Stuart Altschuler has over 35 years of experience in the retail framing business. He now runs Prestige Framing Academy, which provides consulting services to framing businesses. These services include coaching and mentoring, secret shopper evaluations, installing and training on computerized point-of-sale systems, and helping with operations, marketing programs, and equipment acquisition. As a consultant, Altschuler draws on his extensive experience in retail framing to provide tailored recommendations and solutions to business owners to help them improve operations and grow their businesses.

1. Stuart M. Altschuler,
Consulting Services CPF®, GCF
Stuart Altschuler, principal in PFA Consulting and the director and
lead educator for Prestige
 Coaching and Mentoring
Framing Academy, has
been in the retail business
for over 35 years. As a fam-
Consulting
ily business, Prestige Gal-
 Secret Shopper Market lery and Framing provided
a fertile training ground for
future consulting endeav-
Evaluations ors. Starting in college,
Altschuler was called upon
Consulting Services
to work on such varied
 Computerized POS Installation special projects as employee
compensation, customer
relations, production efficiencies, and marketing. Each project
Coaching and Mentoring  Secret S
and Training resulted in the presentation and defense of three possible solutions
Market Evaluations  Computeri
to existing problems detailing the pros and cons of each. In this
 Operations Support process Altschuler was groomed to consult in the industry.
Installation and Training  Wizard
Work in the frame shop always led to fancy special projects for
 Marketing Programs
which the shop was known. Many of these projects are now featured
in such trade publications as Decor and Picture Framing Magazine,
Installation and Training  M
where Altschuler has been the frame design editor. Altschuler’s
articles also appear in Fine Woodworking, the leading publication
Prthe oams  Coaching and
 Capital Equipment Acquisition in the woodworking field, for whom he has also published a video
entitled “Making Picture Frames” .
Mentoring  Secret Shopper Ma
 Store Design and Layout As an educator Altschuler has been teaching full time for the past
eight years. Classes are given in conjunction with distributors, ket Evaluations  Computerized PO
manufacturers, and many trade associations. In addition to his
other activities, Mr. Altschuler, a certified picture framer, and a stallation and Training  Wizard
guild commended framer currently spends the majority of his time
consulting on new framing businesses and other retail all across er Ild Traing  Marketing
North America. A master craftsman, today Altschuler continues
a tradition started three generations ago. Programs  Coaching and
Prestige Framing Academy, LLC Mentoring  Secret Shopper Marke
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6Maraia Lane
Saugus, MA 01906 ations  Computerized POS Installa
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(866) 615-2429 FAX Training  Wizard Mat Cutter Inst
Academy www.framingacademy.com
Training  Marketing Programs 
and Mentoring  Secret Shopper M
Evaluations  Computerized POS Ins
lation and Tttt  Wizard Mat C
Consulting A typical front of store design We help you get focused!

2. Clear Answers to Confusing Questions
Are you caught up in the day to day hassles and problems of running their operations. And, still other shops are at the point where they are volume we then project future growth. Only after this careful
a shop? Do you wish you could step back and grow your business? upgrading their systems by changing to new hardware and software. These evaluation can we recommend appropriate equipment and methods.
Or, simply take the time to update your equipment and systems? important decisions need to be made quickly, decisively, and correctly so Prestige Framing Academy has worked with all major equipment
Bringing in outside help could be the solution. as not to squander whatever advantages you have built. Success must be vendors and have established relationships that assure you the best
built upon success for the small business to remain competitive in today’s prices and service. We have worked with smaller lesser known
Why a professional consultant? marketplace. Backward steps, however small, can be disastrous. vendors who are sometimes able to provide a more effective solution.
Our representation of numerous clients carries clout with the vendors
Small business people are confronted with a constant struggle to Prestige Framing Academy has vast experience helping small and medium that translates directly to benefits to you. We never accept kickbacks
find the information necessary to make sound decisions. Even if sized framing businesses choose, install, and implement computerized from vendors; any incentives are passed directly to you. Don’t you
they have the time to do research on the internet or in the library, POS systems. We have been using systems like these since the late 1970s owe it to yourself to improve your profitability by updating your
the volume of information available has become too staggering to and understand the problems that you will face. We’re familiar with back room?
