Interview by Sigrid Tornquist

What is a piece of advice you’ve received from other business owners that has helped you run your business?

After talking about a customer of ours at a Virginia Carolinas Canvas Products Association, Zone 4 meeting, a couple of other fabricators took us aside and said: “You need to learn when to fire a customer.” There are times when you need to tell the customer you don’t think you’re a good match. When a customer has unrealistic expectations before the project has even started, it may make sense to tell them you can’t do what they need you to do.

How do you handle the rising costs associated with running a business?

One of the rising costs is freight—especially if you have to order from multiple vendors because they carry less inventory than they used to. Most are willing to help out on freight costs if they have to ship from multiple locations. It never hurts to ask.

Sigrid Tornquist is a freelance writer from St. Paul, Minn.