Small Business and the current economic condition

Are you a small business owner? If so you have felt the economic slump directly and if you company structure is an LLC or a sole proprietorship then you have felt it directly in your wallet. Unfortunately the current politicians and government officials in office are completely out of touch with the small business owner and everyday working Americans. I am referring to both political parties as they are both passing legislation that is hurting the average American.

No matter which political ideology you support, the fact is more government control hurts the small business owner. The entire purpose of the government is to aid the people in areas that an individual can not help themselves. This includes military, schools, roads, and regulations to avoid monopolistic companies. The governments purpose in no way is to control a persons retirement or run our health care system. This creates an overwhelming amount of government control that hinders business development and entrepreneurship by raising taxes and redistributing wealth. Anyone who has run a company or studied business knows that micromanaging and completly controlling the way a company functions is the quickest way to destroy a company. The same things applies to the government.

Why I am addressing this topic? Because small business owners need to take a stand against where our government is going. If you don't care about politics now is the time to start. The road we have been going down for the past 20 years or so is very scary and has already begun to take a huge toll on small business. All of the current legislation that is being passed will hurt the small business owner despite what the government claims will happen with the deficit. Do your research and start voting out most the current politicians that are currently serving and are in no way standing up for our best interest!

Getting to know your market

One of the most important factors in successful trade show exhibiting and small business management is recognizing your competitors strengths and weaknesses. This will give you a huge advantage when preparing a marketing strategy for trade shows and other marketing efforts. If your competitor is using banner stands for their main trade show display then it might be a good idea to upgrade to a pop up display in order to stand out. This will give you a huge advantage at trade show and other marketing events.

Understanding your competitors weaknesses is also a great way to find market share that others may be missing. This can include anything from lack of online presence or lack of direct marketing. Analyzing your competitors closely will provide you with the best marketing plan possible for any business!

Spending more during a recession = spending less in the long run

The recession has been causing many businesses to change their strategies which includes downsizing and cutting costs. Cost cutting is a great way to increase gross margin and maintain profit in the short term and works for many companies, but what's hard to grasp in a time like this is that spending more in certain areas of your business will actually save you more money. This is a constant rule that applies in almost any industry and should be taken very seriously when going through cost cutting procedures. Cutting costs without carefully examining the long term effects could cause a lot of harm to your companies long term profitability.

This is very true in the trade show and marketing industry. Many marketing efforts take time and effective research to work to their full potential and give a return on your initial investment. In the trade show display industry there many different display options ranging in price points and quality. Cutting costs in your trade show marketing budget can save a lot of money in the short term, but it is important to examine why certain products have a lower cost. In almost every situation a lower cost product will last for a shorter period of time than more costly product. When budgeting for long term marketing plans it is critical to examine how many uses each display will have to determine if a higher cost display should be purchased up front. This is a critical consideration because if it will last for more uses, it will result in a MUCH lower cost per use.

If most of your marketing displays and banner stands are only used a few times, then low cost options could be a very good way to save cash in your current fiscal year.

I offer both options for all the products I sell on my site. I offer very low cost products for temporary solutions as well as high quality options that will hold up year after year. Carefully planning your marketing plan and teaming with a good supplier that can work with you on every project will help to maximize your ROI on every marketing campaign.

-Matt
NWCI

Pop Up Displays Section Launched

NWCI's pop up displays section is nearly completed and ready for the market place. We offer two types of pop up displays: economy and premium. We have decided to offer these models so we can accommodate exhibitors looking for low cost displays as well as high quality displays. We carry an economy line that is focused on exhibitors who do very few shows or exhibitors who need a temporary display solution. The economy line is a very low cost option and exhibitors who are looking for display that will last are encouraged to look at the Arise Premium line. The Arise pop up display is a very durable display that is made in the USA. It has a lifetime warranty and will last show after show.

Although the Arise display is very durable and high quality, NWCI internet pricing makes this display much more affordable than comparable models. We chose to offer this specific model because of the value it brings to our customers. We offer a lambda print upgrade making it possible to get one of the highest quality frames and the highest quality graphics for a very reasonable price.

-Matt
NWCI

Manufacturers Cutting Costs

The trade show industry recently got a wake up call with the economic down turn. Many US manufacturers have recently been cutting their prices to stimulate sales in the industry. This has led to a drop in retail prices and making trade show displays more affordable. NWCI has taken complete advantage of these lower prices and passed them straight along to our customers. We shop for the best value so every customer can be sure the are getting the most for their money. We also offer design services with all of our graphic displays so you can get everything done in one stop.

