Pinterest: Visual Social Marketing for Apparel Decorators
By now you’ve surely read one or two articles about the value of incorporating a social media marketing strategy into your business plan. If you haven’t heard of Pinterest you may want to jump on this gigantic growing social media phenomenon.

Meet Michelle: Chronicling a Start-Up Decorator — Part 5
In part five of this series, find out what happens as start-up decorator Michelle Capps debuts her first-ever, bricks-and-mortar retail location.

Off the Cuff: The Potential Profits and Pitfalls of Political Orders
Going forward until Nov. 6, politicians and their hardcore supporters are revving into high gear; they have amassed their resources and readied their campaigns. For the decorated apparel industry, that means lots of new — albeit one-shot — business.

Meet Michelle: Chronicling a Start-Up Decorator — Part 4
Since last checking in with Michelle Capps, her start-up apparel decorating business has grown exponentially. And by applying what she’s learned throughout various training classes, Capps has grown her client list.

Meet Michelle: Chronicling a Start-Up Decorator — Part 3
In part three of this series, find out what happens as start-up decorator Michelle Capps receives and learns how to use her newly purchased equipment.

Meet Michelle: Chronicling a Start-Up Decorator — Part 2
In part two of this series, learn how start-up decorator Michelle Capps navigates her first Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS) in Atlanta. Find out what she learned, who she networked with, and the equipment and accessories purchases she made to help grow her Dade, City, Fla.-based embroidery business.

Meet Michelle: Chronicling a Start-Up Decorator
Inspired by fond memories of decorating her children’s clothing by hand when they were young, Michelle Capps decided to enter the decorated apparel industry. Read on to learn how this Dade City, Fla.-based woman started her own embroidery business from the ground up.

It Pays to Take Shirt Design Online
One of the biggest trends in the decorated apparel industry is online apparel design. When set up correctly, it can function as a 24-hour salesperson for your business. It’s a great way to capture the small-order market and satisfy customers who otherwise would not be profitable.

Boost Your Business with Social Media Marketing
Have you been dragging your feet to get started using social media as a marketing tool? If so, you may want to check out how many of your competitors already are on Facebook and Twitter. Next, you may want to see if your competitors have gained some of your customers as “fans” or “followers.”

Jumpstart Your Sales with QR Codes
Want to boost your company’s sales with an easy and value-add idea? Adding a QR code sales program may be what you’re looking for. Read on to learn what a QR code is, tips on engaging clients with this new idea, how to create and print the QR code, and some tips on checking to make sure your QR code is properly set up and working.

Off the Cuff: Crank Up Your Market Share — Starting This Week!
As peak season mushrooms with a burst of incoming orders, very few companies consider expanding their advertising investments during the strongest months. Consider, though, the wonderful possibilities that ensue by stepping up your company’s advertising through peak season and why such a strategy works more efficiently for you and your bottom line.

Use LinkedIn to Build a Better Business Community
Learn how to utilize the LinkedIn community and its features to strengthen existing or form new relationships and, in doing so, increase business for your company.

Off the Cuff – You Don’t Know Jack!
Jack, a promotional products distributor, calls and wants to send some work your way. But before he does, he’d like to see your facility. You’re accustomed to this type of request and you understand Jack’s motivation to check out your place out for himself. Everything about this encounter is perfectly normal and kosher. But ... you don’t know Jack!

Off the Cuff: Getting Publicity
Guglielmo Marconi is generally credit with the invention of radio (though his patent was overturned in 1943 by the United States Supreme Court and awarded to Nikola Tesla).

Off the Cuff: Networking Your Way to Success: Part 3 of 3
In Parts 1 and 2, we looked at the basics of networking and opportunities to meet potential buyers — including groups you can join, speaking to community groups and inviting groups to tour your business to see your production facilities and your staff in action — and a starting point for lead follow-up. We’ll continue the prescribed follow-up agenda here in Part 3.

Off the Cuff: Networking Your Way to Success: Part 2 of 3
In Part 1, we looked at the basics of networking and opportunities to meet potential buyers, including organizations you can join, speaking to community groups, and inviting people to tour your business and observe your production facilities and staff in action. The “Now what?” after developing a contact is outlined here, so you can develop your own implementation agenda for following up your leads.

Off the Cuff: Networking Your Way to Success: Part 1 of 3
New to the industry? Been in the biz awhile and looking for new accounts without spending a fortune to find them? Are you a good networker? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on.

Off the Cuff: A Good Showroom Lets You Show Off Your Stuff: Part 3 of 3
In Parts I and 2 of this series, we look at some of the issues, challenges and benefits of having a good showroom at your place of business, tagging your samples to help your customers buy “up,” at store fixtures, the use of mannequins and how to effectively display decorated and undecorated samples.

Off the Cuff: A Good Showroom Lets You Show Off Your Stuff: Part 2 of 3
In Part I of this three-part series, we explored questions that you should ask yourself with regard to your company’s showroom.

10 Ways to Sell More Wearables and Promotional Products — Regardless of the Economy
A troubled economy doesn't have to mean trouble for you. In fact, while some businesses are trying to scrimp, save and cost-cut their way to success, others are gobbling up market share and racking up record sales — taking a proactive approach to growth while others are too afraid to move.

Off the Cuff: A Good Showroom Lets You Show Off Your Stuff: Part 1 of 3
Not all apparel decorating companies have showrooms, of course, but most of those that do may consider a makeover once the insanity of high season has abated. For all the businesses that operate in the real (as opposed to the virtual) world, the mission isn’t to tell you what a showroom is, but to tell you what it should be.

