WINTER 2005-2006

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CRAFT & HOBBY ASSOCIATION

New insights into the $30 billion market Best Practices for Craft Retailers Special Show Section Association News Managing Business Finances

PREMIERE ISSUE

US $5.00

the official magazine of the Craft & Hobby Association WINTER 2005-2006

Contents The Face of the American Crafter

8

16

32

Successful Retailing Through Technology Understanding technology and knowing your business are critical.

65th CHA Winter Convention and Trade Show Preview Join us in Las Vegas from Jan. 29-Feb. 2 for another exciting and educational CHA Winter Show.

Financial Management of Your Business Ongoing monitoring and sound record keeping are keys to success.

Departments Chief Executive Officer’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Inside CHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Profiles Member Services Education Marketing Index to Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 CHA Portfolio is published quarterly for: The Craft & Hobby Association 319 East 54th Street Elmwood Park, N.J. 07407 (201) 794-1133 Fax: (201) 797-0657 www.craftandhobby.org Published by: Naylor Publications, Inc. 5950 N.W. First Place Gainesville, FL 32607 Phone: (352) 332-1252 or (800) 369-6220 Fax: (352) 331-3525 www.naylor.com Publisher: Ray Goodwin

Editor: Jill Andreu

Layout & Design: Irene Pohoreçka

Project Manager: Pam Dissell

Cover Design: Alex Nunez, Richartz Fliss Clark & Pope

Sales Manager: Melissa Zawada Marketing Associate: Kirsten Cahill

New insight into the $30 billion market

Advertising Art: Lesley Helash

Account Representatives: Pamela Blasetti, Rya Boyce, Krys D’Antonio, Jennifer DiCapua, Ryan Griffin, Mary Johnston, Michael McMahon, Marjorie Pedrick, Debbie Phillips, Josh Rothburd, Beth Sheahan, Dave Turgeon, Katie Usher, Cora Yongue, Chris Zabel

CHA Portfolio is distributed on a complimentary basis to CHA members. Subscription fee for non-CHA members is $25 a year. Additional copies available upon request, pending availability. To order, contact Cynthia Burgio, CHA Portfolio Managing Editor, at (201) 794-1133, Ext. 228 or [email protected]. PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2005/HOB-Q0305/4563 © 2005 Naylor Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

22

A patchwork quilt of customs and traditions blended with ever-changing technologies, the origins of crafting in America are as complex as the structure of the U.S. population itself. Crafts and hobbies are as American as apple pie and a blend of all the influences that make the country what it is today. And today more than ever before, Americans are involved in these leisure time activities, creating a vibrant growth industry. CHA commissioned research to dig into the usage and purchases of these consumers to give us a new in-depth perspective on our industry.

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

5

Craft & Hobby Association 319 East 54th Street, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone: (201) 794-1133 • Fax: (201) 797-0657 Web site: www.craftandhobby.org

2005 Board of Directors James Bremer Chief Governance Officer Tall Mouse Arts & Crafts, Inc. James Scatena Vice Chairman FloraCraft Emma Gebo Secretary Crafts, Inc. dba Crafts & Frames Dave Bolen Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. Richard Brown Sunrise Craft and Hobby, Co Terri Clair EK Success Craig Curtis Petersen-Arne Jane Anne Davis Jane Anne and Co. Robert Ferguson Ferguson Merchandising LLC Cindy Groom-Harry Craft Marketing Connections Inc. Mike Hartnett Creative Leisure Communications Theodore Hesemann Herrschner’s Herbert Lantinga Notions Marketing Corporation Ronald LaRosa RL Associates

See u at t s C HA he S how

Tony LaSpada Activa Products, Inc. Jane Marski Hannah’s Home Accents Michael McCooey Plaid Enterprises Lynda Musante Cardinal Brands Larry J.Olliges Dee’s Crafts Inc.

Largest Importers of Czech Glass Beads, Preciosa Crystals and Beading Supplies

Carolyn Schulz Creative Solutions Thomas Ware Bag Works, Inc. In recognition of their outstanding contributions and devotion, we would like to thank the following members of the CHA Board of Directors for their service as their terms expire: Tony LaSpada Lynda Musante Thomas Ware The Craft & Hobby Association is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 6,000 member companies engaged in the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the $30 billion craft and hobby industry. The association offers a broad range of member services, including market research, education and consumer branding initiatives, and operates two annual international trade show events – the CHA Winter and CHA Summer shows – that attract more than 20,000 industry professionals.

Staff Steven Z. Berger Chief Executive Officer [email protected], Ext. 214 Sandra M. Ghezzi Vice President, Marketing, Member Services & Education [email protected], Ext. 217 Tony Lee Vice President, Meetings & Expositions [email protected], Ext. 205 Lorraine Ciongoli Director, Finance & Administration [email protected], Ext. 226 Carol Adair Operations Coordinator [email protected], Ext. 221 Robert Bani Mail & Warehouse Coordinator [email protected], Ext. 212 Loren Barrows Marketing Manager [email protected], Ext. 204 Cynthia Burgio Marketing Program Coordinator and CHA Portfolio Managing Editor [email protected], Ext. 228 Donna Cennimo Exhibits Coordinator [email protected], Ext. 222 Keri Cunningham Marketing Coordinator [email protected], Ext. 229 Lidia Diaz Executive Assistant to CEO and Office Manager [email protected], Ext. 215 John Erich Trade Show Marketing Manager [email protected], Ext. 202 Shelley Fulghum Exhibits Sales Manager [email protected], Ext. 220 Alexandra Hansil Financial Manager [email protected], Ext. 216 Ann Kallman Operations Manager [email protected], Ext. 201 William Keenan Manager, Systems & Information Technology [email protected], Ext. 203 Debra Kirk Education Program Specialist [email protected], Ext. 209 Pam May Manager, Member Services [email protected], Ext. 206 Renee Mussa Database Support Specialist [email protected] Ext. 225 Valarie Reid Manager, Member Education [email protected] Ext. 208 Semo Sennas Marketing Program Manager [email protected] Ext. 218 Jennifer Snider Member Services Coordinator [email protected] Ext. 213 Tracy Soto Office Administrator & Receptionist [email protected], Ext. 200

VISION A vibrant industry with an exciting image, expanding customer base and successful members.

MISSION

6

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Stimulate the sales growth of the craft and hobby industry • Create consumer demand • Help members succeed • Lead the industry

CEO’s message

A New Era Steven Z. Berger, CEO

I urge you to continue challenging the CHA team. Let us know what we can do to improve this association and make it work harder for you.

It is with a deep sense of satisfaction that I welcome you to the premiere issue of CHA Portfolio, your association’s new quarterly publication. I cannot remember another time in my career when I have been so ecstatic about a single event. This publication evolved from the many requests we’ve received at CHA headquarters for more indepth information and ways to improve your business. CHA Portfolio is a new communication platform – and a source of information and ideas – to help grow the industry far beyond our wildest expectations. In this, our inaugural issue, I am pleased to report that you are part of one of the most dynamic industries in the world. Crafts not only afford people the satisfaction of creating one-of-a-kind items, but it’s also big business at $30 billion annually in the U.S. plus strong participation worldwide. The new CHA Attitude & Usage Study confirms that

75 percent of U.S. households have at least one family member who has ever crafted. That is an overwhelming number, showing the widespread popularity of crafting. But, what’s even more impressive is the detailed information our new study revealed. We have uncovered the most comprehensive view of the crafting household to date. This information will be updated on a quarterly basis to track craft trends, including participation levels and consumer purchases. This new wave of reporting will be of tremendous benefit to each CHA member. I invite each of you to a very special presentation at the 65th CHA Winter Convention and Trade Show for a detailed review of the research findings based on the annual projection. The CHA Attitude & Usage Study is only one facet of our commitment to add greater membership value. CHA Portfolio is another step toward achieving that vision. I assure you there will be

something within the pages of this magazine that will assist you in some way. To make CHA Portfolio better and more meaningful, your feedback is essential. This magazine is only as good as its value to you. I urge you to continue challenging the CHA team. Let us know what we can do to improve this association and make it work harder for you. Please stay involved. The better we work together, the faster we can grow the industry. The world is continually changing. What once was will never be again. What was old may be refreshed. Change is inevitable. Confusing? No, it’s really rather simple. Our business is your business. Let’s move forward together with confidence and excitement. We welcome your feedback and look forward to your comments. Enjoy CHA Portfolio!

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

7

From insightful speakers to networking opportunities, visits to the CHA SMART Store and our new Imaging Pavilion, this year’s show promises to be one of CHA’s best!

Join us in Las Vegas for another exciting and educational CHA show. General Sessions Hear from an amazing array of top experts who will share cutting-edge insight into the latest issues and trends of the day.

Twenty Trends for 2010: Retailing in an Age of Uncertainty Tom Rubel, President Retail Forward, Inc.

Supply Chain Efficiency: The Real Competitive Advantage John T. (Tom) Mentzer, Chair of Business Excellence University of Tennessee

Crafts and Hobbies in a Continuum of Change Ed Barlow, Futurist, Trend Analyst

Check the CHA Winter Show schedule at www.chashow.org for dates, times and locations. 8

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Winter Show Preview

A Keynote Event to Engage Your Entire Team

Tim Sanders Speaker, Author and Leadership Coach at Yahoo! Don’t miss this opportunity to mingle with the best minds in the industry, meet Tim Sanders and receive your very own autographed copy of his latest book, The Likeability Factor! Every person has a likeability factor that goes a long way to determining whether they have positive or negative experiences in life. It’s a fact: we buy from sales people we like and we purchase products from companies with a high L-Factor. Likeable shop owners retain talent and create a culture of customer service. Likeable managers bring out the best and most innovative in their team. The research is overwhelming; for personal, corporate and national success, we have to possess likeability. This keynote presentation will reveal the secrets to boosting your LFactor and demonstrate how to achieve greater success on all levels. You will gain advice on

how to boost your friendliness, relevance (to which crafts and hobbies are a solution), empathy and realness. Featured on the “Today” show and in Time magazine, Tim will offer an outline on how to make yourself “emotionally attractive” to others. Tim explores the measurable aspects of likeability, including levels of friendliness, relevance, empathy and realness. Tim entertains and drives his points home by using relatable stories and research to build a case that being a better person will make you more successful in life and in business. He’ll show how to get a competitive edge by learning that the more you care, the more people will want to be in your network and will want to support you. Tim Sanders has become one of the most sought-after speakers in America today because of his poignant message and his eloquent delivery. He delivers high-energy speeches and compelling seminars to executive conferences, professional associations and graduate schools. Tim also has received an enthusiastic endorsement from Tom Peters, the renowned business motivational speaker. Tim developed and honed his

speaking skills as a competitive debater, and has been national debate and public speaking champion in five categories over his career. Tim attended Loyola Marymount University as an undergraduate and the University of Arizona for graduate work. He frequently appears as a guest on radio and television programs across the country. From 2001 to 2003, Tim served as the chief solutions officer at Yahoo!, delivering next-generation marketing programs to world-class brands. He created and led Yahoo! ValueLab, an in-house “think tank” that delivers innovative solutions to Yahoo!’s current and prospective clients. The ValueLab consulting team coordinates and leverages Yahoo’s resources to add value to clients’ growth strategies. Tim currently serves as Yahoo!’s leadership coach. He also advises business and public sector leaders on next generation strategies. Tim joined Yahoo! as part of the acquisition of broadcast.com in July 1999. For more than two years at broadcast.com, he served as an integral part of the company’s business services division. Join Tim on Monday, January 30, at 5 p.m., and learn how to increase your L-factor. A complimentary cocktail reception begins promptly at 5 p.m. (open bar and hors d’oeuvres will be served).

