Working for Frame shops

[jenjen]

I was curious when people says that they do business through frame shops what does that include? What kind of work do you do for them? How do you approach them with your business?

[jenjen]

noone has worked with frame shops? OH sorry I thought I read that on here. sorry!

[Mike]

Just ran into your question.

My local framer and I have a good handshake agreement, I do not do framing, he does not do photography, but we do talk each other up!

He often gets folks asking him about where to get womething retouched/fixed or whatever, and I of couse send my customers to him for framing.

We have been doing this for so long that I have really forgotton how we got started, but if you want to work with someone like that, just walk in and talk to them. Take a good handfull of your business cards at the very least.

Maybe try to do a before and after display with the frame shop. Get an old beat up print, copy and retouch it, have him frame the copy to show customers what you two are trying to sell.

Hope that helps.

[jenjen]

Thank you Mike for Responding. I wasn't sure about the frame shops, But thats what I figured. I've been doing my portfolio forever and am waiting for it to be done then I might go hit the pavment. Thanks again.

[Sanda]

I get a lot of my restoration work from the local frame shop. It all started when I went to him to get a restored job framed and we got talking. He keeps an example of my work in his shop and if sombody asks about restoration he gives them my number. I didn't want business cards left there he simply writes my name and number on the back of his own card, it's good advertising for him that way. I refer all of my custom framing jobs to him, it's a good arrangement. If the customer wants me to organise the framing he gives me a "professional discount" so I make a little on the framing to cover my time and running around costs involved in getting the job framed.
I have found that working with one framer is best as there is no conflict of interests that way. And also most other framers in my area offer restoration as a service themselves so they are not intersted in refering work to anybody else.
Hope that helps

[jenjen]

Thank you Sandra for replying. I guess that makes sense of what your saying. I think i'm going to start by picking one by me and going from there. I just didn't want to go in there blind and not know what to say. Thanks again i feel better about it now.