Monday, December 31, 2007

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW ELECTION


Jim Sharp is NOT a political site, it's a small business site!! So please don't think I'm promoting a particular candidate in this post! That's not my intent!! What I will be doing, from time-to-time during 2008, is dropping links on Jim Sharp that deal with issues that should concern any small business person!

This one is about Tax Reform. At the end of his post, Jeff said, "...to fuel an entrepreneurial economy we need to not only simplify the system, but also cut the tax rates." I agree, I'm just not sure if a national sales tax is the way to do it! Read the article over and then start researching other candidates positions on the issues of taxes and how they relate to small business and our economy!

Friday, December 28, 2007

NEWS ABOUT THE WOLFF WEBSITE


I just got a call from Andrew Wolff. He asked me to let all of you know that he is in the process of redesigning the Barber, Beauty and Grooming Shears section of the Wolff Website.

Things may get a little squerrilly for a while, so please be patient. He is working on loading all the Kenchii and 44/20 Shears onto the site, and this will take some time. A few weeks he thinks.

If you have any questions or suggestions for Andrew, you can reach him by e-mail at andrew@wolffind.com.

DESIGN YOUR OWN LOGO


Would you agree that looking professional is important? I hope everyone is saying yes!! And a nice logo can help with that professional image!

Most sharpeners market on a shoestring budget! That's why I thought you might be interested in this cool Logo Design Site I found! Ad Agencies charge a bundle to design logos, and graphic designers, while more reasonably priced, are still outside the budget range for many!

Logo Creator lets you design your own logo for as little as $39.00. You can do it right on their site and then you can download it in EPS and JPEG formats. (EPS works best for cards and shirts, JPEG for websites and documents).

Hop over and take a look! You may find a design that interests you!

The Google Logo pictured above is one of the most recognized logos in the world!!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

STAY ABOVE BOARD!!


It never ceases to amaze me what small business people will do to promote their businesses! Take this years "Shopdropping" craze for example! What is shopdropping? Let me explain...

Shopdropping, also known as reverse shoplifting, is the practice of dropping products or business ads in high traffic retail spots. Three examples of this would be:

1. A personal trainer dropping cards in a weight loss magazine.

2. A local musician dropping free promotional CDs on the racks at Starbucks.

3. An author dropping self-published books on book store shelves.

These may seem like clever ideas, but this practice can get dangerous. If you read through this article, you'll see that some people even go as far as creating mock products to put on store shelves! The man that makes that action figures worries me a little!!!!!

Now it may be tempting to stick your cards in a few beauty magazines around town, and it may even work to your advantage from time-to-time! But PLEASE look at other marketing opportunities! There are plenty!! If you need some ideas, click over to this post for a great book on marketing or click on the marketing link in the categories section on the right hand side of this blog.

Shopdropping is a devious way to market, and deviousness DOES NOT inspire trust! One of the best pieces of advice I've received from one of my sharpener friends is, "The most importing thing in this business is getting your customers to trust you. The second most important thing is keeping that trust!"

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

BACK IN ACTION!!

I'm back and I'm off and running! I had a great Christmas and hope you did too!

I've had one disappointment since I've been back though! I've hit a brick wall concerning the show in Atlanta. Both hotel are way overpriced on their room rentals! I'm still in negotiations with one, but I may have to pursue some other options. My plan for now is to keep it in Atlanta, but if this falls completely apart, Charlotte NC may be another option.

Sorry about this! I said in my December 18th post that I was hoping to have a date for the next show right after Christmas, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen! I'll keep you posted!

Friday, December 21, 2007

JUST A FEW DAYS 'TILL CHRISTMAS


The end of my time off is just around the corner and I've had a blast with my kids! It's nice to just take a few days to spend with my family without "plans"! (I usually need another vacation when I'm done with "plans"!)

When my wife and I got up this morning, we jumped online to catch up on the news and ran across this article. I thought it summed up the spirit of Christmas, so I'm sharing it with you.

