It seems that Picture Framing is at last catching up with industry as a whole when it comes to using a computer. For many years it has lagged behind most other businesses with an attitude of "do not need it", "what benefit" and "all too difficult". For those who have plunged into the sometimes frightening world or computers, most will say that they should have done it sooner.
Computerising a business can provide many benefits and most add up to financial reward for the business. In all my many years of dealing with Picture Framers who have computerised, none would go back to the old ways. At least no Frameit Framers that I know.
So what are the benefits? One of the first things noticed in a business that has just computerised is customer reaction. Most customers today expect a successful business to be using a computer. They trust a computer in that it is going to calculate the "correct" price for them. Taken away is their fear that an error will occur in the calculation of the price. Gone are the torn, dog eared charts with rows upon rows of little figures. Gone are the calculators and scrappy pieces of paper with figures and yet more figures being added. Instead customers are presented with a computer generated price with the individual components listed. Just like when you take your car for service and get a list of parts fitted plus labour. People like to know how a price is calculated and that all parts of that price are accounted. So you project a feeling of security and professionalism with your customers and having such a feeling encourages them to return to you.
When you are not using a computer and you look up at the customer to advise them the price, how often do you discount it before even telling them. You have worked out that the job is, lets say, $128.90. It’s been a slow week and you really want the job. So you say to the customer "lets say $120.00". You have immediately discounted your own work without even knowing if the original price would have been accepted. If a computer says $128.90 then the customer will more than likely not even ask for a discount and you will make your correct profit.
Next lets look at you. Installing a computer is going to force you to re-think how you are operating your business. Maybe you will continue just the same but the chances are that you will identify parts of your business that are not priced correctly. You will need to look at every part of your business from manufacturing a frame to fitting the artwork and glass. And you will need to understand the complex sales tax laws that exist (which you need to know even if you don’t have a computer). Understanding these laws and applying them to your business correctly could pay for your computers in a very short time. Some Framers that I know will tell you that they recouped their outlay in under three months purely in applying these sales tax laws correctly.
One of the big saves for a framer is time. Time to calculate the cost of a job and prepare a quotation for the customer. A computer program allows you to prepare a quote very fast and with accuracy. Then you are able to change the moulding or glass type, the number of mats or their size, just as fast. I guess this speed and accuracy in quotes is one of the major reasons so many framers are computerising.
Lets look at a few more benefits. Since most programs track sales tax, that is one less task for you. How long does that take you each month? Lets say 4 hours a month (would probably be a lot more). At an hourly rate of say $35 per hour, that represents some $140 loss income per month. Time that could be used promoting your business. For those businesses that have account customers, imagine getting all of your statements into the mail on the first day of the month, and with little work involved.
You do not have to be a big business to benefit from computerising. A lot of Framers who have already computerised work from home and pay sales tax "up front". Yet if you speak to these people they will still talk about benefits. Computer programs provide many benefits. Cutting reports that help organise your work flow, sales reports that can help you better understand your business. Stock re-order and control. Sales reports to help identify trends over weeks or years. We should not forget the speed in which we can recall a job from the past for that customers who wants "another frame the same as the last". All this type of information can be held on the computer for immediate recall.
Most people in advertising will tell you that direct mailing to existing customers is one of the best methods of advertising. With a computer this becomes easy. The computer can keep track of not just your customers but the type of customer. You could group all artists together and all people who do needle work and then do a selective mail out to them. So instead of sending a letter to all of your customers you select just a few. This way you can organise your business better. This month lets have a special on empty frames for watercolours and next month lets concentrate on photographers or needle work.
A few negatives I have heard over the years. "I am too old for computers" or "I do not understand computers". I would say that 80% of Framers who computerise said this or something similar to me. Give them three months and their fear is usually completely eliminated. I know some who have become real hackers, but everyone to their own thing. Computers are not hard, especially if you have a good program to work with and good support.
"My staff don’t want to". Using a computer represents change and they probably fall into the feeling as described in the last paragraph. After all they still get their wage and go home at 5.30pm. The real benefits of computerising is not for your staff. It is for you. Now having said that, once the staff have accepted the computer, and they usually do, they become very confident with it. The biggest fear that staff and even yourself will discover is "what will we do if the computer should fail". But do not worry, you will survive for a day, or two.
OK, so we have this computer. Apart from pricing framing and doing our books, what else can we do with it I guess the next step is to get a word processor program that you can use to write letters or even prepare your own advertising. Also a graphics program and with the right type of printer you could do any typesetting required such as for the local footy team who want a list of players inserted into the framing job.