New Business Model Article
This was a great article written by Laura Hampson and published on the cover of the Business Section of the Palm Beach Post on June 21, 2010 describing JB’s new business modle that she has implemented in her new gallery location. JB loved the tag line that reporter, Laura Hampson, came up with when she wrote that, “RosettaStone Fine Art Gallery in Jupiter is the no-frills airline of the art gallery world.” Ms. Berkow was thrilled with her no-frill analogy because it truly captures what her new model is all about.
Clients will still have access to the same carefully chosen, high-quality, yet fair-priced ‘fine art’ that Ms. Berkow’s impeccable taste is known for acquiring. However, they will not find the art in a fancy location with a bunch of thumb-twiddling staffers circling them with invoice pads close by. Instead, her new 3,200 square-foot industrial space, which is conveniently located in Jupiter Commerce Park (just one mile from the I-95 or Turnpike exit at Indiantown Road is far from sleek and fancy. There is no staff but Ms. Berkow herself. There are no set hours precisely because there is no staff. Potential clients have to call first to set up an appointment. But all of the above saves her clients money because she has slashed her overhead by 75%. In fact, everything in her new showroom is discounted from 20% to 50% all year round!
There are some additional distinctions between her gallery and her other well-heeled counterparts. Unlike those galleries she can no longer afford to offer free home-shows or free art-consulting services. If clients want JB to bring art to their home, they are asked to pay a fee of $50 for this service, which will go towards the purchase of anything in the gallery. If customers want her to come to their home for a consultation session, the same fee is employed. So far no one has objected because they know that they will be saving a lot more money in the long run. They also seem to fully understand and appreciate what JB is trying to accomplish not only for herself but for them as well. This approach not only saves JB time and money but eliminates people who are just wasting her time and are not really serious about acquiring fine art for their home. So far it’s been of huge benefit for both her and her customers.
