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March 6th 2004....Just finished moving the family, personal belongings, and 3 cats to our new home, above the shop! A new chapter in our lives unfolds. Is this Off Topic? Maybe, maybe not, my business will be affected by this move but I am going to work like hell to make it positive! The move was only 3 blocks but the savings will be a LONG ways...Only One Mortgage, heat-water-sewer-garbage-taxes, all thru the business. I look forward to starting a Roast on some days, peeling potatoes, carrots, at 2 Pm and have that aroma mixed in with the turpentine and be ready to chow at 5-6 o'Clock!! People will be respectfull of off hour privacy or else! If you have been to Mazeppa, you know how laid back it is, I'm not worried. I really am excited to be here in the place where I spend a gazillion hours already!
So join in the house warming won't you? There's beer in Ore's, I just fired up the corn stove and Ayleen's rattlin' pans as I type!
Let me open this window a crack to let some'o this cigar smoke out.........
A big Thanks to My Brother Tim, his wife Dawn and their daugther Brooke for helping move!
And thanks for trying a new restaurant last night.(Fresh Wok) It rocked!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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Alright!. I would love to live above my sign shop.It reminds me of the days when most businesses were run like that. I would love to wake up in the morning, look down and start to mentally get ready for the days work while having my bacon and eggs. As for people coming out during off hous, that could be hard to control.Maybe ya need to get a real mean and narly lookung dog to keep them away.Good luck!!
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Hi Mike, I don't live above my shop but a year and a half ago I Finnally built my shop on the same property as the house, The commute is terrible I get cut several times by the dogs on the 450' walk across the yard and was the best thing I have ever done. As you said now the shop pays all the bills and I get a house and shop out of the deal as long as "the BOSS" or bride don't fire me for fishing on breaks the stocked pond is about 50' from the shops back door and what a stress relief to grab the ole fly rod and and catch a few on breaks or lunch, great for clearing the mind and then the back to work with a fresh outlook. The privacy thing has never been a problem either most know that if the doors are open come on in if closed don't. it's also great to be able to do those projects that require undevided attention to sneek out to the shop close the doors turn off the phone turn up the jamms and sling paint all over with no interrutions. Great move and you will actually get to see the family more or as my wife says now I understand some of this insanity. good luck keep the faith.
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Well done Mike....Go into Ore's pour me a cup of tea and put on "Let your love flow " by the Bellamy Brothers on LP...ha ha Sounds like Bliss. Cant wait to see you guys soon... P.S Ayleen remember to tell him he would be better doing housework than messing around on the computer all day.... Three cheers to Tim and Brooke once again..
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my shop starts about 12 paces from my bed...thru the walk-in closet and i'm here in the studio! i gotta say i love it most of the time! except when i hear the phone ring after hours and i feel compelled to see wtf is calling. love caller id! i live way off the beaten the path so i can't say i have customers dropping by unexpectedly...and ya gotta love the write off! i'd have to pay a mortgage anyway...why not have my half paid by the business...along with the truck. i could never make it if i had to support a separate shop mortgage. it's a tough business but with the right set up it can work.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Living over the shop or on the same property is ideal for us! We've done it both ways over the years and wouldn't have it any other way.
Customers will only bother you if you let them. If they do show up at your door just politely and matter-of-factly say you are closed for business... that it's private time. They will respect it or ya don't want them anyhow.
Congratulations of realizing another dream!!!
GOOD ON YA!
-dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Great Mike, I've been doing it for 26 years now. It is very important to close the shop as to where the customers can't see in. Put blinds on the windows etc. turn the phone ringer off after hours. My wife runs her business in the house 9-5. It is very important to turn it off at 5. Even if you do work late, we all do, but don't ever let customer come to talk business after hours. They are the worst kind. I know! John Arnott
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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After seeing Mike's shop last month, I started to think it was ultimate to have all that space and yet live nearby...this is a surprise that you have consolidated. It makes more sense anyway! My plotter, puter and drawing board are in my bedroom away from the mainstream living. I felt I was tripping over everything, walking on the edge of progress and insanity. Moving from Ohio to Illinois, I went from a ranch home with large garage and huge driveway and full basement on a half an acre to a good size apartment with a garage and utility room and bedroom that houses my indoor plotter and computer. This suits me fine for now since the overhead is not double. I know it feels much better and everything is closeby for breaks. My 28 year old son moved upstairs in the apartment above and now is certain he wants to work for me part time, at a steady pace. It took years to convince my kids to work with me, but, it is their choice. It is a good thing I was patient! I could use the help when I take on large amounts of work. Good luck, Mike and Eileen and Caleb; sounds like a winner.
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Mike, Although our house is 300 feet from the shop, wh have considered that option. When we built the shop, we put in an upstairs that can easily be converted to a full living space for us if we ever give the house to the kids. It always seems like a good possibility. We almost never get business traffic interrupting our private time. Hope it works like a dream for you folks!
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Right on Mike, You have the epitome of a sign shop style home! I tip my hat to you...
-------------------- aka:Cisco the "Traveling Millennium Sign Artist" http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935 "to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98 Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Thanks for all your input fellow Lettervillians! This morning's commute was tough, on my morning jog, I encountered a Herd Of Buffalo trying to stay with me, over the top of the hill, then when I got back to the shop, 2 cats were in my way while walking down my 15 stair commute...man, this is rough! haha
Last night we enjoyed a Turkey with all the fixin's! Leftovers today, but this week is suppose to get warm (low 40's) so I might throw some Buffalo Burgers on the grill on the deck upstairs! Brian O'Prey returns from Arizona this weekend and we have his bed moved to directly in front of the Corn Stove in Ore's! He'll think he's in heaven!
