Making our business work

[ghostcreek]

Hello all, there are threads all over this forum about getting/keeping business. This column seems like a perfect place to throw suggestions around. Any takers? like
1) How are you doing?
2) What are you doing?
3) how are you doing it?
To start, we are a a small Cabinet/Door shop. We also do carved signs and items of decor (Lamps, cutting boards, ready made signs etc). No business with cabinets or doors, so we ar trying to come up with ideas that uses out ShopBot to increase production and decrease costs. Been in business 30 years, this is the tightest market we have seen.
How about you? What are you doing/trying to get through this rough patch.

[harryball]

Well, we are doing fine. Sales have dropped slightly below last years numbers for this month but from January to May our sales were actually up from the previous year.

We, of course, primarily build bat houses. I do local jobs as well... still building those plybo exercise boxes as well as a few other projects.

Sheer persistence. In our case we are in a VERY niche market and actually having been here and still being here has helped. We've watched 3 of our competitors stop building bat houses so far this year. We build the BEST... and I believe that.

Don't be afraid to look around and find a need then fill it. Even if the topic of the need is not related, if the mechanics of the need are related to what you do it'll make your work simpler. i.e. if you make cabinets, you may find a small auto shop that needs speaker boxes or a church that needs props cut for a play etc...

Above all... you have to believe and keep going. When you are sitting idle doing nothing... get out there and look for work. Think outside the box and be creative.

/RB

[pappybaynes]

I am at it part time...with a daytime JOB...currently doing 33 plaques for the Granite State Bowhunters Triple Crown. I have made some plyo boxes for my son who is a Crossfit trainer, (http://www.crossfit.com/)...thanks to Mr Ball. He says the boxes are indestructable! Our focus will be on the Crossfit community, and we are just starting into gaming pieces for the huge gaming industry...hope to get out of this JOB soon.
Dick

[coach]

I am a cabinet / counter top guy. My work was commercial re habs. Sales are wayyyyy off. I have hit the bricks making sales calls. I have started cutting a lot of acryllic and now aluminum letters. Everything I cut I get advice here on the forum,,,,,,makes me look good too.
I recently ran into a Regional Manager on a cold sales call. I have now landed all their properties for cabinets and tops. They have 20 in Fl.
Here is a trick I used to find newly sold apartment complex's.
I use www.loopnet.com (http://www.loopnet.com) for $30.00 for a 1 month membership I accessed 100 recently sold properties in my target zone. It worked for me.
If I am not working I am on the street making sales calls. I have a saying i use........
I GET UP EVERY DAY AND ROW THE BOAT. I have faith it will be steered where it needs to go.
You won't find work sitting around waiting for it.
Dave

[lunapark]

Competition with 100k CNCs: How do shopbotters price jobs to stay competitive? Does anyone use the per inch pricing method? What is working for everyone owning a Shopbot?
-Chad

[dragginbutt]

I think the number one mistake a lot of guys make is they have a dream that if they were blessed with being able to buy that elusive majic machine called a CNC, that customers would beat their door down to give them the work and make them rich. I think it is based on the reality that they hate what they are doing. The successful ones are the guys that are already doing it on some level and need to move to CNC to grow. There is a big difference there. In some cases also, it may be a better scenario to be an employee and learn everything there is to learn while getting paid for it before you jump in with both feet. I would never recommend that someone spend their hard earned cash for a shiney new Shop bot and not have a clue what you are going to do with it. Sooner or later, your spouse will want that garage stall back for their family sedan. And where does that leave you? You better be making some $ with it or it might as well be used as a boat anchor.

[kevin]

Hi Micheal

I don.t offer advice who knows why thing work and other things don.t

The things that do work have one thing in coman.You have to make the client feel confident in you that you can do the job.

You advertise 30 years experince load your web site with pictures its cheap i think its the cheapest form of advertising

My shop is doing well no time for signs {which I love doing } If you have a little talent you can make it in anywhere in North America vist my web site kdunphy.com

"The successful ones are the guys that are already doing it on some level and need to move to CNC to grow" That is true

[dragginbutt]

I don' tthink there is a majic formula for success. How many of us know someone who just plain backed into a successful operation without trying. You know the guy who you would put #1 for a future failure waiting to happen. Who knows what it was. Good, hard working knowledgeble folks go out of business too. It is a **** shoot no matter what you do. But I can gaurantee you one thing. You will NOT succeed if you don't try. Jus tbe prepared to work twice as hard as you did when working for someone else, and be prepared to be flexible. And don't take every job that comes along unless you price the job to make a profit. You cannot afford to lose time or reputation doing something that you are not experienced at to the point of being able to do it well.