TEXTILES.ORG
Serving customers and employees
August 31st, 2023
Running a successful business means being on the same team as your customers and employees. During the busy season, this can be challenging. I was reminded of this by my son who works at a restaurant that’s open seven days a week. The food is wonderful and the place is always packed, but the restaurant […]
The right tools
July 1st, 2023
As a serious gardener, I think a lot about tools. Gardening in Minnesota is not for the faint of heart. Preparing the beds, pruning, weeding, planting and harvesting all happen in a relatively short period, so choosing the right tools, using them properly and keeping them in peak condition is critical to a successful harvest. […]
At what cost
May 1st, 2023
It’s important to think hard about your bottom line when you’re in business. You won’t be profitable or stay in business very long without keeping track of your expenses and revenues. It’s also true that fixating on your costs and cutting too many corners can create expensive mistakes. This issue is about ensuring your shop’s […]
Creative risk is messy
March 1st, 2023
My brother is a wacky painter. A lot of his art is filled with blurry faces and unfinished bodies. Some of his paintings show finer techniques, but he says he prefers to take a “messy approach” to potentially achieve a more creative result than “something that matches a couch.” Being proficient at the nuts and […]
Creative Connections
January 1st, 2023
As a writer and editor, I prefer to do most of my work alone in the quiet of my home office. But during the dark days of a Minnesota winter, working alone gets lonely and my ideas feel thin and uninspired. That’s why I attend literary conferences and classes each winter. The creative spark that […]
Success at every age
September 1st, 2022
There is a ritual (some would say a bad habit) where each generation complains about the generation that comes after it. “Young people today are (lazy, selfish, self-involved, distracted, demanding, impatient…fill in the blank).” Some young people are sometimes those things. And some older folks are sometimes those things too. But young or old, the […]
Adaptation
July 1st, 2022
If we humans are good at anything, it’s adapting to change. You might think I’m talking about pandemics, but I’m actually talking about business in general. Running a business means continuously adapting to forces both within and outside of your control. It’s about remaining flexible while having a strategic vision of your goals and constantly […]