The best part of this entire experience has been the one on one chats with each WorkPrinter or CineMate customer. Emails always take too much time and I found telephone meetings to be much quicker, more efficient and, frankly, just plain fun. I have talked with people all over the world. I have shipped units to places that I will never see in my lifetime.
With this surprising growth also comes a few anxieties. At this point, I live, eat and sleep WorkPrinters. My wife, Annette, handles the transfers and we each have been putting in 18 hour days almost 7 days a week for the last year. We're tired. I'm finding that I have less and less time to talk to people. But, if I hire someone to handle the finishing of the units, then I fear the "hands on" quality of the units might be jeopardized. As a result, my turn around time has recently been pushed from 30-45 days to 45-60 days to accommodate the ever increasing response. If the orders come in any thicker than that, I guess I'll have to set up larger facilities in a small warehouse space nearby. More than likely I will have to hire some full time employees, as well.
Many people might see that as a huge success but not me. All I see is the danger of becoming a factory laden with workers with salaries that I have to meet and so would begin the spiraling costs of keeping these units in production. So, I'm hoping that we can continue to meet demand by way of a slightly longer delivery schedule and that things will level off. Things certainly could NOT get more insane at this moment.
Now, on a more lively note, this is an open invitation for all CineMate and WorkPrinter owners out there to send me a photo of themselves, posed next to or holding their beloved WorkPrinter. Ideally, I would like there to be some sort of identifiable landmark in the background or nearby. For instance I have a client in Italy and, hopefully, he'll pose next to the leaning tower of Pisa or Pizza... whatever. If you live in farming country, pose next to a cow.
I want to post these photos in a gallery on my website, along with your names and location. If you have anything you want to write (hopefully positive!
) please include that as well.And, lastly, we have a new, toll free phone number. It's 1-8MM-TEL-CINE. For those of you alpha-challenged, that's 1-866-835-2463. The best time to reach me is after 7:00 PM CST. Unfortunately the toll free thing doesn't work outside the US. Bummer.
Anyway, again Annette and I want to say "thank you" to everyone that provided encouragement or actually coughed up a check for a WorkPrinter or CineMate of their own. May all of you have a safe and happy holiday season. Here's to another year of Super 8.
Our very best,
Roger, Annette and Remi Evans
