15 employees to 5 employees

The past five months have been filled with challenges and changes. We thought we could ride out the economic downturn but after months of sales being down we knew we were overstaffed and had to make hard decisions. After many sleepless nights and taking everything into consideration we decided to lay off everyone in our warehouse. I needed to be forced out of my comfort zone and back into day to day operations. It had been a couple years or more since I'd packed a box, now I am primary packer. I had rarely taken orders and now I answer the majority of incoming calls. Everything sits in my office as I left it when I went from my office to the warehouse July 29th. Once the decision was made I treated it as a challenge and tackled it with determination. Talking to you, our customers has given me better insight into your needs. There's a difference between looking at an order on a computer screen and actually seeing all the products together as you pack it. As hard as the decision was to lay off undeserving employees, I know it was the right decision and has been rewarding in many other ways. I know there will be a day when I will need to go back to overseeing and moving the business forward. For now, I am committed to giving you great customer service and helping you have an "awesome event."

Never meant to be a movie star

I appreciate more then ever people that have the ability to get in front of a camera and act normal. I have found that it is a lot harder then it sounds but it does get easier the more you do it.

My summer goal has been to make new DIY Centerpiece Kits and "how to videos" showing how easy the kits are to assemble. This week we added four new designs and two new "how to videos" .
It never ceases to amaze and frustrate me the amount of time and work it takes to introduce a new design.
Hollywood Glamour is a remake of a past design that was very popular. When I made the "how to video" the assembly took less then five minutes. Yes, that's "yours truly" stumbling over her words.
We added two new Race Theme Centerpieces, Celebrate the Day and Race to Win
The idea was to have similar designs but to make one more formal to be used for corporate events or theme weddings which has become very popular. They both have marquees on top for people to use in place of table numbers. We wanted to use the centerpiece name on the marquee but somehow ended up with the intended names switched. The design intended for theme weddings is called "Race to Win" and the Festive design is named "Celebrate the Day". Changing everything at this point would have only added to the confusion so we left them as is.
Yesterday I was able to finish a design we've been working on several weeks. We named it "French Quarter" because it has a Mardi Gras theme. We expect to have the kit available and a "how to video" uploaded in the next few days. If you can't wait, you can watch the video on YouTube. Consistantly finding nice affordable feathered mask is what made this centerpiece the most challenging to add. After weeks of locating product, I finished and photographed the design only to find that the mask I used had been discontinued already. I had to switch the mask, rephotograph and hope they continue to be available for a long time.
Making the video took 5 hours and I'm still not happy with the results but I feel the benefit of having the videos available outweigh my pride and embarrassment. Once the camera rolls the words just don't seem to come out right.
Designing is the fun and easy part. Making the design into a easy to assemble kit and available to order online with all the options is where the real challenge begins. We want it to be a professional design but directions easy enough for the inexperienced to follow. From the feedback we receive we feel we have been able to accomplish that goal.
Hope you have enjoyed hearing some of the details of what goes on behind the scene at Awesome Events.

I found a reason to Twitter!!

Everything I read, every seminar I attend says I need to be using Twitter but until today I really couldn't find anything to motivate me to use it. I faithfully signed up and then ignored it. Today I recognized the value all those Twitters have known all along.
It all started this morning when we started to process our orders for the day. Our customer's credit cards weren't being processed when they placed their orders. First we attempted to log on to their web site and found the processor's server down. Then we tried calling, only to receive a voice mail notifying us that they were closed. Surely we weren't the only ones in this dilemma. When all else fails, google it to find out what is going on..... wait - what's that thing everyone is talking about? Twitter will know. I logged on to my unused twitter account and there right before me was the information I'd been looking in all the wrong places for. There was a fire at the data center in Seattle. Well, that explains it. Thank you twitter! I was able to send a message to our customers when they placed their orders, explaining the situation...... It didn't stop there. Our processor set up a special account on Twitter to keep everyone informed and updated on the progress. How much easier it was to deal with all the frustrations once we had the knowledge of what the situation was. I think I've been converted!

Is there such a thing as Free Shipping?

I just returned from a two day e-commerce conference. One of the hot topics of discussion was "free shipping". As we all know, nothing is really free so who pays for it? Obviously the customer does, only now it's hidden in the cost. Worse yet, if you order multiple items you are paying more because the extra fee is added to each individually item so actually the more you purchase the more you are paying.

