With one trend in garments going towards more technical fabrics and better quality t-shirts, it seems some people don't mind paying more for a better garment. However, that doesn't always mean that they are willing to pay more for garment graphics.People are still looking for ways to save money, and one way is to find the most inexpensive way possible to decorate their shirt. In many cases, the answer is screen printing. How can you compete with inexpensive screen printing? One idea is to look at the lower cost CAD-CUT(R) materials that are available. Now is a great time to check out lower cost Fashion Film, available from Stahls' ID Direct. If you don't own a cutter, this lower-priced film is also available as an option for their custom cutting services.

Before you say Ted, the Roland GX-24 doesn't print, read on. I just wrote that to get your attention and to fill you in on a little known decorating process that some very "cutting edge" decorators, who will do anything to get a job done (does that sound like you?) have used with success. If you own an inkjet printer and a GX-24 or other optic-eye enhanced cutter, you can do the same thing. This process has been used by several Cadworxlive.com users, they are the ones that shared the tip with me. I am constantly impressed and amazed at the creativity people show when they need to print a specific design on a t-shirt. Maybe you can try it the next time you need to print a full color image on a shirt and don't want to have the entire piece of inkjet transfer paper appear on the shirt. Here's what they did:

The GX-24 Print/ Cut process
Users create full color designs by selecting a piece of clipart or importing a full color image into the Cadworxlive.com designer. They can then add text and apply any effects they like. The user then exports the file into a raster image format such as .jpg or .png. The user can then import the image file into Cut Studio and create a cut contour line. They can then print onto Inktra transfer paper and cut around the design using the optic eye feature on the GX-24.

After you're done, just used your heat press to apply the design.

I've written about Cadworxlive.com here before, but I want to make sure you all understand that this free online software service that is available to all GroupeSTAHL customers can be used for more than creating designs to be output in CAD-CUT materials. In fact, Cadworxlive.com is being used by customers to produce designs with:

·     CAD-CUT materials

·     Printed Transfer Papers

·     Digital Print and Cut

·     Twill Applique?

The Cadworxlive twill appliqué production process proved itself out the other day at GroupeSTAHL West. A customer needed to create a jersey front with the following specification: Two Color, Script/W Tail, Split Front, Twill Applique. Cadworxlive delivered hands down. The customer was amazed at how easy it was to create the split front on the Cadworxlive website. Here's how it was done:

The Cadworx Twill Applique Production Process

? Create vector art using Cadworx Designer or Easy Teams Designer

? Export each color layer as a separate .plt file

? Import .plt file into the Ioline 301 Software

? Cut from either VectorCut or the 301 software

? Generate Sew file

? Apply onto Garment

So if you want to save time and create great looking designs, register to start using Cadworxlive.com today. And let me know what you created.

If you're a Rube Goldberg fan, you'll really appreciate the video that Target Transfers, a GroupeSTAHL company located in England, has on their website. If you need a laugh, check out the Clusta Rack video. What's a Clusta Rack? You'll find out. Although I sincerely hope you don't have as much time on your hands as the folks who made the video. Target Transfers also has a variety of other How-To videos that you will probably find interesting. And you can see how our friends in the UK solve their heat printing challenges. At least heat printing is easier than the method the guy in the cartoon is using to wash his windows. Here is the description from the Rube Goldberg website, in case you were wondering what the guy in cartoon is doing: Passing man (A) slips on banana peel (B) causing him to fall on rake (C). As handle of rake rises it throws horseshoe (D) onto rope (E) which sags, thereby tilting sprinkling can (F). Water (G) saturates mop (H). Pickle terrier (I) thinks it is raining, gets up to run into house and upsets sign (J) throwing it against non-tipping cigar ash receiver (K) which causes it to swing back and forth and swish the mop against window pane, wiping it clean. If man breaks his neck by fall move away before cop arrives.

VETERAN'S DAY 2008
Today we honor our nation's veterans and I hope everyone will be able to take a moment and remember the men and women who have served, as well as those who are currently serving. I have family members on active duty and I know many GroupeSTAHL associates have loved ones deployed around the world--I am grateful for everything they are doing to protect the freedoms we enjoy. My father and brother also served, one in WWII, one during the Vietnam era and our family was lucky enough to welcome them home but I realize some families have made the ultimate sacrifice and my thoughts are also with these families.  So whether you place a wreath, visit with a veteran, listen to a speech, attend a parade or just take a silent moment, it is important to remember the meaning of  the day, and the people behind the meaning.

I would also like to share an excerpt from a memoir that my mother, Ricki Stahl, put together a few years back that recalls her experiences when my father was in the Marine Corp. The photo shows me with my father,  Ernie Stahl, in 1944. 
The War Years
In 1944, Ernie joined the Marine Corps and was deployed to the Pacific. While Ernie was away, Ricki had to make ends meet the best she could, playing the role of both mother and father for her sons. It was during this time that her father-in-law, AC, approached Ricki to become involved with the family business. She was asked by AC to help with hand cutting felt and other embroidery projects.

Ricki Recalls:

"The war was on and all we had were scraps from the felt company. They were using the material to make lettering from what was used as lining for the soldiers' shoes. So the scraps we got were mostly green and maroon, so when we started cutting lettering, they were mostly green and maroon." Ricki always got the most out of her materials. Today, we call the technique?"nesting."

By this time the imprinting industry had become more specialized, new markets had evolved. A concerned Ricki then asked AC what would be left for Ernie upon his return from the war. AC said "not to worry." He then asked her what she thought about offering customers the pre cut lettering and number product. Ricki agreed it was a good idea and took on the challenge.

Business to Business Marketing

It was Ricki's idea to begin marketing the numbers and letters directly to sporting goods stores. In 1945, they placed an ad in Sporting Goods Dealer magazine. Many customers resulted from this ad and soon they had more business than they could handle. Ricki was involved with every aspect of the business, from answering phones, opening mail orders, accounting, shipping, production and customer service. This was in addition to caring for her household and her young children. "One time, when Ted was two years old," remembers Ricki, "he hid the key to the company and we didn't have a spare. It took me quite a bit of cajoling to get him to tell us where he hid it."

Move to Roseville

In 1946, upon his return from the service, Ernie Stahl and his family moved into their new home on Frazho in Roseville, Michigan. The home also provided an ideal production facility. A large garage served as their new business location that they called The Stahl Felt Stamping Company.

They specialized in die-cut heat-applied lettering and numbers for athletic teams and sporting good stores. Simply because they were business owners, didn't mean they were guaranteed an easy or comfortable lifestyle. Ricki remembers that there were times when the family only made a profit of 37 cents for a week's worth of hard work. "We didn't know that much about gardening, except we knew we wanted to be able to eat. It was summer time and I think my family was tired of Zuccini. I had to use it like meat?. that's what we lived on?Zuccini, eggplants and tomatoes."

Did you know you are in the promotional products business? What? You thought you could only use your heat press to print on shirts? Not so...I mentioned yesterday that Hotronix could custom produce a specialty heat press platen for just about any type of item. I wanted to show you these bottle holders that have been decorated using CAD-COLOR Solutions media and a Hotronix heat press. There's really no limit to the type of item you can customize with a heat press. What's the weirdest thing you've ever printed on using your heat press? Or better yet, what's the most profitable thing you've ever printed with your heat press? Share your stories by adding a comment. I would love to hear from you.

How do you write a marketing plan? It's not as hard as you think it sounds. You probably have all the right answers in your head already. It's just a matter of taking the time to organize your thoughts and think about what you already KNOW. For example:

Know yourself. Is your company?s strength the speed of service it offers? Is your point of differentiation the award-winning creativity you offer? You need to know what makes your company special or different, and then promote that differentiation relentlessly. It?s better to be different than better. Find something unique about your business.

Know your market. There?s not necessarily a right or wrong answer in determining the customers for your business. It?s just a matter of figuring out which ones make most sense for you.

Who is your prospective client? Do you want to sell to the bowling team that needs five shirts, or the corporation that needs 500 shirts for a company picnic? You may be marketing to a group of customers you?re already familiar with, but if you?re reaching out to an unfamiliar customer base, spend some time getting to know the audience. Trade associations are great for market research. For instance, if you?re into hospitality, the restaurant association is great.

