Impressions - March 2025 - 41

appreciate all the support. Yet at the end of
the day, it's up to me to make sure Casual
Rags is successful. "
She went on to say, " Exceptional customer
service is also very important to us. I want our
customers to be happy and love the products
we provide. This goes for the individual who
bought a decorated T-shirt off the rack or
the large corporation for whom we ship
out orders to agents all across the country.
" Quality is also very important. These three
things-experience, exceptional customer
service, and high-quality apparel and decoration-are
the keys to Casual Rags being
successful for nearly three decades. "
Branching Out
According to Baker, word-of-mouth has
long been her company's primary marketing
strategy. " When my customers are happy,
they continue to come back. More importantly,
they tell their friends, family, business
partners, and so on. "
Baker is also a big believer in " shop local. "
To this end she supports the businesses in
her community whenever she can. She also
encourages her local community to use her
business in a creative way and works with
the local educators.
The other marketing strategy Baker implements
is the creation and use of company
stores for some of their customers. Because
Casual Rags focuses on businesses as the
primary customers for their embroidery
and apparel decoration services, the company-store
marketing strategy offers an efficient
customer-centric solution that puts
products and services right in the hands of
customers on their smart phones.
For those not familiar with them, a company
store is an online portal targeting a
specific group by allowing them to order
the products they want in advance and select
their own designs. Each company store offers
as many or as few products as the customer
desires. Once the initial decisions are made,
the company store website is created, and
a custom URL is provided to the customer.
Each store can be opened and closed
whenever it makes the most sense, creating
opportunities for customers or employees
to place all their orders after which Casual
Rags does the necessary decorating.
" Offering custom online store capabilities
has been pivotal for our growth, " Baker said.
" This has allowed us to do seasonal popup and
ongoing stores for construction and design
companies, contractors, sports teams, clubs,
retirement communities, restaurants, family
reunions, technology companies and even
national insurance companies. "
Baker believes having patience, being
organized, creatively solving problems and
March 2025
P.41
always learning are some of the skills most
important for running your own business.
" This is basically a one-woman shop. As I
am the one doing the embroidery, I quality
check each garment and decoration. If
something isn't right, it doesn't go out the
door, " Baker explained.
Reaching out for help is another important
skill, Baker said. " I don't know how many
times we emailed or called NNEP [National
Network of Embroidery Professionals] with
questions so I could handle the order, " she
noted.
According to Bakers, time management
represents yet another challenge.
" This is still challenging, even after all
these years, " she said. " Seems like I never
have enough time to do everything I want
to do! Social media, marketing, setting up
a cute retail space, developing a specialty
line, keeping up on paperwork and filing.
There is always something to do and rarely
enough time. "
At the same time, Baker said, " This business
has also offered me the flexibility to be
available for my family. With no set hours, I
tell my customers I am always available by
appointment. My email and phone number
are right on the door. If they want to reach
me, the information is right in front of them. "
Embracing the Future
Most of Casual Rags' business comes from
established or new companies that already
have their logo. Some of their best markets are
insurance companies, financial institutions,
manufacturers, contractors and government
agencies. Baker said when it comes to spirit
wear for schools and the local college, she is
also always on the lookout for inspiration,
whether she's out and about or online. She
especially keeps a eye out for unusual design
placements that she can adapt and tweak,
making her designs unique and on-trend.
Interestingly, when Baker's mom and
grandmother started the business, embroiLogoed
items create unity, promote a business or
organization, help a team or ogranization look good and
offer a sense of pride. Photo courtesy of Casual Rags
dery was seen as expensive. Now embroidery,
in addition to being more affordable,
is recognized as being a great value, due to
the fact it lasts longer and looks professional.
Indeed, the business has come a long way
from the old days, from hand cutting and
freehand stitching on traditional sewing machines
to using multi-needle machines and
materials that allow embroidery to work well
in many more situations. Technology has also
allowed her company to reach customers
they never could have otherwise.
One bit of advice Baker would share with
anyone thinking about getting into this industry
is, " I was taught to tell the truth. Still
the best advice. I don't overpromise. "
Beyond that, Baker says, " I really enjoy all
the different aspects of owning and running
Casual Rags. I enjoy the variety of projects
that I work on, from large orders of 500 shirts
to a single baby blanket and everything in
between. I enjoy meeting with the customers,
working with them to determine their
needs are and delivering what they want. We
continue to offer more and more on-line
stores for businesses, and that has been an
excellent solution for us.
" I also like the ability to help customers
decide what they want, finalize the logo, take
care of the embroidery, and see everything
through from start to finish. The company
had a fabulous start thanks to my mom. To
carry on this legacy-this love of helping
customers look and feel good in their logoed
apparel-is such a wonderful way to honor
my grandma's and my mom's story. " 
As the founder of the National Network of Embroidery
Professionals (NNEP), Jennifer Cox has worked with
thousands of embroidery- and decorated-apparel business
owners to help them build successful businesses
for over the past 25 years. NNEP supports members
with services, savings and programs designed to
help its members find customers, keep customers
and make money. To find out more, or share any of
the challenges your own company me currently be
experiencing, go to NNEP.com.
http://www.NNEP.com
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