Status Update

Well, it’s been 5 months since my last post. I was doing so well with my one post per month goal and then the summer hit me hard.

I thought I’d give a little update on my activities and how the shop is going.

First off, the shop is going very well. It’s completely a hobby for me so it’s just enough to keep me busy but not too much that it keeps me away from other things. It’s been super rewarding! I’ve worked on a few new products to sell, but I haven’t been able to get anything to the point where it’s good enough to sell. That and a lot of my time I would spend working on new stuff is taken by selling and supporting my existing products. So again, it’s a great hobby.

There are a few things I strive for and I think they’ve really helped my shop be a success:

  • Customer service. I think the best thing I can do is respond to all emails as fast as possible. How awesome is it to ask a random person a question and have a response back almost immediately?! Generally I can get people a response within 15 minutes. When I do respond, I try to be as friendly and helpful as possible. There are times it’s a bit trying, such as when people ask a ton of questions that are mostly answerable with even the smallest time on Google.

  • Create the highest value I possibly can. I define value as the ratio of cost vs performance/usefulness. A useful device that is low cost has a high value. Specifically, my arduinoboy kits are a very good value in my opinion. Not only are they lower cost than similar kits, but they’re probably lower cost than even doing it all yourself. It’s also easier, with a nice PCB.

  • Be a customer advocate. I love getting new gadgets in the mail. How disappointing is it when you finally get something and it doesn’t even work? I hate that! So when people have follow up questions for me, I try and see it from their perspective.

  • Own up to your mistakes. I have screwed up an order more than once. In all cases, I immediately own up the mistake and try to present as many solutions as I can. A replacement? Full refund? You name it, you got it. I then try and provide the solution as soon as possible.

Doing those things has really helped me enjoy having the shop, and I think it’s made it more enjoyable for others as well. I don’t plan on closing down anytime soon, so as long as people want my products, I’ll keep selling them! If you have any suggestions or feedback, please leave a comment or send me an email!