Identifying your target market will simplify your marketing efforts tremendously. If you only want to reach car dealers, for example, you?ll be able to eliminate broad-based marketing vehicles like newspapers in favor of more focused efforts, such as direct mail sent to car dealerships. If you have a special focus and a lot of contacts in that area, you?re way ahead of the curve.

However, your business model may dictate a more general approach rather than a focused one. For instance, you may be trying to reach all types of small businesses within your area. That?s fine, too. The point is to figure out who you want to reach, or who in your existing customer list you should be reaching more frequently and in a more meaningful way.     

Ask questions like: Who do I need to spend more time with or less time with? Where are my opportunities?

Know your goals. Depending on your business model, your goal may be to build revenue from new customers by 10%, increase walk-in traffic by 50 people per month, or generate 25% more in sales from existing customers. In the long-term, you may want to generate $1 million in sales annually and have four locations. Whatever your goals, the point is to clearly define exactly what you hope to achieve.

Ask yourself: How are you going to make more money? Am I going to increase sales with new customers? Make higher margins? Get bigger orders?

As for your short- to mid-term goals, make sure you can handle the additional business you?re hoping to generate. Be sure that you can meet the cash flow and increased labor required. For example, you may buy a list from your local Little League and send an offer to 1,000 teams, and you hear from everybody. Suddenly you have more orders than your production or your suppliers can handle.

The key is to design your marketing plan so that it builds your business in small, manageable steps. Then you can handle the increase in business as it comes.

It's almost too close to Halloween to suggest using this new Stahls' ID product to personalize costumes or trick or treat bags, but it's never too late to think about the power of 3M Scotchlite? Reflective Strips and Lettering to greatly increase the visibility of anyone crisscrossing the streets after nightfall. Like pizza delivery people, bike riders, security guards or anyone out after dark who needs to be seen. 3M Scotchlite? Reflective Strips and Lettering can be placed on clothing, back packs, caps, pet leashes to reflect headlights and make it easier for drivers to see people and pets. Adds extra safety to early morning and early evening joggers, dog walkers and kids walking to school. 3M Reflective Strips are available in silver and come in one and two inch strips. Just use your heat press to quickly and easily heat apply. The 3M Scotchlite? Reflective Lettering is offered by Stahls' ID Direct in packs of white, yellow and silver. 

Somehow I thought this blogging thing would be a bit more interactive, but after several months of posting, I haven't received many comments. In fact, I didn't receive any until Oct. 24th, but I am proud to announce that the first comment has been posted! To spare you the suspense, I will reprint it here, since it was added as a comment on a posting back from August. I won't make it a habit of reprinting all my comments, (I know they're coming) but since this was the first one, I thought I would share it with you. Here it is:  "pls, i need to learn more about heat transfer, can you send me any article or journal on heat transfer printing."  (if you can identify the post to which the comment was made, leave a comment on this post and I'll send you a free CAD-LAB magnet) We have taken care of sending the author of the comment an email and will be sending them the requested information. I have received some feedback from other people in the industry, but via email, not as a comment. Here's what one said "A great blog topic would be customer service. Stahls' is really known for this. How did you get such great customer service established? What are your philosophies on customer service and how to you train a staff to implement them?" Now there's a topic I could go on about! What do you think...any comments?
By the way, the photo features me with another one of my favorite "firsts,"  my first teddy bear. Not comparable with my first heat press, but that's another story

If you have always wanted to discover the advantages of using cad materials to decorate t-shirts, or just about anything for that matter, but don't own a vinyl cutter, now you can try it out from the comfort of your desktop computer. You don't need any special software, you don't need a vinyl cutter. All you need is a heat press. Here's how easy it is. Go to CadWorxLIVE.com to create your design. This free, online software is easy and fun to use. Even if you have no artwork experience, you can create a great looking design in no time. You will need a customer number from any GroupeSTAHL company in order to register to use the site, but other than that, it's a free service. After your design is finished, you can select the option to send it to Stahls' ID Direct to be cut. We will then cut the design in the cad material or cad materials of your choice and send you the finished custom design. All you do is open the box, and heat press the ready to print design. Once you see how amazing the finished results are, I'm sure it won't be long until you decide to purchase your own vinyl cutter and start making your own t-shirts with cad materials.  The shirts in the photo were printed using CAD-CUT® Fashion-FILM?. Incredibly thin and lightweight, CAD-CUT® Fashion-FILM? is great if your design has a lot of intricate details. It comes in 21 fashion forward color choices including newly released Gingersnap, Coffee Bean, Cornflower Blue, and Storm Gray.

In a recent conversation with Mel Meibers, an industry educator who founded Great Garment Graphics, (Stahls' ID Direct is a sponsor of GGG, that offers free educational workshops on heat printing and digital decorating), he told me that he had recently spoken with three custom garment specialsts in his area who were doing well despite what we may hear from "talking heads" when you turn on the news these days. Here's what he had to say about one of them. I'll share the other 2 stories with you later this week. And now, I'll let Mel take over as a guest blogger:
 
"You Teez Me" is a business in Hendersonville, NC that is doing much better then they were a year ago. And being in an area that depends heavily on tourism, the gas situation and unknown economy has taken a hit on their pre-printed business. Owners Stephanie and Timm Kurtz use pre-printed mini tees as promotional pieces, customers choose the design and shirts are printed at that time. Fortunately their Internet business has increased 150% from last year and they ship shirts all over the world. Their custom business has also increased selling to local businesses, organizations and schools. In addition to direct to garment printing, they also have a cutter for cutting films and flock.

Not sure where to spend your marketing dollars these days? How about creating a personalized, targeted package that includes a printed sample? Personalized, targeted marketing is always more effective than shotgun methods. By aiming your efforts at a certain group, you are able to speak their language and will usually get better results.

The first step is to identify the niche you want to target in your area. It might be landscapers, marinas, pet stores, pizza places, etc. It?s not as difficult as you think to come up with potential new customers. Your local phone book will be a handy resource for that as well as the Internet. Try yellowpages.com. And of course Google is also a good place to find local companies of a specific category. Put together a list and gather as much information about each company as you can.

The harder part is finding out the name of the person who is in charge of making a decision about purchasing custom apparel. Also try and find out the size of the company such as its annual sales and number of employees. For larger companies, you want to find out if it?s divided into departments. In this case, you may want to contact more than one person in the company about your services as each department head may make decisions for its roster of clients.

By knowing a little bit about the company and who its clients are, this gives you clues as to what styles of shirts to present and what the company?s budget may be. This info is invaluable as you make choices about what materials to include in your package. For upscale companies you?ll want to show higher-quality shirts and examples and for smaller companies, you may choose more value-priced apparel.

The next step is to put together the mail piece or package that you want to send to each company on your list. This should include a brief letter explaining who you are and what you do. If you have any printed literature such as a brochure or flier showing examples of your work and a list of your services, that would be ideal to include. You might also include a digital art guide, an explanation of digitizing services and costs, and your pricing.

If you are contacting a list of between five and 20 companies, it is worth your time to customize each kit to the potential client. Address the letter of introduction with the president?s name. Refer to the client?s company by name when you discuss what you can do for the client, etc. If you are not able to determine the president?s name via the Internet, typically a quick call to the main number asking for this information gets you what you need. Be sure it?s spelled right!

If you have done work for well-known clients in the past, now?s the time to do a little name dropping. A brag sheet with testimonials is ideal, but if that?s not available, create a list of companies you are already doing business with. And make a note to start asking your best customers to shoot you a testamonial via e-mail for future promotion purposes.

If possible, it?s nice to show photos of past clients? logoed apparel jobs. Again, if you haven?t been holding on to samples to show off and/or photographing jobs before you send them out the door; add this to your to-do list so you will have these valuable resources for future marketing ventures.