sift through. Should I buy this piece of equipment or that? Should the issues, have grappled with the problems, and found solutions. We
I buy any new equipment at all? How much money should I spend have a four step plan that will allow you a hassle free transition to better General Business Operations
on marketing and advertising? What about my retail pricing? Am I operations. Individually, not with a preprogrammed solution, we consider
charging enough to make a reasonable profit? Am I price competitive a pricing structure that is appropriate to your business. This step is critical Often times as businesses grow infrastructure doesn’t keep up. You
in my market? Should I be? Are my operations as streamlined as since your business, while similar to others, is unique in many ways that are busy running your operation and have little time to search for,
they can be? Am I buying right? Am I using the right vendors? have a dramatic impact on pricing. Rents and labor costs, to name a acquire, and implement systems that are now needed to support
few, vary greatly by region and specific location. A pricing structure that your growth. An example of this would be in the area of human
These are typical questions that you face in your small business on yields profits in suburban San Diego could spell financial ruin in suburban resources. Your company started with you and perhaps a spouse
a regular basis. You then look at some numbers and make your Chicago. After the pricing strategies have been worked out, these must or one trusted employee, but has now grown to six people, three of
“best guess” about what to do – often wondering if there was more be translated to the software. Using our specialized data entry sheets and whom are full-time. You should have an employee manual detailing
homework that could have insured success. This is where the many problem solving tips and tricks, we have proven methods to insure personnel policies and procedures to both protect yourself legally and
consultant can help. Consultants are people with great experience in your move to a POS system is trouble free. Staff training is essential to give your employees the support they need to do their best work. We
a particular industry who have faced these very same decisions many get the most from your system. We enhance the training provided by the have evaluated needs with clients many times and are able to draw
times. They know the right questions to ask and what the answers software vendors with hands-on sessions using your own work orders and on those experiences to help you correctly make critical choices. We
should be. Knowing the range of acceptable key performance current framing jobs. Employees learn how to use the system by actually understand the pitfalls and can suggest implementation strategies to
indicators, a consultant can quickly assess a situation. In general using it with real live data in a supervised forum. Finally, ongoing support insure that your business grows at the pace that you want.
consultants add a dimension of industry knowledge and contacts augments what is provided by the vendor in critical areas of pricing and
thus reducing the risk of any decision. profitability. While each installation is specific most take between two Marketing evaluation, support strategy design and
and five days of work. Upon completion your new system will be up and implementation
For many people the decision to hire a consultant is difficult. running insuring and increasing profits for your business.
Independent small business people think they can’t afford the luxury. Not making enough money? Are you concerned that your marketing
Yet, frequently, a consultant will save more than he costs. Marketing Front and back of shop layout design and renovation efforts are ineffective? Or, perhaps that you are not reaching the
tricks and tips, vendor relationships, and functionality in operations right customers? With over 30 years retail picture framing and art
are all areas where many dollars can be saved. But these are just a The retail portion of an upscale design oriented frame shop needs gallery experience we have developed many programs, both good
few of the areas in which a consultant works. Often, you have started renovation on a regular basis to keep the look fresh and up to date. Your and bad. Use our experience to refine your marketing and eliminate
on a project that has later fallen by the wayside when a stumbling clients depend on you to keep them aware of design trends and new home potential mistakes and oversights. We ask hard questions so your
block is encountered. A consultant can answer questions and keep furnishings ideas. You constantly provide a stream of visual stimulation precious marketing dollars aren’t wasted.
the process rolling until reaching a successful conclusion. The best with new framed samples; the backdrop needs to be fresh as well. We have
example of this in the picture framing industry is the installation of found that your regular customers will spend more when they come into How do I work with PFA Consulting?
a computerized point of sale system. People purchase software, yet your newly renovated shop. And, new customers, impressed by the look
never complete the installation and use. of your shop, will trust your design sense implicitly. Prestige Framing Interested framers talk with us about the problems that they’d like
Academy, a leader in the design of new shops, has many plans, designs, and to correct. You then receive an initial estimate of costs to best
Few business people would think of preparing taxes and financial suggestions to make your shop stand out. Anyone can build a beautiful accomplish the stated goals. Together, we establish a flexible schedule
statements without an accountant or sign a lease with an attorney’s shop by spending megabucks, we have worked with customers to make bring about the appropriate changes. Reasonable telephone follow-
review. Both of these are specialized consultants —why not consider small budgets go a long way. You will have plans and sources or step by up is always included in our work. While we are available to help
a picture framing consultant to help as well? step on-site assistance depending upon your needs. Your shop can be you on any issue, we prefer to work with clients on an ongoing basis.
beautiful for little money using our proven methods and systems. Many clients have us visit once or twice a year to review the business
Pricing and POS Computerization Installation and and help you to steer the correct course for the future. There is never
Training Is your production area streamlined to produce the most spectacular a charge to chat with us about a project and often times you will find
frames in the shortest time for the least cost? The critical elements that our services are surprisingly affordable.
Many shops have taken the step to computerize their operations in of production are speed, accuracy, and cost. Are you using the best
the past while others are looking to computers now to streamline equipment for the job? We first look at your current methods and your