The role of Chairperson within PMA is an honour and a responsibility.Ormond Williams MCPF, owner of Ormond's Framing in Port Macquarie accepted the position of Australian Chairperson for the PPFA ( Professional Picture Framers Association) at last years PMA show. Since then Ormond has concentrated on building membership via educational sessions and improving communication  via an excellent e news that he edits. His energy and understanding of the industry will be of great benefit to PPFA and its members.

I recently had a chance to visit Ormond's business to learn of the challenges in the framing industry, and the effect that the lack of printing photos is having on the Framing industry.Add to this the active promotion by mass merchants of "stretch canvas" prints ( an area that was the domain of Framers)  and we have some opportunities!

Discussions led to "how to expand sales". This issue is all too common for specialty stores of all types.The gathering of email details for current customers is really important if you accept that your greatest fans are those who already do business with you.We have all heard this before,however if I were looking to find the most cost effective way of promoting my services it would be via the internet and directed to my current customers.

Thanks for the hospitality Ormond!

Cheers

Peter

The New Australian Consumer Laws contain changes that will impact your business in various ways.

PMA contacted the main suppliers to help ascertain how they are treating the new legislation.

The following responses(in red) were received from Olympus : 

1)  Will suppliers still provide a warranty which states a fixed time - eg 12 months? No we cannot state a fixed time on any written warranties and are busy removing this from all our materials.

2)  Will suppliers issue guidelines as to what is a "reasonable"  warranty period and

will this be based on time,or purchase price, or a combination of both ?

(eg will a $80 Samsung be warranted for the same time as a Canon 5D MKII ?)  

We are working on a framework to identify reasonable periods but will not release this until we can get a better understanding of the industry average. Our approach will be focused on time, cost and other factors such as conditions of use etc.

3)  In the above case ,do retailers send faulty cameras to the supplier after 12 months, and more importantly, if they are  rejected for warranty will there be a handling charge?  

We have not asked for cameras to be returned after 12 months at this point. We have asked that our retail partners follow our current returns policy and thus claims after one year will be managed in consultation with Olympus first via phone and if deemed necessary we will have the goods returned. This will be at our cost but with limitations. If the fault is consumer driven we will bill accordingly.

4)  Will suppliers support retailers in the case of a claim ie will they attend court to set precedent for the above ?  Hard to answer but we will stand by our brand, products and work with our trade partners with a view to a fair outcome for all parties

5) How will retailers handle "money back" returns from customers,when original packaging has not been returned? As long as all the components are returned we will have no choice but to absorb the issues around no packaging being returned.  

The answers from Olympus are quite different from those of Panasonic (in last weeks Newsline) which highlights the challenge these new requirements are for all involved. 

We will keep you informed of any other responses from other wholesalers. 

Imaging and Entertainment Expo Convention Sessions

They say the early bird gets the worm so here's a great reason to hop out of bed early and hit the conference. Understanding how our young staff assimilate information and get motivated is key to a successful and harmonious work place. Join Catherine Logue from Training for Learning as she demonstrates techniques that work. This session is ideal for all managers who deal with younger staff on a day to day basis.

Friday 24^th June

7:45 am - 8:45 am

100 Coaching and Communicating with Gen Y Staff

This session will assist managers, supervisors and colleagues who are working in cross-generational workplaces. The presentation style is interactive with the audience and will enable participants to ask questions and clarify specific approaches to the communication process to achieve harmony and efficiency. During the session,

Catherine Logue will define the communication needs of Gen Y team members and the impact each has on the coaching process for these team members in the photographic business.

Speaker: Catherine Logue, Training for Learning

Chairperson: John Ralph, John Ralph's Camera House

For more details of Conference sessions or to register for the Conference, go to

 www.pmaaustralia.com.au

Have we no Future Leaders?

The Future Leaders Program is a FREE training workshop for ALL staff in the photo & framing industries aged 18 years to 30 years old. 

Response to PMA's offer of FREE full day training workshop (run by the Friedman Group) and complimentary Best Value Conference passes to the 2011 Imaging & Entertainment Expo in Sydney,  has been very poor.

This Program will be cancelled from the PMA event calender if minimum enrolment numbers for the 3 workshops are not met.

There is only a few days left to enrol your young staff in this program.  

The workshops will focus on:

• Refining communication skills
• Enhancing business development skills
• Developing world class, best practice strategies

Their participation in the workshops will benefit your staff and your business and help keep our industry strong!

DO IT NOW!         

Enrolments close Wednesday 20th April.

Workshop dates and venues:

Sydney

Friday 29^th April 2011

9am - 5pm

North Ryde RSL Function Centre,

North Ryde

Melbourne

Tuesday 3^rd May 2011

9am - 5pm

Arrow on Swanston

Melbourne

Brisbane

Wednesday 4^th May 2011

9am - 5pm

Centr@l Eagle Street Conference Venue

Brisbane

To download the PMA Future Leaders Program pdf enrolment form go to www.pmaaustralia.com.au or click here.

Tue April 19:                       PMA WA Meeting

                                           Gerry Gibbs Camera House, Cannington

Wed April 20:                      Closing date for PMA Future Leaders Workshop Enrolments

 Fri April 29:                        PMA Future Leaders Program Sydney Workshop