Marvin Gaye--One of the best R&B Soul Singers of 60's. He did a great solo act, but was better than ever when he joined with Tammi Terrell.
Marvin the Martian--One of the great Warner Bros. cartoon characters, but he needed Bugs Bunny as his comic foil to achieve classic status.
Lee Marvin--One of the great tough guy actors, he needed great scripts like "The Dirty Dozen", or "M-Squad" to show off his skills.
Marvin Windows--One of the best window companies around, on top of their game, but a couple of weeks ago they announced they were entering a new market to continue their growth. The announcement was that Marvin is going to become a manufacturer and supplier of siding for houses, to go along with their windows.
The common theme---1+1 can equal 3. Add something to the mix, and if the add is right, you have a home run. Let's see how this applies to our industry and to your glass shop or business.
Marvin makes a great window. That is a given in the trade. Their wood and vinyl skills are great, they use top-of-the-line Cardinal lami and IG, and Marvin's service is super. The leaders at Marvin can see the economy, just like the rest of us. Window sales are down. So instead of lamenting that their pie was shrinking, they went to a whole new pie. Adding their name and quality standards to selling siding is a natural. It is part of the house envelope. With an established name, they will stand a very good chance of succeeding in a new market.
So can you. If you are sitting around waiting for the economy to turn up, you will not make it. You have to be proactive. You have to find new products to sell, products to attach your good name to, products your current customers would be glad to buy from you.
Start selling windows, start selling doors. Try one of the hottest items in the industry: applied film. Sure there are a lot of companies that just do that, but there are many companies that do film and glass. Better you should be chasing the film business, then defending yourself when a successful filmer decides to go into the glass business.
Link up with a local window-washing firm. Window washers see many failed IG units, cracked or scratched lites. A link here is vital to your growth. No window washers in your area? Open a small division that handles window washing.
Look through your latest US Glass & Metal at all of the new product listings to find one that will fit your type of business. Look at the ads of your competitors and see what they they are selling. You can sell the same items too!
I know that just about all fabricators and manufacturers are looking for business. Call your vendors and ask them what is new. Ask what they will teach you about their different products. Ask what they will give you on consignment to get your new line started. Don't wait for them to come to you. Ask now.
It is easy...once you take that first step. The step of making a decision to grow your business by addition of products. Don't wait. There are hundreds of products you don't sell. You only need one or tow. Ask your current customers what they are buying from other vendors. Ask them what they would like you to carry. The common thread is that you have to be proactive. Get off your duff and work to grow your business.
PS. I just received a note from a wise man at Marvin Windows, (of course he is wise, he reads my blog) that I incorrectly said that Marvin made vinyl windows. Shame on me. Marvin is proud of the their fiberglass windows, using a pulltruded fiberglass material named Ultrex. Sorry for the mistake.
Paul
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Very Special Guest Blogger
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog asking the glass world to send a guest blog that would be eligible for publishing. This is a great column written by Kathryn Morris of Glass Specialists, Inc., of Atlantic Beach, Florida. Kathryn and her husband Jack, run a full-line glass shop that caters to people rather than things. Thank you, Kathryn, for improving the style, grammar and content of my blog.
What do YOU know about Glass? A woman’s perspective.
Well, I can almost guarantee you know WAY more about it than I do. I was thrown into this business without a clue about what I was really getting into.
My husband and I own a Glass Repair/Replacement business in Jacksonville, Florida. I had an ex-husband that threw a brick through my patio door. That’s how I got involved in the glass business. The glass specialist that fixed my door is now my husband.
I can objectively look at this business and say a few things.
Competition is cut throat. My salesmen get angry when I don’t buy from them. But I need them as suppliers, so I treat them like any good Mom would and soothe their ruffled feathers when they’re not getting commissions.
As a woman, you must LOVE your delivery drivers. They are the best. Treat them with respect, and in Florida, make sure you ALWAYS provide them with Gatorade, or cookies, or candy bars. It’s tough down here. Heck, do it no matter where you live. They work hard.
