Tuesday, November 20, 2007

ONLY 34 SEWING DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!

Am starting to look ahead to 2008. The TV with CNN & MSNBC is right next to the sewing machine. Dire predictions of higher gas prices (less spendable income), lowered housing prices with the bubble bursting this year, more junk coming in from China, bad, bad, bad.

What does that mean for our industry? We are going to need to look harder at marketing ourselves to a shrinking market.

This is the perfect time to start thinking about a Co-Op: either as a store or just as an advertising co-op. Join with others in your area to have one brochure, one yellow page ad, one ........

Let's get thinking creatively for 2008!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Morning All You Curtain Hangers!

I keep changing the colors of this Blog, until I like them.

Well, the Forum is up! But is a closed Forum: which means you must join & tell me who you are. Hopefully, this will keep spammers out!

You may also post pictures here on the Blog. If you have problems, just give an email.

Life is Short!
Only 35 Sewing Days Until Christmas!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

WE WANT YOU!

If you are a Curtain Hanger, Curtain Lady, Fabric or Hardware Vendor, we want you to sign up on the Industry Blog.

Email me at WorkroomConnection@gmail.com with your credentials & I will send you an invitation in return.

FORUM IS UP!

Well, we are working on the Forum! There are several different sections: Chat & Coffee, Industry Happenings, & Vendors.

You may come just to talk with other professionals in your industry, or post classes you are teaching in Industry Happenings or if you are a Vendor, you may have your own thread.

Please email me with your industry credentials, email, snail mail address, years in biz, phone numbers & I will give you access.

Life is good!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Surfaces Conference

Surfaces Conference is Feb.21-23, 2008 in Las Vegas
Philly was so much fun! DW&C Magazine purchased the CHF Conferences from Cheryl Strickland. Do you remember when the conferences were at the bible retreat in Asheville?

DW&C is working to develop the conferences as a much needed venue for workrooms and designers to visit with industry vendors and learn new skills.

Knoxville is the next conference in February, 2008.

See you there!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

IS THE HOUSING MARKET SLOW IN YOUR AREA?

Good Morning!
Our business is directly related to housing sales, interest rates, and real estate trends.

Is staging big in your area? Why not call the stagers in your area & see if they need blinds or draperies or valances or beautiful bed linens that you can create?

How about renting these to the stager or real estate agent or the home owner?

Cheesy Pottery Barn rods don't really show off windows in a $1M home well. How about renting rods along with your panels?

I have a line of reclaimed furniture from garage sales with basic slipcovers I made in soft gold, cream, green, etc. These are scaled for the older homes in my area & the slipcovers look great against the old wood floors. The furniture & slipcovers rent by the month to the local stagers. We deliver & set up, for a fee.

A great way to get rid of all those little bits of fabric laying around.....

Working on my websites today! Watch for changes later this week!

Happy Sunday!

Alicia

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Weekend Academy in Boston

The third & final, for this year, Weekend Academy happens this weekend in Boston. I'll be on the floor as the Zipper Lady! Stop past & tell me you are reading the Workroom Connection Blog!

Happy Fall Everyone!

MARKETING

How are the housing starts in your area? Are your sales down or flat? Is the panic about sub-prime loans on Wall Street hurting your biz?

This is the PERFECT time to market your skills!

You DO NOT need to pay for a service to give you new home-owner leads. Chances are your county clerk's records are now on line & you can access new home owners easily.

Have a series of post cards made with a picture of prior jobs on one side & your message on the other. Then you can hand write an address on your post card as you are scrolling through recent home buyers.

Just take 1 hour per week to send out a few post cards & see what happens!

This is the PERFECT time to market for Holiday spruce ups!

Monday, January 29, 2007

COLORADO WORKROOM GROUP

The first meeting of the Colorado Workroom Group took place this past Saturday, Jan. 26.

Our Mission Statement is to develop exceptional skills and educate designers.

Meetings will be held in individual workrooms this year with field trips to manufacturers, show homes, and other places of interest.

Meetings will be the 3rd Friday of each month from Noon to 3. Pot-luck lunch at noon with a 2 hour learning session to follow.

February Meeting to be held at Gina Emily's studio. She will be talking about the business of slipcovers.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

New Publishing Group

There is a new publishing group for our industry. They are looking for exceptional books that will enhance our businesses. If you have been thinking about writing a book, have an outline of what you would like to write about, contact Southwest Publishing Group at their email address: Southwest@charter.net

Happy Tuesday Gang!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

DIALING FOR DOLLARS

Need more work? Need more QUALITY work?

Time to pull out the phone book & DIAL FOR DOLLARS!

Thursdays or Fridays are my favorite days to give local designers a call. These are the days, in my area, when they are the least busy & might have time to talk a little.

If I set my goal at making 10 phone calls, that's easy! My first question to a designer is to ask THEM what they may need from a workroom. Then I try to fill it. If they need pillows completed, then I set an appointment to show them pillow samples the next week or if they are in dire straits, then the next day!

If you can show your client QUALITY, they will come!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD....

WORKROOMS!

We want YOU! We want you if you are proud of your Workroom to attach your .com to this site.

There are SO many decorators & designers out there looking for GOOD WORKROOMS & I'd like to push them towards YOU'ALL.

Please email me your .com & we'll start attaching you to this site for new & exciting marketing adventure......

Sunday, January 07, 2007

What makes an EXCEPTIONAL Workroom?

First, having been in the Home Furnishings & Interior Design biz for 30 years, I have watched MANY workrooms, the level of expertise and their pricing.

My Opinion: There seems to be 3 levels of expertise in the workroom field, & possibly in the interior design field also.

1. Mechanic -- follows directions reasonably well. New to business. Not a lot of expertise in actually manufacturing treatments.

2. Journeyman-- Commercial Workrooms & many home based or small workrooms -- You get what you ask for, if you know what to ask for.....some bells or whistles.

3. Master-- Couture Quality, Exceptional Quality, Top-0f-the-Line! Someone with years in the business, can assist with fabric selection (knows there is a differnce between how sheers & velvets hang...a story for another time), always pattern-matches! Sets high standards for any item that leaves. Educated.

Workrooms are only as good as their designers.....