Do most people here have storefronts?

[Mohammed Hasham]

Hi, I just want to know what most people who have a laser engraving business have storefronts or not? Also, advantages and disadvanages of storefronts.
Thanks for everyone's help, I'm new at this.

Mohammed

[Joe Pelonio]

I had a storefront for 13 years, the last 4 with the laser added to my sign business. I think it was probably easier for me to move to the house because I had an established customer base, and am now adding customers in the local area.

Some of the advantages to being at home:

No commute, which took me 25 minutes in early AM, over an hour coming home at 5pm (plus gas)

No rent, instead deduction. My last lease was $2,200/mo, they were going to raise it to $3,000 for 1,900 sf.

No higher business rates for utilities.

Convenience for things like lunch, doing errands or family business during the day with no one trying to come in.

Most everyone that contacts me orders, at the storefront I was constantly plagued with sales people, price shoppers, and people asking for directions.

Business insurance went down.

Disadvantages:

One often mentioned is the lack of "professionalism", but so far I have found that many many more people are working from home now and it's become well accepted.

Meetings with customers have to be at their location or a mutual agreed upon place like Starbuck's. You'd be amazed at how much business goes on at those places (though it doesn't help them much since we rarely buy anything!)

While shipping UPS at merchant rates works well, larger signs I have to deliver (still reduced my business driving by 2/3)

[Mike Null]

I work full time from my basement shop. I discourage retail type business and concentrate on commerical and institutional instead.

I agree with Joe's points and would add that a web site is critical.

[Alexander James]

Based on my own experience and that of others here, I am always wary of references to a 'laser engraving business'. Sorry to digress from your specific question on storefronts...but I think you will find that you can run a 'successful business' either way depending on your situation, market, niche, type of products offered, e-commerce capabilities, additional tools an resources, ability to manage people, personality traits etc

The point is, in spite of the tremendous capabilities of the laser engraver it is still just a tool. Due to skillful marketing of the laser, far too many of us are so caught up in the versatility of the laser that we pay far too little attention to operating a successful business. There are several things that significantly impacts the business more than acquiring the tool and skill to operate. This aspect is properly dealt with in developing a comprehensive business plan. Having done that you will be able to answer questions that many of us cannot answer for you

[Craig Hogarth]

I've owned my laser for a little over a year and started out at home. After about 3 months of pretty much no income, I decided to open a storefront. While everyone will have different opinions, I feel the storefront was the best thing I did. About 70% of my business is retail and I wouldn't have had any of those customers if I were working in the home.

I guess it all comes down to what your market it. If it's retail, the storefront is a necessity. If your doing mostly commercial accounts, a storefront doesn't make quite as much sense.

[Bill Cunningham]

I contemplated a storefront, but just could not get my head wrapped around renting for years, then when I retired, I would not even own the doorknob.. I had operated out of a 20' x 18 ' garage beside the house for 11 years, so I decided to build a shop behind the garage.. The garage is now gone, and just a concrete pad in front remains. The shop is a 24 x 32 foot building with a customer area in the front, the work area in the back, and a wood working shop upstairs. It adds 60 thou to the value of my house, so when I retire and sell, I will have enough to buy a small place, and still have a nest egg..

[Frank Corker]

.... and I could live in the upstairs bit if you get that woodworking machinery out of there. What do you think??

[Vicky Orsini]

My gosh, Bill, that's a beautiful shop! Did the town give you a problem with the height? We're in the process of building a garage out back and we were told we couldn't have a loft. The guy up the road is building a similar garage and he has a loft. Sometimes I wonder what the folks at the town office are smoking.

[Clint Lauricella]

Our business is in our garage. 90% of our customers are military so they never see our place,; I just take orders from work and deliver when done.

[John Frazee]

I have a storefront. I started out of my house but have been in a shopping center for years. Yes, there are more bills such as rent, extra insurance, utilities (which run higher for businesses), floor samples, showroom upkeep, and so much more. At the end of the day, I GO HOME! I have nothing at home that hints of work. When I worked at home, I was always at work.

If I had to count on laser work to pay the bills, I would starve, get evicted, loose my house, wife, kids, dog, the whole nine yards. Hmmm, some of that doesn't sound all that bad! We have about 3500-3700 square foot and offer trophies, plaques, signs, shirts, sublimation, sandblasting/carving, too much to lists. When one things dead there is something else happening.

As far as commuting to work, I live within walking distance of my store.

[Scott Shepherd]

John, that's quite a bit of retail space! I think you nailed it 100%- if you rely on the laser to make a living, you'd starve. I agree with that. Most of what we do is laser work, but the larger, better paying jobs are not usually laser work. I know there are some people who are doing it, but if you just go down the list of "who's who" on this section of the forum, I can't think of any who don't have other things.

Keith, Joe, Mike Null are all examples. The laser compliments so many other things in business, but as a stand alone tool, it's a tough one, in my opinion.

[Lisa Griffiths]

I have a storefront. I started out of my house but have been in a shopping center for years. Yes, there are more bills such as rent, extra insurance, utilities (which run higher for businesses), floor samples, showroom upkeep, and so much more. At the end of the day, I GO HOME! I have nothing at home that hints of work. When I worked at home, I was always at work.

If I had to count on laser work to pay the bills, I would starve, get evicted, loose my house, wife, kids, dog, the whole nine yards. Hmmm, some of that doesn't sound all that bad! We have about 3500-3700 square foot and offer trophies, plaques, signs, shirts, sublimation, sandblasting/carving, too much to lists. When one things dead there is something else happening.

As far as commuting to work, I live within walking distance of my store.

We are trying to branch out like you also. We have our own small workshop, but it is off the beaten path for a retail shop. We had though about renting store space at our local mall for the Christmas season (Oct - Dec). In your experience, do you think we would do well enough to justify the cost?

[James Stokes]

It is allmost impossible to justify renting in a mall at Christmas. You have to be selling a lot just to pay rent. let alone make a profit.

[David Takes]

Hi, I just want to know what most people who have a laser engraving business have storefronts or not? Also, advantages and disadvanages of storefronts.
Thanks for everyone's help, I'm new at this.

Mohammed

Mohammed,

You will find very few successful businesses that are laser-only. If you want to eat and have a roof over your head, you'll need to offer a more diverse collection of services, be it at home or a commercial storefront.

I am personally a big fan of commercial storefronts, as long as you have a good business plan with a solid market study that shows there is an opportunity for you to sell your selected products and services.

You'll also need to have plenty of up-start funding, as this is not a fast-cash industry, in spite of what some marketers convey it to be.

[Bill Cunningham]

.... and I could live in the upstairs bit if you get that woodworking machinery out of there. What do you think??

I'll rent it out to you Frank.. You can have the spot under my ammo reloading bench.. NO SMOKING though

My gosh, Bill, that's a beautiful shop! Did the town give you a problem with the height? We're in the process of building a garage out back and we were told we couldn't have a loft. The guy up the road is building a similar garage and he has a loft. Sometimes I wonder what the folks at the town office are smoking.

Well Vicky The roof can't be more than 2/3 the height of the house roof.. Mine had lots to spare because of the shape.. I wanted to bring it up another 18" but the planning office said no.. Once the foundation was in, the building up, the roof on, and the building inspector came by for the 3rd inspection, the first thing he said was hmmm you could have brought it up a couple of more courses of block.. Grrrrrrrr... Too late then... I hired a contractor to dig the foundation, lay the block and put up the building, then I did all the wiring (son-inlaw is a electrician), insulation (it's like a thermos, and only uses 800 meters of gas a year), and all the drywall and painting.. And built my own counters, customer area total cost about 30k