Framer's
Spotlight:
Little Sebago Gallery & Frame, Windham, MaineBy Alison Armgard
Location. Location. Location. It can be said with some certainty that being
in the right place at the right time really pays off for business
owners.
Sandie and Steve Mizerak can attest to that. Last October, the
Mizeraks relocated the Little Sebago Gallery & Frame from a previous
location to a new strip-mall in Windham, Me.
Steve knows the new location is
key to business. "There is no doubt the move has been beneficial," he said.
"People have been able to see us a lot better." Some customers had no idea
Little Sebago Gallery & Frame had even been in Windham for over seven
years.
Sandie has managed to attract a devoted clientele from the surrounding
rural towns and worries little about competition. "There are a couple of small
(frame) shops nearby, but they're only about a quarter of what I have here," she
said. "I have a repeat customer who drives almost forty minutes to get
here."
Little Sebago Gallery & Frame is committed to preservation
framing. The shop, located near Maine's Sebago Lake, only displays conservation
matboards. "The pieces that truly require conservation care make up a good
portion of my framing jobs - about 70 percent," Sandie said, adding that the
shop produces about 40 custom framed pieces per week.
"We can comfortably
frame a job in two to three weeks from order to completion," Sandie said. While
customers can get their orders quicker if needed, the major delay sometimes is
receiving supplies in a timely manner. "It takes a while to get stuff
here."
She explained that out of nine or ten suppliers, two of them, Picture
Woods and Garrett Moulding, ship from the Rocky Mountains and beyond. One
distributor has even made arrangements to deliver moulding to her son's mattress
company in Portland. The length is then shuttled out on a delivery truck to
Little Sebago Gallery & Frame while on routine runs to one of the satellite
mattress stores nearby.
Sandie's philosophy: "If they can't find it here,
they're not going to find it anywhere." She estimates there are 2,000 moulding
samples on hand to choose from.
Although she admits to not having a full set
of any one profile on the wall, Sandie attributes her success to an ability to
please the customer by stocking many choices of the best quality. "If it doesn't
sell, I'll take it off the wall," Sandie said firmly. "If it doesn't join well,
I'll take it off the wall."
Little Sebago Gallery & Frame is a 2,000
square-foot store. About 60 percent of that is retail space, divided into two
parts. What is not used for frame samples and design consultation is devoted to
a showroom for local art displayed on consignment. According to Sandie, Maine is
home to many artists and art-lovers, so she tries to devote space to local
art.
"My husband has been painting for a while," Sandie said, explaining how
the idea was spawned for a shop of her own. "We always ended up looking at art
galleries no matter where we were in the world."
Sandie gave up a career in
nursing for framing. She also has a carpentry background. Once she and Steve put
their hobbies together, they decided to start up Little Sebago Gallery &
Frame. "We had been looking for something to do other than our day jobs and this
just made sense," Sandie said. Starting up a business, she said, requires a lot
of problem solving, "and that's what nurses do all day." Because she had been
familiar with woodworking tools and had a sense of design, the frame shop and
gallery were a natural for the couple.
Varvara Harmon, a part-time employee
and featured artist of Little Sebago Gallery & Frame, is taking on more
hours to help further with framing operations. "She really is the perfect
employee. She just hit the ground running," Sandie said about Harmon, who's been
helping out in the shop for just over a year. "It's very challenging work, but
most of the time it's just creation of the mind," Harmon said. You can work all
your life and learn something new all the time."
Visit Little Sebago Gallery
& Frame online at www.littlesebagogallery.com.
My Favorite Suppliers (And Why):
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Don-Mar- "They were my first contact when I started business. The rep at that
time really gave me a lot of good advice and was always helpful and supportive.
That relationship has continued, even though I have a different rep now. The
women in customer service are always helpful and any problems are dealt with
efficiently. Even my delivery driver is a great guy."
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Larson-Juhl- "Also helpful and supportive, plus I have a great rep. They have
great products and nothing ever seems to be out of stock - I love that!"
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Nielsen-Bainbridge/Nurre Caxton- "I love my rep - and the product. Can't beat
that." |
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Sandie Mizerak gave up a career in nursing for framing.
She also has a
carpentry background.
Steve, Sandy's husband, stands in the design area, against
a dizzying
backdrop of moulding selections.
The gallery and check-out area of the store are cozy and inviting. Work by
local artists dots the walls.
"Nigel," the Little Sebago Gallery & Frame mascot,
greets customers
inside and outside the store.
He's a great conversation piece!
Do you have an
interesting story to tell? If so, you could be featured in an upcoming "Framer's
Spotlight." These stories are suitable for framing! For details, call Ken Hall
toll-free at 1-888-388-7827.
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