Lisbeth Calandrino::

Once again, Surfaces 2009 is just around the corner! This year, interactive technology makes it so much easier for you to organize yourself before the show. The digital brochure (an incredible piece of software engineering, I must say) can be downloaded to your phone, and you can make appointments online. As usual, Carol Wilkins, Conference Manager, is as cool as a cucumber; I don’t know how she does it but I’m sure she enjoys what she does and has a genuine appreciation for all of those who take part in the show.

The seriousness of the economy is evident in the seminars and events as well as the first-ever General Session, entitled "Prevailing Through the Current Crisis – An Industry Wake-Up Call," scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 8:30 am – 10:00 am in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetial Hotel. Keith Campbell, Chairman, Mannington Mills, will provide the welcome and opening remarks, with sponsorship provided by the Floor Covering Institute and Affluent Insights, benefiting the Floor Covering Industry Foundation.

Why go? Sure everyone is worrying about business, but Surfaces gives us all the opportunity to network within our industry, look at new product introductions, bring yourselves up to speed on the trends, and talk with industry experts. Don’t forget to pick up tons of literature for your salespeople—there’s plenty of information to keep them on the cutting edge.

I know for myself, I also feel a sense of pride to belong to an industry that is so innovative and exciting.

Oh, and come join me for my two seminars!

Less Stress – More Success: Balancing Your Personal and Professional Life
Tuesday, Feb 3, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Working hard has gotten you where you are today, but without balance or boundaries you can cause irreparable damage to your health. Learn ten proven ways to manage and balance your priorities without getting burned out.

Cashing In On What Makes You Different
Wednesday, Feb 4, 8:00-9:30 a.m.
Being successful in business is no gamble. Instead it requires careful planning with a deliberate agenda to stay competitive in challenging times. Learn how to strategically build loyal customers that will buy from you—not your competitors. A must-attend seminar for any small business owner.

What will you take away from the seminars? Competitive strategies designed to get you and your business through these trying times. If you need more information on my seminars, shoot me an email or leave me a comment! They'll also be recorded so you can take them home with you. (See the Surfaces Education e-mailer here.)

Hope to see you there!

Click below to listen to my Surfaces 2009 introduction, highlighting what's in store.

Stripe not working? Click here instead.

My information from the retail and wholesale end of the flooring industry is that the middle and lower end of the market is pretty much gone. This started me thinking about the better end of the market… are luxury customers gone as well?

To answer this question, I immediate thought of Chris Ramey, president and founder of Affluent Insights and chairman of The Luxury Marketing Council Florida. The Luxury Marketing Council is a think tank, collaboration greenhouse and intelligence source for marketers focused on the affluent. What’s interesting about Chris is that he comes from the foorcovering industry, having been past-president of International Design Guild, a 100 showroom chain of decorative floor coverings. He'll also be speaking at Surfaces 2009.

According to Chris, history teaches us that when children graduate and move out of the home, their parents begin to retreat from materialism (see chart below). Considering we’re living longer than ever and Americans aged 50 and older now hold 77% of the assets in America, the historical retreat from materialism hasn’t exactly been true of late. Sixty truly has been the new 45, as the saying goes. But things are different now, Chris observes. This group doesn't feel so wealthy anymore and it's possible this demographic will revert back to the "old 60s" mindset. "This group has been bitten by their financial advisors and it's now looking like the government wants to take their wealth and spread it around,” he says.

According to Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, a consumer insights firm specializing in the luxury mindset, "What’s happening now challenges the conventional wisdom that the most affluent are immune to economic ups-and-downs mindset.This time the ultra-affluent are being hit in the source of their wealth: the value of their homes and the stock market."

A recent report in U.S. News and World Report echoes this sentiment: “When wealthy consumers feel the need to conceal their lavish purchases in plain paper bags and avoid public shame by attending underground shopping parties, it's obvious that all is not well for the luxury goods and services market. Once considered well insulated from economic downturns, the luxury market has received a brutal beating this year, with sales plunging 34.5 percent this holiday season compared to last."

