February 2012
Client of the Month
The Lamp Doctor
The Small Business Development Center at Western Kentucky University is proud to announce the February 2012 Client of the Month: Aspley's Lamp Doctor, LLC.
Owner Bob Aspley has been in the lamp repair bu
siness for over 45 years. However, his family, as many Bowling Green natives would remember were owner's of the well known Aspley & Aspley Hardware store have been repairing various light fixtures since the late 1920's.
Today Bob is equipped with both the knowledge and expertise to effectively and professionally tackle any lighting fixture thrown his direction. Whether it be a table lamp, floor lamp, ceiling fixture, chandelier or an entire vintage house in need of restoration, Bob is able to repair it.
He also specializes in rewiring old lights into perfect working order again, as well as he can order a new shade for any preexisting lamp. Changing the old color of a current lampshade can often help dramatically improve the look of the entire lamp and often a room altogether.
Another rarity you'll find in Aspley's Lamp Doctor is the willingness to travel to any location to give an affordable estimate on the work at hand, in addition to the readiness to complete the entire job on location at the request of the owner. Bob has worked on yachts, restaurant lighting, restoring vintage buildings and has worked on lights as far away as New York and Maryland. No job is too big or too small for the lamp doctor to work on!
For more information you can contact Aspley's Lamp Doctor, LLC at 270-792-1105, or by going to the website: www. Aspleyslampdoctor.com. From there you can access more contact information such as his e-mail address and Facebook page.
Article submitted by Sara Redmon
David versus Goliath Key Strategies to Win the Battle against Large Competitors Many of our clients compete against large chain competitors such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Competing against larger national chains may seem like mission impossible until you understand the threats and opportunities created by the large chain operation. By their very nature chain operations possess competitive strengths and weaknesses. Of the five primary competitive dimensions - quality, service, convenience, selection and price - big chains usually win on price and selection. What large chains lack is the focus and resolve to compete along the periphery, creating opportunities for small business owners who can compete on quality, service and convenience. There are two key strategies to compete with large chains: 1. Focus On Differentiation Focus on competing with other factors such as quality, selection, convenience and service, and favorable terms. Customers are often willing to pay a higher price if they find the other factors listed above valuable. 2. Focus On Value Orientation Increase your value proposition by offering higher quality products or services, adding additional features and services, or by solving other challenges facing your customer. The added value should be visible so that a customer can easily see how your business is superior to competitors. |
Upcoming Seminars
Starting A Business and Keeping Records
- Wednesday, February 22
- 1:00-2:30pm
- The Learning Center, 247 Double Springs Rd
Social Media and the Small Business
- Wednesday, February 29
- 1:00-2:30pm
- The Learning Center, 247 Double Springs Rd