Event #S100 The Likeability Factor Tim Sanders, Speaker, Author and Leadership Coach at Yahoo! Date/Time: Monday, January 30, 5 p.m. Cocktail Reception: 5-5:45 p.m. Keynote Presentation: 6-7 p.m. Book Signing: 7-7:30 p.m. Fee: $25 (Free book valued at $20 with attendance)

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

9

Inspiration & Design Faire, the showcase for design creativity to license and sell, is a new exhibit area of the CHA Winter Show celebrating its second year. This showcase offers booth space specifically to CHA designer members, affording them opportunities to expand their business through design contracts, and sales and licensing agreements. This year, the Inspiration & Design Faire will be extended from three days to four and provide ample time for exhibitors to meet with customers and prospects eager to discover new designs.

CHA Member Linkage Booth UK Pavilion

This is an international event organized by the U.K. Trade & Investments (UKTI) Office of the Government, providing an ideal opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their products in the United States. Their role is to help U.K. companies develop business opportunities outside their country, for example through export. The UKTI has successfully rallied 16 companies to participate in the U.K. Pavilion, and as such is coordinating group logistics.

10

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Located in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center, make plans to stop by the Member Linkage Booth and meet directors from the CHA Board and representatives from the Member Linkage Committee. This committee was established under the association’s operating structure, Policy Governance®, to give CHA members a direct link to their association leadership. CHA staff will be available to discuss member benefits or other questions about association membership. Policy Governance® is a registered service mark of John Carver.

Designer Education Get ready for an impressive line-up of education specifically designed to help get your work noticed by the right individuals in the marketplace. Learn the fundamentals of licensing and marketing your designs. All programs are presented by industry experts in the design and licensing fields. Don’t miss this opportunity. Classes include: • Licensing Fundamentals • Effective Marketing Strategies for the Art Licensing Business • Protecting Your Artwork and Concepts • Tips of the Trade: Licensing Your Artwork in Different Industries

Winter Show Preview

Imaging Pavilion Makes Debut The Winter Show will feature a new product category – Imaging. The imaging section will feature approximately 55 booths strategically located within the Scrapbooking & Papercraft section. This new and exciting area will include a wide range of products including digital imaging kiosks, digital cameras, photo printers, photo marking devices and other essentials for scrapbook retailers to incorporate into their stores. We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to provide digital imaging to the scrapbook community, which is vital for any retailer who wishes to become a one-stop shop for scrapbooking needs. The imaging pavilion is open during official show days and hours to all registered attendees.

Want to experience the latest in merchandising techniques and takeaway ideas for your store? Then visit the CHA SMART Store at the CHA Winter Show (Central Hall, C1 Corridor). See page 14 for more details.

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

11

Avoid 7 Deadly Exhibit Marketing Sins BY SUSAN FRIEDMANN, CSP THE TRADESHOW COACH

Want to increase your chances for a more successful trade show? Learn to avoid the following seven deadly sins: Sin #1: Poorly Defined Promotional Plan Know what you wish to achieve. Develop a pre-show, at-show and postshow promotional program to attract your target market. Include direct mail, broadcast faxes, advertising, PR, sponsorship and the Internet. Sin #2: Lack of Incentive to Visit Your Booth Give people an incentive to come and visit your booth. Let them know what’s new. Tell them about the latest technologies, new applications, or techniques to save time and/or money. Sin #3: Bad Giveaways Giveaways should be designed to increase memorability and promote or increase recognition of your company. Consider your target audience and give them something product/service related and educational. Sin #4: Lack of Attention to the Press Send out newsworthy press releases prior to the show. Focus on what’s new about your product/service, highlight a new application or market venture. Compile press kits for the press office that include industry trends, statistics, new technology or production information.

12

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Sin #5: Not Using the Booth as an Effective Marketing Tool Your exhibit should attract visitors to achieve your marketing objectives. It should be an open, welcoming and friendly space, featuring a focal point and a strong key message that communicates a significant benefit to your prospect. Opt for large graphics rather than reams of copy. Sin #6: Underutilizing Booth Representatives Your people are your ambassadors. They represent everything your company stands for, so choose them well. Brief them beforehand and let them know why you are exhibiting, what you are exhibiting and what you expect from them. Sin #7: No Proper Follow-Up Develop an organized, systematic approach to follow up. Establish a lead handling system, set timelines for follow up, track your leads, make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them, and then measure your results.

Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, of Lake Placid, New York, is author of “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.” She works with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training.

CHA Annual Business Meeting Wednesday, February 1 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m.

Take time for this important networking opportunity to learn more about your member-driven trade association. Hear results from the new CHA Attitude & Usage Study and other highlights of association activities during the past year. Come meet the new directors to the 2006 Board and the members elected to serve on the 2006 Nominating Committee. Also, recipients of industry awards and the INNOVATIONS 2006 winners will be recognized for their achievements. 2006 CHA Board Candidates Dave Bolen Jo-Ann Stores Richard Brown Sunrise Craft and Hobby Bob Ferguson Ferguson Merchandising Herbert Lantinga Notions Marketing Corp. Ron Staffieri Rag Shop

Go to www.thetradeshowcoach.com and sign up for a free copy of “Exhibit Smart Tips of the Week.”

Winter Show Preview

Summer Show Now Managed by CHA The Craft & Hobby Association has assumed management of the CHA Summer Show effective in 2006. For the past 30 years, ACCI and Offinger Management have promoted and organized the successful craft and hobby trade show in Rosemont, Illinois. Moving forward, all sales, marketing and logistics for the 2006 show will be handled by CHA. Tony Lee, CHA’s new Vice President of Meetings and Expositions says, “We have a new trade show team at CHA with a wealth of experience, and we are eagerly working on our vision, which is to build on the success of the summer trade show and bring it to the next level.” He added, “An expanded marketing campaign is already under way and is designed to drive increasing numbers of qualified buyers to the 2006 Summer Show. In addition, extensive surveying has taken place to get feedback from participating exhibitors and buyers, as well as an analysis study of past shows’ attendance to see how the show can better serve the industry.”

The CHA Summer Show is the largest must-see summer trade show for general crafts, scrapbooking and other related products with 600 exhibiting companies in 1,400 booths. It will provide a wonderful complement to the more established CHA Winter Show. CHA Chief Executive Officer Steve Berger said, “This is another extremely positive move in further unifying the craft and hobby industry. By producing the world’s largest craft shows under one leadership structure, we can maximize our resources, generate efficiencies and offer an even greater variety of educational programs and workshops that will assist every segment of our membership in some way.” The CHA Summer Show is critical to all trade professionals for buying and selling products, discovering emerging trends and discussing and developing products for the third and fourth quarter delivery and annual resets. The 2006 show will be held in Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on July 21-23. For more information on CHA trade shows, log onto www.chashow.org.

CHA Summer Show – Growing Fast! Trade Show Week (TSW) magazine named the CHA Summer Show one of the “Fastest Fifty” growing shows in the United States and Canada. Professional attendance at the CHA Summer event increased to 4,065, a 27.6 percent increase, and exhibit space grew to 137,850 net square feet. Out of the hundreds of trade and consumer shows tracked by TSW, only seven events in North America grew professional attendance more than 27 percent. To learn more about this successful event or to register your company, visit www.chashow.org today!

Networking Opportunities Be sure to attend these special events and take the opportunity to meet with the people who mean the most to your business! • New Exhibitor Reception • New Buyer Reception • International Member Reception • Inspiration & Design Faire Reception Check the CHA Winter Show schedule at www.chashow.org for dates, times and locations.

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

13

Winter Show Preview

Don’t miss the CHA SMART Store!

The CHA SMART Store is the ideal scrapbooking and paper crafting store. This 3,500 sq. ft. stand-alone store offers the smartest ideas available in the industry today. As you tour the store, you will find that there is a reason and a methodology for every part and parcel of the store. Every feature of the store is intended to create revenue, increase turn, increase market share and make the independent scrapbooking store a success.

As you walk through the store you will learn about: • The “decompression zone,” the Kid’s Crop Room and how stores can use these areas; • The POS system and technology center and how they create and improve a store’s profits; • The heart of a store – the crop room and classroom area – and how this area has been designed to be multi-purpose and reduce theft; • The Business to Business Center, Demo Bar, Genealogy Center and Die Cut Center and how they have been designed to increase revenue; • The keys to merchandising a retail scrapbooking store; and • The perfect signing and lighting that provides the store with “silent salespeople” and features merchandise and displays to promote sales. And here is the best part. The CHA SMART Store will be given away to one lucky retailer at the end of the show! This includes everything in the store – all fixtures, merchandise and systems! For additional information and contest rules and regulations, visit www.chashow.org. To enhance the understanding of the ideas and knowledge behind the creation of the CHA SMART Store, eight educational classes will be offered to retailers. Each class offers in-depth knowledge in the creation of a thriving craft store or scrapbooking business. These retail-specific seminars provide you with the retailing strategies you need to be successful. Programs are specific to the components of the CHA SMART Store and are designed to provide you with the knowledge necessary to integrate all of the components in a scrapbook or retail store environment. Eight educational classes will be offered to retailers: 1. Merchandising 2. Manufacturer & Retailer Partnerships 3. Store Displays 4. Business-to-Business Opportunities 5. Salespeople 6. Consumer Loyalty Programs 7. Advertising 8. Business Trends ●

14

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

THE NEW WAY of SCRAPBOOKING. A picture is worth a thousand revenue opportunities. Destroying heirloom pictures is the Old Way of scrapbooking. Making and customizing digital duplicates is the New Way. And nobody does it better than Sony. Our Deluxe PictureStation ™ kiosk makes it easy to scan, duplicate and embellish old photos — and get beautiful, borderless* prints from all popular digital media. Customers can crop, zoom, enlarge, eliminate red-eye, create collages, add borders and text, even turn color pictures into sepia tone or black & white. Sony printers are incredibly fast: just eight seconds for a 4x6 print; 15 seconds for 5x7. Your customers can also print wallets, 3-1/2x5 and 8x10 or even burn CDs. Our optional credit card kit** makes self-serve transactions easy. More profit from pictures... that’s The New Way of Business.

