Whats your business called.

[ironplanet uk900]

Timpsons....... say the word or see one of there shops and people automatically think shoe repairs, key cutting, engraving, watch repairs etc.

 

If you say "Steves shoe repairs" people automatically think that's your prime service and may think that you don't or just dabble in other services.

 

What made me think this was, a couple of years ago one of the girls from our local jewellers brought in an engraving job that was needed urgent.

I asked her why they didn't just send the customer to me to save her the time. As I don't give them any discount and there was nowt in it for them.

 

Her reply was, The customer doesn't know we're just takin it to the cobblers to be engraved they think we're takin it to an engravers.

Now I've seen some of the work they have done at there engravers, and alot of it is 2nd rate.

She said that they often try to send us customers for engraving but alot of them decline, thinking we're just shoe repairers

 

I said to her, the next time you send someone to us, send them to the engravers not the COBBLERS

She did and the customers started to come

 

I changed my sign above my shop and hey presto. Our engraving and other service's took off like a rocket. NO KIDDING.

I don't think it does your business much good when you are known as the cobblers.

 

It sounds better when someone asks were they can get some engraving done, to be sent to "say" TIMPSONS or MERCIA SERVICES. rather than, "try the cobblers".

Thoughts:

[hibsjo(SCO)]

Im known as the Cobbler have been for twenty years, small town like mine its good to have a BRANDING/IMAGE wouldnt have it any other way.

I take your point...... but it doesnt have the same ring to it The Engraver! no pun intended.

Got a big sign above the shop saying THE COBBLERs.

My repair turnover is half of my keycutting and about the same for engraving wouldnt dare change the name of my shop.The business is called JD Keys its just the shop thats called the cobblers so get it both ways.

Dont fix what aint broken........ change the name and you could get busier with something else but its all down to how YOU market YOURSELF.

thoughts.....

[ironplanet uk900]

Didn't mean, call yourself "ENGRAVER"

I mean the name can generalise into one main service IE "THE COBBLERS"

 

but "TIMPSONS" or "JONE'S SERVICES" gives you more impact for all your services.

It's a theory I've tested and proved to be right in my case.

 

"If it aint broken don't fix it" So does that mean "if it works never try to improve it"

 

It aint a dig at people called the cobblers.

[Lee]

I dreamed up my trading name quite literally a few months after starting in the trade.

When I started my shop 3 years later I used the name Cobb-Lee's shoe & Leather repairs. At the time this was about all I did do.

About 3 years ago I went "limited" And have started to edge all my marketing towards Cobb-Lee's Limited rather than shoe & leather repairs. I have found this DOES bring me out of the "box" a little more.

 

However I still like the reference to "cobb"ler. I am not just an engraver, key cutter etc etc. Most people are aware that I offer the Jack of all trades approach. The Cobb-Lee's brand is well know in Lowestoft!

Dress up the Multi service what ever what ever as much as you like, but I bet the Majority when asked what do you do for a living still say "I'm a shoe repairer"

 

Lee

[StevenB]

When I first started in Business, I had the same dilemma, so I came up with the snappy title of 'Cromer Shoe Repair & Trophy Specialists' which was fine, if a bit of a mouthful!

Like Lee, I also went limited & used the opportunity to rebrand.

I changed the business name to 'Cromer Trophies & Engraving Ltd' as I'd recently relocated from a cupboard sized shop, to one much much bigger.

The new name suited the premises, and the direction that we were expanding. It's certainly a change that was worth making.

And my turnover on repairs hasn't suffered for not being mentioned either!

[ironplanet uk900]

I didn't mean call yourself "The Engravers" Just to change the main heading, So you get known for Example: "Smiths" My theory is, you'll get known for all your services, rather than "The Cobblers"

I think it gives more credability to all your services

[keithm]

well I see it as a crying shame that the use of cobblers is frowned upon!

 

whilst I fully appreciate the need to diverify, which i did myself when trading, I feel that the Multi Service business as we know it has developed from the skill base within the 'Shoe repair' trade in general. The one great advantage that the shoe repairer has had in the past is that he is highly skilled and has 2 great tools, his hands that enable him to diversify into key cutting, engraving and laterly watch repairs.

 

Many businesses still have shoe repairs at their core and trade on the back of it. i personally think that more could be done to bring it to the fore and keep it in the front of the retail area. i also believe that the public like to think of you guys as skilled craftsmen, not 'fitters'. Just my opinion.

 

Keith

[ironplanet uk900]

First of all, I have 3 great tools

I'm not frowning on the word shoe repairs at all

 

Shoe repairs is still a massive part of my business, and I do have Shoe repairs on my sign.

 

What I'm saying is, and I thought I did make it clear but maybe not...

Timpsons are just called Timpsons but everybody knows who they are and what they are about...

My theory is, if you want to get the best from all your services, something like Timpsons or Smiths services is more apt.

 

Would you want to take your gold watch for engraving to "ye olde cobbler" or "Smiths service's"..

 

I think it's worth thinking about.. It had an impact for me & my shoe repairs have not suffered in the slightest.

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

uk900,

Probably the most sense thee hast made yet young fella. On all the posts dealing with this topic.

 

 

It is vitally important to have in the forefront the image to the services that you are providing. That image has to reflect the image that you are projecting for the near future and should be flexable, allowing for market trends.