Have you ever had someone try to trick you into believing something that wasn't true then laughing at you for being stupid enough to believe it? I had a "friend" once that loved taking advantage of my naive trust. He would convince me to believe some crazy story then ridicule me for trusting him. That is my reaction to marketing gimmicks. It makes me feel used. I wouldn't feel right taking advantage of my customer's trust even though it has been proven time and time again that those marketing tactics work quite successfully.

When someone tries to demand Free shipping my initial thought is, "why don't you call UPS and see if they will donate your shipping fees?" No matter how you play the game, there is no such thing as free shipping.

At the conference I met a UPS representative. I was impressed that his purpose for attending was to listen to our shipping needs and to explore possible solutions to make it more affordable for everyone.

Our warehouse manager, Jane has had a busy spring preparing for the graduation of her quadruplets. They are featured on the front page of our local newspaper www.carrollcountycomet.com. Jane will soon be celebrating five years with Awesome Events, Inc. She is responsible for the packing and quality control of your order. I give her credit for taking us to the next level in these areas. She never ceases to amaze us with her calm demeanor and organizational skills even in the midst of her hectic life away from here. Orthodontist appointments, four driver ed students, proms, sports, graduation, etc. has never interfered with her responsiblities at Awesome Events, Inc. She is truly an amazing person and we feel very blessed to have her as part of our team.

Catalog is in the mail

The project of producing our first wholesale product catalog is getting closer to being completed. It was one of those projects that you think will never end. We had several people proof read it numerous times. When I finally thought we had everything corrected I looked at it one last time and noticed that the description on the cactus picture was a palm tree. It really makes you appreciate the companies that are able to produce fabulous catalogs. Hopefully it will get easier with each attempt. It was a great relief the day I uploaded it to the printer. I envisioned boxes of newly printed catalogs arriving in a few days, ready to be mailed. My enthusiasm was soon lost when the proof arrived in the mail. The coloring was faded, some pictures not showing up. At that point I had to decide whether to retake numerous pictures, hoping it would resolve the problem or print them in-house which I knew would turn into a frustrating and time consuming project. After talking to the printer, we tried a second proof but was equally disappointed. I had to either start over or print it in-house. Our decision was to get them mailed and use Plan B next time. So far, we've had two major paper jams and have had to call the service technician twice to repair the printer for other issues.....but they are over half done and to my relief I have delegated the project to others and I'm moving on to other challenges.
The catalog should be in the mail next week to all our wholesale customers that have created an account on our new web site. The Bar Mitzvah and School Catalogs will be available to print or view from our web site. Someday I hope to look back and see how far we've come since this first experience.

Spring has arrived

Spring has finally arrived in Indiana. One of my favorite spring activities is tromping through the woods looking for mushrooms. So far this year I've done a lot more tromping then finding but in my over zealousness I started a week too early. It feels so nice to be outdoors after spending the past few weeks locked away in my office working on our first printed wholesale catalog. I'm hoping to send it to the printer next week.

Earlier this week I attended a seminar on blogging and twitter. I'm having trouble getting the hang of it all but I'll keep trying.

I've been working less hours this week because my daughter is visiting from Michigan. Today marks her seventh week as an unemployed attorney. I find it surprising that so many law firms are affected by the economy and laying off. At least she is already established, I can't imagine what it is like for the hundreds of students graduating and trying to find employment. So, if anyone hears of an opening for an attorney in Grand Rapids don't be shy about speaking up.

I'm an optimist, so I feel its just a matter of time before things become more settled in the economy.

My summer project is to design and put into production new centerpiece kits and hopefully some new how to videos. It often takes weeks to put a new design into kits and production. Designing is the easy part.

I hope you all get an opportunity to enjoy this day. We are expecting a sunny unseasonably warm day. I think I hear the mushrooms popping out of the ground already.

Bigger and Better

After waiting 6 months, we finally got possession of our new warehouse addition. Last week we moved our production and shipping to the new area. The transition went pretty well with all orders getting shipped without any problems. Change is always hard but everyone is doing their best to adapt. The lighting is less then adequate and not what we had been promised from the builder. I jokingly told the warehouse employees that I was going to get them all spelunker's helmets so they can see what they are doing. The computer to print our UPS labels hasn't yet been moved so everyone is sprinting back and forth to get labels. At least everyone is getting plenty of exercise. Next we plan to build new offices and move our paint area. The next couple months should be one of many changes and hard work but I feel we are up to the challenge.
Once we get everything moved, we have plans for a large design and photo shoot area. We want to be able to add new centerpiece designs and make more how to videos.
If only I had time to put in place and accomplish the multitude of ideas and plans I envision!!!!

