How many other Tucson or Phoenix Woodcraft customers got a letter in the
mail today offering the Tucson and Phoenix franchises for sale?

Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list, people aren't
exactly beating down the door for franchise opportunities.



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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list, people aren't
exactly beating down the door for franchise opportunities.

Sounds reasonable to me. I'm sure there's a number of well off woodworkers
who dream of owning a woodworking store. I've frequently fantasized about
talking Robin into funding me to open a Lee Valley tools franchise.

Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list...

Same thing happened around here when the Latham, NY store closed. I
think they overextended. Some areas just don't have the population to
support a store like that.

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:19:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


How many other Tucson or Phoenix Woodcraft customers got a letter in the
mail today offering the Tucson and Phoenix franchises for sale?

Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list, people aren't
exactly beating down the door for franchise opportunities.

Some of the franchises do very well. Some of them do not. It depends
on the guy who's running the operation. There are two within 50
miles of each other in Virginia and they are a success because the
franchisee is a savvy businessman and seems to have the basic good
sense to realize he has to please his customers. One of the
franchisees stores was operated by Woodcraft, itself, before he bought
it. After he took over it improved immeasurably. The other store he
opened after his success with the one he bought from Woodcraft.

I remember going into a few other Woodcrafts when I visited different
places. I walked into one and said to myself "This place won't make
it." It didn't. It was not well stocked. It was poorly lighted. It
was not that clean and there was minimum stock and selection. There
were three salesmen sitting down chewing the fat. I was left with the
feeling that they resented being disturbed.

I wish all woodworking storesl well. I like having being able to go
in a store and handle the tool rather than read often inadequate
descriptions in catalogs like Rockler. I do take my hat off to the
people at Lee Valley. Their catalog, unlike Rockler's, shows that
they are really interested in woodworking. Lee Valley, while
sometimes introducing tools that make us all laugh a bit, seems to
very innovative. They actually solicit ideas from their customers on
tools they would like to see. They then develop those tools
themselves.

I think we are living in a Golden Age of woodworking tools and
machinery. There is absolutely no comparison to what was available
when I started woodworking many years ago. And while there is less
iron in some of the professional machinery this has been more than
offset by other improvements, viz, the t-square fence.

Joe

Some of the franchises do very well. Some of them do not. It depends
on the guy who's running the operation.

I think success of any retail operation depends on the people on the sales
floor. I went into a KC Woodcraft about 6 years ago and asked some very
basic questions about a Unisaw sitting on the showroom floor. The salesman
who greeted us could not answer questions - OK. But I was amazed that no
one else in the store seemed able, or interested in finding the info.

I had a pickup sitting in front of the store and was prepared to haul a
machine back to Wichita, about 180 miles south. Fortunately, this
experience, and my lonesome examination of the machine on their floor,
lengthened my research process. I have thoroughtly enjoyed my Grizzly
1023S.

RonB

On Mar 31, 9:51�am, "RonB" wrote:
Some of the franchises do very well. *Some of them do not. *It depends
on the guy who's running the operation.

I think success of any retail operation depends on the people on the sales
floor. *I went into a KC Woodcraft about 6 years ago and asked some very
basic questions about a Unisaw sitting on the showroom floor. *The salesman
who greeted us could not answer questions - OK. *But I was amazed that no
one else in the store seemed able, or interested in finding the info.

I had a pickup sitting in front of the store and was prepared to haul a
machine back to Wichita, about 180 miles south. *Fortunately, this
experience, and my lonesome examination of the machine on their floor,
lengthened my research process. *I have thoroughtly enjoyed my Grizzly
1023S.

RonB

I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
goofy to train staff.

As some of you may recall, I don't much care for Woodcraft, but I know
they train their franchisees well, and are generally quite careful
about siting the stores.

Part of the problem with smaller stores may well be market size. The
problems really arise when a woodworker goes into the store and finds
about a tenth the selection her or she expects. There is then no
return trip. We've got a similar company store (I think) in Roanoke. I
went in there twice, buying some lumber once, but finding absolutely
nothing I wanted otherwise. And the store is tucked into a corner in a
strip mall next to a huge store and a couple larger ones. Not great
siting from a visual standpoint, but a site with a huge amount of
traffic. I haven't been there in about 18 months, so it may now be
gone.

On 31 Mar 2007 07:27:48 -0700, "Charlie Self" wrote:

On Mar 31, 9:51?am, "RonB" wrote:
Some of the franchises do very well. ome of them do not. t depends
on the guy who's running the operation.

I think success of any retail operation depends on the people on the sales
floor. went into a KC Woodcraft about 6 years ago and asked some very
basic questions about a Unisaw sitting on the showroom floor. he salesman
who greeted us could not answer questions - OK.
ut I was amazed that no
one else in the store seemed able, or interested in finding the info.

I had a pickup sitting in front of the store and was prepared to haul a
machine back to Wichita, about 180 miles south. ortunately, this
experience, and my lonesome examination of the machine on their floor,
lengthened my research process. have thoroughtly enjoyed my Grizzly
1023S.

RonB

I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
goofy to train staff.


Charles, thanks for that bit of information, I was wondering what the
going in cost would be.



