The Mayor of Hardware

Enjoy Your Holiday!

From my family to yours… Have a wonderful holiday!

I thought today would be a great day to share some of my favorite holiday Pinterest boards.

Those of you that aren’t familiar with Pinterest – It’s an online bulletin board that allows you to create categories (boards) and save everything from recipes to websites on your “boards.”

This is an extremely popular platform with over 70 million users.

According to Business2Community.com – 93% of the users are women and 45% of those women are ages 35 – 54… Think any of them could need closets??

Here are some examples of my favorite holiday boards –

Holiday Desserts

Holiday Organization

Holiday Crafts to Make with the Kids

This platform is so popular because it’s easy to use, a lot of fun and a great way to show your brands personality.

Click To See My Pinterest Boards

Reach out to me if you have any questions about Pinterest, social media and of course hardware.

Thank you for your loyalty and support this year!

P.S. Eveready Hardware will be closed from 12/25 – 1/5.

The Mayor of Hardware

Pull Out Drawers Made Easy

Did you see the post on Woodworking Network about pull out drawers?

“Rollouts in lower cabinets in a kitchen, utility room or any frequently-used home storage area are specified in 92 percent of projects, reports cabinet manufacturer RSI PCS, citing the NKBA 2014 Kitchen & Bath Style Report”

I know that adding pull out drawers behind doors can sometimes be a pain, especially if it’s a face frame cabinet or a pantry closet with return walls.

Here is an easy solution.

This metal L-bracket screws to a fixed shelf and then attaches to your full extension slide.

It comes in sets of four with the necessary screws to easily attach to your slides.

Adding pull out drawers to your jobs should increase your close rate and profit.

Don’t hesitate to send me an email at richdemarco@optonline.net if you have any questions about these brackets or any other piece of hardware.

The Mayor of Hardware

5 Steps to Succeed on Facebook

We have already discussed annoying Facebook posts and mistakes that many small businesses make using Facebook.

Today I want to focus on a simple plan that will help you succeed on Facebook.

Listen & Respond –

This one sounds easy and yet so many businesses miss it. Listening is the key to success in any relationship – at least that’s what my wife tells me… 🙂

Most companies are rushing to get their message out and forget that social media is all about having relevant conversations. You must check in a couple of times per day to keep the conversation going.

Tell Other Peoples’ Story –

This isn’t just good karma. Giving a shout out to other people in your network or highlighting your super fans accomplishes two things. First the person that you made look like a rock star will reciprocate. Second others in your network will see that you give back and will also want to help you. This creates a cycle of social media success for you and your network.

The 80 – 20 Rule –

This one doesn’t need much explanation. At most 20% of your posts are sales pitches, more than that and you will lose fans. I pinky promise. 🙂

Educate & Entertain –

The other 80% of your posts should focus on educating and entertaining your fans in the hopes to build a bigger network. Think about the way you use Facebook personally. You check out your newsfeed to catch up with friends and family, maybe laugh or learn – your fans use Facebook the same way… So give them what they want.

Post Consistently –

I always try to post at least 3 – 4 times per week. Whatever frequency you decide works for you please commit to it.

I hate when a company clogs my feed with a bunch of posts, disappears for a week and shows up again for a few days, then goes AWOL… This strategy doesn’t fly – use software like BufferApp.com to help you schedule your posts.

I always try to over deliver so here is tip #6 –

Change Your Cover Photo Monthly –

This is an easy way to stay top of mind. Take a look at what happens on your personal page when you change your cover photo. Generally that picture / post gets a bunch of “Likes” – this works the same way for businesses.

If you stick with this plan your Facebook community is sure to grow.

Your turn – do you have any to add?

Post a link to your Facebook page in the comments and I’ll be sure to give you a “Like”

I help closet, cabinet and hardware companies expand their business with social proof… Email me if I can ever help you.

Filed Under: Facebook Tagged With: Facebook, Social Media Leave a Comment

The Mayor of Hardware

The Mayor’s Top Trends & Products from IWF 2015

New Pair Of Shoes – $100

Bar Tab – To Much To Put In Writing…

Catching Up With Friends And Seeing The Latest Trends – Priceless

Full Glass Doors Are Back?

Your stereo cabinet from 1996 just got a facelift.

This is a photo from the Element Designs booth – You can see the all glass doors with non-bore glass door hinges.

These hinges were also on display in the Blum and Salice booths.

The hinge is glued to the door – which makes me a little nervous especially since – when I asked what type of glue is recommended – everyone said “Ask your glass guy.”

There could be a practical use for anyone producing bathroom mirrors.

Cover Up Those Plastic Cams…

It’s becoming more and more difficult for closet guys to match their plastic cams to the melamine.

Titus’ solution is a chrome cover cap that taps onto all single cams.

The photo is of a prototype that I thought looked pretty good.

I know what your thinking – those will never stay on. I conducted a very scientific test…

After I snapped the cap on the cam I dropped the display on the floor and the cap was still in place.

I liked the concept, and the idea of eliminating all of those different color cams from inventory could save a lot of time, money and space.

Hide Your Hinges?

We have all seen the metal plates that snap over the hinge arm and the cup.

This takes that to an entirely new level. This rubber / plastic cover completely hides the hinge and the plate.

They had more color choices than you could ever want and it could be personalized – which I thought was really cool.

Interesting idea for those high end contemporary markets.

Relax In Your Kitchen With A Little Help From “ZEN”

There seems to be a movement away from decorative hardware, many booths showed push open doors and drawers…

Personally I really like the way a handle finishes off a cabinet.

Zen was one of the sexiest handles that I have ever seen…

Yes I just described a handle as sexy… Maybe I have been in the hardware industry too long… 🙂

Check Out Those Curves…

This new hourglass rod is reversible – flat on one side and ribbed on the other.

It also has a plastic cap on top to prevent scratching and a locking flange.

The two-piece flange is very forgiving and hides the cut nicely.

I’m really curious to see how this rod is received.

Before I walked the trade show floor – I had to stop and take a Selfie –

There are some really great people in our industry and catching up with them is always one of my favorite reasons for attending.

I thought this was a great show and I’m excited about the new products that will be hitting the market.

I would love to hear your thoughts… Leave them in the comments section below.

Filed Under: IWF 2015 Tagged With: IWF 2015 Trends 2 Comments

Enjoy Your Holiday!

Pull Out Drawers Made Easy