Price has become the most important factor in U.S. consumer purchase decisions and retailers must adapt to that new reality if they are to be successful. "What's so intriguing these days, whether you work on Wall Street or in Wal-Mart, is that it has absolutely become chic to be cheap," says Tracy Mullin, National Retail Federation President and CEO. "It's all about price. Factors like quality, selection, store location and customer service are taking a back seat. We believe this will continue for the foreseeable future."

Suppose nobody comes back and Michelle Obama sets the new standard and we all have to shop for clothes at Target and men only have two or three black suits like Barack? This might just be the reality, so be prepared for it:

Kick up your brand strategy

According to the experts, all is not lost. There are things that we should be doing if we are going to land on our feet.

Bob Schwartz, interim CEO of Portero, an online auction-based marketplace for luxury merchandise, suggests a revitalization of your brand. He recalls overhearing a FedEx executive's response when asked why they weren’t advertising at the Superbowl. The executive said if the public doesn't know who they are by now, then they'll never know.

Shall I list all the brands that feel that way? How about all the US car brands? If you start trashing your flooring brands around you will decrease the value of your other products (since brands set the standards). When the market turns around, what will you have to offer? Several luxury retailers, including Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, slashed prices so severely that they looked more like they belonged in the discount outlets. I was in Macy’s the other day and my favorite brand, Ralph Lauren, was slashed down next to nothing.

Remember, hang on to your brand name. As my mom used to say, your good name is all you have!

Can you say, Web 2.0?

According to the Luxury Institute's Wealth and Luxury Trends—2009 and Beyond report, "Innovators such as Gilt, Ideeli, A Small World, Portero, Vivre, Couture Lab and several off-the-radar players such as Bespoke Global, are gaining traction online via membership models, global communities, and by aggregating categories of bespoke luxury designers and producers in one-stop-shop destinations." The report says that the economics of these online marketplaces will become much more compelling as the economic downturn makes opening stores and running traditional advertising economically challenging.

Online marketing is one of the cheapest (or free) ways to connect with your customers. Are you maximizing your LinkedIn connections (check out the We Sell Flooring group on LinkedIn) and Facebook friends to build your business? Remember, up to 78% of consumers research on Google before they make a purchase. Does Google know how to find you? According to Ramey, “Build your blog around what’s important to you or better yet, be on Lis’s blog.  Check your marketing budget, shift from paper to electronic, it’s where the world is going.”

Give up cutting prices. If you’re going out of business, go out with money. If you’ve planned on staying around, protect your margin. Remember cash flow isn’t profit and profit is what keeps you in business. Cash flow just makes you think you have money if you don’t understand your numbers.

There are other ways of selling a luxury product at a slightly lower cost that's attainable for consumers in today's rough market. The more the customer buys, the more you can justify a price discount. If you’re selling carpet, find ways to offer a less expensive cushion or suggest that customers move their own furniture. Discounts must always be legitimate or you will destroy your credibility. You’ve probably noticed fragrances as well as many kinds of food brands being sold in smaller containers. All of these things can help retailers minimize production costs.

Find ways to integrate yourself with kindred souls

Several luxury hotels in the Washington, D.C. area offered special packages for the inauguration. Although they cost a pretty penny—up to $50,000—these packages mixed luxury with philanthropy. For example, one of the hotels gave a portion of the proceeds to a charity of the guest's choice. Another hotel offered an eco-conscious package. The Luxury Institute says that wealthy consumers increased their preference for socially responsible brands from 51 percent in 2006 to 57 percent in 2007, and it sees that figure rising dramatically in 2009.

"The global crisis of confidence in governmental, financial, and other institutions will drive luxury consumers to demand that luxury brands serve not just them, but society as a whole," the report says. "They will require luxury brands to be ethical with all constituents, charitable in ways that make a difference to their beneficiaries, and eco-friendly in ways that can be documented."

As Ramey says, “Find out who and what is important to you and build your business around it.”

