U-Cut if need be. I use a Bosch foam saw for vertical cuts.
In previous discussions, the general consensus was that you should get an electric foam saw that BOTH blades move on.
There is a cheaper model that only one blade moves.
I've always used the Handy Jr. (non-swivel type) button machine/dies. It may be slower, but I can easily make 4 buttons a minute. I don't seem to be doing that much buttoned furniture anymore, anyway.
Sorry it's been slow for you. Hope it picks up. I've always wondered how my business would be affected if we had the harsh winters that you guys have. Here in Texas, people "hunker down" when it even gets close to freezing. I don't know how we'd handle a prolonged winter.
I used an electric carving knife for years, and got pretty good at it. Secret is to go slow and keep your eye on the blade. Keep it nice and straight. I bought my foam cutter the same way I bought a lot of my tools, second hand. Its basically an electric jig saw with the same blade as an electric knife. The flat base makes it easy to use.
Nothing makes me more nervous than when it gets slow but this is the time to get out and meet people. Drop by local decorators. Furniture stores can be a great source of income with all the cheap stuff their selling. Hotels are always looking for someone to do quick repairs. Type up a brief (one page) resume of your skills and experience and hand it out. Make getting more business your full time job. Every time I meet someone new I always manage to slip into the conversation what I do for a living. Drop off cards at all the fabric wholesalers. We just picked up a job from Hobby Lobby, a wholesaler we gave cards to a month ago. Always have faith in yourself and never ever let anyone tell you, you can't do this. You have a lot of personality so don't be afraid to get out there and drum up business.
It's also March break here a lot of people take the kids and go places ..like a warmer climate where you are....I know once the weather gets better it should pick up. It will but it sure puts a lot of stress on the ol brain.
I didn't realize the u cut 410 cut that way .
I hadn't seriously looked at it .,I had just scanned it while going through the book ., thanks for the heads up.
We had the Bosch cutter where I worked . I loved it .
I think I was spoiled with the other button machine and come to think of it we don't get as many button jobs as we used to .. a few french provincials now and then . I used to love making buttons when I started my job now it's mundane and boring .
Kodydog your right !!...I was moaning the blues and my daughter and my grandaughter picked up on it.. I'll have to make them my promotional team .
.they photo copied a sheet with a write up about me along with it a write up I had done in a local newspaper and also added my business card to the page and went and posted it up all over the place...I was stunned !
She also put my business cards all around the document.
Yesterday I had a call and they referred to that posting in a grocery store it
was a sofa and love seat and it may be a go ahead., today my girls told me they went to a couple of places and most of the postings had been picked up as well as the business cards ...we'll see where it goes but I couldn't believe how they came to the rescue,
QuoteI can't believe how you can have 9000 bucks in the account one minute and into overdraft the next . It gets discouraging. how do you keep a float
Sorry .. I got into some big time venting .
Make up something like this:
(https://forum.upholster.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FF7Tuz.jpg&hash=c8bfe61682dba2252a4235ab709e2621) (http://imgur.com/F7Tuz)
(Click for full size.)Have it printed on 4x6 photo cards. (You can use a place like winkflash.com, or even local Walmart in quantities of 2-300 prints for about $0.06 cents each.)
Go to the upper middle-class and professional neighborhoods in your area and tape one to the OUTSIDE of each mailbox on a Friday night.
If you are really bold, go door to door on Saturday morning and hand one to each potential customer. Telll them "work gets very busy by May, and this is a good time to squeeze their work in."
They may not even know they
want or need your services until they know about you.
If you don't get at least 1 job the next week out of it, I'll be surprised.
Never
stop priming the pump. Even when you're busy.
Cost: About $25, some gas, and a few hours of downtime.
Elsie:
This business ( for some of us ) can be seasonal and can have its busy moments and slow ones. The trick is to identify your slow times and become proactive and go after business. June, Mike and myself have slow times down here during the summer months when all the snowbirds go home. We get clobbered in the fall when they all return and then the winter months are crazy for us.
I am anticipating a slow summer so I am going to be getting busy advertising in May so I can book jobs for June, July and August. I plan on offering specials with discounts during these months. My margins are high enough to where I can offer discounts and not take a huge hit on my bottom line and still make money.
The other thing I used to counsel my clients on was managing cash flow for market swings. If you need XXX dollars per month to open your doors and you have a cyclical business, then during the UP times you need to take that money and hold some back for the slow times. I see businesses down here close their doors all the time because of poor cash management. Their cash flow goes through the roof during the winter and they spend it all taking bigger salaries, etc. then the slow summer days come and they are dead ass broke.
