Please find some links and notes from the 2 Regular Guys Podcast. For many decorators, there is a summer lull. Many of your customers are off on a family vacation, schools are closed, and just, in general, the summertime can be slower for many businesses. Aaron and Terry are going to talk about some things you can do to take advantage of this slow time to help build your business for the busier time of the year.

Sponsored by: Equipment Zone

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NBM Show Recap

Teamwork

Seminar

All about the “qualified” buyers

Changes to 2 Regular Guys

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Using the Slow Times to Build Your Business

#1 Where do we start?

Equipment: Start the process with a tour of your plant or facility. Look around at the equipment you didn’t use last year.

Clearing the decks: Are you still holding onto your pneumatic screen stretcher even though you’ve totally converted to retensionable frames? Is there an old flash cure unit or shell of your first four color press setting around? I’m sure all of these things have sentimental value. If so, take them home and put them in your garage with your first two-wheeler. Or, just sell them. Many decorators out there would treasure your old equipment.

Supplies & Merchandise: I know printers who will hold blank merchandise for years because they can’t bring themselves to take a loss by closing the product out. Look at it this way. You’re getting zero return on your investment if it sets on your valuable stock shelves. Turn that stagnant inventory into cash and buy products that you can sell.

Inks & Chemicals: If you’re disposing of useless inks and chemicals, be certain to do it properly. That means not putting it on the garbage truck. It’s not worth the environmental risk to others and the liability risk to you. By liability risk, I mean a big fine and continued scrutiny by your local government and beyond. If you don’t have a regular hazardous waste carrier, Google for a disposal operator in your area. They’ll take inks and chemicals off your hands and relieve you of further disposal liability.

House Cleaning: Now that you’ve cleaned out your shop, clean it up. Despite many who disagree, a dirty shop is not the “nature of the beast”. Yes, many types of decoration can be messy, but you don’t have to work in the debris every day. A clean shop lowers the risk of product spoilage and makes for a better working environment. My experience tells me that a clean shop translates into higher quality work and less product spoilage. A “show place” shop should be a goal for all decorators all of the time.

#2 Projecting sales volume for next season.

Projecting Sales: Take an honest look at what you did in sales this year, and make a reasonable, rational projection for next year.

Do you have the equipment, facility, staff to achieve your projections? Projecting sales volumes for the coming season will give us financial information as a starting point.