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| 2005
catalog |
February
Web Specials Big savings for you |
Product
of the Month |
Customer
Spotlight Embellishment |
Marketing
Moment Schmooze or Lose |
Design
of the Month Tulip Alphabet |
Contact
Us We’re Always Ready To Help |
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February 2005
National Network of Embroidery Professionals THE
EMBROIDERY MALL |
Each month, the Embroidery Store offers some great deals on the supplies you need most on its Web site at www.embstore.com. It’s a wonderful opportunity to stock up on things you use everyday at bargain prices. To order, call (800) 504-9757. These are available for the month of February only so don’t delay. Durkee
Frame 30 cm x 15 cm rectangle KK100
Temporary Adhesive Spray No
Show Stabilizer 24" x 50-yard roll Perforated
Medium Tearaway Groz
Beckert Dbxk5 RG Point Needles |
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For maximum durability in production, consider new Permacore thread, a polyester core, polyester thread recently added by The Embroidery Store.
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The
Embroidery Store Adds PermaCore®, a polyester-core, polyester-wrapped thread made by American & Efird, is now being offered by The Embroidery Store. This durable, production monogram and embroidery thread is stronger than spun polyester or cotton-wrapped core threads, according to American & Efrid. It has superior ply security, excellent sewability, good chemical resistance, and good abrasion resistance. This makes it an ideal choice for everyday use but especially for applications where garments will undergo a lot of wear and tear or industrial laundering such as work uniforms. The
matte-finish thread is a size 40. It offers excellent colorfastness
and comes in 96 colors in 6,000-meter cones. For
more information, contact The Embroidery Store at (800) 504-9757
or e-mail info@embstore.com.
Visit the Web site at www.embstore.com
to see the full online catalog. |
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Julie
Ann Doan
Julie Doan kept her business at home for years in order to take care of her two children. Now that they’re grown, this past year she moved to a commercial location. From left, daughter Mary Holland, Julie, husband Cannon, and son Hays.
This beaded jute bag is another example of a popular selling item at Embellishment, a boutique that offers monogramming on purses, luggage, and a wide range of bed and bath accessories.
A big hit with teen-agers, according to owner Julie Doan, are these Cinderella shoe bags.
A trend in the South, according to owner Julie Doan, is for monograms to be nice and big. Her store, Embellishment is located in Memphis, Tenn.
Embellishment offers dozens of purses and handbags all monogrammed with the customer’s choice of letter. “Our typical customer is a female between the ages of 25 and 40 who might buy an item for herself and another for a gift,” says Doan. |
Embroiderer
Finds Memphis
retailer follows her instincts to build successful gift boutique
featuring personalized items like purses and handbags. Julie Ann Doan wanted a job that would let her work from home. She found something that’s working out even better for her: a successful retail store that has “mother’s hours” 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. “And it’s only eight minutes from my home,” Doan says of her business, Embellishment, an upscale Memphis boutique that features custom monogramming on a variety of bags, including jute, garment, duffle, and shoe bags, as well as baby items, such as bibs, blankets, towels, carry bags, and bloomers. Embellishment carries more than two-dozen styles of purses and 24 luggage patterns, with most customers placing orders for custom monograms on those items. The boutique also offers items such as hand-painted Christian tiles and engraveable mint juleps (pewter cups), bowls, cosmetic cases, engraved jewelry, and more. Customers also occasionally bring in items for monogramming, such as soccer bags. Corporate logos, meanwhile, comprise less than 10% of the shop’s business. The
Gift-Giving Business Embellishment does a “tremendous graduation business,” Doan says, selling items such as monogrammed shower wraps, shoe bags, and towels. One clever concept the store uses to entice gift purchases is the use of gift certificates, where a customer can buy an item blank and give it away along with a certificate that allows the recipient to get the monogramming of her choice. “That way, the item is paid for, but she gets to pick the style she wants,” Doan says. The 1,000-square-foot store even has a small area dedicated to gift wrapping, while a 12-x-12-foot room houses its single embroidery machine: a Meistergram 900 XLC. A full-time employee mans the machine, while three part-timers handle customers. “That gives me time to handle sales, marketing, and all the other stuff that needs to be done,” Doan says. Getting
Established Doan grew her business by word of mouth, taking on logos for small businesses and exhibiting at local events such as church bazaars, local home shows, and town square fairs. “We passed out tons of cards, and we sold merchandise such as quilted luggage,” she says. She did shows more often (as many as eight per year) prior to moving out of her home and opening the retail location in March of 2004, but Doan still plans to continue doing a few events. “We also seek out vendors to buy our monogram services,” she explains. The retailer generates positive buzz with an open house twice a year, sending out invitations to its database of 3,000 customers and showcasing new spring or fall items. “We offer coffee and soft drinks, and it’s a festive atmosphere,” Doan says. Embellishment also advertises through direct mail, spots in local magazines, and its Web site, www.embellishment.us, which effectively replicates the store’s stylish look. “We’ve built our business by going the extra mile,” Doan says. “I don’t think we want to be much bigger. If we were bigger, we couldn’t deliver the same kind of personalized service. “Build
