General Business Question

[baileyuph]

Bobbin, to your surprise, I read you perfectly and respect your rational to achieve your objectives.  

There is always more than one way to perform an upholstery task, same as more than one way to manage a business activity.  

This underlying subject of marketing with or without certain methods of attracting  business is as variable as it gets.  Muuuuch deeeper than it has been presented here.

In professional environments, much is said about conducting meetings as brain storming where everyone's input is accepted as good input, then one can filter and think how it all applies to their situation, values, and understanding or to the issue at hand in the corporate world.  In essence there is no bad input.  Then, go from there.

Like said, issue is much deeper.  just about as variable as there are types of business.

Carry on, we need more good ideas for our business.

Possibly this helps.

Doyle

[Mojo]

My son got interested in computers at the age of 10. At the age of 14 I started a little computer company for him. I wanted him to get some business experience and make a little spending cash on the side. He built systems and repaired them and also installed networks using Novell. At the age of 15 he installed a remote weather station for the Fed's. From there it was a roller coaster ride for him.

At the age of 18 he enrolled in College which lasted two days. he seen what was being taught and laughed and walked out the door. None of it pertained to the real world and they were a year or two behind the latest software and technology. Him and a friend started screwing around designing some software ( hat I know nothing about ) but it powers sites like this one. He made no money and spent 12 to 16 hours a day working on this software. I was getting frustrated and at my wits end and told him to get a job in computers working for someone else. It was the biggest mistake I made in my business consulting career as I never seen the potential of what he was working on. I also hated computers which gave me even more reason to persuade him to move in another direction. Thank God he never listened.

Him and his partner hit it big. By the time they were 25 they were both millionaires. Today their company is one of the largest in the sector and they are worldwide. Their clients list covers some heavy hitters from NASA to the NFL to celebrities to Fortune 500 companies.

What a mistake I made by not realizing the power of computers and software. Thankfully my son still pays his Daddy tax once a year and I am grateful he stuck with what he believes in and didn't listen to his Old man.

Things have not changed much. I still hate computers and detest learning new programs. But I remain a VERY proud Dad. :)

Chris

[baileyuph]

Some general questions:

1.  Do much COM work?
2.  Where do most obtain their materials?
3.  As a business owner, do you think consumers are smart to provide COM?

These questions are asked from business experience ranging back to when there was no COM (if you can imagine) to considerable amount of COM.

Doyle

[sofadoc]

1.  Do much COM work?

I've been hovering right around 50/50 (COM vrs. in-store fabric sales) for over 10 years.

Last year was a 10 year low for ISFS. This year is on pace to be a 10 year high. I think one of the main reasons is that discount fabric stores aren't as ridiculously cheap as they used to be. Most of the COM jobs that I get in now come from online stores.

As a business owner, do you think consumers are smart to provide COM?

Savvy maybe, but not necessarily smart. It's up to us shop owners to take away their incentive to look for cheap COM.

[Mike]

That is impressive chris! how old is your son now?

[Mojo]

He is 35. I believe he is working for 5 more years and then retiring. He is burnt out and wants to start doing something else. He is considering commercial real estate development or some other business he has a passion for.

To be honest, I wouldn't want his job. I worry about him and his health because he works 7 days a week and sometimes 16 hour days. As the CEO he is constantly on the phone taking USA calls and overseas calls troubleshooting issues and both have different time zones. When you have major clients like NASA, Warner Brothers, Yahoo, etc. they tend to think they own you when they sign contracts with them. They have alot of celebrities as clients and whenever one of them makes an announcement they are non stop busy for 24 hours. An announcement by Madonna had him and his technicians running for 48 hours to keep her data and site up and running.

He needs to slow down but then I set a pretty bad example of that.

Chris

[sofadoc]

Interesting correlation between you and your son, Chris.

Both successful in the corporate world. Your son is approaching burnout at 35. You had to bail for health reasons.

I get the impression from reading your posts, that if health had never became an issue, you would still be going 'balls to the wall' in the rat race. I suspect that if your son DOES  go into early retirement, he'll go crazy and be right back in within a year. Either that, or he'll go global in the commercial real estate biz.

