EnMart Embroidery Talk

Depending on who you ask and what you read, the typical answer to the question in the title seems to be as often as possible. Most blogging experts would recommend that you post to your blog at least once a day, if not more.  The rationale behind posting multiple times per day seems to be that people visit your blog more than once a day and those who visit multiple times a day like to find new content.  If they find new content relatively frequently, readers are more likely to come back the next day.

There is also the issue of the obligation that those who write blogs have to their readers.  People visit the blog because they find the contents and the writing interesting.  Like anything else that is public domain, blogs can develop a readership, which expects that the blog will continue to be interesting and frequently updated.  Some people develop a relationship much like the one people have with a newspaper or a news web site.  They keep reading every day and they expect the content to be different and updated every day.  If people choose to read, does that mean you owe them new blog posts from now to the end of time?

When I first started writing this blog, I wrote two or three posts a week.  Some of that was because EnMart was new and I was still feeling my way with the blog and some of that was because a start up company requires a lot of tasks to be done.  As time went on, the load on my plate increased, but so did the readership of the blog, so I stepped up my posting schedule.  Some time after that, I started the second blog.  Most weeks I now write, on average, six posts a week.  I give myself weekends off, except I generally spend a small part of each weekend mulling over what topics I’ll write about next week.

What I’m trying to figure out is how frequently people expect to see posts updated on blogs they read on a regular basis.  Does it make any difference if the blog is a personal blog rather than a company blog?  How many days can a blog go without having a new post before you won’t be coming back again?

Personally, I like to see new content fairly regularly.  I will probably remain a loyal reader if the writer skips a few days, and I do have slightly different standards for personal vs. business blogs.  I do, however, know there are a lot of interesting blogs out there, and my reading time is at a premium.  If a blog I like doesn’t get updated on a schedule that I consider frequent enough, I’ll just move on to another blog I like that does.

I’m wondering what the rest of you think, though.  If you write a blog, how often do you post and why?  If you read blogs, how much does the frequency of new content have to do with how often you visit the blog?

This is a somewhat different post than what I usually write.  We had an experience recently that made me realize, yet again,  why we are on Facebook and Twitter and why I spend so much time connecting with people through those venues, forums  and our blogs.   I wanted to share that experience with you, not only to say thank you to those who helped us out in that particular instance,   but to remind all of us what social media is supposed to be about.

First I have to set the scene.   It was a hot Wednesday evening.  I was stranded in the Walgreens parking lot, with a car that wouldn’t start.  It was hot, did I mention that?  I was waiting for a tow truck that seemed like it might never come.  It was hot, in case you missed it,  and I don’t like being hot.   My evening wasn’t shaping up to be the best,  and my mood wasn’t trending toward happy either.

Anyway, to pass the time,  I was checking e-mails and Tweets on my cell phone when I received a direct message from Rodney at T-shirt Forums.   Rodney is a friend of EnMart, we are a sponsor of his forum, and we write for him occasionally,  so I thought the message might be about that.  Instead,  I opened the DM to read that someone in Orlando had just let him know that the EnMart booth had fallen over.   Catastrophe!

As it turns out,  the booth problem wasn’t a big deal.  I called our guys on the ground in Orlando,  they got the booth set to rights,  there was minimal damage and we went on to have a terrific show.  What really stands out to me about this experience is the fact that someone, I don’t know who, which is too bad because I’d like to say thank you,  saw our booth had a problem and took the time to contact someone they were fairly certain could get a message to me.   People I don’t even know, except through a forum or a social media site, were taking the time to look out for our interests.

I think, sometimes,  people get caught up in the number of fans and followers,  or the number of retweets or how many sales result from a post,  and don’t remember that the first word in social media is social.   Facebook and Twitter, forums and blogs, allow us to connect with each other,  to form relationships that exist even though we may be thousands of miles apart.   It isn’t all about making the numbers or moving the product,  social media is also about creating connections that will stretch from Orlando, where a booth fell over,  to Michigan, where a peeved Director of Marketing is sitting in her dead car in the heat waiting for a tow.

Personally,  I think this sort of community is awesome, and I’m proud and grateful to be a part of it.

P.S.:  One quick update to this post since I now know that the unknown person I mentioned above was actually Mark Bagley from www.multirip.com and www.perfecttransfers.com.  Just wanted to say thanks Mark.  Your alert was greatly appreciated.

I’ve been seeing a lot of talk on some of the embroidery and sublimation forums lately about customer service.  Sometimes the post are written to compliment a company that has given great customer service or gone the extra mile to satisfy a customer request.  Other times they’re written to complain about a company that has gotten something wrong,  or that hasn’t resolved a problem in a timely and satisfactory manner.  A customer who has an opinion about a company, either positive or negative,  has a louder voice than ever before,  and a much bigger audience.   Complaints can also now be registered instantly,  and sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment that may be regretted later.  As always,  there are two sides to every story.

