Just last month I spent some time with a customer out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. You know, Cedar Rapids, the city that was underwater last year from a devastating flood that the Army Corp of Engineers said was impossible. Bimm Ridder Sportswear is one of many companies that, through tremendous perseverance, hard work and a little help from industry friends, is recovering from that tragedy. One year ago the entire production floor, including the presses and dryers, was completely underwater. Today they are rockin’ and rollin’. A wonderful story, indeed.

Making money is simple. To make money, we need to know the numbers, and then make the right choices. The first set of numbers to know are profit margin per piece, pieces per hour, and overhead. The relationship between these three numbers determines the profit or loss on an individual sale.

Knowing the big picture

It’s official! The recession will end in September. No joke. I read it in the USA Today. Evidently, something called the “Economic Outlook Index”—a composite of eleven forward-looking indicators, including a slightly-bullish stock market, the steepening interest rate yieldⁱ and a notable increase in orders for big-ticket durable goods used to build roads, buildings and machinery—points toward an upturn in the economy this fall, followed by a mild recovery.

Originally published as the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie’s Weekly with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” this portrait of Uncle Sam went on to become—according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg—“the most famous poster in the world.”

In fact, Flagg patriotically contributed forty-six works of art to the war effort in order to bolster the recruitment of citizen workers, soldiers and sailors for both world wars. One can only imagine what Uncle Sam saw in the faces of the men, women and children who gazed upon this poster back then. Was it determination? A readiness to serve? A confidence of victory over our enemies as long as we stick together?

Sure, your customers could be off to Vegas, Aruba or the French Riviera. Still, in these times of stressed economies, increasing fuel costs and abbreviated vacations, who is to say just how the traditional resort scene is going to fare? Instead, what say we focus on the “resort market” as we find it in our own neighborhoods? It doesn’t have to be a mega-hotel with thousand-dollar rooms; truly, the definition of “resort market” lies in the things people buy when they find themselves in a retail outlet, having been brought there for reasons other than routine shopping.

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A football T that looks good on and off the field. (Photo courtesy Kavio!) The mall! What a great hangout spot for so many teenagers. It provides a place for them to meet, socialize . . . and generate wardrobes that express their personal sense of fashion. What better place to find out what’s hot and what’s not, and to talk to this group of people who . . . like . . . live for fashion?

There’s no better opportunity than at a trade show to deal directly with vendors of everything from equipment to supplies to garments . . . and score some excellent bargains.

Tradeshows are a great opportunity for any business. But getting the most out of them is an art form. Let’s faceⁱ it, attending a trade show has its associated costs, in both money and time. But the opportunities are so attractive that making sure you get the most out of the experience can pay off significant dividends down the road.