January 28th, 1986 was a day that many of us won't forget. The Florida sky was blue. The air crisp as people gathered for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The first astronaut teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was to make history by soaring into the sky and to teach class from space. Her parents watched proudly, beaming with a joy that sometimes only a parent can know. They were still expressing that joy when the Challenger veered from a straight path and began to fall from the sky. It took her parents a moment to realize that something terrible had happened.
That was the visual I remember that day. Sometime later, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech to reassure a nation coping with grief. It was a line in that speech that I will never forget, because even today it evokes within me an emotion of sadness and grief that has been imprinted into my soul: "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.' The words were taken from a sonnet, "High Flight" written during World War II by an American aviator serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force, John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
So now I wonder, have we lost our ability to take pen to hand and communicate with written words. Words, that when assembled into a structure can bring pause, inspire into action or evoke an emotion. How important is it anymore? Some may think that it really isn't that crucial in this day and age, but I disagree.
In business we still need to write letters, whether short memos, sales proposals or just a Thank You for your business. They need to be written accurately and convey a message. Would you do business with some who writes like they text? I'm guessing that you might have some second thoughts about partnering with that business.
Love letters used to be written all the time. Words that eloquently described feelings for someone. How many love letters are tucked away in "Memory Boxes" stained with tears from the time they were first read?
On the other hand, ending relationships used to involve writing letters. While it may have had a different emotional result, time was taken to communicate why it was being done. Now, it seems it's a simple text, devoid of any emotion.
Writing for personal joy is one thing I enjoy. If it's not read by anyone, that's okay. I still enjoy it. With blogs, anyone can take a few moments to share their thoughts or start that manuscript. Even if you don't have to write anything, do it. You'll be a better person for having mastered the gift of the word.
For www.presteejustees.com and www.mwcenterprises.biz, our words on shirts are just bits and pieces of text. Just a synopsis. It's the rest of the time that we write for a greater purpose, to bring pause, inspire into action or evoke that emotion.
In speaking, you will be remembered for a moment. When you write, you will be immortal.
Apparel and Promotional Products
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, December 6, 2010
Hello 2011
Mistakes, I've made a few.........But I did it my way. Frank Sinatra's words could certainly apply to me. As we finish our first partial year in business I have an opportunity to look back, and to look forward. And, yes, there were mistakes. Did I gain any knowledge from these mistakes? Does the little piggy go wee wee wee all the way home?
But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone. Are you sensing a musical theme here? So now I look forward to 2011 with the knowledge I gained from our first year. That new insight will be to the benefit of our customers. Focus on the two or three things that most people want and do them great. We have always done things well, we just want to be better.
So in 2011 our main focus will be on apparel decoration. While the other items to decorate are great, most people look to us for apparel. What methods are we going to use for decorating apparel? Again, there are several choices. Screen printing, vinyl, with all of it's varying types to rhinestone, all of which I like. There are also a couple of other methods of heat transfer, but our focus will be on the three mentioned.
To outsource or to do it ourselves? We have and will continue to do our own apparel decoration, with the exception of embroidery. However, there will be more focus on providing embroidered products. To be able to create the quantities you want and need is our goal and by outsourcing, we would have to have larger minimums.
We will however outsource promotional products. There are so many different types of products available that we want to be able to offer and the best way is to utilize the synergy of a Promotional Products Distributor. With their ability to pull from different manufacturers, it gives us the tools and means to bring to you and abundance of advertising specialty products.
There are many other tid bits of knowledge that we picked up along the way. Inventory, vendors and vendor relationships, shipping, packaging, pricing, advertising and the list goes on.
But what we gained the most this past year is the friendship of many great people. Many of you encouraged us, applauded us, thanked us, advised us and were there for us. Without you we would be packing it in right now and be looking to do something different. So thank you for supporting www.presteejustees.com and www.mwcenterprises.biz and for being our friends.
May you enjoy the Spirit of Christmas and have a fantastic New Year.
George and Anna Rivas
MWC Enterprises
But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone. Are you sensing a musical theme here? So now I look forward to 2011 with the knowledge I gained from our first year. That new insight will be to the benefit of our customers. Focus on the two or three things that most people want and do them great. We have always done things well, we just want to be better.