A couple more tactics from Ramey:

• Focus on serving your best customers since loyalty is at an all time low. Identify your value proposition.  Explore why your best customers are loyal to you and what makes them want to be “your customer.” In a difficult time when everyone should be hording cash, everything requires ROI.  Measure every cost and every service to determine where you are getting the best ROI and stick with it. If it isn’t making you money, look somewhere else.
• We’re in a period of correction.  Materialism may or may not be decreasing –- but it has certainly paused.  Remember being different is doing different things, not doing the same things differently. Create new programs – serve your clients and prospective clients like you’re working with your favorite Grandmother.  Leverage your current customers.  Reach for something new. If they trust you with their flooring they will trust you with other products too.  My suggestion, go out of the flooring industry and look at what’s being done: try the Mac counter.

To sum it up:

Despite a slower 2008 and the prospect of declines in 2009, Bain &Company research predicts that the luxury market will return to growth quickly as more and more consumers enter the luxury segment worldwide. Tomorrow's consumers will reflect more demographic and psychographic diversity, leading to changing spending patterns and rebellion against standard offerings.

Hang on to your hats folks. Life is like a roller coaster, sometimes it will make you sick and other times it will be exciting. But you bought the ticket so you might as well hang on for the ride.

More info on luxury

• The Luxury Institute

• Affluence Research

New problems require new strategies; how about looking in the restaurant industry?

I was listening to WMHT today — our public television station — as the host interviewed Danny Meyer, the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) in New York City.

Like any good Italian, I am fascinated by all foods made with tomato sauce, but having spent summers with my Aunt Margie and her Elm Tree Restaurant in Martindale, NY, I am fairly well-versed in what makes a successful restaurant. In its hey-day during the 80’s, the restaurant seated 200 people — which was huge in those days.  Along with Aunt Margie as well as Aunt Margaret (who had a major pizza joint) and my dad (who reportedly had various restaurant dealings) food was a major part of my  life. It all hit home the day Aunt Margie told Uncle Tony in no uncertain terms the value of her chef, Tony, by saying "I can get a new husband quicker than I can get a new chef so leave him alone!"

The restaurant that she opened in Martindale was my Brooklyn-raised Aunt’s dream. A place in the country, a place for her friends and a place for good food. In the early 60’s, Aunt Margie and Uncle Tony bought an ice cream parlor in the middle of nowhere and eventually turned it into a famous restaurant in the area.

The important part of this whole story is the people came for two reasons: (1) the food and (2) to visit with the family. So, back to the interview with Meyer.

Meyer was asked if he was changing the food or the price of his food in his restaurants to help him get through the economic downturn. Meyer agreed that there were fewer people eating even less food and not ordering as many bottles of wine. In fact, people were buying glasses of wine as opposed to what he called the “trophy wines” – those big bottles for the tables.  But in answer to the question, he proposed two things to think about. I think these statements are essential for anyone who is contemplating his business fate.

• Think about your behavior in the current economic environment. Do you really want to change the products that you are selling, or the price? Do you really want to change the success that you've had thus far to try something that may not make sense, including cheapening what you have to offer?

  Your loyal customers know who you are, so why scare them? If trust is a reason to buy or not buy, why start behaving erratically with your customers? If you don’t know who you are, why would anyone want to give you their money? At this point, stability is important for all businesses. No one wants to give their money to someone who isn’t stable.

• The other statement was: think about how you want the current economic drought to end. Essentially, when this is all over (and the more I read and the more I listen it seems like 2010 is when things will start to change), where will you be and who will you be? Are you changing your whole business to become something so you can survive? Here we go, it’s the cash flow thing again. Shall I remind all business owners that cash flow isn’t profit and it’s profit that keeps us in business?

According to Meyer, hospitality is hope. People want to be with people and being out eating great food in a great restaurant makes us feel better. Look into Jack Mitchell's book “Hug Your Customers.” Mitchell has great stories about bonding and loving his customers.

Aren’t all businesses basically in the hospitality business? Many of our products look alike which makes price the only discernable difference. You know the game – if everything looks alike, price becomes the winner if you haven’t anything else to offer. Our society is all about experiences and destination shopping.

