tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58984204977433297902023-06-02T10:45:48.727-04:00Corky Kids FashionCorky Coats, Frankie & Daisy Swimwear and Corky's Kids SportswearAlan Macomberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968816445566112884noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898420497743329790.post-13091143407203032512009-10-25T12:04:00.005-04:002009-10-25T12:52:31.046-04:00How to Find the Date for the Corky Warehouse SaleHere's how to be one of the first to know the dates of the next Corky warehouse sale, to be invited to the non-public openings and receive special promotions.<br /><br />A couple months before the next sale, the exact dates and times are posted at <a href="http://corkysale.com/">Corkysale.com</a>. The fall sale always starts on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend and the spring sale is sometime in March depending on the Easter weekend. The spring sale is always before Easter.<br /><br />How to be Invited to Non-Public Openings<br /><br />VIP Shopping - A few days before the sale opens, a small select group are invited into shop in a fairly relaxing environment. Each VIP can bring one guest to the event and must present their invitation to gain entry. VIP shoppers have qualified for the event by spending a minimum of $400 at a previous sale. Once you qualify, you'll be invited to the next two VIP sale events. This is a special night and the number of invitations are limited to insure a relaxing experience.<br /><br />Email Invitations - Email invitations include entry the day before the sale opens. You can sign up for our email list at <a href="http://corkysale.com/">Corkysale.com</a>. Please print your email invitation because you'll need to show it at the door to gain entry and to use the attached coupon. <br /><br />Early Entry on Email Day - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Corky">Facebook Fans </a> are sent a special invitation to gain entry to the sale a few hours before we open on email day. You'll need to RSVP through Facebook to gain entry. We love our Facebook fans!<br /><br />How to Never Miss Knowing About at Corky Sale.<br /><br />1. Sign-up for the email list and allow emails from corkyandcompany.com. If you have more than one email address we suggest you add all of them to the list.<br />2. Become a Facebook fan to get an invitation through Facebook<br />3. Sign-up for the snail mail list at the sale.<br /><br />How to Receive Special Promotions.<br /><br />Facebook fans and email subscribers are sent a special promotion towards the end of the sale where they can save an additional discount of up to 50%. Our egg-citing discount and pick a pumpkin mystery discount are very well liked events.<br /><br />There's a related post in the archives where I offered some <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/be-corky-company-warehouse-sale-vip.html">tips to help make you warehouse sale shopping more productive</a>. We'll look forward to seeing you at the next sale!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I hope the people most impacted, independent New York sales representatives; can collectively act upon changes in retail buyer behavior to the benefit of the entire kids fashion industry.<br /><br />I will do my best to explain the opportunity I see on the horizon. I do this somewhat selfishly because my company stands to benefit economically, but if done right there are enormous benefits for retailers, sales reps and manufacturers. I hope the management of the trade show venues and fashion trade media work with the New York sales reps to provide an incredible service to retail buyers. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">All people involved need to get off the what’s in it for me train and climb aboard the train that delivers for our customers, the retail buyer.</span></span><br /><br />This is an open invitation for all to join the evolution. This is not a revolution intended to hurt any company, but a recognition that our industry has changed and <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">as leaders we should work together to provide retail buyers with as much convenience and economy as possible</span></span>. I know this presentation will be met with an incredible amount of resistance from anybody comfortable with the status quo.<br /><br />Why now? For a couple years there has been displeasure among manufacturers and sales reps with the retail buyer traffic at trade shows. Hello! <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">It's not about how many manufacturers exhibit, but how many buyers find it useful to attend</span></span>. Why me? It's not about me; it’s about all of us. I've been a catalyst for change in the New York trade show scene before; Corky was the very first company to sign a contract to do the very first ENK Children’s Club. Until today I've never looked back on that decision.<br /><br />It costs roughly $80 per square foot to set-up, staff, pay for travel and exhibit at an ENK Children's Club trade. It may cost some companies more and some less, but on average this is what it costs me; a 15 foot booth $12,000, a 20 foot booth $16,000 and a 25 foot booth $20,000. My rule of thumb is we need to write orders at the show equal to 10 times the cost for the show to be cost effective. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Up until about three years ago the economics worked great, but today the economics don't work</span></span>; we're lucky to write orders equal to 3-5 times the cost of a show.<br /><br />If this is a Corky problem so be it and I am happy for all the other manufacturers who find the trade shows cost effective. I may be greedy and demand too much from a show, but I have a great New York sales rep to support who leases a very expensive showroom. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">My New York trade show budget as well as other manufacturer’s budgets needs to be reallocated to deliver economy and convenience for retailers.<br /><br /></span></span>I sincerely hope that the independent New York representatives can put together a semi-annual multi-week market that spans two weekends where retail buyers are fawned upon and scheduled in showrooms in an orderly fashion. No heavy sale pressure once the buyer is in the showroom, just business that the buyer wishes to conduct. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Treat buyers special and if a line has merit they will reward you with orders</span></span>. If a buyer doesn't wish to conduct business in New York, that's fine, just forgo the conveniences for the next market, they'll understand it's just business.<br /><br />How about town cars to shuttle the buyers, building escorts to assist buyers to individual showrooms, group dinners, train and airfare allowances and some free hotel rooms? Involve and invite the designers and manufacturers because it's their money that will make it happen. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Why do we have to jam business into a three day trade show!</span></span><br /><br />Here's my humble opinion of the current situation. The ENK Children's show doesn't have the buyer reach like they did just a couple years ago. ENK used to pull at least half the buyers from across the country, but now it’s 80% from New York and New Jersey. My rational is simple, my New York showroom should handle the 80% of buyers from New York and New Jersey and my Boston and Philly reps should handle most of the other 20%. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">For the small percentage of the truly out of town buyers I'd love to offer frequent flyer tickets for you to come to New York </span></span>or for me to fly out to visit you. <p>We’ve been doing 3-4 New York shows every year for the last fifteen years (first Larkin, then Advanstar and now ENK Children’s Club) at a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per show. I can’t believe where I’m going with this, but we’ll probably skip the January ENK show for the first time ever in fifteen years. The catalyst being the show set-up starts on January 3rd and <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I can't imagine buyers want to get on a plane to start making purchasing decisions for back to school 2009 a couple days after New Years. Hello! Have you ever heard of family and hangovers?</span></span></p>Yesterday I registered the domain <a href="http://www.nykidsmarket.org/">NYkidsmarket.org</a> and also redirected the following names to that URL, NYkidsmarket.com, NYCkidsmarket.com and .org and NewYorkkidsmarket.com and .org. I choose the .org because I look at <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;">NY Kids Market</span> not as a commercial venture, but an industry wide collaboration worthy of being branded as a .org</span></span>. I choose this name after reading a quote in a blog about <a href="http://www.successclick.com/grab-life-great-stories-about-local-businesses-and-their-domains_2008_08_06/">selecting a killer domain name, <em><strong>"Tell them who you are, where you are, and what you sell."</strong></em></a><br /><p>For up and coming companies, doing trade shows is the BEST and ONLY way to develop relationships with retail buyers and New York sales people. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">In this business it’s all about relationships and ENK provides this valuable service</span></span>. Here are three pieces of advise that will make your start up ultra successful. 1) deliver a product that fits well 2) deliver a product that looks better than your sales samples and 3) be ready to deliver one day before your stated start ship date. At Corky we meet goals 1 and 2 with fairly predictable success, but we work relentlessly to try to meet the third goal which is the hardest of all.<br /></p><p>At Corky we're done shipping back to school and I can turn my attention back to this blog. This project will become my after hours hobby and I look forward to working with <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">industry leaders to deliver a compelling experience at a great value to our customers, the retail buyers.</span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Design fresh looks which sell <b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Develop a good consistent fit<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Produce to product specifications<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Deliver on time<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:130%;">Analyze retailer selling data</span><o:p> </o:p><br /></li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal">These five steps may sounds simple, but to implement properly you will need the combined efforts of your entire workforce, supplier base, sales force and some very straightforward customers.<span style=""> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">This is what we call total quality management; quality of design, development, production, delivery and salability</span>.<span style=""> </span>I purposefully didn’t capitalize total quality management because that would infer a proper noun or the name of a program, but I prefer it to be a noun, management, modified by two adjectives total and quality.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Never think you’ve mastered the total quality cycle because the marketplace always throws a curve ball; employees will leave or retire, suppliers will go out of business, new suppliers will develop great products, customers will order later than expected, production will start and/or finish late, and competitors will emerge with a better product. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You as the business leader must accepted the fact that</span> total quality will be an endless effort and require a positive company culture of constant improvement and mutual problem solving</span>.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The quality of a garment is a function of good design, basically <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">quality is designed into a garment from the start</span>.<span style=""> </span>In addition to a “look” that will retail, design is responsible for fabric, trim and thread selection, fit and product specifications.<span style=""> </span>Get anything wrong here and maintaining total quality control will be near impossible.<span style=""></span><b style=""><o:p><br /></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sales people need to provide design with retailer and consumer input so positive trends can be emphasized and negative trends can be addressed. <span style=""> </span>I’ve learned to, <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/treat-your-customers-like-royalty.html">Treat Your Customers Like Royalty</a>, because they truly want to tell you how to succeed.<span style=""> </span>Whenever possible have your design team go to trade shows and involve your sales people in line development before cutting sample sets.<span style=""> </span>The return on this investment is enormous.<span style=""> </span><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">A good consistent fit is imperative in building a brand!</span><span style=""> </span><a href="http://kidscoats.com">Corky coats</a> have had the same fit for 15 years “a generous cut that runs true to size.”<span style=""> </span>Sales people, retailers and consumers all know how to describe the fit of a Corky coat.<span style=""> </span>Whenever we produce a coat that does not run true to size we receive an enormous amount of negative feedback that we must quickly address.<span style=""> </span>Look at a consistent fit this way, if one size 3T style fits a child, every size 3T in your line should fit that same child.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Produce to specifications and deliver on time.<span style=""> </span>Oh how simple this sounds.<span style=""> </span>In the last three years, technology advances, lower travel costs and improved shipping options has made it relatively simple for small apparel manufacturers to source raw materials from suppliers on four continents without the need to speak English, Spanish and Mandarin.<span style=""> </span>This has led to more fashion value for consumers as discussed in my post, <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/01/specialty-stores-on-target.html">Specialty Stores on Target</a>.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Orquesta_Filarmonica_de_Jalisco.jpg/300px-Orquesta_Filarmonica_de_Jalisco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Orquesta_Filarmonica_de_Jalisco.jpg/300px-Orquesta_Filarmonica_de_Jalisco.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Five years ago a small apparel manufacturer had a network of suppliers in close proximity, but today many of those suppliers have gone out of business.<span style=""> </span>Now <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">small business production managers are like orchestra leaders</span>, coordinating the global purchase and delivery of raw materials, the offshore assembly of garments and the importation of finished items to the company’s warehouse. <span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, this type of supply chain came about, not by evolution, but by revolution when the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> and its trading partners repealed the Multi Fiber Act in 2004. <o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At Corky, we had become well known for the quality of our delivery as well as the quality of our products.