As Director of Marketing and Customer Service for EnMart,  I see both sides now.  On one hand I’m a customer and I get as frustrated as anyone else would when my order ships wrong,  ships late or arrives damaged.  I’ve paid my hard earned money for something and I want my order to arrive when I need it, where I need it and in the excellent condition.   When that doesn’t happen,  it upsets me.   That’s only natural.

On the other hand,  I also know all the things that can go wrong from the supplier’s end.  Computer glitches.  Bad product from one of the shipper’s  suppliers.   Incorrect delivery by the package delivery service.  Simple human error.  There are a million small things that can happen,  any one of which could keep an order from being filled and delivered smoothly.

Mind you,  I’m not making excuses here.  When any of us pay our money and make a purchase,  we’re placing our trust in the company from which we ordered.    We expect that our order will arrive in a timely fashion and will be correct, and in a perfect world it always would.  The problem is that we don’t live in a perfect world.

Mistakes will happen.  Errors will be made.  Murphy’s Law says that, at some point,  package A will be shipped to address B and someone will open a box of something they didn’t order.   As much as some people, including a sort of control freak like me hate to admit it,   we can’t control every aspect of the process.  All we can do is strive for perfection,    and work out how we’ll handle an issue should one arise.

With that in mind,  I wanted to ask what processes for handling problems do the rest of you have in place?  If you have your own story of an order that went awry, whether you were the purchaser or the supplier,  tell us in the comments how the situation was handled,  and if there was anything that should have been done differently.  Handling a problem can be one of the hardest things a business has to do,  and sharing our experiences here can help us all learn.

I have to confess,  I love seeing the things that people have made with the products that we sell.  Whether it’s an embroidered jacket or a sublimated mousepad,  it’s so much fun knowing that something we did helped that new product come into being.  I’m a huge fan of the work our customers do,  and quite in awe of how they do it.  Since my talent is words and not visual art,  it always amazes me how some people can take individual components like thread or sublimation ink and use them to create something breathtaking.

Over the time EnMart has been in existence,  and especially since we started doing trade shows,  I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of seeing a lot of really cool items that had been made using EnMart products.   Unfortunately,  snapping a pic at a trade show isn’t always the easiest thing to do.  Plus,  even if we had snapped a picture,  we didn’t really have a venue in which to display them.  We’ve discussed adding a gallery of customer work to our website in the past,  but somehow that just never seemed like the right option.

Now, I’m pleased to say,  we do have a venue that seems like the right option.  As part of our marketing initiative,  we have created a Facebook page for EnMart.   One of the things this page allows fans to do,  besides following what’s happening at EnMart,  is upload photos to the EnMart fan page.

We would like to encourage all our customers and fans to add photos of the items they have  made using EnMart products to our fan page.   If you’re unsure how to upload photos to a fan page,  you can view this short video tutorial.   (Note:  the tutorial was not made by us,  and is for another organization,  but illustrates the process nicely).  If you’ve embroidered or sublimated something awesome,  please share it with the rest of the EnMart community.

It feels a bit like I’ve been writing a lot of “things are changing” posts lately, but things are changing and some explanations need to be given.  EnMart is adding new products.  We’re adding new locations.   We’re even adding a new, and fancier, phone system.  Change is a good thing,  and can bring benefits,  but it sometimes does need a bit of explaining.   Today I want to explain the changes to the phone system and how they will benefit you.

First,  some background.  When EnMart started,  we had an entirely separate phone system from the one used by our parent company, Ensign Emblem.   EnMart was a brand new company and, while we had hopes it would succeed and prosper,  we didn’t know for sure that it would.  Revamping the main company phone system costs money and time,  and it seemed prudent to wait until the volume of calls had grown and the company was established before we did the work and spent the money.

Now, almost three years down the road,  the need for a new phone system for EnMart has become acute.   Our call volume has grown exponentially and the only way to provide the type of customer service we pride ourselves on providing is to create a larger phone system with more capabilities.  So that’s what we’ve done.

Today,  when you call EnMart,  instead of simply being connected right to customer service,  you’ll be greeted with an introductory menu (audio recorded by yours truly).   To go directly to EnMart personnel,  you can either dial the extension, if you know it,  of the person to whom you wish to speak  or press 3 to be taken to the next available customer service representative.   There’s no complicated menu to listen to,  and no on hold purgatory.  You press three and your call is answered. It’s that simple.