Complete a survey at www.sony.com/digitalphotofinishing and we’ll mail you a coupon worth $500 towards the purchase of a Sony PictureStation kiosk.

T H E N E W WAY O F B U S I N E S S ADVANCED SOFTWARE

SM

PATENTED PROMO PACKAGES

OPTIONAL SYSTEM MONITORING

DIGITAL IMAGING

DIGITAL PHOTOFINISHING

© 2005 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony, PictureStation, and Print By Sony logo are trademarks of Sony. The New Way of Business is a service mark of Sony. * Borderless prints in all sizes except 8x10. ** Requires an account with USA Technologies to enable your PictureStation kiosk for system monitoring and credit card transactions.

™

™

BY VICKI GERVICKAS

Crafting is all about creating connections: to our pasts, to our future, with our communities. For those who have turned their passion into a business, whether it’s scrapbooking, quilting, home decorating, woodworking or one of the many other crafts and hobbies people love, the connection must go a step further: to the customer. This is where technology can play a key role.

Successful Retailing Through

Technology Though our relationship with technology can be a love/hate one, it doesn’t have to be so. Regardless of the size of your business or its product mix, information technology can help you compete effectively, increase your profitability and excel. To better understand the role technology plays in today’s craft and hobby industry, CHA spoke recently with Dennis Conforto, CEO and president of The SMART Group, a scrapbook manufacturer and retailer trade group that provides

16

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

information tools for members that promote greater cooperation in reducing overall operating costs and increasing overall market share of the scrapbooking category. Conforto is an outspoken advocate on the need to embrace all of the technology tools available. CHA: Is there a particular obstacle that craft retailers encounter when faced with today’s technology? Conforto: In many cases, people have gotten into this business because they love the craft, they love the hobby, they love the industry. The key for success is to love the business. When it comes to installing and implementing technologies for retail, there’s a big gap. The global players in this industry have more retail technology installed than the national players, and those players have more than the regional players. And unfortunately, they all have more technology than the independents. It is the combination of technology and knowledge that are the major advantages that those players have over an independent store. They know what information they need, when and how to get it and how to interpret it. More importantly, they use the information that comes from their technology like it is second nature. When you go to our trade shows, the gap between the independents and the global players is very apparent. The

independent crafting industry retailers spend their time in the workshop classes, not the retail business class seminars. Many of the people in our business – for example, the scrapbookers – at the end of the day, they consider themselves scrapbookers. But if you are going to survive in business, you have to choose the business over the hobby. Learn the business. The art of retailing is very different than the art of scrapbooking. If you’re in retail, you’re a retailer; if you’re in distribution, you’re a distributor; and if you’re in manufacturing, you’re a manufacturer. The global, national and regional operations know they’re in retail. The independents are convinced they really are hobbyists, not retailers, and their very survival depends on their willingness to change. CHA: But can a small independent business really hope to compete with the global and national retailers of the world, even with technology? Conforto: Certainly. The independents have a couple of huge advantages. First, they tend to have better selection and better quality merchandise in their specific category. If you take scrapbooking, a really good store would be about 3,000 square feet, whereas a largeformat retailer may have an 18foot aisle of product. That’s one difference. But an even more powerful advantage is that the

independent provides a sense of community. Most of the craft industry is dominated by women-centered crafts, and women like having a sense of community. The global and national stores aren’t necessarily interested in building communities. They are designed to sell SKUs, lots of them. If you’re a large retailer and you have 1,000 stores, you sell a lot of product, but you also have a lot of overhead and employees. But for independent retailers, the goal should be to build a community and make your customers feel very comfortable coming in and staying in your store. You see that in the coffee and book retailers now: they all have a similar look, sure, with natural woods and color schemes and sofas, but they are designed to encourage people not to rush. Starbucks is a perfect example of a company that has found a way to provide a very sophisticated yet comfortable look within a very small footprint. Many independents, on the other hand, are too cutesy or are behind the trends, displaying colors that are outdated and such. The problem is that female consumers today are becoming accustomed to that sophisticated look, and when they go into a store, they want it to have a certain look and a certain feel and a certain organization and a certain level of professionalism that’s lacking in a lot of independent craft stores across the country.

Dennis Conforto

“Retailing is about turning your merchandise. You have to earn and turn or you will get burned.”

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

17

Technology Gives Small Retailers a Competitive Edge Technology alone is not the answer. Technology can make a bad retailer better, but it won’t make them great. To be great, you have to be committed to this learning curve, and recognize that it is not a destination, but an ongoing journey.

18

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

What is a Retail System? Technology software for retail provides IT solutions to run your business more effectively and efficiently to maximize your profits. Here are some things you should look for in a retail system technology solution along with some of their benefits: What to consider: • Point of Sale operations • Inventory control and tracking • Customer management and marketing • E-Commerce • Pricing, sales and promotions • Customized reports • Information security • Supply chain Benefits: • Helps you anticipate customer needs • Recognize and exploit opportunities • Ensure that every customer experience and every point builds brand loyalty and repeat business • Greater inventory efficiency and reliability • Improved customer service • More efficient marketing • Make your money go further • Spend your time wisely • Give your customers the information they want • Expand with ease To determine the right retail system for your business, CHA suggests that you research a number of vendors before deciding which system is the best for your needs. For more information on how to determine your technology needs, visit the education section of www.craftandhobby.org where you can download a free PDF copy of the Retail Computer System Needs Analysis form. Use the form to begin your search for a retail information system. You also can send it out as a request for proposal to provide you with a quote. It will help you organize questions and answers that vendors will ask.

CHA: How can technology help with that? Conforto: You have to start with the basic retail technology. There are three sides to any good business. There’s the marketing side, there’s the operations side and then there’s the accounting side, which is recording and monitoring how marketing and operations are performing. Retailers tend to spend the least time on the operations side. But if you’re a scrapbooker and you have an average of 10,000 SKUs, you have to know your merchandise and how it performs. In the end, retailing is about having the right product at the right time at the right price. To succeed, you have to decide which SKUs are winners and which are losers. Retailing is about turning your merchandise. You have to earn and turn or you will get burned. The profitable businesses that have been around for a while understand this, and you can tell because their inventory turn rates are higher than the national average. They keep fresh merchandise coming in. And that not only affects their business, it also affects the industry. In essence, all of these craft industries are fashion, and if you’re out of the queue, as dictated by New York and Paris, then you’re just out of the queue. Ultimately, the success of any industry is based on the retailer. And the more volume an industry does, the more tendency to invest in itself, the more money there is to do it. When people don’t make the investments, the industry doesn’t grow. Again, using the scrapbooking industry as an example, we’re looking at an industry over $2 billion. But the potential is there to be a $12 to $20 billion industry. So, to the extent people spend more time

looking at their stores and implementing the technologies, the industry will grow by leaps and bounds. And the same thing is true with needlepoint, with quilting, with any of the craft industries. CHA: But as a small business, finding the money to invest can be very hard. Isn’t it better to invest in the product? Conforto: The problem is that if they have a slow turn rate, they are investing in products that aren’t performing. If, instead, they spend the money on the technology, the technology will give them the information to know which products they need to dump to improve their overall performance. Otherwise, they’re working blind. And yes, it can be difficult to make that investment, particularly if you don’t see the value in it. Many independents see that a lot of money will go out, and they don’t see the potential payback. But going back to the three parts of the business, from an operations standpoint, the name of the game is to turn over inventory. And if you’re only turning over inventory two and a half times, you have a very low chance of surviving in today’s environment. Turning over inventory allows you to have cash. Without that cash, you can’t pay your bills. There are as many people getting out of the business as there are getting into it. It all comes back to this: it’s great to love your craft and to know it inside and out, but to be really successful, the knowledge of retail has to supercede the knowledge of the hobby. And the biggest change ought to be working out the basic technology for the retail store. All the technology they

need is there. People tend to focus on things like point-of-sale technology, but that’s just part of it. People get a POS system, but they are not able to control the back end of their environment. So they need a retail system from one end to the other. CHA: It can be intimidating, both from a financial and an emotional standpoint, to completely overhaul your business. Where to start? Conforto: The best place to start is with the community that already exists. CHA is an excellent resource, and has tools to help people decipher all of this stuff. Once they feel comfortable with the lingo, do the research. Choose a system you feel comfortable with, that runs the reports that you need. Don’t just go by what you are told by a sales representative about how others succeed with the software. Whenever I invest in technology, I ask the vendor to give me their entire users’ list. I choose three that are similar to my business size and volume. I talk with all three and I ask them what their biggest challenges were, what caused their greatest headaches. I ask them what the greatest benefits of the system are and I ask them how much it cost to outfit it for their business needs. And then, if I’m still interested, I visit one to see how they have integrated the system into their business. I also ask them about the bottom-line impact, because in the end, it’s all about the bottom line. In any industry, you have to know what it is that you’re getting yourself into. But of course, remember the general rule: when you install any kind of technology related to business, it really costs twice what you expected it to and takes three times longer to

integrate it into your business. For example, if they say two months, it will take six. Make no mistake, there is a learning curve. You have to recognize that learning to integrate your system to its best ability requires a commitment to following through. It’s true: to get ahead using technology, you have to tail behind. You will wonder, those first few months, what the heck you just did to your business and why you did it and why you’re suffering now. But you will see improvement. The longer it takes to integrate into the system, the better you will get at your business. But technology alone is not the answer. Technology can make a bad retailer better, but it won’t make them great. To be great, you have to be committed to this learning curve, and recognize that it is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. Know that it won’t come to an end. You have to be ready to move to the next level, and the next level after that. CHA: With the retail side of the business taken care of, what’s next? Conforto: Everything happens at the source, which is the retail store. So no matter what your role in the industry, be it retailer, distributor, publishing firm, service provider or manufacturer, your focus should be on retail. It only happens when a customer walks in the door of a retail store. And today, there are actually two doors the customers can walk through: the brick and mortar store or the online store. The world of the future is one where 80 percent of the consumers have online access, which means that retail stores all have to be connected electronically to the Web. They have to have a Web site, they have to gather

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

19

e-mail addresses. It means they have to look at their store in a different way and try to figure out how to create community within the store and online. CHA: Can we embrace these changes while staying in touch with what makes us unique as crafters? Conforto: You’ve got to remember, in today’s world women are pressed for time. Many of them have jobs outside the home, they have children to take care of, they keep the household running. And although they have less time to do crafts, they still want to be part of the community. What makes us unique as crafting retailers is a sense of community, because this is their art, it’s sharing a part of themselves. Today, we can all go into our favorite store and buy a pre-made gift card. Crafts are all about personal gifts that are more meaningful and more powerful. It’s about sharing and it’s about preserving. And it’s about change. The way things used to be done and the way we are doing them now are not the way any of these things are going to be done in the future. Everything is going to get more digital, more computerized. We used to have 8-track tapes, now we have CDs. Letter writing used to be an art form, then it almost entirely went away. Now it’s back, and we call it e-mail. Innovation is nothing new in America. The printing press, developed in the 1400s, changed everything. If you think about somebody like Christopher Columbus, we call him an explorer, but he was really a retailer in search of new products and new markets, using the new retail highway of the ocean. Today, we have another new superhighway – we call it the Web.