To maximize the effectiveness of your sales/sample package, you should include an example in the form of a transfer or cad-cut design of the client?s logo or to take it one step further, heat press it on a shirt. You can also use your heat press and some mini t-shirts to create "touchy-feely" samples. You would only take this much time and effort for clients you were the most interested in attracting. Otherwise, apply your logo on a mini t-shirt or t-shirt sample swatch so they can feel the quality of your printing.

Once you have decided on the contents of your package, then you must decide on the "wrapping." You want to project an image of professionalism so keep this in mind when choosing. A low-budget method is to buy pocket folders from an office supply store and decorate them with company stickers with your logo and contact info. You also will want to insert your business card on the inside. Or you might want to consider having custom folders printed?you?ll find they do come in handy and make a great impression.

Another option would be to get really creative and come up with a box, a bag, or some other type of container that would attract curiosity and demand to be opened. A tote bag with your company logo printed on it also serves as a sales piece advertising your work. With your heat press, you can print your own tote bags in house and save money.

If you are going to deliver your sales packages in person, then you will have no limitations in how it?s packaged. If you are going to mail your packages, obviously postal regulations will have to be kept in mind as well as the cost. But check with your post office, you?d be surprised at the things you can mail. I?ve seen people mail custom flip flops with a marketing message on them.

Once your packages are delivered, wait about a week and then start your follow-up calls. Your ultimate goal is to obtain an appointment where you can meet your prospective client in person and present your sales message.

The secret to getting an appointment is to avoid telling a customer what a great deal you can give him. Companies hear this spiel all the time. Don?t try to sell on price. Impress upon your prospect that you can help him develop the right business image through great looking custom apparel.

Start out the conversation by asking the prospect if he is already using a decorator and if he?s happy with the quality and service he is receiving. Try to find out about his needs in terms of types of apparel, size of orders, etc? Find out if the company has any needs that are not being met to its satisfaction and emphasize your company?s abilities to provide top quality and service as well as quick turnarounds. You also might mention that you can provide custom t-shirts, jackets and more to fit any budget.

Your goal is to set up a full-scale appointment; however, if the client seems resistant to your pitch, you may want to wait before trying to nail down the meeting. However, if you get positive feedback, don?t hesitate to try and schedule a convenient time right then and now.

If your prospect has a decorator he is happy with, request that he keep you in mind in a pinch when perhaps the regular source is overbooked or on vacation at a critical time. Or perhaps the corporation?s needs grow beyond its current source?s capabilities.

Obviously, not every call is going to result in an appointment, but don?t let yourself get rattled if the answer is no. Keep track of each call you make and the results and then go on down the list until you?ve called each prospect. You might even make a note to do another follow-up call in a couple of months. Sometimes, you are simply calling at a bad time and you will find a second call nets you results. This marketing method is a tried and true way of building up sales. It does work and it will get you started on your goal of acquiring more customers.

If you have a heat press that has a 16" x 20" platen, which is one of the most popular sized platens and great for applying full front designs on sweatshirts or jerseys or jackets, what do you do if you suddenly get an order to apply names and numbers on the end panels of nylon duffle bags? Hopefully you have a heat press that accommodates interchangeable platens. While you could do the job by pulling the bags over the corners of the press, it will all depend on the shape of the bag. If you own a Hotronix(R) heat press, you can always consider purchasing a specialty size platen, like our 7" round Bagger platen made specfically for bag ends. We also have an 8" x 10" Tote Master which makes printing on canvas tote bags easier. It's easy to install the new platen, and we even have a video posted on YouTube.com that will show you how to do it. You don't need tools. Of course, if your job doesn't warrant the $90 investment in an additional platen, then you can always come up with a work around, using Teflon pillows to even out the pressure on odd shaped items.

You might know, or you might not, that many of our products are patented because we invented them. Our heat presses have many patents, of course, but we also hold patents on some of our production processes for team lettering, cad materials, poly twill, heat transfer materials and more. It isn't easy to get a patent and it used to be difficult to find out who holds patents and what products are patented, but I recently ran across a website that does just that. It's called PatentGenius.com and it is a very interesting site. If you're curious about what patents are out there, it's a fun site to search. Go check it out.  

On Thursday October 9th, we launched the latest release of Cadworx®  technology; CAD-CUT® Easy Teams. Creating CAD-CUT® team lettering using your cutter has never been this easy. If you don't know what Cadworx®  is, go to cadworxlive.com and take a tour. It's FREE (to GroupeSTAHL customers), online artwork software that you can use to create cuttable designs. There are just three simple steps to cutting player names for teams:

1. Enter your roster information

2. Choose a style (or create your own)

3. Output cut file

Easy Teams provides tools specific to the team roster creation process. You can import (or type) team names and numbers into the application and then stylize the entire list of names and numbers in one step. You can choose name or number styles from the Style library or create your own custom styles and apply them to the entire roster in one step. There are several arrange options for preparing the roster for CAD-CUT® output. Export rosters grouped by names, numbers or as a pre-spaced combo. If you still don't own a vinyl cutter, you might change your mind after you see how simple it really is to cut all your team lettering in house and save time and money.

If you're like I am, you're always looking for ways to save time and make garments that look better than anyone else's. Poly-twill has long been considered one of the top looks in team lettering for many sports, and it is also extremely popular on the college scene for sweatshirts and in the Greek or fraternity/sorority marketplace. Poly-twill just says quality when you see it on a garment. The problem is, it can be time-consuming to apply, due to the need to sew down the edges. If you don't sew the edges on normal poly-twill lettering after heat application, they will usually fray. So what do you do if you don't sew but want to offer your customers the look of poly-twill? When it comes to poly-twill, Stahls' ID has come up with a lot of different ways to save time and money over the years. Some of our time saving innovations for poly-twill include adding Pressure Sensitive adhesive (our patented PSA2 needle glide adhesive) to the back of our lettering and Custom Made Easy custom cuts for fast and easy layouts when doing applique, the introduction of Sport Stitch® which gives you the look of sewn twill without the sewing--with real stitches, and then SimStitch(TM), which does the same thing in a different way. Both have a permanent adhesive which requires no sewing, always a time saver when working with twill. But what I want to tell you about today is our latest innovation in poly-twill, new 3D Mega Greek. You really have to see this in person to appreciate the fantastic effect you get with this easy to use product. The letters actually appear to be hand-tooled and have a 3-dimensional depth to them that translates into a unique, one-of-a-kind garment look you won't find anywhere else. I'm very excited about this new poly-twill product because it will let you offer your customers a custom lettering look that is unusual and very attractive. There's no need to sew down the edges after heat application, so all you need is a heat press to get started using this time-saving new lettering idea.  

In today's political climate, every sound bite is a reason to print another t-shirt. I hope you are getting your money's worth out of this election year by promoting your abilities to print t-shirts, in as little as one quantity. Sure your customers can go to online sites and pay $20 to customize a single shirt, but why shouldn't you be pocketing that money yourself? Even if you don't have a website, you can still let people know that they can come into your store and Make Your Own T-Shirt. This type of service is in high demand, but most people don't know where to have a shirt made. What can you do? Put a sign in the window. Hang up some samples of shirts with popular sayings and let people know what you do. Make your own shirt that says "Ask Me How I Made This Shirt" and wear it. Carry business cards with you at all times and make sure your cards say "We Print Any Quantity, Even One." If you are a sign maker printing election signs, let your customers know you can create t-shirts for them as well. All you need is a heat press and some cad-materials. If you've never used cad materials before, you can find out everything you need to know about printing garments at cadlab.info

I just returned from a meeting with members of GroupeSTAHL affiliates. We get together quarterly to share ideas, new product innovations and things we are all doing to better service our customers. I realized that while it's always exciting if we introduce a new heat press or cad material, sometimes it's the smaller things a company does that really make a difference. For example, Stahls' ID is planning on improving our packaging in ways that will make it easier for customers to store and organize our team lettering and numbering products. You might not see the new boxes for a while, but when you do, let me know if we were successful. And everyone got to see the new CAD-PRINTZ(TM) wizard that is now up and running on our website. A lot of work went into designing this ordering wizard so that  you can actually see what your custom digital transfer is going to look like before you place your order. Just type in your text, choose your colors, layers, and effects and you can see the finished design as you go. It is not only amazing, it is a lot of fun to play with, changing the pattern fills from camoflauge to chrome, adding background colors and more. Give it a try.  

