Impressions - October/November 2012 - (Page 70)

ts Digital Decorating This photo shows flooding as a result of Hurricane Irene, which began Aug. 20, 2011. In the event your shop experiences an act of God, such as a hurricane, storm, or flooding — which shuts down your production — have a force majeure clause as part of your terms and conditions. This can protect you from legal and financial hassles later if you have a client who suffers damages as a result of your non-delivery. xxxxx that neither party can be held liable if an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond either party’s control occurs. Examples include a strike, riot, hurricane, flooding or earthquake. This clause can come in handy if you are, through no fault of your own, unable to fulfill an order and a client may choose to come after you for financial damages as a result of your inability to deliver. Whenever you accept an order from a customer, there’s an implied contract — even in the absence of a written one. If the client does, in fact, suffer damages, in most cases the decorator refunds money, offers a discount, or gets hit with a charge back. EXTENDED-SERVICE CONTRACTS Another form of insurance to consider, depending on your type of machine, is an extended-service contract. If you’ve exhausted your personal resources for repairing a machine, you may be forced to either ship your machine back to the manufacturer or bring in a technician. If you choose the latter, expect to pay for his travel, lodging and a per-day fee that can be as expensive as $800-$1,000. For those who are not mechanically inclined and may need a technician more often, you should see if the manufacturer Use Info•Action #32 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction offers a warranty service program. These can be expensive, but if you need someone in an emergency, they are there and you pay a reduced rate. Another good form of insurance is to establish a relationship with another printer who can help you out in a pinch. And of course, this works both ways. Other good back-up plans should include a power generator and some procedure to account for phone system failure. If our phones malfunction, we transfer to a wireless system, and I also have back-up email plans in place. As a survivor in this industry who has experienced machine issues, as well as power outages, flooding and severe storms, the bottom line is to remember you are dealing with machinery, which will break down. The key is to remain as calm as possible and communicate. Think ahead of time about what you will do if a breakdown or emergency happens, and adjust as the situations warrants. Kevin Kelly has been involved in decorated apparel for more than 34 years. He opened his current business, Blue Heron Industries Inc., in Little Falls, N.J,. in 2006. For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Kevin at kkelly@ goblueheron.com or visit goblueheron.com. impressionsmag.com 70 Impressions | October/November 2012 http://www.goblueheron.com http://www.impressionsmag.com/infoaction http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - October/November 2012

Impressions - October/November 2012
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conference
Embracing Digital Technologies
DTG vs. Dye Sublimation
Digital Products Preview
High-Performance Fashion Yields a Technical Edge
How To Sell More With Every Order
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Production
Online Directory
Screen Printing Technique
Digital Decorating
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - October/November 2012