Don’t many of you have customers that just drop in and say hello and wish you well? How are you interacting with these customers? Do you just see them as problems, interrupting your day or are you involved in their lives, working for causes that are important to you and your community? I read that twice a week some employees of one of the USHG restaurants prepare and deliver food to patients at a hospice unit of Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan.

Are you asking customers how they are getting through the “big R” and if they have any ideas for your business?

I think Meyer’s book "Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business" is well worth a look, and his statement “hospitality is hope” is uplifting for all of us, with or without food.  A friend of mine, Mark, who owned a flooring store in Yonkers during the 70s, used to cook Italian food on Fridays and opened the door so everyone in the neighborhood could smell the garlic from his white clam sauce. I'm sure it brought in some business. If anything, people enjoyed it.

So, think about your approach to hospitality and your business. We’re all in this together. Now, I'm off to research USHG and pick out my next restaurant for my trip to NYC.

My good friend Barbara Miller is an Associate Broker for Realty USA in Niskayuna, NY. Last year I asked her if any of the agents would be interested in information on flooring and receiving magazines from Fabulous Floors.  Barbara said she would discuss it with her team members and team leader Sharon Horowitz and let me know. Well it didn’t take long and there I was the following at an office sales meeting with about 30 people. I had about 45 minutes to catch everyone up on the what’s new in flooring and how Fabulous Floors might help them sell houses.  Yes, I was there to network and raise awareness for our magazine advertisers.

I was amazed at how interested everyone was and how many questions they asked. Many were interested in cork, bamboo and hardwood as well as what’s new in carpeting. I also got to listen to Donald LoFaso –  an account executive for 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Corporation.  He was very good, kept everyone’s attention and  had great products to talk about. I was amazed that under specific circumstances there were home warrantys available on workmanship as well as system and structural warrants.

Everyone was very gracious and what I realized was how hungry we all are for information and knowledge. We are an information society and keeping up with it takes lots of time and effort. Those who keep up with it are sure to be further ahead with the customers. Oh, and real estate offices are great places for you to network. You just need to make the calls and offer to do a presentation at their place of business.

Why are they so valuable? They offer access to any client who buys a house from them. This would be a good time to find out if you could prepare a little goodie bag with products and literature for those homebuyers. Think of how much you have  to offer, information on all the latest products, literature from  vendors as well as  actual products. You can also talk about the latest colors and style trends.

Supply the agents  with information on maintenance, as well as samples of floor cleaners and spot removers.

Don’t forget these people are in a position to refer business as well as “be business.” Stay in touch. Make sure you get all the agents and brokers names. Send them notes, remember them at holidays and invite them to your functions. And most important, ask them how you can help them get business. We all know business is a two way street — you have to give to get.

If the office puts out a newsletter, offer to write an article on flooring.

Happy networking!

Other Resources

• LinkedIn
• Entrepreneur.com
• Businessnetworking.com
• 2-10.com

“Our lives are determined by opportunities, including those we miss." - Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Go On The Offense or Defense?

Recent McKinsey research indicates that during the last two recessions (1990–91 and 2000–01), growth slowed for nearly every retail subsector in the United States. Of the retailers that existed during both downturns, 93% experienced slowing revenue growth in one of the recessions, and 59% endured it in both. Unfortunately, when the economy goes on an upswing, the average retailer may still experience a lagging growth. 

The question is: can you make it through? You can if you don't put your head in the sand and pretend things will be better. If you have money, take it and run. If you plan to stay around, this is the time to think positively and decide what to do as your market gets better.

Cutting overhead, doing less advertising and shutting off the heat may help get you through these times, but will you be in any better position when things are better? Cutting expenses is a more defensive than offensive move; it may not save you–it just may prolong the inevitable.

What you need is a combination of tactics.

The dynamics of a downturn—declining sales often followed by a sluggish recovery period – means some quick thinking is in order. In tough times should you cut staff and close stores? Even in times like these, there may be ways to improve your positioning in the market, but it might not be easy.  This is the time to do some brainstorming with your team and an outside consultant.