Most likely, this will be my last post until after Christmas Day. Thanks for reading my blog, it's hard for me to believe that the hit count is almost up to 23000! Enjoy your time with your friends and family!!

Merry Christmas!!!

PS - The little ones in the picture above are my daughter Mia and my youngest son Aidan. Their older brother Ian designed Santa's beard. :)

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

KENCHII CLOSED!


Now don't panic!!!! They aren't closing for good, just for the holidays!

Kenchii will be closed starting this Saturday through the News Years Day. They will reopen on January 2nd.

The photo included in this post is complements of my visit while checking out hotels in Atlanta for the Wolff/Huff Show. I think Andrew looks pretty slick in his new hat!:)

It looks like I found a good hotel! I'm just waiting on a proposal from them. I should have a date after Christmas.

Remember! I'm on vacation this week, so that's why my posts have been more infrequent.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!


Tomorrow I head down to Atlanta, GA for the day! I'm going to check out hotels for the next Wolff/Huff Show!

Since I haven't even found a hotel yet, I obviously don't have any exact dates yet. My plan is to try to schedule this one sometime in March. As soon as I have a date, I post it here on Jim Sharp.

I seriously doubt I will find the time to post tomorrow, so I'll shoot you a message next week. Next weeks post may be a little slim too though, I'm take a few days off before Christmas! :)

Photo complements of usatourist.com.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

SHARPENING BUSINESS


I met a friend of mine for lunch yesterday. Every time we get together we have at least one conversation about the sharpening business. The conversation lead to me saying, "I love my job! I can't think of anything more satisfying than helping sharpeners get started in the business! In my opinion, sharpening is one of the best professions in the world!" (Click here to see some of the teaching and training I do.)

Well that got me to thinking, what are some of the things that make the sharpening business great? Here are are few of my answers:

1. Freedom!
The sharpening business provides more flexibility than any other business I know!

2. Set Your Own Schedule!
This falls right in line with freedom and flexibility! While we're somewhat constrained by the time of day our customers are open (if we're mobile or pick-up/drop-off), you can still pick the number of days you wish to work each week or month.

3. Very Hunter-Gatherer!
This is both the scary and exciting thing about the sharpening business! You never know what you'll make from day-to-day!

4. Multiple Prospects!
There are all kinds of places you focus on in the sharpening business! Here's a short list! Beauty Salons, Groomers, Barbers, Fabric Shops, Upholsterers, Autobody Trim Shops, Window Coverings Mfg., Boat Cover Mfg., Awning Mfg, Schools and more. In fact, I have a list of 140 places you can go to sharpen just shears alone! E-mail me and I'll send you a PDF copy of the list!

5. Multiple Ways to Make Income!
You can just sharpen! You can sharpen and sell shears and/or clipper blades! You can do both of these and sell other sundries that apply to your target customers! That's the beauty of the sharpening business! There are all kinds of opportunities right in front of you!

6. Multiple Ways to Run Your Business!
You can go mobile and bring your service right to your customers door! You can pick-up and drop-off! You can start a mail-order business! There are all kinds of ways to set up your sharpening business!

I don't want to over-do this! There are many more reason why I love the sharpening business, but I also want to hear from you! Add to this list in the comments section below! It's easy! Just click on comments and type your reply in the box on the right. If you don't have a Google Account, just choose either "Nickname" or "Anonymous" to post your reply.

If you're in the market for any of the Wolff  sharpening machines, be sure to give me a call before you buy. I know all the best places to buy at the best price! Call 864-381-8697 or email me at otenews@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

BUSINESS CREATIVITY

I started my day quickly reading over my favorite blogs. One that caught my eye was about why people hate money. It was an OK post, but what I didn't like about it was it implied, to some degree, that money can make us happy; which simply is not true. In Jon's defense, he plans to follow up this post with another one that will clarify some things. I look forward to reading it! But I don't want to belabor the point about money! I'll let you read the post and form your own opinion about the subject. But this post did get me thinking about making money, so I decided to talk about business creativity again.