<span style=""> </span>However, the events of the last few years had a detrimental impact on the quality of our delivery.<span style=""> </span>During these changes, I’ve insisted the quality of a Corky coat will never be sacrificed over the quality of delivery.<span style=""> </span>I think this was a wise decision because now that the quality of our delivery is improving dramatically, the quality of the brand was never sacrificed.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Many business leaders have their own definition of total quality management, and this post is my attempt to explain <a href="http://www.corkyandcompany.info/">Corky and Company’s</a> culture of total quality management.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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In their own words; "<a href="http://www.mykidsfashion.com/">My Kids Fashion</a> is the kids fashion industry's first social network connecting designers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers from around the world."<br /><br />I created <a href="http://www.mykidsfashion.com/profile/Alan">my profile</a>, uploaded photos, joined groups, created a mini blog, and meet friends from around the world in the kids fashion industry by writing on each others wall and exchanging messages. Here are the avatars of a few of<a href="http://www.mykidsfashion.com/friends/Alan"> </a><a href="http://www.mykidsfashion.com/friends/Alan">my friends</a>. They're people from all over the world that have heard of <a href="http://kidscoats.com">Corky coats</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Friends of Corky on Fashion & Profit on My Kids Fashion</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--kec60htI/AAAAAAAAAJY/CFT5U5cE_3o/s1600-h/image001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--kec60htI/AAAAAAAAAJY/CFT5U5cE_3o/s200/image001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183542539192665810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--klM60huI/AAAAAAAAAJg/7-d3VqLux-M/s1600-h/image002.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--klM60huI/AAAAAAAAAJg/7-d3VqLux-M/s200/image002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183542655156782818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--k5c60hvI/AAAAAAAAAJo/UPiU0KQOxV4/s1600-h/image003.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--k5c60hvI/AAAAAAAAAJo/UPiU0KQOxV4/s200/image003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183543003049133810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--k-M60hwI/AAAAAAAAAJw/h76fCc8w6yU/s1600-h/image004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--k-M60hwI/AAAAAAAAAJw/h76fCc8w6yU/s200/image004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183543084653512450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--lC860hxI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/rzYJn6SVlmY/s1600-h/image005.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" 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border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mG860h_I/AAAAAAAAALo/7-EzBN_-PsQ/s1600-h/image019.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mG860h_I/AAAAAAAAALo/7-EzBN_-PsQ/s200/image019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183544334488995826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mBc60h-I/AAAAAAAAALg/3FK7asuzKxU/s1600-h/image018.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mBc60h-I/AAAAAAAAALg/3FK7asuzKxU/s200/image018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183544239999715298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mN860iAI/AAAAAAAAALw/z6t9M0hD_Tw/s1600-h/image021.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R--mN860iAI/AAAAAAAAALw/z6t9M0hD_Tw/s200/image021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183544454748080130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Join My Kids Fashion and send me an invitation to be a friend! I hope you like the site as much as me.<br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>Alan Macomberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968816445566112884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5898420497743329790.post-61233935385538771562008-06-01T08:48:00.000-04:002008-06-26T16:23:21.332-04:00The Best Jobs Stayed In America<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBoR39PV__I/AAAAAAAAANQ/tRxgT8A6okk/s1600-h/P1010040.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBoR39PV__I/AAAAAAAAANQ/tRxgT8A6okk/s200/P1010040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195484773154684914" border="0" /></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CorkyOnFashionProfit" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a>This week I’m at my apparel factory in the Free Trade Zone in the <st1:placetype st="on">village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">San Pedro</st1:placename> <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">de Macoris</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Dominican Republic</st1:country-region></st1:place> coordinating and planning back to school programs.<span style=""> </span>Key staff or I come here about every third week; it’s a Monday through Friday drill, from 7 AM to sometime after 7 PM.<span style=""> </span>With about 100 offshore employees, key relationship building, on the spot problem solving and being a good corporate citizen keeps you busy for the week.<span style=""> </span>Expenses are minimal, a hotel room is $29 a night, roundtrip airfare is below $500 and the fillet mignon I had for dinner was a whopping 285 pesos or $8.50.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnCatPV_3I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Fo7mNhdyQWI/s1600-h/drpeople+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnCatPV_3I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Fo7mNhdyQWI/s200/drpeople+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195397409224916850" border="0" /></a>It’s rewarding to be here and interact with the people who make our products, especially knowing every person here is supporting a family in a village where the unemployment rate is north of 20%. These jobs in an American factory are extremely hard to fill because first generation Americans with a cutting and sewing skill set are retiring in droves and their children have no desire to labor behind a sewing machine or a cutting knife.<span style=""> </span>Many times I think it would’ve been better to keep the jobs in America that are now here in the Dominican Republic, but I come back to this very issue; the jobs I sent offshore are the jobs nobody wanted in the USA.<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBoUMtPWABI/AAAAAAAAANg/ZY-mp10PO2M/s1600-h/drpeople+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBoUMtPWABI/AAAAAAAAANg/ZY-mp10PO2M/s200/drpeople+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195487328660226066" border="0" /></a>The high paying jobs are what stayed in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>Corky’s core group of designers, managers, sales people and customer service associates have more opportunity for advancement than at any other time in our 15 years of business.