Determine the overall health of your business; your team players, management commitment and your balance sheets. If your business is in good shape and you have cash, this may be the time to invest in other businesses or people that will improve your marketing position. This is something your weaker competitors can’t do. Many of them are just hanging on. Like monopoly, maybe this is the time to add some hotels to your property.

Do a market analysis. Where do you stand, what are your growth possibilities, what are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors? What are your competitors doing to get business? Can you steal  their market share or is it time to move out of the neighborhood? There may be some good real estate deals out there if you have the financing.

How about purchasing a business that complements the one you own? How about adding a product category, like kitchens or window treatments. What can you add that is natural for your existing business?

This is the time to look for good employees–but be careful hiring from your competitors. If you have a decent training program, hire people with good attitudes and enthusiasm from other industries. You need good positive people.  

Maybe this is the time to move into another market; maybe someplace you’ve been eyeing that will help you take over your weaker competitors' market share.  Can you expand your existing business and take over the market? It’s the Monopoly thing again.  Can you negotiate a sweet deal for yourself?

Start analyzing your traffic. Was it decreasing before the slowdown, were you losing business? Has the neighborhood changed? How are other retailers doing in the area? Is it the economy or something else?

If you’ve got dough, how about going on an all-out push to drive customers into your stores? This will help get rid of some of your marginal competitors. Go into your “down and dirty mode” and offer deals to your customers that they can’t refuse.

Weathering the storm and going back to basics may help get you through it, the problem is, if you aren’t on the look out for growth during the bad times, where will you be when times are better? Can you afford to make improvements on your building, change your displays and look profitable? It’s times like these that customers get scared – if I order from you will you be in business long enough for me to get my order?

It actually may not be a bad idea to take out the Monopoly set and get your employees' competitive juices flowing.

Remember, "big shots are little shots that kept shooting."

In sales, people are always talking about objections you can overcome. Yesterday I started thinking, are there objections that absolutely can't be overcome, no matter how good you are at sales?

Here are a few that I think are worth thinking about.

Poor appearance – What do you look like? Do you forget to use mouth wash or get the poppy seeds out of your teeth? I actually had the poppy seed thing going the other day and I couldn’t believe I had those dark outlines around my teeth. I would have found it funny if it hadn’t been me. My friend Cynthia was kind enough to tell me.

Lack of enthusiasm – So you’re not happy and you don’t want to make the sales call or talk to the customer. Did you ever notice no one really cares what is going on in your life and what’s getting you down? How about giving yourself a pep talk — get excited. What makes your product great, your company great and your life great?

Lack of preparation – So you know everything about your product but don’t have your numbers straight and rely on others to do things for you. How often do you leave your cell phone at home or forget to charge it when you need it? Are there critical items you forget when you go on a sales call?

Lack of courage – So you've been avoiding dealing with your customer, your landlord, the rental car place and your boss. Courage builds self-confidence. Your approach doesn’t have to be perfect, just do it. What can you learn from having courage?

Getting off the subject – You like your customers so much you just think they’ll buy from you–so you talk about anything but business. You’ve decided to waste everyone’s time including your own. Be respectful of your customers no matter how well you know them; honor their time and their business. Stay on track.

Talking too much – About nothing, I should add. If you’re making a sales call or meeting with a customer, have something to add to the conversation. Don’t just talk because you like your own voice. Be clear, straightforward and get business done.

Lack of focus – So you have lots on your mind, so what? What makes you good at what you do is your focus and your ability to get things done. If you’re working with me, get things done in a timely matter.

Hesitancy - So you’re not sure and you’re waiting around to get sure. Does that really work? Strive to find out why you're hesitate. In the meantime though, get out there and get moving. If you’re not going after your customers you can be sure someone else is.

Adapted from The Sales Closing Book: Field Tested Closes for Every Selling Situation, Gerhard Gschwandtner, McGraw Hill.

Want to talk more about sales strategies and how to market your business online? Contact me!

“Encouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” Dale Carnegie

Take it back!

