HEY EVERYBODY: Trying to make a go of it in business whether full or part time in the current economic environment is without a doubt a challenge. Besides offering Restoration/reprinting services what other lines of enterprise do you think might dovetail with the digital Business model? Obviously Film photography and graphic arts applications have already been established as meeting this criteria, but what NEW things do you think would work with your business/hobby to increase enjoyment and provide a more constant cash flow? Tom

Well...I'm not proud of this part of my life, but I'll admit here that I once experimented with....imprinted coffee cups

Gee, I feel better now.

Actually, I just sent off for the catalog. Coffee cups, mousepads, t-shirts, the whole thing. This particular company based their products around the property of die-sub prints being heat-transferable. You print them backwards, then use their heated presses to transfer them.

It sounded like a good idea at the time...I mean, everybody was doing it...

I used Photohop and then Extensis Photo Animator to try my hand at web animation.

I also thought of transfering photos onto T-shirts (See Doug, you're not alone)

How about putting people into holiday settings and producing personal holiday cards?

All I seem to come up with is small time stuff. We need some BIG ideas here.

DJ

Dj, Thats the idea! Diversify with small stuff that doesnot consume large amounts of time but provides for a more steady cash flow, and can be put into action without expending much money. Specialty cards sounds like a good one, how would you"get the word out"? Tom

Doug, Sounds like my experience with making buttons. The only mistake I made was trying to do 3 inch size when the 2.5 inch seem to be what folks around here wanted. NOTE TO SELF--EXPLORE ALL THE ASPECTS OF A NEW IDEA INCLUDING WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS BEFORE LAUNCHING OUT ON A BRAVE NEW ADVENTURE. Tom

Brochures or add it to your services in your advertising and business cards or before the holidays put out flyers. Call old customers. How about Church flyers around religious holidays. How's that?
DJ

GOOD THOUGHT!! KEEP 'EM COMING!!! tom

I have to be honest.....Ed supplied me with alot of business tips on that line so some of those were his ideas. He's a fountain of information on the small business and a real God send for me.

DJ

Debbie,

Thanks for the kind words, but they were only ideas I presented, and now you're thinking. That's what it's all about.

Tom,

I'm a little late getting here today -- it's tomatoe canning day, and it jest ain't over yet! But I do have a few minutes now.

About three or four years ago, we had advertising put on the side of our pickup. I think this would fit perfectly into restoration businesses. We actually shingled a garage for some guy (he bought the roofing material), and he did the lettering for us. I'm not really familiar with the process, but I know he made it on a computer, and the advertising was printed on a computer printer, although I don't know if it was a laser or inkjet. It was printed on a transparent stock, which was then adhered to the side of the doors. The business name was "Olde World Crafters Remodeling", and he incorporated our logo (the earth), and our phone number with the lettering. It looks very good today. You can't tell the difference between it and an artist's hand painting unless you get very close. Then you can see that it is put on a piece of transparent material. I think the material to make these would be low cost, although I don't know what type of printer or inks you would need. It could be something worth looking into. An added plus to this is that you could make all sorts of advertisements for your own vehicles. That really gives you good advertising everywhere you go.

Ed

Ed, Good idea! Perhaps someone out there has had some experience with that type of material. etc.? If so would you folks give us some info as to the "particulars"? Thanks in advance, Tom

Tom,

I guess you would call that a decal. When I posted before, I just couldn't think of the word. Brain cramps - I hate 'em.:mad:

Ed

What about selling basic image processing software aimed at the home user/hobby market? Tom

Bad idea, in my opinion. I think many people will be more than satisfied with tonal corrections that they can do themselves, thereby taking your work away. Just my two pennies.

Ed

Good point although when Poloroid introduced "pictures on demand" there were whispers of the impending demise of traditional film/darkroom technology. With the steady growth of the digital camera in popularity, do we want to "get stuck" doing simple stuff or leave that to the consumer targeting instead the more complicated tasks? Tom

And looks like Polaroid isn't going to be around much longer.

Tom,

I'm pretty sure that it will come to the point when there will be no more jobs for tonal correction, and possibly other simple fixes. But in the meantime, those simple ones just might help keep the doors of the business open?

Who knows where the software business will wind up? They recently put an artificial heart in some guy, and they have the technology to clone human life. What's next?

Ed

I suspect that there will always be a use for restore type work although in forms different from what we are acustomed to today. I think though that keeping up with the latest digital imaging technologies, software and their support service aspect are going to be key to staying in business or keeping this work as a hobby viable. I think that if you limit yourself and become too specalized you are on the road to extinction. Any time an animal or plant evolves to the point where it can nolonger easily adapt, it vanishes. So to with a line of work. Tom

Good point Tom
DJ

I'm in full agreement with that one too. It's good to talk about things like that here. It opens people's eyes as to what could be the only way to keep things going. Thanks Tom.

Ed

Has anyone out there had any experience with matting/framing work? Seems like that might be a natural extension. What are the "ups" and "downs" of that work and is it worth exploring? Tom

No matting or framing work here, but I was wondering about something else. I have several old 8mm movie films which were taken when my kids were small. I'd like to get some of the frames put on a CD at least for viewing on a monitor. Have any of you heard of anyone doing this? I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to do it unless you could somehow make a good copy setup, and you had the equipment to get super close with a camera. Maybe there are places that offer this service?

Ed

For all who are interested, been through the transfer business on t-shirts, mouse pads, tote bags and caps.

Needless to say I have now sold all my equipment and am through with it.

A few problems were customers wanted images on dark colored shirts and it couldn't be done without using an opaque paper which looks terrible when trimmed. Then the image on the mouse pad ran as soon as someone spilled something on it. Then the image on the t-shirt faded or ran when it was washed, never mind that they used laundry detergent with bleach.

I applaud anyone who gets into this quagmire as it is a never ending line of "I want my picture on this or that" and it can't be done or "this or that didn't hold up as I expected".

I did keep my flat plate press though because it does one heck of a good job in ironing jeans and slacks....expensive iron though.

Chris- Thanks for the valuable info on why not to persue the business of transfers. I always thought they were not what they seemed. I always thought that was best left to silk screeners.

Ed- You might want to e-mail Marni. Her husband does that kind of work. He's a professional videographer and I've seen his work. It's beautiful. He works with photos, films, video and I would think that isolating frames would be nothing for him. They might be able to point you in the right direction in your area. It's worth an e-mail.

DJ

Hey Debbie, thanks for the tip. I'll shoot an e-mail off to Marni.

Ed

Here's a link to some fun sideline ideas that could make you some extra cash.

The basic intent is for you to buy HP products but a lot of the stuff you can do on your own and is a good source of inspiration if you feel like trying something new.

http://www.homeandoffice.hp.com/hho/us/eng/creative_projects.html

Amanda