So in 2011 our main focus will be on apparel decoration. While the other items to decorate are great, most people look to us for apparel. What methods are we going to use for decorating apparel? Again, there are several choices. Screen printing, vinyl, with all of it's varying types to rhinestone, all of which I like. There are also a couple of other methods of heat transfer, but our focus will be on the three mentioned.
To outsource or to do it ourselves? We have and will continue to do our own apparel decoration, with the exception of embroidery. However, there will be more focus on providing embroidered products. To be able to create the quantities you want and need is our goal and by outsourcing, we would have to have larger minimums.
We will however outsource promotional products. There are so many different types of products available that we want to be able to offer and the best way is to utilize the synergy of a Promotional Products Distributor. With their ability to pull from different manufacturers, it gives us the tools and means to bring to you and abundance of advertising specialty products.
There are many other tid bits of knowledge that we picked up along the way. Inventory, vendors and vendor relationships, shipping, packaging, pricing, advertising and the list goes on.
But what we gained the most this past year is the friendship of many great people. Many of you encouraged us, applauded us, thanked us, advised us and were there for us. Without you we would be packing it in right now and be looking to do something different. So thank you for supporting www.presteejustees.com and www.mwcenterprises.biz and for being our friends.
May you enjoy the Spirit of Christmas and have a fantastic New Year.
George and Anna Rivas
MWC Enterprises
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Mid Term Elections Satire
The commercials are airing and the door hangars are appearing. People are knocking on doors. All this is going on so I can be made to vote for the candidate they are representing.
In 1972 I turned 18 and voted in my first Presidential election and I haven't missed one since. I've voted for Congressmen, Senators, state legislators, city council, school board and water district commissioners. I have been an avid supporter of the political system. I believe in our system, and I think it's the best in the world. So what is the point of this essay and why am I putting it in this blog? Because I have become disillusioned with how politics are being played today. Also, starting a small business, my choices can have a more direct effect on that business based on what type of legislation is passed. With that, I'm rethinking my past beliefs and adopting new ones. Here in no particular order are what is important to me?
1. Tax Bribes. Okay, refund, rebates whatever you want to call them. As long as we are going into massive debt, why not just give the money to me. I'll spend it, recirculate it and put it back into the economy. It's got to be better then giving it to banks and Wall Street who just horde it. They wouldn't even buy large boxes of Tide with Fabreez, but I would.
2. Earmarks. They need to get rid of them. Unless MWC Enterprises can get one. I would be happy to receive a $20,000. earmark to study the effects of Tide with Fabreez on t-shirts.
3. Term Limits. Come on, really. A lifetime of living off the generosity of the taxpayer. I think a one time term of 6 years ought to be enough. If you can't contribute to fixing problems in that time, then obviously you are a loser and don't deserve another chance. That should cover just about everybody who's in office now. At least with term limits we can get a new loser every six years. Oh, and no retirement and medical benefits when you leave office. You have to live like the rest of us. Good luck with that. Oh, and you can't wash your clothes with Tide with Fabreez. You would have to use the stinky detergent.
4. Political Ads. They have gotten so nasty and mean spirited over that last few elections. Remember the adage "if you can't say anything nice". So, no political ads "if you can't say anything nice". That should get rid of all political ads and I can start watching regular Tide with Fabreez commercials again.
5. Overseas Jobs. The politician who can get the law changed that says: If the job can be done in the USA, then it would be illegal to take it overseas. That guy would get my vote. I'll bet just about every job that goes overseas now could get done here. We could make our own Tide with Fabreez.
6. Immigration. What a huge mess that is. I'm sure there is someone though who has the courage to get immigration laws changed. It would take someone with a backbone and immense courage to get the law changed so I could immigrate to Cabos once a year for 2 months. I would even teach people there how to use Tide with Fabreez so they could contribute to their local economy.
7. Social Security. IT'S FOR RETIREMENT. PERIOD. If we stopped using it for things other then retirement, we wouldn't be running out of money and wouldn't have to think about raising the retirement age to 99. Well retirement, and one box of Tide with Fabreez every month so we wouldn't be stinky old people.
