Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Say hello, and tell us a little about yourself.
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Gary4444
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Joined: Tue 27 Aug, 2019 6:10 pm
Location: Newcastle
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Interests: Music, art, cycling

Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by Gary4444 »

Hi all, Gary here. I've just registered after browsing through a few posts, (looks like a great forum!).
I'm just starting to put a proposed business plan together to see how viable a career change (possibly opening a gallery / framing shop) might be.
Firstly, should I be asking questions in this section, or post new ones in the "Help!" or "Business Matters" areas?
My background was in graphic design for many years, after which my wife & I bough a card & gift shop. I've had a few days one-to one training from a now retired framer but that was a couple of years ago & just covered the very basics.
I know It'll be a steep learning curve but I'm up for a challenge. Firstly I've a list of basic questions like;
Researching the demand / comparing competition in the area.
(Is it a case of "googling" & visiting established businesses to avoid doing the same thing / possibly specialising in certain areas?).
Where to obtain good training & how long for?
Area size recommendations for premises /workshop (together/separate?).
Mark - up, pricing software (can you customise them, would you advise subscription based, or to buy the software?)
Potential ballpark salary expectations (If any in the early days!).
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
poliopete
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Re: Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by poliopete »

Hi Gary :D and welcome to the FF

That is a list of questions :sweating: where to start?

If it was me I would consider asking these questions separately in the appropriate section, Help, General Discussion, Members Only etc. and in the meantime busy myself looking at old posts on here and other resources.

In the mean time I wish you well.

Peter.
kuduframes
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Re: Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by kuduframes »

Hi Gary, welcome to the forum

There are 2 good threads running right now which should help

https://www.theframersforum.com/viewtop ... 12&t=17674
and
https://www.theframersforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=17673

Good luck
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prospero
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Re: Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by prospero »

Hi and Welcome Gary. :D
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
cleaver
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Re: Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by cleaver »

Welcome, Gary. :handshake:

This 'intro' section is a really good place to start. A lot of folk, including me, have asked all this sort of stuff.

I think hourly rates seem to be in the £30 - £40 area, though of course that can vary wildly, due to location, work speed etc.

There's so much on here, mate....I spent most of a weekend reading it. Absolutely brilliant forum :clap:
Not your average framer
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Re: Hi all, newcomer here & advice required

Post by Not your average framer »

Hi Gary,

It's nice to have you aboard. There's no magic formula for success, every framing business will be different, just like everyone of us is different. Don't let anyone talk you into any great ideas that involve lots of money up front. Nothing happens all in one go, everything takes time to grow into something that works, take your time and grow with it and practice using your equipment and get everything adjusted and tuned in so that you and you're kit are ready for anything.

Practice is how you develop your skills and craftsmanship. Make up your mind that you are going to be a craftsman and that you are going to be second to none. You are not aiming to work for peanuts, so practice to be the best. Practice is also where confidence comes from. You don't need to be avoiding work that others are doing, it's no accident that they are doing any particular thing, they are doing it because it pays them to do it and it's worth doing, but don't jump in with both feet until you have practiced doing it first and are proficient at doing it.

Good reputations come from first class work, so practice, practice, practice. I had plenty of practice before I start running a proper business. I was skint when I started and it took me ages to purchase the equipment I needed. Almost everything was bought as second hand and some items needed a little bit of time and money, to get things up to scratch. I'm still using primarily second hand equipment, but I did not have to get a bank loan to buy any of it. I'm not saying that it has to be that way, but good second hand equipment is not to difficult to buy, if you are not in too much of a hurry.

Business plans are at best guesswork. If you think that everything is going to work just like the business plan, I'm sorry, but life rarely happens like that. Be ready for a few disappointments along the way, I've had plenty. The disappointments are where you learn really valuable lessons, that you can't learn elsewhere. Equipment wise you cannot get started without the basics, but if you can avoid buying everything at the outset, the initial cash flow dip will not be unnecessarily large.

Cash flow has to come from somewhere and it's better if your initial cash flow commitments are less demanding, but spread over a longer period. None of us know how business will be for the next few months, but we can at least not make our own cash flow commitments too demanding and something which we cannot cope with if results don't match expectations. Cash flow is the survival factor for all businesses, if you have not got enough cash flow to service your business debits, you are not solvent and no body waits forever to get paid. Sooner, or later they have to be paid.

It has been said that success is when preparation meets opportunity and my experience has been that this is true. Finally, don't let enthusiasum overrule your head and wreck your cash flow during the early days, I've been there and it's not fun. Also don't get too upset when you make mistakes, keep moving on and keep motivated.

Best wishes for a successful future,
Mark
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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