Today, we are excited to introduce our Purple Wise Partner, Artisan Window Fashions – located in Orlando, Florida.
The Purple Wise Spot represents the highest level of sponsorship and offers maximum exposure to our community. If you believe your company could benefit from this partnership, please visit our program page for more information.
The Wise Partners program was created with two main objectives in mind:
1- Introducing exceptional companies that already offer outstanding products and services in our industry to our readers. As you may know, I entered this industry from a completely different background. To differentiate myself from my competitors, I learned about new products and services to provide unique solutions. The Wise Partners program aims to do just that by bringing you ways to enhance your market presence.
2- The second aspect of the Wise Partners program is sponsorship. By charging companies to showcase their products and services to our community, we generate revenue to sustain our operations. Believe it or not, our company also has bills to pay (imagine that!). Instead of increasing prices to compensate, we utilize the Wise Partners program to subsidize our classes, ensuring that our students don’t accumulate significant debt for their training. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Spotlight: Artisan Window Fashions
Artisan Window Fashions has been in business for over 25 years, starting as a small textile shop in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2018, they expanded their operations with a second facility in Orlando, Florida.
They specialize in producing high-quality interior and exterior products, including drapery hardware and drapery panels. What sets Artisan apart from larger manufacturers are their unique solutions, such as remote-controlled blinds that tilt and lift, among other impressive products, and expertise in automation brands such as Somfy, Vertilux, and ReLion among others.
I personally visited both facilities and witnessed a clean and organized operation. In fact, they have become my go-to source for all my products in the Florida area.
To learn more about Artisan, I encourage you to give them a call at (407) 853-2784 or visit their website.
Now, let’s recap the IWCE conference:
Last week, I attended and taught at the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE) in Grapevine, Texas. As someone who enjoys learning and networking, I may be a bit biased, but I thought it was an awesome event. I want to share a few key takeaways from the conference in case you were unable to attend:
1- Embrace continuous learning: The conference offered dozens of classes and seminars covering various aspects of the industry, including product specifics, selling techniques, installation and marketing. To give you an idea, my drapery class had over 30 students. As professionals, there is always room for improvement in one or two areas of our business.
2- Explore outdoor products: There were dozens of companies displaying them at the show. If you are looking to expand your business, consider exploring outdoor products such as awnings and exterior shades. While opportunities may be more abundant in Southern states, outdoor products can be a lucrative source of income if you invest time in learning about them.
3- Engage with industry associations: As the national president of the Window Coverings Association of America – WCAA (they are a Wise Partner too!), I witnessed a great interest from many attendees in joining our association. Being part of something bigger than yourself has numerous benefits, including creating friendships, accessing webinars, group health insurance, and enjoying industry partner discounts. I encourage you to check it out here. Don’t be a loner!
Thank you once again for being part of this fantastic community. If you have any questions about today’s newsletter, please don’t hesitate to reach out. As you know, our goal is to make this space a platform for sharing knowledge with everyone in the industry.
Until next time,
Roger Magalhaes
Chief Owl Installer