Hello folks, I have been reading this forum at every opportunity for the last few days in an attempt to glean as much information as possible. I have taken the decision to attempt to concentrate full time on picture framing after spending over 6 years (on and off) doing it at weekends and evenings.
Whilst I am no expert on some of the finer techniques I am able to turn out a tidy frame and price it fairly accurately. What lack is business acumen and a decent customer base (my previous customers were almost a captive audience!) I have just registered with Mike Royall for a few days training in October and intend to go to Lion's Open Day later this month.
After collecting equipment over the years I now possess a Morso, a Cassesse underpinner, an Excalibur 5000 cutter and a Keencut Ultimat mount cutter along with a few small hand tools.
I would appreciate any pearls of wisdom of how to build up that customer base and any other 'must have' pieces of equipment. Last week I spent £8 on 500 photocopied flyers and had one response – although it did generate an order for 9 frames (including a repair to a frame made by somebody else recently). I have also placed cards in newsagents windows and am trying to get hold of the local embroidery guild and camera club.
Many thanks for your advice and providing a great forum.
Steve
Another new one
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YPF
- Posts: 463
- Joined: Mon 07 Sep, 2009 11:25 am
- Location: Worcester
- Organisation: Previously Your Picture Framer
- Interests: Now retired and about to move to Wiltshire to hone my woodturning skills and do some dog walking.
- Location: Worcester
Another new one
Steve
Chief Coffee Drinker
Chief Coffee Drinker
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jacjag
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Tue 29 Jul, 2008 5:47 pm
- Location: scotland
- Organisation: home
- Interests: partying!!!
Re: Another new one
hi steve!
Am new myself! One idea that I had is take a stall at local craft fairs showing as much of a range of your work as possible. There I have met and networked with lots of local artists, photographers and of course the buying public. I just buy some prints or posters to frame.
Oh and you might sell a few too!
All the best!
Jac
Am new myself! One idea that I had is take a stall at local craft fairs showing as much of a range of your work as possible. There I have met and networked with lots of local artists, photographers and of course the buying public. I just buy some prints or posters to frame.
Oh and you might sell a few too!
All the best!
Jac
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Roboframer
Re: Another new one
Welcome to the forum Steve! (Good job you signed as that - otherwise I have some great suggestions for 'YPF)! 
How were your flyers distributed? If distributed alone, and not inside - say - a newspaper, I'd work on a 2% response, as in sales generated. However, it's only been a week and you have covered your outlay several times over. You may be surprised at how long it takes some to respond to flyers/leaflets and you may also be surprised at how quickly some hit the recycle bin unread!
If you could achieve that 2% response in say 3 months with 10,000 leaflets/flyers, then that's 200 orders - not frames; orders.
17 orders a week, or 3 or 4 a day in a 5 day week isn't bad at all - and then there are other forms of advertising as well, such as press releases, and they are FREE!
Newspaper editors are hungry for news items - just don't make it a blatant plug for your business. For example - soon after I opened my second shop (not that I have more than one or anything) I wrote a press release to the West Sussex Gazzette - all about how framing has moved on, how old, or even current methods and materials can accelerate the demise of artwork, when most people think once their precious whatever is safely sealed in a frame behind glass, it is protected. What a brown mount bevel means, yada yada.
Full page spread - CW photo - brought in a whole load of work, not to mention enquiries - some of which turned in to work later. One of my best customers came from that press release 12 years ago!
I believe Mike Royall is giving a talk on press releases at the Lion day - and I'm sure that when you do your few days training with him, he won't mind talking about this and other methods of putting yourself about.
How were your flyers distributed? If distributed alone, and not inside - say - a newspaper, I'd work on a 2% response, as in sales generated. However, it's only been a week and you have covered your outlay several times over. You may be surprised at how long it takes some to respond to flyers/leaflets and you may also be surprised at how quickly some hit the recycle bin unread!
If you could achieve that 2% response in say 3 months with 10,000 leaflets/flyers, then that's 200 orders - not frames; orders.
17 orders a week, or 3 or 4 a day in a 5 day week isn't bad at all - and then there are other forms of advertising as well, such as press releases, and they are FREE!
Newspaper editors are hungry for news items - just don't make it a blatant plug for your business. For example - soon after I opened my second shop (not that I have more than one or anything) I wrote a press release to the West Sussex Gazzette - all about how framing has moved on, how old, or even current methods and materials can accelerate the demise of artwork, when most people think once their precious whatever is safely sealed in a frame behind glass, it is protected. What a brown mount bevel means, yada yada.
Full page spread - CW photo - brought in a whole load of work, not to mention enquiries - some of which turned in to work later. One of my best customers came from that press release 12 years ago!
I believe Mike Royall is giving a talk on press releases at the Lion day - and I'm sure that when you do your few days training with him, he won't mind talking about this and other methods of putting yourself about.
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framemaker
Re: Another new one
Hi Steve,
I would agree with Roboframer about trying to get in your local paper, be it something unusual or very large you have framed, these kind of jobs may not come along often but if and when they do you should jump on the chance to let the local paper know about it. Entering competitions can also be good for getting free publicity. It amazes me how people still remember press releases from years ago.
If there are any galleries and artists in your area that don't do framing you could introduce yourself, obviously most will probably have a framer they use for little jobs such as re glazes, hinging slipped images, and replacing damaged frames and so on. But most galleries that I work for have at least two framers they use for different jobs. If you can get in with a gallery and start doing work for them the bonus is they will then be able to suggest using you to the many customers that will ask them about framing.
A website can be a good investment, you can set them up for free or for a minimum outlay, mine costs a fixed £20 a month and paid for itself many times over in the first 3 months. People are spending more time on the internet and if you can point people to your website via leaflets or whatever then all the better.
Good luck
Richard
I would agree with Roboframer about trying to get in your local paper, be it something unusual or very large you have framed, these kind of jobs may not come along often but if and when they do you should jump on the chance to let the local paper know about it. Entering competitions can also be good for getting free publicity. It amazes me how people still remember press releases from years ago.
If there are any galleries and artists in your area that don't do framing you could introduce yourself, obviously most will probably have a framer they use for little jobs such as re glazes, hinging slipped images, and replacing damaged frames and so on. But most galleries that I work for have at least two framers they use for different jobs. If you can get in with a gallery and start doing work for them the bonus is they will then be able to suggest using you to the many customers that will ask them about framing.
A website can be a good investment, you can set them up for free or for a minimum outlay, mine costs a fixed £20 a month and paid for itself many times over in the first 3 months. People are spending more time on the internet and if you can point people to your website via leaflets or whatever then all the better.
Good luck
Richard