Jeremiah Watt

Yes, I am one of those saddlers whom seems to fall prey to the condition of having a need for making each saddle that bears my name unique. And, yes, I am also one of those fellows who is in business that goes against the "better business grain" which states that the "replication of conformity is the modern method of financial success" and of course success is measured by the stack in your Bank account.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title; custom saddle, Wade tree, flat plate rigged, Daffodils and block stamp pattern, inlaid padded seat done in "Snow Flake Sting Ray.........caught on 2 pound test line right here in our Warthan Creek!

Well that may be, if you are Intel or Ford Motor Corp, but I am a small business man that deals with a selective little niche market product. All of us that make saddles, or silver bits and spurs, or whatever hand made product that you find yourself making and moving into the marketplace is in the same small business boat......and I am sorry to say it is a boat that many in the business schools fail to understand. The secret is not in the dollars spent on an advertising campaign, it is not in the 4 color catalog, nor the size of your internet site............sorry folks no secrets here, the state of our own economy is wrapped entirely in the quality of work that we do.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: top of saddle horn, before wrapping and oiling is done.

All of us whom find ourselves busy would state catagorically that quality is of paramount importance, quality, when it is aparent will encourage a customer as I had tonite, call from France and order a Wade saddle with carving like those cowboys ride "Okay Mister Watt". Quality combined with shop integrity will convince a man to load his 3 horses in a trailer and drive 8 hours from the San Diego area so that I can meet him, see and measure his horses for the saddle very nice saddle that he intends to order. I do not want to mislead anyone out there, Jeremiah spends plenty of time trying to find ways to make his shop more profitable. I read books on Small Business, brain storm with freinds over good ideas, and even have a web site...........of which I am the reluctant web-master.
BUT, I ALWAYS KEEP FOCUSED ON THE FACT THAT FOLKS SEEK ME OUT SO THEY CAN HAVE SOMETHING QUALITY, SOMETHING UNIQUE.
You would be mistaken if you thought that unique meant it had to be bizarre or expensive. Save that for when you go shopping in Paris. No what I have learned is that folks want too see that you have taken time to make there saddle well, and special to them, by way of even little details that add to the personel appeal of each saddle to its end customer.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: taking a look at the back of saddle, the rear jockeys layed in place to see how it will all look when done.

As small shops go, I cannot say what an industry average may be since it is seldom answered honestly or in some cases even given a numerical value. But in my own shop, we like to keep track of our repeat order percentage and itcurrently runs in the 40 percentile. I think that this is a good barometer for business, since it shows satisfaction for one when a customer comes back. It is also useful for making predictions into the next year when we are planning for how busy things may or may not get, we can look at that number and know that a good precentage of customers from just a few years ago will indeed be back. BUt there is a hidden gem at work her that can certainly go overlooked if we are not made aware, and that is the satisfaction factor. This is powerful stuff in business accumen, it is the amount of bragging that one man does to another after he spent 5-7 thousand dollars with you and loves what he got. These are new customers too your saddle shop, purely on account of the quality of the effort you put into a past customers order, can it get any better than that.
Yes I do advertise, I understand the power of advertising I didn't just fall off the proverbial "feed wagon". I will not lay claim to being the most savvy of advertisiers, but learn what I can about it and think we all need to do some of it. And yes, as stated I have a website, and also would not be without that area of my business plan or model. It can be a pain though, to take care of it. You may choose to hire that part of your business out, and I can certainly see there are reasons why it may be better than taking control of it for yourself. We do print "cattle-logs" as we call them, copyrighted along with " cow-lectors", and we send out hundreds per year, and around the world quite literally. I spend time producing my own mini-movies for Watt Bros Saddles that we then place on CD's and send to those customers whom we deem to be very positive customer prospects but remain undecided at that moment.
Let me say it one last time though, for those of you whom are saddle makers as well, and for those of you reading whom think that you would like to buy a new saddle from the many very good saddlemakers that are out there. There is only one ingrediant that can be built into a saddle that works equally well for both makers and buyers, and that is quality.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: details of a leaf, we made 2 special shaders so that it would have a deep angular shade effect to it.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Over the last several years, my wife Colleen and I as well as both our kids, Pine and Nevada have had the chance to travel overseas and take some time to look around, if I can take a moment here to encourage you to consider it as well then let me say it now.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title- A waiting carriage, Warsaw Poland

I tend to read alot of books, and look at a magazines, not being a NASCAR DAD, not a NBA nor Hockey fan, matter of fact no TV in my house since I consider it a total waste of time. Being of that mind then leaves me with a lot of time to look for those things that inspire me to do or try different work. We travel alot anyways, but we have found our time in Europe to be very rich in the artistic sense, becasue things of splendor are litterally all around you, from the Cathedrals to the Museums it is full.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: Cathedral impressions