Again, it all starts and ends with the consumer. And all of our technologies are going to get more sophisticated. When we’ve embraced the technology, then we can develop favorable business partnerships. To answer the question, ‘Can a store be small and independent and provide personal service and still be technologically smart?’ My answer is, absolutely. ●

For more information about the educational tools and products the Craft & Hobby Association can provide to assist when learning about and installing new technology, including business workshops and industry best practices guidelines, visit the CHA Web site at www.craftandhobby.org.

Make storage a snap with

Premium Red Line reclosable plastic bags! • Manufactured in the USA • The Color Line™ stands for the highest quality bag in the world – bag after bag! • Product ready to ship in 24 hours • Reinforced side seals prevents the bag from splitting when opening or filling

• Premium zipper “snaps” open quickly and easily with one hand

Free shipping shipping on on all all orders orders over over $250 $250 •• Free

www.minigripdirect.com

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

21

The BY VICKI GERVICKAS

Results from the muchanticipated Craft & Hobby Association Attitude & Usage Study are being revealed. Proving that all good things are worth waiting for, the new CHA study tracks the craft industry is at an all-time high of $30 billion for annual retail sales, based on consumers’ input for the first six months of the year (complete 12-month findings are due out in February). The craft and hobby industry delivered an average four percent annual growth over the last two years. CHA’s new study also confirms that 75 percent of households across America contain at least one member who has ever crafted with 58 percent of households declaring they have completed at least one craft project over the past 12 months. Both figures remained fairly stable when compared with 2002 research findings. The data was compiled by Ipsos North America, a leading market research company, who will continue to collect information on consumer participation in crafting and their spending levels at retail, both on a national and regional basis. Ipsos will report their findings to CHA members on a quarterly basis.

22

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Face of the American Crafter New

Attitude & Usage Study delves into mind of crafts consumer

Research Objectives Larry Anderson, Ipsos Vice President of Marketing Sciences, points out the accuracy and validity of the information is particularly important when estimating the market size of the industry. “One of the main objectives that is covered by this research is to estimate the market size, both in terms of dollars and in terms of participation. We’re looking for national and regional trends, such as is needlepoint bigger in the South and that sort of thing.” Anderson says past research has shown the craft industry to be “incredibly stable.” He notes the data collected to date confirms that. “There are three parts to the growth of this industry,” he says. “First, the industry grows in dollars, because like everything else there’s inflation. Second, the country is growing, and is growing so fast that the craft industry grows right along with the country. The third kind of growth that we’re measuring, though, is the true growth of the craft industry itself. In other words, are people spending more time doing more crafts and is the participation rate increasing? The numbers to date show a continuing very

stable rate of 58 percent of people participating in a craft of some kind over the past year.” Members can look forward to even more in-depth information as Ipsos delves deeper into the psyche of the crafts consumer. In the coming months, CHA expects to define and identify not only heavy, medium and light crafters, but also to determine how they differ in terms of demographics and attitudes. “We’re looking at what influences people to craft and the other behavioral things they do,” Anderson says.

• Apparel/fashion sewing: 18%

Sandy Ghezzi, Vice President – Marketing, Member Services and Education for CHA said, “The findings of the CHA 2005 Consumer Attitude & Usage Study indicate what we all believed – the craft industry remains vibrant and strong across all broad craft categories. It once again confirms our belief that the enormous breadth and appeal of crafts continues to grow as more and more consumers Most Participated Crafts discover the personal benefits Over the past 12-month period, of crafting. Consumers all the most participated craft across the nation are indeed categories were general crafts discovering life’s little (including paper) at 42 percent, pleasures. In fact, more needle and sewing crafts at 34 individuals participate in percent, painting and finishing crafting than many other leisure crafts at 31 percent and floral crafts time activities including at 19 percent (see tables on page gardening (36 percent), playing 24). computer games (13 percent), Within these broad craft reading books (37 percent), categories, consumer participation surfing the Internet (27 percent) was most popular in the following and dining out (48 percent).” five individual craft types (percentage of crafting The data in this article reflects households): a 12-month period ending • Cross-stitch/embroidery: 31% June 30, 2005. Mark your • Crocheting: 26% calendars for Tuesday, • Scrapbooking/memory crafts: January 31, 2006, from 4-5:30 24% p.m. and attend the “Industry • Home décor painting/ Research Seminar” when CHA accessorizing/finishing: 20% reveals updated results.

How the Research is Done Respondents from a nationally representative/ projectable household sample over the past year were asked to keep a monthly diary of craft and hobby purchases and to report their participation in, and attitudes about, various craft and hobby activities. Larry Anderson at Ipsos says, “The type of research we do is representative research, and using that research, we can do things like project how large the industry is, exactly how many people are participating in doing crafts, and what kind of crafts they participate in.” The CHA research is very different than other projects undertaken by Ipsos for some of the spot polls and other research that appears in industry publications. Anderson explains, “The response rate is a good way to judge this fact. When people call on the telephone and ask questions, for example, their response rate is typically 5 percent. With our monthly diaries, our response rate is about 50 percent. That’s what makes our research a lot more accurate and valid.”

Source: 2005 Doublebase study by MRI (Mediamark Research Inc.) Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

23

General Crafts Category Household Participation

Needle and Sewing Category Household Participation

January-June ’05 Total General Crafts 42% Scrapbooking/Memory Crafts 11% Beading/Bead Crafts 7% Card Making 7% Cake Decorating 6% Do-It-Yourself Framing 4% Jewelry Making 4% Rubber Stamping 4% Woodworking 4% Paper Cutting 3% Candle Making 2% Ceramics 2% Other Crafts (inc. Paper) 15%

January-June ’05 Total Needle & Sewing Crafts 34% Cross-stitch/Embroidery 15% Crocheting 13% Apparel/Fashion Sewing 9% Knitting 8% Craft Sewing 7% Home Décor Sewing 7% Quilting 6% Needlepoint/Plastic Canvas 6% Other Needlecrafts & Sewing 9%

Category Dollar Share of the Craft & Hobby Industry January-June ‘05

*Includes Paper Crafts

Painting and Finishing Category Household Participation January-June ’05 Total Painting & Finishing 31% Home Décor Painting/ Accessories/Finishing 9% Art & Drawing 8% Decorative Painting 6% Stenciling 4% Fashion Fabric Painting & Decorating 2% Other Painting & Finishing 8%

Source: CHA Attitude & Usage Study, January-June 2005, past 12-month household participation.

Household Participation January-June ’05 Total Floral Crafts 19% Floral Arranging 8% Wreathmaking/Floral Accessorizing 5% Wedding/Bridal 2% Other Floral Crafts 3%

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

Floral Crafts 11%

Painting & Finishing Crafts 24%

Household Participation Rate General Crafts Needle and Sewing Painting and Finishing Floral Crafts Any Craft

24

Needle & General Crafts Sewing Crafts 25% (inc. Paper) 40%

Floral Crafts Category

EVER CRAFTED 62%

CRAFTED IN PAST 12 MONTHS 42%

59%

34%

52%

31%

40%

19%

75%

58%

GENDER 8% Male 92% Female 4% Male 96% Female 9% Male 91% Female 6% Male 94% Female 8% Male 92% Female

inside

Profiles Sandy Ghezzi, Vice President – Marketing, Member Services & Education

Sandy Ghezzi, a Fortune 100 marketing management veteran, recently joined CHA as Vice President – Marketing, Member Services & Education. Ghezzi’s primary responsibility is driving industry growth and improving members’ financial success. Commenting on her appointment, Ghezzi said, “I’m

very excited to join the association at this groundbreaking time. We’re embarking on a time of tremendous learning that will enable CHA to provide true insights, implications and actionable business tools, as well as an expanded set of value-added services to its members. I’m confident that my overall marketing experience, including market research, advertising, promotion and customer relations, will contribute to growth for the overall industry as well as individual members.”

Prior to joining CHA, Ghezzi was the senior customer marketing manager at Unilever Foods where she led grocery channel marketing of a $1.3 billion brand portfolio including Lipton® tea and soup, Hellmann’s® mayonnaise, WishBone® salad dressing and Skippy® peanut butter. Sandy holds a Master of Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, and a B.A. in business administration/marketing from the College of St. Catherine. ●

Tony Lee, Vice President – Meetings & Expositions Tony Lee is CHA’s new Vice President of Meetings and Expositions. Lee will be responsible for the supervision of the meetings and expositions department staff and will oversee all CHA event planning efforts, including coordination of the annual CHA convention and trade shows. Commenting on his appointment, Lee said, “CHA certainly has a well-earned reputation as a strong association as well as running the leading trade shows in the industry. It is clear that the craft industry is growing, and CHA is improving their programs, services and trade shows in order to support that growth. As

the new vice president of meetings and expositions, I am very much looking forward to playing a major role in the future of the association and to being a part of this growth.” Lee has more than 27 years’ experience in the trade show and conference planning and production industry. Prior to joining CHA, Lee was the vice president of sales and marketing for George Little Management, the leading independent trade show marketing company in the U.S., where he successfully launched SOURCES, a new concept in trade shows to showcase international exhibitors from developing countries.

