Capitol Hill Frame & Photo: 645 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
What makes this business so innovative?
While most of this project is based around popular and large corporate business, learning about the importance of innovation in small businesses gave us some insights we did not hear about at the other stops. This was our first stop, so although our interview with manager Andy Hood was awkward, we were still able to ask good questions and gain knowledge about how small businesses can thrive, especially in a city like Washington DC. His emphasis on customer service is what he said truly separated them from competitors. Now that online ordering has dominated the market, personal human contact has often become a rare and valuable asset for businesses to have that cannot afford to provide online service. Having a small staff ensures that all employees are able to provide expert support to customers with their issues, and having extensive knowledge and being personable to their customers can make all the difference in making a sale and attracting new customers. While they only have ten reviews on yelp, they were rated five stars for every review, and the main focus of the majority of the review was how important the employee made the customer feel (https://www.yelp.com/biz/design-frames-falls-church?hrid=2dFfGArDi-XPHx8arq_Sdg). Customization and variety is also key for this business, and their wide selection and colorful assortment laid out as customers walk in make the business both welcoming and intriguing in the eye of the customer.
What makes this business so innovative?
- They provide framing of any item, from photos and artwork, to diplomas and certificates, to sports jerseys; if you want it framed, they'll frame it for you!
- All frames are customizable, with varying colors and materials used in their frames!
- All frames are made in house with quality craftsmanship, so no problems with shipping, everything is made to order. Not only does this guarantee the customers the frame they wanted, but it also helps lower the cost!
- While they do still print photos, after moving their business from across the street, they wanted to focus more on framing photos and other items. This is important especially since the market for printing photos has gone down now that most pictures are taken on smartphones. Switching their business model has enabled them to not only stay afloat in a competitive Washington market, but allowed for even more growth.
- Along with the frames, a wide selection of greeting cards are available, allowing customers to send loved ones a message to go with the snapshots of their time together!
- Like many small businesses, Capitol Hill Frame and Photo has a large focus on customer service. This has helped them to compete with large companies as they provide the individuality that online ordering and large corporate chains cannot provide!
While most of this project is based around popular and large corporate business, learning about the importance of innovation in small businesses gave us some insights we did not hear about at the other stops. This was our first stop, so although our interview with manager Andy Hood was awkward, we were still able to ask good questions and gain knowledge about how small businesses can thrive, especially in a city like Washington DC. His emphasis on customer service is what he said truly separated them from competitors. Now that online ordering has dominated the market, personal human contact has often become a rare and valuable asset for businesses to have that cannot afford to provide online service. Having a small staff ensures that all employees are able to provide expert support to customers with their issues, and having extensive knowledge and being personable to their customers can make all the difference in making a sale and attracting new customers. While they only have ten reviews on yelp, they were rated five stars for every review, and the main focus of the majority of the review was how important the employee made the customer feel (https://www.yelp.com/biz/design-frames-falls-church?hrid=2dFfGArDi-XPHx8arq_Sdg). Customization and variety is also key for this business, and their wide selection and colorful assortment laid out as customers walk in make the business both welcoming and intriguing in the eye of the customer.