The biggest mistake I used to see during my business consultant days is owners sitting back and waiting for customers to come to them. I just watched my brother close his doors to his automotive repair shop for this very same reason. You need to identify the slow times in your business and get proactive just before that time hits. It beats being reactive and scrambling at the last minute for business and starving along the way.
My best advice is this. If your slow do not wait for the market to come to you - go to the market and try and create orders.
Chris
Great ideas thanks ., I really like that idea Querty
As far as holding back some funds I know I should .,Its been hard to do ., pay for myself ??.whats that ?
I am going on my fifth year and only now I was aproved for the credit card and overdraft. I didn't apply for it it was offered as pre aproved on my on-line banking
I never applied becuase I really didn't think I would get it..I show not much as far as income each year but I guess they go by all the deposits I put in.? I don't know ., I'm not too good at understanding the business and banking . I should find a good book on basic business that doesn't get me all confused.
I have a couple that go into corporations and such..gets a bit overwhelming ...I need a kindergarten level on basic small business.
Thank goodness for bookkeepers or I wouldn't be here at all.
Quirties idea is an affordable one ...I know we should advertise when we're slow but without the funds to do it doesn't make it easy.
I guess this is where the new Visa kicks in ..I'll have to learn to keep some funds aside in the furure
Qwerty's flyer is a good idea, But bullet points #1,#2 are not points that I would want to make to my customer.
You're calling attention to the fact that most new furniture simply isn't worth recovering.
Around these parts, there's not enough of the older high quality furniture still in circulation.
Why would a customer pay over a grand to recover a $500 sofa? I don't know. But plenty of them do. I'm not going to discourage them.
When a customer says "I'm trying to decide whether it would be cheaper to recover, or just buy new", I tell them "If the lowest price is your ONLY concern, you'll probably be happier just buying new".
Many people bought that cheap couches when they were young, and their money was tight. Now they're ready to recover, and aren't as concerned about the bottom line.
With better fabric, and higher quality internal padding, the original value of that sofa can actually be raised.
Where are you located lc? I used t be in new England I do marine. Anvas and marine upholstery.
I had to work 7 days a week from i e in on the lakes to ice out. March to November
Fo get by. And for 2O years all I've used was a turkey knife
Quote from: Mike on March 09, 2012, 12:09:13 pm
And for 2O years all I've used was a turkey knife
In the course of buying out other shops that closed, I've acquired 2 Bosch foam cutters. So I use them because I have them. But I gotta say, in terms of sheer "bang for your buck", I like the turkey knife. There's no way I'd pay $300 or more for a foam cutter when a $15 turkey knife from Wally World works almost as well.
But most of the cushions I do have batting around the sides, so a precision-smooth edge isn't all that critical.
I should more I also have one of thoose cheap band saws that works great also. It for the width you can cut I've also used a table saw
Mike some would say I live in the hicks ha ha .
I am 4 hours north of Toronto in a wee town called Callander . North Bay and area is where most of my business comes from .
I do furniture slipcovers etc. but I have worked in canvas more in repairing boat tops rather than a whole one and making prospectors tents., I also can do automotive.
We have a small marina here in Callander... I should drop off my cards with them and see what happens. the other Canvas people are in North Bay I am always afraid of stepping on the territories.
I am going to do up a flier on recycling your furniture...I wonder if we're allowed to drop them off in rural mailboxes .
Quote from: lc on March 09, 2012, 01:54:28 pm
We have a small marina here in Callander... I should drop off my cards with them and see what happens. the other Canvas people are in North Bay I am always afraid of stepping on the territories.
I am going to do up a flier on recycling your furniture...I wonder if we're allowed to drop them off in rural mailboxes .
Ask the marina if you can post a flyer in their window.
Around here were not supposed to stick flyers in mail boxes. They are for "official" use only. But that doesn't stop people from taping fliers to the outside. Better yet I wonder if you could do a monthly article for that news paper you talked about. Become the expert on recovering furniture.
Always assure yourself that their is plenty of business for everyone. Then you won't worry about stepping on toes. They will get theirs and you will get yours. Your not taking anything away from someone else. There is plenty for all.
I had a call yesterday refering to an article I had put in . I don't know if I'll get her job but it was good to hear where she got my name from.
Maybe a monthly article would do the trick ., I only did a little write up off and on a few times a year ., I'll check the pricing of that...hmm too bad they wouldn't pay ''me '' to write it . ha ha
I don't think we are able to do the mail box thing either and posting on trees and poles could get a bit tacky..but outside windows maybe...I'm not sure .,
I like the idea of asking to put a window flyer at the marina .