If you guys need some sloth lessons, come on down and I'll teach you the 'Devil's workshop' ;)

[bobbin]

Most of my work is COM.  I'm fine with it.  I make it very clear that if there are flaws in the goods or the yardage is insufficient it's not MY problem.  Naturally, I like to sell fabric but the practical reality is that I can't compete with on-line stores, so why fight reality?

Many of my customers buy from cut-rate, discount shops/"rooms".  I sometimes regret the crummy goods but if they're happy with them, who am I to look at their choices disparagingly? you know?  I charge appropriately for my skill and if they're willing to pay top dollar for my skill and have me work on the proverbial "sow's ear", I'm not going to complain too much. 

[Mojo]

The whole family seems to be hardcore workers. My daughter is the same way and now works for herself as a hair stylist. 6 Days a week / 12 hours a day. She is 31 and can handle it I guess. My son wants to switch careers and start some other kind of business. What I don't know but if they sell their company he will never have to work again because they have a debt free company. I do not ever see him NOT working though.

I look back to my father, uncles and grandfather and they all were workaholics. Must be something in the genes. :) If I closed up shop tomorrow I would be right back doing something else. I love to work but am limited these days.

Chris

[baileyuph]

It's up to us shop owners to take away their incentive to look for cheap COM.

Interesting statement Dennis, what would a strategy look like to take convince consumers to go for quality?  Price has been their interest.

Doyle

[sofadoc]

.........what would a strategy look like to take convince consumers to go for quality?  Price has been their interest.

The pendulum has already swung too far toward COM. It'll never swing back to in-store sales. Many small shops work from a garage or adjacent-to-residence. So without a commercial location, they really don't even want to display fabrics for the customers. They'd rather the customer furnish their own. For them, it makes sense.
They don't have to cover the added expense of a commercial building. So they can just work for labor.

I want to sell fabrics. So I will continue to try to grab as big a slice of the pie as I can.

My methods (to take away their incentive to furnish their own material) aren't anything revolutionary.
1) Charge more labor for COM
2) Offer no warranty on COM jobs
3) Remind the customer that discount fabric stores/online stores also offer no warranty
4) Show them examples of COM fabric that didn't last very long
5) Explain to them that many COM fabrics didn't receive the full "finish" treatment when manufactured. They are seconds that were literally "sold out the back door"

I really don't mind when customers furnish quality COM. But it fries me when they bring in some cheap crap all wadded up in a paper sack from some place like JoAnn's. I've actually started telling a few of them that there will be an extra charge to steam all the wrinkles/creases out.

[baileyuph]

You hit the same nail on the head that I use.  Plus I explain if they should need more COM, they might be out of luck, especially anything with a big discount.

The big retailers will order in front line materials, from sample books.

I agree, sell up and sell fabrics in the process.

Doyle

[Mike]

He is 35. I believe he is working for 5 more years and then retiring. He is burnt out and wants to start doing something else. He is considering commercial real estate development or some other business he has a passion for.

must be nice im jelouse .
if I could retire id like to do something easy again like running a small bait shop but without having to worry about money

[Mike]

speaking of com, I never get it with boat work they call me want it redone =ne and I supply the vinyl's.  until last month or so a girl called emailed me photos of a jet boat seat I gave her a price I didn't here back until latr she said she had a lady who was going to do it but cansled could I still do it? she had the material fromk the other lady I sad ok the cost would be less $75  and I hope its enough can you get more?  well it was 1/2 a yard short I had to do a couple of small pieces under the seat not seen a 2 to finnish luck I had some spare grey close in color.

[byhammerandhand]

If I won $10 million on Mega Lotto, I'd open an upholstery shop and run it until the money was all gone.

speaking of com, I never get it with boat work they call me want it redone =ne and I supply the vinyl's.  until last month or so a girl called emailed me photos of a jet boat seat I gave her a price I didn't here back until latr she said she had a lady who was going to do it but cansled could I still do it? she had the material fromk the other lady I sad ok the cost would be less $75  and I hope its enough can you get more?  well it was 1/2 a yard short I had to do a couple of small pieces under the seat not seen a 2 to finnish luck I had some spare grey close in color.