With everything that's going on in the marketplace today, many of us feel lucky to be part of the imprinted sportswear industry. I know I do. Even though there are parts of the country that have been impacted by bad weather as well--I've heard from customers in Texas that are glad their power is back on-- we have plenty to be thankful for. For one thing, there are always plenty of blank t-shirts out there that could use a little personalization. And not just t-shirts, what about adding names to back packs, aprons, caps, jackets and more. With fall sports there's more than just the uniforms that need decorating. Didn't get the contract from the league for the jerseys? Offer the coaches personalized sweatshirts or practice t-shirts. Many coaches want their teams looking like a team even when it's not during a game. At a recent networking meeting, I met a business owner that had a thriving dry cleaning business that specializes in pick up and delivery. He handed me a bright orange nylon laundry sack that I could use and leave on my doorstep for pickup. It was wrapped with a ribbon and included complete instructions and payment information. The only problem was...there was no logo on the nylon sack. What a missed opportunity to promote the business. I didn't have a chance to speak with him about it, but I plan on adding his logo and showing him that it's possible to personalize anything with a heat press, even nylon laundry sacks.   

If you want to hear from some customers who are already successful with CAD Printing (using a printer/cutter, digital media and a heat press to print full color logos on almost any type of item) check out my article in the May 08 edition of Printwear Magazine. Here is the link to the article. Printwear Article link

A colleague on the West Coast just shared a story with me about a soccer league opening ceremony event that transpired this past weekend. It was the inaugural event of a new league that was recently formed and it attracted over 3,000 people, including coaches, players, referrees and parents. Talk about a captive audience for the lucky printed apparel vendor chosen to provide spiritwear to the league! What were they selling? Printed ribbed sleeveless tanks in two different colors, a tie-dye shirt with a puff screen print logo, embroidered logo visors and caps, 2 other t-shirt choices, embroidered sweatshirts and a fleece-lined windbreaker pullover. Logoed waterbottles and fleece blankets as well. It was a pretty large assortment of goods. And risky because you never know how well your designs will go over and this vendor had made a large investment in inventory for a wide variety of items. All went well however, and in a post-event interview with the vendor, my colleague found out that sales were higher than expected and that the response to the designs was excellent. When I asked what she thought, if anything, was missing from the vendor's booth, the answer was, a heat press. With a heat press they would have been able to print shirts on demand, as needed. Sales were missed because they ran out of sizes in the pre-prints. They would have also been able to add team names to shirts and shown people that they had the ability to do team lettering. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in an event where people will be buying t-shirts, find out if it's possible to bring your heat press. Of course it's even better if you can bring a cutter and CAD-CUT materials, but that's another blog entry.

Once you own a cutter and a heat press, you have the equipment you need to get started using cad materials to personalize just about any type of item, from t-shirts and jackets to nylon bags, caps and more. People understand the CAD-CUT ® concept immediately once they see it in action, but when they realize they have to first create the artwork before sending it to the cutter, some people feel less comfortable. Let's face it, we're not all artists and many businesses can't afford to have an artist on staff. The ability to create cuttable artwork is crucial to the success of your business. Which is why we spent many years developing Cadworxlive.com. It's a free online artwork design service available to all GroupeSTAHL customers who need to develop vectorized or cuttable artwork. Cadworxlive.com eliminates the need for complicated graphics programs, removes the learning curve for cutting cad materials and is available 24/7. If you can point and click, you can start creating art with Cadworxlive.com today. Thousands have already signed up for this free service. Find out how it can help you. And let me know how you like it.

Looking for a new niche? How about personalized performance wear? If you've ever wondered how some of the top athletes customize their athletic wear, like some of the super stretchable fabrics we saw on display all during the recent Beijing Olympics, the answer is most likely CAD-PRINT(R). CAD-PRINT(R) is the process of using a printer/cutter and CAD-PRINT media and a heat press to create full color logos, sponsor names and more. And there's a CAD-PRINT media that will let you create full color metallic, puff and reflective looks on almost any fabric, including today's top performance wear fabrics. If you want to learn more about using a printer/cutter and CAD-PRINT media and a heat press to create custom performance wear that can't be decorated with screen printing or embroidery, go to GroupeSTAHLSales.com. This is not about selling you a new piece of equipment (our salespeople don't earn commissions on equipment sales!), this is about helping you learn more about one of the most exciting new full color decorating methods available today. If you're interested in full color digital apparel decoration, make sure you put CAD-PRINT on your list of things to check out.

People do business with people, and everybody has a story. At Stahls', we are always trying to build stronger relationships with our customers by getting to know them a little better everytime we speak with one of them on the phone. Busy garment decorators don't always have time to chat, but when we know that your best employee just called in sick and you have a huge team lettering order to fill that you have to heat press on your own it two days, we'll do whatever we can to make sure you have what you need, when you need it. Want to know more about our story? There's a video we produced in-house about the history of Stahls'. It was put together in 2004, and a lot has changed since then, but it still does a good job of sharing who we are and where we came from. Here's the link.  

Welcome to Heat Press Central If you're looking for more information about heat presses, how to choose the right heat press, the top 10 things to look for in a heat press, how to avoid common heat printing mistakes, what you can do with a heat press, how you can make money with a heat press, how to operate a heat press, even how to repair a heat press, you've come to the right place. There are so many ways to make your personalization business more successful and bring in more money simply by using your heat press. Whether you already own a heat press or are considering purchasing one, you will find information here that will help you make the right decision for your garment decorating business.

What is a heat press?
A heat press is a piece of equipment designed for the purpose of heat pressing graphics onto textiles, usually garments. Heat pressing refers to the combination of time, temperature and pressure used to apply a design or graphic to a substrate. The actual process of heat pressing is ideal for lower quantity runs and personalization. Heat presses come in many different makes, models, styles and sizes. Stahls' Hotronix is the largest manufacturer of heat presses in the world.

What processes can I use with a heat press?
Some common processes that heat presses are used for are as follows:Plastisol or Hot Split Custom Transfers, Stock Transfers, Inkjet Transfers, CLC Transfers, Sublimation, Heat Transfer Materials such as CAD-CUT?, Heat applied rhinestones, Twill applique, Flock, Curing of Direct to Garment printing,  Print and Cut Designs created with eco-solvent printer/cutters, Glitter CAD-materials, Reflective CAD-Materials, CAD-Materials for Nylons, Full Color Digital on Darks, Holographic CAD-Materials. Heat presses are also used to smooth out embroidery after sewing.

7. Prospect everyday. If you have a home based business or a location where you don't have a lot of foot traffic, you might find that you will have to actively go looking for customers on a regular basis. Where are you going to find customers? Cold calling is one way, but who likes to do that? What about creating samples for prospective customers and bringing them into their shop or business? Using your vinyl cutter and cad materials, it?s quick and easy to custom an inexpensive T-shirt to show customers what you can do.

8. Ask for referrals. The best prospects come from existing customers, all of whom have friends and acquaintances in similar businesses and other relationships. Leverage your relationships with clients to increase your sales volume. Let people know what you do. Make sure you carry business cards all the time and consider putting magnetic signs on your vehicles. And don't be shy about asking satisfied customers for a referral--you'd be surprised at how many people want to help you grow your business if you let them know you want them to.

9. Be enthusiastic. If you are not enthusiastic about your products, how can you get someone else excited about it?  If you convey how great you think your products are, in a sincere way, you'll be surprised how easy it is to get people to give you a chance. If you're not confident in your product quality or ability to deliver, they won't be either. Let them know how much you enjoy decorating shirts and helping them improve the look of their brand, and they will reward you with their business.

What determines whether someone has a successful heat-applied decoration business or a great one? Just as in any race where the difference between the winner and second place may be only a second, the difference between the person who gets the sale and the one who doesn?t may be only a little bit of extra effort.

The following tips are designed to help businesses that own a heat press and use a vinyl cutter, CAD-materials, poly-twill, and similar heat-applied products, to do team lettering, custom T-shirts, souvenir shirts, appliqué and corporate identity apparel for a wide range of businesses, groups, and organizations.

