posted
As spring arrived today, the phone began to ring again. I really want to reinvent or reshape & define what we do.
As we eek out our existance, we are stepping up our marketing and working even harder to make our deadlines, upgrade our product, and work even harder to achieve customer satisfaction. Most of all, I am working on my attitude. I need to cleanse myself of the winter doldrums.
What does spring bring for you? What direction are you heading? What have you done to reinvent when necessary?
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3516 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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We'll be off to the ISA show in Vegas next month. A nice chance to "one on one" with peers, suppliers and industry experts all in one spot. It's a terrific chance to check out the latest equipment and technology. Someone in your community is going to come back prepared for the future. It could be your current competitor, one you haven't seen yet, or it could be you. This show is where we build off when discussing our one year and longer plans. No matter what your sign specialty, there are products, presentations, resources and people that you can learn from. Sure it can be a little overwhelming, but plan your time carefully, and it could be the best investment you make this year.
Five years ago at the show, we saw a product we really liked. It is manufacturered in the USA. Laurie asked them about distribution rights in Canada. Within a year, we obtained the exclusive rights for Canada and haven't looked back. We use a lot of the product ourselves and sell the rest right across the country.
Anyway Rick, ask the question again when we return from the show and I'll have some definite ideas about the next couple of years.
posted
Looking back over my career I realise it has been one of constant re-invention every few years, always building on what I prevuiously knew.
In the last few years we finally built our dream shop and it allowed us to drastically change how we do business. With the shop came lots of nw equipment which made us more efficient and allowed us to do things we could never do before.
The MultiCam router changed things again in a big way. With each change we've gradually steered our business in the direction we wanted to grow, ever mindful to carefully place ourselves where there was little competition and yet plenty of creative freedom.
It takes a great deal of time and effort to change what you do, learn to be the very best and build a market and demand for this work.
Re-inventing yourself and your business certainly isn't the safe nor comfortable route, but its the ONLY way to fly for it keeps the passion alive and well within a creative person.
We are just now starting to see the dramatic results of the investment of time, effort and money we have made over the last few years. Its pretty exciting stuff!
Build it and they will come!
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8781 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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We're re-grouping as well, and trying to break out of the winter doldrums. I got slapped in the face yesterday with the realization that we have been giving too much stuff away to "charities". We are going back to the old response that "We have a donation budget for the year and it has already been exceeded." Case in point: Yesterday, a customer called me to ask if he could 'Borrow' our bucket truck to trim a couple of trees in front of his shop. Since he is a long-time customer, I said "Sure... if you bring it back with a full tank of fuel" He says: "How much is in it now?" "Okay...Nevermind" Now, I know you're smilin' because something like this has happend to you in the not-too-distant past. We're all in the same Sign boat that will surely sink of we don't adjust our prices to reflect rising costs of crude oil. Bucket trucks, poly-vinyl chloride and 1-Shot are just a few of the thousands of things we use that have increased in price. Spring has sprung. I'm going to re-configure my "EstiMate" program today.
-------------------- Dave Shirk Fitting Finishes Signs & Embroidery 78 Apache Trail South Fork, CO 81154 Posts: 16 | From: South Fork, Colorado, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3516 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Hey Rick, It's your business, where do you want to take it? You've been around long enough to know what is profitable, plus you know what works or doesn't work for you. So, perhaps, instead of looking forward, maybe you should be looking backwards? Your business' history can tell you a whole lot. Anyway, I think you're on the right track by wanting to enhance your business and this can be done in many ways. Since things are slow, take the time and come up with a new look. Design a new logo, brochures, web site and even update the look of your building. Then hold an open house. You can play it up and focus on the fact that you're still here and willing to invest in the community. Invite local politicians and write up a press release for the media. Along with that, you can add new prodcut lines that diversify your product and service offerings that complement your existing business. Do you offer print services, ad specialties, point of purchase displays, fulfillment services, graphic or web site design? If not, take this slower time to learn how to provide these products and services. There may even be some government incentives for you to get the ball rolling. No matter what you do, make sure you come up with a good plan of attack and a time line to make things happer. There's no point in setting goals without a way to achieve them.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3777 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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"What specifically are you doing this year to enhance your business? New ideas, policies, markets? How about a fresh perspective?"
I'm doing more hand drawn artwork and pre-press work as a subcontractor to a couple of local printers. Been working out good so far. Start hitting the bike and auto shows a lot more and open up that market more than it has been to date, concentrating more on airbrushing and pinstriping. Turning down some of the more pesky, smaller jobs and leaving the door open to better stuff.
Hope it works out okay.... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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I really want to reinvent or reshape & define what we do. ![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
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