Why is this business a great resource for your company?

1. Uniforms are mandatory for most businesses. It is important for both service and security purposes that employees are easily identified.
2. Employee turn-over in some businesses is high, so re-orders are a continual part of uniform printing.  The uniform business can be steady throughout the year for this reason.  It is not uncommon for businesses to have seasonal style changes which is additional printing for you.  Outdoor trades will require heavier styles like sweats and jackets, while restaurants and medical offices will require styles for both women and men.  The more flexible your capabilities are, the better the sales opportunity for your business.
3. Employee turn-over can be high in some trades, so quick response will give advantages to local screen printers.  Many screen printers will stock printed apparel for good customers which creates a loyalty factor to keep the business over a longer period of time.
4. Employees will require more than one garment so order sizes are higher.
5. Smaller businesses will benefit from your business being flexible in your offering of garment styles and decoration techniques.  It will benefit your company to periodically show new garment styles to your customers.  Simply giving your customers ideas is not ‘selling’ but helping your customer.  Style sells.

Do you wear apparel advertising your screen printing business?  Set an example by wearing apparel throughout that you can produce for other businesses.  One very innovating screen printer in Florida has a mannequin in the lobby featuring a ‘print of the week’ where they feature prints of local businesses they they produce.  It acts as a ‘see what your business can do’ challenge.  Very subtle selling but very effective.   Remember, what you wear is a powerful statement about who you are!

You can create your own QR codes here .  There are many other sites that will generate your code.  They are royalty free and ISO standard.

When you create a QR code offer some instructions of what you are offering, e.g. ‘25% with this code’ or ‘more information’.  Simply stated, give them a reason to scan your code, then track your scans so that you can build winning campaigns from the scanned data.  QR codes are an interactive medium aimed directly at mobile and information driven people.

Admission is FREE but registration is required.

Some of the classes offered:
All Over Printing
CorelDraw. This is a premium class @$49.95 per person and space is extremely limited, reserve early.
White Ink Printing
Automatic Screen Printing
Discharge Printing
Choosing the Correct Emulsion
Proper Screen Cleaning
Reflective Inks
Heat Transfer Techniques
Sublimation Techniques
There will be Automatic screen printing machines, digital printers, sublimation equipment, embroidery equipment and screen cleaning equipment & dip tanks.  If you are within driving range of Kings Mountain, NC (just south of Charlotte) meet and greet other printers, talk to suppliers and enjoy some good food with the staff of Texsource.

1.  Is your logo so complicated that someone who does not knows you does not or cannot relate to the logo, or simply does not understand it?  Survey a few people that do not know you and ask them what they see.  Clever logos that do not communicate are not for you…even if your child did design it!

2.  Check your font types and limit them to two, maximum.  One font type, excluding the logo communicates better.

3.  Make your email address large enough to read.  It is no longer an after thought.  To make strings of email letters easier to read  increase the spacing.  This is especially important when ‘ i ‘ & ‘ l ‘ are together like, ‘william’ or ‘phillip’.  You can read it, but can a stranger read it?

4.  If you have a web site you regularly update and that visually showcases your work place it prominently on your card.  Again pay close attention to letter spacing so people new to your company can read it.

5.  When you can afford it, die cut shapes, clear coats or heavier card stocks are very eye catching and effective.

6.  Does your card tell some one what you do?  A line or two like: ‘Fast, reliable screen printed garments & uniforms’ will also sell for you after the card is given away.

7.  Arguably the space most debated is the back of the business card.  Some believe that leaving this side open for notes is better.  Progressive companies see the back side as more real estate to sell your company services.

Just because the business card design has been with you for several years does not mean it isn’t time to review your business card design to create a greater sales impact.

Flatten the production mountain by spreading production from peak times into slow times.  Simple answer to a complicated problem to which every screen print shop owner will respond,, “My business is different.”  Start first with your sales department by pre-booking orders from regular customers.  Even with incentives this will even production schedules.  Generic brands sold by major retailers, are packaged in the slower periods of production by the sourcing manufacturers.  Tell your valued customers that you have special offers in your two slowest months of production.  Also, if you have a regular repeat customer, print ahead and deliver later.  The downside is that you tie up inventory dollars, but this is versus lay-offs with unemployment claims and re-training new employees.

Even in custom screen shops, where turnaround is more immediate, two possible options are:

First, review all orders from the previous year.  Focus on customers who ordered in peak times.  Offer a discount or special if they will place an order during better times for you (just like generic products). When selling to other business owners, they can appreciate your dilemma and possibly accommodate you.

With new customers focus promotions and advertising concentrated to your slower times.  For sports teams, create specials for acting early.  Get your uniforms early and beat the rush!