This phone system will allow for quicker access to specific people.   It will allow EnMart customer service personnel to transfer you to our resident experts without having to ask you to make another call.   It will provide more available lines for incoming calls,  so no one will ever get a busy signal or have to wait on hold for their call to be answered.  Basically,  it will allow us to serve you better and more efficiently,  without placing more barriers in your way when you make a call.

We think that’s a win-win for all of us.

With the opening of EnMart South in Georgia,  EnMart now has four locations across the country.  Our goal is to have locations that will provide a one or at most two day shipment time to our customers,  and I think we’ve accomplished that pretty well.   There are, however, a few exceptions to the one or two day shipping rule.  Most, but not all, of the exceptions are things which we have to create when they are ordered.

One of those exceptions is, for instance,   blank patches.   Blank patch orders are currently filled from the Michigan facility.   So, regardless of where you are in the country,  your blanks will come from Michigan.    If you order Ntrans screenprint transfers,  you order will be filled either from EnMart South in Georgia,  or EnMart West in Nevada.  Sublimation supplies currently all ship from Michigan as does our NaturaLink.

The goal is to eventually have all supplies in all locations,  or to at least have certain supplies in the locations that have the most orders for those supplies,  but that sort of thing takes time.   Right now we’re working on building the correct levels of stock at the satellite locations  which is an interesting challenge as our business continues to grow,  and as we add more and more products.

I also wanted to remind everyone that all  locations are warehouses,  not stores.  We do allow and encourage local pickup,  but we ask that you place the order through our website or through our tool free customer service line first before you go to the location to pick up your order.   The satellite locations are not equipped to handle payments,  and require a few hours to fill orders for pick-up.   Running your order through the website or through customer service prior to going to the location will ensure that your order is ready for pick-up when you arrive.

Mostly I wanted to thank all our customers for their patience as we work on getting all the satellite locations online and building the ideal stock levels in each location.   We appreciate your support,  your interest and your feedback.

Like most companies,  EnMart wants to get the word out about who we are,  what we do, and the products we offer.   One of the ways we do that is through this blog and its sister blog,  SubliStuff.    In the past 2 1/2 years  I’ve written 314 posts for EmbroideryTalk alone.  The average post was probably in the neighborhood, conservatively,  of 400 words,   so that means I’ve written approximately 125,600 words about EnMart and EnMart products.    That’s a lot of words.

I have to admit there have been times when I’ve felt like I’m doing a monologue and the jokes aren’t very funny.   When this blog was first started,  it was one of the only blogs written by an embroidery supply company.    The community wasn’t used to companies that had blogs,   and certainly not used to companies that had blogs because they wanted to communicate with their customers.    A lot of companies use their blogs to communicate as if from on high,  and customers are expected to listen to the messages and then act on them,  the action usually taking the form of buying the products or services mentioned in the blog.  If questions do get asked of customers,  it’s often only so the company can figure out what to sell next.

I’m not going to be disingenuous and say that we don’t want you to buy the products we talk about on this blog,  you buying what we sell is how we stay in business.   I’m also not going to try and make you buy the idea that we aren’t trying to figure out what to sell you next.   We are because,  again,  that’s how we stay in business.    I will, however,  tell you this,  and mean it sincerely,   selling you our current product offerings and figuring out what to offer you next isn’t all we do here.

Mostly what we try to do here is communicate with our customers and potential customers.   We want to hear from you,  that’s the entire reason for the comment section.   We want to hear what you like and what you don’t like,  what you want to know more about and what you’re tired of seeing on this blog.   We want to know how we can help you make your business grow,  what lessons we can teach you,  and what lessons you can teach us.  The people here at EnMart have over 35 years of experience in running a very large embroidery business,  and we’re happy to share what we know with all of you,   but the sharing has to work both ways.

It is, after all, a dialogue, not a monologue.

As you may already know if you read this post, or this one,  EnMart exhibited at DAX Chicago last weekend.    I worked this show and one of the things I noticed was the amount of people who were searching for advice on which they could count.   From those just starting out to those who were trying a new product or piece of equipment for the first time,  we saw many people in our booth who were on a quest for information and assistance.

Starting and running a new business can be scary and lonely.  There are a lot of decisions to be made, decisions about everything from what sort of machines you buy, to what supplies you use, to what sort of services you offer,  each decision can feel like it could make or break your business.   We know, because we’ve been there.

In 1974 Ed Benjamin started a business called Ensign Emblem.   At the time Ensign had one plant in Detroit.  Over time,  and under the leadership of Ed’s daughter, Gayle Zreliak, the business grew from one plant to six, and from a few heads to over 1000 heads.   Along the way, those who helped Ensign grow experienced every aspect of the embroidery business,  from converting from one thread supplier to another,  to finding the best backing, to choosing the right machines and keeping them in good repair.

