Developing your team

November 1, 2022  |  Business

All the business owners I work with want to surround themselves with better people. Having a solid team of highly skilled individuals with differing strengths will ultimately make running a business easier. It’s really satisfying when you don’t have to worry about every aspect of your operation.…
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Workforce: Anybody out there?

February 1, 2022  |  Business

The pandemic may be loosening its stranglehold in many parts of the U.S. but its effects are still being felt across the country in the form of supply issues, logistic and transportation challenges, and labor shortages. The latter may be the most vexing of all for business owners who see the jobs co…
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Supporting employees’ mental health

November 1, 2021  |  Business

As companies continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been reflecting on the year that was—or perhaps wasn’t. For a vast number of folks, priorities have shifted from simply surviving to remaining strong in the face of what has passed and what is to come. Mental health remains a cri…
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Buying and selling in a world with less face time

May 1, 2021  |  Business

COVID vaccine options are improving prospects for the economic climate in 2021; however, 2020 had a lasting impact on business practices in the specialty fabrics industry and beyond—particularly in buying and selling—prompting many companies to rethink processes. We have all heard about and disc…
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Smart tax moves in the age of COVID-19

January 1, 2021  |  Business

By Mark E. Battersby Given the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, keeping a specialty fabrics operation’s tax bill low shouldn’t be a problem this year. However, to keep the business’s tax bill low year after year requires planning, and what better place to start than in a tro…
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Seven steps to take your fabrics business to the next level

April 1, 2020  |  Business

by Sigrid Tornquist Building a business takes more than a good idea and an interested customer base. It takes planning, investment, a skilled workforce—and a healthy dose of industry knowledge. Got a plan?  Rick Ludolph, founder and president of boutique specialty fabrics consulting firm Prod…
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Before selling, determine the true value of your company

February 1, 2020  |  Business

By Larry Oxenham Succession planning can be a tricky matter, especially if you’re passing your business on to a family member. Sometimes keeping it in the family is viable, but not in every case. If it comes time to sell the business instead, you should be armed with some strategies for getting wh…
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Customer service is king

December 1, 2019  |  Business

Strategic service makes your company memorable.  By Randy Westlund We live in a constantly connected culture of instant gratification. We want what we want and we want it right now—with no delays. Between instant messaging, next-day delivery and online services available 24/7, the marketplace…
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