Making It In The Upholstery Repair Business
Seems these days it’s been a little harder to make it in the upholstery repair business in the automotive industry but we are making it happen slowly but surely. My business has picked up, it’s not gang busters but I have had a steady stream of work. I’ve noticed the car industry is moving some inventory which is a good thing compared to a few months ago.
I’ve kinda avoided talking about this subject, the economy, due to the fact there has been so much negative put out there and I didn’t want to become another guy talking about how bad things are.
I want to get your mind to working and thinking of where your next step forward is going to be not sit there in a panic wondering where to go next.
Yes I paniced, not gonna say I didn’t, back in December when all was crazy and everyone was paying attention to Christmas, and not buying cars. Things got really slow.
But I took one step back and asked myself what can I do to make my business better and more appealing to my customers. Things were tight, money was not really flowing like it should, so what could I do to get money flowing.
The one thing that so was obvious was price and service. People want affordable and great service. By giving a service that is affordable and great…now that’s a perfect scenario and what the people want!
Lowering prices but keeping the quality as good or even better, better in that giving my customers just a little more. Things like wiping things down if the car had been detailed and just had a little “lot rot” or spraying a little deodorizer inside to kill the smell.
Maybe even repairing something they didn’t even see for no charge. Just making the car front row ready as possible. Giving the customers more for their money!
When I said lowering prices, I meant lowering them back down to an affordable price for everyone and maybe then some.
When the gas prices soared through the roof I had to increase prices a bit to accommodate my expenses. So now that gas prices are back down I’ve dropped prices back down and then some.
What I mean by then some is, the economy needs a break, people need a break and it’s professionals like us that give that to them. Now I don’t mean cutting prices so much that you hurt yourself and the industry ( I hate cut throat pricing more then anyone), but maybe taking a little less. Give your customers discounts, run specials, do some buy one get one just something to help.
I personally feel if everyone would cut back a bit, not be so greedy, and make life a little more affordable for all this economy might just prosper.
We all need to sacrifice just a bit to survive this slump and it’s not going to be over anytime soon. By taking a little less for your work will not only help out your customer’s pocket and the economy by getting the money to flow again, but it will also put money in your pocket by getting you the work for being the best at an affordable price.
Like I said people need a break, they are looking for bargains and we need to give it to them. Times are tough and we just have to work smarter and harder for the money we earn.
We are Upholstery Repair Professionals, a lot of you like myself are accustomed to working on automobiles. I even set my van up to work on car’s and really have had a time when needed to work on anything else. Boats and Rv’s haven’t been too bad, but furniture stores and home calls have been difficult.
I recently added a change to that though. I added a roller tool box and a small airbrush compressor with my Iwatta airbrush so all I have to do it load up my dyes and compounds and go. No more being tied to my van.
I’m even more mobile now! This is just another way of working it smarter.
We as upholstery repair professionals have to think of different avenues to look into for work. Yeah there’s the car business and it’s looking up, but think about it what else has leather and vinyl ?
Let me see there’s hot tub covers, motor cycle seats, golf cart seats, aircraft seats, boats, RV’s, leather coats, leather and vinyl furniture (that’s a big one), there’s ATV stores, day cares, hospitals, truck stops, school buses. In fact I knew a guy that all he did was school buses. My list could probably go on forever.
Try it sometime, sit down and try to think of all the things around us that are made of vinyl or leather and write them down. Your list will get quit lengthy, I promise. Now take that list and see where you come into the picture.
You’ll find there’s so many different avenues we can travel and so many ways we can work it smarter. It just takes a little good old fashioned hard work to make it in the upholstery repair business.
Talk to ya soon,
Mike “TIG”
Looking for a new career ? Training Upholstery Repair Professionals NOW!
Stumble it!