Another post I read today spoke of a book I think I may purchase. It's titled BMOC and is written by Warren Meyer. It is is a fictional book that contains a number of interesting business ideas, including an outlandish one called fountain coin harvesting. Warren put an in excerpt of it in his blog, Coyote Blog. Read it, it's pretty cool! Now would this really work? I don't know, but it is a creative idea that takes advantage of opportunities that are often right in front of us.

Many people focus on their circumstances, like in the first post I mentioned. But you can see by this fictional example, that with a little creative thought, you can find money all around you!

Now how does this translate into something useful to sharpeners? If our focus is on our circumstances...

"You feel trapped by your financial circumstances - Your life [stinks], but you can’t figure a way out of it. You’re trapped by your finances."

"You feel guilty about your income - You’re a smart person, and you should really be earning more than you are..."

...we'll lose heart! But if we focus on the opportunities right in front of us, we'll have a better chance of improving those circumstances! Especially if you look at those opportunities with a creative mindset!

Not creative? Want to learn to be? Try one of my favorite books about Business creativity, ThinkerToys. I wrote about this book in a post back in September. It is excellent! And it will help you train your mind to work out problems you encounter in business, instead of viewing them as obstacles! I can't say it's a fun book to read (it kind of reads like a text book), but the information is well worth the time investment of reading it!

Now I know I've gone from money to creativity, and the two may seem worlds apart sometimes! But what I'm trying to get at is if you're not satisfied with the circumstances you find yourself in, there are plenty of opportunities to change that! Look for needs that you can meet for your customers that others don't see! Look for ways to market your business that's unique and sets you apart!

Most people just flounder around doing the same thing day after day. If you do this, will your circumstances change? NO WAY!!! With the new year coming up, make it a point to make a goal to invest in some Creativity Training!

Monday, December 10, 2007

OOKAMI BEAUTY SHEARS UPDATE

As you know, we've been selling off our line of Ookami® Beauty Shears. We are now sold out on many of the models! Here is a run down of what we have left in stock:

Ookami® 300 Series
303 - 25
310 - 22
320 - 16

Ookami® 400 Series
403 - 9
404 - 40
422x - 10
425 - 3
426 - 32
427L - 55

All other 300 and 400 models are discontinued. The 300 series shears listed above are 40% off the wholesale price and the 400 series shears are 50% off the wholesale price. If you go online, and you don't have an online account with Wolff, you'll see the full retail price. Call for wholesale pricing or if you have any questions. The number is 1-800-888-3832.

We will start ordering the Wolff® 200 Series Beauty Shears in multiple lengths after the first of the year.

Don't forget! Wolff also sells the Kenchii® Line of Shears and we now carry the 44/20® Line as well. Look for more in the future!!!

KEEP SHOOTING


Seth Godin wrote an excellent post on his blog yesterday! It is a MUST SEE for all sharpeners! I tell all my students that sharpening is sales! More often than not, you're selling yourself or tools that will make your customers life easier!

The hard part about this is to keep on keeping on (as we say in the south)! Getting told no, over and over, can wear on you. Seth makes a good point about this and challenges us to keep going back for more!

Read this post over and let me know what you think in my comments section.

Friday, December 7, 2007

A GREAT MOBILE RIG

You'll notice that in the post Mobile Sharpening, Barry Chapman left a comment talking about his wide-body ambulance. I called him the other day and got his permission to put some pictures of his ambulance on Jim Sharp.

I interviewed Barry a few years ago in On The Edge about his rig and the article was very well received! You can tell he put a lot of time and thought into this unit! It is one of the finest I've seen! Thanks for letting me share Barry!!!!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

CAN YOU TALK?


OK! Maybe this post is silly, maybe even a little dumb! But because I live in South Carolina, after being raised in Rhode Island, pronunciation is a subject I have to deal with every day!

