By William J. Lynott Credit plays an important part in business. Used wisely, it can be a profitable friend. Used carelessly, it can be a destructive enemy. Here are nine ways to help you put credit to work for you and your business. Be aware of your credit report. If your credit score is “good,” [...]

You’re in business to make money. That means knowing costs and pricing jobs realistically. By Marc Hequet This job’s a tough one; the design is different, the material expensive. The customer is haggling. Can you price it to meet your target margin? Do you know what your target margin is? Can you even price it [...]

By William J. Lynott Employers place a great deal of trust in their employees, but it’s important to keep your guard up. The unfortunate fact is that employee theft is the fastest growing crime in America, according to FBI statistics. To an employer, employee theft occurs when a worker steals merchandise, money, property or even [...]

Stay profitable while dealing with troubled customers. By Mark E. Battersby Beware! Even a marine fabricator’s best customers can suddenly become deadbeats. The good news, according to recently-released figures, is that fewer of your marine canvas and upholstery operation’s customers and suppliers are filing for bankruptcy. The bad news is that many businesses are hoarding [...]

By Dave Sanders Small-business owners wear many hats. The demands of day-to-day business activities leave little time for planning or thinking about ways to improve your business. The past few years have been tough on all businesses, but especially on small business. Smaller operations have fewer employees and generally have a good understanding of their [...]

A fabricator shares his system for effectively communicating assignments and organizing schedules. by Chris Patterson I purchased Weaver Canvas, a successful marine canvas shop, in May 2002. As we started to grow the company and add employees, it became clear that our work order process needed to be improved. I had always been impressed with [...]

By Pat Hayes We all know that service to our customer is critical, especially in this economy. How is it woven into your daily operation? Have you clearly defined your client expectations and established a means of meeting them in order to ensure satisfaction and a continuance of your business relationships? “Service” begins with the [...]

Jeff Viehmeyer shares his techniques for balancing quality, cost and time in a customized approach to customer satisfaction. By Sigrid Tornquist “Excessive perfectionism can strangle success,” says Jeff Viehmeyer, owner of Alameda Canvas & Coverings in Alameda, Calif. “Every project has a correct balance between quality, cost and time—and you have to find the balance [...]

Spread “word of mouse” with free social media tools. By Shelby Gonzalez “We got into social media because we wanted to be able to stay in touch with our customers on their terms,” says Jill Argetsinger of The Nautical Needle in Holland, Mich. “So many people go to the web these days for all types [...]

The massive and controversial “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010,” the two recently enacted health care reform bills, included more than $400 billion in so-called “revenue raisers” and new taxes on employers and individuals. The centerpiece in these health reform laws is the mandate for [...]