Picture Frames

[genek]

you can make some beautiful picture frames with the shop bot.
Here is one that I made for a friend. I used the bot to cut the oak and the pocket for the plexi glass and the back cover. I used my scroll saw to cut the letters. (note I did not have the small Collete to use the very small bits.) This could be done easily with a shop bot from start to finish.
There are many shapes that could be used to make a picture frame.

The same holds true for mirrors. Here is a order that I get each month. very simple compact mirror. These I make from scrap wood. Total cost about 1.50 whole sales for $6.00 This compact Mirror order will take about Half a day on the shop bot..

So many ways to make money with ones shop bot Having the right products and putting it to work by getting good repeat customers.

[bleeth]

Those picture frames are real cute Eugene-You do come up with some great ideas for the guys who like to do that kind of thing!

I also applaud your spirit of sharing. I can tell you that there were a couple of other folks on the forum who were as open for a while and then found their "neighbors" ripping them off with their own clientele.

[genek]

Mr. Rosenbleeth: You are right there are those that would still customers, however, the way I look at that is is they can, I am either doing something wrong, or I don't need that customer. If a customer of mine leaves me for some other company, I find out why, if it is pricing, well the can go. I do not lower my prices. However if it is over quality. I will try to improve my products. However if it is over pricing, I let them go, and I will develop a customer near them. What I do for my customer is I limit one customer per area. I do not break that rule. I expected loyalty from my customers, because of the way I protect their territory, by only allowing one customer per area or town. Since 2003 I have lost only 3 customers. All three ended up wanting my product back. However I had all ready set up new customers and I would not allow them to have the product back. I have people in my area that buy my product to copy so they can make it. However they do not know the short cuts or totally how it is made. Most do not do the quality of work I do. I compete with at least five other companies in my home area every year. I have seen this group change over the years, most can not produce the product to keep up with orders or they can not do the quality of work.

The items I share, are good items to sale or use as promotional item. I want others to be successful as I have been. Competitors keep me doing top quality work and coming up with new products. Each year the Arts Council personnel take odds on how many new Items that I will enter in to be juried. Even though I am a juried artist, all new products must be Juried each year, before they can be added to my juried product list that I can sale at the Kentucky Craft Market. I mentor several other artist each year, several that I have mentored I have given them products to make.
Those that do Steal end up losing in the long term.

I will always do what my heart tells me to do. I will always do what I think God would want me to do. My name and my soul is all that I truly have and the only part of a person that will last beyond this mortal body.
I have local artist that come hunting for me at every show, that we do, if I miss doing a show they come checking on me. My reputation as a local artist is important to me more than any of my product.

[genek]

The products I come up with are not just for the so called art and craft people, they would be good products for all to sale or use as promotional Items.

Lets use the cabinet Makers for a example. Say they use one of my cutting board patterns, put their company name on one side and give it to each customer that buys their cabinets. That is good customer relationship, and a great way to advertise. Most people forget phone numbers and names in a few years, however if they have a beautiful cutting board that they use, that company name will always be right at the tip of their tongue and the phone number ready to give to anyone that ask who made their cabinets.

All of my products would make great gifts to give to any customer. By adding ones contact info that customer will always know how to get in touch with you.

I lose business cards, I forget and leave them in my pocket, Tina has washed up many of business cards that I needed and I had to go find that customer or supplier again. Kitchen items and other items given to customers as gifts will out last any business card made even the plastic ones.

[stump]

The most valuable thing that Eugene has shared are not the projects, but his tips on sales. We are all CNC people who should be able to figure out how to make projects. The key is selling them.

Over the years I have taken many ideas from this forum and turned them into gifts for family or friends. But to take an idea and turn it into sales is quite another thing. Most of us are not salesmen by nature. If we were we wouldn't be out in the shop. To be able to take sales away from someone else you would not only have to be able to duplicate it, you would also have to convince your prospect that it held some advantage, either quality or perhaps customer service. Like Eugene said, if it's only based on lower prices you will fail in the long run.

CNC Routers, Handi-bots, Shark CNC routers, Maker-bot 3D printers, all of these things are becoming more and more common. Ideas are all over, it's the ability to sell and distinguish yourself from the others that will keep your business strong.

[genek]

Mr. Thormodson: Thanks for posting your response. I am glad that you feel that my tips are valuable. I truly want everyone to have a good business. In my post my goal is to guide cnc people into thinking as I say outside of the box. To help them not only make product but to also be able to sale that product. I put projects and ideas here just for that reason. I look for new things to design. to make and to sale to my customers. My own customers sometimes comes to me asking if I would or can design something just for their shop. I was not the best salesman to start with. I made mistakes, however each time I failed to make a Sale I learned something and I changed something. The biggest thing I have learned on being a salesman is you will not make a sale to everyone. It is more like one sale for every 25 you call on.
I have also learned that if you leave a good impression and a sample with each customer, you can bring that down to one in 7 customers. I keep several of my items with me to leave as a free sample, sometimes I tell them to sale it, and at others I tell them to take it home and let their wife use it. Do like the vacuum cleaner salesman do, have samples to give away, make sure your name is burned into the samples. Invest in a branding iron with your company name and phone number on it. (hint you can do this with cabinet doors and any wood product you produce)

Again people lose business cards, brand your product, someone that owns a store may see it at sometime and give you a call. wood workers use this (hand made by your company name and phone numbers..)