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What's included in this month's newsletter:
📊 June poll results: product pricing
💼 July poll: business support groups & organizations
📰 Updates from NIFDA members
🎉 Welcome TWO new members!
🌱 Membership referral contest for 2023–2024
✨ Member spotlight: Columbia Flag & Sign Company
🌵 Convention sneak peak video; show and tell!
🗳️ Cast your ballot (ASAP, please)!
💻 Next roundtable: August 10th
🏛️ H.R. 8290 update
📖 Online benefits for NIFDA members
Please note: this newsletter may get clipped in your inbox. If this happens, you can simply click "View entire message" at the bottom to view the entire email.
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Monthly Poll Results + New Poll | |
June Poll Results – Product Pricing
How frequently do you evaluate your current profit margin?
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What is the frequency at which your business marks down items? | |
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Other Responses:
- Seldom
- Rarely
- Quarterly or semi-annually
- When we have overstock
- We have traditionally offered a Spring Promo based on Volume Discounts
- Discounts provided for veterans and local non-profit organizations, as inventory levels permit
- No set time frame but it is ongoing and I have a bargain basement page on the website
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Do you offer bulk pricing to customers? | |
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If yes, on which items and/or for which customers do you offer bulk pricing?
- U.S. flags, state flags, military flags, custom flags, stick flags
- Most any item purchased in bulk
- US flags when customer requests it usually villages or non profits.
- Items: US Flags, Custom Flags, Flagpoles Customers: All
- We offer a 5% discount for 10 or more poles - single shipment going to single location
- all items, case by case
- depends on overstock inventory available at time of sale.
- US Flags
- It can be on any item and for any customer. But it needs to be on my terms: NO RUSH JOBS; there is an old saying. You can have it cheap, you can have it fast, you can have it done right Pick any two of those. They need to get one piece in their hand first. I will take back one item but not a bulk quantity. Sale is final, non returnable, non refundable. The requirement prevents "I didn't know it is that big" or "I thought it was something else"; CASH discount meaning prepay by check and no credit cards. I'll accept the check as cash. Clearly the cash requirement does not apply to solid customers that we invoice. Also, the bulk pricing gets cheaper for stuff I keep a lot of, say 3x5' Nylon US flags.
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🚨 NEW POLL 🚨
Business Support Groups & Organizations
Would you please take a few minutes to anonymously contribute to the discussion?
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Annin Flagmakers
- Demand continues but we continue to increase capacity at all factories. Most US flags in sizes 6x10 and smaller are in stock, as are most state, international, armed forces and historical flags.
- Custom continues to be very strong and shipments are about 2 weeks ARO.
Eagle Mountain Flag & Flagpole
- StarGazer Stocked in all color options, ships 48-72 hours
- Summit Universal Flagpole Truck Assembly - Stocked in all color options, single pulley and double pulley, ships 24-48 hours
- The Flag Sentinel - Stocked in all lengths and pole diameter options, ships 24-48 hours
- RePatriot Flags - 3x5 through 6x10 in US and Texas in stock, ships 24-48 hours
J.C. Schultz Enterprises, Inc. / FlagSource
- FlagSource has deep inventories on US Flags. We have 3x5' US Nylon up to 40x80' US Nylon in Stock. We also have 3x5' US PolyExtra up to 30x60' US PolyExtra in Stock.
- FlagSource has great inventories on State and Military flags also. The inks we use have the highest UV colorfastness available. Our flags will not fade as quick as others.
- Custom flag business is still very strong for FlagSource. The quality of our custom flags is truly amazing. Deep bright colors make our custom flags best in class. Give us a shot. Send your orders to orders@flagsource.com.
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Tidmore Flag & Banner
- We had the honor of doing a golf fundraiser to raise money for DTOM Veterans Ranch in June. We raised them over $11,000. Check out the video here.
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All members are invited to share relevant news and updates in the monthly newsletter. Participation is optional.
You may submit your news and updates using the button below at any time. Form entries will be accepted until noon on the 14th of every month, unless otherwise noted (example: you can submit entries to be included in next month's newsletter any time between now and the 14th of next month).
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L. Ph. Bolander & Sons/ Bolander Flagpoles (D)
Larry Bolander
1355 Evans Ave
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 648-5611
www.bolanderflagpole.com
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Montana Flag and Pole (D)
Olivia and Michael Tooley
519 N. Sanders St.
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 442-3359
www.flagandpole.com
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Membership Referral Contest | |
Announcing... NIFDA Newcomers, a Member Referral Contest | |
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Have you benefitted from NIFDA membership? Now is the time to share the opportunity with other flag dealers and suppliers! Imagine the possibilities of more resources, expertise, and growth if each member recruited just one new business to join NIFDA this year!
You may be asking “What’s In It For Me?”
- Dealers – for each new member you recruit, receive $50 off the 2023 convention registration fee; recruit more to save more!
- Manufacturers – recruit 5 new members and your company will receive recognition at a higher convention sponsorship level!
- The Winner – The member business that recruits the most new members will be announced and recognized at the 2023 convention.
Rules & Eligibility: All active NIFDA members are eligible to participate and there is no limit to the number of new members you can recruit. Referral credits will be awarded when the current member’s information is provided at the time of application/dues payment. A new member is defined as a Dealer, Manufacturer, or Associate member who is brand new to NIFDA or non-renewing for the previous two years. The contest ends on July 4, 2023.
Someone once invited you to join NIFDA… now is your chance to pass it on! Who do you know that could benefit from NIFDA membership? Invite them to become a NIFDA Newcomer today!