Lee has a B.S. in business and an M.A. in marketing. He is also a member of the International Association of Exposition Management (IAEM) where he has served on the board of the New York Chapter for more than 10 years and was chair for 2001 and 2002. ●

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

25

inside

Member Services Ask the Member Linkage Committee

The Member Linkage Committee: Jane Anne Davis (Committee Chair) Terri Clair Jane Marski Tom Ware Emma Gebo

The Craft & Hobby Association has added a new section to its Web site, www.craftandhobby.org. The new Policy Governance® forum gives members first-hand access to the association’s governing policies. Most importantly, the Member Linkage Committee, which is a Board Committee, can address any questions the membership may have. Recently, CHA’s Board of Directors adopted a new governing model, Policy Governance®, designed to allow the Board to focus on what CHA needs to achieve over the short and long term, delegate aspects of the operation, and monitor to

Volunteer Opportunities Want to learn how to become a CHA volunteer, join an Advisory Task Force and get involved in your association? The Craft & Hobby Association depends on member volunteers in a variety of ways each year. As a volunteer, you might . . . • Develop growth ideas in a functional area, such as marketing or education • Contribute your expertise to a specific project area, such as teacher outreach • Shape marketing or communication programs, such as publicity initiatives • Determine best practices and

26

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

professional development programs, such as developing retailer benchmarking statistics • Select affinity partners to improve member benefits, such as special discounts To volunteer for a CHA Task Force, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form available under the Members Only section of www.craftandhobby.org. CHA will contact you when task force opportunities are available in your particular area of interest. For more information on volunteering, contact volunteermanager@ craftandhobby.org. ●

ensure that these initiatives occur. So far, this new system has brought forth positive growth and vision to the association. In order to help CHA members better understand how Policy Governance® works, the new “Ask the Member Linkage Committee” section of the Web site was designed to explain the new governing policies by providing a clear-cut summary of the changes. A special feature of this new section is the “Have a Question?” link. This feature allows members to send questions about the new policies directly to the Member Linkage Committee. It’s just another way that members’ voices can be heard and their questions answered. ●

inside

Education The Supply Chain Have you noticed how supply chain has become somewhat of a buzz word? Have you wondered why? Well, when the companies that are successful at taking market share

are asked the key to their success, they say it is related to operating efficiencies resulting from closer relationships with their suppliers. The movement of goods between suppliers and customers is the supply chain. Companies, even the youngest

ation Upcoming Educ January 30

March 11-12

iency: Operating Effic ge titive Advanta pe om C al The Re hain in the Supply C s Las Vega p Retailers’ ARTS Art Stam Trade Show ois Rosemont, Illin

ones, that are successful use a modest amount of technology but a large amount of knowledge to ensure that they have the right merchandise in the right place at the right time and for the right price. They make that happen because they leverage the relationships between customers and suppliers in the supply chain. To learn more about what CHA is doing to establish the best practices and the standards to support more efficiency in our supply chain: • Log on to www.craftandhobby.org and go to the section on Industry Standards. • Attend the educational session Operating Efficiency: The Real Competitive Advantage in the Supply Chain on Monday, Jan. 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Las Vegas. • Look for future articles in CHA Portfolio. ●

Make Plans for the Art Stamp Retailers’ Trade Show The Craft & Hobby Association is sponsoring a full day of business education geared specifically to the retailers in the craft and hobby industry on March 11-12 in Rosemont, Illinois. Our program will focus on the tools and skill-building techniques to help retailers capture a competitive advantage in the

craft and hobby retail environment. The ARTS show is a site for wholesale vending to stamp retailers. The show provides great opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers to meet new store owners, keep in touch with current customers and see the latest trends in the industry. Program details will be available soon at www.craftandhobby.org. ●

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

27

inside

Marketing Message From Terri O.

“To inspire creativity,” that is my mission statement.

28

Hello, everyone. I am the CHA spokesperson – Terri Ouellette, a.k.a. Terri O. – and I am very excited to represent your industry. Since I was a child, crafts have been a part of my life. As I grew older, I realized that not only do I have a knack for making something out of nothing, but I’m also a very good teacher. In addition, I happen to be a television personality with years of live television experience. All of this combined helped create the perfect platform for me to let the world know about crafts. I feel so very fortunate to be able to represent your industry and do it 150 percent from my heart. Although I have been the CHA spokesperson for the past three years, I have not had the chance to meet all of you, so let me take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself and my background. First, I have a wonderful husband of 21 years and two boys, ages 13 and 9. After attending UCLA and Cal Poly Pomona, I embarked on a television career as a news anchor and hosted a Saturday

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

show called “Home with Terri O.,” which earned me my first Emmy. I left the news business in 2001 to become an entrepreneur and to host/produce my own show called “On the Go with Terri O.” of which I just earned my second Emmy in September 2005. My ultimate goal is to produce, host and syndicate my own “how-to” show called “The Terri O. Show,” which is currently in preproduction to shoot a pilot. Crafting is my passion! I love every aspect of it. From painting to jewelry making to knitting to scrapbooking, there’s not a craft category that I haven’t tried. My philosophy is that there is a creative streak in every single one of us, and I try to show that to everyone. For those who’ve never crafted, I encourage them to not be afraid. For those who are experienced, I want to help them discover a new technique. And for those who are pros, I want to learn from them so that I may pass their expertise on to others. As your association spokesperson I have many responsibilities. First and foremost, my job is to get people to craft! I travel across the country to appear on television and radio shows promoting crafts and I am often interviewed for magazine and newspaper articles. To do so, I must always keep up on the trends and what’s happening in our industry by attending trade shows and reading numerous

publications. However, the best way to keep up on trends and to represent the association is to receive updates from you – the CHA members. I am always looking for new products or ideas to discuss, so please include me in your press releases and mailouts. I can be reached at [email protected]. I look forward to what the future may hold for our industry and the opportunity to meet you. I will be attending the CHA Winter Show in Las Vegas, and I am usually at the CHA booth at a scheduled time. If we have never met, please stop by to say hello, and if we have, stop by and let’s catch up! ●

inside March Is National Craft Month – So Get Involved! March is National Craft Month! This month-long CHA retail promotion offers 31 days to discover life’s little pleasures. Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, designer, etc., National Craft Month is the perfect time to get involved with the Crafts. Discover life’s little pleasures® promotions. Even if you have never participated in any of the CHA promotions, National Craft Month is a great way to get started. Implementing the National Craft Month promotion is a great way to draw in new customers and generate sales. Manufacturers, designers and other member segments also can get involved by working with retailers during the promotion. Below are some tips to help retailers get started.

Step One: Plan out the Day Organization is key in putting together a successful event. • Decide if you will do makeit take-it, demonstrations, contests, etc. Do what will work best for your store space and set-up. • Work with your manufacturers, wholesalers, service suppliers and demonstrators to develop projects. • Work with local teachers to coordinate make-it take-it presentations and to develop projects. • Select a variety of projects so that kids of all ages and skill levels can participate. • If your store does not have a craft coordinator, use a CHA designer or manufacturer designer for ideas. • Get your staff involved. Make sure each employee has a role in making the day a fun and wellorganized event. Ask them for their ideas. Get them excited about it! Step Two: Promote the Event To get a large crowd into your store for the event, you need to promote it. • Announce the event with

store flyers, posters, signage, bag stuffers, etc. • Have your staff spread the word to customers. Word of mouth is usually a great way of getting free advertising. • Use the press releases, public service announcements and media alerts on www.craftandhobby.org. • Post signage about the event in the community. Schools, libraries, senior communities, day care centers, etc. are key locations. Step Three: Event Day! Make sure all the details are set for the event. • Confirm that all supplies are available. • Set up work area(s) with tables, chairs, supplies, etc. • Register each participant. This list can be used for future direct mail purposes. • Have project sheet handouts to give to customers. For project ideas go to www.craftplace.org. Print, photocopy and distribute. • Create a “craft mailbox” where customers can

write down helpful tips and teachers can leave you information on the projects they will be doing each semester. • Take photos to use for postpublicity as well as to display in your store. • Customers love special touches. It could be as simple as a big jar of candy with a “Please take one” sign. Offer refreshments or free gift-wrapping – whatever works for your store. Step Four: How Did it Go? It’s time to measure the success of your event. • Measure sales against the same day last year. • Measure store traffic against other events/promotions. • Create a National Craft Month photo collage and display it in your store for customers to view. • Send photos to your local press. Include information highlighting the success of your event/National Craft Month. • Share your feedback with CHA. Let us know what worked and what didn’t. ●

Make it! Month Makes it Big in UK In 2005, the Craft & Hobby Association launched a promotional campaign to drive crafting in the United Kingdom. This successfully built awareness and drove increased sales for CHA’s UK members.The event, entitled Make it! Month, was held in the UK in September 2005 as an opportunity to focus both media and craft stores on

actively promoting crafts to consumers. Make It! Month was launched in spring 2005 with a press day for UK consumer media. The purpose of the event was to inspire the media, expose them to the many facets that make up the craft industry, and to excite them about September’s Make it! Month. Hosted at IPC Media, eight CHA

designer members demonstrated a number of crafting projects such as scrapbooking, card making, mosaics, jewelry embellishing, and home décor. A total of 38 journalists attended the event from women’s, home, parenting, teen and gardening magazines. Promotions were also a big part of getting the word out about Make it! Month. continued on page 30 . . .

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

29

inside continued from page 29 . . .

As such, feature ideas were placed in editorial departments of publications including “scrapbooking the stars” in Scrapbook Magic, and local celebrities customized t-shirts using crafting materials for Quick & Crafty. Future Publishing also developed their own initiative to raise awareness for Make it! Month and raise money for breast cancer. By the time September rolled around, the UK was ready for the Make it! Month attractions. One of the highlights was a visit from CHA national spokesperson Terri O. to help publicize the event to consumers. Terri did a media tour that included down-the-line radio interviews with eight stations (with an audience of 1.5 million people), and she was featured in craft segments on the Ideal Shopping Channel. Other demonstrators also helped out during Make it! Month by

Discover life’s little pleasures. ®

This theme represents the heart of the multi-million dollar branding initiative launched by our craft and hobby industry. Crafts. Discover life’s little pleasures®, or CDLLP for short, should connect at every touch point with the crafting consumer to convey and reinforce the inherent benefits of crafts and