Everyday someone is trying to persuade us and influence what we think and do. If you watch TV, get emails, look at pop-ups on the computer and billboards, you're bound to be affected by whatever message is there. It’s a wonder we ever have an original thought! With respect to my thoughts, actually, I'm always wondering whether they were conceived by me–or did someone tell me?

My next door neighbor is always asking me if I'd heard who robbed the local bank, fell down the mountain or was accused of fraud. I used to think that I needed to know these things, then realized that these things were just using up space on the hard drive of my mind. Now I wonder how much space I actually have and how much is left.

It’s not easy taking control of your mind, but if you don’t, someone else will. They're probably even doing this right now!

It's time for a change then. Turn the TV off. Stop letting celebrities determine what toothpaste you use or what type of medicine you take or what food you eat or what makeup you use.

Turn off the  mindless noise. If you need information, you know where to get it–just don’t become a random listening and recording device for everyone else’s messages. Decide what you want to hear and learn. Make a list of what you want to accomplish and how you can go about regaining control. 

Go get some exercise! Everyone talks about weight loss but how keeping it going is hard. Get on the treadmill, get out and walk, jump rope, try ice skating. Just move and keep track of what you do and how long you do it for.

Read stuff that connects with your values. Success has a lot to do with what you learn and what you do with it. The way the world is, you can’t count on anyone for success other than you. 

Have a successful day, I’m going off to find my delete button and empty the trash in my mind.

“It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” –J.K. Rowling

Resources

• "The 5 Secrets of Being Happy No Matter What" by Dr. Michael Norwood
• Top 5 Success and Survival Tips for 2009

Happy New Year again!

Yesterday I was looking at Craig’s List under “events.” I often go there to look at acting jobs, gigs and voice overs. Occasionally I hit upon other things of interest. Today I answered an ad that went "Someone looking to hire a person to write a business plan." Now, a business plan is pretty straight forward: you go find the outline and fill in the blanks. The tough stuff is what fills up the blanks though and you have to do things like provide a market study.

It was a great conversation with a budding entrepreneur (or maybe he has a good job but wants more). We talked for about an hour and I realized that it was the details that were the problem—I told him the outline for the plan was online, what did he really need? As it goes, he needs to do the work. By the way, I think the idea is a good one, simple, can make money without inventory. But I thought whatever it is it takes work and work isn’t always fun. But he’s willing to do the work, already has a successful thing going on and I think just needed a push.

My experience is most people don’t want to do the work—they look for short cuts. But short cuts make it longer to get where you need to go, and the long cuts take time.

Life is pretty much a series of “long cuts” and work.

Anyway, it started me thinking, can you create a job that is entrepreneurial in nature? Can you have more with what you have or do you have to take huge risks, go out on your own and give it your all? The entrepreneurial stuff isn’t for everyone. 

Can the job require more of you? I would say lots more. You just have to make some decisions. You’ve heard life is short and all that but add this—life not only is short but for most people it’s pretty boring. I think a short exciting life is probably better than a long boring one. You pick! I was talking to my BFF ("best friend forever" for those of you who are not social networkers–or 12 years old) and we decided that excitement was truly important and that we have to try our best.

If you pick the less boring, how do you do it without betting the farm and using all your savings?

You’ve probably heard this before, do you own a business or a job? Michael Gerber wrote a book several years back called the E-Myth: the Myth of the Entrepreneur. In his book he asks whether you own a business or a job. His experience being that people go into business because they love what they do rather than looking at a business for what it’s designed to do–which is make money.  Why are you doing what you’re doing? Do you love it, do you have goals for the job or is your job just filling up space until another one comes along?

Are you making money?

How about taking your job and turning it into something special? I don’t care where you work or what you do, decide how you are going to get the most out of your job. Decide to become the entrepreneur of your life.

Yes there’s a difference between being an employee and an entrepreneur…

Employees get paychecks and get to complain about the boss. Entrepreneurs get to take risks, share responsibilities and have no one to blame other than themselves. They also get to make their own glory. How does it sound so far? Hey, you can stay where you are, but life is short and it might be short and boring. What a combo!