Because I grew up in Rhode Island, people are always telling me I don't know how to talk (pronounced "tawk" in my language). This has been a challenge for me, since most of what I do is dealing with the public. I especially struggle with my accent when I speak! That's why, when I found this website, I had to laugh and pass it on to all of you!

While I got a kick out of this, there is some value in it! If you do speak publicly like I do, and many sharpeners do at industry schools, this site is a good place to hear how you SHOULD be pronouncing different words. Maybe not your everyday words, but how about words like "molybdenum", a metal mixed with stainless that helps overcome brittleness? Or how about two other good words like "vanadium" which improves hardenability and texture, and "manganese" which increases durability in stainless?

While you might not use a site like this every day, save it in your favorites so you can learn how to pronounce those tough words too!

Image: desireedelgado

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

DO YOU OWN YOUR BUSINESS, OR DOES IT OWN YOU?


One things about the sharpening business, if you're good at what you do it can explode!!!! Has your sharpening business become more than you thought it would be? If not now, it is likely it will in the future!

Here is a great post by Jeff Cornwall. It gives some solid advice about remembering why you got into business in the first place and that there's more to life than just work! Sharpening can become consuming if you let it! DON'T!!!

Monday, December 3, 2007

MOBILE SHARPENING

Many sharpeners are, or are thinking about, mobile sharpening! For the scissors, clipper blade and knife side of the sharpening industry, it is a GREAT way to go! But that also means buying a vehicle!

Are you thinking about buying a van or other vehicle to set up your shop in? There are many places to go, but two of my favorites are Government Fleet Vehicle Auctions and a great website that promotes used ambulances that are for sale.

The best place to find information on US Fleet Vehicles Auctions is GSA Fleet Vehicle Sales. They are a division of the federal government that offers quality U.S. Government owned cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans to the public at a reasonable price. Click on the calendar tab at the top of their site to find an auction near you.

The other site is AmbulanceTrader.com. The name tells it all. They are a good place to start if you're looking for a used ambulance and you're not comfortable going the eBay route.

There are no guarantees you'll end up with a good vehicle when you buy used, but at least it is understood that most fire departments and government divisions maintain their vehicles. There is NOT a huge savings if you buy a vehicle from either of these options (although you can find some great deals), but both are a good place to start looking. Click on the comment link below if you have other suggestions about good places to look for a mobile sharpening vehicle.

If you're in the market for any of the Wolff  sharpening machines, be sure to give me a call before you buy. I know all the best places to buy at the best price! Call 864-381-8697 or email me at otenews@gmail.com.

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Friday, November 30, 2007

PATTERSON PRINCIPLES OF SELLING


John Patterson was president and founder of the National Cash Register Company. He is also credited with starting some of the first sales boot camps, writing some the first books on overcoming objections and developing the original personality sales model. In short, he was one of the fathers of American Salesmanship!

If you want to learn more about how his sales techniques could help your business, Jeffrey Gitomer wrote a book about him called The Patterson Principles of Selling. It is one of my favorite books! It's just 120 pages, an easy read and packed with stellar information!!!!

If you'd like a taste of what you'll find in Jeffrey's book, check out this GitBit from Jeffrey's website (Once you get to his site, sign up so you can take full advantage of Gitomer.com. It's FREE!). This link is packed with powerful lessons that will help you sell more! If you like it, buy the book! It stays on my shelf here at Wolff and I refer to it often!

For more study on the history of John Patterson, take a look at this post on the HBS Working Knowledge Website. It is another great run down of Mr. Patterson's experience and how it can be applied today! Have a good weekend!!!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

A GREAT DAY AT FOLEY

It was a fruitful day yesterday! I had a terrific time with Joe and we got a lot done!

The new Foley building in Kansas City is a little smaller than it used to be, but well put together and effective. All the ladies up front were as nice as they could be and I was glad I had the chance to finally meet some of them. It was fun watching all of them work together decorating for Christmas.