<span style=""> </span>Further, the skill set that they develop everyday in technology and<a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/01/5-tips-to-export-america-is-on-sale.html"> global commerce</a> make them a more valuable employee to any business.<span style=""> </span>The turnover in our administrative jobs is very close to zero as compared to our turnover in the warehouse which runs about 25% annually.<span style=""> </span>The management jobs are stressfully challenging, but provide a sense of purpose and this is the type of job most young people aspire.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnAudPV_1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/muK2EDYHZ8w/s1600-h/drpeople+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnAudPV_1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/muK2EDYHZ8w/s200/drpeople+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195395549504077650" border="0" /></a>If you’re an American or Dominican you’re still a human being and neither ethnicity should feel entitled to more respect.<span style=""> </span>However, opportunity is very discriminatory because some countries are further developed than others and where you’re born plays a large roll in the economic opportunities available.<span style=""> </span>By providing opportunity to our employees here in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dominican Republic</st1:place></st1:country-region>, we’re helping the country develop economically and albeit in a small way we’re improving the opportunities that will be available to their children.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /><span style=""> </span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnEhNPV_5I/AAAAAAAAAMg/hdUVTY97qsk/s1600-h/drpeople+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnEhNPV_5I/AAAAAAAAAMg/hdUVTY97qsk/s200/drpeople+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195399719917322130" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="">Let me be clear about the treatment of our employees in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Dominican Republic</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Everyone is older than 16 and receives a wage significantly above the legal minimum, the legal work week is 45 hours after which overtime pay is provided, medical care is provided to all and everyone participates in a retirement program.<span style=""> </span>We could drastically reduce these costs, but I want the best people to work on Corky’s products. My mandate in the Dominican is simple, <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/great-fashion-starts-with-outstanding.html">a Corky coat, swimsuit or dress should be a work of art</a> and nothing less is acceptable.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnSktPV_-I/AAAAAAAAANI/1iqszeBphuQ/s1600-h/drpeople+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/SBnSktPV_-I/AAAAAAAAANI/1iqszeBphuQ/s200/drpeople+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195415173209653218" border="0" /></a>Yesterday morning I challenged my plant manager in a heated meeting as to why a five minute inspection was added to every coat coming off the production line, something we could never afford to do in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>In the apparel business, even in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Dominican Republic</st1:place></st1:country-region>, a savings of five minutes in a garment production cycle is huge; it’s equal to $3.00 at retail (in an American factory it would be $9.00 at retail.)<span style=""> </span>On the flight here I made a firm decision to countermand his action. In the end the inspection stayed because he reminded me of my mandate, “<a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/great-fashion-starts-with-outstanding.html">a Corky coat should be a work of art</a>.”<span style=""> </span>For an increase of three dollars at retail, every seam inside and outside of the jacket is inspected, every embellishment and button placement is measured to spec, the fabric is checked for the smallest defects, thread colors are checked and finally the coat is put on a hanger and it must pass a very subjective test of being ascetically pleasing.<span style=""> </span>Senor Solano, thank you for standing your ground.<o:p><br /></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I am just starting my on-line business and would love to carry your products.</div><div style="font-size: 0.8em;">Asked by <a href="http://www.askablogr.com/users/398"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CheeryCherryTots</span></a></div><div style="font-size:1em;"><p style="margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >A: </span>Hi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CherryCherryTree</span> Tots:</p><p>I didn't mean to offend you. I'll try to explain why this is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Corky</span> policy and hopefully you'll understand even if you don't like the policy. Believe me in a few years you will love the policy. </p><p>When we started <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Corky</span>, back in 1994 on-line shopping was not an available distribution channel so we built up a loyal specialty retailer base through a network of salespeople throughout the United States. Some of our customer relationships go back 15 years and through the years we've developed a partnership with many of our customers. Our customer retention rate is one of the highest in the industry and I attribute this two things 1) we provide a unique high quality product and 2) we respect the need for specialty retailers to offer a product to their customers that is not a commodity.</p><p>The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Internet</span> is an amazing distribution channel now. The interaction with consumers and retailers is exploding on-line and shows no chance of slowing down. We all, manufacturers like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Corky</span> and our retail buyers need to understand three things:</p><p> 1) on-line selling/buying is here to stay and we all need to adapt to survive </p><p>2) there is a learning curve associated with selling online and its very tricky to master </p><p>3) there are overhead costs with selling on-line and this must be priced into the product</p><p>If a retailer owns a store front, to a large degree they understand overhead costs and the need to price these costs into products they sell. When these retailers venture on-line for the most part they are goal oriented and seek the help of experts to make their ventures a success. Paid search, keyword bidding, search engine optimization, link building, email marketing, pay per click advertising, pay per impression advertising, organic search, data feeds to shopping comparison sites, banner ads, contextual ads, keyword rich descriptions, meta tags, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">RSS</span> feeds and so on are extremely critical to the success of an on-line specialty retailer. </p><p>It takes at least two years to master these techniques and set the stage for a profitable on-line venture. All to often Internet specialty retailer start-ups flame out because they don't take the time to master the skills needed for on-line <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">success</span>. When the implosion occurs and they're holding inventory of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Corky</span> coats it becomes a fire sale and affects every one of the retail relationships that we've cultivated for so long. The reach of the Internet is so huge that one Internet store liquidating twenty coats can cause irreparable damage to a brand like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Corky</span> & Company.