Houston Trade Show

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the National Halloween and Party Show in Houston, Texas. We had seriously considered having our own booth at the show to introduce our new wholesale division to the industry but due to the economy we weren't sure how well attended the show would be and decided to wait for a different show.
For those of you unfamiliar with this show, it was held in Chicago for over twenty years, with several of those years running concurrently with IBAC (International Balloon Arts Convention). Last year the show moved to Las Vegas. There was a split this year among the vendors and one show was in Houston and there will be another one in Las Vegas in March. The purpose of the show is to introduce new products and trends for the upcoming year/season. Our interest is in the Party Show since we do not carry products for Halloween even though we are able to find some treasures we can use - such as skulls for Under the Sea Centerpieces or mask for Mardi Gras.
In years past I would often notice a particular new trend throughout the show. One year it seemed everyone was wearing themed necklaces. One year it was boa's. Another year LED lights were introduced. Last year, themed sunglasses were popular. This year it was a combination of all the above without any one item particularly standing out among the others.
In our business, we are always thinking of unique ways to use a product in our centerpieces. When I see a boa, I don't think about wearing it around my neck - I start thinking how it would look if it was cut up and used to cover a base, stuffing it inside a clear column in the center of a centerpiece, or pinning it around the edge of one of our Glamour Bases. The challenge is to find a product that will look good on all sides of a centerpiece, such as a mask which is made to be worn.
Attending a trade show or just going to a hardware store, gets the creative juices flowing. I'm anxious to get back home to put those ideas into production but when I arrive home, the daily responsibilities of running the business face me and before I realize it, my 12-14 hour day is over and I never made it to the design table. "There's always tomorrow".
This was my first trip to Houston. Being from a small town, learning the public transportation center is always a challenge. Often we were jumping on the bus or tram at the last second but it always worked out. The weather was cool for Houston but got progressively warmer each day. We took one day away from business to visit the Johnson Space Center. The day we left we decided to walk the half mile to the metro station dragging our luggage in the humidity, to catch a bus to the airport. A few hours later, we found ourselves landing in Indianapolis, Indiana in the midst of a winter storm. Our trip home from the airport took longer then our flight from Houston but we were thankful to arrive safely.
I have to admit, I didn't buy a single thing at the trade show. I am not an impulse buyer and even though there were specials at the show, I would rather come home and look over catalogs and web sites before making the decision to add a new line.
Later this week, I will be traveling to Arkansas to spend a few days with our full time web master. She is the person that has designed and maintained our web site since the beginning. She is part owner in the business and my sister. Don't let the sister part make you think we will be having a vacation. Anyone that has seen us "in action" know that from the moment I step out of the van until I leave we will be talking business. When I leave we are mentally and physically exhausted. If we accomplish 10% of our ideas in the next 6 months, it will be a successful trip.
When I arrive home, we will begin the process of moving into our new warehouse.
The economy has affected our business but we are still moving forward, just at a slower pace then we had planned. People are choosing to DIY with one of our kits or supplies is a way to cut cost but still celebrate those once in a lifetime events. Children only have one Sweet16 Party, one Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or one Quinceanera and making it special is still important even in these times of economic uncertainty. DIY Centerpiece kits are also a good idea for award banquets and company meetings. Kits can be used as a team building exercise plus a way to reward your employees by giving them away after the event.
Several years ago I attended a balloon workshop and one of the "ice breaker" exercises was to give each table a bag of decorating supplies. I was amazed at the creativity and designs people made.
I need to get back to work and hopefully today I can make it to the design area before the day ends.

Another Chapter Closed

As Awesome Events DIY Centerpiece kits business continues to move forward, another chapter in my life closes. Over 22 years ago I became an event decorator, specializing in balloon decor. I was among some of the first to become a CBA (certified balloon artist) and was very active in our state networking chapter. When we launched our website for DIY centerpiece kits almost six years ago, we quit promoting our decorating services, only serving our past clients. As our internet business continued to grow, finding time and energy to decorate became harder and harder. This week, I passed on my last account to a collegue. I'm still not ready to get rid of my decorating tools and framework....maybe someday.
As I closed this chapter in my life, I heard that another chapter from the past was being closed, ACP (Advanced Creative Products). I have known John and Merrill throughout the years. Anyone in the decorating and balloon industry know of the talent and ideas they have brought to the event industry. Personally, the influence from their classes has been a strong anchor in the creation of many of our current centerpiece designs. I wish them the best of success in their future ventures and say many thanks to all they have contributed over the years to this industry.