The following insert was part of an article written about family owned companies that made their pets more than their companions... they made them work partners! The full article was written by Vince DiCecco

Today, dogs have been elevated to the status of pampered pets. And we, as a society, will do anything for our furry friends. Even at the depth of the ongoing tough economic times, the pet-supply and pet-care industries are still being touted as “recession-proof.” It seems that caring for a canine companion has become as emotional and as much a civic responsibility as raising a child or tending to the needs of the elderly.

Canine Inspiration

MN Designs of Lexington, S.C., is a wholesale sign, digital graphics and screen-printing supply company that sells inks, blank media, and other supplies to qualified resellers, along with sign and screen-print shops. Like many other supply houses, MN strives to offer the best selection of products and friendly, prompt service. But its unique marketing and management weapon is Hollister, a six-year old chocolate Lab, who has his own blog - blog.mndesignsinc.com - on the company website—www.mndesignsinc.com.

According to MN Designs owner, Marsha Newman: “Hollister looks forward to going to work every day. He greets the customers, both young and old. He loves all of our employees and they love him. Whenever he is really fond of someone, he sounds like he’s crying. As a retriever, he always has something in his mouth, even if it is just a piece of banner material. This makes everyone laugh because he is such a goof ball. Employee morale is pretty high because he is really everyone's dog!”

Hollister’s official caretaker is Kelly, Newman’s daughter. When opportunity arose to produce some marketing photos for the catalog and website, Kelly suggested Hollister be the spokes-model, and he came through in a big way, posing by the printers, by banner material, by a vinyl rack but, when asked to don a promotional T-shirt, clearly told the photographer he had gone too far, by pouting in every shot.

Hollister has a special relationship with the UPS driver. Precisely at 3:30 p.m., he is poised at the dock doors to jump into the brown delivery truck, and won’t return to work until he gets his treat. Says Newman, “This is a daily occurrence we think our UPS driver looks forward to.”

Hollister has also inspired a new product line for MN Designs. The company manufactures canvas prints of dogs—both traditional and pop art—and a percentage of the proceeds go to the Wescott Pet Rescue. “This is another morale boost for everyone in the company because we have a corporate purpose: to help homeless pets get the help they need. There is no measure of how much Hollister has given to our company. It would be a completely different business if we didn't have him as our mascot. He shows love to everyone and the return has been immeasurable.”

For those of you who haven't noticed yet, MN Designs now offers a full scale online shopping site for those sign guys who need to order supplies during any hour of the day. We know that working face to face with our customers and clients is very important, but we also know that easy accessibility is also important, especially for our customers and clients, both new and old, that aren't close to our office, and who are looking for great wholesale prices.

There are tons of sign supplies to choose from that are offered on the MN Designs web page. One of our biggest categories is our vinyl. We are official distributors of both FDC and Avery vinyl. We offer out customers a wide variety of color options and sizes as well. Our blank banner section also offers customers many varieties and sizes. Both of these sections, along with the others, are extremely easy to navigate, and each product has item explanation and pricing for even more ease.

Using the website to purchase blank and digital banners allows our customers to receive free shipping on these products. As stated, this is a website promotion only. MN Designs ships anywhere in the United States, and all orders placed before noon as each business day will ship out that same day!

Customers can also take advantage of daily specials throughout each month to save even more on their sign supply needs. Each day the special is updated in the news section of the web page, and on the official MN Designs twitter. These specials are call-in only, but there are also sale items on the website that customers can also take advantage of.

To visit the MN Designs website, click here.

To follow MN Designs on twitter, click here.

Vinyl banners are by far the most common banner type in use today. They are used everywhere from Albany to Zambia, from National Parks to car parks and from the poles to the equator. But rather than making them easier to understand, this ubiquitous nature has made them more complex and difficult. The variations of substrate, printer, inks, lamination and finishing techniques have become almost infinite.