While some of you many be doing a fantastic job already, there?s always room for improvement. Go down this checklist and see what areas you can expend some extra effort to keep your heat press humming and to boost your bottom line.

1. Find your niche. You must know your business and stick to what you do best. Find the things that are right for you and build that part of your business. With the ability to do team lettering and numbers, the sports market is an obvious niche, but there are others. Corporate identity, work uniforms, spiritwear, safety wear, and novelty are just a few examples of other lucrative niches.

With equipment like the Roland ® VersaCAMM and CAD-COLOR ® Solutions ? line of cad materials that can print a four-color process logo and then contour cut it, you can apply graphics to virtually almost any type of fabric including waterproof nylon, Lycra Spandex, and other hard to decorate substrates.

2. Know your product. Strong product knowledge about vinyl cutters, print and cut equipment, and cad materials can help you win more sales. If you know your product?s features and benefits, you can better overcome objections and fit your product to the prospect?s needs. There is a wide range of cad materials designed to work on different substrates as well as offer different hands such as the heavy hand preferred by the sports market vs. a soft hand preferred by most consumer markets. CAD-materials also are available that will stretch enough to be used on swim suits, leotards, and performance wear.

3. Know your competition. Not only should you know who you are competing with, you should know what they sell and how they sell it. You can gain a competitive edge with customers by proactively eliminating perceived advantages that the competing company may have. Sure, your competitors might have a slight edge in some areas, but by building your sales presentation to combat those advantages and removing them from the customer?s mind, you can win.

Don?t wait until the prospect brings up a competitive advantage that the competition has sold them on and have to answer it. Eliminate the advantage right upfront.

A big advantage you have with a vinyl cutter and cad materials is the ability to do short-run, fast turnaround. A small order can be turned in an hour if necessary. Be sure to emphasize this versatility and flexibility when making a presentation.

4. Develop a quality presentation. If someone asks "Why should I buy from you?" you should be able to answer without hesitation, giving the person a clear, precise, benefit-filled pitch. Consider making up samples with the prospect?s logo as well as displays showing the colors you offer in cad materials and the different effects. Glitter, reflective, fluorescent, and puff are just some of the specialty materials available.

5. Train your employees using the presentation. All employees can be salespeople for your company if they have the tools. Train employees using your sales presentation so they can help your business grow.

6. Practice. Role playing is one of the least-liked sales training activities, yet the most effective. By practicing your presentation in a controlled environment, you gain experience that serves you well when you are face to face with customers.

More tips later...

One of the most common questions I run into when I'm at a trade show speaking with customers, is what style heat press is better? Clam or Swinger or Draw Press? This is what I tell them: You want to make sure that you can easily slide garments on and off your heat press without burning your arms and hands and without damaging the garments on screws or greasy bolts. Some clam machines, such as Hotronix ® clam have a wide 65 degree opening, which is 10% wider than most other clam-style presses available today. This allows for safer, easier positioning of the garment on the lower platen, as well as safer positioning of transfers and other graphics. A Swinger or Draw press, available from Hotronix ® make it extremely easy to layout garments. A Swinger will take up more counter space than a Draw press, so it depends on your available work space and personal preference.  For more information on Stahls' heat presses, visit StahlsID.com or go to StahlsHeatPress.com to compare all the features and benefits.

At GroupeSTAHL, the Stanley Cup finals are closely watched, since we have many Red Wings fans at our Michigan (the photo shows my sons Dan and Trevor during last year's finals)  location and many Pittsburgh fans at our Hotronix manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. So a lot of friendly, intercompany rivalry goes on as you might well expect. But everyone was glad to see this internet clip of our Hotronix heat press in action, no matter what color the jersey is of the team you're rooting for. Go Hotronix!  And Go Wings!

At GroupeSTAHL, the Stanley Cup finals are closely watched, since we have many Red Wings fans at our Michigan (the photo shows my sons Dan and Trevor during last year's finals)  location and many Pittsburgh fans at our Hotronix manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. So a lot of friendly, intercompany rivalry goes on as you might well expect. But everyone was glad to see this internet clip of our Hotronix heat press in action, no matter what color the jersey is of the team you're rooting for. Go Hotronix!  And Go Wings!

Hoodies are hot but some people have problems printing over zippers or applying graphics on the hood of the sweatshirt. What to do? Try a Print Perfect® Pad. These silicon pads are designed to raise and even out the area you want to print on, to provide a solid surface that will help you create more  even pressure for a proper application. It’s exactly what you need when you’re working with garments that have buttons, zippers or seams—and what garment doesn’t have those? (okay, I know there are some seamless, buttonless, zipperless garments out there, don’t email me about it) Stahls ID Direct offers 3 sizes; 5” x 6”, 3 ½ x15 and 8” x 10”. That’s great Ted, but what exactly do you do with a Print Perfect Pad?

 Juliet K. from Tech Support, at Stahls’ ID, has some great ideas that were posted on CAD-LAB®.info and in an internal newsletter, but they are so great I thought I would  keep helping to get the word out. Here’s what Juliet had to say:

Any questions? Ask Juliet…just kidding…anyone at Stahls’ will be able to help you. Don’t be afraid of those hoodies anymore. You can print ANYTHING with a heat press!

You can't really tell from the picture, but the golf towel and all the items in it have been decorated with CAD-CUT(R) Thermo-FLOCK(R). If you've got a client who needs golf towels but who doesn't want, can't afford or can't wait for screen printing or embroidery, Thermo-FLOCK(R) is an ideal solution. It seems like I've been promoting this idea for over 20 years, but it is a message that bears repeating. Once you work with Thermo-FLOCK, whether you cut it yourself, order it from our custom cutting services or use pre-cut lettering, you and your customers will be amazed at the soft, raised texture that isn't scratchy like embroidery. It's actually perfect for use on towels and it's a heck of a lot less expensive. Plus, you can do any quantity and still make a profit. If you're doing a golf tournament, you could personalize each towel with the participants name or initials for a great registration gift. Or with a sponsor's name, even if it's a last minute sponsor. There's no reason to be afraid of trying Thermo-FLOCK(R) if you've never used it. It is truly one of the easiest heat transfer materials to work with and the results are always wonderful.  It is one of our biggest selling products in Europe, where it is widely used for soccer uniforms and many other sports. But once you get to know Thermo-FLOCK, you'll see how many uses there are for it. It's also great for layering or using in multi-media designs. From towels for bowling and golf to personalizing baby clothes (it's so soft and there is no scratchy background like with embroidery), to classy looking raised corporate logos on polo shirts or caps.  

Webinar: PPAI Members - How to Heat Press 
               Full Color Logos on Anything!

What you will learn:

• Learn how to get started printing with just a heat press & digital transfers
• Never say NO to low quantity orders again - we will show you how to be profitable
• No need for inventory – order printed designs as needed
• Very low start up costs and easy learning curve – start printing in 15 minutes!

Webinar: How to Decorate Difficult to Heat Press
               Items

What you will learn:

• How do you print a logo on an umbrella? A backpack? A stadium seat cushion?
• If you thought you couldn’t print on these UNIQUE SHAPED items, join us as we show you how

I'm sure this picture got your attention, it's something one of my very creative daughters did, inspired by our recent trip to Florida. Since many businesses, especially retailers, are always looking for new ways to capture the attention of passersby, I wanted to share an idea that I noticed during my trip. A store had a large sign in front with the word "BE" painted on in in permanent letters. The rest of the sign was a chalkboard and every day there was a new message written on it. For example, on one day it read, "BE ADAPTIVE." On the next day the message said "BE HAPPY." The messages didn't really have anything to do with what the store was selling, but it did succeed in getting my attention and I found myself wanting to drive by the store everyday to see what it had to say. You can try something similar to start a dialogue with your community. The simple act of writing a one word message may result in more people than you know becoming interested in what you are selling, and who knows, it may interest them enough that they come in to see what you are all about.

