From the Outside Looking In

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

No matter what size of decorated apparel business you own, hiring a consultant can improve your shop’s practices and boost the bottom line. April 16, 2010
By Greg Kitson, Contributing Writer

A management consultant can help with larger, strategic issues like developing a business and marketing plan, defining your customer base, data processing, and maximizing cash flow.

As an entrepreneur, you probably find it a bit difficult to take advice from others. After all, to this point, you’ve grown your business just fine by following your own instincts. However, even the savviest shop owner can only grow his decorating business so far before he needs professional help — I’m talking about a consultant, not a therapist (although the latter might not be a bad idea either). Many successful decorators have found that hiring a consultant can be a surefire way to take their businesses to the next level.

Consultants aren’t just for shops that are wrestling with problems; likewise, they’re not just for smaller or less-experienced shops either. In fact, our shop has been successful, but we still use consultants. For instance, we brought in a consultant who helped us hoop faster and more efficiently. As the saying goes, no man is an island, so even the best business people and decorators can use some outside assistance.

Also, even if your shop does have a particular problem that you want to address (and that you believe you could handle yourself), you may choose to get input from an outsider. After all, many shop owners don’t want to spend the time or energy to ferret out the cause of the problem. That’s a perfectly valid perspective; at least you’re addressing the problem rather than letting it continue to hamper your shop’s success.

Another good reason to consider a consultant: He can provide the third-party direction that employees need. After awhile, some employees tend to tune out their boss — but they’re more likely to pay attention to a new face and voice. However, it’s your job to make sure that new voice is presented as a knowledgeable resource to your staff.

Finding Consultants
Even in the relatively small world of decorated apparel, there are numerous consultants out there. In fact, there are as many types of consultants as there are types of problems. Basically, though, there are two types: management consultants and technical consultants. A management consultant helps you address larger, more strategic issues like who you are as a business, what you actually do vs. what your customers think you do, how to do it better, and so on.

A technical consultant offers expertise in areas such as production floor management, work flow, artwork and regulatory compliance. You also can find consultants who have expertise in both areas, allowing them to help you handle everything from setting up a shop — whether it’s in Hoboken or Honduras — to helping you purchase new equipment and getting the best price.

When choosing a consultant, remember that anybody can be an “expert” regardless of his actual knowledge base or skill set. Make sure you get positive recommendations from past clients or referrals from people you trust regarding a potential consultant.

Oftentimes, getting in touch with an industry consultant happens informally, via a friend of a friend, or through a connection you make at a trade show, for instance. When I get a phone call from a decorator looking for consultation, I first see whether he’s following an audit and review process. Then, if I learn that he’s having an ink problem, I direct him to ink suppliers. Likewise, if he’s having a problem with his equipment, he should consult with an equipment provider. The point is that our industry has extremely knowledgeable resources that are completely free and readily available—they’re called suppliers.

Defining Your Needs
Some shop owners need help with a specific problem, while others need consultation across multiple products and processes. For instance, they don’t just need help with their automatic presses; they need help increasing efficiency with their embroidery machines, their heat presses and their manual presses, and they need help in getting more productivity from employees. In other words, they need help improving their shop overall.

While you may want to bring in a consultant for any number of reasons, it’s always a good idea to specifically define the parameters of your relationship with him rather than simply leaving it open ended. For instance, is he going to help you build a marketing plan? Is he going to help you implement a computer-to-screen work flow? By specifically establishing expectations and defining the relationship with the consultant, you’ll both be in a better position to get the most out of it and to know what to expect. If you have a number of projects you want to tackle with the consultant, it’s a good idea to prioritize them and address them one at a time.

You also might bring in a consultant for a very specific reason. For instance, our shop brought in UPS consultants, at no cost to us, to address shipping. They came in for the better part of a day and watched our staff and interviewed them, asking why they performed tasks they way they did. UPS returned a week later with an eight-page report showing us how we could save time and money.

One problem they uncovered was that an employee at the end of the dryer was packing 100 shirts into two small boxes instead of one larger one, which meant we were paying unnecessarily high freight charges. That’s because one box is cheaper than two boxes, especially when you factor in the cost of tape, labeling and so on.

We also brought in two consultants, both at no charge, via our insurance company: an industrial hygienist, who made suggestions about wearing safety gloves, aprons, etc; and another consultant who evaluated our fire extinguishers, exit signage and so on. We even had a technical consultant from a forklift company train and certify our employees on using their machinery.

Everyone Needs Someone
Some decorators might assume that our shop wouldn’t need to use a business consultant. After all, we are an Impressions Top-Volume Decorator — a multimillion-dollar company that has been relatively successful. Still, having a consultant is helpful for businesses of any size. In fact, you’ll find that many leaders of extremely large companies (think Fortune 500) use business consultants as a sounding board and guiding force.

My current business consultant (the trendy term now is business or life coach) helps keep me in check and accountable for my business decisions. He helps me refocus my efforts and energy to make sure I’m concentrating on the right things, including my quality of life. He helps me discover my strengths and weaknesses, and makes suggestions where necessary. And, perhaps most importantly, he challenges my ideas and does not accept my excuses. Basically, in the same way that other types of consultants help you hold the shop and your employees accountable, a business consultant can hold you accountable.

Ultimately, hiring consultants is about admitting that while you may know a lot about the decorated apparel industry, there are others who know at least as much, if not more. And at a minimum, they have an outside perspective that’s different from yours. Giving your shop that expertise and perspective will go a long way in ensuring your ongoing success. Remember one last thing; you don’t know what you don’t know!

Greg Kitson is founder and president of Mind’s Eye Graphics in Decatur, Ind. For more information or to ask a question, contact Greg at greg@mindseyeg.com or visit mindseyeg.com.

Get It In Writing
Consulting is an intangible investment of the client and the consultant’s most valuable asset: time. You never get your time back once you’ve expended it so make sure you have a written mutual understanding with clear guidelines and goals. Above all else, this is a business relationship.

To avoid costly misunderstandings, make sure you know what is included in the consulting fee including upfront prep work, travel time and expenses, on-site expectations, follow-up written reports, phone or Web-based support, trade show shopping guidance, and when payments are due. A consultant is a hired gun for a specific purpose or project — he’s not your new best friend.

Need a consultant? Look no further than the Impressions Online Sourcebook. Visit our home page and click on “Buyer’s Guide” on the top navigation bar, or go directly to impressionsdirectory.com. You also can still view or download a digital reproduction of the 2009 Sourcebook print edition at impressionsmag.com/digitaledition.

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