When running my business, I’m constantly searching for ways to simplify and make my job easier. There’s something very satisfying to me about streamlining everyday workflow and noticing results — Results like less headaches, lower cost of goods and more money in the bank.

Perhaps one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made, was to consolidate the number of vendors that I purchase material from — It’s something I now refer to as “Whacking Vendors”. I spoke about this process in detail at a recent PPFA  talk that I gave in Louisville, Kentucky. Here’s an excerpt:

Whacking Vendors – by Matt Puchalski

I recently had the opportunity to speak at a PPFA seminar in Louisville, Kentucky. The topic for my presentation was “The Frame Shop of the Future” and I covered everything from websites to digital printing.

This was the first time I had given a speech since graduating college and it proved to be a good challenge. I learned a lot about myself and my business, as the process of writing a speech forced me to really think about who I am and what I represent. Over the next month, I will release excerpts from my talk in hopes that other frame shop owners who were not at the seminar might also benefit.

Here’s the first excerpt:

Run the Gamut – by Matt Puchalski

* Special thanks to Nelson’s Moulding for organizing this event

Now that I’m back from the 2012 WCAF, I’ve had a chance to reflect on my conversations with fellow framers in the industry. Looking back, I can recall two questions that were asked repeatidly as I bumped into friends and picture framing colleagues:

• “How many employees do you have?”
• “How many pictures do you frame every month?”

It seemed as if people were hoping to be impressed by a big number. For some reason, we judge the success of a frame shop by the number of employees on payroll or the number of frames a shop cranks out each month. The higher these numbers, the more impressive and successful we sound.

Here’s how I see it: I could care less how many people work for me and how many pictures my shop frames each month. I’m only focused on running a tight ship and keeping customers happy. A number that I love to use to analyze my business is my “profit per employee”. I’m always searching for ways to improve this number. For me, running a small, agile shop has many advantages over running a big shop and works best for my business.

I’d venture to guess that I’m not alone in my thinking. I’m sure there are plenty of frame shops with only a few employees that make more profit each year than the big guys in the industry. I’m also going out on a limb and betting they’re happier than many of the big guys.

Running a small business means less headaches. Why expand? Unless you’re looking to feed your ego, there is nothing wrong with finding the right size for your shop and staying there — even if it means that you only have two people on staff (like I do).