I'm sure this picture got your attention, it's something one of my very creative daughters did, inspired by our recent trip to Florida. Since many businesses, especially retailers, are always looking for new ways to capture the attention of passersby, I wanted to share an idea that I noticed during my trip. A store had a large sign in front with the word "BE" painted on in in permanent letters. The rest of the sign was a chalkboard and every day there was a new message written on it. For example, on one day it read, "BE ADAPTIVE." On the next day the message said "BE HAPPY." The messages didn't really have anything to do with what the store was selling, but it did succeed in getting my attention and I found myself wanting to drive by the store everyday to see what it had to say. You can try something similar to start a dialogue with your community. The simple act of writing a one word message may result in more people than you know becoming interested in what you are selling, and who knows, it may interest them enough that they come in to see what you are all about.

If you were so inclined to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I hope you enjoyed your corned beef and cabbage, along with your favorite beverages and I sincerely hope you are not regretting having done so this morning! Personally, I was glad to see everyone wearing green, because it seems to be in keeping with the growing optimism we are noticing. Reports from the recent ISS Show in Atlantic City are extremely favorable. We usually don't share our sales results on the internet, but I will let you all know that several GroupeSTAHL companies at this show topped their best records for heat press sales. Of course the introduction of the new Maxx press had something to do with it, but we sold quite a few Hotronix presses as well. GSSA Sales Manager Jason Murphy (that name sounds Irish) also reported that customers seemed to have a more positive, "I'm not going to let this economy get me down" attittude than he had expected. In fact, many were downright upbeat and looking forward to increases in their businesses. There were a lot of enthusiastic show visitors, looking for the best bang for their buck and that meant a lot of people buying heat presses. They were also taking orders for Cadprintz(R) right off the show floow, which is somewhat unusual, since this is a custom services product.

1) DIGITAL CONTROLS:  Accuracy is key to the success of any heat seal application, so digital time and temperature are standards on the MAXX line of presses. 

2) OVER THE CENTER PRESSURE: Accurate, even pressure is another key factor when applying graphics and this press has over the center adjustable pressure, a floating platen, a medium density thermal pad and over the center lock down to ensure even pressue on varying thicknesses of garments.  

3) TEFLON(R) COATAED PLATEN: You won't find this feature on other value-priced presses. The MAXX heat press features a Teflon(R) coated upper platen.  This makes it easily cleanable for those of you who accidentally will lock it down without a cover sheet on a transfer. This happens to the best of us! 

4) ENGINEERED TO LAST: The MAXX has a laser cut steel framework with minimal welds. This increases stabilitly during use and increases the life of the press.

5) NO COLD SPOTS: The MAXX has cast-in heating element spaced evenly throughout the top platen - ensuring even distribution of heat on your transfer, regardless of where it is positioned - no more cold spots that compromise the durability of a heat transfer.

6) EASY TO CLOSE: Ease of use is another key factor that can make or break your heat pressing experience.  The MAXX is easy to close and even easier to open.  Simply touch it open with your fingertips and the shock opening will guide it into the open position - easy to close and open presses make for happy operators (less fatigue).

This posting is a shout out to everyone at Stahls' who played a role in making the experience of Dan Kauffman, a new customer, so exceptional. Dan took the time to post not one , but two comments to this blog. I am extremely grateful for the feedback Dan, and so thankful that we were able to meet your needs. Our people are the best and they deserve the recognition you wrote about, which is why, instead of posting on another topic, I am reprinting Dan's comments in this posting.  Have a fantastic weekend everyone! 


Posted by: Dan Kauffman on Thursday, March 5, 2009

I just wanted to say that reading this blog from beginning to end and visiting some of the links along the way was informative, inspiring, and at least once while watching the video from 2004, I was feeling "emotion". Surfing your site over the last couple days has been a learning experience. I would like to thank you. My wife and I opened an account with you and received our new account number yesterday. Some technical glitches are making it difficult to make a purchase online.(website errors) But I am sure that when they figure it out for us we will be in for the long haul. We have farmed out all our #`s and names print jobs. But we were advised to call you and set up an account by our colleague. As soon as we get the password and activation of our account fixed we will make our first purchase here Mr. Stahl. I am also very interested in the CADWORX program. As soon as we are online with you we will figure out how to set up a username and request some time to play with that. We want to move forward and expand our product line. We are a home based business, family owned and operated. Your family has given us that boost that everybody needs every so often. Thanks again for the blog and sharing so freely of yourself. We look forward to working with you.

Posted by: Dan Kauffman on Friday, March 6, 2009

Well, I am back. I have to hand it to Stahls. And no this is not a paid commercial. We got the call from your rep first thing this morning 8:30 am. Now thats service. Same rep that stayed on the chat line with me past business hours yesterday. Fixed up our account in no time. While we surfed the site, our sample package arrived at the door.(That was fast!) We have unpacked each and every product, read about them, felt them and we are impressed. Not to mention the display samples for our clients to see. I did`nt even make it to the catalogues or the InkTra. I had to come back on your blog and let you know that the service has been exceptional. We had a wonderful rep answer and direct our initial call, another process and set up our account, another rep call us and welcome us, another rep work out some glitches for us and we received a workable sample pack with every product offering. All in less than 48 hours. And you actually posted my reply entry to your blog. A Big Thanks to All of You.

It seems that everyday you hear more bad news from the "talking heads" on TV, so I feel compelled to take your mind off the economy (at least for the time it takes you to read this) with little things that make me smile. Like this photo of a customer who has found a use for our custom CADPrintz(R) digital transfers...heat applied logos on leather boxing gloves. These are high end gloves that sell for upwards of $60 a pair, so you can be sure that he was looking for something that can take a punch or two. You can apply CADPrintz on just about anything, so keep it in mind the next time a customer comes to you with a hard to decorate item. Say yes to the sale and then give a GroupeSTAHL company a call...we'll help you get it done.   

Speaking of help, Great Garment Graphics said they had a huge response to their latest webinars. One was on pricing, which is always a hot topic. Peggy Dwyer of Great Garment Graphics shared this one email with me and we can only imagine what the judge must have thought.
From a Webinar Attendee:
"Hi, Will you please send me a copy of the Pricing Spread Sheet that was used in the How to price it webiniar? I was supposed to be on Jury Duty, but requested to be excused because I didn't want to miss the Webiniar.  I was excused. Thank you." I don't know if they are making this spread sheet available to everyone, but I'm pretty sure they are holding a new series of webinars, so you can go to the Great Garment Graphics Website for more information on when they will be held.
 

After the PPAI show, I reported that polypropylene was one of the "hot" asked about fabrics, as in...can you heat print or use a heat press on polypropylene? The answer is yes, but there are a few tricks to printing on this type of bag and other bags. Instead of me going on about it...why not watch a new how to video that Josh Ellsworth has put together and read what is on his blog. A video is worth a thousand words...

ABOUT THE VIDEO: Bags make a great add-on to any decorated sale and a fast, efficient way to print on bags is with heat-applied graphics. In this new video presented by Imprintables Warehouse, four bag sizes are demonstrated. With a Hotronix Air Swinger heat press (or any Hotronix heat press) and a custom heat platen (or just a regular standard sized platen), quantities of up to 1,000 bags can be done on a profitable basis. Heat transfers and digital CAD materials can be applied to many difficult-to-decorate bag fabrics such as polypropylene, nylon, and polyester. Try our CADPrintz service if you're looking for digital transfers that can be heat applied to nylon and other difficult to print substrates.

