competitors are KILLING me

Yeah Trish, wear a teddy while you flesh in the window!!LOL

 

god if I do that I KNOW my competition will get ALL my deer.
I believe I'll pass on the "use my sex appeal" approach.............

 

OK, so you don't like that word DEMOGRAPHICS! Let's change that then to POPULATION and CUSTOMER BASE. Kind of hard to pull a hundred deer heads from a poverty stricken area with no population when you are the new kid on the block in a town that only has 1 block. Not saying that it can't be done by venturing out to a world wide customer base, but seriously. Building a strong customer base takes time. George, you have more years behind you than you have in front of you. Go back to your beginnings. Take away the security of a military pay check and get into the real world that most of us have to live in. You know damn well that NOBODY hung a shingle and became an overnight success in this business. The competitors that are already established have the advantage unless you can ONE at a time show the reasons why such and such client should chose you over the other guy that he has been going to. It takes most years to develop skills to even consider onesself worthy of hanging a shingle. Not everyone can be Mike Boyce. If I'm not mistaken, a good look around will prove that even some of the most talented and experienced here are having tuff times. Why is that George?? P iss poor business management?? Heads got too big? Economic turndown?? New Start up where everyone has been going to someone else for years with NO reason to change?? Lets face it, most customers don't understand or realize the difference between a good mount and a bad one. They don't know the difference in tans. Or the difference in 150.00 Russian eyes verses an 8.00 pr from Van Dykes. What people buy into is price, location and whether they like you or not. Notice I said MOST! That doesn't mean ALL. Some will come to you regardless of price, BUT WHY?? Because they have seen your work somewhere. Takes time to get established like that. Referrals? Again takes time. Anyway, I'm done with this but would just say that not everything is black and white. There are gray areas that no cookie cutter answer can solve in all situations. Remember, Trish's situation when advising her. If she cuts her throat, she is bankrupt. And a down year could hurt her REAL badly. What I don't think you guys are seeing is Trish's setup. She's not working out of her basement/garage or shed. Although beautiful, she has a half a million dollar facility to pay for. Damn right she has a reason to be worried. Trish, why don't you show them a picture of your shop and surroundings. When I tell you it's the nicest facility I've ever been in, only a picture would show how nice it is. Did she get the cart ahead of the horse? Perhaps, but it is what it is. Now she's trying to survive. I get that. She said herself that she tried to get to big to fast. Ok, so why don't we focus on her situation instead of yours, because I'm sure we are comparing apples to oranges. Not one answer fits everyone's situation. Peace
I love ya George!

 

Carton of Marlboro 43.99 BEFORE state tax add in..Its like 47 total..
Pepsi Cube 6.99 on sale
Bread 2.89 ON SALE otherwise up to 4.89 Not cheap bread but even the cheap store brand air puffed bread is 1.89
MILK 2 gallons for 4.59 or idividual 3.89 each
EGGS 2.89 a dozen for large white..
BOX of ammo for 300 ultrag mag 64.00
for 300 win mag 36.00
for 25.06 25.99

Fuel here 3.99 depending on where you get it sometimes cheaper.
Box of beer- 17.99 on sale Saw it on the window LOL

Yet people gripe about the cost of taxidermy :

 

Yes, she does!! I've seen it!!

 

oohhh...he's seen it.....
oooohh so have I !!! LOL

 

IM a woman taxidermist too.. And to be honest, you do have to work harder to get those guys over the mentality that the little woman can actually mount stuff and not just cook it. The other issue some times is the wives or girlfriends.. Some get jealous some are just downright irritated that hes having something mounted..
When I first started out Id have guys say Oh wrong number and hang up when I would answer.. I still get asked by both men and women if they can speak to the taxidermist.. Funniest is when me and hubby are up town and someone sees my truck.. they will walk up and start talking to hubby about deer and such then ask about taxidermy.. .. ANd then he has to telll them they are talking to the wrong person LOL.. Its comical to see their confusion sometimes
NOw that I am somewhat known around here noone has an issue with me being a woman.. Its usually the long distance people who dont know me that assume IM a guy LOL...