Quote from: lc on March 09, 2012, 05:52:28 pm
I don't think we are able to do the mail box thing either and posting on trees and poles could get a bit tacky..
I'm thinking it couldn't hurt to do your neighborhood. Let your neighbors know what you do. Could start a snowball effect once they get to know you. Neighbors make good customers.
Quote from: sofadoc on March 09, 2012, 07:41:11 am
Qwerty's flyer is a good idea, But bullet points #1,#2 are not points that I would want to make to my customer.
You're calling attention to the fact that most new furniture simply isn't worth recovering.
The photo card above is just something I whipped up as an example. Actual text could be anything that helps the customer identify a NEED, and offers a time-limited solution to meeting that need.
Too often I see people advertise things like "Bob's Lawncare - call me for the best rates". Better would be to show advantage to potential customer: "Bob's Lawncare gives you the freedom to enjoy your summer. Sign up for a monthly contract in March and receive a FREE application of a 50 lb. bag of Weed & Feed".
I suggest the photocards because they are so unusual, and eye-catching. I get the typical poorly xeroxed flyers on my mailbox all the time. I ignore them mostly because they are so poorly presented, or simply "Hi, I have a service to sell" without giving me a compelling reason to buy that service.
One guy went through 2 years ago and placed pretty magnets for his septic system pumping service on mailboxes. I know of at least 3 people who have called him off the magnet stuck to their refrigerator. Expensive yes, but much less than Yellow Pages, and there when the customer suddenly decided they needed his services in the future.
Don't stop marketing when you're busy, because this type of business is not an impulse or recurring purchase. You need to be in their mind when the desire hits. Just because you have a product to sell, doesn't mean anyone wants to buy it. You have to educate/tease/bribe them into knowing why they should buy it -- hopefully yours. 8)
Querty the magnet idea is a really good one . I myself have referred to the magnets on my fridge for some things .
You all have me really thinking now.
I think I am really going to have to study up on marketing ideas...I don't want to look cheap .I also don't like the cheap little I can fix anything flyer's ., they're a dime a dozen and they can make you look poor the way it is presented.....
I know putting them through the mail can get quite costly.
So far my cheapest advertising is the lettering on my van ..250 bucks and a mobile billboard for as long as the ol truck can survive.
I've used both of these places, with good results:
http://www.psprint.com/magnets
http://www.discountfavors.com/custom-magnets.html
The second place also does a really good job on doorhangers:
http://www.discountfavors.com/custom-door-hangers+rectangular-shape-with-four-tear-off-coupons.html
(Much more expensive than cheapo xerox copies, but the xeroxes get almost 0% response so they are a total waste of materials and the time to distribute them.)
I could see having a magnet with your local pizza place on your fridge. But your upholstery shop?
I mean, where will it end? If I were going to stick a bunch of magnets on my fridge, they would have to be ones that I might call frequently. I don't know anyone that has their upholsterer on speed dial.
I like the flyer idea, but if I only had a limited advertising budget, I wouldn't start with magnets.
But I guess refrigerator magnets are a chick thing, maybe I just don't get it.
Do you know how to determine which one is the "wife" in a homosexual relationship? Find out who the magnets belong to. ;)
Point taken Sofadoc.
Your right , we do only use the magnets for speed dial services like good old pizza .
What about things like pens ? Mind you I lose them constantly .
It may be the flyers and small write ups the way to go . I do like the bullet form idea with some really good tips on furniture upholstery
I am trying to get myself in the right direction in advertising without looking like a cheapy.
Upholstery as we all know ''we' ourselves can't afford it ..but the classes above us can so we have to look upperclass when advertising
I will take on any good advice.
I get free sample pens all the time from places that have pulled info from my website.
Usually the going rate is $39.95 for a 100 pens. One of the free samples actually had MY picture on it. I would've paid them 50 bucks NOT to do that! ;D
Pens are nice, but I'm not too sure if the people you give them to ever look at the advertising again. One place tried to sell me sofa deck labels with my shop info.
My theory on that is: The only people that are going to see it are the people that are ALREADY my customer. If you saw a nice couch in a home or business, would YOU look under the cushion to see who covered it?
I know that as soon as they wad up a flyer and throw it away, that advertising is gone for good. But at least with good bullet points, you've planted the seed in their brain.
I've had several give aways, mugs and baseball caps but I now have pens
The customer this week I gave him a pen when I signed him up,
his wife loved it so stole it , then I gave him another.