30

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

giving radio interviews including a three-hour session on BBC children’s radio. The results of Make it! Month’s inaugural year in the UK far exceeded expectations and set an excellent media foundation for 2006. The campaign reached more than 14 million consumers through media relations and more than $200,000 in terms of editorial value (including donated ad exposure from Future Publications of $46,000). Retailer participation during Make it! Month was also a major part of the success. CHA members participated with make-it takeit demonstrations, unique promotion window displays and special in-store offers. Some of their comments were: Helen Cox, Main Street Studios, Nottingham, comments: “Our Make it! Month demonstrations were extremely successful and very well attended. We had a number of demonstrations throughout the month, but the two demonstrations that

stand out for me were the Anna Griffin Day and a Polymer Clay Boot Camp. During the Anna Griffin Day, tutor Lynne Kirton showed how to make beautiful folders in the Anna Griffin style and then in complimentary style, a number of cards to go in the folder. The day was a complete success, and everyone left having learned some fantastic techniques. Our Polymer Clay Boot Camp was an intensive threeday workshop that really got everyone immersed into Polymer Clay. I had three American Polymer Clay artists, Judy Belcher, Leslie Blackford and Donna Kato, teaching. I am proud to say that this workshop was the first in the country to use the new Polymer Clay “Kato Clay” and even the most experienced artists thought that this new clay was the best they had ever used.” Sandra Galbraith, Whitstable Stamp Craft, Whitstable, comments: “Make it! Month was a huge

success for Whitstable Stamp Craft. Every Tuesday during September we had in-store demonstrations. The events were so popular that we had to turn people away because we didn’t have the room. I will definitely be hosting events during next year’s Make it! Month.” Debbie Bend, Stampeezee, Coventry, adds: “During Make it! Month we hosted a demonstration on behalf of TrimCraft. Lindsay Mason led the event with a workshop in the morning and then a demonstration in the afternoon. Customers really enjoyed working with Lindsay so much so that they asked when she will be coming back again. Make it! Month has been a great opportunity for both experienced crafters and beginners to learn more about crafting. We are delighted with the way our event was received, and we will definitely be taking part next year.” For more information on Make It! Month, log onto www.craftplace.org.uk. ●

hobbies. CDLLP is an emotional and personal concept that reminds crafters about the pleasures they derive from creating treasures with both hand and heart. Equally important is the fact that as manufacturers, marketers and retailers we can tap into a massive, integrated communications program of advertising and public relations that is driving the CDLLP message home to consumers every day. The CDLLP logo has been created to complement the new CHA logo and to portray

a relaxed, craft-like feel that is comfortable in a wide array of presentations. Everything that touches crafters and hobbyists, from letterhead to magazine covers, packaging, Web sites, aprons, banners, ads, posters, point-ofpurchase signage and decals, is a suitable destination for the CDLLP logo and will add to the overall impact of our branding campaign. From a communications perspective, each exposure for CDLLP is counted as an impression, and in terms of marketing, more impressions mean improved

store traffic and increased sales. We encourage you to make CDLLP part of your marketing strategy by applying the simplified guidelines outlined on our Web site when using the CDLLP logo. Getting started is easy. Just go to www.craftandhobby.org and download the logo(s) you need. We thank you for your enthusiastic participation in this exciting branding campaign. Crafts. Discover life’s little pleasures®. ●

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

31

Financial Management of Your Business

Requires Ongoing Monitoring Statements are useful tools, not just documents for the IRS

BY SHERYL S. JACKSON

Inventory management, cash flow, billing, accounts receivable and financial statements are all part of running a business, but too often, small business owners start up their business without thinking realistically about the importance of these issues to their success. Business owners within the crafts and hobby industry often will start a business because of their interest in, or enjoyment of, a hobby, points out Carl Forssen, senior vice president of Business Resource Services, a Seattlebased business consulting firm. “The first decision a business owner needs to make is to determine if the venture is a

32

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

business or a hobby,” Forssen says. If you are opening a business that you want to succeed, there are some basic steps to take to ensure effective financial management that will lead to a healthy business, he adds. “The most common reason for a business failure is a lack of proper planning at the beginning and continued planning throughout the life of the business,” Forssen says. An attorney and a tax advisor can help you decide if your business should be a sub-chapter S corporation, a corporation, or a partnership, based on legal and tax implications for each type of entity, he says. At the same time, your tax advisor can help you set up your financial statement so that you are collecting information that will not only help you prepare tax statements and loan applications, but also will provide you with information that you need to monitor your business, he suggests. “Your financial statement is a working document that can be a useful management tool,” he adds. Once you are set up to collect your ongoing financial information, whether through an accountant or with off-the-shelf software such as Quick Books®, be sure you make the time to review the information, Forssen warns. “It is too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day part of a business and say that you’ll get to the financial management tracking or monitoring another time,” he says. If you keep putting off looking at your numbers, you will never do it, he adds. “Set aside a regular time, once each month, or at least once each quarter to review your financial statement,” he suggests.

“My accountant sends me financial statements each month for me to review, but once a quarter I sit down with him and we go through the statement line by line,” says Kendall Crosby, a small business owner in St. Paul, Minnesota. Crosby admits that accounting is not his strength, and it took him some time and a change of accountants to find someone who would do more than just crunch numbers. “I needed an accountant who would take time to explain the different lines of the statement to me so that I really understood what I was seeing,” he admits. “At first, I expected the accountant to tell me how the business was doing, but an accountant doesn’t know my business as well as I do. It’s a business owner’s responsibility to learn enough about financial statements to be able to monitor the business and make changes when needed.” Cash flow was one aspect of financial management that surprised Crosby when he started his business. “I always thought that when my store was busy I was doing great financially, and I always worried when sales were slow,” Crosby says. “I was surprised when I’d run short of cash during our busy season until I started reviewing the monthly statements. I realized that I have more money going out for inventory and payroll during my busy season than my slow season, so cash flow is tighter,” he says. Now that he recognizes the trend, he is better able to plan for the additional need for cash, he explains. “It’s important to remember that cash flow is a living, changing thing in your business, and it needs to be monitored constantly,” he adds.

Understand Debt A monthly balance sheet will show the fiscal health of your business by comparing profits to debts, cash flow, amount of money invested in inventory, payroll, receivables and overhead expenses such as rent and insurance, Forssen says. “It is important to look at more than just profit or cash on hand,” he says. “You need to know how much debt you carry and what type of debt it is.” For the first several years of his business, Crosby relied upon credit card and short-term loans. “I didn’t realize that this was hurting me until I started looking at how I was using the money I borrowed,” he says. Now, if he needs to borrow money to add display space to a store or increase inventory in order to grow his business, Crosby looks for loans with five-year terms. “If I just need some extra cash to hire part-time seasonal employees, I’ll use 90-day loans to cover my cash needs until the money comes in from the business,” he explains. Planning ahead and setting goals is key to successful financial management, points out Forssen. “You can’t just say that you’re going to increase sales by 38 percent without putting other things into place,” he says. Meeting a goal of increased sales will require other activities that will cost money such as additional inventory, advertising, more employees or employee overtime, and possibly storage space for extra inventory, he points out. “If you already know what is happening in your business, you can plan for the changes in such a way that doesn’t jeopardize the entire business,” he says.

Carl Forssen

“If someone else is managing their inventory well, find out what they do and compare it to your process,” Forssen suggests. “You can always find a way to make small improvements that help your bottom line.”

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

33

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of managing a small business is to step away from the business in order to get perspective, Crosby says. “We start our businesses, we raise them, we nurture them, and we hand-feed them, so it is very hard to step back and let other people handle part of the business,” he admits. As hard as it is, it is also essential if you want to see it grow, he adds. “I can’t be an expert at everything so I need to let people who are really good at accounting handle the day-to-day accounting tasks,” he points out. “I can then take the information from the accounting people and make decisions that will be good for the business.” It is also important to share with your staff some of the financial information upon which you base your business decisions, Forssen suggests. “Let your

managers, supervisors and employees know how inventory control, profit margins, sales and receivables affect the business so they can see what part they play in the success of the business,” he says. “It is also helpful if they understand why they will or won’t get a bonus or salary increase.” Letting employees know how you are doing also may help you keep good people, he says. “There may be times that employees think things are slow and that the business is not doing well, but the reality is the opposite,” he explains. Keeping employees informed also will keep them more motivated to help the business succeed, he adds. While there are benchmarks published for average accounts receivable days or other financial management items, they are not always industry specific, or

they may not apply to your geographic area, points out Forssen. Even without published guidelines, you can keep an eye on how you are doing by networking with others in your industry through conferences, training classes and informal talks with peers, he says. “If someone else is managing their inventory well, find out what they do and compare it to your process,” he suggests. “You can always find a way to make small improvements that help your bottom line.” “In the past, I hated to go to conferences or classes because I always thought of them as time and money wasted away from the business,” Crosby admits. “Now, my best advice for a small business owner is to go to conferences and take classes because each time I go, I learn something new that helps my business.” ●

Photography In Its Best Light

Turn ordinary surfaces into a colorful

dimensional spray finish

WEB SITE AND CATALOG PHOTOGRAPHY Create clear, crisp accurate photos with minimal set-up and consistent results. Litestage guarantees you professional quality photography at a fraction of the cost.

• craft • décor • floral

Do-It-Yourself With Professional Results!

VISIT DESIGN MASTER CHA BOOTH #6021 www.dmcolor.com P.O. Box 601, Boulder, CO 80306 ©2005 DESIGN MASTER color tool, inc.

34

CHA B o ot h #5706

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

• Advanced, self contained lighting system • Accurate, consistent results every shot • Perfect for 35mm, Polaroid, Digital or Video photography • Small footprint, takes up very little floorspace • Sharp detail enhanced results

www.litestage.com 1 - 8 0 0 - 7 8 3 - 7 9 9 9

products & services marketplace

Showing a sister why she’s still your best friend... another EK Success Story. TM

Nothing shows you care like a scrapbook. You were cheerleaders together. Survived blind dates together. And now, 25 years later, she’s still your best friend. At EK Success, we can help you relive those special times. Our Pep Rally™ collection will instantly bring back those glory days of football, marching bands, cheerleading and more. Choose from six color stories of papers, albums, dimensional activity and embroidered stickers. To really be true to your school, use our ZIG® Markers to personalize many of these products to match your team colors.

Want to See More? Visit www.eksuccess.com email [email protected] or call 1- 800 -524-1349

With EK Success, it’s never too late to take a trip down memory lane.

Because you care.TM

Ratebase Vitality (paid circulation)

circulation doesn’t mean anything if it’s not being read

PRIMEDIA Scrapbooking

621,420

Creating Keepsakes

230,756

Memory Makers

204,783

Scrapbooks Etc

Paperkuts

148,377

119,172

FOR PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CALL TONY GOLDEN AT 801 / 495-7258

products & services marketplace Transfer your design to any surface with

TM

WAX-FREE • ACID-FREE ® TRANSFER (Tracing ) PAPER

The perfect tool for all of your craft needs Saral WAX FREE Transfer Paper is a superior way to transfer a pattern, template or free hand design to ANY SURFACE. The transfer lines can be painted over, erased with no smudging, and are easily washed out of fabrics. Saral is great for: fine arts and watercolor painting, Tole painting, Scapbooking, ceramics, glass, wood and metal working, quilting and dress-making. Best of all, Saral WAX FREE Transfer paper is economical. It can be used over and over again!