Shortly after getting there, and meeting with Tim (he's the big guy around town), Joe and I holed up in a back room and got to work. I took him through the paces on the Hira-To® first. I showed him how the clamp works for both right and left hand shears, how to lock the blade in and proper convexing techniques. He took to it like he's been doing it forever! :) We talked about some of the difficulties I've seen my newbie students struggle with when they first start on the machine, and discussed how to overcome them. Joe said that by far, it's the best Flat Hone he's seen in all his years doing this!

We also took some time to work with the Ookami® Convexing Clamp. He had never seen me use it before and had a number of questions. After going through the procedures, Joe picked right up on it and plans to suggest Foley look at carrying it too. After that, we worked with the new Corru-Gator. Two seconds and he was corrugating on it, and he said anyone else could too! It was the easiest machine he has ever used! He could definitely see the benefit it will be to industrial customers and to any sharpeners that want to produce a perfect corrugation.

All I can say was it was fun! And Joe and I found out that we had something else in common, we both worked in optics before getting into sharpening. Small world! Today I am off to the Kansas City Airport area to look at potential hotels for a future Wolff/ Huff Show. I'll let you know what I find.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!


While on my way through the terminal in Charlotte, NC, I was treated to a medley of Christmas Tunes that make me think to write this post. Both my wife and I love read to our children! Good books are a staple item (or should be) for a child's growth. Reading to them is a wonderful gift! With that in mind, here is a great website for you to check out:

www.wonderofbooks.com

It is a great source for children's books, and many of them are signed by the authors. I don’t always buy from this site; I buy most of my books from Amazon or at my local Barnes and Noble because I never buy a book blind! Especially for my kids! But this site will give you some good ideas.

If you want to bring a smile to the face of a special customer that has a child, bypass the candy and buy a book for their little one! Just put some thought into it or just buy one of the classics! They are the best, and a safe way to go!

Right now, my wife is reading Paddle to the Sea to our family. It’s a wonderful book! Memories can be made around the couch or easy chair, and a gift like this will leave a lasting impression! Try it with a few of your best customers and watch their eyes light up!

Monday, November 26, 2007

ON MY WAY TO FOLEY


I hit the road tomorrow! Actually I hit the air, but you know what I mean!

Foley is our newest proud distributor of the Wolff Hira-To® Flat Hone Sharpening System! I will be working with Joe Webber, showing him the ins-and-outs of how the machine operates, and I'll spend some time with Foley's support staff. It's going to be a blast!

I will also be visiting some hotels in the area because Kansas City is a target for a future Wolff/ Huff Show. I should be able to blog while on the road, so keep an eye out! I'll let you know how it's going!

PS - I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you did too!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!


I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! We all have much to be thankful for!! Enjoy your turkey!!

Photo courtesy of ahajokes. Wouldn't suggest cooking your turkey this way though!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

BACK FROM BUFFALO


What a great couple of days! I got to see Stephen work his wonder while riding with him yesterday! I can see why he sell so many shears!!!

What he does is simple. Everyone can do it! The write up will be in next months On The Edge.

I also found a really nice voice message on my cell phone when I got home from Steve. This is what he said about his new Hira-To:

"I just sharpened my first beauty shear by myself on the Hira-To, and it came out great!!!!!! The ironic thing is the shear I did was an Ookami 302. What's the chance of that?!!! Thanks for all your help and patience! I love the new machine!!!!"

The Hira-To, with it's patented fixture, will help set you apart from all the other sharpeners in your area too! Drop by Hira-To.com and look it over! If you have any questions, just give us a call here at Wolff 1-800-888-3832.

Monday, November 19, 2007

A COUPLE DAYS WITH SHEAR MOBILITY


I'm doing some training on both sides of the fence for a few days. I'm training Stephen Toth of Shear Mobility. He bought a Hira-To, so I'm showing him all the ins-and-outs of how it works. At the same time, he's giving me some training on scissors sales. It's been a great trade!!

