Chaise De Cygne Part 2

[mike802]

http://youtu.be/EEIWuLCAyFk

[bobbin]

You fixed half of it, Mike.  Fix the second half!

I think you're amazingly talented.  I support everything you're working to promote.  You have to pay attention to "details".  You have the technical things nicely in hand, but you really need to knuckle down on the literary details. 

I told you about misplaced apostrophes some years ago.  I was uncomfortable doing so, but it was important and you addressed it.  Good for you!  I am again telling you to correct your sloppy, "phonetic" French.  I am by no means "fluent", but I'm easily conversational and after 6+ yrs. of French I'm more than capable in basic grammar.  Moreover, I live in New England too, and in an area where there is an indigenous francophone population. 

You are too capable and too talented to allow sloppy French to identify you as a "wannabe hack".  Trust me on this.  Fix the mistake and allow searches to direct people to  your wonderful work.

[byhammerandhand]

I have to agree.   In business, if you make grammatical or spelling typo's [sic] on a resume, it could mean the kiss of death in your application process.   Especially so for jobs that require extreme attention to detail.

For what it's worth, a baby swan is called a "cygnet" in English.

[mike802]

Thanks everybody:  And thanks Mom for keeping me on my toes.  Ive been in this business for 30 years this year and by far the hardest part of being a one man show is being very good at "EVERYTHING"  If I could, I would fire myself in many of my positions, Janitor, salesman and prof reader especially.  But I can't run this place without myself, so I'm stuck with me. Plus the Boss owes me to much in back pay to let me go.

There is an interesting story behind the misspelling, or at least I think it is interesting.  I spent a lot of time building this chair for an upcoming trade show, mostly after hours and on weekends because I still have to get paying work out the door.  Anyway, as always the last week comes down to a mad dash to get everything finalized, not only the chair, but everything else associated with the show.

Fully aware that I do not speak French, I consulted Google on spelling and proper pronunciation, first having written down my version hoping that would get me close enough for Google to know what I was looking for.  Apparently in the rush to get everything together I grabbed my version of the spelling off my desk when packing up and did not realize it, never giving it a second thought.  And as they say the rest is history!  What it boils down to is one man going in too many directions at once.  I don't beat my self up over it too much, if I loose a job because of someones snobby attitude that is probably a customer I don't want anyway.

I had a guy call me the other day, he was double parked out front of my business saying he was reading my sign, asking just what I did.  I told him, and he started talking about his business, he apparently owned a fabric distribution outlet and wanted to move the whole operation from a major city to Vermont.  He wanted to line me up as a subcontractor, where he would sell the fabric and the upholstery job and I would do the work.  He did'nt like my prices and wanted wholesale.  In my mind I see me having to hire help to keep up with the volume, if it ever materialized, which I doubt it would, working twice as hard with all the headaches of hired help only to see my bottom line stay about the same.

It occurred to me as I hung up the phone that I like my business just the way it is.  I wouldn't mind selling a few more high priced pieces a year, or even having one piece that sold regularly, but I don't need that, nor would I want to give up what I have now to acquire it.

[byhammerandhand]

Hey, Mike, a couple of years ago, you posted some videos or a blog on your bus to RV conversion.    What's the status of that project, as I haven't looked in a long time?

[sofadoc]

He did'nt like my prices and wanted wholesale. 

I don't get how people expect wholesale pricing from an individual who produces a product one at a time with his own 2 hands.

Decorators expect me to give them a price break. Why should I? I've got more work than I can do, and only 2 hands to do it with. Where's MY incentive? Why should I leave money on the table?

If I had a factory with dozens of workers, then maybe I could crunch the numbers. Or if I was sitting on my thumbs, and desperately trying to drum up some business.

But as it is now, I'm offended when someone tells me they expect a discount. It ain't happening.

[mike802]

Hey, Mike, a couple of years ago, you posted some videos or a blog on your bus to RV conversion.    What's the status of that project, as I haven't looked in a long time?

I'm still plugging away on the bus, I have some video updates I can post I'll get them up as soon as I can.

[mike802]

Sofadoc:  I know just how you feel, it's like asking an artist to carve two sculptures and expecting a discount on the second.  I think its the Walmart mass produced mentality, they just dont understand craftsmanship.  The guy totally annoyed me by sitting double parked outside reading my sign.  If you want to talk, park and come on in.  The guy told me he had many 40 foot tractor trailers filled with fabric, if he thinks he is going to move that much volume up here he is in for a rude awakening.  I used the double parked analogy so people could better understand what I was trying to say, but someone really can't double park in front of my business because their is no room to single park, the guy was just stopped in the middle of the road.  We have words for people like that with big city plates up here and they aint nice!

[bobbin]

Hooray for you, Mike!  Many would have "blown me off" for correcting poor French.  You didn't (and since I work hard to speak French that means a lot).  Your work is wonderful and getting the language "right" will only open doors.  You are very talented!