There you have it. Why certain things in politics are important to me now that I have a small business. We can't continue with business as usual, or I won't survive. We need these changes. Small businesses are the wheels that turn this economy, and if we can succeed, then the economy will once again be productive and unemployment will again be low. And everyone, except ex-politicians will smell good, because our clothes will be washed in Made in the USA Tide with Fabreez.
In 1972 I turned 18 and voted in my first Presidential election and I haven't missed one since. I've voted for Congressmen, Senators, state legislators, city council, school board and water district commissioners. I have been an avid supporter of the political system. I believe in our system, and I think it's the best in the world. So what is the point of this essay and why am I putting it in this blog? Because I have become disillusioned with how politics are being played today. Also, starting a small business, my choices can have a more direct effect on that business based on what type of legislation is passed. With that, I'm rethinking my past beliefs and adopting new ones. Here in no particular order are what is important to me?
1. Tax Bribes. Okay, refund, rebates whatever you want to call them. As long as we are going into massive debt, why not just give the money to me. I'll spend it, recirculate it and put it back into the economy. It's got to be better then giving it to banks and Wall Street who just horde it. They wouldn't even buy large boxes of Tide with Fabreez, but I would.
2. Earmarks. They need to get rid of them. Unless MWC Enterprises can get one. I would be happy to receive a $20,000. earmark to study the effects of Tide with Fabreez on t-shirts.
3. Term Limits. Come on, really. A lifetime of living off the generosity of the taxpayer. I think a one time term of 6 years ought to be enough. If you can't contribute to fixing problems in that time, then obviously you are a loser and don't deserve another chance. That should cover just about everybody who's in office now. At least with term limits we can get a new loser every six years. Oh, and no retirement and medical benefits when you leave office. You have to live like the rest of us. Good luck with that. Oh, and you can't wash your clothes with Tide with Fabreez. You would have to use the stinky detergent.
4. Political Ads. They have gotten so nasty and mean spirited over that last few elections. Remember the adage "if you can't say anything nice". So, no political ads "if you can't say anything nice". That should get rid of all political ads and I can start watching regular Tide with Fabreez commercials again.
5. Overseas Jobs. The politician who can get the law changed that says: If the job can be done in the USA, then it would be illegal to take it overseas. That guy would get my vote. I'll bet just about every job that goes overseas now could get done here. We could make our own Tide with Fabreez.
6. Immigration. What a huge mess that is. I'm sure there is someone though who has the courage to get immigration laws changed. It would take someone with a backbone and immense courage to get the law changed so I could immigrate to Cabos once a year for 2 months. I would even teach people there how to use Tide with Fabreez so they could contribute to their local economy.
7. Social Security. IT'S FOR RETIREMENT. PERIOD. If we stopped using it for things other then retirement, we wouldn't be running out of money and wouldn't have to think about raising the retirement age to 99. Well retirement, and one box of Tide with Fabreez every month so we wouldn't be stinky old people.
There you have it. Why certain things in politics are important to me now that I have a small business. We can't continue with business as usual, or I won't survive. We need these changes. Small businesses are the wheels that turn this economy, and if we can succeed, then the economy will once again be productive and unemployment will again be low. And everyone, except ex-politicians will smell good, because our clothes will be washed in Made in the USA Tide with Fabreez.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Being a Home Based Business
I don't know how many times a day I hear cars drive by our house. They drive by but yet they don't stop. No cars pulling in the driveway and asking us what we have for sale. No minivans with families popping out ready to shop. No couples with their Starbucks cup in hand rummaging through our shirts. We don't have a large billboard of a sign out front (darn zoning laws) announcing who we are. No, none of that. Not having a retail store front, but rather being a home based business we miss out on that. So is that a bad thing. No, because we enjoy working from the solitude of our home.
But it does present its challenges. How do we find our customers? Well of course we use the internet with our websites, use social media and pretty much pester all of our friends and family. I do think it's having an effect in that our circle of friends seems to be shrinking. So what does a home based business do?
