Lobo Posted May 20, 2009 Report Posted May 20, 2009 Well, as some of you might recall from a couple of months ago, I recently leased some commercial space for my production facility. This has actually worked out quite well. Everything is out of the house, my wife can relax a little more not having to deal with piles of materials, supplies, and correspondence everywhere. Paz en la casa (Spanish for "peace in the house", which is always a good thing). And I have a small cooler to keep my adult beverages at proper temperature (as well as out of mama's sight). Best of all, I can make a SERIOUS mess during a frenzy of production, and not worry about cleaning it up before mama gets home! Yesterday, I spent a few hours putting up a website. I chose to do strictly an informational site, no ordering links or other stuff. Web-hosting via Yahoo, using the Yahoo web-design tools, took me about 3 hours to prepare. Cost is very reasonable (2 or 3 orders pays everything for a year). The big concern for me is being swamped with orders and not being able to respond to anyone within a reasonable period of time. During the first 24 hours I have received over a dozen e-mails and several orders, so it appears that this will work quite nicely after all. Since I have been producing an average of about 20 to 25 items per week for several months (without website exposure), I think that I can take this little business just a bit further very soon. The next few weeks will tell me just how hard I am going to have to work. Still working on a few new projects and products. Everything looks promising for now. Anyway, the new home of Lobo Gun Leather is in the Corona Building, overlooking the historic Arkansas River in Pueblo, Colorado. The new website is www.lobogunleather.com. Let me know what you think, if you care to. Best regards to all. Quote Lobo Gun Leather serious equipment for serious business, since 1972 www.lobogunleather.com
Members Echo4V Posted May 20, 2009 Members Report Posted May 20, 2009 Nice website and beautiful leather. David Quote
Members carljc72 Posted May 20, 2009 Members Report Posted May 20, 2009 I second. Very nice. That is a good looking site. Quote Carl Collins
Members ABC3 Posted May 20, 2009 Members Report Posted May 20, 2009 Ray, It looks good. Congrats. Quote NRA Member Certified Firearms Instructor www.agcustomgunleather.com
Contributing Member Jordan Posted May 20, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted May 20, 2009 Congrats on the increase in business, sounds like your still having fun doing it too. Quote
Members ps0303 Posted May 20, 2009 Members Report Posted May 20, 2009 Very nice Lobo. Interesting that you had it up for a short time and are already getting calls. How have you been advertising? Again, nice job. Quote
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted May 20, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted May 20, 2009 Good start on your website, Lobo. I know it's probably just the prototype site, but one of the first things I noticed is that all the page links in the header seem a little cluttered. A few hours should get that straightened out, no prob. Good looking leather, keep it up! Congrats for being able to expand your business, I'm hoping to head that direction too. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Lobo Posted May 21, 2009 Author Report Posted May 21, 2009 Good start on your website, Lobo. I know it's probably just the prototype site, but one of the first things I noticed is that all the page links in the header seem a little cluttered. A few hours should get that straightened out, no prob. Good looking leather, keep it up! Congrats for being able to expand your business, I'm hoping to head that direction too. Thank you, Mike. I have worried about starting a website, not wanting to create a monster that generates more orders than I can possibly fulfill, not wanting to be like so many others that take orders and leave customers waiting and waiting and waiting for a response. I chose to publish an informational website, with no ordering links. This way, customers have to contact me directly to place and confirm an order. I can be right up-front with production and delivery times, so the customer can make a buying decision accordingly. During the first 24 hours my little website has generated over 400 hits, with more than a dozen e-mail inquiries, and 3 orders. Not too bad for an old retired copper who couldn't make heads or tails of a computer terminal ten years ago! As a one-man operation, I continue to be concerned about demand exceeding my ability to produce. The demand is certainly out there, so anyone willing to set his sails and enter the waters will receive some traffic. I just don't want to become another supplier with a bunch of unhappy potential customers whose orders never get filled and delivered. Best regards, Quote Lobo Gun Leather serious equipment for serious business, since 1972 www.lobogunleather.com
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted May 21, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted May 21, 2009 Object lesson in what one man can do: Andy Artoonian. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
rickybobby Posted May 21, 2009 Report Posted May 21, 2009 Ray, You have arrived!! Lift a 12oz. adult beverage to yourself!! You deserve it, you are doing what many of us here on the forum hope to! Have a successful leather business! The website looks great, things will change on it as you go, the important thing is you are up and running! Best of luck, you are an inspiration! Rick Jorgenson Quote Rick
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.