All businesses have unique circumstances, but the problems are all basically the same.  Reviewing this problem, as you review past sales orders will provide insight to reducing over-time or the cycle of hiring and firing employees with all the problems that creates.

The Printwear Dallas show will be May 10 thru 12 at the Dallas Convention Center.  The Printwear show is brought to you by the NBM (National Business Media Group). The Printwear shows are an informative combination of markets; combining sign, apparel,  trophy & awards.  As screen shops become more digital, and digital shops see the versatility of screen printing, markets are merging.

NBM publishes Printwear, Sign & Digital Graphics, and Awards & Engraving magazines that are available at no cost for businesses in either print or digital formats.  If you cannot attend, sign up for one of these great trade publications.  The Printwear show also offers over 30 classes presented by industry professionals with ‘real world’ experiences.  They are great for employee training.  Nothing beats seeing hands-on demonstrations like these classes offer.  Classes start on May 9 and run thru May 12.  For a complete listing of class topics: http://thenbmshow.com/dallas-2012/schedule .

Easiway will be represented by our very own Steve Nelson and he will be doing demonstrations and answering your question in the Texsource Texas booth #209.  Easiway will also be represented by McBee Supply in booth #423.

1.  Regularly change displays in your office, show rooms, store window and any area that customers will see your best work.

2.  Frequently update your home page and sample section of your web page.

3.  It is common sense, but is frequently over-looked, keep your sales staff armed with your best and latest samples.

4.  Customers rarely request art styles that they have not seen in other places.  Make time to view work by other firms.  This can be done by a stroll through the mall, reading trade magazines or viewing web sites.  Wherever your inspiration is, do  it regularly and frequently.

5.  Leading customers is not just in the art room.  Show customers new colors and color combinations, hot font styles and variations of designs on dark and light garment styles.

Leadership in your sales room will give your customers better art and in any cases protect customers from themselves.  When you print really bad artwork it is also a reflection of your business.  Design leadership will also help your art department, so that each design is not a custom adventure each order.  Leadership is most importantly, is frequently and continually updating your business site, web site and sales people with the latest samples and garment styles.  When customers see that you have done quality work for companies they recognize, your credibility increases.

Dr. Seligman’s core concepts of the ‘good life’ are:

1)  Positive emotion.   These can be ‘tuned’ by the self discovery of writing notes at bedtime each day of things and events that went well and why.

2)  Engagement.  Selectively using your strengths to perform routine tasks.

3)  Relationships.  Complex and in many forms.

4)  Meaning.  Belonging and serving something bigger than yourself.

5)  Achievement.  Determination counts for more than knowledge.

Through this research Dr. Seligman has authored many books and hosts a great resource site at the University of Pennsylvania called Authentic Happiness http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx which has many on line testing tools that are great no cost tools in the very interesting concepts of learning and enhancing happiness.   These many tools are great for employee/management exploring Positive Psychology for happier individuals in happier work environments.  Try a few and see the that happiness can be developed through your core strengths.  Learned Optimism is Dr.Seligman’s latest best selling book.  A evaluation from that book is hosted at Stanford University http://www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/LearnedOpt.html .  Take a moment and see if Positive Psychology has a place for you and business.

The DAX show offers all attendees discounts and samples that will easily pay for your trip to the show.  Meet manufacturers and suppliers to get the latest trends or simply answer your specific questions.  Easiway will be represented by T & J Printing Supply http://www.tandjprintingsupply.com/ .  Stop by and meet Syd Tabor and his staff in Booth 314, for the latest screen & digital trends.

Admission to the DAX Show is is $5.
DAX offers a great seminar package of 18 seminars taught by top industry writers, consultants and speakers.  The seminars are affordably priced at $35 each or $125 for a complete seminar pass to any of the seminars you wish to attend. These seminars  were created specifically to address the challenges garment decorators are facing in today’s changing economy. All the DAX Shows have a very interactive feel, and they encourage attendees to lunch and meet with other business owners.

This show is very well managed and DAX attendees return year after year because of the friendly hands-on approach.  If you are within a a drive to the Chicago area the DAX show is a can’t miss event for quality garment decoration education, new product announcements, product demonstrations, save money with special offers and meeting the people & businesses you do business with on a regular basis.  Say hello to Scott and the great people at DAX, too.

The Printwear show offers an excellent  opportunity to learn from industry speakers, meet with suppliers, find products, introduce yourself to other business owners, and see the latest industry developments. Attending shows is a great investment in your business’ future and is one of the best ways to see industry trends, first.

Dallas also provides a great getaway weekend destination with hundreds of restaurants, events and sports events (the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks and FC Dallas will all be hosting games during the Printwear show dates). View the Visit Dallas site: http://www.visitdallas.com/ site for lodging deals.