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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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On Mar 31, 12:45�pm, Mark & Juanita wrote:
On 31 Mar 2007 07:27:48 -0700, "Charlie Self" wrote:

On Mar 31, 9:51?am, "RonB" wrote:
Some of the franchises do very well. *ome of them do not. * * * * t depends
on the guy who's running the operation.

I think success of any retail operation depends on the people on the sales
floor. * * * * *went into a KC Woodcraft about 6 years ago and asked some very
basic questions about a Unisaw sitting on the showroom floor. *he salesman
who greeted us could not answer questions - OK.

ut I was amazed that no





one else in the store seemed able, or interested in finding the info.

I had a pickup sitting in front of the store and was prepared to haul a
machine back to Wichita, about 180 miles south. *ortunately, this
experience, and my lonesome examination of the machine on their floor,
lengthened my research process. * * * * have thoroughtly enjoyed my Grizzly
1023S.

RonB

I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
goofy to train staff.

* Charles, *thanks for that bit of information, I was wondering what the
going in cost would be.


- Show quoted text -

Forbes has an issue on franchises each year. See if your local library
has a copy: their information is more current, and probably more
accurate, than mine. Woodcraft lists somewhere in the top 500
franchises.

Charlie Self wrote:
: On Mar 31, 9:51???am, "RonB" wrote:
: RonB

: I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
: develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
: of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
: trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
: goofy to train staff.



The Tucson store has always seemed pretty well run, and very well stocked.


I got a letter, probably the same one Mark did. The letter is
from corporate, and says that the owner is relocating for
personal reasons to Oregon, where he/they have another Woodcraft.
It's not clear anything is wrong with the operation successwise.


-- Andy Barss

On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 02:31:42 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Barss
wrote:

Charlie Self wrote:
: On Mar 31, 9:51???am, "RonB" wrote:
: RonB

: I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
: develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
: of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
: trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
: goofy to train staff.



The Tucson store has always seemed pretty well run, and very well stocked.


I got a letter, probably the same one Mark did. The letter is
from corporate, and says that the owner is relocating for
personal reasons to Oregon, where he/they have another Woodcraft.
It's not clear anything is wrong with the operation successwise.


I certainly did not intend to imply that in my posting. The one thing I
have noticed is that they don't seem to be very busy most of the time. That
may be a function of the times I choose to go there vs. low volume traffic
in general. Just found it curious that they were soliciting the customer
base for a buyer -- typically highly successful businesses that come up for
sale come up quietly and are snapped up by someone who is properly
networked before anybody else even realizes the opportunity is there.

Really hope that there is nothing wrong with operational success; it
would be a real shame to lose them. The only other local source here in
Tucson (Woodworker's Source) has never impressed me, either in their tool
display and selection, nor in the friendliness of their help. The Phoenix
Woodworker Source seems to run a much tighter and neater operation (at
lease the last time I visited either of those two businesses -- it's been
several years)


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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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On Apr 1, 1:41�am, Mark & Juanita wrote:
On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 02:31:42 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Barss





wrote:
Charlie Self wrote:
: On Mar 31, 9:51???am, "RonB" wrote:
: RonB

: I simply do not understand franchise owners who allow problems to
: develop. The basic nut going into one of these things is on the order
: of a half million bucks, not something most of us can toss in the
: trash because we're too lazy to pay attention to training and too
: goofy to train staff.

The Tucson store has always seemed pretty well run, and very well stocked.

I got a letter, probably the same one Mark did. *The letter is
from corporate, and says that the owner is relocating for
personal reasons to Oregon, where he/they have another Woodcraft.
It's not clear anything is wrong with the operation successwise.

* I certainly did not intend to imply that in my posting. *The one thing I
have noticed is that they don't seem to be very busy most of the time. That
may be a function of the times I choose to go there vs. low volume traffic
in general. *Just found it curious that they were soliciting the customer
base for a buyer -- typically highly successful businesses that come up for
sale come up quietly and are snapped up by someone who is properly
networked before anybody else even realizes the opportunity is there.


I sometimes wonder about their solicitations. Shortly after I got let
go, they solicited me for a job, IIRC, a product manager. I called the
then manager of that department and asked about it. The list went out
widely, and, to me, stupidly, but I did give him the word that I might
consider going back if they fired my former boss and his boss. Since
then, I think something like 50% of the top personnel have changed,
maybe more, but that's more related to the president's retiring and a
replacement being hire than anything else.

Joe Bleau writes:

I think we are living in a Golden Age of woodworking tools and
machinery. There is absolutely no comparison to what was available
when I started woodworking many years ago.

Heh. Anyone interested in a 6-in-1 chuck for an AMT lathe?


--
Sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to this account incurs a fee of
$500 per message, and acknowledges the legality of this contract.

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:19:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


How many other Tucson or Phoenix Woodcraft customers got a letter in the
mail today offering the Tucson and Phoenix franchises for sale?

Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list, people aren't
exactly beating down the door for franchise opportunities.


I'd love one. But there's 2 problems. First, I don't have a half a
million dollars. Plus there's already one around here, with a Rockler
only a couple of miles away. I'm not sure there'd be enough business
for another store like them.