your business the way you want, and don’t get caught up in
the money part,” she continues. “Go with your instincts,
trust your feelings, and do things the way you want to do them.” |
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Schmooze or Lose Nothing
builds business like word of mouth—especially when the words
are coming from your mouth. Learn how you can increase sales by
improving your networking skills. There’s a remarkably simple, foolproof way to increase your business exponentially — and it often doesn’t cost a thing. It’s networking, one of the most effective forms of advertising. In fact, the smaller your business, the more likely it is that networking will boost sales, and the more cost-effective it is. Networking also is a great tool for people uncomfortable making cold calls or who don’t consider themselves to be salesmen. “Some people don’t have the desire to call total strangers,” says Mark Venit, president, Apparel Graphics Institute, a marketing and management consultant specializing in the decorated apparel industry. “Networking is a bridge to selling.” Here’s how to cross that bridge and make networking work for you. Work
That Net It’s important that people in your natural markets know about your company and the services you provide. Imagine finding out after the fact that a person in your inner circle just ordered 1,400 shirts for a company event. That order could’ve easily been yours if you had spread the word about your business. “Sometimes people say, ‘Oh, I didn’t want to [bother] my friends and relatives,’ ” Venit says. “But it’s important that you let them know what you’re doing, without being pushy.” Spread
the Word And when you’ve made the effort to attend a networking function—a chamber of commerce meeting, a PTA meeting, etc.—you need to make the effort to work the room. Wear a name badge, and strike up casual conversations. “You may be only a handshake away from a sale,” Venit says. “Being at a mixer isn’t networking if you don’t take advantage of the opportunities all around the room.” Be sure not to dominate the conversation and find out what the person does for a living, what his interests are, and what his plans are. “Ask questions that get them talking,” Venit says. “Use sentences with the words ‘how,’ ‘when,’ ‘why,’ and ‘who.’ ” Networking
Opportunities Also, look for Business Networking International groups in your region. These organizations are created for the sole purpose of networking businesses. And check into “business swap” meetings, where each member brings two sales leads and shares them with other members. When
you think about it, practically any place outside of your home presents
a networking opportunity. When you see someone wearing a coaches’
shirt, ask him where he gets his uniforms. So what are you waiting
for? Get out there and start telling the world about your business. |
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The perfect Mother’s Day font is this beautiful tulip alphabet digitized for Meistergram machines. Use it to decorate apparel or home items such as potholders, pillows, and towels.
Imagine the endless opportunities for creating a wide range of home decorative accessories such as bath and hand towels, napkins, table runners, and more with this colorful tulip alphabet offered for Meistergram users by The Embroidery Store.
Get ready for Mother’s Day sales by creating samples using this tulip alphabet on sweat shirts, sweaters, aprons, tote bags, purses, and cosmetic bags. The lettering can be adjusted from 1 inch to 4 inches to accommodate a variety of items. |
Unique
Tulip Alphabet This colorful tulip alphabet, created by 15-year Meistergram digitizing veteran Karin Jones, KC Jones Design Co., allows you to make monograms or names resemble a beautiful floral bouquet. You can use two or three colors, and the size can be adjusted anywhere from 1.5 to 4 inches. A tulip circle also is included. Although it comes in capitals only, it is ideal for monograms or short names up to six letters. It is available only in Meistergram format. Dress up apparel such as sweat shirts, denim shirts, or skirts or use it for home decorative items such as pillows, picture frames, or table runners. It also makes a great Mother’s Day font to use for a wide variety of gifts. The designs are available on floppy disk or can be e-mailed directly. The cost of the alphabet package is only $100, which includes shipping and handling for first-class postage. To see the full alphabet, go to www.embstore.com, go to Product Categories, and go to Meistergram Designs & Alphabets. The order number is K90002. Calling All Meistergram Digitizers The
Embroidery Store is in the process of putting together a mini directory
of digitizers who specialize in creating designs for Meistergram
machines. If you are a Meistergram digitizer or you know of one,
please e-mail Deborah Sexton at dsexton@sbcglobal.net
with your contact info. We’ll notify you here when it’s
up on the Web site. |
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Easy Ways to Order: All orders placed on the internet, fax or phone by 3:00 p.m. EST Monday through Friday are shipped the same day. e-mail: info@embstore.com
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