I have frequently been told that one of the great things about having a web site is that you can pretend that your business is the size of Woolworth’s even if you are working from your garden shed.

  This seems very stupid to me because if your customers think that you have the limitless resources of a big company you are likely to have some very disappointed customers if you are not able to meet their expectations.

  So I thought that it would be a good idea to tell you about myself and then you can decide for your self if Connoisseur Models will be able to meet your expectations.

  I served an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer within the engineering industry and I also enjoyed model making as a hobby. Building with friends a number of 0 gauge layouts that we took around the exhibition circuit over a number of years.

  In the mid 1980,s Britain’s engineering manufacturing industry was being destroyed and I found myself unemployed. I decided to try and turn my hobby into a living and started building finished models for people mainly using kits for the parts.

  I produced my first kits in 1988 mainly with the intention of providing myself with parts for finished models and hoping that I might sell a few extra as kits if anybody was interested. Interest was such that before long all my time was being spent developing and producing new kits and I stopped producing finished models.

  I try to do as much personally as I can of the work required for producing a kit. This includes designing the etching artwork, proof building the sample models, producing the instructions including the construction drawings, making the casting moulds and producing the castings and packing all the kits. I also undertake the sales and administration work assisted by my wife Megan.

  I have never wanted to be a big businessman but just a craftsman who deals with his customers in a business like way. This has the advantage that I know all about the products that I am trying to sell you. If something is wrong then the person responsible is myself and you only have to deal with one person to have it put right.

  Also the fact that you the customer are directly responsible for keeping a roof over my head and putting food on my table is a very good incentive for me to insure that I have happy customers.

  The disadvantage of being a one-man business is that one pair of hands limits the speed and volume of what I can do. This means that the variety of tasks that a six-person business would attend to on a daily basis may take me a week to complete the full cycle of tasks.

  I tend to work at tasks in blocks of time and if you can picture me having a van driving morning followed by a casting afternoon and a office day tomorrow and hoping to fit in a parceling and posting afternoon about Thursday then you will have got the idea.

  I normally try to turn round orders and enquiries within a week or two at the most or let you know if it is going to be longer. I never bank anybodies money until I can fulfil the order.

  At times I am not the easiest of people to contact as some of the tasks I have to do preclude answering the telephone: 01544 318263. If I am not available please leave your details on the answer phone and I will contact you to discus your requirements.

  I tend to ask customers to meet me part way by using ordering and payment methods that are the most efficient for me. Email is now proving a useful tool: james.mcgeown2@btinternet.com but please allow me a couple of days to respond.

  So if you are the sort of person who requires the efficient service and resources of a large company with orders dispatched next day and electronic on line payment facilities. I am probably going to disappoint you and you may be better looking for other companies.

  But if you are the sort of person who enjoys dealing direct with a friendly craftsman who will try his best to help you with all aspects of your project.

  If you want a range of kits that are of a consistent standard and style that you can work your way through and at the same time build up a friendly two-way relationship with the producer. Then I may be your man and Connoisseur kits may meet your requirements.