For myself, I have found that Cathedrals for instance offer a great deal of very inspiring wood work to begin with once you are inside, but also many of them are rich in very fine repousse silver work and hand raised silver work. Not to mention the imposing stone work that makes up the outside, and when you stop to find a few books that deal with how such an imposing structure as Mont Saint Michel was built, well then you would have to be amazed.
When we travel in Europe we iether rent a Europe sized motor home or camper car as they call them, or we do the train and hostel route which is also just fine. As parents we like to let our kids see both sides of life, the nice home made dinners in our camp car, and the hectic life of being in a busy train and a group room hostel...........it also puts an end to the fears of the wife getting pregnant while on holidays.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: Berches Garten, Germany
- This is where the infamous Eagles Nest of Adolf Hitler was located, you could say this was the Allies last stop during WW2.

There are two things that our daily travels always make sure are included, at least 2 Museums and at least 1 Bakery and 1 Ice Cream Shop. NOw we do need to talk aliitle bit about the last two items before we delve into the Museum situations in Europe. Sorry but dougnuts are not baked goods, at least not after you come home from seeing what are baked goods in Europe. My kids had genuine withdrawl, it was terrible, the shakes and temors, the panic stricken look in there little eyes when they found out the last slice of Limon Tartellete was eaten and there own Mother was wearing a wry smile. And of all things what we found in Russia was real Ice Cream, I cannot tell you forsure what they do different but I can guarantee it is different and a heck of a lot better, but we have tryed the little frozen scoops from heaven in France and Poland not to mention Germany and Lithuania and it is all very different and tasty. It is funny thoght becasue while we were having supper one nite at a quite nice Creperie in the Mont Marte district of Paris, we sat with several new friends from France, and one gentelmen was going on and on about "Denny's" and his ham and eggs that he had and craved once again. For him, no eggs in France had ever been served up like those that he remembered. At the same table and same meal, after that little revelation was brought to light, there was a lady who proclaimed her obsession for "Dairy Queen" ice cream cones, just the way she described the way the ice cream oozes out in a swirl into the waiting cone..........hell I thought it more sensous than edible. So, I tell you this so that you don't think that America has nothing good to offer, quite the contrary, if you happen to be "cowboy" then I can tell you that at majority of Europeans hold you in the highest regard and they envy your lifestyle.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: Dad, do you tink I can hide this down my pant leg?? The wishfull thinking of a boy beside a mans sword, and this was by no means the largest we seen.

So far in all of our travels, we have not hit a bad Museum., nor Royal Palace. We try to hit everyone, and of course Jeremiah packs his camera where ever he goes, it drives the little women nuts because on occassion I do get lost and that really screws things up. But I do come home with the memories, for instance the last trip through Russia and Baltic regions I came home with a little over 3000 pics...........and two of those where very clear and in focus.
Most of the large Museums have great books stores in them and from the book store you can access a database of titles of books in English. SO I usually try to hit that and get a list of books and then take a look at the German version on the shelves to see if I want to try to order it once I get home. I have also found books that deal with recipes for such things as coloring metal and Gold fill work etc, all fun and sometimes usable.
In particular I find the Armoury type Museums to be rich in items that pertain directly to my love of all things horse and rider oriented. I have found a great deal of work on saddles and bits , but also spurs and guns and swords that have types of work that can be translated into things that I end up making.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: Italian made Ring Bit, made 1497 and date marked to Gardone Val Trompia region of Italy. It was reportedly made for some famous Hungarian Prince. The bit is on display in St.Petersburg Russia.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: Ornate spur button, also made in Italy but from a different region and maker. Also part of the Hungarian horse culture and trappings.

Even some of the historical artifacts and dates seem to contest our own portrayal of the migration of horses and horsemanship to our Americas, I believe less now in the migration arising in north Africa and then Spain, and I am believing more now that maybe the Huns played a larger role in influencing the horse cultures than they are given credit for. Heck, I dont know to be sure, I would love to sit down with a historian on the subject and have a chance to really talk in depth on the whole series of events.

Photo by: Jeremiah watt
Title: a pair of gauntlet cuffs in the Nurnburg Militaria Museum.

No matter who influenced whom, nor who has the best Ice Cream, I cannot encourage you enough to get to Europe and take a look if you are seeking a little something different for inspiration. Like me, if you love all work done by hand, then you will find no shortage of items that will give you the inspiration you have sought, and the rest, the bake shops and ice cream are just icing on the creative cake so to speak.

Photo by: Jeremiah Watt
Title: a small area of engraving on a gun in the Nurnburg Militaria Museum.

Posted by Jeremiah Watt at 12:39 AM | Permalink