Just hang in there, .. Decals, an add in the local paper might be cheaper than radio or TV. word of mouth is your BEST form of advertising of course,
DO you notice the radio doing much for business? I cant afford radio least I dont think so.. but was curious if the expense is worth it or not..

 

Tricia...I'd love to show you mine.....I just don't have one to show!! :'(
strange...I was gonna say the same thing.......great ( warped ) minds think alike

 

The dodge truck comparison gets brought up every time

" Carton of Marlboro 43.99 BEFORE state tax add in..Its like 47 total..
Pepsi Cube 6.99 on sale
Bread 2.89 ON SALE otherwise up to 4.89 Not cheap bread but even the cheap store brand air puffed bread is 1.89
MILK 2 gallons for 4.59 or idividual 3.89 each
EGGS 2.89 a dozen for large white..
BOX of ammo for 300 ultrag mag 64.00
for 300 win mag 36.00
for 25.06 25.99"

An I occasionally bring up the "location" or "demographics" in this case.

Real Estate Tax on House in suburban New Jersey $8,000, in rural Pennsylvania an equivalent house $1500. An Acre of land in Arkansas potentially $400, and acre of land in Flagstaff Arizona perhaps $250,000. Wages at a Gas station in San Francisco, $22 dollars an hour, in Rural Minnesota minimum wage. Demographics...

Antlerman understands Tricia's situation. Though, I do think the Teddy idea might have some merit..

 

just found another competitor within 20 miles of me....that makes 4 now....seems they have just crawled out of the woodwork this year.

 

Yeah, I'm packing here at the shop also, and anyone that has a business should do the same.

Tim, I went out antelope hunting in buffalo wyoming last month., pop there is like 3,500 people. yet there is 4-5 taxidermists there and they cheapest was like $350 up to 650 on deer/antelope heads. the one taxidermy dude i talked to had 100 heads last year this year he said its about 70. and his work is good and is a cool dude. where does the work come from -people that hunt there from other states and they leave the work there and have it shipped back home. is he hooked up with some outfitters yes he is. SO LOCATION is a key ingredient for sure. like i said its economy right now. people aren't doing what they used to hunting trips, etc. hell even outfitters are knocking off $500-1000 off whitetail hunts and that still isn't working. Obama is succeeding in wrecking this economy you guys think its bad now see what happens in the next couple years. Like george said Taxidermy is a luxury item. I dont know what the answers are but keeping the same prices while tanning, forms are going up along with everything else your screwing yourself. and guess what theres gonna be more competition out there as more people are going to hang a sign out front that says taxidermist on it cause they are or have been laid off work.

 

Hell, I even spent the night with her and didn't get the teddy treatment. LOL I don't get the impression that Trish is the HUNTED, but rather the HUNTER!! LOL

 

Exactly on the demographic part Property taxes and prices are a HUGE factor on overhead and that is why argueing over anything price related with someone outside your demographic is pointless. I makes sence to argue with the guy across the street about prieces etc but across the nation pointless. I love how the truck and cigerete thing always comes up but these others don't . My property tax on my house,shop,barn and 2 other out buildings + 28 acres of land were $78 last year and yes that's SEVENTY EIGHT that wasn't a typo. So Tricia you keep going girl you know your area better than anyone else, do what you have to do and don't look back!

 

yeah...he's packin too!!!!! LMAO

 

no you don't unless you want to compete with 100 people applying for 5 jobs to go work in a factory starting at $7.75 an hr and top out around 9-10 bucks besides you will have people bitching at you because you don't charge $500+ for a deer head LMAO!

Hell the property only cost me 20 k Granted that's still a deal for my area but still around here a family of 4 can live pretty decent on 300 a week total takehome pay but that's good because it alot of cases it takes both a man and a woman bringing home the bacon to achieve this. lol