The old guys are way tougher than the young guys. The old guys know their stuff. They know how to handle glass, and they give you that look when you’re not handling it correctly.
You men always complain about us women being gossips, but man, oh, man, the gossip in the glass business FLOORS me. Men are just as bad as women at gossiping in the glass business.
You are definitely going to make mistakes no matter how long you have been in this business. Make sure your profit is enough to cover your mistakes. If it’s not, well, then you learn a hard lesson. Just make sure you learn from it.
Sometimes it’s not about “what you make”. I would much rather make nothing on a job and get 15 referrals from the person that I treated so kindly, than to be the company that everyone looks at negatively.
Small jobs are just as important as big jobs. Yes, I like to see a HUGE profit on one job but it also does my heart good to help an old lady that has a broken window, and look at her and say, “No Charge.” It’s called 'Karma'.
The Glass business is all about people and how you treat them. When it is an emergency situation, you can be the one that makes a single mom feel safe. You can be the one that makes a business owner operable again because you fixed their storefront window. I never realized how important this business was until I became involved in it. I hope everyone in the glass industry realizes the effect you have on the day to day lives of others.
Kathryn Morris
Glass Specialists, Inc.
Atlantic Beach, Florida
What do YOU know about Glass? A woman’s perspective.
Well, I can almost guarantee you know WAY more about it than I do. I was thrown into this business without a clue about what I was really getting into.
My husband and I own a Glass Repair/Replacement business in Jacksonville, Florida. I had an ex-husband that threw a brick through my patio door. That’s how I got involved in the glass business. The glass specialist that fixed my door is now my husband.
I can objectively look at this business and say a few things.
Competition is cut throat. My salesmen get angry when I don’t buy from them. But I need them as suppliers, so I treat them like any good Mom would and soothe their ruffled feathers when they’re not getting commissions.
As a woman, you must LOVE your delivery drivers. They are the best. Treat them with respect, and in Florida, make sure you ALWAYS provide them with Gatorade, or cookies, or candy bars. It’s tough down here. Heck, do it no matter where you live. They work hard.
The old guys are way tougher than the young guys. The old guys know their stuff. They know how to handle glass, and they give you that look when you’re not handling it correctly.
You men always complain about us women being gossips, but man, oh, man, the gossip in the glass business FLOORS me. Men are just as bad as women at gossiping in the glass business.
You are definitely going to make mistakes no matter how long you have been in this business. Make sure your profit is enough to cover your mistakes. If it’s not, well, then you learn a hard lesson. Just make sure you learn from it.
Sometimes it’s not about “what you make”. I would much rather make nothing on a job and get 15 referrals from the person that I treated so kindly, than to be the company that everyone looks at negatively.
Small jobs are just as important as big jobs. Yes, I like to see a HUGE profit on one job but it also does my heart good to help an old lady that has a broken window, and look at her and say, “No Charge.” It’s called 'Karma'.
The Glass business is all about people and how you treat them. When it is an emergency situation, you can be the one that makes a single mom feel safe. You can be the one that makes a business owner operable again because you fixed their storefront window. I never realized how important this business was until I became involved in it. I hope everyone in the glass industry realizes the effect you have on the day to day lives of others.
Kathryn Morris
Glass Specialists, Inc.
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Monday, May 17, 2010
Jury Duty and Your Employees
I got the notice in March calling me to appear on May 3. I went and was selected to be on a jury for a trial starting on May 10th. Why is this worthy of a blog for the glass industry?
Because I left the jury room, after the trial, profoundly aware of how important this was, and also, how proud I am of the American system that allows for decisions by peers. I spoke with my fellow Jurors, (we had a lot of down-time), and asked them how they felt about this experience. Ten out of the eleven thought it was great. They felt better about themselves and they felt better about their community. Of the eight people that were employed, seven companies paid for their jury time, and they were very grateful to their companies to allow them to serve. They felt it was just a nuisance at first, but at the end, all shared the pride I felt.