When you purchase your thread, backing and other supplies from EnMart, your get more than just the supplies you ordered.   You also get access to our experience and expertise.  Whether it’s advice on how to embroider a cap,  or a suggestion on the right type of backing for knit shirts,  we’re happy to help.  We’ve spent a lot of time learning the craft and we’re more than willing to share what we’ve learned with our customers.   Chances are if we can’t supply the answer ourselves, we know someone who can.

So, if you’re just starting out and looking for someone to help start you down the right path, give us a call.   If you’ve been in business for a while, but have encountered a problem that you just can’t solve,  contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

We’re always here to lend a hand.

By law, we charge sales tax only on products shipped to California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey.

When you place an order with EnMart, you’ll see the statement quoted above on your final order page.   We also mention the fact that we charge sales tax in our policies.  The information on how to legally avoid being charged sales tax is included in those policies as well.   Although we provide this information, we still often get questions about why we charge sales tax at all, how to avoid paying sales tax, and why we charge sales tax in the states where we charge it.   Today I wanted to create a sort of EnMart Sales Tax FAQ, which will hopefully answer many of the questions people may have about sales tax and EnMart.

Q 1:  Why do you charge sales tax?

We are required by law to charge sales tax on orders from those states where we have a physical presence.

Q2:  What are the states in which you have a physical presence?

EnMart’s parent company has facilities in Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, California, Illinois and Georgia.  EnMart charges sales tax in all states where our parent company has a presence.

Q3:  Is there any way to be declared exempt from paying  sales tax?

Sales tax rules vary from state to state.    Many states offer an option to resellers of providing a resale or sales tax exemption certificate to the companies from which they purchase goods.  Once the company making the sale has the certificate on file, they can exempt the purchasing company from sales taxes.   EnMart provides links to the relevant sales tax forms on our Policies page.

Q4:  I’ve already completed the relevant exemption form for my state.  Why is EnMart still charging me sales tax?

EnMart must have the relevant form on file in our offices prior to exempting any customer from sales tax.  Forms can be faxed to us at 888-946-7583 or e-mailed to info at myenmart dot com.   Please note:  it is not enough to tell us you have tax exempt status.   We must have the form on file in our offices before we can set a customer account to tax exempt status.

Q5: I’ve provided the relevant form.  Do I have to remind you I’m exempt every time I place an order?

No.  Once the form has been provided, the status of your account will be set to tax exempt.  Any orders you place from then on will not be charged sales tax.

We have  always believed that every business is worthy of our best,  regardless of order size or business size.   This has been the guiding philosophy of the Ensign Group since 1974, when a man named Ed Benjamin created a company called Ensign Emblem.  Ed had been working in the emblem business for quite a while and he had noticed that there was a portion of the market that was being under served.   The companies that ordered thousands of pieces at one time were having to beat salespeople away from their doors, but the smaller businesses were being largely ignored.  Very few of Ensign Emblem’s competitors were interested in taking the time to work with the smaller businesses,  but Ed and Ensign were.  Working with those small businesses and helping them grow was one of the things that led Ensign from one plant to six plants and eventually from one company to two.

From the day EnMart was formed, our guiding philosophy has been the idea that all businesses, regardless of business size or order size, deserve to be treated like they matter.   That’s why we only have a $25 minimum order.   This philosophy is why we’re one of the few companies selling sublimation blanks that doesn’t require case quantity orders.   Our belief that size shouldn’t matter is also why our quantity price breaks for thread start at 12 cones in any mixture of colors.   We offer our price breaks and specials to everyone, not just to those who order hundreds or thousands of dollars of product at one time.

I know, for a lot of you, this may sound like the same song, different verse.   Telling small businesses that they’ll be treated like big businesses is a common marketing ploy and, if that were our game, we certainly wouldn’t be the first to try it.   What sets EnMart apart is the fact that we know the value of working with small business owners, and we’ve experienced how fast small businesses can grow, particularly if they have the right supplier partners.   We also firmly believe that every business and every business owner deserves the same respect and attention regardless of the final total on their order sheet.

The next step is up to you.  If you feel your current supplier isn’t offering you enough support, give EnMart a try.  If handling fees and processing fees are making your orders more costly than they need to be,   place an order with us.  Actions always speak louder than words, so put us to the test and see how we do.   I’m confident that, if you give us a try, you’ll find that EnMart gives your business the respect and attention it deserves, regardless of the size of the business or the size of your order.

That is, after all, the foundation on which we’re built.