By Sigrid Tornquist You can’t work on improving customer communication and efficiencies if you don’t get the customer’s business in the first place. Jeff Viehmeyer, owner of Alameda Canvas & Coverings, pays particular attention to formatting quotes to secure jobs from government agencies, shipping companies and cruise lines. “They want to see something that’s precise [...]

Jeff Viehmeyer balances quality, cost and time in a customized approach to customer satisfaction. By Sigrid Tornquist “Excessive perfectionism can strangle success. Every project has a correct balance between quality, cost and time—and you have to find the balance between them,” says Jeff Viehmeyer, owner of Alameda Canvas & Coverings in Alameda, Calif. “And if [...]

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist What is your business philosophy? I treat others as I wish to be treated—with respect, integrity and a little fun. And I believe in making the most of people’s skill sets. What is your industry prediction? The world economic stress combined with globalization has polarized products into two general categories: commodities [...]

What it really means to small businesses and their employees. By Mark E. Battersby The massive—and controversial—“Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010,” the two recently enacted health care reform bills, included more than $400 billion in so-called “revenue raisers” and new taxes on employers and [...]

Problem: Vinyl repair can be inconvenient, time-consuming and messy. Solution: AR Industries, a division of A&R Tarpaulins Inc., offers Super Kwik Patch (SKP) vinyl repair tape, a quick and easy way to make repairs without messy glue or carrying around scrap material. Just cut SKP to size, peel it and cover holes or tears in [...]

Problem: Heat guns must offer both precision and safety. Solution: The NEW HG 350 ESD from STEINEL is a compact, lightweight heat gun with integrated LED light and ESD (electrostatic discharge)-safe construction. A red ‘hot’ indicator warns user not to touch until nozzle has cooled. The tool is specially designed for long-term use to minimize [...]

Problem: Motorized shading is convenient but it can be noisy. Solution: The indoor shading tubular motor from MaestroShield operates at just 39 decibels and, with advanced built-in electronics, installation is easy and efficient. Motors are protected by a five-year, 100 percent replacement warranty; the electronics have a two-year warranty. SOURCE MaestroShield

Problem: Indoor banners and signage may require time-consuming installation. Solution: The Indoor FlexBlade® advertising banner is a cost-effective, high quality, durable signage product that comes complete with a self-contained stand for simple and speedy set-up, take-down, transport and storage. Reuseable and available as a single or double-sided digital print, or in a screenprinted version. SOURCE [...]

Problem: The thread, as well as the fabric, needs to be fire retardant to truly meet FR requirements. Solution: Ultimate K Fire Break™ sewing thread is the newest addition to the Liberty Threads Ultraflow™ quilting and sewing threads product line. Constructed using DuPont™ Kevlar® fiber, it’s TB 1633 compliant, can be colorized in any shade, [...]

Problem: Because dark-colored textiles absorb heat from the sun, they aren’t practical for applications requiring heat management. Solution: coldblack® technology offers two-fold protection for textiles exposed to the sun, reducing the absorption of sunlight while providing reliable protection from harmful UV rays. Dark colors heat up less, even in direct sunlight, and coldblack textiles in [...]