20 karma · joined November 2, 2011
It's like attacking a tin shed with a chainsaw... from within the shed.
* ME boasting about their tech making hands free possible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCMXXXmxG-I&feature=youtu.be...
Oh and the PAINT alone in the USA ranges from the crazy gonna like posion you cheap (~5 bucks/color US dollars) to expensive (80 bucks/color US dollars). That doesn't even cover canvas, brushes, or space to paint in. lets not forget about time. A persons' time is worth something too. Explain to me how an artist can survive with material costs like that on 50-400 a painting when it takes hours/days for one person to paint a reproduction.
[edit] I forgot about gesso, that isn't cheap either.
Art is like going to a concert, an expression of the human condition. Why go if you can listen to a perfect mix of it at home?
How you get a painting is part of the reason you get the painting at all. The story behind it is just as much of the point as the piece itself.
To be clear: If you are in China, buy art from a Chinese artist. If you are in Brazil, buy art from a Brazilian artist.
http://www.forbes.com/2006/07/19/spending-income-level_cx_lh...
Food carts are a perfect example of COGS in action. Coffee places are also an example (SBUX, stumptown, etc). Highly specialized businesses selling items at the best balance of COGS and quality.
Food carts and small specialized brick and mortar businnesses are succeeding because their COGS are far lower then your average place.
Most resturants fail because of their initial COGS at startup and because their food/service/merketing research generally sucks for where they are. Remove the service aspect, specialize, reduce cogs, make a living wage.
To fix the problem, look no further then COGS.
1. Smaller menus (less margin in the trash)
2. Aggressively seasonal selections (cheaper then any other food)
3. Be a part of the community you are serving (intangible but sticky customer base)
4. Pair down customer capacity (smaller team = more hours per employee)
5. Salaries instead of hourly (cheaper, longer term employees)
6. Add the frickin 5% to that $30 plate of food
7. Consider limited hours (staying open 16 hours is stupid and wasteful)