With Spring Season already starting in some parts of the country--even though Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more week of winter on Feb. 2nd--there's never been a better time to take a few mintues and learn more about the benefits of using Easy Teams, the latest free software module on CadworxLive.com. If you've been considering purchasing a cutter to help increase your profitability and make your spring season run smoothly, Easy Teams can get you up and running, cutting player names and numbers in minutes. Easy Teams makes it easier than ever to design letters and numbers for team uniforms. It allows anyone to create vector artwork ready for cutting in three easy steps: enter roster info, choose a style or create your own, output cut file. And the greatest news is this powerful graphics program is free as along as you are a GroupeSTAHL Sales Alliance customer. Save the money you would spend buying a comparable program and save time as this software is intuitive, prompting you through each step so there’s almost no learning curve. Easy Teams provides tools specific to the team roster creation process. Customers can import (or type) team names and numbers into the application and then stylize the entire list of names and numbers in one step. You can choose name or number styles from the style library or create your own custom styles and apply them to the entire roster. Export rosters grouped by names, numbers, or as a prespaced combo. Easy Teams is optimized to work with VectorCut, however users can export their artwork as a .plt file and use whatever cutter they like. CadworxLive.com is available from any computer in the world, as long as you have Internet access. There’s no software to buy, no upgrades to worry about, and no steep learning curves. In fact, anyone can start creating art for their garment graphics cutter with CadworxLive.com in a matter of minutes. Why not try it for yourself today? 

With Spring Season already starting in some parts of the country--even though Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more week of winter on Feb. 2nd--there's never been a better time to take a few mintues and learn more about the benefits of using Easy Teams, the latest free software module on CadworxLive.com. If you've been considering purchasing a cutter to help increase your profitability and make your spring season run smoothly, Easy Teams can get you up and running, cutting player names and numbers in minutes. Easy Teams makes it easier than ever to design letters and numbers for team uniforms. It allows anyone to create vector artwork ready for cutting in three easy steps: enter roster info, choose a style or create your own, output cut file. And the greatest news is this powerful graphics program is free as along as you are a GroupeSTAHL Sales Alliance customer. Save the money you would spend buying a comparable program and save time as this software is intuitive, prompting you through each step so there’s almost no learning curve. Easy Teams provides tools specific to the team roster creation process. Customers can import (or type) team names and numbers into the application and then stylize the entire list of names and numbers in one step. You can choose name or number styles from the style library or create your own custom styles and apply them to the entire roster. Export rosters grouped by names, numbers, or as a prespaced combo. Easy Teams is optimized to work with VectorCut, however users can export their artwork as a .plt file and use whatever cutter they like. CadworxLive.com is available from any computer in the world, as long as you have Internet access. There’s no software to buy, no upgrades to worry about, and no steep learning curves. In fact, anyone can start creating art for their garment graphics cutter with CadworxLive.com in a matter of minutes. Why not try it for yourself today? 

Here's another guest blog from our friend Deborah Sexton, with an idea that might be a good idea for those of you have a production facility or "shop." 

Now is the time of year when business is traditionally slowest for many decorated apparel companies. This slower first quarter is the ideal time to do some planning and ideally take advantage of some marketing opportunities that are not possible during the busier times of the year.

One proven idea that is perfect for shops that cater to schools, youth groups, and teams is to invite youth groups from churches, scouts, and schools to come and learn how to decorate a T-shirt at your shop. Many groups are looking for educational activities for youth especially ones that are free or low cost.

What kind of event you plan will depend on the size of your shop, its hours, and what decorating processes you offer. However, my shops offers heat-applied graphics in combination with screen printing, embroidery, and/or digital direct-to-garment printing. A typical presentation might start off with a tour around the shop to each department explaining each process and the steps involved. Allows kids to see how artwork is created and how it ends up on a shirt. If appropriate and safe, students might be given a chance to pull a squeegee, hoop a garment, or use a heat press.

Time and resources allowing, students also might actually design their own shirt while they are there. By keeping the design simple, for example, the name of the organization and a piece of clip art, artwork can quickly be put together. If the shop owns a cutter or print and cut machine, it could be produced and heat applied with the students assisting. Or to keep it more simple, have students create a design prior to the event that is ready to go when they arrive and allow each student to heat apply his own transfer.

If students go home with a T-shirt, you can offer this for free or consider charging a nominal fee that will cover the cost of the T-shirt or supplies. Or students could be invited to bring their own T-shirt and you simply provide the decoration. The value of having the child take home a shirt to show their parents and friends is immeasurable. This advertises the services your shop offers and provides free publicity every time the child wears the shirt.

To keep a tour manageable and non-disruptive to your daily production, choose one or two days a week after school hours or on a Saturday when you could regularly host a group. You may want to do it after 5 when the regular work day is done. Limit the number of students to what you can handle. Put together a list of rules that you go over when the children first arrive to ensure that safety is a priority and that no mishaps occur.

In addition to sending children home with a shirt, you may also want to include an informational flier with your business card or perhaps a folder with company information that they can take home to parents.

To advertise your shop tours, create a colorful flier that includes T-shirt samples and some shop shots. Include available days and times and an itinerary of what the tour includes. Be sure to note if there is a charge and what the children will take home with them.

This flier can be distributed to all of your regular clientele as many of them are bound to have kids. You also can distribute it to all the area schools, churches, Scout groups, and other young organization such as YMCA, Campfire Girls, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, etc. Most metropolitan areas will have a council headquarters for Scouting that you can find in a phone book or the Internet. Scout leaders have a monthly meeting where they are presented with ideas to use in their Scout meetings. You might request to come and give a short presentation at this meeting to see what leaders may be interested in bringing their scout troop to your shop.

The tours are a powerful way to spread word of mouth publicity for your company and it also establishes your shop as a member of the community that wants to give back. Once you get decide on a set program and schedule, the time investment lessens and you will be surprised at the amount of new business this can generate.

Here's a comment posted by Mel, but I wanted to make sure everyone reads it, so I am reposting it here. If you want to learn more about using CADWORXLive.com to create artwork, don't miss this event coming this Thursday, Jan. 15th.

Comment Posted by: Mel Meibers on Sunday, January 11, 2009

Actually we can only have 1000 attendees at a time and the number of registrants keeps growing daily. Be sure to register as soon as possible. We are going to have part of the development team on line with us. Mel

Click here to register

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."  This is a quote I ran across from Francis Bacon, and it struck a cord with me because it reminded me of the true spirit of the successful entrepreneur. Sometimes I'm asked what sets apart the more successful businesses from the not-so-successful ones? Usually it has a lot to do with the quote from Sir Francis. The successful entreprenuers are the ones who creates their own opportunities by being consistently aggressive in going after business, asking for the sale, finding new customers and taking advantage of each contact point we have with a customer. What do I mean by this? For example...what do you do when someone calls your business and asks for your address? Do you just give them directions or do you take advantage of this opportunity to be helpful, find out what they are looking for, give them ideas or just get to know them better. Relationships still mean a lot, if not more, in today's cyber-shopping world. If you have the chance to speak with a real, live, customer, see this as an opportunity that could eventually turn into a sale. Don't take it for granted that just because people are calling your business, they will acutally show up sometime during the day. Give them a reason to ensure they will show up. Perhaps a promise to give them a great deal, or some type of discount, or free training, or explain the advantages of your quality service and fast delivery. Whatever you offer, whatever you choose to say, it will surely make more of an impression than just giving out your address. Other contact points include the way your product arrives in the customers hands. Is it neatly folded, is there a hang tag on the garment with washing instructions and your contact information? Did you include a package stuffer that explains how they can get all types of personalized items from you? Making the most of your opportunities is one thing. Recognizing the opportunities in the first place is the tricky part.

Click here to register

If you've been wanting to learn more about how to create the artwork you need with CADWORXlive.com, now is the time! Mel Meibers is hosting a free online webinar...all you need to do is register and you will get a step by step look at how easy it is to create artwork for output to a wide variety of output devices. Mel mentioned that over 400 people have already registered, but the great thing about a webinar is, we can have as many people attend who wish to. In other words, there's no limit to the number of attendees. I just had another demonstration of CADWORXlive again myself and I continue to be amazed at how fast and easy it is for anyone, even a non-artist like myself, who has little to no computer experience, to create art for teams, businesses and more. And yes, you can use it if you have a Mac...you don't have to wait for the webinar if you want to get started using CADWORXlive.com today. You just need to have a customer number at any GroupeSTAHL company.  

Free Educational Webinar

Thursday, January 15, 2009

2:00 - 3:00pm EST

You're Invited!

Heat printing industry expert, Mel Meibers, will be hosting an all new online webinar to show you the features of using CADWORXlive.com - our industry's only FREE online art software.

