"We havenīt had a print catalog in over five years, but many of our customers arenīt online yet, and right now I feel that a paper catalog would increase sales, and would help us compete against some of the auction houses, and really showcase the strengths of our company."
The market for his comics continues to expand as movies like Spiderman and X-Men familiarize a new generation with comics, and audiences begin to seek out the comics that inspired these blockbuster hits.
"More of these different characters are being turned into movies, and more people have become aware of the comics behind the films, so weīve seen a growth in the number of possible collectors and investors in our hobby. Itīs going to be very good for us in the next five years."
And in that same period of time, Vincent hopes—and expects—that more and more of his business will be done online.
"The thing I like about doing business online is that itīs clean and easy. You donīt have to spend a lot of time on the phone with people, people can get in, see what they want, buy it, and thatīs that. They can be exposed to a much larger portion of product from my company, in less time. And it frees me up to spend my time managing the company and trying to move us forward."
The Internet, Vincent feels, can be a powerful tool for business growth, as long as it is wielded wisely:
"You have to set very specific goals for yourself. If you donīt know where you want to go, itīs hard for you to get there. That might sound pretty obvious, but a lot of people drift along aimlessly, without knowing exactly what they want to accomplish for their business. I think itīs valuable to sit down and write out your goals. From there, you can create a game plan, a strategy for how to achieve these goals.
"Itīs important to stay focused. Itīs important not to sabotage yourself by becoming satisfied and feeling like you donīt have to work at it anymore. People get stuck in the day-to-day of their business, and sometimes itīs hard to pull back and see the big picture."
Business profile courtesy of Family Business Strategies.
About the author: Vincent Zurzolo can be reached at
http://www.metropoliscomics.com.
Each week we offer comments from opinion leaders - business owners respected in their industry who leverage their inherent advantages (trusted brand, excellent service, etc.) by integrating the Internet into their strategy for growth.
