The Thomas Blog

3 Tips To Grow Your Manufacturing Business

The manufacturing industry is going through a revival, and now may be the perfect time to think about growing your business.

There’s a lot to be considered when deciding whether or not to expand your business, like if you have enough employees to take on new work, if you can afford to hire more employees or pay current workers overtime, if you’re in a good position to get loans or credit, and where you can even find new clients.

If you decide to take the leap, consider these tips to help you get started and tackle common challenges along the way.

5 Things Industrial Buyers Are Evaluating You On Right Now

Today’s industrial buyers prefer to research suppliers online in order to create a shortlist of potential partners. If you want to have a chance of winning the business, you need to be sure you are on that shortlist. That's why it is so important to make the right first impression online. But how?

Start by focusing on these five things that buyers are evaluating you on right now.

5 Procurement Strategies For Small And Mid-Sized Businesses

Small business owners wear many hats, and a multitude of demands (staffing, financing, inventory management, marketing, and customer service) quickly consume their time, focus, and daily operations. As a result, procurement tends to be an afterthought — when it should be approached strategically.

Small businesses spend between 45 and 65 percent of sales revenue on procurement of inputs.  Therefore, procurement should be considered a viable opportunity to reduce costs and improve efficiency. 

How to Grow Your Business Through Non-Traditional Hiring

When you’re building your team, you want to find the candidates that will contribute most to the company. Thinking “outside the box” will bring you to the most qualified and hardworking individuals. (The phrase may be cliché, but the resulting actions aren’t.)

How Business Credit Affects Your Supply Chain

Your supply chain is similar to a line of standing dominos, if one piece goes down, it could cause a chain reaction and take all the other pieces down with it.

I Think E-Commerce Is A No-Brainer, But Not Everyone Agrees.

These days, most of the items my family purchases are delivered to our doorstep. It’s simply become an easier way to keep us flush with household products, as two working parents juggling free time against patience (or impatience) with the in-store experience.

5 Things to Consider When Creating a Water Reuse or Treatment Plan for Your Business

Water is critically important for daily business operations, but do you realize how vulnerable your company is without a process water reuse or discharge plan in place? Implementing an efficient treatment process will create value and growth for your business. No matter your industry there is a treatment technology for your effluent that is safe, reliable, cost effective and compliant.

Don’t Let The Purchase Of New Equipment Drag You Into A Sinkhole

A common misstep among less-seasoned manufacturers is overleveraging themselves on new equipment in the well-intentioned effort to increase capacity. As veteran shop owners know, investing in new equipment can actually be a risky move and be a hindrance to your goals if administered incorrectly.

Grow Your Business By Diversifying

Diversifying your business and expanding into new markets can open up new revenue streams while making you less dependent on a single customer or industry.

However, expanding into new markets often requires a lot of time and a lot of money, and many shop owners are reluctant to make that commitment. In addition, when business is good, expansion can seem like a luxury rather than a necessity, and it quickly drops to the last item on a to-do list.