OWJones 1,981 Posted October 21, 2015 Went looking for a quality corner trimmer for rounding the corners of laminated paper and cardstock. Tried Walmart, K-Mart, etc. and then remembered that we have a small craft/hobby/gaming store here in town. Or I should say, we do for a short while... They opened two years ago and never put up a real sign (hand painted lettering on the window - and not even professional sign painter lettering) or advertised, and lo and behold, they are going out of business and everything was 50% off - which worked great for me as I got a Crop-a-dile Corner Chomper for $12, and my sister who bought a crap-ton of scrapbooking paper, glitter, etc., but not so good for the business owners. Once again, they didn't want to invest a couple of hundred dollars into a sign (or any advertising except on their own Facebook page that almost no one knew about), or even less on a professional window vinyl design, and now 2 years later they've burned through who knows how much money and are liquidating their inventory (and hopefully their fixtures, too - they have some nice wire shelving and racks!). I posted on Facebook in one of our local discussion groups to let people know to go get a great deal and I've seen at least half a dozen posts from people saying "Wow, I never even knew this store existed!" - well, duh, of course you didn't know they existed because they didn't want to spend a few bucks to let you know they existed! I tried to sell them a window vinyl design when I first found out about the store - a few months after they opened. I drove past it 3 times while trying to find it because it was even less clearly marked then - black painted letters on a glass window under an overhang just does NOT show up well from the street during daylight hours, which is the only time of day they are open... But they weren't interested then - I didn't say "I told you so" when I was there today... but I sure thought it... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OWJones 1,981 Posted October 21, 2015 Photo from Google Street View - they're the business between the Check Cashing place (left with PLENTY of signage) and the closed funeral home (red awning) on the right.Can you tell it's a hobby and craft store? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadHatterGraphix 1,258 Posted October 22, 2015 Its a shame companies will spend so much on a place, and merchandise but nothing on advertising or signage. Any cheaper large paper cutters? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OWJones 1,981 Posted October 22, 2015 They had a brand of rotary cutter that I didn't recognize, it was pink, and is designed for cardboard, foam board, stacks of cardstock, etc. Cuts up to 13" wide and $169 (before the sale). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OWJones 1,981 Posted October 22, 2015 http://www.binditall.com/ZutterKutter.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
castironrobbie 30 Posted October 22, 2015 "a business without a sign is a sign of no business" 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted October 22, 2015 Just got this lil Jewel at my local Harbor Freight, I use it for cutting rhinestone transfer tape, or whatever gets in it's way. So far so good. http://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x-15-in-paper-cutter-60367.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
knucklehead 530 Posted October 22, 2015 Just got this lil Jewel at my local Harbor Freight, I use it for cutting rhinestone transfer tape, or whatever gets in it's way. So far so good. http://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x-15-in-paper-cutter-60367.html And it slices through 30 mil magnet, 'like butta'. Too bad it's only 18 inches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
painperdu 3 Posted October 22, 2015 These small businesses have to be sold on something before they buy it. The catch is that having to sell to them adds to the price of the product. Their business plan, if they had one, didn't account for an advertising budget. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted October 22, 2015 That HF cutter will cut 040 aluminum blanks too. it may not like it but I've cut dozens on it and after having it for 8 years now I was thinking of getting a new one but it still works fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted October 22, 2015 .... (and hopefully their fixtures, too - they have some nice wire shelving and racks!). OW, I know it's near halloween so maybe that lets you off the hook for picking apart a dying corpse. Ha ha! Just got this lil Jewel at my local Harbor Freight, I use it for cutting rhinestone transfer tape, or whatever gets in it's way. So far so good. http://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x-15-in-paper-cutter-60367.html Comment on HF tools, I keep hoping they will come up with a cheap corer rounder that is capable of chopping 0.80 alum signs and diabond but so far no luck. Probably way too specialized a tool. I don't build that many so I router mine but it's time consuming. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted October 22, 2015 And it slices through 30 mil magnet, 'like butta'. Too bad it's only 18 inches. It does? That's pretty impessive, I'm not usually a Harbor Freight guy, but for one use tools they are ok. Like I said I only use it for my 16" rhinestone tape, I use a smaller fiskars unit for the smaller stuff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
castironrobbie 30 Posted October 24, 2015 These small businesses have to be sold on something before they buy it. The catch is that having to sell to them adds to the price of the product. Their business plan, if they had one, didn't account for an advertising budget. True. Advertising is the most important thing a new business can do. Yet so many have no budget for it. As if opening a shop is some kind of guarantee for traffic. SMH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted October 26, 2015 True. Advertising is the most important thing a new business can do. Yet so many have no budget for it. As if opening a shop is some kind of guarantee for traffic. SMH Opening up a shop is no guarantee for traffic, very true...but sometimes neither is spending $$$ for expensive advertising that still doesn't bring in customers. I opened up my store june 1st this year, i have spent over $600 for advertising between the newspaper and radio....and now at the end of October, 99% of my customers are word of mouth, drive bys, and from facebook. I hope i can survive 2 years, but at this rate I won't, and its not that i cant afford advertising, its just that the advertising, paper and radio, doesn't seem to work. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted October 26, 2015 glen - at least you put up a sign - this shop doesn't have anything to tell people they are there or what they do. if you can drive more business by having a storefront it makes sense - stay strong and hopefully sales pick up and make it worth it for you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted October 26, 2015 Not having a sign, is just stupid. On the bright side, maybe OWJones can take over their spot lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted October 26, 2015 I am more or less part time and limited to about another 5 years for the print end so a storefront doesn't work in my particular case - and what I saved from overhead of rent and extra utilities/insurance etc this year paid for my new driveway and roof this year. everyone has to decide what works for them in their location. I remember when one guy started out that has grown his buisiness to where my house would be the servants quarters for his vacation home but I am content where I am at 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OWJones 1,981 Posted October 26, 2015 Not having a sign, is just stupid. On the bright side, maybe OWJones can take over their spot lol Nah, I like working in my house too much... I'll just make sure to talk to whoever does take over the space and point out that not having signage killed the last place, and "it'd be a real shame to see that happen to your nice, new business, here, see?" 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
castironrobbie 30 Posted October 28, 2015 Opening up a shop is no guarantee for traffic, very true...but sometimes neither is spending $$$ for expensive advertising that still doesn't bring in customers.I opened up my store june 1st this year, i have spent over $600 for advertising between the newspaper and radio....and now at the end of October, 99% of my customers are word of mouth, drive bys, and from facebook. I hope i can survive 2 years, but at this rate I won't, and its not that i cant afford advertising, its just that the advertising, paper and radio, doesn't seem to work. I found twitter to still be very relevant. If you use the proper hashtags in your posts you will get people interested and checking you out Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
