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Thread: Opening a retail location

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    178

    Opening a retail location

    After the past 17 years of working out of industrial parks and sub leasing space in a warehouse, I have made the plunge and leased a retail location on a major street with great store front exposure here in Los Angeles.

    I will be offering rubber stamps and engraving services.

    A big move for me. This July makes 38 years in this industry, dealing with the public should be interesting!

    Robert
    Robert Tepper
    Trotec Rayjet 300/80 Watt
    Dahlgren 500 Engraving Machine, CNC Engraving Machine
    Pad printer with 5 3/4 x 5 3/4" print area
    Jackson Vulcanizers, 15 x 24", three total
    Hegner Scroll Saws, 14", three total

  2. #2
    Robert

    I wish you all success. I have to admit that doing retail engraving is not something that you'll find on my bucket list.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  3. #3
    Congratulations Robert, if anyone can make it work, you can! Will you be installing a new laser in the new store ??????
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    Best wishes! Please keep us posted on how things are going. I really like hearing small business success stories. A picture of your store front would be nice too.

  5. #5
    Awesome Robert hope it works out great for you. Keep us up dated .
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
    Rabbit RL_XX_6040-60 watt Laser engraving/cutting machine Oh wait its a 3D Printer my bad LOL
    Lasercut 5.3
    CorelDraw X5

    10" Miter Saw with slide
    10" Table Saw
    8" bench mount 5 speed Drill Press
    Dremel, 3x21 Belt Sander


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    178
    Thank you everyone for the kind words. Right now the landlord is installing 200 amps of power, removing a few walls and making a few changes. The shop even has a shower in it! For the first two months I am going to stay below the radar and will not put out a sign. We have a good work load and am just not ready to take on walking business. I will post some pictures as things evolve. I get the keys April 1 st. Hopefully by June I will hang the sign. Just one laser for now but my eye is on that Speedy 400.


    Robert
    Robert Tepper
    Trotec Rayjet 300/80 Watt
    Dahlgren 500 Engraving Machine, CNC Engraving Machine
    Pad printer with 5 3/4 x 5 3/4" print area
    Jackson Vulcanizers, 15 x 24", three total
    Hegner Scroll Saws, 14", three total

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Durham, NH USA
    Posts
    109
    Best wishes, Sounds like a great new location!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    286
    I am bit skeptical on this.

    How are you going to deal with customers who come with $5-10 job and stay in your shop for hours discussing their order?
    With online business and communication over email only you can either reply when you can and have nothing else to do or just drop it when you see somebody just wasting your time. I guess it is impossible when you have a retail store and this type of customer is just right in front of you.
    GCC Spirit GX Pro 100W(synrad)
    Laserlife Ezlaser LCW 300W(Yongli DLT-300)

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    The first sign I would make for the counter is "Minimum order is $50.00".

    This would eliminate most of the jobs you couldn't possibly make any money.
    .

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    286
    Yes, setting a minimum order requirement should fix this problem.
    GCC Spirit GX Pro 100W(synrad)
    Laserlife Ezlaser LCW 300W(Yongli DLT-300)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Vancouver, Canada
    Posts
    71
    Good luck Robert... All the best with the new store front.
    Gwieke 1290-100W,
    Trotec Speedy 400 - 80W
    Corel Draw X4

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    Retail outlets are opening Online sites to cut down on overhead. How can you run a business or a machine and be talking with walk in customers who just want to look or ask prices?

    I had an email yesterday, guy wants 3 Initials engraved on a keepsake project board. Two minutes of setup time and two more to do, total time on the project 10 minutes = $20. Worked out to about $2 a minute and no material cost!

    How do I know the $20 customer does not have a business or a friend who has a need for a major job?
    Last edited by Bill George; 03-24-2015 at 8:01 AM.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  13. #13
    A minimum order sign is something you need definetly. Something around $25-$40 depending on what you do.
    Henri Sallinen
    Cardboard designer with a Epilog Helix 24 60w + Gunnar Matboard Cutter + Heidelberg Windmill letterpress

  14. #14
    How do I know the $20 customer does not have a business or a friend who has a need for a major job?
    After nearly 20 years (18+) I can say very few. I can't really recall one.

    I have a $25 minimum and am considering increasing it. Even though I am home based the telephone and email time on small stuff is a nuisance so if i lose out on a large order because of not spending time with the nuisance stuff so be it.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  15. #15
    I have to agree with Mike, I've always worked off of the "You never know who you are talking to, or who they know or are related to". That's helped me exactly zero times

    Having said that, Robert isn't a newbie with a dream, he's a seasoned veteran in this business and he knows his market very well. I seriously doubt he's jumping into this without having thought about all those things.

    My guess is Robert will do very well with it.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

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