| The decision to convert our business from brick and | | | | already had the equipmentand skill to perform state of |
| mortar to internet basedwas a lot more traumatic than | | | | the art engraving, plating and finishing. |
| it should have been. | | | | We had the idea to re-create our business around |
| Most of my years as a businessman were spent | | | | door knockers, but how in theworld are going to sell |
| struggling as the owner/operator ofa small town | | | | enough of them to pay the bills in a small northern |
| engraving shop producing trophies, plaques and gifts. | | | | Ohiotown? There are only so many doors in our local |
| We built up aloyal clientele but still struggled every | | | | area and not all wanted orneeded a knocker, no |
| month to pay the bills. | | | | matter how good ours are. |
| An engraving business requires a lot of very | | | | It seemed the internet was the way to go. We had a |
| expensive equipment toprovide even a basic service. | | | | small web site at the time. |
| Equipment costs combined with the overhead | | | | It really was not very good and accomplished very |
| ofleasing a storefront and and maintaining the | | | | little. If we were to make thetransition to being a totally |
| necessary inventory left littlefor our efforts. | | | | internet company a lot of work was needed. |
| Finally it occurred to us that we are not young | | | | The transition was not neither fast or easy. We had to |
| anymore and working night andday with little reward is | | | | learn an entirely newmethod of doing business in a |
| just not to cut it. At some point we wanted to retire. | | | | new and exciting world. Finally after nearly fiveyears |
| One day we stopped everything and took a good look | | | | of hard work, we closed the store for good. |
| what was happening. | | | | We now operate the business entirely out of our |
| It soon became apparent that the retail store mode of | | | | home. We are no longer a localshop but instead, a |
| business was themain cause of our problems. Not only | | | | national brand shipping our products every day. We no |
| was it very expensive to operate, ourmarket was | | | | longerlease a store with all it's associated expenses. |
| limited to the local area which was not largely | | | | Instead we have gained theeconomy and tax |
| populated andrequired many long hours to operate that | | | | advantages of a home based business. |
| were not always productive. | | | | I admit though, it is a bit rough having to walk all the |
| An entirely new business model was needed. | | | | way from one end of thehouse to the other just to |
| Of all the things we did the one we were the best at | | | | get to work on these snowy northern Ohio |
| was preparing andengraving door knockers. | | | | mornings,but, you know, we all have to put up with |
| We were able to get a supply of quality castings and | | | | some hardships. |