July 2004 e-newsletter
www.DWCONLINE.com

This newsletter is sponsored by Trimland (http://www.trimland.com) and Shutter Smart (http://www.shuttersmart.com)

October Is Industry Safety Month
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are again joining forces to declare October National Window Covering Safety Month.

The month-long, nationwide campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness of cord-safety concerns and to urge parents with young children to repair or replace pre-2001 corded blinds, shades and draperies with today’s safer products. The WCSC is urging all those involved in the window coverings industry to participate. The Council will provide news releases and feature stories for the print and broadcast media, a special safety-month page on the WCSC Web site and cooperative promotional efforts with safety, health and housing groups. More information will be included in the September and October issues of Draperies & Window Coverings magazine, or contact the WSCS at: (800) 506-4636, or www.windowcoverings.org.

Industry News
Conrad Window Coverings, San Francisco, CA, has named Carol Bertao CEO. She formerly was Vice President of Sales and Product Development. Bertao brings “extraordinary” experience, knowledge and sensitivity to her new role, according to a company statement.

It’s All About Workrooms
The Eighth Annual Custom Home Furnishings Educational Conference and Trade Show is just around the corner (August 4 to 8 in Greenville, SC, and September 28 to October 3 in Philadelphia, PA.

The growth of this show illustrates the interest in pursuing custom workrooms as career. This month, we look at a workroom’s top priorities: setting quality standards, believing in and motivating oneself and finding education and help on (where else?) the Internet.

Workroom Quality Standards
In past generations, the methods of workroom fabrication were handed down within a business from one employee to the next with little sharing of knowledge between businesses. All too often, quality was something one learned largely by trial and error. Thank goodness this situation is changing, writes Kitty Stein. Establishing you own custom quality rules will enable you to maintain and grow your business into higher end markets with greater profit potential.

I Am a Professional
It is as important to learn as much as we can about the mechanics of making window treatments, but we won’t get very far, says Cheryl Strickland, if we lack self confidence. Strickland offers some of the top motivational audio and video tapes to help.

Just a Click Away
These days workroom education and the Internet go hand-in-hand. Thanks to Web technology, pursuit of higher education, training and quality workmanship has never been easier. Two online programs in particular highlight these efforts.

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