Outdoor banner stands page now live

One of my main focuses with Northwest Creative Imaging is to provide a wide range of outdoor banner stands. There are few online site that offer a wide range of outdoor products at reasonable prices. My selection of banner stands includes popular flag banners and unique outdoor rotating banners. There will also be a section of event tents that will are available in multiple colors or with full color printing. My goal is to have a one stop online shopping solution for outdoor products.

Large format printing from NWCI

One area we are focusing on is quality large format printing for trade shows and other marketing events. We offer many different printing sub straights so that we can create a graphic that will work in any situation. We can also reprint graphics for almost any display on the market because we have access to the large print shop in the country that have all the specs for every make and model of display. Large format printing requires a special skill in both design and printing of graphics. It is very important to use high quality printers that are set up for large format graphics and will print consistently. We outsource all of our printer to some of the largest printers in the US to insure quality and access to quarter million dollar printers. Our low margins and quick turnaround makes us very competitive with local print shops.

Economy Pop Up Displays from NWCI

I have picked up a new vendor for my economy line of pop up displays that directly imports displays from China and offers very good pricing. These displays are a great option for companies looking for low cost display options. They work great as temporary displays or for companies who only attend a few shows a year. Every kit comes with a field repair kit for any issues that may come up at the show. We cut out the middle man to get great pricing on these displays and pass it along to our customers. We have the lowest pricing on the internet and the largest selection so you can choose between low cost and high quality. We also offer design services for very low costs so you can can get an entire display package for a very reasonable price.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Outdoor banner stands are becoming more popular

Outdoor banner stands have recently become increasingly popular among companies that are looking to grab the attention of more customers on the streets. These banner stands are a great marketing tool for making your name know in a local area and can be used outside the convention center to remind exhibitors that you are at the show. We offer a full line of portable outdoor banner stands for many different uses. We offer the unique tear drop shaped banner stand that is very effective in grabbing attention of customers driving in front of your store. We also have standard outdoor banner stands that look like a typical banner stand but are designed for outdoor use. There are also outdoor billboard banners that are very large and will be sure to grab any persons attention.

Flooring manufacturers cutting costs

Trade show flooring has always been a good alternative to renting trade show flooring or using the convention provided floor. Due to economic conditions many companies are cutting their flooring budgets to cut costs at trade shows. This has led raw material suppliers, manufactures, and retailers to cut costs to bring the industry back to life. Look for our new trade show flooring section on our web site which will have interlocking trade show carpet and flooring, interlocking plastic tiles, and rollable carpeting.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

How to reduce overall costs at your next show

Trade shows can be very expensive for exhibitors that are new to conventions and do not know the ins and outs of the industry. Trade show displays are a great place to cut costs but it must be done wisely. The best way to reduce overall costs of shows is to buy a display that will hold up over time, and design graphics that will be universal between shows. Banner stands are a great solution to low cost exhibiting. Purchasing a quality banner stand will give you years of exhibiting at minimal costs.

Pop up displays are another good solution to reduce costs and make an impact. When design graphics you should create a universal graphic that will be effective and eye catching. Trade show displays and graphics are meant to grab attention but not to inform. It is critical to make designs very simple and eye catching so you will maximize the number of potential leads.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

New Trend with Pop Up Displays

Recently many online web sites have emerged that are selling low quality import pop up displays that claim a lifetime warrantee on the frame. This is deceiving at best and fraudulent at worst. Many sites that continue to advertise these low quality products as good values are hurting the trade show industry and lowering confidence in online retailing. We constantly get reports of customers who have purchased products online and have felt cheated by false advertising and mislabeled products. Pop up displays are a very popular option for exhibitors looking for a display that will make an impact with a low cost. This causes many exhibitors to find the lowest price pop up display and go with it.