 

MULTI SERVICE CENTRE ( main header, put your name in it if you wish)

 

Side panels should then reflect those services on offer.

Engraving

Trophies

Keys

Locks

Watches

Shoe Repairs

Shoe Care

etc; etc;

 

Using "Cobblers" in the main heading is projecting an image that is not associated with technical expertise.

It conjoures up an image of old fashioned Shoe Repairs, great if that and Keys is your prime business, for those the word to the public means old fashioned traditional skilss (but I would not let you and your plaster covered thumbs loose on my Watch).

 

I noticed the change on the wording of multiples over the years and followed the situation very closely.

 

First to grab my attention was Minit Solutions in the supermarkets of Sainsbury's, huge sign similiar to a Windsurfing Sail that promoted their services in three segments all differing colours, no other words, just the main services. It had an impact on you as you approached.

 

Timpson took over Minit and guess who have copied the Minit imagary to a degree?

 

I learned about Display and Graphics from a master in the art many years ago and learned that if you want to sell a service, throw it in the customers face (so as to speak) do not wait for them to enquire about it or get recommended. You have to be in their face to get noticed.

 

 

[/i]

[keithm]

Well said Hugh and I agree with most of what you have said. However, I believe that shoe repairing is not yet dead in the water, not that anyone here has said that, but that given a little more emphasis could generate much more revenue to the multi-service shop.

 

too many look like they havn't changed a thing in their business since the seventies and wonder why their business is in the doldrums!

 

Smarten up please, for the benefit of all of us!

 

There, rant over

 

Keith

[Biff]

I remember my Dad telling me there was a shop he knew called "R Soles"!

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

I remember my Dad telling me there was a shop he knew called "R Soles"!

 

The name may be copyright by Healy & Sons Yorkshire.

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

Those who think shoe Repairs are dead are those who have no image, have their stall set out wrongly or in the wrong trade.

Those who have Repairs in the forefront and know how to market the product will be doing well. There is still a big trade in quality Leather work for those with the knowledge and time to put into it. We seem to be jugglers now trying to balance the workload with all the different services.

[ironplanet uk900]

Shoe repairs are not dead, nether are any of our other services. I wouldn't say I was a "Juggler" I enjoy all the challenges our services throw at us, and try to excell in all of em.. You can't have a favorite.

 

If you want to be sucessfull you have to support all your services 100%

 

Shoe repairs aint the B and end all for the guys on the high street. with high overheads. Timpsons would be dead and burried if they still operated the same as they did 20 years ago.

 

And I agree with Hugh: theres to many watchers and not enough contributers.

To many waiting for others to start a topic, just to shoot em down. Aint got the guts to start something of there own.

some of you are watching now????????????????

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

My post could and should be applied to all the services folks, dont promote it and you dont get it. It is just that the subject was raised about Shoe Repairs but it could easily have been Watches. Aint seen too many good displays of Watch services as of late on my travels!!! (I prefer to dabble in Watches by the way than "Cobble" shoes. Dabble being the operative word. Just wish that I knew as much about them as I do about Shoes)

[ironplanet uk900]

uk900,

Probably the most sense thee hast made yet young fella. On all the posts dealing with this topic.

 

 

It is vitally important to have in the forefront the image to the services that you are providing. That image has to reflect the image that you are projecting for the near future and should be flexable, allowing for market trends.

 

MULTI SERVICE CENTRE ( main header, put your name in it if you wish)

 

Side panels should then reflect those services on offer.

Engraving

Trophies

Keys

Locks

Watches

Shoe Repairs

Shoe Care

etc; etc;

 

Using "Cobblers" in the main heading is projecting an image that is not associated with technical expertise.

It conjoures up an image of old fashioned Shoe Repairs, great if that and Keys is your prime business, for those the word to the public means old fashioned traditional skilss (but I would not let you and your plaster covered thumbs loose on my Watch).

 

I noticed the change on the wording of multiples over the years and followed the situation very closely.

 

First to grab my attention was Minit Solutions in the supermarkets of Sainsbury's, huge sign similiar to a Windsurfing Sail that promoted their services in three segments all differing colours, no other words, just the main services. It had an impact on you as you approached.

 

Timpson took over Minit and guess who have copied the Minit imagary to a degree?

 

I learned about Display and Graphics from a master in the art many years ago and learned that if you want to sell a service, throw it in the customers face (so as to speak) do not wait for them to enquire about it or get recommended. You have to be in their face to get noticed.

 

 

[/i]

 

Which is basically what I said when I started this topic

 

Funny how people tend to disagree at the beginning of a topic, then when someone else says more or less the same thing..... they agree

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

As Frank Carson would say "It's the way you tell em"

[ironplanet uk900]

I'll have to start typing slower for those who can't read fast and take in whats being said.

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

Sometimes we are guilty of skipping through an article without digesting the full content and end up with the wrong end of the stick.

Or we come into the topic half way through without knowing what has been said before.

Some of us older blokes cant even grasp what is going on, take the bloke in the Nappy for instance, yer think his mother would have had him Potty trained by now. Perhaps it is a case of Mummy doesnt want little Percy to grow up, or is it that Percy likes to have his Nappy changed and Botty TPowdered with Talc? I'm just too old, me no understand some of the posts

 

"It's the wayI read em"