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Columbia Flag & Sign Company – Almost 40 years!! | |
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So here’s the funny part. Around 1982, I was 14 years old and I always checked the mail at our home. I started noticing my dad, Jim Mcgehee, was receiving more and more flag catalogs from around the country. I finally asked him why he was getting them and I got the stern reply, “I just like flags, ok!”… I thought that was interesting since we never really flew a flag on our house. One year later, he called a family meeting and told us he was leaving his full time job managing a tractor trailer parts house and was starting a flag store! So of course my immature 15 year old mind had to make a smart comment. I said “flag store, who does that, you’ll go broke in a year!!”. Well, almost 40 years later here I sit owning one of the largest flag companies in the country!! I guess my dad got the last laugh!
We started in a very small retail shop. Dad decided to keep his job for a while and found a neighbor to run the store. She made arts and crafts to sell so he gave her a part of the shop to sell her goods and paid her a small salary. It worked out well enough that my dad quit his job within a year and went full time selling flags. We quickly moved to a larger space, then another larger space.
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I was in law enforcement for a while, then worked as a private investigator in Atlanta, GA. My dad asked me for years to come work for him but I wasn’t interested at the time. Finally, in 1998, my wife and I decided to move back to Columbia, SC, and I thought I would try it out. Everything went well. I managed the store for years until he retired in 2011 and have been the sole owner since then. | |
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As a company, we have two divisions. For our flag division, we have a fairly large retail space where we sell decorative, collegiate flags, etc. However, most of our business is commercial b2b. We also install and service flagpoles in-house. In our sign division, we have large format printers to print on all sorts of materials. We make and install indoor and outdoor signs including banners, sign faces, trade show displays, vehicle wraps and graphics, etc. We also have cnc routers to cut signs to shape.
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We recently have started a side business named Kifton Marine where we use the cnc routers to custom cut eva foam for boat decking. We use software to custom measure each boat, then cut and install the floor decking. That part of the business is taking off!
All that being said, we have been a big part of the flag industry for almost 40 years and have loved every minute of it. We have some very loyal customers we consider part of our flag family and they make doing business easy. Don’t get me wrong, we have our challenges, especially in this economy, but we stay strong and try to output the best customer service possible. That seems to come back to help us. We also rely on our awesome manufacturers and business contacts/friends we have made through being an active part of NIFDA. I really can’t say enough about the lifelong friends I have made through NIFDA. I lean on them quite often!
In parting, I would like to ask a favor. I would like everyone in the flag industry that knows my dad, Jim McGehee, to know he is turning 80 years old this August 5th. He is still in great health and enjoying his retirement. I am throwing him a surprise party on his birthday and if you would like to send him a note I can give him at the party, he would really appreciate that! He asks all the time about different people he knew in the flag industry.
Please send the notes to my attention to our business at 633 Meeting Street, West Columbia, SC, 29169. Or, you’re welcome to email a note to me and I’ll print it out for him.
Sincerely,
David McGehee
President, Columbia Flag & Sign Company
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One of the most valuable benefits of being a NIFDA member is the gift of having flag friends all the over the U.S.! Help us get to know each other by using the Member Spotlight Form below to share your story: | |
State of the Flag Industry
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Bring your questions and concerns to this diverse session in which manufacturers will answer burning questions, the Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) will provide timely updates, and we will have a show and tell from dealers about special projects and awards.
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NIFDA members have a wealth of business knowledge and flag industry experience, and the Annual Convention offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, discover best practices, and spark inspiration. We'd love for NIFDA to be a part of that!
Members are invited to share impressive, challenging, and/or unique jobs, projects, and accomplishments and/or tips, tricks, and tactics that have impacted your business operations and/or bottom line and could be easily adopted by fellow flag dealers.
Learn more here.
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We're less than 90 days away! Don't get left out!
Get registered and book your flights + hotel room ASAP!!! Airline prices are going up and the discounted room block is filling up quickly!
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Remember to VOTE!
The Betsy Ross Award recognizes an active member of NIFDA who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the association, the flag industry, fellow NIFDA members, and/or their community.
For example, a member may be deserving of the award for overcoming obstacles in their business or personal life to become a successful flag dealer, for efforts to bring attention to the flag industry, for efforts to pass legislation affecting the U.S. flag or the flag industry, or efforts to gain visibility for themselves or their business as it relates to the flag industry.
Please note: Board members and individuals who have previously received this award are not eligible.
🗳️ Click to Select your TOP THREE members
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Please note: the July 20th roundtable has been canceled. | |
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Can Traditional Marketing Options Still Work?
Thursday, August 10, 2023 | 2:00pm CDT
Wondering if traditional options still work? The Ad Pros will be revealing statistics and trends of traditional media advertising so you can better weigh your options. And if you're curious about all the marketing options out there, we'll also be learning the pros and cons of advertising via traditional avenues like TV, radio, direct mail, and outdoor signage as well as digital options like streaming audio, YouTube, and social media.
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H.R. 8290 Update (now H.R. 4137) | |
Create Your NIFDA Account | |
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If you have not already done so, creating an account for the members-only website enables you to view our membership directory, read past newsletters and industry flag news, listen to previous virtual roundtable recordings, and access other member announcements.
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Go to the member sign up page HERE
- Click the "Create Your Account" button
- Enter contact information on website
- Check your inbox for welcome email
- Save email for future reference
- Click link in your email to access or "Member Log-In" at the bottom of the NIFDA website
Questions? Simply hit 'reply' on this email! 🙂
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The NIFDA members only Facebook group serves as an online forum for selling excess inventory, finding products or services, posting job opportunities, and connecting with fellow flag friends.
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Are you looking for a hard to find or specialty product? Then reach out to the NIFDA Dealer Network.
We send out Dealer Requests every Friday, or sooner if there is a tight deadline. Fill out the form here.
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