We’re not going to deal with our industry’s bad reputation this way
Three years ago already, Adrienne Matei, writing for the Guardian, pointed out that glitter is "an environmental abomination." She explained how it is made from a combination of aluminum and plastic and is a microplastic. Microplastics have been found in Arctic ice,...
An organized business
Going back to the book I mentioned in an earlier article, 101 Things I learned in Business School, there is some very good advice on running an organized business. It's about the fact that businesses have departments, even one-person businesses. Understanding this...
Emergency and disaster planning
I've written about emergency and disaster planning before and will again in the future because it is important; I know this from personal experience. As I mentioned in the previous article, BDC has advice on all kinds of planning, including emergency and disaster...
A plan for implementing your strategy
So this is the time of the year when business owners are urged to plan. And there's no end to the types of plans. In my experience though, moist small businesses don't have the time (or probably the need) to plan to the degree of detail some of the plan-crazy business...
Your people are capital
Over the holidays I came across 101 Things I learned in Business School by Michael W. Preis and Matthew Frederick. It's crammed with some useful ideas and concepts, much of it useful to small businesses such as the vast majority of textile screen printing shops in...
The 8 golden keeps of small business
I was recently searching through a filing box of stuff I'd once thought worth keeping. And while much of it should have been dumped a long time ago, I found a single page with few words but a lot of wisdom. Since most textile screen shops in Canada are small...
Stuff you should know moving down the 2023 road
The BDC recently published a paper with questions and answers relative to the outlook for small businesses for 2023. Some of the more pertinent ones are worth mentioning here as they could impact your planning as you look down the road. The question of a possible...
Don’t buy the hype until you’ve involved a number cruncher
I've just received yet another email from Kornit listing five reasons why it's a good idea to spend almost CAD350,000 on their Avanalche HD6. Leaving aside the usual hype about how a switch to DTG will instantly and magically "create new product opportunities, open...
Video: An accountant like no other
What immediately comes to mind when you hear "accountant"? Probably the stereotypical nit-picking, formally-attired, uncharismatic, image of a person we've all joked about at one time or another. For instance, what do you get when you cross an accountant with a jet...
A final reminder for this year – the National Imprint Canada Show in early January
This will be the last post for 2022 before we break for the holidays. And it's about something that's coming up soon after we all come back in January. The National Imprint Canada Show will be on Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of January in the Toronto Congress...
Is a new exposure unit lamp on the to-do list for the new year?
We are about to enter a new year and that means that Canadian textile screen printers will be giving some thought to a to-do list for getting off to a good start when we all come back in January. One item that can easily be overlooked is your exposure unit lamp. If it...
Five fraud prevention myths that could be hurting your business.
I recall how, many years ago now, a number of textile screen printing shops in Calgary were the victims of a credit card fraud. They fulfilled orders for blank garments on the basis of a credit card number given over the phone. These numbers were stolen from the cards...
Stanley’s holiday hours.
All four of Stanley's branches will be closed from 24 December 2022 to January 2nd 2023 inclusive. Everyone will be back, well rested and ready to get you off to a great start on 2023 on Tuesday, January 3rd. From now until closing on the 23rd, please allow enough...
Pantone’s colour of 2023 is . . .
Viva Magenta is Pantone's colour of 2023! I'm not sure if this is big news (or even news at all) in textile screen shops. However, you never know when a customer may be taken in by this colour-of-the-year thing and include it in a design. Fortunately, it's a safe bet...
DTG barking up the wrong tree on sustainability of textile screen printing.
I've just received an email from a Randall Byrd (yes, I know a tweet would have made a good joke, but this was definitely an email) in which Kornit seems to be taking a new marketing tack. They seem to have decided to attack textile screen printing on the...
A robotic fish that eats harmful microplastics (such as glitter)
The thumbnail version: Microplastic (such as the glitter we apply to garments) is causing a huge ecological problem. Inventors and scientists are working on counter-measures. The ultimate solution lies in not using pollutants. The full version: The University of...
Manual presses and carpel tunnel syndrome
The thumbnail version: Carpel tunnel syndrome is a potential consequence of extensive use of a manual press. The full version: Carpel tunnel syndrome is associated with the use of traditional squeegees on manual presses often enough to be a red flag. The best way to...
Smart use of passwords
The thumbnail version: Passwords stand between your personal online security as well as that of your business. How you use passwords matters. The full version: A recent CNN report revisited the issue of passwords and raised some interesting points well worth noting....
Sustainable workwear polycotton from recycled plastic bottles and Better Cotton
The thumbnail version: A global exporter of workwear fabric is making sustainable polycotton. The full version: The UK-based manufacturer and global exporter, Carrington Textiles, has disclosed that 11.3 plastic bottles are used to produce the recycled polyester...
A webinar worth attending . . . Preparing your business for an economic slowdown
The thumbnail version: An economic slowdown is expected in 2023 BDC is offering a free webinar on the topic The full version: An economic slowdown is expected in 2023. BDC is offering a free webinar with a view to helping you "discover strategies and tools you can use...
Poor communication . . . a business problem
The thumbnail version: Poor communication continues to be a business problem. Small businesses can gain a lot by improving communication. The full version: Monday.com has just reported on a survey of 400 large companies, The Cost of Poor Communication survey. It...
Does cold calling really have to be part of your sales plan?
The thumbnail version: No. The full version: I once had a conversation with a phone system salesperson. A significant part of the job was cold calling. Not only sitting on the phone in the office cold calling from a business directory but also after an appointment...
When last did you actually read a MSDS?
The thumbnail version: You probably have them available in the shop, as required by law. But have you actually ever read one? The full version: If you haven't familiarized yourself with the contents of the MSDS for the various materials in your shop, you're remiss....
Fairy tales and glitter
The thumbnail version: Glitter is a microplastic. Microplastics are an environmental hazard. The full version: A tale for you . . . Here's an email from a garment-decorating industry magazine editor: Dear XXXXXXX, Thank you for submitting your article for our upcoming...