Stephen sells more shears than any other individual sharpener I know! We did a class for some beauty school students today and we'll be working his route tomorrow. I'll be doing a writing up on all this in next months On The Edge.

This is my time to learn! One of my biggest draw backs is I'm stuck in the office at Wolff! Every once and while I like to get out into the real world and ride with some of my students. I'm thankful that Stephen is giving my this opportunity. Look for more on this over the next few days.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

THINGS ARE A GO WITH 44/20!!!


It took a while, between my travels and Mike Mailman's at Economy Supply it was hard to get all our ducks in a row, but we're ready to rock and roll now! Here is a link to the 44/20 Website:

www.44/20.com

Without a doubt, their thinners are some of the best received in the business and the master shear is a favorite for barbers. You can now purchase these shears through Wolff at the same price you can get them from Economy Supply! Just give us a call and we'll let you in on all the details!

We have a few catalogs to send, so if you'd like one let us know. More info will be coming soon about which shears are the most popular, so keep an eye out!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

SYSTEMATIC NEGLECT

Life is sometimes just a series of systematic neglect! Ever hear that? Well I've been living it this past week! It always seems I'm neglecting something to do something else!

I find it hard from time-to-time to juggle so many balls, and last week, let's just say; I bit off more than I could chew! I had to burn some vacation days, so I decided to tear a deck off my house and rebuild it. AAHHHH!!!!! It was fun, but far more work than I thought it would be. That's the reason for the silence here at Jim Sharp. I just couldn't keep up with all my have-to-dos!

Posting will resume on Thursday. I'm training a fellow today and tomorrow. Sorry for being out of touch!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

HIRA-TO.COM IS UP AND RUNNING


Hira-To.com is online and it's about time! Trust me, this site is NOT perfect! This is my first attempt at building a website. (Which is a lot different than building a Blog surprisingly!)

If you would, take a look and let me know what you think. Also, I'd like some feedback on the FAQ Section. If you're willing, please look it over and see if you can come up with any other questions I should answer.

In the future, I plan to add video clips to the About Section and a number of external links to the FAQ Section. Any feedback is welcome! Just send me an e-mail at Jim@wolffind.com.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

14 GREAT POINTS IN BUSINESS!!


"Dr. W. Edwards Deming is known as the father of the Japanese post-war industrial revival and was regarded by many as the leading quality guru in the United States. Trained as a statistician, his expertise was used during World War II to assist the United States in its effort to improve the quality of war materials. He was invited to Japan at the end of World War II by Japanese industrial leaders and engineers. They asked Dr. Deming how long it would take to shift the perception of the world from the existing paradigm that Japan produced cheap, shoddy imitations to one of producing innovative quality products."

What does this have to do with sharpening? Everything! In fact, Dr. Deming's 14 Points is a great outline for any business to adopt as their modus operandi. Take a look at all 14 points and see which ones you think you should apply to your business!

Monday, October 29, 2007

CLOSE OUT SHEARS


Got a BIG announcement for you today! Wolff is discontinuing their line of Ookami Beauty Shears!

All the Ookami Shears are on sale until they are sold out! Here's the discount schedule:

300 Series Ookami: 40% off wholesale price
400 Series Ookami: 50% off wholesale price


This is a GREAT DEAL! We announced this sale at the Wolff/ Huff Show and there was a big run on the shears there. There are still many in stock, so don't delay! At these prices, we will soon be sold out!

After the Ookami Shears are phased out, we will be vamping up our Wolff Economy Line 200 Series Shears. We plan to make most of the 200 Series models available in 5", 5 1/2" and 6" lengths.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

HARRISBURG SHOW WAS GREAT!!!!!

Wow! Talk about busy!! I've been going non-stop since I left for Harrisburg on Thursday!

I just finished entering all the show orders yesterday, so everything is on its way! Thank you to all that made this show such a success! We had a few return visitors and each said this was the best one, even Mike who has been to all three.

