Some AM Retailers Share Their Goals

Wonder what goals other art supply retailers have set for themselves for 2008? Here are some of the answers we got when we polled readers.

Offer lots and lots of workshops

“We started doing weekly Saturday morning workshops this past month and they are doing phenomenally well. For next year the plan is to schedule something every Saturday morning but do a different focus every week, such as mixing color, children’s portraits, and even some workshops focused on bringing in children. Most of the workshops we did this year were free, but the dollars spenT afterward more than made up for the cost of the instructor.” – Sue Furman, The Hobby Shop in Wilson, North Carolina

Build a better website

“Our second goal is to make our website more interactive. We want to give people a reason to go back after their first visit.” – Sue Furman

Make more family time

“My goals for 2008 are a little different: I’m going to take more time off in order to be with my new baby daughter!” – Mike Hill, Purveyors of Art & Design Materials in Boone, North Carolina

Show off what art supplies can do

“I'm also going to finish my Stonemill Log Home and move us into it. I am going to have some showcase pictures soon of what a luxury log home looks like when an artist finishes the thing. A lot of the products for the trim-out came from the art supply industry, not the log cabin industry.” – Mike Hill

Grow the giclee publishing business

“I am going to continue to focus on growing our giclee publishing division, Wildflowers Fine Art. Unlike normal art supply stores in NAMTA, I have added this new dimension to our services and products. For the past four years we have offered artists this fabulous new dimension of marketing opportunities by publishing giclee print editions of their best works and selling them in-store and online. My loosy-goosy five-year plan is to bring our regional artists to Decor Expo, because my stable is (in my opinion) more talented and producing images that are just as gorgeous as what is being sold there by all the big publishing houses.” – Mike Hill

Remodel the store

“The biggest item on my to-do list is store remodeling. Our store has not been updated in a long time and could use some serious freshening up. The staff does not know about this project yet, and I’m waiting until the plans are more solidified to tell them. I have come to realize a lack of details on something can create anxiety for them.” – Name withheld

Boost the bottom line

“Our goal for 2008 is to at least double our sales.” – Sergey Vorozhtsov, Artist Supply Source in Kingston, Ontario, Canada

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