</p><p>So why would we sell to a brand new store that's not on-line. Simply because if inventory needs to be liquidated it affects a very tiny geographic area and does little damage to a well known national brand. I interact with many of our customers at shows in New York and I have the opportunity to meet many people just starting out in specialty retailing. If they are going to be an on-line only venture, I try to provide some direction and insight into the tasks critical for success. My nature is to help people succeed and I love to see success stories. I accept the fact that I may be alienating some potentially great online customers, but I hope my advise and time is worth more than the opportunity to sell a few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Corky</span> coats. </p><p>I wish you all the best with your new venture and I hope you will come back and consider <a href="http://kidscoats.com/category/10299709941/1/Girls-Coats.htm">buying <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Corky</span> coats</a> in a couple years. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div><div style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 5px;">Ask <a href="http://www.askablogr.com/question/ask?blogger_id=83"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Corky</span></a> a question.</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Our employees worked two weeks straight to make the sale possible, changing the warehouse into a store, assisting customers, running the check-out area and then turning the store back into a warehouse.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hS0s60hkI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/V4fUu3vBLD8/s1600-h/warehousesale+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hS0s60hkI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/V4fUu3vBLD8/s320/warehousesale+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181482436654302786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Girls Toddler Asle<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We took Good Friday off for a much needed rest and then finished setting up the warehouse today. Behind the scenes and late into each evening, we continued shipping current season merchandise to our cherished retailers who are the ones that truly make the "Corky Sale" possible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hRfs60hjI/AAAAAAAAAII/OU8BMdVggZc/s1600-h/warehousesale+028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hRfs60hjI/AAAAAAAAAII/OU8BMdVggZc/s320/warehousesale+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181480976365422130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">These Cowboy Hats are so Cool!</span><br /></div></div><br />The sale kicked off on Wednesday with our VIP afternoon. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">We rented a carnival popcorn machine and provided drinks along with the fresh popped popcorn</span></span>. We managed to keep the check-out line to less than a fifteen minute wait and the selection was tremendous for those who attended. This is really the best way to shop the Corky Sale. Here's some <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/be-corky-company-warehouse-sale-vip.html">tips to become a VIP</a> attendee.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hTec60hlI/AAAAAAAAAIY/4Qr-MvrWpxc/s1600-h/warehousesale+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hTec60hlI/AAAAAAAAAIY/4Qr-MvrWpxc/s320/warehousesale+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181483153913841234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Girls 4-6X Aisle<br /></span></div><br />We had a special email invitation only day on Friday that kicked off at noon. This has now become as large as our official opening day as the email list has sailed past 5,000 people. You can sign-up for the special email day at <a href="http://corkysale.com/">CorkySale.com</a>. The selection was still great, but the first few hours felt like the running of the brides at the Filene's bridal gown sale. I personally apologize for the long check-out line. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I had an all time high of twelve people at check-out, six people collecting money, two tallying orders, and four bagging orders.</span></span> I understand there were a couple of line cutting fights and I hope all left feeling satisfied.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hXHM60hqI/AAAAAAAAAJA/JD_wub9QpSI/s1600-h/warehousesale+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hXHM60hqI/AAAAAAAAAJA/JD_wub9QpSI/s320/warehousesale+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181487152528393890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Kim & Lucie Checking Out and Keeping a Sense of Humor<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hXs860hrI/AAAAAAAAAJI/J7mwB8tCKDg/s1600-h/warehousesale+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hXs860hrI/AAAAAAAAAJI/J7mwB8tCKDg/s320/warehousesale+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181487801068455602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Dreaded Check Out Line<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hYfs60hsI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/pdxUlDyosbs/s1600-h/warehousesale+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hYfs60hsI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/pdxUlDyosbs/s320/warehousesale+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181488672946816706" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jeanne, Ellie, Amanda and Diane Hustling at Check Out<br /><br /></span></div>We started early Saturday morning in an effort to get a jump on the check-out lines. I was truly amazed at the line waiting to come in at 9 am on a Saturday morning. There were 25,000 invitations given out between our mailing list and schools handing out postcards. Again we kept twelve people at check out and I think we were able to keep the wait to less than an hour. I just don't have more people that I can trust at check-out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hVn860hoI/AAAAAAAAAIw/z271LhhN7RU/s1600-h/warehousesale+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hVn860hoI/AAAAAAAAAIw/z271LhhN7RU/s320/warehousesale+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181485516145854082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Girl's 7-14 Aisle<br /></span></div><br />I provide some <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/be-corky-company-warehouse-sale-vip.html">warehouse sale shopping tips </a>a few weeks ago to help during the sale and I can offer one more now. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hint: Come as team and have one person wait in line while the other shops and then trade rolls. If you get to the front we'll let you stay off to the side until your ready to check out. Husbands can make a good surrogate line holder to.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hUws60hnI/AAAAAAAAAIo/I9H66-Xl1-U/s1600-h/warehousesale+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hUws60hnI/AAAAAAAAAIo/I9H66-Xl1-U/s320/warehousesale+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181484566958081650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Boys Selection was the Best Ever</span><br /></div><br />By the end Saturday the best items were in short supply but we came in very early Sunday to organize and restock items discarded at check-out. The selection was still good when the doors opened at 10 am on Sunday. This was our third day of the sale and Corky was able to take five and take some pictures of the sale. I hope your enjoying the photos.