Ten things I learned This Year

[sweetts]

A list of what I learned this year that I was unaware of last year.

1. Wood Frames, BAD BAD BAD

2. You need at least a rough business plan. (I did not think it was that valuable, I was wrong)

3. Figure out a price list then,,,, STICK TO THE LIST!!

4. All white ink is NOT the same.

5. 2012 marketing  plan will not include Children's sports leagues, wedding singers or funeral homes.

6. If you want the sale you need to ask for it. Ask for it several times.

7. Sales is more about building a network of contacts with a need or a perceived need and less about telling everyone in the world what you do.

8. Blind mailers are a huge waste of money and effort. See #7

9. Thumb prints on the shoulder will probably never become a fashion statement.

10. NEVER EVER EVER EVER use discharge ink in a house ever.

There are a few more but you get the idea, just starting out there is a lot to learn and being part of this forum has greatly reduced the learning curve thanks.

[spotcolorsupply]

Great list...

#7 is my favorite 

[beanie357]

Whee!! I like 'em all.

How about:
Have your forms and work flow plan ready BEFORE your open house?

Even old dogs miss a trick.    But I remembered the videographer!

[sweetts]

nice keep em coming

[mooseman]

it is hard to learn at my age not because I am smart but because I get dense and narrow minded as I get older....

here are some of the lessions that stuck to me this year..
#1 customers believe shirts are always cheaper on the internet, I should get a web site so my prices LOOK LOWER
#2 the new customer that stands before you bashing their last printed will soon be standing somewhere else and bashing guess who.....
#3 ladies buy shirts like they buy shoes 4 sizes too small to fit correctly
#5 the better you get at something the harder it is to get better at something
#6 everybody knows more about your business than you do
#7 embrace your competition, it will wake you up and make you better at what you do or make you do something your are better at
#8 life is tough get a freakin helmet
#9 adapt....improvise....overcome
# 10 at the end of the day it is just a box of tee shirts get over it

mooseman

[Binkspot]

Because you are already late for an appointment, in a fit of rage DO NOT place your water logged cell phone in the microwave to dry it out quicker.  

[theSignShop]

it is hard to learn at my age not because I am smart but because I get dense and narrow minded as I get older....

here are some of the lessions that stuck to me this year..
#1 customers believe shirts are always cheaper on the internet, I should get a web site so my prices LOOK LOWER
#2 the new customer that stands before you bashing their last printed will soon be standing somewhere else and bashing guess who.....
#3 ladies buy shirts like they buy shoes 4 sizes too small to fit correctly
#5 the better you get at something the harder it is to get better at something
#6 everybody knows more about your business than you do
#7 embrace your competition, it will wake you up and make you better at what you do or make you do something your are better at
#8 life is tough get a freakin helmet
#9 adapt....improvise....overcome# 10 at the end of the day it is just a box of tee shirts get over it

mooseman

I personally like #9...OOoorah! (USMC class of '69)

[blue moon]

here's what I learned this year:

I was fully expecting that by this time printing part would be smooth sailing. DUH! I've talked to several large companies and they all say that they run into trouble all the time. Some more than others, but still at least 10 times as often as I would expect. In most industries, once you set up the processes, the only thing left to overcome is the efficiency. Not in our field. The staggering amount of variables that have to be controlled, makes it impossible to predict the exact times for production and in some cases the projections are several orders of magnitude off! Yes, it gets better with time, but it is never really solved from what I am being told.
 
pierre

[sweetts]

it is hard to learn at my age not because I am smart but because I get dense and narrow minded as I get older....

here are some of the lessions that stuck to me this year..
#1 customers believe shirts are always cheaper on the internet, I should get a web site so my prices LOOK LOWER
#2 the new customer that stands before you bashing their last printed will soon be standing somewhere else and bashing guess who.....
#3 ladies buy shirts like they buy shoes 4 sizes too small to fit correctly
#5 the better you get at something the harder it is to get better at something
#6 everybody knows more about your business than you do
#7 embrace your competition, it will wake you up and make you better at what you do or make you do something your are better at
#8 life is tough get a freakin helmet
#9 adapt....improvise....overcome
# 10 at the end of the day it is just a box of tee shirts get over it

mooseman

I need to remember # 10 thats hard

Sent  from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)

[sweetts]

Because you are already late for an appointment, in a fit of rage DO NOT place your water logged cell phone in the microwave to dry it out quicker.

Ooofff

Sent  from samsung gem(the worst smart phone ever)

[Sbrem]

Ditto to all of 'em. A new one I heard lately, "respond instead of reacting"

Steve

[Printficient]

I partially disagree with # 1.  Not all applications of wood screens are bad.
 As to # 10 remember you are just putting ink on underwear.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

#10a- It's okay to decline work that is a pita OR the profit margins are too low OR you just don't feel like doing it.

[Coyote71]

Great lists! Hey Mooseman, I love #8. Is it copyrighted?  Would love to print a few of those. Could be one of my new bestsellers. Here is one to add to the list, new customers are educated beyond thier intellegence.

[mooseman]

"Hey Mooseman, I love #8. Is it copyrighted?" 
don't thinhk so I would go for it, if they haul your a$$ into court we will all send you a shirt that says life is tough get a freakin helmet
mooseman