Click here to register

If you've been wanting to learn more about how to create the artwork you need with CADWORXlive.com, now is the time! Mel Meibers is hosting a free online webinar...all you need to do is register and you will get a step by step look at how easy it is to create artwork for output to a wide variety of output devices. Mel mentioned that over 400 people have already registered, but the great thing about a webinar is, we can have as many people attend who wish to. In other words, there's no limit to the number of attendees. I just had another demonstration of CADWORXlive again myself and I continue to be amazed at how fast and easy it is for anyone, even a non-artist like myself, who has little to no computer experience, to create art for teams, businesses and more. And yes, you can use it if you have a Mac...you don't have to wait for the webinar if you want to get started using CADWORXlive.com today. You just need to have a customer number at any GroupeSTAHL company.  

Free Educational Webinar

Thursday, January 15, 2009

2:00 - 3:00pm EST

You're Invited!

Heat printing industry expert, Mel Meibers, will be hosting an all new online webinar to show you the features of using CADWORXlive.com - our industry's only FREE online art software.

In 2009, one of my resolutions is to provide you with as many ideas and inspirations to grow your business as possible. In addition to my own thoughts, I would  also like  to invite others to participate and share their wisdom as well.

Here is contribution from Deborah Sexton, my first guest blogger for 2009. Deborah started out as an assistant editor for IMPRESSIONS magazine in 1981 and was editor in chief of IMPRESSIONS from 1994 to 2001. Since 2001, she has been running her own freelance business writing press releases, newsletters and Web copy. She also writes for many industry trade publications such as IMPRESSIONS, Printwear and others. Here are some of her thoughts on developing strategies for boosting sales in 2009. I'm sure we'll hear from her again.

Develop A Strategy For Boosting Sales

By Deborah Sexton

Very few people are lucky enough to have their sales automatically increase every year. If you weren?t satisfied with 2008 year-end revenues, now?s the time to take action and implement a plan that will make sure that by this time next year, you?ll be happier with your total.

The first step when creating a sales plan is to have one or more goals. Here?s an example:

My sales volume was $75,000 in 2008. My goal is to have sales increase by 20% for a total gross revenue of $90,000 in 2009. The monthly goal is $7,500. The most important thing to remember when choosing a sales goal is you want to choose one that will be a stretch, but not unattainable.

Next comes the hard part. How are you going to increase your sales to this new higher level? Fortunately there are volumes of information on sales and marketing available in industry trade magazines, Web sites, and books. If you don?t have a clue what marketing is or how to get started, tap into these resources until you can create a list of ideas of strategies you want to try.

Then put down on paper your action list of things you?re going to do. An example would be:

1. Create a new sign to post near the road to attract more drive-by traffic.

2. Create a customer database with e-mail addresses. Send out a monthly broadcast e-mail offering a special for those who order during that month.

3. Design a referral reward system for current customers. Any customer who refers another client who orders, gets a 10% discount off their next order.

4. Create a special giveaway like an embroidered cap or some inexpensive promotional product to include with completed orders along with a personalized thank-you note.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of things that any shop can do. Then it?s important to keep good records. Document what you did, when you did it, and carefully track if sales went up or down. As you experiment with different strategies, over time, you?ll learn what works and what doesn?t.

The number of personalized shirts I see in a day never ceases to amaze me. In addition to respect for the creativity of some of the slogans I read, I also reflect on the fact that every personalized t-shirt I see means that someone out there was smart enough to offer short run t-shirt printing. It used to be that the only way to personalize a single t-shirt was with what we call "little letters." "Little letters" are the 2-inch and under die-cut or pre-cut letters that Stahls' has sold since 1932. T-shirt shops buy the letters by the pack or kit and when customers wanted a name or saying on a shirt, you would line up the letters and heat apply to create a personalized shirt in a few mintues. Today there are a few other ways to add personalized sayings or logos to shirts, but sales of "little letters" still remain strong. In fact, many businesses continue to count on die-cut/pre-cut lettering for all their short run lettering needs. While many have switched to the convenience of CAD-CUT names, there are still thousands of businesses out there that rely on the simplicity of reaching for a box of Stahls' lettering to get the job done. With a kit of white and a kit of black 2-inch Pro Block on hand, you're always ready to add a name to any shirt.

I would like to wish all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays on behalf on my wife Mary (bottom right hand corner) and all our kids and grandkids. We finally have a new family snapshot that includes four generations of the Stahl family, including my mother, Ricki Stahl. That's her in the center of the photo. Ricki is one of the co-founders of Stahls' and we work hard every day to make sure we meet up to the high standards and live by the family values she helped establish for the company that today has grown into the GroupeSTAHL family of companies. Best wishes, Ted.  

The Looking Glass

The world (life and business) is a looking glass and gives back every person

the reflection of their own face. Frown at it and it in turn will frown at you.

Laugh at it, and with it, and it will be a jolly, kind companion.

And so it goes with people.

Respect them and they will respect you.

Listen first and you will be listened to.

Talking first, without sincerely listening,

or raising one?s voice, means you don?t

respect others? opinions, ideas or initiatives

and more importantly, them.

FREE set of garment platens with the purchase of any qualifying Hotronix® Heat Press during the month of December. Take advantage of this amazing offer worth $268.00!

Platen sizes: 6" x 10", 8" x 10", and 7" Round

Platens fit the following qualified Hotronix® models: Swinger, Draw, Air Swinger, and Auto Clam 16" x 16" and 16" x 20"

Almost across the board, screen printers, sign makers, embroiderers are having their eyes opened that it's time to expand the services they offer. Not in the sense of making a huge investment in equipment or actually expanding their facilities, but in the sense that they need to start saying YES to any order that walks in the door. In the past, a sign maker may have been too busy to say yes to a customer that wanted a custom garment, but now it seems safer to just say yes and then figure out how to get the job done after the customer leaves the shop. A risky idea? Not when there are so many ways to quickly and easily create custom shirts, hats, caps and more. There is literally no job too big or too small. So start saying yes to anyone who asks if you can print on nylon, if you can print on neoprene, if you can print full color on darks, if you can print metallics, reflectives, do twill applique, or print on just about anything. There is a heat print product to get any job done and if you don't know how to do it, the knowledgeable folks at Stahls' can tell you what you need to do. I've said it a million times, but it's never been more true. Say YES. All you need is a heat press.   

Hotronix® Featured on Dragons Den. BBC BBC Two, 9:00pm Sunday 16th November 2008

Martin Borley, Director of Target Transfers, UK, just informed me that the Hotronix Hover Press, was featured, however briefly, on a hugely popular UK television series, Dragons' Den. (The Hover Press? includes digital time, temperature and pressure displays and allows the operator to set the press for two functions: hover or pressure. According to Wikepedia, the show format is as follows:

"The contestants are usually product designers, who have what they consider to be a viable and potentially very profitable business idea, but who lack funding and direction. They pitch their idea to five rich entrepreneurial businesspeople, the eponymous "dragons". They have, before the show, named an amount of money that they wish to get, and the rules stipulate that if they do not raise at least this amount from the dragons, they get nothing. In return, the contestant gives the dragons a percentage of the company's stock, which is the chief point of negotiation.

Once the contestant has made their presentation, the dragons then probe the idea further, often revealing an embarrassing lack of preparation on the part of the contestants or uncovering troubling facts, and consequently rejecting the investment." Sounds like a great show.

Here is what Target Transfers reported in the UK on the appearance of the heat press on the TV show:

Peter Jones, probably the most popular and most successful of the Dragons appeared last night in a one hour update special along with Mark Champkins. Mark, a designer and manufacturer, creates and produces the amazing Concentrate line of products for school children under the name of Concentrate Design Ltd. From his Concentrate offices in Hoxton Street North London the filming showed the production process for his neoprene cool lunch bag line which  utilises a 40×50 Hotronix Auto Clam heat press to brand his wonderful products. Mark has seen his sales double since his appearance on the Dragons Den and his tie up with Peter Jones. Marks products have now appeared in most the major high stores such as John Lewis and Sainsburys. To see the latest episode use this link but be quick as it will be gone by Sunday the 30th November 2008 on the BBC iPlayer.