Lee Posted January 11, 2016 Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 Apart from some shoe repairs, watches, keys and engraving today looked like this! forget mobile phone repairs, thats so last year. Bikes are the new Golf. wellsy9, mrkeys, StevenB and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Friend Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 wheel I bet nobody can beat that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I need to find another service that no one in the immediate vicinity is doing to add to my skills!! I think I've realised after the christmas shopping let down, that high street retail, especially in my little market town, is dying. Just not enough footfall any more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pee Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I think a high street shop business is one of the toughest in theses times especially engravable gifts and trophies, high street shops can't compete on price with online. I've been looking for another service or product ideas for a few years but can't think of one that fits in well. Could there possibly be a new ideas list where people could put there ideas forward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I think people miss the point sometime and need to do better than what they are doing just now. shoes not polished before being put in a bag keys not being filed leaving rough edges watch cases not being cleaned of scum on the back (the one i hate ) having a smile on your face when someone comes into your shop saying please and thank you just some of the stuff ive seen over the holidays just sayin carry on! grahamparker, k4mrc, keithm and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I think people miss the point sometime and need to do better than what they are doing just now. shoes not polished before being put in a bag keys not being filed leaving rough edges watch cases not being cleaned of scum on the back (the one i hate ) having a smile on your face when someone comes into your shop saying please and thank you just some of the stuff ive seen over the holidays just sayin carry on! A fair point but don't mean diddly if there's no customers to come in and smile at etc. kobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pee Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 Every business owner is trying harder to please existing customers but there are less people who need our services, We now need to do so much more just to take the same takings. My shoe repair prices haven't gone up since 2013 and on some repairs have come down. I'm cutting 80-90% less mortice keys then i did 10 years ago. Where i would have cut a cylinder and mortice i'm only doing a cylinder, probably cause most front doors are euro cylinder now. kobblers and Michael 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrkeys Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 Apart from some shoe repairs, watches, keys and engraving today looked like this! 20160111_113407.jpg20160111_131102.jpg20160111_133113.jpg forget mobile phone repairs, thats so last year. Bikes are the new Golf. Gotta roll with the times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 Gotta roll with the times I agree but it's it finding something that no one or very few in your area are doing, or are not ripping the arse out of by doing it for virtually nothing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkD Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 Unlikely you are going to find something that nobody else is doing, just do it better than anybody else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 I agree with jo and mark. Keep doing what you are doing but do it better. Once you take your quality to the next level you will notice that your existing customers bring more work and you will begin to see new faces. It's amazing how quickly it happens too. Try to get more money per person, don't be thinking that it's not worth offering customers extra stuff. One of the easiest ways we make more money in our shop is the extra key deals. If someone wants one key for £6 they usually leave with three for £10. If they want 4 keys which are normally £15, I offer 6 for £20. Another £5 for a minutes work. Couple more ideas.. Half price strap when you have a battery. I polish their shoes for them if they buy the polish and twin pack of brushes, or if they have a repair then all shoes polished anyway. Fixed price for engraving on merchandise I sell, no matter how many words they have. Half price battery with new phone screen. Loads that I'm forgetting. If you are quiet, just put that little bit more effort in and it will pay you back in no time. hibsjo(SCO) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at Vauxhall Posted January 12, 2016 Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 All this talk of diversification, reminds me of the time I bought a large and comprehensive range of hoover bags- just as everyone started to buy bagless hoovers. I will always keep an eye out for suitable products or services to offer my customers. The quality of your work or service need not suffer at all. The only things I will completely ignore are electronics and food, although now my shop is much much smaller than it use to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simes Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Every business owner is trying harder to please existing customers but there are less people who need our services, We now need to do so much more just to take the same takings. My shoe repair prices haven't gone up since 2013 and on some repairs have come down. I'm cutting 80-90% less mortice keys then i did 10 years ago. Where i would have cut a cylinder and mortice i'm only doing a cylinder, probably cause most front doors are euro cylinder now. Just looking at last years figures. Turnover up on last year overall, bit shoe repairs down a massive 27%. Pleased with the year overall but wondering if last years downturn on shoe repairs was a trend anyone else has experienced? The good thing is that quality gents leather sole repairs has increased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 I'm up for the first time in three years, but its all thanks to bikes! Everything else is pretty stagnant, steady but not catching the world alight. Mike at Vauxhall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 I see on the news this morning that Sainsbury's are going to bid £1.1 billion for Argos and they've already stated that they will shut lots of high street shops and move them into their out of town stores....another blow to high streets with everything moving to out-of-town retail parks with lots of free parking!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkD Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 I only go to our town's shopping centre to bank cash nowadays. I went a couple of days ago and decided to have a walk around and was amazed at the number of empty shops, the internet and out of town places has had a big effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Smart appearance...............Smiley happy face..................Be better than your opposition (not to difficult)................. Expert knowledge about the shoecare products you sell. (Educate yourselves)........... Ability to listen to people about problems (sometimes I feel like the fekin samaritans)...........Be a good engraver (give advice on setup etc.) So many customers ask what would you put..................Be confident......................Don't buy hoover bags or 200 pairs of gloves.................And what hibs said.......... carry on!..................Wear sunscreen....................And as I always have a video...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at Vauxhall Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Do buy 200 gloves. Selling like hot cakes. With a 300% profit. Gray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Get yourself along to the Trophex this weekend, there will definitely be something there to add to your business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Do buy 200 gloves. Selling like hot cakes. With a 300% profit. Ok it's gone cold..........Do buy gloves............Don't buy hoover bags..........Buy hot cakes........Selling like gloves.......Everybody buy hotcakes...... derek and grahamparker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at Vauxhall Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Gloves good. Hoover bags bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hoover gloves???...........Gloves for hoovers?............Shoe cakes?...........Cake as a shoe..........A shoe cake..............Shoe cakes it's the way forward....Shoe cakes. Mike at Vauxhall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broms Cobb Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Just keep trying different lines, you will just 'Click' onto something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now