Howard Scott
October 17, 2008
Is business down? Are expenses piling up and cash reserves low? Is your frustration level off the charts? It may be time to make some tough decisions.
One alternative is...
Everett Childers
October 16, 2008
At the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, Alaska, there’s a sign that brings a chuckle to most everyone who reads it. The sign says, “If our food, drinks and service...
Martin Young
October 10, 2008
I’m amazed at the reaction of some “cleaners” when they first realize that stain removal is as much an art as it is a science. But one must have the...
John Spomar Jr.
October 8, 2008
Now that the kids are back in school, it’s worth reminding drycleaners that education should never stop. Whether related to the industry or the many other topics...
Alan Spielvogel
October 3, 2008
Q: I recently installed a hydrocarbon drycleaning machine after using perc for more than 20 years. When garments had a stain that was both oil- and water-based (such as...
Howard Kaschyk
September 26, 2008
It seems to me that 95% of cleaners use only about 5% of their counter computer systems. I have no way of knowing if that’s actually true, but the point is that most...
Diana Vollmer
September 24, 2008
What happens in a slow economy? Sad but true, many people lose their jobs. The newly unemployed may have been good employees — maybe even great employees.
Starbucks...
Howard Scott
September 19, 2008
Do you ever take time to analyze why you lose accounts? The exercise might be instructive — you might discover a problem of which you hadn’t been aware, and be...
Darcy Moen
September 10, 2008
I have a beef with many businesses: They expend so much effort on finding new customers, and very little on keeping the customers they already have. Nothing sticks me more...
Martin Young
September 5, 2008
He was one of my best customers. Some call people like him “big tunas;” I called him “friend.” I was well aware that he had been putting jelly on...
Alan Spielvogel
August 29, 2008
Q: I’m having difficulty spotting pigment-printed fabrics. They always seem to lose color.
A: Pigment-printed fabrics are created by mixing a powdered coloring...
Douglas Adams
August 22, 2008
For almost two decades, Butler Capital Corp. has collaborated with business brokers throughout the country who handle the buying and selling of businesses. During that...
Darcy Moen
August 13, 2008
Before you can assemble the most rudimentary advertising campaign, there are certain basics you should have handy. Oddly, the vast majority of drycleaning businesses I...
Howard Scott
August 8, 2008
I visited a fairly new drycleaner recently, and what I saw there shocked me. A young couple owned the store. The wife stayed at the counter, and the husband processed the...
Alan Spielvogel
August 1, 2008
Q: We have a problem with shrinkage when drycleaning household items such as draperies and slipcovers, although we don’t normally have these kinds of problems when...
Paul Partyka
July 25, 2008
CHICAGO — Drycleaners know this isn’t a good year for business. Most news stories today focus on the struggling economy and rising gasoline prices, while...
Diana Vollmer
July 23, 2008
Oh no! Sales are way down this week! Sales were down last week, too! You should probably issue some coupons right away, since customers are getting tight with their money...
Diana Vollmer
July 17, 2008
For certain operations in today’s economy, shrinking may be the first and best step toward growing stronger and more profitable. The strategy is contrary to the...
Everett Childers
July 9, 2008
If you want to continue earning a living in the textile-cleaning industry, now’s the time to do something about it.
Several members of the industry have called...
Alan Spielvogel
June 25, 2008
Q: A customer has some garments that have been in storage for seven years and have a musty smell. I haven’t seen the garments yet, so I don't know if they can be...
Everett Childers
June 19, 2008
Over the past few months and years, many retailers have been trying to convince the public that they are “green,” or friendly to the planet. This trend is...
Martin Young
June 11, 2008
As I entered the parking lot, I was impressed. An outer parcel in a strip shopping center, the plant couldn’t be more than two years old. The building was red brick...
Alan Spielvogel
May 28, 2008
Q: I received a white silk blouse that had a foul, “skunky” odor prior to the drycleaning process. After drycleaning, the odor was noticeably worse. I tried an...
Diana Vollmer
May 21, 2008
You may not be familiar with the hemispheres of the brain, but generally speaking, the left side of the brain performs certain functions and the right side performs others...
Martin Young
May 14, 2008
She went through her incoming bundle with a purpose. Then she found it: a beige silk blouse with a harsh red stain on the right cuff and sleeve.
The stain was dry and...