Our first tool is our website, www.mwcenterprises.biz. Simple enough, right? No. Just like customers trying to find your physical location, they still need to find your online presence. No simple task. I mean they can't pull into a gas station and ask for directions. Men, I'll explain that one some other time. With websites it's all about being search engine friendly and getting noticed by the multitude of search engines out there. Search Engine Optimization is a full time job in and of itself. So we do what we can with respect to SEO and hopefully over time we get more results.
Next, we use social media, with Twitter and Facebook being the most used. I know there are a variety of different social media venues out there but within my diminishing circle of friends, those seem to be the most relevant. Are they effective? I truly believe the answer is yes, but it doesn't just happen. Again, it's something that evolves over time. Initially, your friends on Facebook (again, the remaining ones) support and encourage you. They are the ones that give you the strength to continue and fight the battle for another day. Over time more friends and their friends become a part of your Facebook family.
Twitter on the other hand I'm still grappling with. Twitter with it's constantly moving time line is something that really seems to be hit and miss. Trying to deliver the right message in 140 characters or less in that moving time line is more difficult. There is also a lot of Twitter etiquette that you need to know about. I recently saw an article of 100 do's and don'ts with respect to Twitter. Thank goodness there isn't 101. Having "followers" on Twitter doesn't mean customers either. I do try to follow people in my local community in hopes that I will eventually "tweet up" with someone who can be a customer.
This year will be our first in having a Yellow Page ad promoting promotional products and custom apparel. The book comes out in just a couple of short weeks and we will have to wait and see if it's an effective form of advertising. If it turns out that it is, we will expand our ad next year into other nearby communities.
There is an ongoing ad on Craig's List that hasn't been very productive, but it's free, so it will stay.
This winter we will be attending flea markets. We can offer a variety of shirts at "flea market" pricing and possibly promote custom services and our e-commerce website, www.presteejustees.com.
We have looked at attending various events to set up a booth, but some are very costly, and for some the waiting list to get booth space is pretty long. It is however, and area to pursue.
One other area under consideration are some local community newspapers. In some cases you also get an online ad at no additional cost. Since we are providing a service to the local community it would seem a good venue for advertising dollars. There are also some "shop local" mailers that can be considered.
Line cards and good old fashion sales calls also are being planned. Face to face communication is a time honored tradition that I don't think is completely obsolete because of the internet. Call me old fashioned.
Our best advertising however comes from our repeat customers and good old word of mouth. That has been our best and most cost effective way so far. It's the one that also validates what we do and makes us feel good about the choice we made to be a home based business.
So do we need a parking lot in front of our house with painted yellow lines and a physical location. No, just a sense of eternal optimism, faith in our product and those that support us.
But it does present its challenges. How do we find our customers? Well of course we use the internet with our websites, use social media and pretty much pester all of our friends and family. I do think it's having an effect in that our circle of friends seems to be shrinking. So what does a home based business do?
Our first tool is our website, www.mwcenterprises.biz. Simple enough, right? No. Just like customers trying to find your physical location, they still need to find your online presence. No simple task. I mean they can't pull into a gas station and ask for directions. Men, I'll explain that one some other time. With websites it's all about being search engine friendly and getting noticed by the multitude of search engines out there. Search Engine Optimization is a full time job in and of itself. So we do what we can with respect to SEO and hopefully over time we get more results.
Next, we use social media, with Twitter and Facebook being the most used. I know there are a variety of different social media venues out there but within my diminishing circle of friends, those seem to be the most relevant. Are they effective? I truly believe the answer is yes, but it doesn't just happen. Again, it's something that evolves over time. Initially, your friends on Facebook (again, the remaining ones) support and encourage you. They are the ones that give you the strength to continue and fight the battle for another day. Over time more friends and their friends become a part of your Facebook family.
Twitter on the other hand I'm still grappling with. Twitter with it's constantly moving time line is something that really seems to be hit and miss. Trying to deliver the right message in 140 characters or less in that moving time line is more difficult. There is also a lot of Twitter etiquette that you need to know about. I recently saw an article of 100 do's and don'ts with respect to Twitter. Thank goodness there isn't 101. Having "followers" on Twitter doesn't mean customers either. I do try to follow people in my local community in hopes that I will eventually "tweet up" with someone who can be a customer.