This pride will be transferred back to their work environment. They will tell their friends and your customers what an honor it was to be on a jury, and that their company supported them. They all said they would work harder, taking up the slack whenever another member of their company was called for jury duty.
We had a tough case. In the end we convicted a man for molesting a young boy. Not easy. We were unanimous in our verdict. We knew we did the right thing, for the boy, and for our community.
If you are an employer, wherever possible, make it so your employees can serve on a jury. At my company we used to allow for jury duty every other year, and we paid the difference between the jury payment and the employee's regular wage. We asked that employee's call in each day at the end of their duty, and if time allowed, to come back to work to finish the day. I didn't write any notes trying to get employees dismissed from duty based on 'job needs'. This cost about a couple of thousand dollars a year in payroll, and disrupted a work crew on occasion. The dividends, although uncalcuable, were well worth it.
I am sure you will get employees who care a little bit more about their community, who will care a little bit more about doing the right thing for you and for your customers. It is worth it for you to foster this.
Because I left the jury room, after the trial, profoundly aware of how important this was, and also, how proud I am of the American system that allows for decisions by peers. I spoke with my fellow Jurors, (we had a lot of down-time), and asked them how they felt about this experience. Ten out of the eleven thought it was great. They felt better about themselves and they felt better about their community. Of the eight people that were employed, seven companies paid for their jury time, and they were very grateful to their companies to allow them to serve. They felt it was just a nuisance at first, but at the end, all shared the pride I felt.
This pride will be transferred back to their work environment. They will tell their friends and your customers what an honor it was to be on a jury, and that their company supported them. They all said they would work harder, taking up the slack whenever another member of their company was called for jury duty.
We had a tough case. In the end we convicted a man for molesting a young boy. Not easy. We were unanimous in our verdict. We knew we did the right thing, for the boy, and for our community.
If you are an employer, wherever possible, make it so your employees can serve on a jury. At my company we used to allow for jury duty every other year, and we paid the difference between the jury payment and the employee's regular wage. We asked that employee's call in each day at the end of their duty, and if time allowed, to come back to work to finish the day. I didn't write any notes trying to get employees dismissed from duty based on 'job needs'. This cost about a couple of thousand dollars a year in payroll, and disrupted a work crew on occasion. The dividends, although uncalcuable, were well worth it.
I am sure you will get employees who care a little bit more about their community, who will care a little bit more about doing the right thing for you and for your customers. It is worth it for you to foster this.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Would You Like To Be A Guest Blogger?
Is there something you want to say to our industry? Do you have a success story to share? Can you tell us why our glass industry, even in recessionary times, is exciting?
Write a blog---serious or funny---teaching or asking for help---biographical or technical, and the glass industry will hear your words.
We will try to publish all blogs, but we can't publish a blog that compares pricing or vendors, disparages a single company or product, or promotes your own firm or products.
Send your blog via email to: paulbaseball@msn.com. We won't edit for style or content, it is your blog. (although we may help you with spelling or punctuation) It is your blog. Speak up.
If you have an idea you want to discuss before writing, drop me a note with an outline. I'll be glad to review it with you.
Let the writer in you come out. Write a blog of 300-800 words, and you can tell your family that you are going to be on the web as a guest of Paul.
Write a blog---serious or funny---teaching or asking for help---biographical or technical, and the glass industry will hear your words.
We will try to publish all blogs, but we can't publish a blog that compares pricing or vendors, disparages a single company or product, or promotes your own firm or products.
Send your blog via email to: paulbaseball@msn.com. We won't edit for style or content, it is your blog. (although we may help you with spelling or punctuation) It is your blog. Speak up.
If you have an idea you want to discuss before writing, drop me a note with an outline. I'll be glad to review it with you.
