Taking My Last Cashews!

Walking around looking for a late-night snack this weekend, I bumped into Buck Wheat in the kitchen. For those who are new here, Buck is my 22-year-old enigma of a daughter. She has the heart of a minimalist, but can’t stop shopping! And the desire to be vegetarian.

But damn-it, bacon tastes good!

“Whatcha doin?” I asked, not even turning the light on.

“Packing!” She replied. While driving her eyes and fingertips to the bottom of the can of mixed nuts.

I guess she’s bringing those last few cashews with her when she moves to Texas?

Whether she takes the last of the cashews or not, the zippers on Buck’s suitcases are about to get a workout! You’ve heard about getting 10 pounds of shit into a five-pound bag? Buck needs to fit 20 pounds in!

She a crappy minimalist!

As she prepares for her move to Austin, TX our (far too late into the night) conversations tend to center on what will fit into Pam (the name she gave her car), what’s too heavy for Pam and most importantly: can she have my car because she likes it more than she likes Pam?

Even as she’s walking out the door, this kid is costing me money!

Like the zippers on her suitcases, I am getting a pretty good workout myself these days, though not at the gym! But since I consider speaking to dealers and answering their questions about my web site and e-commerce packages for independent paint retailers a workout, then I'm in the best shape of my life!

THE Revolution! Web sites and e-commerce for independent paint retailers.

Here’s a quote from a dealer who was sharing his thoughts about THE Revolution with me recently via text: “The programming and development features that you’re describing could make your e-commerce site unique and best in class.”

I agree! And reading that made my heart feel better than any hour at the gym could have done!

Agreeing with this dealer and me that THE Revolution is best in class, was small cadre of retailers who grabbed their muskets and joined the fight for their own independence.

They’re the first in the fight; the Minutemen! But I believe many others will follow.

These Minutemen are more than just early adopters of my platform and more than just early entrants in the War for Independents! By signing up to be part of the first class of revolutionaries, these dealers show that they understand that a standalone e-commerce platform without a truly robust and fully integrated web site is a rebel, but without a cause!

E-commerce gets all the glory because it embodies a paint dealer’s favorite part of the transaction: the part when we get to take the money! But the Minutemen of THE Revolution know: without a feature and content rich web site to attract the consumers attention, there will be many fewer customers to take money from.

And they recognize that it’s the web sites and not the e-commerce which both brings in AND retains the customers which e-commerce takes the money from. E-commerce is just standing at the right place and time.

Today, maybe as you read this, my development team begins building for these dealers, the web sites with integrated e-commerce, which I have designed for independent paint retailers. In less than two-months, these newest revolutionaries will have another location to sell paint from!

With luck, six-months after that, the sites will be fully paid for from profits!

Slightly better ROI than opening a new store, wouldn’t you say?

Next week I hope to introduce you to some of the newest revolutionaries! As I write this for you on Sunday night, I have not made time to call them and ask them for permission to introduce them to you.

I hope they’re not shy!

If you are looking to join the War for Independents, click here and let me know! I'll grab you a musket!