This year will be our first in having a Yellow Page ad promoting promotional products and custom apparel. The book comes out in just a couple of short weeks and we will have to wait and see if it's an effective form of advertising. If it turns out that it is, we will expand our ad next year into other nearby communities.
There is an ongoing ad on Craig's List that hasn't been very productive, but it's free, so it will stay.
We have looked at attending various events to set up a booth, but some are very costly, and for some the waiting list to get booth space is pretty long. It is however, and area to pursue.
One other area under consideration are some local community newspapers. In some cases you also get an online ad at no additional cost. Since we are providing a service to the local community it would seem a good venue for advertising dollars. There are also some "shop local" mailers that can be considered.
Line cards and good old fashion sales calls also are being planned. Face to face communication is a time honored tradition that I don't think is completely obsolete because of the internet. Call me old fashioned.
Our best advertising however comes from our repeat customers and good old word of mouth. That has been our best and most cost effective way so far. It's the one that also validates what we do and makes us feel good about the choice we made to be a home based business.
So do we need a parking lot in front of our house with painted yellow lines and a physical location. No, just a sense of eternal optimism, faith in our product and those that support us.
Monday, June 7, 2010
I Believe
I Believe is the latest shirt that's going to be added to www.presteejustees.com. I Believe is a shirt with just a simple statement without any great graphics or artwork. It's just a statement that there is a belief that you have.
This was an idea that my daughter came up with. Maybe it's for children who want to believe in Santa Claus. A child grows up so fast anymore, and to be able to hang onto that belief just gives them a longer childhood. A gift that can warm a child's heart and make him smile, even a simple gift, can only have been brought to them by a Saint, named Nick. Let them Believe.
We all have strong beliefs'. I believe that we live in the greatest country on the planet. We fought, we endured. We dreamed, we built. We had obstacles, we overcame. Throughout our history, we faced challenges and rose above and created something better. So, in this place, I Believe.
There are people of Faith. Diverse, yet a core belief that Someone is guiding their life and lifting them up through all of the roadblocks on their journey forward. So, in Faith, I Believe.
Dreamers of all kinds who have had ideas and a drive to make things happen, Believe.
Entrepreneurs that take risks, Believe.
People who envisioned equality and civil rights, Believed.
The people looking out into the stars for another place like ours. They believe.
I Believe can be whatever you want it to be. You just have to "Believe".
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Customer Service
I have been in industry for over 30 years, where providing customer service was job one. It didn't matter what product you offered, just how well you took care of your customer, whether on the phone or standing across from you.
The one thing I have taken away from all these years of working in a sales capacity, is that there is no cookie cutter method of taking care of people. All people are unique, and bring to you their own set of issues and requirements. Being unique requires that they get taken care with a focus on their needs. Maybe two people are coming in for the same product, but they each have different ideas of what feature or benefit is important to them. If they don't care about one feature, but you think it's important, just gloss over it and talk to them about what they perceive is important.
Maybe they don't know anything at all about your product or service. Then you have to start asking questions and find out what interests them. Point out all the bells and whistles, but listen to, and watch your customer and see if they are following you or have lost interest in what you are saying. Keep them engaged. Don't do all the talking, but more listening.
So where am I going with this. Now that I am working for myself, I find that I am both the customer and customer service representative. But I want to talk about being the customer in this new industry I have chosen to be a part of.
I started out not knowing anyone who did this or any supplier. In the course of the next year, I started working with several vendors, acquired equipment and supplies and began the journey. I got involved in social networking and have come to meet a lot of people (on line) through this venue. Last year I didn't even know anything about Twitter, and now use it daily, along with Facebook. The people on line are vendors and others in the industry. I have even selected one other screen printer to be my mentor and he has provided me invaluable assistance. Thank you Gary.
But what of the people who supply products. Wow, there really are a lot of them. Some extremely helpful and some who just sort of take you for granted. So let me just focus on a couple of people who have gone out of their way to provide help to someone who is just a little guy in this big pond of apparel decorators.
Yesterday, I had a need for some emulsion and found someone local in Portland. I filled out an online contact form and they immediately got a hold of me. I then went to their location and was totally impressed with how they took care of me. I was a customer, not an interruption. I left with my supplies, literature and a sense that they would soon be a primary supplier for my screen print and vinyl needs. The company was Midwest Sign and Screen Printing Supply.