There are many key features to look for in a quality pop up that will determine if it is a display that will last you for many years. Pop up displays should have a warrantee certificate that states who honors the warrantee and under what situations the warrantee will not be honored. You should also attain close up pictures of the frame structure. You should look for connection points that are solid and do not contain easy to break parts. Trade show stands are a great marketing tool and can be used to generate large returns on your invest, but purchasing cheap, throw away products can significantly raise your year to year costs and make your shows very costly. When shopping for pop up displays you should take time to research the company who is selling the product and the manufacturer who makes it.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Marketing Strategies for your Next Show

There are many important factors to consider when developing your marketing strategy for a trade show. You need to consider costs for pre-show marketing, show costs, and post show follow up. Focusing heavily on pre-show costs will give you a competitive advantage at the show because attendees will be more likely to recognize your name and your brand when you are at the show. This may even result in attendees targeting your booth because they saw a pre-show promotion. Trade show booths are a very important factor in a successful show. You need to anticipate what your competition will be using and how you can stand out at that show. There are many different booths to choose from and it’s important to get a display that will hold up against your competition and make you slightly unique among other exhibitors.

Your post show follow up will consist of cold calling clients you talked to at the show. When you are at the show it is a great idea to make notes on each potential lead. Try to find something unique about each individual and use that to break the ice when cold calling. This will give you a competitive advantage over other exhibitors because your clients will remember your unique conversion and will be more likely to become a client. Never underestimate the power of a greeting card or thank you note to attendees who visited your booth. Courtesy and sincerity can go very far in the sales world.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

What to look for when shopping for trade show displays

Now more than ever people are shopping for every item they buy to insure they are getting the best value. This is a very good practice during this time because many companies are having sales and products and are willing to negotiate because of the economic times. When looking for a trade show display there are many things that should be taken into consideration when finding a good product. You should always check for quality versus economy in picking your display.

When looking for a quality display you should look for displays that are quality controlled in the USA to insure you have a solid American manufacturer backing up the product. An economy display will always be inferior to a quality American product but work great in situations when you only need a display for a few uses. You should research a wide variety of products to make sure you are getting the best booth for the money. You also want a retailer that will back up the products you purchase and give you the support you need at your show. Look for a company that goes the extra mile to make sure you are successful at your show and that you know exactly how your product works before you get to the show.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

First Product Page Posted

I just posted my first product page on my web site. It is aimed at being very user friendly and easy to navigate. We incorporated flash into the page to maximize the number of photos on each page. Here is a link to the page: http://www.nwcidisplays.com/displays/banner-stands/retractor-2.html.

This is my effort to bring back transparency to the trade show retailing industry. Many web sites lack critical information on their sites about the product. Most trade show products are at least $100 and can range up to $5000+ so having important information on product pages is critical to the customer. Trade show stands are a very popular online items and great product pages should be a requirement of any online retailing site.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging, LLC

What exhibitors should beware of during the busy season

The busy season for the trade show industry is fast approaching. September and October are historically the busiest months of the year because of the amount of shows in the USA. It is very important for exhibitors to be aware of the pitfalls during this busy time of year. During September and October lead times can be pushed out in part due to the overwhelming amount of orders and the large number of rush jobs that are being pushed through for customers who waited until the last minute. Plan ahead and do not let your display purchase become the least important objective of your trade show planning.

Waiting until the last minute can result in rush charges and possible missed show dates. Arriving at a convention without a display is the worst possible situation that could happen. You have thousands invested into pre-show marketing, a booth space, travel expenses, but you have nothing to display to attendees. Working in the industry I can tell you that I have seen this happen and I try to warn exhibitors all the time of delaying orders. Expediting packages through UPS or FED EX can be a great solution to get your display to you in time, but shipping companies can also be delayed or loose packages.

Just remember to plan for every part of your show. All it takes is one oversight and the entire show can be ruined. Planning for your display is one of the most important steps in prepping for your show because it is the focal point of the entire convention. There is a wide variety of trade show stands on the market today and I highly encourage you to shop around and the display that will work best for you. If you plan ahead and partner with a good display distributor, you will have more time to focus on other aspects of your show.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Effective Design Techniques Proven from Customers

It is very important to have a great design at your trade show in order to bring in the maximum number of leads. If you don't have a great design then the entire show could be a lost cause. Working within the trade show industry, I know exactly which designs have worked for exhibitors and which ones have failed. The statement I hear over and over is that a simple design works the best. It follows the same psychology as a billboard in that you only have a few seconds to get someones attention at a trade show. I am telling you from experience with exhibitors that a booth design that is extremely busy and over-complicated will result in a low number of qualified leads.

