Janzer Architectural Products
The Post Office might be losing money, but you can still profit from decorative mailboxes.
By Devlin Smith
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Tom Janzer can attest: The
former operating room designer was looking for a new
business-something that would require less time traveling-when one
day his wife asked him to buy a new mailbox. Simple, right? Nope. "[I] couldn't find anything in
home centers or hardware stores," Janzer explains, "and
then, finally, the lightbulb went off and I said, 'I'm
looking at a great business.' " Janzer made a mailbox that got the attention of people in the
neighborhood: "In one week, we had six or seven people knock
on the door and say, 'Hey, where did you get that? I want
one,' " he says. From that one mailbox, Janzer founded
Janzer Architectural Products, a Trenton, New Jersey, manufacturer
of mailboxes, porcelain signs and brass plaques. Four years later,
in 1989, the company began offering a business opportunity to
people interested in selling its products. Content Continues Below
Janzer dealers can operate the business full or part time, use
their own business name and sell other products, like swing sets or
gazebos. "We do ask them to have a minimum display of all our
samples so that they can go to a convention and [have] a full cadre
of products," Janzer says. He also suggests his dealers have a
work area in which to store samples, although some dealers have
showrooms. Back in Trenton, Janzer and his eight-person staff continue
making mailboxes with extra touches, like a tray that slides mail
out of the box. Says Janzer, "It's not just a box with a
door and a flag."
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What makes a good client gift?
What guidelines do you follow when buying gifts for your clients? Have you ever received an unusual or inappropriate gift?
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