Are your marketing efforts attracting the types of clients and projects you’re interested in? If not, how should you go about it? The first step, obviously, is creating quality projects. And then you need to get the word out to your desired clients. For Midwesterners like myself, tooting our own horns can feel uncomfortable, but effectively marketing your projects is critical to the health of your business.

This issue will help you in your efforts. The feature “Word of Mouth” discusses the successes and failures of three award-winning fabricators when it comes to targeted marketing. “Diving In” spotlights Greg Keeler, Oyster Creek Canvas Co., and the role word-of-mouth advertising has played in transforming his one-man, one-machine shop into a 15-machine operation employing five full-timers and one part-timer. The “Premier Product Showcase” spreads the word about 55 high-quality marine products that will help you create stellar projects that will attract admirers at the marina.

Mark Hood, MFC, Hood Canvas LLC, drills down into pattern darting, which can save you time and greatly improve the look of your projects. MFA Award-winner Dawn Novotny, Interiors by Dawn, details the construction of the ultimate cushion design for drainage and breathability. And our business column discusses ransomware and what to do if you find yourself a victim of this type of unwanted attention.

You might think, “I’m busy enough, I don’t need more business.” But are you busy with projects you’re interested in and being paid what you’re worth? Creating high-quality projects and spreading the word about them is key to developing the business you want, which ironically ends up requiring less marketing. As business guru Rand Fishkin says, “The best way to sell something–don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect and trust of those who might buy.”