Got purpose? Once you decide that you want more from your job, decide what gives you meaning and purpose in your life and how you can work this into your existing job.  Purpose will help transform you into an entrepreneur.

Take action, do something! Take a step forward; doesn’t have to be big just take the step.

Don’t wait to be perfect. If you wait too long, the rules will change. Besides, waiting to be perfect is just an excuse for not doing anything. It’s the “I’m not perfect, I was born with low-self esteem thing.” We were all born with low–self esteem. Self esteem comes from getting out there, trying stuff, having some wins and some losses. You know the rest, dust yourself off and take another swing at life.

You’re in charge. You change it, you make it happen. Get some goals that makes sense. Don’t take short cuts, do the work. Need a business plan do the work? Get the statistics, find out what people think. Get creative with what you need. Read books on your career, advertise on Craig’s list for people with interests like your own.

Trust yourself that you know where you’re going. You don’t need to talk with what I call the “dream stealers" — those who are lazy and judgmental, the ones that know how to do everything but don’t  produce results.

Work at it even if you don’t feel like it. This is the true sign of people who make changes in their lives, they do it because they know they’re on the right path: their path. You never know what this will turn into.

Resources:

• Motivart – visual motivation

• Brian Roy's Blog

Everyone is writing about setting goals, following your goals and getting it done. Okay, Nike said it right; I guess everyone uses the quote "Just do it." I don’t mean to be a smart mouth about it but it sure gets tiring, I think you would agree, to see people posting the same goals: lose weight, stop smoking and be a better person. I just read that saving money has replaced “a better person” which has been on top of the list.

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to be the speaker at an event at Madison Area Technical College for the Interior Design program. I was invited by Maria Kovach, ASID Student Board Fundraising Director.  I know you don’t know Maria and I never knew her until I met her at a training event at Drexel Interiors. Maria was interesting and interested in her work and we connected right away. But as life goes, I don’t think we ever spoke again until she asked me if I might speak at an event she was spearheading in the design program. As a board member she was asked to supply ideas for speakers for her next event. She said I came to mind and that’s how it happened. Maria also belongs to BNI, the international networking group.

I bring this up because Maria is a student and a very sharp one who will make a great interior designer as well as business person.  She has the networking skills down pat. After several conversations we decided on some vendors and supporters for the event. Maria was able to get Coyle Carpet One (through my friend Paul Domani) to underwrite the event. Represented at the event were Crossville Tile, Natural Cork, and Wear Dated (through C.B. Whittemore who writes Flooring the Consumer Blog). What was a bit disheartening was what we had to do to get sponsors from the Floorcovering industry! Don’t you think this is where they would want to be?

The event hosted about 50 local ASID interior designers as well as students from the college. I was also impressed by Erich Gaul, ASID Student Board President–a well-dressed design kind of guy who discussed what he was looking for in an internship.

Of course the faculty and staff are actively involved in these events — Lisa Nienhaus and Jessica Mahne, both Interior Design Instructors and ASID Student Chapter Advisors and Tiffany Esser, lead Interior Design Instructor. Getting these events takes a lot of time; but it seems like everyone had fun, stayed after to laugh and review the night’s happenings. Lots of  great food elegantly dished up  and everyone welcoming their guests.

So what are you doing to network your flooring…retailer, distributor or manufacturer? I hear all the time how we can’t get ASID or designers to come to our events—how many of you have gone to a design college and networked with the design class?
 
How about a design intern? I spoke with Eric about obtaining an internship and he said he was interested in a placement that would give him an opportunity to express his design skills as well as learn about business. Why couldn’t it be your establishment; you just design the internship with the student?

How about hosting an event or being part of an event for a design class? Don’t make this a one-time event; continue your associations. When the new designers get into the field, hopefully you will be their store of choice.

Here are opportunities to build new associations as well as possibilities for business. How about expertise to help you spruce up your showroom?

Maybe you will run into another Maria? Maria is organizing her Chair-ity Event. Another very clever idea. We’ll get her to give us an update.

Put this first on your “do more business” resolution!

Happy New Year!