The responsibilities for the management of a product decoration business are much like those for any other. There are still the same seven departments of the business: marketing, operations management, human resources & legal, accounting, finance, information technology, and management. However, beyond the traditional structure of a business, the product decoration industry offers some unique challenges for management. Due to the wide array of product decoration techniques a comprehensive understanding of the decoration industry is essential. When starting a product decoration business it is a good idea to focus on one or two decoration processes. There are many processes to choose from, but pick those that you are most familiar or comfortable with. If you want to offer other decoration processes to your customers, then you can outsource many of them while still making a profit.
Outsourcing decoration processes is a good way to cut down on payroll costs, which can be prohibitive for a new business. Direct screen print equipment can be expensive, but due to the low unit-cost purchasing screen-printed products is fairly inexpensive. Many popular product decoration websites, like DiscountMugs.com, even offer white-labeling services and drop-shipping to customers. This means that they produce the product, but ship it directly to the consumer with your brand on the packaging and shipping materials. It is still possible to make a tidy margin when outsourcing products, and you save on the time, money, and hassle of producing in-house.
The major disadvantage to outsourcing product decoration is that you lose control of the quality of the product. This is not to say that outsourcing will naturally result in lower quality, but when you produce a product in-house you have control of every step of the process. In any industry it is important to produce a quality product, but it is especially important in the product decoration industry. Online reviews are now a fact of modern business, and on sites like Etsy, Amazon, or Ebay (where many decoration businesses sell their wares) they have a direct impact on sales. The customer’s voice is more easily heard now than ever before, so it is wise to listen to what they have to say. When forecasting and planning, their purchases should provide a fairly clear picture of what products have appeal and which ones are lacking. After all, the reason businesses exist is to fill a need, and if your business is not satisfying a customer’s needs, then it will struggle to succeed.
The product decoration industry is in many ways heavily influenced by trends. What is popular today may not be in demand next year, so it is important to stay in touch with your consumer base. T-shirts will always sell, but the designs, fabric, and specific fits or cuts will evolve over time. Due to this instability within the market product decoration business managers must perform a balancing act between the company’s present state and its future. Attempting to predict trends can leave a business in a precarious situation. So, when forecasting and planning for the future, it is wise to focus on those parts of your business that are constants. Depending on seasonal sales, or inconsistent products, can leave the business short on capital. If your business is dependent on seasonal production, then it must be planned around that. For instance, seasonal hiring may be necessary to avoid excessive overhead in leaner times. Payroll costs are typically the business’s largest expense, so finding ways to cut down on them can be a major boom to the bottom line.
Planning is especially important when it comes to operations management. If your business produces multiple decoration processes in-house or sells seasonal products, then it can be difficult to maintain a consistent level of labor for your employees if they have specialized skills sets. Having a workforce capable of performing multiple duties (utility players) will give the business great flexibility when planning. While such flexibility can be an asset, it is also a unique challenge from a management standpoint. Encouraging teamwork and a sense of camaraderie will go a long way towards motivating employees. A major part of being a leader is providing a good example for your employees, so working closely with them and being open to input will foster a sense of responsibility in them. That responsibility and commitment is reinforced when the employee feels they are a “part of the team.” An open and inclusive workplace will likely lead to more reliable and more accountable employees.
Another reason having a versatile workforce is important is that, while day-to-day activities will dominate a typical work day, there are almost always future-focused projects that need to be completed. The forecasting and planning that management performs must be realized through project management. A good manager will be able to account for the various skill sets of their labor and how to best divide their time between present and future projects. Strategic planning is an extremely important skill for a manager to master, and doing so will allow them to effectively and efficiently plan for the future while still staying on top of present tasks.
Managing a product decoration business is a time-consuming occupation. Keeping up with the latest trends and industry news while operating the business can be a challenge. In addition to worrying about changes in the market, a product decoration manager must juggle the responsibilities of daily operations and planning for the future. As a result of the fact that product decoration managers are being pulled in so many directions, effective organization of the business is paramount. Logical organization will make time and project management easier, and afford the manager time to do their job: managing employees and the business. A product decoration business manager has to wear many hats, and that can be difficult. However, a well-organized business will somewhat run itself, and with less intervention required, management can focus more on other parts of the business than daily operations.