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hUIc60hmI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Ty4DsbbJe0k/s1600-h/warehousesale+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hUIc60hmI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Ty4DsbbJe0k/s320/warehousesale+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181483875468346978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Find a Quite Corner and Try It On<br /></span></div><br />The sale continued Monday and Tuesday and by the end of the day Tuesday we were getting very picked over. At 7 PM Tuesday we sent an email announcing an egg-citing sale for the last two days of the sale. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">As customers arrived they picked an easter egg and inside was a discount coupon for between 10% and 50% off your entire purchase.</span></span> This was a lot of fun and thanks for all the return shoppers who came back to participate in the egg-citing days. Warehouse sale shoppers we love you. Please enjoy this photo gallery.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hWWs60hpI/AAAAAAAAAI4/R9K8gkIe_G8/s1600-h/warehousesale+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R-hWWs60hpI/AAAAAAAAAI4/R9K8gkIe_G8/s320/warehousesale+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181486319304738450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Picking through the Seconds. Must be the eBay Resellers!<br /></span></div><br />The items on the third highest rail were off limits because we are still shipping those items to retailers or we're saving the inventory for our Canadian and European retailers. Please believe me <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">NOBODY CHECKED OUT WITH ITEMS ON THE THIRD RAIL</span>. I had no devious plan like saving that inventory for later in the week. Thanks for your understanding.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The spring sale is now closed and we won't open to the public until Columbus Day weekend. Thanks to all who attended and we hope to see you back in the fall.</span> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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This answer begs another question:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:180%;" >Do fashion designers start trends or do they have an ability to anticipate fashion trends?</span><br /></div><br />When a new product is released there is a principle called the theory of diffusion which helps answer the question of why fashion designers are so clairvoyant.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:130%;" >The Theory of New Product Diffusion<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Innovators</b> – venturesome people with an ability to process emerging information</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Early adopters</b> – popular people (social leaders) who are first to try new products</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Early majority</b> – people with many social contacts that quickly mainstream products</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Late majority</b> – skeptical people that will try a product only if it is a true trend</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Laggards</b> – people who look for the Levi tag in the pocket of a pair of corduroy pants</span></li></ul><br />The best fashion designers are clearly innovators, people with an ability to process information from magazines, television, movies, songs, art, buyers, consumers and sales people, and then correlate with existing fashion to forecast color and style. It's an ability that can't be learned, you either have it or you don't. This ability, however, gets better over time and when mentored properly becomes simply extraordinary.<br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a344.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/76/m_f48ff5c98eeb0ce63164c678a2bf86e7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://a344.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/76/m_f48ff5c98eeb0ce63164c678a2bf86e7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>At <a href="http://www.corkyandcompany.info/index.html">Corky & Company</a> our chief designer is one of these rare individuals. <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=1453021">Betty Sioux</a>, her nickname on Myspace, a gifted innovator is one of the last persons you would think would be an award winning childrenswear designer. When she comes to work I never know if her hair will be black, blue, red, purple, yellow or some combination there of, if her undergarments will be on the inside or outside of her outfit, if another body part will be pierced or inked, or if she'll be wearing flats or seven inch heeled shoes. The only sure thing is she will sport a look that is meticulously put together.<br /><br />Betty, my wife Kim and Annie, our youngest designer, collectively seem to be able to predict the fashion future. But since I don't believe in tarot cards, palm reading or extra sensory perception, I know they are not part of the paranormal. So the answer to the question I posited earlier is; fashion designers don't start trends, but they have an incredible ability to anticipate trends before they start. The best fashion designers are all processing similar information from all forms of media and therefore come to similar conclusions about the direction of fashion.<br /><br />So my wife, Betty and Annie don't start fashion trends, they just have a rare ability to know what you will like, a year before you know you will like something.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out these other fashion related Corky Nation blog posts.<br /><br /><a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/01/specialty-stores-on-target.html">Specialty Stores on Target</a> - As one of the nation's largest apparel sellers, Target has raised the fashion - value bar to new heights and set a standard boutique label manufacturers must exceed to remain successful.<br /><br /><a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/great-fashion-starts-with-outstanding.html">Great Fashion Starts with Outstanding Quality</a> - A small branded apparel manufacturer can’t afford a large quality assurance department, nor is this the proper way to insure a quality product in garment manufacturing.<span style=""> </span>At Corky, we define quality in five very simple steps.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Millions of sites publish feeds with their latest updates which you can subscribe and stay up to date by using an RSS reader like Google Reader.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s3bWAN2TI/AAAAAAAAAFI/0FzJdCryhaY/s1600-h/igoogle+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s3bWAN2TI/AAAAAAAAAFI/0FzJdCryhaY/s400/igoogle+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173289539867629874" border="0" /></a>Once you have a reader you can easily put it on your iGoogle home page and keep updated as sites and blogs publish new information. In this post I'll show you step by step how to sign-up for Google Reader and subscribe to the feed for the blog, Corky on Fashion and Profit. You can then add subscriptions to your Google Reader and all of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">your favorite sites will be updated in one convenient place like a personalized in-box for the entire web.</span> Whether you're at home, at work or abroad, you can access your Google Reader account from any computer with online access.