This week i finished his job and he told me his daughter keeps stealing
his pen so could he have another one heheheh..
The right pen works, don't bother with the cheap plastic one unless
they are for sitting on a counter. Mine are all metal with an LED torch in the
end. they do cost me about £2 each or $3.50 but it's well worth it.
Rich
I'll check into that Rich ...I guess I go to umm where ?? a promo shop of sorts ..walmart ? ha ha sorry I haven't a clue as to where to get the promo items around here..what do I look under in the phone book ?
We have a trophy store that may carry them and do engraving ..I think I'll search the web it may help eh ?
I have a lot of customers that seem to really touch my heart and the ones that do repeat ..pens no problem !!
After all .,I guess when you think about it they actually paid for them...if I am wrong correct me here.
Excuse my ignorance here ,I have a hard time with abbreviated terms on the forum that I will need to pick up on eventually ..what does the yabbgod mean under your name .
Quote from: lc on March 10, 2012, 07:40:06 pm
Excuse my ignorance here ,I have a hard time with abbreviated terms on the forum that I will need to pick up on eventually ..what does the yabbgod mean under your name .
Yabb (Yet another bulletin board) is the format name for all discussion boards of this type.
0-49 posts: Newbie
50-99 posts: Jr. Member
100-249 posts: Full member
250-499 posts: Sr. Member
500 posts: Yabb God
Achieving Yabb God status is the Mafia equivalent of becoming a "Made man" ;)
Awesome Thanks Sofadoc ! Someday I,ll get it figured out but you sure narrowed it down for me ...
I wish the Business and General discussions were all one though instead of bouncing back and forth.
I use Vistaprint for all my ad needs. I buy Rack cards as well as business cards and have even purchased banners and yard signs from them in the past. www.vistaprint.com (http://www.vistaprint.com) They have just about everything you will need for promotional products. They can be a bit pricey on some items but are very cheap on other things. My business cards and rack cards are dirt cheap and very high quality.
I spend about $ 200 a year on promo stuff but this year because I have done extra seminars I have spent close to $ 500. I do not know what my ROI is ( return on investment ) in regards to the rack cards but I have gotten alot of compliments from them. I wanted very high quality cards so I went with color front and back. I use these to hand out at seminars and include them in the bags I give away. I have never done magnets or pens and probably never will. I would rather put this money into quality advertising products such as rack cards, business cards and product labels.
The bags I give away are always sponsored by someone else. Sattler provided me with their bags for my last seminar and Aerospace 303 is providing all the bags plus free pouches of product for my next two seminars and vendor shows. Miami Mike provided me with a very nice Miami Corp Polo shirt which I also had my company name embroidered on. I wear this at seminars and shows. Solarfix is providing me with all new RV specific fliers for my next two shows and seminars as well which will include their product info. The head of Sattler North America came in and did my seminar with me at my last RV rally I attended and covered the care of fabric for me. We had a blast doing the seminar together. Last year Recassens did an RV specific Recacril flier for me to use at my seminars.
Sattler and Solarfix always provide me with warranty cards, fliers and sewn-in labels so every awning or slide topper I make goes out the door with their labels sewn to them. I provide their warranty cards and fliers together with my own literature inside a large envelope on each order. It just lends a bit of professionalism to my operation and RV owners love all this info and warranty info to put with their RV file. They are known hoarders of product info and most have a file they keep for everything related to their RV's. :).
This is all called co-op advertising. It is nothing new and has been used for years by large companies. When there is a direct benefit for them then large companies will pool funds with their jobbers or customers in order to penetrate markets and move products. This is highly successful and cost effective. A perfect example of this process is Walmart and Proctor and Gamble working together to promote Tide or Maxwell House and Kroger combining ad funds to move coffee. It is hard to do in our business because we do not move enough product to make it worthwhile to manufacturers but when you start giving seminars and standing in front of hundreds of people at a time then it is a bit easier to get support. All of these companies have product labels they will give you for free and most have fliers as well. You just need to ask for them.
Speaking of support, this is another reason why I sole source through Miami Corp. They are very supportive of my business and recently highlighted my products on their Facebook page. They also provide me with direct access to their manufacturers so I can garner support from them as well.
They know that the more successful I become the more materials I will buy from them. I am also a very loyal person and when they expend a lot of time and money in me I will buy from them.
The point is, never overlook outside support to help with some of the marketing ideas you may have. I really need to get off my fat butt and scan the rack cards I had made and post them on here so people can see what I am talking about. These would be ideal to place in a marina in a small plastic rack. I will try and remember to scan them and post the pics here.
Chris