The one thought that can never be forgotten is that there is an exception for every rule. I have seen a few designs that, in my opinion, were too busy but ended up working well for the client. There is still speculation that a more simplistic design would have resulted in better results, but no one will ever know.

The most important concept in a design is to speak to your client base and make sure your design will grab their attention. Trade show graphics are the best solution to make your show a success, but a poor design could give you less than satisfactory results. Every customer of NWCI receives free graphic advice with every order and we also offer design services if you are not sure about how to effectively design your graphics.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Marketing Strategies Related to the Trade Show Industry

Typical marketing campaigns and trade show marketing can require completely different styles of marketing techniques. Standard marketing strategies can consist of brand recognition, target market research, and demographic studies. With a trade show campaign the time and money should be spent in different places to insure you generate the highest number of qualified leads at your next show. It is very important to research the shows you want to attend to makes sure your company fits with the attendees of the show. This can be accomplished by speaking with previous exhibitors, online research, and study of the attendee list.

Next it is important to simplify your company message and mission. At a trade show, attendees are flying through the show trying to cover as many booths as possible in a short amount of time. A complicated and busy booth can distract from your message and divert potential leads from your booth. You also need to research trade show booths to see what size your company will need and the display that will be required to fill the booth. When looking for a trade show display it is very important to take into consideration what your competitors will be displaying in order to spend the proper amount on a display. If your competitors are using banner stands then a fully customized display will not be cost effective.

The most important aspect of the entire trade show is an effective graphic design for your booth backdrop. It is very important to take into consideration that attendees will have 1-2 seconds to view your booth when they are sprinting down the isle. A trade show design needs to be simple, eye catching, and professional. On my facebook page I have many examples of design I have done that have worked very well for my clients.

Keeping good notes and following up after the show is the last step to completing your trade show marketing campaign.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Trade Show Flooring Industry Hurting

The trade show industry, as a whole, has held up better than most industry's in the recession, but the flooring division of the trade show industry has taken a beating. Most companies are cutting flooring before any other trade show expense. This has led the flooring industry to cut costs to draw in more business. If your company has an interest in trade show flooring then right now is the time to buy. Retailers, suppliers, distributors, and manufactures are cutting their costs in order to bring the retail price down for the end consumer. Trade show displays are still a great marketing tool and right now is a great time to take advantage of low pricing. My web site is focused on providing low cost items that are still quality products. I focus on only the most portable trade show displays in order to lower overhead and bring lower prices to the end user. Check out my sales and promotions section of my site for great deals that I am offering during my site rebuild.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Why use pull up banners for marketing?

I just launched the index page to my pull up banners and banners stands page. These are a great option for people on the go. All banner stands set up very quickly and easily making them a great option for career fairs, county fairs, retail stores, sporting events, and trade shows. It is important to pick a banner that will work for your company because there are thousands of options on the internet. If you only need the banner for one use then it would be smart decision to purchase a low cost economy model that is built for limited use. If your company is planning on using the banner for multiple shows a year then a premium banner stand would be the best choice. Keep in mind that no matter what the cost of the banner is, it is very important to design effective graphics that will work for your companies marketing strategy.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Pages Launched on Site - Sales on Trade Show Displays

I have just added some pages to my new site. One is an about us page that describes our company and another is a sales pages on trade show stands. This is a little peek into the great pricing I will be offering on the site. I am currently working on many sections of the site and will have full sections built out shortly. I will also start a facebook page on the design portion of my company as well as a twitter account on marketing and advertising. Keep posted for updates on sales and new pages.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Online Marketing

Trade show retailing is very difficult to accomplish online. It requires well built web pages that are informative and interactive. Many current trade show display retailers are failing miserably at offering support and online information to customers. This makes it very difficult for the legitimate retailers that have well built sites and detailed information to gain the trust of online shoppers.

It is my vision for my company to offer complete trade show display retailing to customers who are looking for moderate to high quality products at true internet prices. I will be offering the most portable trade show stands that are currently the most popular on the market. My goal is to focus on one specific part of the market and be the absolute best in my niche. I want every one of my customers to be happy with their purchase and promote the online trade show industry.