The show is evolving. These smaller, more personal shows are new to us as well. We're working on improving them each time. One of the best evolutions is the marketing brainstorm session! I've always said that the real value to any show isn't the teaching (that's best done one-on-one), it's the networking! This brainstorm puts a group together and lets them exchange ideas and find help in overcoming problems. It's my favorite part of the show!

As for the teaching seminars, Mike did great! His nipper machine is easy to use and well worth the investment if you're looking at targeting that market! The Huffman's were great as always, and I got to hammer set into a shear for everyone and show off some of Wolff's new equipment. All the details will be in the write up in On The Edge! I'd love to know what those of you that attended the show thought about it. Drop me an e-mail when you get a chance! Thanks!!!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

MADE IT TO HARRISBURG


It was a good trip! The hotel is nice enough and the training room looks to be a good size. Should be a great show!

Andrew and I met Bobby and Brittney for dinner. We did a little planning and we're looking forward to tomorrow. I'll drop an update on the blog tomorrow letting everyone know how Mike's nipper class goes. Talk to you later!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

FLAT HONE TRICK

When applying polishing pads or back up pads to the metal plates for flat hones, it's hard to center them! Glen made a cool little jig to help overcome this problem.






You can see in the pictures that he just pressed two pins into an aluminum base that helps keep the pad you're applying in line with the metal plate. Thought it was pretty cool! You may want to build one yourself. You could make it out of a block of wood and a couple of dowel pins.




The new Felt Polishing Discs are packed and ready to go out tomorrow! Would have gotten them out sooner, but we had a huge run on the Hira-To machines and had to spend time building more for my show samples!





Speaking of the show, I have a pile of boxes ready to be loaded into "His Majesties Chariot", also known as David's Yukon. Andrew and I hit the road first thing in the morning.

Friday, October 12, 2007

CATCHING EVERYONE BACK UP!

Sorry for the lull in posts!!! My week started with preparations for the Wolff/ Huff Show and then it just got crazy from there!

I trained John Welin on Tuesday. He came for some advanced training on setting and just to touch up his skills on the Hira-To. Everyone should do this from time-to-time. All of Wolff's classes are one-on-one and tailored to each individual. Come with questions and we'll get them answered!

On Wednesday and Thursday I took my family to the low-country of South Carolina for a trip to the zoo and to visit my brother and his family. My brother David is a preacher and he just got called to his first church a few months ago. He lives in a small town called Blackville that reminds me a lot of Knox City where the Huffman's live. We had a great visit!

Today, I'm putting the finishing touches on the new Hira-To website I'm designing! I'll attempt to upload it to the web next week. This is a basic template site, but I'm learning how to create websites in CSS format. It's a little complicated, but I'm catching on! Look for a better looking site in the future!

I've also had a few calls come in about the new felt disc with the diamond compound I told all of you about last month. My hold up has been the diamond paste! It took forever to get here, but it's here now! We'll be send them out the first of next week, so if you have a Hira-To, keep an eye out!

That is pretty much it! Next week I will start chronicling the events leading up to and through the Wolff/ Huff Show. So drop in each day for updates. There will also be a full write up in On The Edge.

Friday, October 5, 2007

SELL LIKE A KID!!!

Kids are crazy! Take Aidan here for example (my 4 year old). He wanted to play with my oldest son and his friend, but they said no. He stood at his brother's bedroom door crying and asked, "Why can't I come in and play too?" Michael, my oldest son's friend said, "Little brothers aren't allowed!" Then they closed the door.

I guess Aidan thought about this, because he went into his sisters room, grabbed one of his sister's play dresses, threw it on over his clothes and headed back to his brother's room. He knocked on the door and when they openned, he yelled, "Can I come in now?!" After the two boys stopped laughing, they told him take off the dress and get in here!