Let the writer in you come out. Write a blog of 300-800 words, and you can tell your family that you are going to be on the web as a guest of Paul.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
It Must Be True If You Read It In The Newspaper...Or On-line
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." Lord Kelvin, Famed British scientist, 1899
"The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty--a fad." The president of the Michigan Savings Bank telling Henry Ford's advisers not to invest in the Ford Motor Company, 1903
"Sensible and Responsive women do not want to vote." President Grover Cleveland, 1905
"Who the hell wants to hear actor's talk." Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros. Movies, 1927
"The average American family hasn't time for television." Article in New York Times, 1939
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." Decca Recording Company, in rejecting The Beatles, 1962
"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." Spencer Silver, 3M Company, on the work that led to unique adhesive on 'Post-It' notes, 1980's.
If only we could see the future in our glass industry. But wait, some people have seen the future, and if we are smart, we will follow.
I was in a glass shop last week and the owner told me he only sold low-e when the customer asked for it. He felt it was too confusing to bring up otherwise. He won't make it in the glass shop of the future.
Recently, I was in a fabricating facility which was eat-off-of-the-floor clean. This improves safety and instills a sense of quality in the work staff, which translates to better products being produced. They see the future and will definitely be a part of it.
I received a letter last month, from a reader, who feels "the whole green movement in the building industry is a fad." This actually was his choice of words. Let's get him to read the story above about Henry Ford.
In my view, the glass shop of the future will be an energy shop, that focuses on the gain and the usage of energy, and the tools they will use are glass-based---solar collectors, energy saving windows, etc.
You can still be a two-person shop...bigger is not better, but working safely and working correctly the first time will guarantee success.
The future is coming. Be ready...read trade magazines, go to trade shows, quiz your vendors, study the web sites of suppliers and competitors. Understand the hurricane codes, learn the building codes in a couple of towns near you, or start to sell blast and bullet resistant glazing. Learn a second language, or hire people who speak a second language. America is changing. Change with it.
As an individual you can complain about immigration or politics. As a business owner or manager, you can't. Well, actually you can...but you will sacrifice your business in the long run if you don't keep up with the changes in our industry or the local economy.
"The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty--a fad." The president of the Michigan Savings Bank telling Henry Ford's advisers not to invest in the Ford Motor Company, 1903
"Sensible and Responsive women do not want to vote." President Grover Cleveland, 1905
"Who the hell wants to hear actor's talk." Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros. Movies, 1927
"The average American family hasn't time for television." Article in New York Times, 1939
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." Decca Recording Company, in rejecting The Beatles, 1962
"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." Spencer Silver, 3M Company, on the work that led to unique adhesive on 'Post-It' notes, 1980's.
If only we could see the future in our glass industry. But wait, some people have seen the future, and if we are smart, we will follow.
I was in a glass shop last week and the owner told me he only sold low-e when the customer asked for it. He felt it was too confusing to bring up otherwise. He won't make it in the glass shop of the future.
Recently, I was in a fabricating facility which was eat-off-of-the-floor clean. This improves safety and instills a sense of quality in the work staff, which translates to better products being produced. They see the future and will definitely be a part of it.
I received a letter last month, from a reader, who feels "the whole green movement in the building industry is a fad." This actually was his choice of words. Let's get him to read the story above about Henry Ford.
In my view, the glass shop of the future will be an energy shop, that focuses on the gain and the usage of energy, and the tools they will use are glass-based---solar collectors, energy saving windows, etc.
You can still be a two-person shop...bigger is not better, but working safely and working correctly the first time will guarantee success.
The future is coming. Be ready...read trade magazines, go to trade shows, quiz your vendors, study the web sites of suppliers and competitors. Understand the hurricane codes, learn the building codes in a couple of towns near you, or start to sell blast and bullet resistant glazing. Learn a second language, or hire people who speak a second language. America is changing. Change with it.
As an individual you can complain about immigration or politics. As a business owner or manager, you can't. Well, actually you can...but you will sacrifice your business in the long run if you don't keep up with the changes in our industry or the local economy.
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