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HIGH VOLUME DECORATOR

Tax Breaks for Education — What Every Decorated Apparel Business Owner Needs to Know
Embroiderers, screen printers and promotional products distributors can profit from breaks in the tax code to educate their employees and themselves.
Finding, hiring, training and retaining “smart” workers have long been key factors in the success of small businesses, including decorated apparel companies. Lawmakers have also recognized the importance of a smarter workforce and created a number of educational and training-related tax breaks and incentives. Those tax benefits allow every commercial embroidery, screen printing and promotional products business, large or small, to offer training and education as a “fringe benefit.”
August 04, 2008

Economic Stimulus Package Offers Tax Break for Equipment Buying
Decorators interested in expanding their business or replacing old equipment can rejoice in the new round of government incentives designed to help small business owners.
Earlier this year, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008, a $168 billion economic “rescue” package that included rebates for taxpayers and tax breaks for businesses. In addition to those tax rebates, the heart of the package, there also were tax breaks for businesses such as decorated apparel operations — breaks retroactive to the beginning of 2008!
July 21, 2008

Off the Cuff: 8 Steps to Cure the Cash Flow Blues, Part 2
Recognizing the source of cash flow problems in your screen printing or embroidery business is one thing, doing something about them is another. Here's how.
In Part I, "Cash Flow Blues," we looked at how screen printing and embroidery businesses get into cash flow ruts and introduced you to the evil Cash Flow Monster. Now we'll explore eight specific steps to learn how to gain the favor and blessings of the Positive Cash Flow (PCF) Fairy.
July 07, 2008

Apparel Decorating Business
RETAIL DECORATOR

Profit from Understanding Your Customers' Purchasing Process
Successfully serving your customers requires more than you think. You must recognize where they are in the purchasing process to adequately meet their needs.
To be a successful retail salesperson, you must understand how and why customers buy. Purchasing is a financial decision resulting in the exchange of money for goods. The process itself is very linear. The time it takes to move through this process varies according to each individual and the product or service purchased.
July 21, 2008

If You Build It, Will They Come? Part 5
To make the most of your investment, you need to drive traffic to your Web site. Here are some proven ways to do just that.
Driving visitors to your Web site once you've spent so much time and money is the final step you must focus on to improve the rate of return on your investment. After launching the Web site, if you magically expect new customers to appear on your doorstep, you'll be disappointed. The Web site must be promoted — to all of your existing customers as well as any prospects in your database.
July 07, 2008

Is an E-commerce Web Site Right for Your Business? Part 4
An e-commerce site may be just what your decorated apparel business needs and your customers want, but as in any business decision, it pays to look before you leap.
E-commerce sites typically fall into two groups: the custom-designed site that serves your own business and the company store that serves a business you represent. In this article, the fourth in our five-part series, we discuss the differences between these two approaches.
June 19, 2008

Apparel Decorating Equipment
HOME-BASED DECORATOR

How to Make the Leap from Hobbyist to Commercial Embroiderer
Many hobbyist embroiderers make the transition to commercial embroidery. But there are a few basics to know before venturing out into the commercial world.
Something interesting has happened during the past decade. Home sewing machines with embroidery attachments have increased in popularity, creating a new generation of embroiderers. A love of embroidery is driving this new segment, and many are realizing the possibility of a career doing what they love.
August 04, 2008

Read a Good Book Lately?
Take one of these books on your vacation, and you may discover ways for business improvement you never dreamed of.
As we enter the summer months, many of you will head to the beach or other spots for relaxation. And while on vacation, you may enjoy picking up a good book to read. If you are going to be reading, you might as well read something that will improve your business. For this issue of the Impressions Newsletter, I thought I would share with you my summer reading plan since you may find some of these books useful for your business.
July 21, 2008

Singlehead Embroidery Machine Selection
While the choices are many, the decision boils down to number of needles, field size and physical size.
When I started in the embroidery industry as a technician in 1991, every machine manufacturer had a singlehead machine, but it was not their best-selling model. Twelve-head and 6-head machines were the top sellers. For the company I was with, the singlehead was kind of a red-headed stepchild. But how things have changed!
July 07, 2008

Apparel Decoration Business
TECH TIPS

8 Tips for Embroidering with Metallics
Think of metallic embroidery thread as the equivalent of the foil effect popular on screen printed T-shirts sold at retail today. It adds a similar trendy look whether used in concert with other apparel decoration applications or alone.
June 09, 2008

Digitizing Designs for Terrycloth
Don't forget these important tips when creating a digital embroidery design file to sew out on towels and other deep-pile fabrics.
Monogramming bath towels and bathrobes can be a lucrative niche for embroiderers. Upscale department stores and linen shops are eager to set up arrangements with embroiderers who can monogram towels as wedding gifts.
May 22, 2008

New Threads Provide Paint for the Embroidery Palette
The latest embroidery threads include unique materials designed to create special eye-catching effects, improve production efficiency and open new markets.
It's easy to marvel at the technical sophistication of today's computerized embroidery machines and overlook the more mundane role of thread in the embroidery process.
April 29, 2008

Apparel Decorating Business

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Keeping up with the latest apparel decorating equipment is important if you own an apparel decorating business. That's why Impressions Magazine is one of the industry's most trusted resources on apparel decorating equipment. Read about the latest innovations, find an equipment dealer or advertise your own apparel decoration business, all in one place — Impressions Magazine.


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Impressions is the one-stop source for authoritative information and education on the decorated apparel business, including embellishing on wholesale apparel and promotional products. This
resource is crucial to apparel decorating professionals seeking to establish and grow a profitable decorated apparel business. Every issue of our decorated apparel magazine, both print and
online, is geared toward providing how-to instructions needed to perform the four major processes that comprise the decorating apparel industry marketplace — screen printing, embroidery,
heat-applied graphics and digital printing. Impressions also provides business and trend information unique to the decorated apparel and promotional products industry.


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