I LOVE IT!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
posted
Sounds great Mike! We are gonna just have to come and see it for ourselves, since I missed the Muster (sob)
We are looking forward to the same situation, though my shop won't be nearly as cool as yours! We've sold our house, so we have to be in the new place before April 15th. We bought a 1200 sq ft bungalow with a full basement, attached 350 sq ft office, and and attached 1100 sq ft heated garage. People will no longer come to my house, as the office door is a seperate entrance. We decided to renovate the house before we moved in, so we're still plugging away at that.
All the best to you and your family Mike!!
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Congrats Mike and family....Just a few steps to the shop for me too as you know...I love it and with your spirit I know you will too...as for off hour calls well...its just a fact of life...we've worked at letting people know that weekends as specially sundays are our family time yet every once in a while some slip throught...take yesturday for example had a fellow show up after dinner who rebuilds vehicles from the ground up right to painting them....he came by to talk about striping and lettering and ended up taking some decaling home to my shagrin...then 5 min. to midnight the phone rings and its a client who said he hadn't really payed attention to the time...That sure wakes you up in a hurry...and we have to anwser those calls as you never know if its a family member in an emergency situation....Anyway there are possitives and negatives but the possitives far out wiegh the negatives and that can be said of a lot of things in live EH.....Congrats again and hope all settles down soon...Pat and Ruth....Tea Please....
-------------------- Pat Welter Masterhand Signs and Designs Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada Posts: 1304 | From: Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada | Registered: May 1999
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Congratulations Mike! It sounds great. We hear a lot of good things about you, your meets and that town of yours.
We considered moving into a house shop combo in the country last year. It would have required an additional building to work on my semis, so we tabled the idea. At my age I'm not interested in more big debt.
However our shop and office are in a slummy area that's had gangy types move in and out for the past few years, and it can get pretty depressing coming to work here. It's almost a refief to travel across town to our home to get away from it, so who knows maybe someday I'll have the guts and energy to do something. A house shop combo is always in the back of my mind. There are no existing situations like that, because we need a shop wiht a 14' door for the semis that make up over half our work.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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Congrats Mike. After being at 2 Muster's and seeing your shop, I'm sure you're going to love your new digs.
Six years ago I bought 20 acres that had a 42 x 24 building on it and a small house. I added onto the building for the shop and we plan on building a new house on the back side of the property. I'm going to sell my house in town first, and live in the small house next to the shop while our new dream house is being built. The back of the property has a fabulous view and will not be seen from the shop. Its going to be nice and quiet, and no double taxes.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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When I was at the Muster, I heard about your plans to move above the shop, and thought "That's cool". We have a 110 year old church that is both shop and home, and it's great!. Shop pays the bills, the commute is very short, I can work the hours I please...only drawback is sometimes you just gotta get away from it. That's why they invented letterhead meets! As far as after hours customers, well, I don't really mind. In the summer I work with the front doors open at night and I've had them drop in just to see what I'm doin' and sold them a sign. This is bad? Anyway, congrats on the move...I know you'll enjoy it, but ain't Ayleen gonna get sick of you being underfoot all the time?
MUR
-------------------- Murray MacDonald OldTime Signs 529 Third Ave S Kenora, ON. P9N 1Y3 oldtimesigns@gokenora.com Posts: 781 | From: Kenora, ON | Registered: Jan 2003
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Mike, I have to add, on the plus side that I have constant connection with the family and my business, and downsize on the thoughts of biz when my family needs me and then upsize on my biz when the family can join in or do their own thing. What's important to me is to consolidate and have the joy of watching my family grow and interact! I know in my heart it takes more coordination, but, it's easier on my conscience this way. I love it.
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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andy speaking... So about jogging with BUFFALO! And KILTS? Are you trying to firm things up so as to not cause a scene over the pond? If your kilt is too short, I would look closely at that dry cleaner; they may have shrunk your wool! Oh ya hey der! good move to the museum! Andy
-------------------- Lauri Goretski Custom Murals N6334 HWY 107 TOMAHAWK WI 54487 CustomMurals1@aol.com Posts: 127 | From: Tomahawk Wi | Registered: Apr 2003
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whoah! What a switch for you! Maris and I are contemplating a move too, but in the other direction: After 24 years of Shop at Home, we are actually looking at a couple of buildings in Anoka. The plan is to build up the business, run it a little larger for a few years, then find a buyer so we can "retire". Our youngest is 6th grade, so you can guess what our approximate timing is.
I have TONS of tips and advice for living and working in the same location, but you and Aileen have to come to Andover and see us if you want all the good stuff. Here is one, tho'. NO BUSINESS TALK IN THE BEDROOM. We made that the first rule when we started working at home. We even had penalties the offender had to "perform".
quote: NO BUSINESS TALK IN THE BEDROOM. We made that the first rule when we started working at home. We even had penalties the offender had to "perform".
Heck, I'd be talking business all the time
[ March 10, 2004, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: Michael Berry ]
-------------------- Mike Berry New England Posts: 534 | From: New England | Registered: Jan 2002
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![[Dunno]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
Maybe, maybe not, my business will be affected by this move but I am going to work like hell to make it positive!![[Applause]](graemlins/clap.gif)
I really am excited to be here in the place where I spend a gazillion hours already!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[FYI]](graemlins/fyi.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
If your kilt is too short, I would look closely at that dry cleaner; they may have shrunk your wool!
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