NeilT Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 As part of The Mini Lab Forum, that is due to take place in February http://www.minilabhelp.org.uk/ I want to do a little presentation on what is working for people around the globe Can you help with this? If you have any photos of your store/shop any promotions that you have/are running so that I can use these as examples to help and fingers motivate other lab owners..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 A few days before Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 New Creations display Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 December web page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Why some prices seemed too cheap it was all about getting quantity buys and we got them. This was a d&p stuffer as well as available in acrylic holders around and outside the store. We do a stuffer each month to go along with the promo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 This month we are running a Buy 1 get another 1/2 price on HP photo books, photo booklets, collage posters and folded cards all the stuff with high margins note not photo calendars where the margin is a little less. It is working but we need to get creative moving so we can discount a range of products by 30% while still getting 70-80% margin! We are also doing a fear of loss campaign with "Print it or Lose It" tied in with a scanning offer on film/tranny/print etc. What I have shown is a taste of what you can see on the first day of DIMA at PMA 2009 in Las Vegas. My co presenter Gaby is better than me in most ways :-) Mortgage the dog get a cheap flight and get yourself there, you will bring back so many ideas that are easy and cheap to put in place that will pay the trip back in the first month back. You can also have fun in Lost Wages especially with the pound so much better than the South Pacific Peso the Aussie $!! Sunday, March 1, 2009 2p.m. - 3:10 p.m. Alternative Print Products D14 Photo Gifting 101 The hay day of the 4x6 is long gone, never to return again. However, retailers now have to be more creative in their product offerings to make up for lost revenue. From photo books to ties, from mouse pads to shot glasses, customized photo products are the hottest things going right now. Learn from leading creative minds in the photo retail industry as to what they’re selling and how they’re doing it. Speakers: Gabrielle Mullinax, Fullerton Photographics; Phil Gresham, Fotofast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilT Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Fotofast... Thats brilliant... and I can also use these to show, and indicate to visitors to the Mini Lab Forum how tricks and how, forward thinking, can make progress... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Yeh! Good on yer Phil! And you have how many staff creating this for u? Be honest now. You and your wif? I don't think so. Quit pissing me off with your being the guru on top of everything! And why is your business on the market? Gonna get slammed big time now...just watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Sorreee. Call it Xmas burnout! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noritsu Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Jeez Phil, what did you say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotofast Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Not sure? Good bye! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nash Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 is Liz really 108 years young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Yo Ho Ho !!! Christmas burnout or what!! Being the sole imager/printer/processor/shop assistant/marketing director/maintenance/cleaner/odd job man (I get the wife in occassionaly to allow me to catch up), I can feel and see Liz's frustration. It is born of the recognition that 'that IS what I should be doing' but the realisation that there simply are not enough hours in the day. I have been guilty of similar outbursts, go gentle on the girl. Phil, Your shop looks great, especialy with all those customers! Well done. If you don't mind, I shall browse your website, and probably 'lift' one or two of your ideas. Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Deverill Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 I understand the frustration before christmas I was short on staff and patience. my frustration with time wasting customers probably lost me alot of money but we are a small lab in a small town and the rules still apply that to employ an extra member of staff they have to generate an extra £30k+ in turnover to justify there employment. So thats and extra £30K to stand still. like most of the the ideas I have seen in recent years, but have tried to implement a few and failed due to TIME. incidentally my turnover will be £30k down this year on last, so do I employ some new blood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilT Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 like most of the the ideas I have seen in recent years, but have tried to implement a few and failed due to TIME. I forget the name of the German guy something like Helmut Machimer ? He did a lot of training for KEX members years back, and I was in the same dilema not enough time... His quote was along the lines of "You are too busy to make any money" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colopt Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Happy new year. Good to see at least one store. I would like to see some more store photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noritsu Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Ok, heres a few pics of my store, which used to be a driveway! Whilst not as busy as Phils, we have tried to keep it reasonably clean and uncluttered and we are absolutely hammering movies and slides to DVD. We have another round of radio ads running promoting it, and in the first 2 days of the ads, we covered the cost of the 2 weeks of ads! You can see the posters we have used, and all these are also used as wallet stuffers at different times of the week or month, depending on where our advertising is going at the time. I have additional Kodak kiosks upstairs in a sort of lounge (filling up a little spare space, but we will be putting a bank of 3 or 4 kodak units where the old Whitech single kiosk is located. We do 99.7% of our output on the 3202 and the rest on the kodak 6800 instant printers. Have also just installed a new Epson 6880 at our workstation and that is already making money. It replaced an older HP130NR. Our Dec sales were over 30% up on last December, and our years results were over 20% up on 2007, so I am more than happy and I am REALLY looking forward to 2009. The photo of the "behind counter" area shows not only the new Epson but work on the floor and hanging in a black bag which is work for outher labs and stores which we do wholesale work for. This part of our business has grown 20fold in the last 12 months and will continue to grow. We have gone from an average of 25 rolls a day to 70 rolls a day! Just today it was 126 rolls of 35mm, aps and 120 film. We are also going after the 120 lomo/holga users this year with 120 specials like processing and printing with a free CD to get them in the door. Most of the quality is crap, but they don't mind paying for crap! We do not get everything done that we want to do! There is me and 2 staff. But I am happy with what we have done (and so is the accountant!!!!). Sure it takes time, but I didn't gop into retail to sit back and relax! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noritsu Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 And just a few more pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Noritsu Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 We also have a TV/DVD playing 24/7 with a looping DVD supplied by Kodak, and we also push movies to DVD and our digital camera training. All the posters in the store were done on the HP130, and new ones will be done on the 7880 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noritsuvet Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 incidentally my turnover will be £30k down this year on last, so do I employ some new blood? We implemented a marketing programme earlier this year and I am sure that has helped us hold sales on last year. We even got an increase which bucked the trend of nearby traders. I think that this year will be about working smarter - not harder and developing more reasons for punters to come into our shop over the competitors. Not new blood, just new ideas. It worked for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Not game to show my face. Sincere apologies, Phil. I do understand the concept to "work on your business" not "in it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobhamcameras Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 alan, I like the product on your shelf, the multi aperture frame with 2 10x8's and 4x6's ect... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colopt Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks for the photos Mr Noritsu. It's impressive that you are still getting so much film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.T Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Look here;- www.qualityexposed.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Tony, Like your website, just a few questions. "Banners are weather proof and come with eye holes for hanging." what material do you use for this, and where do you get it. Slide scanning, do you do this on your DKS? Is it a case of putting 4 at a time in a holder? Thanks Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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