Vinyl banner substrates have a variety of surface textures, but these are just cosmetics, and personal preference should apply. The important bits are in the composition of the banner material. Most vinyl banners are made of calendered PVC. Woven into some banners are polyester scrims. In these banners the PVC is coated over the scrims, providing a lot of extra strength. The weight of the banner also determines strength. Common weights range from 10 to 16 ounces. Backlit banners are translucent for even light transmission. Some banners allow small amounts of light to pass through, others have a block-out layer in the middle. Different situations require different choices here.

Choosing the right printing ink and substrate combination is also critical. Aqueous inks are only acceptable for short-term indoor use. The banner materials have to be coated to accept the inks and these coatings are not very durable or water resistant. UV inks do not bind very well to vinyl banners and scratch easily. Eco and mild solvents bond lightly to many banner types, but every substrate needs testing before any purchasing decisions are made. True solvent inks bite deeply into vinyl banner materials. The inks are resistant to abrasion and fading, making for excellent all-round banner choices. If a longer term product is desired, the banner can be coated with a liquid lamination. This can be applied with a special coating machine or the old-fashioned way with a spray gun or roller.

After printing, most banners will require some form of edge finishing. For simple, short-term indoor use, banner tape is quick and easy. This double-sided adhesive is formulated for use with vinyl banners and will provide a good light-duty product. For a stronger bond without using any equipment, chemicals are available that actually alter the chemistry at the join. They are much stronger than adhesives.

If you want to get some machinery to make the job easier, heat welding is a good entry-level product. The heat seams are attractive and relatively strong. Radio frequency welding requires more expensive equipment and training, but gives a stronger, more consistent and almost invisible edge finish. The strongest, but ugliest, edge finish is sewing. Thread cannot be beat for a tough, durable hem. This also allows for reinforcing material to be sewn in when heavy-duty use is expected.

Banners can be used almost everywhere. They are good looking enough for even the chichiest occasion. Vinyl banners are tough enough for the wildest outdoor locations and they are cheap enough for the lowest budgets. Stand and framing systems are available in sizes that range from the personal to the gigantic, but almost anything can be turned into a banner holding device. They can be fastened to surfaces or stretched between poles. They can be attached rigidly or left floating like flags. There’s not much that you can’t do with a banner. One artist is even recycling old banners by sewing them into shopping bags.

There are lots of reasons why vinyl banners are so popular today. Easy to print, easy to fabricate, inexpensive to stock and easy to handle are reasons why printers push them, but durability, attractiveness, versatility and cost effectiveness are reasons why clients keep coming back for more.

Have you ever taken an order from a client knowing that there was very little immediate profit from the order for you and your company? Perhaps you sold someone an order and when you finished you most likely wondered why you did all that work for little or no profit at all. It seems that we all think about this little scenario around tax time every spring. We'll take a look at the volume handled and the amount we still have, then will stand there with a mystery to solve -- what happened? This is one of the reasons to constantly monitor our businesses in order to know where we are and to avoid getting into a problem before it's too late.

Often, clients will look to us to solve a problem they have with obtaining a product or a service that is foreign to our offerings. If we really want the loyalty of our clientele, we must service their requests for help even before they ask for it. We must learn to anticipate their requests even before they make them because if we do not help them, someone else will be there to take care of these needs, and possibly their future needs.

It is very common to get requests from clients for very small things, especially in the sign supply and advertising business. You may come across someone who wants one or two small items printed and/or installed, and it may seem not worthwhile at that moment, but that small service will often propel you to landing a much larger order. We must care for those who have a need, even if it isn't to the greatest of profits. It takes a lot of money to keep your business moving, and the margins of profits you must maintain are essential to your continued operation, but sometimes you need to plant some seeds that might take a little longer to give you a good harvest. There is a time for all things, and when you service your clients, that might be the right time for you to give service because the client has supported you.

We all have a treasure in the accounts we now have, and selling to them is much easier than attempting to sell a new account. You may be surprised at what kind of orders you can obtain simply by asking for them!