Angela Haig-McAuliffe - Prolab - Dunedin, New Zealand www.prolabnz.com

Please feel free to share my photos and plans with others, including my women's product ideas. I'm always searching for new ideas that will expand Prolab but always keeping cost in mind. The things I choose to do, I always look for "do it yourself" options by doing lots of research and learning.

Anyway, I'd be interested in any feedback you get on my ideas.

Thanks for the kind words. It's encouraging to share ideas and get positive responses back.

Hi there Bill,

Long time no see. How are things in your part of the world? Lots have happened here this year for us. We have added a small meeting area/gallery for my studio in the back of the shop. I think it makes the shop look very cozy now (see attached photos).

We have also redone the exterior of the shop with bright images which looks great and vibrant.

Craig and I have also added to our family this year.

Baby Boy Leo Blake McAuliffe arrived July 28, 4 weeks early weighing 2.3Kg (5lb). We spent 10 days in the hospital in intensive care due to Leo not maintaining his own body temperature and getting some jaundice. We're at home now and doing well. Frankie is enjoying being a big sister and the photos have already taken over the household. We once again put a birth notice in the newspaper under 'Prolab" which keeps my customers "in the know" and also is like a little advertisement for Prolab.

As for business, it's been tough for the last year but we have put a few things in place to gain more market share in a few areas. Apart from adding the meeting/gallery area, we have been working on adding an FTP server program for professional photographers. This should make it easier to service the whole South Island and gain more photographers into our professional services program. I have found a piece of software designed by a man in Missouri and am working with him to make it happen.

I'm also working on a new website/venture selling women's camera accessories. There is nothing in New Zealand that sells to women specifically. As a female photographer, I have been trying to personalize my equipment. My searches led me to some great camera straps and camera bags. The stock here in NZ is designed by men, for men and there are many more women photographers now emerging. This got me thinking about some 'girl power' and a possible avenue to add another section of revenue to Prolab.

I'm thinking of calling it (name withheld because she hasn't registered the domain name yet) and will be working on the acquisition of stock and web design while absent on maternity leave until December. There's never any rest for a business owner! I'm very interested in Kelly Moore bags and JillE bags (both from the USA).

Most of the companies I have approached are more than happy for my to become their NZ distributor. I've been importing Phat Straps from Texas and they have been very well received here.

Anyway, time to go feed Leo. I hope you are well and enjoying life.

Kind regards

Chris Lydle - Chris' Camera Center - Aiken, SC USA - www.chriscamera.com

Our story thus far: - the beginning of July my landlord convinced me to take over the space next to me, effectively making my store twice as big. I got the keys on Saturday, July 31, and started to work. Here's the first chapter of the story.

Remember that clean, open space you saw last week? It's getting a little crowded now.

At the PRO trade show I'd ordered a huge amount of frames and told all the vendors to ship after August 1st. We plan to greatly increase the breadth of our selection. In this photo, Andy is checking in some of those orders while Stuart is up on a ladder replacing burned-out F40 T12 fluorescent bulbs.

Nathan Shealy, my general contractor, will be making this wall go away. (we'll conserve the slat wall for other display.) Today - Thursday August 12th - they pull the permits and drop the tools and materials off at the store. On Friday they will cut into the wall from this side, leaving the side which faces our current store site intact for the day.

About the end of the day we'll take out the last cabinets and that slat wall.

Saturday the walls open up. We'll be hanging lots of PVC sheeting to keep sawdust to a minimum.

While our plan is to be open for everything Saturday, we won't process or print film. Although Nate plans to keep sawdust to a minimum - we can't maintain clean room working conditions under these circumstances.

We'll be moving and refacing a lot of the IKEA unfinished cabinets that we currently use. This finishing bin will find a new life on the other side of the wall.

September 11-13, 2010 - PMA Canada Toronto Congress Centre, Toroton, Ontario, CA more information

September 21-26, 2010 Photokina in Köln, Germany. http://www.photokina-cologne.com/

September 22-25 - CEDIA Expo, Atlanta, GA

November 15-17, 2010 - 6Sight Conference - San Jose, CA, USA - http://www.pmai.org/6sight_09.aspx?id=15274

June 23-26, 2011 - PMA Australia, Sydney http://www.pmaaustralia.com.au/

June 27-30, 2011 - IPI Members' Retreat and Trade Show - Henderson, NV USA - By invitation

July 16-20, 2011 - PRO Members' Convention and Trade Show, Jacksonville, FL- By Invitation

September 6-9, 2011 - DIMA Conference, Las Vegas NV USA