We are still struggling with signage issues.
As part of solving this angst, we visited Mike Meyer – Sign Painter in Mazeppa, MN.
Mike is an old school sign painter and we had a good time. There are more images from our visit over here at Red Wing Digital.
When you open a business in a new community (new to you), marketing is a lot like looking for a light switch in the dark.
You fumble around and hopefully you randomly find the switch. Hopefully.
We conducted our first direct marketing effort with a personal letter of introduction and a rack card.
About 1,000 letters were mailed out and about 100 were returned as either undeliverable or expired forwarding addresses.
But…four prospects replied and one of these prospects more than paid for the entire mailing.
So, we found the light switch. This time.
Fluorescent lights up front, LED (light emitting diodes) and fluorescents inside.
We strive for a color temperature inside the design studio of between 3500 and 4500 Kelvin degrees. This is a mid-morning or a mid-afternoon natural light. This is accomplished with a random combination of natural light, fluorescent lights, LED lights and several white hard surfaces for scattering purposes.
It all works out. It’s magic.
The Lockport Gas and Deli in Lutsen, Minnesota is frozen in time.
The people who visit and the people who work there march forward in time, but the business itself is almost exactly the way it was 50 years ago (except for the wi-fi).
No wi-fi, no cell reception, no texting, no facebook and no twitter.
There is something authentic about the Lake Superior north shore. It is only 5 hours away by automobile, but it is about 50 years away from a technology point of view, which is the best way to recharge.
Take the time to recharge.
And try the Duluth Grill. You will not be disappointed.
It’s well understood that the only photos that matter on the internet are pictures of food (ideally a meal you are about to eat) or pictures of cats (ideally in some kind of box).
We don’t have a cat, but our business neighbor is Cambria, and they know a thing or two about food, especially when it comes to entertainment food.
A week ago they invited the building to a cocktail party and here is a photo of the fruit and cheese plate.
Delicious.
It is a delight to share the news that Valerie Becker (co-owner of this clown college) is the first recognized Master Certified Picture Framer (MCPF) in Minnesota as designated by the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA).
The MCPF designation is a professional recognition within the framing industry that indicates the recipient takes their framing very seriously. Before you can become a MCPF, you need to become a Certified Picture Framer. which is a three hour examination that focuses on framing in a completely archival fashion.
Once you achieve CPF status, you need to re-certify your CPF status after four years and be a professional framer for five years before you are eligible for the MCPF accreditation.
The MCPF is a hands-on practicum, where four different framing subjects are framed (print, fabric, canvas and object art) with advanced framing elements. Each piece is dis-assembled and evaluated. A fifth piece is framed on-site and on-demand in ninety minutes under peer review.
There are fewer than 60 MCPF professionals in the world, so it is kind of a big deal.
Way to go Val! We are so proud of you.
When you are starting a business, there is never enough time and then, there is never enough time.
Time is the most valuable resource for a start-up business. You cannot buy more of it and once it is gone, it is gone forever.
But, be that as it may, we are very excited about some pending announcements. Give us about a week to sort it all out.
We take this business very seriously.
The Rochester shop is finally open and art is beginning to appear on the walls.
We have opted for a ‘quiet’ opening for the time being because the work load right now is nearly overwhelming. Once we get the near term deadlines out of the way, we will begin to think about some kind of exciting opening event.
We welcome e-mail!