Keep Visitors Coming Back To Your Website
Imagine visiting a retail store with dusty items on display in the window, aging signs with misspelled words, and out-of-style products for sale. Sounds unappealing, right? While most companies wouldn’t dream of leaving their brick-and-mortar business in such a sorry state, all too many let their online content gather virtual dust — and turn away potential customers in the process.

Off the Cuff: What’s In a Name? Part 4 of 4: Descriptors
In Parts 1, 2 and 3, our discussion covered considerations in naming or re-naming our company and using tag lines to better position and define your enterprise in the minds of your customers and prospects. Now, let’s look at putting your tag line to work for you to help make your case in the minds of prospects and customers.

Off the Cuff: What's In a Name? Part 3 of 4: Second Names and Tag Lines
In Parts 1 and 2 of this four-part series, we’ve collectively explored several angles on naming or renaming your company. Now, we’ll look at creating additional company names and augmenting your company name or names with tag lines to help strengthen your company’s or companies’ position(s) in your prospects' and customers' minds.

Off the Cuff: What's In a Name? Part 2 of 4: Names to Avoid and What Qualifies As a Dream Name?
Let’s look at some of the types of names that you shouldn’t consider for your business: two types of company names that have inherent limitations, evince little creativity or are weak in developing a distinctive, differentiated business name. Then, we’ll discuss the elements of a “dream name.”

Off the Cuff: What's In a Name? Part 1 of 4: Criteria for Selecting a Name or Renaming Your Company
Naming — renaming — your company is a critical factor in positioning it for success. Finding the right name entails lots of considerations. Finding an effective name addresses and answers several questions: Does it tell who we are and what we do? Does it tell our story well? Does it tell the whole story? Is it memorable or catchy? Is it dated or does it limit us?

Off the Cuff: Enhancing Your Company's Image: Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at using some of the available time during the winter doldrums as an opportunity to revitalize how we look and feel to our customers and prospects, including rethinking our company name and logo, and making a better effort at upgrading how people judge us in terms of first impressions. Now, let’s turn to implementation considerations for improving our response time on leads and a follow-up agenda for converting inquiries into orders.

Off the Cuff: Enhancing Your Company’s Image: Part 1 of 2
The chill of winter has its “effect” on the decorated apparel industry, as well as many other business sectors in our economy. By mid-January, our production areas are about as clean as they’ll be all year long. But while we’re all waiting for the weather to warm up both the Northern Hemisphere and our production departments, you might take the opportunity to revitalize and revamp how your enterprise will look and feel to your customers this year.

Off the Cuff: Selling Decorated Apparel to Professionals
During my elementary school days, I recall, my dentist wore a white cottonsheet garment with a Nehru-type collar and big buttons that ran along half of the top, from his shoulder to the neck. Today, my dentist wears a golf shirt embroidered with the logo of his practice. When using his jackhammer, he still wears an embroidered white smock, which could be a clue that he also may be wearing my blood in the next 10 minutes.

Off the Cuff: Good Enough for Government Work: Part 2 of 2
In "Good Enough for Government Work: Part 1," we discussed the basics of bidding for government work, getting on bid lists and where you can get assistance to help get started with the process. Now, let’s turn to maximizing your chances of winning a bid that you can actually make money on, and whether (or when) to sharpen your pencil.

Off the Cuff: Good Enough for Government Work: Part 1 of 2
There are times in business when, for a moment or two, you wish you could pack it all in and get a “normal” job — you know, one where, as long as you show up on time and clock in the required number of hours, you get a paycheck every week. Or maybe you could get a government job, where it seems that sometimes, even if you don't show up to work, you can still get a paycheck — at least until somebody notices you’re away or your boss gets indicted.

Off the Cuff: Differentiating Your Company from the Competition: Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we examined the importance of making a good first impression on prospective clients, properly handling incoming inquiries, what your company’s appearance says about it, as well as its professionalism to first-time visitors. Now, let's turn to issues regarding educating your prospects about your products and services, responding to inquiries, following up on them and what these improvements will cost.

Off the Cuff: Differentiating Your Company From the Competition: Part 1 of 2
What’s so special about your company that would influence a prospect to buy from your company over another? What are you doing to create — and reinforce — the perceptions that buying from your company is a wiser choice than buying from your competitor?

Off the Cuff: Convince People to Buy From You — Part 2 of 2
In Part 1, we looked at how companies handle incoming inquiries on the phone and the first impressions people get when visiting companies in our industry. Now let's turn to improving your company's marketing identity, educating and informing your prospective customers, and improving the follow-up with these prospects.

Off the Cuff: Convince People to Buy From You — Part 1 of 2
Why should a customer buy from you instead of your competitor? What’s so special about your company that it would inspire a customer to choose your services over your competitor’s? What are you doing to create — and then reinforce — the perception that buying from your company is a wiser choice?

Off the Cuff: Make Hay While the Sun Shines! Literally.
Each year, many apparel decorators go from 1st Quarter famine to 2nd Quarter feast — it’s a common phenomenon in our industry. As peak season blooms with a burst of incoming orders, few companies consider expanding their advertising investments during the strong spring months. That’s because the majority of industry entrepreneurs believe in the conventional wisdom that you don’t need to advertise when times are good, and use that as a way to cut marketing expenses overall.

Off the Cuff: Good Phone Habits and Follow-Up Drive Growth
Learn how good phone technique and follow-up will help create loyal, long-term accounts. Assigning a human being to handle follow-up solicitations via e-mail, via telephone, and, circumstances permitting, in person will dramatically increase and accelerate your return on investment.