Small business owner nearly doubled his business in less than a year after learning how to get more out of his software.
PRLog - April 15, 2015 - BARRINGTON, Ill. -- Sometimes the right teaching tool makes all the difference, and that certainly was the case for Smitty Smith, who has operated Smith Iron, a custom ironworking business, in Lowell, Ohio, since 1986. It was mastering a software program that gave his business a much needed makeover.
Each custom job Smith executes starts with a drawing of the finished piece that Smith later creates in metal and, thanks to SofTutor, Smith now creates those drawings in three dimensions (3D), an advance that helped him double his sales.
Not long after founding his company, Smith acquired an AutoCAD® system to help him create project drawings, but his limited computer skills only allowed him to create two-dimensional (2D) drawings. Despite his best efforts to master the system’s 3D capabilities, Smith was stumped. He took classes at the local community college and looked at demonstrations on YouTube, but still couldn’t master 3D.
Smith was frustrated and on the verge of giving up when he first stumbled across SofTutor. Using the free trial offered with the product, he was able to learn the basics of AutoCAD 3D in just two days, and was happy to continue once the free trial ended, mastering the entire program in less than three weeks.
“My customers couldn’t imagine how the finished product would look from a blueprint. So, I had to learn how to get the ideas across in 3D and show them how it would work in real life. I learned 3D almost overnight with SofTutor,” said Smith. “It’s the perfect learning tool for me.”
SofTutor has been designed to make learning both fast and easy, according to SofTutor founder and CEO Randy Hilgers.
“We believe the best way to learn is by doing,” he said. “SofTutor teaches consumers how to use a variety of software products, including AutoCAD, MicroStation®, Microsoft Office, Photoshop® and more. SofTutor has been proven to raise retention rate and cut down on learning time by up to 70% percent.”
After a video of Smith’s learning experience went up on SofTutor’s YouTube page, Smith was contacted by Alycia Baesman, an Ohio woman eager to add a custom staircase to her home. Smith’s 3D rendering of a staircase impressed Baesman, and he got the job.
https://youtu.be/LTsi-4mdxvM
“Smitty’s work is amazing. It’s extremely sturdy and artistic. This house might fall down, but the staircase will still hold up,” Baesman said.
Smith’s work for Baesman also won him a referral to Darin Hilt, who was so impressed by Smith’s work in the Baesman house that he wanted Smith to do the ironwork for ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition® Season 9, Episode 20, on which Hilt, the owner of P&D Builders, was the main contractor.
“Iron is unforgiving,” Hilt noted. “You build it, you got it. So Smitty had to prepare it off site, then send it in, and it fit like a glove. That’s not an easy thing to do, but he got it spot on. He’s a top–notch Ironworker.”
Hilt also explained why 3D drawings are so vital for custom home projects: “One major challenge in our field is that our customers often have difficulty visualizing the finished project, especially the detailed elements that craftsmen like Smitty provide. To help our customers visualize that sort of detail, 3D software is invaluable; it is an essential business tool.”
About Smith Iron
Smith Iron of Lowell, Ohio, is a family business currently run by his son, an 8th-generation iron smith. For more information, contact Smith Iron at 740-896-2299. For pictures and samples of work, go to smithiron.com.
About Smitty Smith’s Story
visit softutor.com/smitty-story
Take the Smitty Challenge - What will you learn?
If Smitty can learn in two days what can you learn in three? SofTutor three-day trial (Learn AutoCAD, MicroStation, Office - Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Windows and more). SofTutor Trial for: Home / Student User or Professional User
About New Vision Software, Incorporated – SofTutor Learning
New Vision Software, Incorporated, revolutionizes software training by combining overlaid hands-on video learning with easy-to-follow examples. Since 1995, over 250,000 users — from major universities to Fortune 500 companies to those learning at home — have reduced their learning time while increasing their retention of the material. To learn more about SofTutor and what it has to offer please visit: SofTutor.com. Higher resolution photos and images are available upon request.
SofTutor is a registered trademark of New Vision Software, Incorporated. MicroStation is a registered trademark of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. Microsoft Office is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Incorporated.
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SofTutor®, The Revolutionary Software Learning Tool, Helped Ohio Ironworker Give His Business a Makeover
April 15, 2015 at 11:26 AM EDT