What's the point in all this? Sometimes we have to be a little creative when we want to get into someplace we're not welcome! Look for ways you can make your business stand out! Walk into that shop that won't let you in with a shoe filled with candy and say, "I've been trying to get my foot in the door!" Then give the shoe to the person at the front desk. I'll bet they'll laugh! Try something different! (Not a dress though, pleeease!!) Be creative and fun! Smile when you enter! You'll be surprised the barriers you'll break down!!!!

Kids are great salesmen, and negotiators. They have to be because they don't have any money! Want to sell? Watch a kid!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

THE WOLFF/ HUFF SHOW SCHEDULE

I just added to show schedule to the Wolff website along with some links to the hotel for info and directions. Click here to go see.

On The Edge hit the mail today, so if you're a subscriber, you'll have it in hand soon! I'll be busy over the next few days prepping for the show, so if you need me and I can't get to the phone, leave a message with the ladies up front and I'll call you back!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

THE CURRU-GATOR


As promised, here is a look at the new Wolff Corru-Gator!

This machine works great! You've already seen the teeth it can cut in last weeks Corrugation Post. This will be a very popular machine in the industrial sector! Furniture and other household goods manufacturers are now required to incorporate fire retardant materials into their products. Most of these materials can only be cut with a corrugated shear.

To find out more about the Corru-Gator, give Glen a call here at Wolff. The number is 1-800-888-3832. He can answer all your questions on the price of replacement of wheels and replating charges. The price for the Corru-Gator is $1,250.00.

I will be demonstrating this machine at all future Wolff/ Huff Shows. So if you'd like to see it in action before deciding it's worth the price, sign up for a show near you!

Friday, September 28, 2007

CORRUGATION

Take a look at this!!!!!

A blade before being corrugated on the new Wolff Corru-Gator! (click on picture)






A blade after being corrugated on the new Wolff Corru-Gator! (click on picture)






This machine is awesome!!!! I can't wait to show it to you next week! Keep your eyes on my Blog! You'll be seeing the Corru-Gator soon!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

THE FLAT HONE DVD

Just a heads up that the Hira-To Flat Hone DVD sale ends September 30th! Everyone that has bought one has said that the additional info, not just the flat honing, was more than worth the price! Order your's today!

Also, I still haven't sent out the felt discs I mentioned in my Flat Hone and Flat Honing Post September 12th. I still haven't received the diamond compound to go with them. As soon as it hits my door they will go out!

The next two days I will be pretty busy! I have a Web Design Class tomorrow and on Thursday I will be shooting video for the new Wolff Corrugating Machine. I will send you some pictures and give you the run down on this new piece of equipment soon!

Friday, September 21, 2007

A DEAL THAT IS BLISSFUL


Kenchii is running a sale on their 8" Bliss Grooming Shears through the end of October! These shears retail for $298.00 and it's one of Kenchii's hottest sellers at the Grooming Shows! You know your regular wholesale price on this shear, call and find out how much more you'll save during this sale!!!

This is a beautiful shear, and a great seller! Take advantage of this while it lasts! To order, call Wolff at 1-800-888-3832. The part number for this shear is KEBL8. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

DRESSING YOUR WATER STONE

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to keep your water stone flat!!! It is simple to do! Here are the steps and tools I use...

This is an 8000 Grit Shapton Professional Stone I've been using for some time. You can see that it's pretty worn on both sides of the stone! Next to the stone is an 3" X 8" Eze-Lap 600/1200 diamond plate. I use this to dress in my stones. I'm using the 600 side.





I spray both the stone and the diamond plate with water, and I work the stone back and forth along the length of the plate.







After a few strokes, you can see how this stone is worn more in the middle than on the outsides edges. I check my progress every few strokes, adding water to the stone and plate each time until I've flattened my water stone.





This picture shows the stone after it's been flattened.








This last picture shows the machinist straight edge I use to test my diamond plate and water stone to see if they are flat. You can purchase the straight edge from Huff's Wholesale.






If you're in the market for any of the Wolff  sharpening machines, be sure to give me a call before you buy. I know all the best places to buy at the best price! Call 864-381-8697 or email me at otenews@gmail.com.