Order Saral® WAX-FREE and ACID-FREE Transfer Paper in these convenient sizes: • SARAL SAMPLER in 5 colors, 5 - 8 1/2” x 11” sheets: graphite, white, red, yellow and blue • SALLY'S 12 sheets, 18” x 24” Artist's Graphite Paper • SARAL 12-FT. X 12”ROLLS in 5 colors: graphite, white, red, yellow and blue • SARAL TOLE KIT in 3 colors, 5- 8 1/2” x 11” sheets: 3 white, 1 graphite, 1 yellow • STAINED GLASS KIT in 2 colors, 3 - 8 1/2” x 11” sheets; 1 graphite, 2 yellow

www.saralpaper.com

Scrapbooking • Card Making • Crafts • Fashion

SEE US AT THE CHA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, JAN. 30-FEB. 2, 2006

38

NARROWS by the hundreds

The World’s Most Beautiful Ribbons™

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

CHA

booth Saral Paper Corp. 400 E. 55th St. Suite 14-C #6653 New York, NY 10022-5134 Ph: 212-223-3322 • Fax: 212-223-8111

company profiles ART MATERIALS

BEADS & BEAD KITS

GENERAL CRAFTS

NEEDLECRAFTS Web site: www.janlynn.com

GENERAL CRAFTS

KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO.

Scratch Art Company 11 Robbie Road Avon, MA 02322 Tel: (508) 583-8085 Fax: (508) 583-8091 Web site: www.scratchart.com Scratch-Art Co., Inc. manufactures a unique and innovative line of over 150 inspiring art & craft items for artists of all ages and abilities. The line includes Scratch-Art® coated papers and boards (revealing a different effect when the coating is scratched off), scratchboards, tools, innovative printmaking products, Scratch Magic® children’s kits and much more – all easy and safe to use. The Scratch Magic® retail product line has been honored with over 30 prestigious industry awards.

Blue Moon Beads 7855 Hayvenhurst Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406 Tel: (800) 377-6715 Fax: (818) 997-3334 Web site: www.bluemoonbeads.com Blue Moon Beads offers high quality, exotic hand-made beads picked from around the world. Art glass, Czech glass, stone beads, metal findings, and Toho® Treasure Beads are only a few of the exquisite samples chosen to be part of the Blue Moon Bead collection. Close attention to detail and inventive packaging are only a couple of the key ingredients offered in Blue Moon Beads’ soup of success. Innovative merchandising solutions for major retailers are turning craft consumers into jewelry designers.

BAGS/PACKAGING/ LABELING SUPPLIES CRAFT SUPPLIES: FELT/POMPOMS/FEATHERS/ CHENILLE STEMS/OTHER Alpha Rho, Inc. 99 Stevens Road Fitchburg, MA 01420-0043 Tel: (978) 345-6717 Fax: (978) 342-1443 Web site: www.alpharho.com Alpha Rho is a leading manufacturer of rigid plastic boxes available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Imprinting and foam pads also available. Call 978-345-6717 or visit our web site for a catalog www.alpharho.com/cha

Westrim Crafts 7855 Hayvenhurst Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406 Tel: (800) 727-2727 Fax: (818) 901-6479 Web site: www.westrimcrafts.com Over 50 years of experience and more than 15,000 craft products are just a couple of the reasons why Westrim Crafts® is the top importer and supplier of basic crafts and scrapbooking supplies. On the forefront of trends and innovation, Westrim Crafts® is dedicated to leading the craft industry. Basic crafts, kits, bead and jewelry supplies, and scrapbooking supplies including innovative albums, paper, and embellishments are just a handful of the vast collection of value and trend-driven products available from Westrim Crafts®.

Kalmbach Publishing Company 21027 Cross Roads Cir. Waukesha, WI 53187 Tel: (800) 558-1544 Fax: (262) 788-6592 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.kalmbach.com New from Kalmbach Publishing! Attract more customers with the new bead craft booklets from Kalmbach Publishing! Readers will discover new ways to use beads in traditional craft projects, from crochet and knitting, to scrapbooking and embroidery! LOOMS-WEAVING TOOLS

Janlynn Corporation 2070 Westover Road Chicopee, MA 01022 Tel: (413) 543-7500 Fax: (413) 206-0060 Web site: www.janlynn.com E-mail: [email protected] Janlynn is a family-owned business unleashing creativity in the craft & hobby industry since 1979. Originating as a needlework business, the company continues to develop quality needlework & general craft kits while expanding its product line to include scrapbooking & rubber-stamping products through its Sanook Paper and Stamps Happen divisions. PAINTS: SPRAY

Buxton Brook Looms & Design 1382 W Main St Williamstown, MA 01267 Tel: (413) 458-2782 Fax: (413) 458-2782 Web site: www.buxtonbrook.com Weavette® Looms, portable handheld loom system weaves textured motifs in various shapes and sizes. Thread with yarn, cord, ribbon, wire for limitless modulardesign possibilities. Embellish with beads, feathers, embroidery, paint to feature in artwear, jewelry, decor, scrapbooks, miniatures. Reconnect with a traditional craft, whether novice or expert intergenerational & educational.

The Kunin Group 380 Lafayette Road Hampton, NH 03842 Tel: (603) 929-6118 (800) 292-7900 Fax: (603) 929-6180 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.kuninfelt.com The Kunin Group provides the hobbyist, crafter and creative individual unique lines of premium non-woven fabrics that set the standard for excellence in quality and innovation. The company specializes in providing fabric and craft products that inspire creativity for the novice as well as the professional crafter or seamstress.

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

39

company profiles PAPER CRAFTS & QUILLING SUPPLIES

Autumn Leaves 7855 Hayvenhurst Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406 Tel: (800) 727-2727 Fax: (818) 901-6479 Web site: www.autumnleaves.com Autumn Leaves has consistently brought new styles and looks to scrapbooking for over five years, and is now also the maker of the popular Mod brand of geometricinspired designs, vintage trendsetter Foofala, the leading transparency overlay brand Artistic Expressions, and the publisher of scrapbooking’s most popular book series, “Designing With.”

BOOKS ™

C & T Publishing 1651 Challenge Drive Concord, CA 94520 Tel: (800) 284-1114 Fax: (925) 677-0373 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.ctpub.com Ready-to-Go Blank Board Books, Spectacular Cards!, Scrapbooking Plus!, Altered Board Book Basics & Beyond, Paper Crafter’s Color Companion, Creative Beads from Paper & Fabric, Fabric Paper Party. Plus Fast, Fun & Easy series, fast2fuse™ interfacing, All-in-One Beading Buddy, and books and products on quilting, knitting and fiber arts.

DMD Inc. ® 2300 S. Old Missouri Rd. Springdale, AZ 72764 Tel: (800) 805-9890 Fax: (479) 750-8937 Web site: www.dmdind.com A passion for paper has made DMD Inc.® the leading supplier of open stock paper and paper packs. With

40

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

a team of color trend experts working together to develop each product, quality and innovation continue to permeate throughout paper collections and color palettes. Beyond the Paper Reflections® brand of paper crafting materials, DMD Inc.® is also proud to bring you Awesome Effects® and ink-jet printable Print, Peel & Stick™ Sheets. Together, consumers can enjoy a complete line of cardstock, vellum, mulberry, handmade and printed papers, cards, gift and party supplies. Get passionate about paper with DMD Inc.® PERIODICALS: CONSUMER Stampington & Company 22992 Mill Creek, Suite B Laguna Hills, CA 92653 Tel: (949) 380-7318, Ext. 133 Fax: (949) 380-9355 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.stampington.com Publishers of inspiration-filled magazines for art and crafting lovers! You will find creative techniques, how-to projects, and beautiful color photographs in the Stampers' Sampler, Inspirations, Take Ten, Somerset Studio, Legacy, Art Doll Quarterly, Belle Armoire and others! Visit us at www.stampington.com to see our lines of artist stamps and papers! POS SOFTWARE

Certek Software Designs, Inc. 465 Patricia Ave., Ste 200 Dunedin, FL 34698 Tel: (727) 738-8188 (877) 723-7835 Fax: (727) 738-8881 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.certek-software.com Artisan Point of Sale Software for Windows, for retail and/or wholesale stores. Elegant and easy to use. Customer mailings. Consignment and owned inventory tracking. Artisan Deluxe includes Employee Time Clock, Gift Registry, Serial Number Tracking and much, much more.

QUILLING SUPPLIES

Lake City Craft Co. 1209 Eaglecrest Street Nixa, MO 65714 Tel: (417) 725-8444 Fax: (417) 725-8448 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.quilling.com The world’s leading manufacturer of quilling supplies. We are your source for all your quilling needs and more. Lake City Craft Co. has been in business for 31 years. We are a member of the NAQG and CHA. Please check out our Web site at www.quilling.com QUILTING SUPPLIES

June Tailor, Inc. P.O. Box 208 2861 Highway 175 Richfield, WI 53076 Tel: (800) 844-5400 Fax: (262) 644-5061 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.junetailor.com Established in 1961, June Tailor serves the quilting, sewing and craft markets. All of our products have been designed with unique, value-added features to assist in achieving professionally finished results. Our products offering continues to grow, reflecting the ever-changing needs of our customers and our commitment to customer satisfaction. RUBBER STAMPS & SUPPLIES

Custer’s Last Stamp Inc 526 S. Lake Shore Drive Lake Leelanau, MI 49653 Tel: (231) 256-0061 (877) 256-0060 Fax: (231) 256-0062 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.custerslaststamp.com Our newest catalog featuring Custer’s exclusive line of underwear and marcasite images is now

available. Custer’s has been known for great worded stamps and the collection has gotten even bigger. Our free demo cards with orders over $100 have proven to sell our images. Call to order your catalog today!