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s2xmAN2SI/AAAAAAAAAFA/NJvUAXcndOA/s1600-h/googlereadernoaccount+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s2xmAN2SI/AAAAAAAAAFA/NJvUAXcndOA/s320/googlereadernoaccount+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173288822608091426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The first step is to go to <a href="http://google.com/reader/">Google.com/reader/</a> to open an account. This will bring you to a screen where you will need to create a Google account. Simply click the big blue button and you will see another screen to enter your email address, choose a password and accept the terms & conditions. A message will appear telling you to verify your email. Go to your email in box now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s_xGAN2gI/AAAAAAAAAGw/W8rI6nj1XNg/s1600-h/step2+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s_xGAN2gI/AAAAAAAAAGw/W8rI6nj1XNg/s200/step2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173298709622807042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tAUGAN2jI/AAAAAAAAAHI/oBId3v_DBfI/s1600-h/googlenewstep2+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tAUGAN2jI/AAAAAAAAAHI/oBId3v_DBfI/s320/googlenewstep2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173299310918228530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Click the link in the email to verify your email and you will now have a Google Reader account. You'll get this message confirming your account.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s9YGAN2bI/AAAAAAAAAGI/yL9dB2T8zt0/s1600-h/step3email+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s9YGAN2bI/AAAAAAAAAGI/yL9dB2T8zt0/s320/step3email+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173296081102821810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s_xWAN2hI/AAAAAAAAAG4/eGyzBAsXt7M/s1600-h/step4accountacctivated+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s_xWAN2hI/AAAAAAAAAG4/eGyzBAsXt7M/s200/step4accountacctivated+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173298713917774354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tA_GAN2kI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/2_e09vzFu7c/s1600-h/login+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tA_GAN2kI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/2_e09vzFu7c/s200/login+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173300049652603458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tBpGAN2lI/AAAAAAAAAHY/vIq8j3tW0q4/s1600-h/login2+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tBpGAN2lI/AAAAAAAAAHY/vIq8j3tW0q4/s200/login2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173300771207109202" border="0" /></a>Then go to <a href="http://google.com/">Google.com</a> and login with the your email and password.<br />Access your Google Reader by clicking on the my account link at the top right. Under my services you can see the link for your reader. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(Just note the iGoogle service because will come back to this later)</span>. Click Reader and go there now.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s6QWAN2UI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/RVb4jzr-_oI/s1600-h/welcomestep5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s6QWAN2UI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/RVb4jzr-_oI/s320/welcomestep5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173292649423952194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s6QmAN2VI/AAAAAAAAAFY/H-X9gpUR3RM/s1600-h/corkynation+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8s6QmAN2VI/AAAAAAAAAFY/H-X9gpUR3RM/s320/corkynation+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173292653718919506" border="0" /></a><br />On the far right is a screen shot of just the left hand side of your Google Reader. You're now ready to add a subscription to Corky on Fashion & Profit. Open a new browser tab or window and go to <a href="http://corkynation.com/">CorkyNation.com</a> and look for a subscribe button like the one shown to the here.<br /><br /><br /><br />At the Corky blog <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">right click</span></span> on the orange subscribe button and select "<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">copy link location</span></span>." Then go to your Google Reader and <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">left click</span></span> "<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">add subscription</span></span>" and then with your cursor inside the subscription block, <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">right click and paste the link location</span></span>. Click add and you now are subscribed to the blog, Corky on Fashion and Profit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEQGAN2oI/AAAAAAAAAHw/jcMu1wYHing/s1600-h/copylink+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEQGAN2oI/AAAAAAAAAHw/jcMu1wYHing/s320/copylink+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173303640245262978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEP2AN2nI/AAAAAAAAAHo/pgTXNf5Pk_I/s1600-h/addasub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEP2AN2nI/AAAAAAAAAHo/pgTXNf5Pk_I/s320/addasub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173303635950295666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEQmAN2pI/AAAAAAAAAH4/xkKaieTZWEQ/s1600-h/addsub2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8tEQmAN2pI/AAAAAAAAAH4/xkKaieTZWEQ/s320/addsub2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173303648835197586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After hitting the add button you'll see the screen below which shows the expanded view of your reader. I like the list view, so just click the "list view" tab in the upper right of the reader.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8stp2AN2QI/AAAAAAAAAEw/cKtX11VBDbU/s1600-h/sub5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8stp2AN2QI/AAAAAAAAAEw/cKtX11VBDbU/s400/sub5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173278793859455234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is the list view if the reader. If you select the second headline, that particular headline expands.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8sr7WAN2DI/AAAAAAAAADI/OtP_3o6lNfI/s1600-h/listview+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8sr7WAN2DI/AAAAAAAAADI/OtP_3o6lNfI/s400/listview+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173276895483910194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now you can read the story, <a href="http://corkynation.com/2008/02/great-fashion-starts-with-outstanding.html">Great Fashion Starts with Outstanding Quality</a>, in your reader. If you want to go to the origin site, just click the headline and you will go to <a href="http://corkynation.com/">CorkyNation.com</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8ssX2AN2EI/AAAAAAAAADQ/fJRSeoJhWwg/s1600-h/listviewopenitem+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8ssX2AN2EI/AAAAAAAAADQ/fJRSeoJhWwg/s400/listviewopenitem+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173277385110181954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Your Google Reader is working now and your subscribing to feeds of interest to you, but to read the feeds you need to go to your Google Reader. To make your <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">RSS feeds feel like an email in box</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">you need to set up an iGoogle page as your home page</span>. This is simple, when you logged into your reader account you automatically set up an iGoogle service. Just log into your Google account and <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">select iGoogle and click on "add stuff"</span></span> on the right hand side. Search for Google Reader and then click add to your iGoogle. Your Google Reader is now in the top left hand column of your iGoogle home page.