The main concept of online marketing is to create trust in you clients by hosting a well built and easy to navigate site. Once you gain a potential clients trust, your web site needs to keep their interest by providing relevant and important information on all your products and services. If this macro level concept is followed when developing an online web site then online web marketing will be effective and create value for yourself and your clients.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

New Home Page Launched

I just posted the home page for my trade show displays web site. I am currently working out some bugs and changing the design slightly, but its the basic format I will be using. If you have any questions regarding the site or the product please email me feedback and questions.

I will follow up with a blog today about building effective web sites for trade show retailing and online marketing in general.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Using a projector screen on a standard trade show display

Incorporating a projector screen into a trade show display can be a great way to add some movement to your booth for a small investment. Northwest Creating Imaging offers a full line of displays that can incorporate a projector screen into the display. This is done by creating a white space on the graphic that will match your projector ratio of either 4:3 or 16:9.

Any standard pop up display or banner stand with an opaque graphic can accommodate a projector screen. This can give your company a very professional look for a very small price. Pop up displays are one of the most popular trade show stands in the industry because of the affordable price point and large mural graphics.

If you have any questions on incorporating projector screens into your display system please email info@nwcidisplays.com with any questions.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging

Green Displays are the new trend

A growing concern around the world and especially in the trade show industry has been the preservation of our environment. The trade show industry is very wasteful mostly because of the "throw away" quality products being sold in the industry. There are many pop up displays and banner stands that are so cheap they won't even break down after you set them up. This results in wasted products and more garbage in landfills. If your company wants to start exhibiting in a responsible manner there are a few considerations to make before you next trade show. A quality display is the first step to being a green exhibitor. I say this because having a display that lasts for 10 years will result in less waste because you are not purchasing and throwing away new products every year. Even if the product is not made with environmentally friendly materials it is still a better option than using a cheap display. The second option is to purchase a display that is high quality and made from recycled and/or renewable materials.

I will have a full section of green trade show displays on my new website, nwcidisplays.com. I will offer a full line a quality trade show stands as well as green displays. By selling quality products and green displays I plan on helping the trade show industry to reduce waste and create value for every exhibitor.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging, LLC

Catalog in the works...

I am currently designing the catalog for my Affordable and Portable Displays division of Northwest Creative Imaging. It is going to be focused on providing relevant information for customers that are interested in trade show displays. My focus is to disclose all relevant information related to every product. Working in the industry, it is very apparent that exhibitors are moving away from purchasing trade show products online because of the overwhelming amount of poorly managed sites with overpriced products.

The site that I will be launching in the next few months is completely focused on the customer. It will provide every detail needed to make and informed decision quickly and easily. I will offer an online shopping cart system for quick check out, but I will also offer a more detailed order form for customers who are looking to make a personalized purchase. I am also going to have a 24/7 help line for customers who have questions or need assistance at shows. For anyone who is currently struggling with finding trade show products online please contact me through this blog, or contact my partner company Smash Hit Displays.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging, LLC

Overall searches for online trade show products down

Recent online ranking reports show an overall decreases in total overall searches for key words relating to trade show display products. The trend has been declining since 2004 where it was at its peak. This could be due in part to the overall slowing of the economy, but my research has lead me to think that it has more to do with the overall quality of online trade show display websites. There are many sites out there that are extremely hard to navigate, have little information, and are overpriced. If searchers are finding this true then word of mouth would drive an overall decline on the number of overall searches on the web.

I have been working in the trade show industry for close to 5 years now and I am launching a new web site that is going to change the face of online display shopping. I have recently formed Northwest Creative Imaging, LLC which is a partner company of Smash Hit Displays. My mission is to provide an online trade show resource for ordering portable products at very affordable prices, the way a true online retail store should operate. I want to focus on bringing the transparency back to the trade show industry by disclosing manufacturer information and provide online resources for every single aspect of the display.

The site is set to launch around mid August and I will constantly be posting to this blog to give people incites to the company's formation and news on the current state of the industry. Keep posted to this blog for updates on my site and all the current trends and insider information on the trade show industry.

-Matt
Northwest Creative Imaging, LLC

Display Systems and the Economy

Display Systems are a great way to break your company out of this economic slump. We recommend to our customers who are struggling right now to take advantage of this economy to capture more market share. If you increase your market share sales should stay even or increase. Trade show displays are a great tool to make your company know at any convention. Creating a great trade show booth will encourage new buyers to talk to you and potentially buy from you. I highly recommend in this economic state to be proactive and grab as much of the market share as possible.

Matt