Seated, from L to R: Mildred, Ira, Mary Lee, Allison. Standing, from L to R: Phillip, Paul, Charlie, Dennis, Bobby, Ina, Alan. Here’s a group photo from 1990. That’s the year I joined CustomXM; only then it was called Custom Printing Company, Inc. At that time, we didn’t have a fax machine, internet, or social […]
Sometimes we do things a little differently around here. So instead of a traditional company turkey-laden potluck before we take a couple of days off to repeat this process, we decided to go Mexican, buffet-style. We call it our Annual Mexican Thanksgiving Feast. If you are not thankful for tacos, cheese dip, taco soup, homemade salsa […]
Hi everyone — it’s Amy here. I’ve been doing some research lately on how to market with holiday gifts. I’ve been looking for ideas that are original, cost effective and memorable. Quite a few of the things I’ve found include a print element, so I thought I’d share some with you here. One cute idea […]
I recently moved into another office. After 20 years, I figured I was entitled to a change of scenery. As with any move, I was amazed at the junk I’ve accumulated over the years. Fortunately, I also stumbled across some treasures as well. One of these was an envelope that contained samples from a job […]
Hey everyone — Amy here. I’m blogging the Integrating Media conference. Think of this blog post as glorified note taking. I’m trying to type as fast as I can and jot down the key points, and I’m going to hit “publish” soon after the conference is over. Let’s get started… Change is inevitable! If it […]
We run a lean operation. People are often surprised to learn that we employ only 12 full-time team members. We try not to over-hire, and when we lose a staff member, we don’t immediately replace that position. I do realize that this can be counter-intuitive if our goal is to grow the economy. But let’s […]
As a manufacturer of custom designed and printed products, I’d like to tell you that every job we produce is completed on time, flawlessly, and without any stress. I’d be lying, but I’d still like to tell you that. Not all jobs go as planned, and yes, sometimes they are due to our own mistakes. […]
One of the perks of working in a family owned business is the opportunity to work daily with my parents. Okay, they only come in twice a week, and we hardly ever see each other, but still. Dad still does quite a bit of the estimating and reviews our equipment needs. Mom handles the payroll […]
Hey everyone, it’s Amy here. First, I have to say thanks to Paul for his awesome introduction. Yes, I’m blonde, and yes, I’m bossy. Those things may be part of my brand, but honestly, it’s not a contrived act. That’s why I really appreciate Paul and his willingness to work with someone like me, who’s a […]
Having recently returned from a national trade conference, I’m determined to put into action some of the “take-aways” from that event. But I often find myself time-challenged in doing this. So that’s when I consider delegating certain tasks. The term “delegation” sometimes gets a bad rap. The book ReWork warns that “with a small team, you […]
