Often times those same freedom-seeking, passion-driven individuals that started their journey filled with courage and optimism, become some of the most time-pressed and financially-stressed people out there. The flip side of getting to create your own wealth is that you are solely responsible for creating your own wealth. That’s right, it all comes down to Y-O-U.
It might sound harsh, but when starting a small business your online presence is crucial. If you speak to some experienced local business owners, many will denounce the existence of online review sites like Yelp and Google Local. They’ll tell you about the added time and pressure they now face to maintain social media profiles for their businesses. A lot of local entrepreneurs will share their bad experiences with online daily deal websites like Groupon. But all that complaining doesn’t change one established fact that the internet isn’t going anywhere.
The first is that they will need to be powered by a product catalog. Many times that already exists and an app will just leverage APIs or web services to pull back products. If it doesn't, however, it will require either a custom buildout (beware!) or leveraging platforms like Shopify, Magento, or comparable solutions. The strength of these tools include providing the administration interface to add new inventory, APIs or SDKs, ways to store items in a cart, and similar features. The downsides are that you'll be limited by their workflow and customizations.
One of the best deals on portable power tools, including routers and sometimes planers, comes in the form of factory-reconditioned tools. These are primarily tools that have been repaired at the factory after failing quality inspections or being returned by customers. While they cannot be sold as new, they are identical to new tools in quality and appearance and usually feature the same warranty (be sure to check). Typical savings are anywhere from 15% to 30%, though you sometimes can find even bigger bargains. These tools can be found at Amazon.com and other online tool sellers. It is also possible to buy them through retail stores and, in some cases, directly from the manufacturer’s Web site.
A business license gives you permission to run a business within a particular territory. It is important to note that not all local governments require you to obtain business licenses, while others only require them for specific business types such as bars or restaurants. To determine whether or not your state or business type requires you to obtain a license visit SBA.gov for state-specific license and permit information.
A software engineer needs to know how to code. An administrative assistant must answer phones and organize paperwork. But a marketer typically needs to wear many hats, from writer to advertiser to strategist. And unlike other job roles, marketing employees can affect the core of a business by changing the way it’s positioned — and they can be held accountable to the company’s bottom line.
BEST ANSWER: Hi, I probably can't help, depending on where you are in the process. If the bench in the photo looks like it's just what you need, you should download the plan. I think Rockler has several ready to assemble benches that look quite good. Example: Large Workbench (N2000) Item #: 31719... I. too, am retired and trying to decide whether to buy or build. I have a bench that looks good and works good, but just is too light for hand work. It all depends on what you expect to be using the bench for. There are some good books out there to help us decide. "The Workbench" by Lon Schleining" is excellent. Also, Christopher Schwarz has written several good books on the subject. Vince, good luck and have fun working wood.
Garage spaces are usually not insulated, and garage doors on most homes have very poor insulation. That means it’ll inevitably be super hot and stuffy in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter. To be comfortable in your workshop you’ll need to take the extra step to insulate your garage and set up some space heaters, and some portable floor or window AC units. Having to wear a heavy coat while you work will impede your DIY efforts and nobody likes working in a sauna.
If you have some experience under your belt, put it to good use as a life or career coach. Many of us are looking for guidance in our careers -- and finding someone with the time to mentor us can be tough. Life/career coaches don’t come cheap, but they are able to offer clients the intense and hands-on training and advice they need to make serious moves in their personal and professional lives. After all, sometimes everyone just needs some uplifting advice.
Trademarking is a lot less expensive than most people think (although enforcement is another thing entirely), but make sure to do your research! If someone else is already using your proposed name, your application will be rejected right away and you will not only lose your application fee, but the time invested would have been in vain. And as you know, time equals money.
What I have done in my man cave of a shop is to install above my finishing table a strip of track lighting where I have fixtures ranging from the typical bright white incandescent (typically around 4700k) all the way to the average halogen spot that I figure someone would use with an art piece (normally around 3700K). this allows me to point each light and view my piece and finish under varying light conditions to judge whether or not I prefer a particular finish or not. It also helps in photographing items (though filming is a whole nother story, I still have my 5400k T8 overheads for working).
Once I had the walls completely filled in and trimmed out, I built my doors. I clamped them in place each day until after I painted. Then I installed the hinges and hardware. I decided to change my original plan of building a hinged 4 foot door. I was worried that the weight of it would cause it to sag over time. I had also decided at this point to install a small unused AC in the back wall. I thought that by keeping one of the doors closed, I could keep more cold air in during the hot summers.
Sadly, that’s most of my power tools and shop accessories, but it’s a growing collection. Compared to all the money I’ve wasted on small electronics and computer junk in the past, I’d say this has been, and will continue to be, a much better investment. I just wish I had come to that realization back in college, when I was probably spending $500-$1000+ a year upgrading my computer.
Enter the garage heater. These space heaters are specifically designed to warm up wide open areas and to function under much tougher circumstances than you’re likely to find in the average house. A well designed garage heater will offer at least 5,000 watts of heating power — enough to warm 750 square feet of space. A smaller heater might take off a bit of the chill, but to really warm your workshop — and keep it that way — you’ll need a heater of this size.
Tip: Save money on specialty displays! Many manufacturers offer retailers low-cost or free specialty display fixtures designed to highlight their branded lines, like the one pictured below. These make great speed bump or outpost display units on a tight budget. Your product line reps can tell you if they’re available, plus provide merchandising and display advice.
However, while this product might draw the customer through the door, it will not, on its own, make your business a success. A strong small business has to be resilient to the challenges the world can throw at it, whether that means an economic recession, sudden fluctuations in commodity prices, or problematic suppliers. And a big part of resilience comes in the form of diversification.
Just as a shed or garage can get stifling in the summer heat, winter cold can also make working conditions difficult — if not impossible. To prevent clumsy, stuff fingers from ruining your projects, you need a way to heat your workshop in even the most extremely frigid days of the year. A traditional residential space heater probably won’t cut it, as these are designed to heat single rooms. For a two-car garage or full basement, you’ll need something much bigger.
Well, all these years we’ve always planned on this being a nice little workshop, and now’s the time that we’re about to remove all of this and create a nice realistic, practical workshop. Not a TV workshop that just looks good, but one that will be perfect for us to use for some of the projects we have on the show, and again it will be used by our construction company for some of the projects they have.
There seems to be two things I like looking at and they are work benches & work shops. I too use my work shop for several other activities. I currently have a basement shop with a walk out entry, which is roughly 340 square feet and shaped like a flat s and has less than 8' ceiling height. In that shop I have an old Unisaw w/50"fence, 8" jointer, 15" planer, 10" sliding compound saw, 14" bandsaw and various & assorted power & hand tools. Also in the same space I have a small closet, dog grooming tub, & a space where a bathroom was roughed out. It is far from finished space and I have plans to put up a ship lapped paneled walls and fix up the closet for tool storage. I also plan on putting a cyclone in the bathroom space along with a tolet. I can work in the space as it is pretty well but the studded walls, insulation, & dust make the space somewhat uninviting.
Remember, your retail store layout guides product placement, directs customer flow, and defines the overall look and feel of your store, so it deserves plenty of thought. Many factors will affect your floor plan choice, including the size and shape of your sales floor, the types of products you sell, and even the customers you hope to attract. Keep these factors in mind as we explore each floor plan option in detail.
