The Framers Forum

Jim Miller, on The Grumble said this (in ref to running more than one shop)

"The take-home point in this thread is that each of us must decide whether to work in our business or on our businsess. Successful owners of multiple galleries/frame shops do not spend their time building frames. Instead, they spend their time managing those who do. For most of us, there is no middle ground."


This is my problem - or A problem for me - not regarding running more than one shop - but within my own. In a lot of respects I have painted myself into a corner - there is so much work coming in that it keeps two of us busy full time and another part time.

It's difficult even to frame stuff for the shop, but in addition to that I want to get a website up and running, I want to get a CMC in and I want a mini re-fit to give the framing 'design' area the space it warrants and to increase the selection.

I can't complain - I wanted to be a picture framer!

But I never knew it would get like this - not in ye olde village location - and now I know things can be taken to another level and how. The answer has to be more staff to set me free to work ON and not (just) IN

How about you? Wouldn't it be nice to leave the bread and butter stuff to staff - staff who are good enough to deal with the nightmares too, while you get on with ensuring you are working to maximum potential - whilst, of course, taking on the framing jobs you really enjoy?

Oooooooh look - I just saw that happening in a frame shop - up in that big pink fluffy cloud - Aahhh!

I hope I'm wrong, but I think that there are not too many framers in your position John.

I suspect that there are many like us though: Working flat out to complete all the work that's coming in, but while there are peaks where another pair of hands would be very welcome, there's never enough extra coming in with enough constancy to justify taking on another permanent employee.

Hi John,

Same problems at this end. I do as much framing as I can and I have a part time framing assistant who works two days a week and we never have enough time to do it all. I offered my assistant another day a week, but he doesn't want anymore.

We've been talking about re-organising the shop area and the workshop area, (most of which is in the shop area), for one whole year. It just ain't happening - When we are busy - we've no time! When we are slack (school holidays) - we are trying not to spend the cash.

I'm still saying "It'll happen one day".
Cheers, Mark

Quote How about you? Wouldn't it be nice to leave the bread and butter stuff to staff - staff who are good enough to deal with the nightmares too, while you get on with ensuring you are working to maximum potential - whilst, of course, taking on the framing jobs you really enjoy?

In theory thats what I kid myself that I do.
In reality I think I just get the pain in the *rse jobs and the tricky ones, and the ones that nobody wants to take responsibility for....

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