The other company I would like to mention is EnMart, www.myenmart.com. I placed my first order with them for some screen print transfers. I uploaded the artwork, incorrectly, sent them an e-mail mentioning my boo boo and they immediately responded to my e-mail and took care of it. The next day, they called to verify the submitted artwork, and because of that call resolved what could have been an incorrect transfer. Again, my bad, in submitting the artwork. They could have just sent it as submitted and then tell me later it was what I sent them, but they went the extra step to verify. I also know that when the transfers arrive, they are going to look great!
What does all of this mean? By being a customer I have a greater insight of what my customer might want and expect. I have always been good at taking care of a persons needs, but now I can really appreciate some things that I may have taken for granted before. So now, I move forward with greater insight.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Dreams and Starting Over
Is it ever to late to start something new? That dream you've always had but never really got around to doing. I believe the answer is no, it's never too late. We just need to have the dream and act upon it. That however is easier said than done.
Not to long ago, I had and idea and started to move forward with it. I thought I would like to be in the decorated apparel business and sell t-shirts on line. I thought it was something I could do part time, grease the wheels for retirement, and then be able to kick back and enjoy the later years.
Well the reality is that it isn't something you can do and NOT devote the necessary time to. So as I moved forward I found I was more involved in it then I thought I would be and unfortunately, the people I worked for noticed also. I say unfortunately, but that's not true. I did work for a really great company, and I could have stayed more focused on their needs and in a few short years I would have had my retirement, but not my dream. So, they noticed and our relationship ended.
That sounds unfortunate, but really it was the kick in the butt I needed to really start focusing on my dream. Now I have the time and a need to jump into the drivers seat of my own destiny and steer myself to success.
What lies ahead? A road filled with potholes or a smoothly paved superhighway. I think a little of both. Certainly obstacles, and opportunities. But dreamers look at obstacles as opportunities and work through them and learn from them. Will it be easy? That's the last thing it will be, but if it were easy then why would we want it, or want to challenge ourselves. If we didn't have the worries, the sweat or the angst, then would we be able to enjoy the smiles later? Not at all.
Now, after a lot of years I'm going to live my dream and admittedly, I'm a little scared. But, I am also proud of the accomplishments so far and my optimism will carry me forward. That and my partner, wife and best friend who has always been there for me.
Dreamers, keep dreaming and don't be afraid to pursue it, or it could become something you'll look back on and regret.
www.mwcenterprises.biz encourages you to chase the dream.
Not to long ago, I had and idea and started to move forward with it. I thought I would like to be in the decorated apparel business and sell t-shirts on line. I thought it was something I could do part time, grease the wheels for retirement, and then be able to kick back and enjoy the later years.
Well the reality is that it isn't something you can do and NOT devote the necessary time to. So as I moved forward I found I was more involved in it then I thought I would be and unfortunately, the people I worked for noticed also. I say unfortunately, but that's not true. I did work for a really great company, and I could have stayed more focused on their needs and in a few short years I would have had my retirement, but not my dream. So, they noticed and our relationship ended.
That sounds unfortunate, but really it was the kick in the butt I needed to really start focusing on my dream. Now I have the time and a need to jump into the drivers seat of my own destiny and steer myself to success.
What lies ahead? A road filled with potholes or a smoothly paved superhighway. I think a little of both. Certainly obstacles, and opportunities. But dreamers look at obstacles as opportunities and work through them and learn from them. Will it be easy? That's the last thing it will be, but if it were easy then why would we want it, or want to challenge ourselves. If we didn't have the worries, the sweat or the angst, then would we be able to enjoy the smiles later? Not at all.
Now, after a lot of years I'm going to live my dream and admittedly, I'm a little scared. But, I am also proud of the accomplishments so far and my optimism will carry me forward. That and my partner, wife and best friend who has always been there for me.
Dreamers, keep dreaming and don't be afraid to pursue it, or it could become something you'll look back on and regret.
www.mwcenterprises.biz encourages you to chase the dream.
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