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8sr6mAN2CI/AAAAAAAAADA/6fZAnfrVL3Q/s1600-h/igoogle+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ddA9hv9bI9Q/R8sr6mAN2CI/AAAAAAAAADA/6fZAnfrVL3Q/s400/igoogle+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173276882599008290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Now you have an RSS subscription in-box in the left hand corner of your homepage</span></span>. I hope this tutorial helps at least one person because it took a fair amount of effort. I'm sure I missed a few of the finer points, but as you start the process it becomes very intuitive. Good luck!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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With this much patterned "ca-Pow"on the cooley one expects clown shoes to anchor the ensemble.<br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont49a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont49a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br />Big bad boobie pockets give you beastly blouse baggage.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont47a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont47a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br />A big white bra strap is NOT a fashion accessory! It's called underwear for a reason.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont40a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont40a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" >This "Coin Slot" is OUT OF ORDER! Nobody wants to see the revealing introduction to your cooley! Make sure your junk isn't peaking out of your trunk.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont39a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont39a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br />Tight low rise jeans, heavy belts and tiny tees put your pooch on parade!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont32a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont32a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Over plucked, dislocated, misshaped, or drawn on clown-brows are a MAJOR NO NO!<br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont25a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.centsofstyle.org/images/dont25a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"><br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;">I hope you laughed as much as I did!</span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:180%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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After 15 years wouldn't you figure we'd have the demand forecasting down cold, well we don't!<br /><br />This week we started placing fabric and trim orders for coats that will be delivered to stores this fall. Between now, when we have only ten percent of our customer orders written, and the back to school shopping season a lot will happen. Store orders will be increased, decreased or canceled, suppliers will go out of business, fabrics will be rejected as inferior quality and need to be reproduced, shipments will be delayed in customs, dye lots won't match, the wrong color or styles will be cut and the correct ones will need to be re-cut, customers unfortunately will go out of business, some styles will blow out at retail and be reordered, others styles won't sell very well and the dog will eat my daughters homework.<br /><br />What does this all mean? Simply at the end of every fashion season Corky has a mixture of extra styles, sizes and colors leftover. We could sell it to discounters, but that would be in direct competition to the loyal specialty stores that have kept us in business all these years. So twice a year for one week after we are done shipping product to retailers we open to the public for a warehouse sale.<br /><br />From my perspective the sale serves two purposes, first it takes leftover inventory and puts cash in our checking account so we can pay our bills, and secondly it lets us see what consumers like. It's like having a week long marketing focus group. All Corky employees work the sale and listen; this style runs to small, this one to big, I like this color better than that color, why can't I find what I saw in the boutique - it looked like... Then we take the feedback and use it to influence the direction of the next years collection. So that's why we have the warehouse sale and now let me give some survival tips for the sale.<br /><br />If you've ever attended the sale you know the early birds get the best selection, but they also must bear a brutal check-out line. For the people local enough to attend the sale let me clue you in on some key strategies for shopping the sale.<br /><br />1) The ultimate is to earn VIP status. If you spend over $400 you'll be put on a VIP list for the next two sales and you'll be able to bring along a guess. A special invitation will arrive in the mail to let you know the date and time and you will need to bring the invitation to enter the sale. About 200 people are invited as opposed to the 15,000 that are invited to the public sale. Yes, you get some refreshments and some special attention, but more importantly, you get first pick of the merchandise! <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">HINT #1: Shop with a friend and check out together to go over the $400. You'll only get one invitation, but one can come as the guest of the other.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2) Sign-up for the email list at <a href="http://corkysale.com/">CorkySale.com.</a> There is an email only day sometime before the sale opens to the public. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hint#2: Sign up for the list and you'll be a step ahead of the public opening.</span><br /><br />3) On the day the sale opens to the public, the doors sometimes open early in an effort to keep ahead of the impending check-out lines. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hint #3: Show up 15 minutes early and you may beat the rush.</span><br /><br />4) The biggest issue people have is not finding a matching coat, hat and pair of mittens. Almost everybody charges in and grabs a half dozen coats and then goes searching for the matching hats and mittens. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hint #4) Go find a few matching hats and mittens and then circle back around and get the matching coat. You'll have better luck in completing the set.</span><br /><br />5) Wait till the third day of the sale. You won't get the best selection, but you'll find something nice and leave with your sanity and morals intact. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hint #5) To avoid coat rage come on the third day.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To all our loyal warehouse sale customers thank you for your business and patience. I know the service at the sale may not be stellar, but please know everybody at Corky works their hardest to hold this event and you've certainly made it a great event. Every employee from design, production, customer service, distribution and </span></span>finance is on the floor or at the check out counter along with some great friends and family.<br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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