Job Warehouse is a small Fabric shop on Bourke St. It is run by Jacob Zeimer, who is 91 years old, since 1954, but before that, was passed on from father to son, until it reached the 4th generation, Jacob, just before Pellegrini’s bar opened.

The building itself is 150 years old and hasn’t really changed at all. Before it was a fabric shop it was a butcher/grocer, with a Chinese shop next to it.

Mr. Zeimer owns the building, where he sits all day, and sells his fabrics to designers and costumers. He has no security system other than everyday locks on the doors and windows.

Job Warehouse (inside)

Tom and Jacob Zeimer

The business hours of Job warehouse are 9 – 5 on Monday – Thursday and 9 – 4 on Fridays. They are open every business week day of the year, except for the major holidays.

There are 3 staff working at Job Warehouse, including Mr. Zeimer. They do various jobs such as stacking fabric and finances, but mainly just sell fabric. These staff are Australian, Canadian and Polish, and they all work very well together.

They choose which fabric to sell by having sellers come in and then choose which fabrics they like most. None of the staff have been trained in actually running a business professionally, so they just learn from mistakes, which is a perfectly good way to work.

The only form of advertising that Job Warehouse relies on is word of mouth, however, as we have been told it has not proved effective at all. Business was booming in the 50s and 60s, but now it is hard to keep the business alive, having to pay for business registration licences etc. If rent had to be paid, Mr. Zeimer and his workmates would be broke.

Mr. Zeimer’s definition of a small business is a business that is either singally owned or family owned, which his business is a combination of, as his son is one of his staff.

Job Warehouse (outside)