@keenmaster486 Great business man, excellent post.
So for the large orders you have on your site it’s over 5 items? What’s a typical order to you in quantity and cost you charge? Just curious, never knew about the sharpening business and was just curious
@maddielovesbaseball I'm still figuring out the price structure. I don't want it to get too complicated so I havent even used my pricing structure for small orders that I have on my website. Average orders are usually 4-10 items so like $24-$60.
@keenmaster486 How did you learn to sharpen knives and how realistically is it for Anyone to pick up one of those machines and replicate these results?
@keenmaster486 I found a guy to sharpen my blades from my MIL. She worked in a hair salon and all the stylists swore by this guy. He made a regular run to all the salons, so you could catch him on Tuesdays at her salon.
Alternatively he had a milk box outside his house. Just leave your knife in there with the cash wrapped around it, go back the next day and it was in the box with a note saying all done. It was a little disconcerting leaving a $200 chefs knife in a milk box, but he did a great job.
@keenmaster486 Love the write up! I am actually interested in doing something like this myself, though I am not very familiar with sharpening using a rotary belt.
Being a metalsmith and welder by trade helps get me the basics of knife-working. It's all about the angle and not ruining a steel temper if it exists.
I have a few questions about sharpening if you don't mind answering:
Do you insist that all tool blades (like lawn mower blades) are removed before you work on them?
Do you sharpen ceramic or fine-edge blades (like a wood planer or chisel)?
Do you have any issues with thinner blades heating up as you sharpen them?
Have you had customers give you old blades? I've considered having a couple sets of extra mower blades I could resell on the spot.
Appreciate any answers here. I am mulling over tools and materials lists.
@keenmaster486 Add an Uber/Lyft shipping option if you're able to. You'd be surprised how much extra customers would pay to get things shipped to them.
This could save you travel time, gas and your car's wear&tear. This could also be a great option for customer's that are out of your driving range.
@pentecostal1ness I think that's a tad risky because then you have the problem of dealing with a third party. For the most part everyone that lives outside of my delivery range is very happy to drop them off at my shop.
@keenmaster486 If you’re only sharpening knives within a 3-mile radius you should ditch your car and get an e-bike or just regular bike (exercise built in) for that transit.
@jeltja Funny you mention that. I started when I was 15 or 16 and didnt have a car then and would bicycle. It's just too slow and kinda risky bicycling with a backpack full of knives.
@keenmaster486 Just a few thoughts:
- think of how you can educate the customer. That’s what will bring them back. The knife sharpening is a service which is table stakes. But anything to show you care about the tool and also looking after the customer’s best interest.. that’s the key!
- think of an annual subscription plan for customers such as butchers etc. Basically people who use tools a lot and need regular servicing. Again here, this should me dealt with like ‘account management’
@davidtoma On point one, how are you presenting the knife back to them? Hopefully nicely wrapped with a bow on it (not exactly but you get the point (pun)).
@keenmaster486 Just curious how you manage the pick up and drop off as efficiently as possible? Do you optimize your pick up route until you have an hour or so worth of sharpening and then drop the knives back off in the same order they were picked up?