Stamps Happen 2070 Westover Road Chicopee, MA 01022 Tel: (413) 206-0002 Fax: (413) 206-0060 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.janlynn.com Stamps Happen specializes in the production of high quality, distinctive rubber stamps, supplies and accessories from many wellknown artists for the stamping and paper-crafting marketplace. Stamps from Stamps Happen are designed to fascinate, motivate and captivate even the most discriminating stamper. Stamps Happen is a division of the Janlynn Corporation. SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIES

MaisyMo Designs 6 Grove Street Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 Tel: (973) 907-7262 Fax: (973) 616-2806 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.maisymo.com MaisyMo Designs™ is a company that manufacturers unique scrapbook embellishments and paper. New to the industry last winter, MaisyMo Designs™ made its first impression at the CHA Winter Show, and introduced three new lines at the recent Summer Show. Look for upcoming and exciting new products in addition to EasilySuede™, Tastefully Tattered™, Negative Nellies™, and Poker Chip Flips™!

company profiles

Memories in Uniform Inc. 2173 Bizzone Cir. Virginia Beach, VA 23464 Tel: (757) 228-7395 Fax: (757) 228-7395 E-mail: [email protected] www.memoriesinuniform.com Memories in Uniform Inc. is solely dedicated to the preservation of military memories. Over 200 different laser cut designs of military equipment, insignia, and heroes from all eras and services, unique patterned paper, and an idea book, Memories in Uniform is the best of the best in military paper craft design. Wholesale only. fax 866-328-6817, phone 757-228-7395

Scrapbook Specialties PMB #378 4140 Oceanside Blvd. #159 Oceanside, CA 92056 Tel: (760) 295-2598 Fax: (760) 295-4185 Web site: www.scrapbookspecialties.com Don’t just add more embellishments to your pages...add more photos! Our Interactive Templates are a quick and easy way to add more pictures. You can add still more photos with our Mini Scrapbooks. They also make great small photo albums on their own! Visit us online at www.scrapbookspecialties.com

Spanish Memories, Inc. P.O. Box 121599 Clermont, FL 34711 Tel: (352) 243-7709 Fax: (352) 242-4305 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.spanishmemories.com Finally...Patterned papers, die-cut cardstock stickers and embellishments in SPANISH! Ten

collections tastefully written and designed: Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Birthday, 15th Birthday, Christmas, Family, Friendship, Pregnancy, Vacations and Wedding. We have RUB-ONS and CHIPBOARDS too! Latin flavor for your customers’ scrapbook and card-making. Fun and elegant. Spanish Memories! SCRAPBOOKS & SUPPLIES

Appleseed Educational, LLC 1095 Dunford Way Building B Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Tel: (408) 260-7333 Fax: (408) 260-7332 E-mail: [email protected] / Web site: www.appleseededucational.com AppleSeed Educational is a familyrun business whose California office and warehouse is backed by our own factory in Taiwan. We pride ourselves in providing quality paper punches, embossers, and crimpers at prices 10-20% lower than leading competitors. Please visit our Web site or call to request a free catalog.

Sanook Paper Co. 2070 Westover Road Chicopee, MA 01022 Tel: (413) 206-0002 Fax: (413) 206-0060

Stamping Station P.O. Box 185 Kaysville, UT 84041 Tel: (801) 444-3828, Ext. 100 Fax: (801) 444-3827 Web site: www.stampingstation.com Stamping Station Scrapbook Supplies has designed entire lines that can be customized to destinations or schools everywhere. We also focus on doing sports and travel items that can be rarely found through other manufacturers. Contact us for your unique needs in paper, laser cuts, stickers, metallic tags and much more.

SEWING ACCESSORIES & SUPPLIES

Singer Sewing Co. 1224 Heil Quaker Blvd. La Vergne, TN 37086 Tel: (615) 213-0880 Fax: (615) 287-2851 Web site: www.singerco.com Since 1851, the name SINGER® has been synonymous with sewing. Practical design and creative innovation that characterized our beginning still drives us today. People know SINGER®, trust SINGER®, and ask for SINGER® by name. Contact us today, to find out how you can put our power to work for you.

Wm. Wright Co. 85 South St. PO Box 398 West Warren, MA 01092 Tel: (800) 628-9362 Fax: (413) 436-9785 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.wrights.com Wrights is a marketer and manufacturer of trim and ribbon, appliqués and home decorating trimmings, including tassels and tiebacks, for the home sewing and craft market, and wire edge ribbon for the craft & floral market, under the Wrights brand. Also, Boye Needle knitting and crochet implements and accessories and EQ Quilting tools, accessories and notions.

STORAGE & ORGANIZATION

Crop In Style ® 7855 Hayvenhurst Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406 Tel: (800) 788-2202 Fax: (818) 700-9728 Web site: www.cropinstyle.com The first to introduce the rolling scrapbook tote and the most recognized brand in the industry, Crop In Style® is still the leader in storage and organization for crafts and scrapbooking. Designed for crafters, consumer demand continues to be satisfied with updates to classic favorites and inventive new designs. Continuing to introduce new collections, Crop In Style® has also developed Store In Style® the home or office modular storage solution and Studio Collection, the premier mobile storage solution. For more about the Ultimate in Organization™, visit www.CropInStyle.com.

WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS

Alvin & Company 1335 Blue Hills Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002 Tel: (860) 243-8991 Fax: (860) 242-8037 Crafters, hobbyists, artists and designers need the right tools and suppliers to get the job done. For over 55 years, our creative art and design tools, materials, workstations, cutting tools, and storage options are all the tools they have needed! Contact us at 800-444-2584 or view online catalog at www.alvinco.com.

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

41

index to advertisers ART MATERIALS Grafix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Saral Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Scratch Art Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 BAGS/PACKAGING/LABELING SUPPLIES Alpha Rho, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 BEADS & BEAD KITS Blue Moon Beads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Mode Int. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 BOOKS C & T Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 CERAMIC TOOLS & BRUSHES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES KITS Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 CONTAINERS & STORAGE Alpha Rho, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Crop In Style® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 CRAFT KITS Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 CRAFT SUPPLIES: FELT/POMPOMS/ FEATHERS/CHENILLE/PAPER Saral Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 CREWEL EMBROIDERY KITS & SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 CROSS-STITCH KITS & SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 DIE CUTTER & DIES The Boss Kut . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover DOLLMAKING SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31

E-COMMERCE COMPANIES Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 GENERAL CRAFTS Kalmbach Publishing Company . . . . . .39 HOME DECORATING SUPPLIES June Tailor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 JEWELRY FINDING & SUPPLIES Blue Moon Beads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 KNITTING & CROCHET SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 LACE & TRIMS Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 LOOMS/WEAVING TOOLS Buxton Brook Looms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 NEEDLECRAFTS Janlynn Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 NETWORK TELEVISION Do It Yourself Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 PAINTING – DECORATIVE StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 PAINTS: SPRAY Design Master Color Tool, Inc. . . . . . .34 Kunin Group/Foss Mfg Co. . . . . . . . . .39 PAPER CRAFTS My Sentiments Exactly ! . . . . . . . . . . .31 PAPER CRAFTS & QUILLING SUPPLIES Autumn Leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 C & T Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 DMD, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 PARTY SUPPLIES: BALLOONS/ WRAPPING/OTHER DMD, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

PERIODICALS: CONSUMER Stampington & Company . . . . . . . . . .40 PHOTO SUPPLIES June Tailor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING SYSTEMS Litestage Lighting Systems . . . . . . . . .34 PICTURE STATION KIOSKS Sony Electronics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 PLASTIC CANVAS KITS & SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 POS SOFTWARE Certek Software Designs, Inc. . . . . . . .40 PUBLISHING Primedia Scrapbooking . . . . . . . . . . . .36 QUILLING SUPPLIES Lake City Craft Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 QUILTING SUPPLIES June Tailor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 RIBBON EMBROIDERY KITS & SUPPLIES StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 RIBBON: FLORAL USE Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 RIBBON: GENERAL USE Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 RUBBER STAMPING Ranger Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 RUBBER STAMPS & SUPPLIES Custer’s Last Stamp, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .40 Stamps Happen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 SCRAPBOOKING Group Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIES Berwick-Offray LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Blue Grass Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 The Boss Kut . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Chatterbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 EK Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Grafix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 MaisyMo Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Memories in Uniform, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .41 The Paper Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Pazzles . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Saral Paper Corporation . . . . . . . . . . .38 Scrapbook Specialties . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Smead . . . . . . . . . . . .Outside Back Cover Spanish Memories, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .41 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 SCRAPBOOKS & SUPPLIES Appleseed Educational, LLC . . . . . . . .41 C & T Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 DMD Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sanook Paper Company . . . . . . . . . . .41 Stamping Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 SEWING ACCESSORIES & SUPPLIES Singer Sewing Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . . . . . . . . .31 Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 STATIONERY & SUPPLIES DMD, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 STICKERS Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 STORAGE & ORGANIZATION Crop In Style® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 TILES & MOSAIC SUPPLIES Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Alvin & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37, 41 WOOD SHAPES & SURFACES Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

advertisers.com COMPANY NAME WEBSITE PAGE Alpha Rho, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.alpharho.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Alvin & Company . . . . . . . . . . . .www.alvinco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37,41 Appleseed Educational, LLC . . .www.appleseededucational.com . . . . . . . . . . .41 Autumn Leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.autumnleaves.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Berwick-Offray, LLC . . . . . . . . . .www.berwickindustries.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Blue Grass Publishing . . . . . . . .www.theultimateword.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Blue Moon Beads . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bluemoonbeads.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 The Boss Kut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bosskut.com . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Buxton Brook Looms & Designs www.buxtonbrook.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 C & T Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ctpub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Certek Software Designs, Inc. . .www.certek-software.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Chatterbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.chatterboxinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Crop In Style® . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cropinstyle.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Custer’s Last Stamp, Inc. . . . . .www.custerslaststamp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Design Master Color Tool, Inc. .www.dmcolor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Design Master Color Tool, Inc. .www.dmcolor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 DMD Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dmdinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 EK Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.eksuccess.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Grafix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.grafixarts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Group Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . .www.group.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Janlynn Corporation . . . . . . . . . .www.janlynn.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 June Tailor, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.junetailor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Kalmbach Publishing Company .www.kalmbach.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Kunin Group/Foss Mfg Co. . . . . .www.kuninfelt.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Lake City Craft Co. . . . . . . . . . . .www.quilling.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

42

Portfolio WINTER 2005-2006

COMPANY NAME WEBSITE PAGE Litestage Lighting Systems .www.litestage.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 MaisyMo Designs . . . . . . . . .www.maisymo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Memories in Uniform, Inc. . .www.memoriesinuniform.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Minigrip/Zip-Pak . . . . . . . . . .www.minigrip.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Mode International Inc. . . . .www.modebeads.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 My Sentiments Exactly! . . . .www.sentiments.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 The Paper Patch . . . . . . . . . .www.paperpatch.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Pazzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.pazzles.com . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Primedia Scrapbooking . . . .www.primediascrapbooking.com . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Ranger Industries . . . . . . . . .www.rangerink.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Sanook Paper . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sanookpaper.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Saral Paper Corporation . . . .www.saralpaper.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Scrapbook Specialties . . . . .www.scrapbookspecialties.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Scratch Art Company . . . . . . .www.scratchart.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Singer Sewing Co. . . . . . . . .www.singerco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Smead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.retrospectbysmead.com . . .Outside Back Cover Sony Electronics, Inc. . . . . . .www.sony.com/dpf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Spanish Memories, Inc. . . . .www.spanishmemories.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Stamping Station . . . . . . . . .www.stampingstation.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Stampington & Company . . .www.stampington.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Stamps Happen . . . . . . . . . . .www.stamphappen.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 StoneCreek Creations, Inc. . .www.stonecreekcreations.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Westrim Crafts . . . . . . . . . . .www.westrimcrafts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Wrights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wrights.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41