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Boston Resident Frames New Career
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Posted: 09/01/2007 - 19:31
• Peter Crossley graduated from Boston University with an MBA in Finance and went on to hold positions as an investment banker in areas as far away as London and Brazil. So, how did he end up back in Boston as the owner of a successful franchise?
Peter Crossley graduated from Boston University with an MBA in Finance and went on to hold positions as an investment banker in areas as far away as London and Brazil. So, how did he end up back in Boston as the owner of a successful franchise? “I didn’t start out looking for a franchise, but I did want to own my own business after going through one too many mergers in the banking industry.” His search for a custom frame shop began when his sister Cindy, who had more than twelve years of experience in the industry, agreed to work with him. He found the FASTFRAME franchise through an internet search on Google. “After exploring what they had to offer, I decided a franchise was the way to go. The marketing materials, strong vendor relations and overall support they offered were critical factors in my decision to move forward.”
He opened his store in Boston`s historical South End neighborhood, in the section referred to as “SOWA” or South of Washington Street. This
former “crack neighborhood” has been transformed to the trendy side of town and now boasts upscale restaurants and specialty boutiques and houses a large artist population, all thanks to the GLBT community leading the charge. Crossley notes, “Even though the neighborhood has grown more diverse in recent years, the `South End` is definitely the `gay neighborhood` of Boston. I would say seventy to eighty
percent of my clientele is gay. We see each other at neighborhood events and support similar causes, so I think it’s natural for them to choose me as their local framer. There is also the comfort factor for some people in bringing in gay themed artwork for a gay man to frame, as opposed to a straight man.” Crossley also runs advertisements in magazines such as “Boston Spirit” tagged with the announcement, “New Gay Owned Business in the South End,” in an effort to increase the awareness about his business for the gay community in his area.
Crossley`s advertising efforts have paid off as his customer base includes local residents, business owners, artists and designers. Shortly after opening, one of Boston`s most sought after interior designers came to Crossley`s store with a project. The intricate order involved an oversized custom mirror with cutouts for light fixtures. “I knew this was a tremendous opportunity, so I called everyone I knew from my franchise contacts to my local vendors to make sure I had all of my bases covered.” His attention to detail paid off. The designer is a
regular customer and the intricate order, the designer`s signature piece, has become a standard job for Crossley`s store.
While he spends much of his time developing and catering to his customer base, he also knows the importance of giving back to the community. Most recently, he donated close to $10,000 in framing to support two local charities; the “Men’s Event,” an annual black tie fundraiser to support the Fenway Community Health Centre, the largest health facility in the nation dedicated to the health care of the GLBT
community, and Artcetra, a bi-annual fund raising event for Aids Action.“I hope my store is perceived as a good neighbor. I try to actively participate and donate my resources for causes that are important to my client base.”
In the two years since Peter opened his FASTFRAME, he has become one of the top 20 producing stores in the country; quite an impressive feat considering there are currently over 300 locations. It`s also one of the many reasons he was chosen as “Rookie of the Year” at the franchise`s national convention, an award definitely worth framing.
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