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Building Your Brand Begins Off-Line…

No matter what profession you are in we can all agree that building your personal brand should be at the top of your “To-Do” list.

I can hear you yelling at the computer – of course it is, but how do I start?  What should I be doing?  I don’t have time for all of that extra work…

Building your brand is easier than you think… Every satisfied customer gets you one step closer to fame and fortune… Ok maybe not movie star fame and fortune, but you could be known as the best closet designer in NY or the best cabinet builder in PA.

Be the best that you can be and people will begin to notice.

I didn’t become the Mayor of Hardware overnight… 10 years ago I became a student of the closet industry.  Learning as much as I could about hardware, whether I sold it or not.  You want to build a loyal customer, tell him that your competitor has exactly the item that he needs.

The 10 years of studying was the ground work for my brand.  It wasn’t the last two years on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  Social media is an outlet to help me expand my brand, so of course I think that everyone should at least have a LinkedIn profile.

Enough about me… What are your thoughts about building a brand?  Is there a difference between your personal brand and your business brand?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… If you would like to discuss branding, social media or hardware, please contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Hardware, Personal Branding, Social Media, Twitter Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment

Your Hardware Tip – What do you do when running wires through a vertical?

 

 

 

 

In most cases a one sided wire grommet works fine, but what do you do when you are running wires through a vertical panel that needs to be finished on both sides?  I’m guessing that many of you have wasted time trying to fit a standard grommet back to back in the same hole.

Leave it to Fastcap to come up with the solution.  They call it the “Dually Grommet”.  It’s a double sided, grommet, that is trimmable every ¼”.  It will work on countertops up to 2-1/2” thick.

The best part is that ease of installation; it requires a 2-1/2” hole and locks together.  There is no glue required!

Your local Fastcap distributor should be able to answer all of your questions.  If not, feel free to contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware Tagged With: , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Your Hardware Tip – Tricks to installing the new “Relax” Closet System…

After selling the Relax closet system for almost a year I have learned a few tricks that I thought I should pass along.

  1. The right tool for the job – you don’t need a 24 volt drill to install this system.  All you need is a power screwdriver.  It’s lighter and easier to handle.  You should couple that with a flexible bit holder.  That makes leveling the shelves very easy.
  2. Once you have made the first stanchion plum and level, install a shelf.  Use that shelf as a spacer for proper placement of the second stanchion.  This method will ensure that the second stanchion is plum and level.  Proceed until all of the stanchions are installed.
  3. Now it’s time to install the drawer boxes – after you have screwed the drawer boxes to the drawer bracket and attached it to the stanchion, I suggest screwing the box to the wall.  This prevents any deflection and ties the entire system together.

I am confident that these 3 tips will speed up your installation.

Your turn, do you have any tips that you would like to pass along?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… If you have any questions about the Relax closet systems or have any other hardware needs please contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets Leave a Comment

Your Hardware Tip – Ask these 3 questions before you purchase those slides…

At this point we all agree that your customers want soft close slides in their closets.  We can also agree that using a side-mount full extension is much easier than using an under-mount.

Every manufacturer of full extension slides has introduced a soft close version and believe me not all are created equal…

In an effort to prevent those dreaded service calls I came up with a list of 3 questions that you should ask before you make that purchase…

  1. Is it ½” side clearance?  There are many slides on the market that require an extra 1/16” for proper installation.  Yes, if you don’t account for that 1/16” your drawer will bind.
  2. How wide and how deep of a drawer has the slide been tested on?   If a slide is tested, typically it’s for a standard kitchen drawer – 24” wide X 4” high X 22” deep.  Will it work for your hutch drawer that is 30” wide X 10” high X 18” deep?  How much will it cost you to be the guinea pig?
  3. Is it really a full extension slide?  To fit the soft close mechanism some slide manufacturers have shorted the drawer member making the slide more of a ¾” extension.  This presents a problem on all of those 12” and 14” slides that you use.

Bonus question – is there a 12” available?  Many of the manufacturers have not figured out how to make a 12” slide yet… A real problem if you are making a 12” deep closet…

Your turn, what has been your experience with soft close slides?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… For more information about soft close slides feel free to contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Hardware Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment

Your Social Media Tip – “Tweeting” all the way to the bank…

That’s right you heard me… Start tweeting today and watch your leads and internet traffic increase tomorrow…

Ok so it might take more than a day to see results, but if done effectively I know that tweeting not only will help your marketing efforts, but it will lead to sales… It has for me.

Not on Twitter?  Don’t know where to start?  Here are 5 tips to get you started –

Set up your profile.  This is not as painful as it sounds…  My tip here is to upload a high quality photo of yourself – not your dog, cat, car, or your company logo… This is about getting to know you.  Your background image can be something creative, to show off your work.

Who to follow?  I follow anyone that has something to do with my industry… This keeps me up to date on all of the industry gossip and makes me available if needed.

You’re ready to Tweet… What do you say?  The biggest tip that I can give you is don’t tweet sales pitches… That’s not being social… When you meet someone new do you start the conversation by giving him a sales quote?  Not the best way to make friends… Tweet info that you think your target audience will find valuable.  Include a link when possible.

What’s with the #?  No this is not a number sign, it’s referred to as a hash tag.  This is used in Twitter as an easy way to search topics, or keep track of conversations.  I always include #Closets in my tweets.  If anyone is searching closets all of my tweets will come up.  A hash tag can be placed anywhere in your post, by placing it in the beginning or middle you are ensuring that your hash tag will not be cut off if you get ReTweeted (RT)…. See last tip…

Show some love with a ReTweet!  A ReTweet (RT) is when one of your followers finds your post valuable enough to RT it to their audience.  RT’s are great because it spreads your tweet to all of their followers, which will help you get more followers and build more relationships… Make sure to always thank the person for ReTweeting you otherwise they might not do it again!

That’s all you need to know to get started… Create your account today and begin building your audience.  Follow me at https://twitter.com/#!/MayorOfHardware  I’ll be sure to follow back.

Have a success story or any of your own tips that you would like to add?

Have a Twitter question?  Please feel free to contact me at richdemarco@optonline.net. 

Happy Tweeting!

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Sliding Doors, Social Media, Twitter Tagged With: , , , 2 Comments
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