Dispatches from the wired world

August 1, 2010  |  Marketing

A checklist for making your e-mail more effective. By Richard Ensman By most accounts, e-mail has become the most prevalent form of business communication today. But because e-mail is so easy to prepare—a few clicks on the keyboard and a press of the “send” button—many e-mail…
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Bulletproofing your online business

July 1, 2010  |  Management

A cyber-security primer. By Joe Dysart Once the province of teenage boys spreading graffiti for kicks and notoriety, hacking today is done by organized, financially motivated gangs that need constant monitoring, according to researchers of a new in-depth study, “Security Threat Report: 2010,&r…
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The economics of fabric structures

July 1, 2010  |  Fabric Structures, Features, Management

Understanding the variables is the key to determining the cost of building a fabric structure. By Samuel J. Armijos, AIA The hardest part of designing and building a fabric structure is determining its cost. There are three major components to a fabric structure—steel, fabric and cables. Other…
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Ken Jacobs gets his company noticed

July 1, 2010  |  Features, Marketing, Perspective

Ken Jacobs combines custom innovation and targeted advertising strategies to generate sales. By Sigrid Tornquist “That’s always the challenge—keeping the phones ringing and customers coming in the door,” says Ken Jacobs, owner of Raymond Brothers Ltd. in London, Ontario, Canada. “We get re…
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3-D technology advances marine fabrication

June 1, 2010  |  Business, Features, Marine

Simplify and standardize fabrication methods with cutting-edge software and hardware tools. By Maura Keller In the world of technology, change is a constant. For the marine fabrication industry, technological advancements in the area of three-dimensional (3–D) software and hardware engineering…
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Fabric composites advances open new markets

June 1, 2010  |  Business, Features, Markets

Technological advances in fabric composites lead companies into new markets, and new opportunities in old ones. By Janice Kleinschmidt America3’s victory over Stars and Stripes to capture the 1992 America’s Cup did more than fuel widespread enthusiasm for yacht racing in the United State…
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Go green for the good of your business

June 1, 2010  |  Business, Features

Recycling and repurposing fabric will bring the satisfaction of doing what’s right— and boost your bottom line. By Jan Brenny Being ‘green’ is becoming a necessary part of doing business today. Operations of all sizes and across all industries are adopting business models tha…
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Making sense of health care reform

June 1, 2010  |  Management

What it really means to small businesses and their employees. By Mark E. Battersby The massive—and controversial—“Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010,” the two recently enacted health care refor…
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Jeff Viehmeyer takes a custom approach to business

June 1, 2010  |  Features, Management, Marine, Perspective

Jeff Viehmeyer balances quality, cost and time in a customized approach to customer satisfaction. By Sigrid Tornquist “Excessive perfectionism can strangle success. Every project has a correct balance between quality, cost and time—and you have to find the balance between them,” says Jeff Vieh…
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Avoiding the greenwash cycle

May 1, 2010  |  Business, Features

What certification really means to you and your customers. By Juli Case Sustainable. Eco-friendly. Green. Carbon footprint. These words, and the concepts behind them, have become commonplace in business today. Not only are they all over the popular media, but they now have a place in business plans …
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