There’s a high cost to being too busy to get work done. By Randy Westlund I  was consulting for the owners of a company recently. They’d worked hard last year. They did a record number of jobs. They even had to hire two installers and a welder to get it all done. But at the end [...]

By David Huntington Marketing is a critical component in the success of all businesses, and marine fabrication is no different. You may be booked weeks in advance, but even established shops should include marketing in their annual business plan to continue to build “brand equity”—making your brand valuable to the customer. Strong brand equity improves [...]

The Leadership Development Committee of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) is now seeking candidates for positions on its Board of Directors and Division Advisory Boards. The current 1st Vice Chairman Kathy Schaefer, IFM (Glawe Tent and Awning Co.) is Chairman-elect and will automatically assume the duties of the Chairman of the Board in October. [...]

There are common processes that are a part of every business. These include marketing, sales, estimating, quoting, work orders, scheduling, production, delivery, invoicing and reporting. Whether small or large, every business needs to consider how these tasks flow together in order to effectively deliver its products or services. Streamlining your shop requires you to identify [...]

No matter where in the world we run our businesses, we aspire to be successful, profitable and happy. We have either started the business from nothing, purchased an existing enterprise or taken the reins of the family business. Often, we begin with limited skills, have minimal formal industry training and largely “learn by our mistakes.” [...]

It’s one thing to find qualified workers; it’s another to keep them happy in their jobs. Inman Mills has a 116-year history as a textiles manufacturer, now staffing three plants with 700 employees. The Inman, S.C.-headquartered company enjoys a low turnover rate and, in fact, has employees who have been with the company for 40 [...]

Social media is a tool that can directly tie conversions to the efforts you set aside to utilize its potential. There are two main sectors of social media that businesses of all sizes can utilize to market their products and services: organic and paid. “Organic social” is the free, content side of social media. The [...]

Theen ... via Compfight cc Most companies run on credit to sustain their initial business expenses. They file for a business loan to cover liabilities for the following: purchasing inventory and equipment or credit to support expansion. Previously, we have highlighted various places where businesses can get a loan, including banks and federal [...]

There are dozens and dozens—maybe hundreds—of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software programs on the market. And it seems that most are difficult to use. In terms of navigating the programs, many CRM packages seem to be rated along an arc of complexity, from user-unfriendly to totally impossible to use. One well-known program, Salesforce, is often [...]

Dave Elliott's shop is located at Manly Boat Harbour, Brisbane, Australia, where the local marina is home to four yacht clubs and 1,700 boats in the water and 400 on land. In this series of articles, I will be introducing you to another talented fabricator, Aaron Stroud-Smith from Canvas Barn Marine Trimming, located [...]