Why Face-to-Face Meetings Still Matter to Us



Behind the Scenes Tradeshow with ECHOTape from ECHOtape on Vimeo.

When Stanley Edelstein started ECHOtape 45 years ago, he did so with the firm belief that authentic relationships with our customers would set us apart.  That core belief still holds true, even in the “tweet me, text me” digital era.  In fact, we would argue that face-to-face interactions are more valuable than ever. Direct human contact fosters trust in a way that emails cannot, often leading to solid, long-term relationships  —the most important factor to growing any business.

Which is why we continue to invest heavily in industry trade shows.  It’s the one place where we can meet lots of customers and prospects, and genuinely spend time  getting to know them, especially in an informal setting.

“It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, we’re all just in the people business. There’s no direct message as powerful as a handshake,” says Director of Marketing Risa Edelstein. “Regardless of how tech-savvy we become, connecting in person is still the most valuable way to learn about our customers and see their tape challenges first hand.”

Last fall, we filmed a little behind the scenes video of our team at Greenbuild. (It’s linked at the top of the post!) We think it gives you a great idea of who we are and why we love tape.

We will be at a number of trade shows in 2018, including the International Builders’ Show in Orlando January 9-11.  Come visit our booth, , and share your biggest business challenge. You never know how tape might be able to help.

Where’s the best place to connect with you this year? Share it with us and we’ll do our best to see you there. 


With A Grateful Heart…

Each holiday is a time of generosity, compassion, and giving.  And as many of you already know, rather than sending cards or battling hectic shopping malls for gifts, we here at ECHOtape choose a charity that we believe betters the lives of children and families in need.  We’ve been blessed to donate generously to The Special Olympics, The Children’s Wish Foundation, Free the Children,  The One Drop FoundationPlan International’s “Because I Am A Girl” campaign, and last year,  AUTISM SPEAKS.

This year, more so than ever, tragedy has struck so many areas in North America that has left so many people homeless and their belongings devastated.  We have selected the Red Cross to benefit from our donation.

Founded in 1881, the country’s leading emergency relief and preparedness organization offers assistance, training, and preparedness services to hundreds of millions of people each year. And every 8 minutes the Red Cross responds to some emergency, working tirelessly to deliver relief to victims of disasters and  emergencies.  Learn more at redcross.org

May 2018 be a year of successful results for the many existing organizations that work to help those in need. Meanwhile, the team at ECHOtape wishes you a very Happy Holiday Season, and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.


Health & Wellness in the Workplace — Where Do We Start?

Where to Start with Workplace Wellness | via TAPED, the ECHOtape blogAs we begin to look to 2018, I have been thinking a lot about wellness and what it means for me as I age. Not that I’m old, per se, but this year, so many friends and loved ones started battling serious illnesses. Cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, the list goes on. While I try and figure out how I stay well and balanced, I think it’s also important to explore the role of the employer plays. How do small businesses, like ECHOtape, help their employees deal with all of this? Is it as simple as a company wellness programs, or do we need to dive deeper?  How do company wellness initiatives translate to remote employees across North America?

I’m sure I’m not the only small business professional mulling this over, so here are some great resources I found online.  I’m still not sure what the answer is for us, but I’d love to hear what you are doing, both personally and professionally.

Fast Company highlights 3 key trends shaping the future of corporate wellness programs:  Data Integration (think FitBit);  Financial Need; and Child and Elder Care Resources.  The concept of adding elder care to our child care programs was of special interest.

From company weight loss challenges to lower health insurance deductibles, FitBit is playing an active role in corporate wellness. In fact, when BP AMERICA issued The Million Step Challenge, nearly 2,000 employees (out of 23,000) surpassed 2 million steps within a year. Employees who reached step goals earned points toward eligibility for a lower-deductible health plan.  I’d be inclined to wear my FitBit more often at work if it translated into lower health insurance costs, or other bonuses. Would you?

Forbes reports that with wellness programs on the rise, creativity and innovation are flourishing. To keep employee wellness initiatives fresh and exciting, the new year calls for more flexibility, greater emphasis on total well-being, healthier work environments and improved technology for work site wellness.

Of course, no matter what program initiatives you choose,  taking them from concept to reality is another issue all together.  This post by Small Business Trends provides a helpful outline, however, this post by INC.com has several helpful small budget ideas that I think small businesses would appreciate.  Start small and optimize as you go!

 

 


Rethinking Email

Tips to Manage Email | via TAPED, the ECHOtape blogMore than 100 billion e-mails are sent and received each day in the United States. And I’m pretty sure, all of them have landed in my ECHOtape inbox.  Not really, but it feels like it some days. So, recently  I changed the way I manage email in Outlook.

The goal is, or rather was, Inbox Zero.  Something I have yet to achieve.

Merlin Mann coined the phrase years ago, but it’s widely misunderstood. Instead, it’s become about having nothing left in immediate view.

Which isn’t the point, at all.  Here’s what it actually is, as defined by Mann:

“It’s about how to reclaim your email, your atten­tion, and your life. That “zero?” It’s not how many mes­sages are in your inbox–it’s how much of your own brain is in that inbox. Especially when you don’t want it to be. That’s it.” – Merlin Mann

So what is the best way to manage email today?  Turns out, there are a lot of opinions on the matter.

The Folder Method

In the old days, I used to manually put everything into subject folders, and leave anything that needed following up in my inbox. I easily ended up with 200-300 emails at one time, and as they built up, the pressure to address them mounted. Plus, I could not find anything.

I did recently find out that  you can set up filters that automatically route messages to their folder homes. For example, notifications from Facebook can go straight to a Social Media folder. (Gmail does this automatically, but you can set up a similar system with other e-mail services. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/organize-gmail-inbox-zero).   Once all e-mails of one type, like newsletters, are grouped in their own folder, you can delete them with one click. The number of folders that you work with and how you name them should depend on your needs.

Good in theory, but it just wasn’t working for me. Right now,  I keep everything in my inbox and rely on a good search tool and simply flag my to-dos.  It saves sooo much time, but my tasks are quickly building up.

Fast Company suggests limiting folders to five, and prioritizing by deadline.  I think my to-do approach is similar, but it’s an interesting concept. Have you tried it?

The Apps Method

Of course, there are apps for this, but I personally haven’t tried them. I rely so heavily on finding my emails, that I’m worried an app might accidentally delete something I need. Or do something I can’t undo.  Irrational, probably.   That said, this post by Zapier highlights 15 of the best email apps, and this post by Hubspot highlights 14 others.

I’m intrigued by Newton, which has all the function of Gmail, but with an Alexa skill. Say, “Alexa, ask Newton who just mailed me”, and Alexa can read you the email, archive or snooze it, then move on to the next email in your inbox.  Which could be handy for work commutes!!  Postbox and Spark also seemed to have some robust features that would be worth searching out.  And IFTTT, short for “If This Then That,” is an productivity tool that helps you connect the apps and devices you use every day with “if this, then that” statements — which they call “recipes.” For example, IFTTT can:

TAKE IT ONLINE

But you know what this research really taught me? How very little I know about Outlook, which is the mail program I’ve used for years.  However, thanks to a plethora of updates and new online and mobile interfaces, it’s much more robust than I suspected.

Outlook gives you a productivity heads-up display. Here you’ll find not just your email, but also your calendar, tasks, contacts, notes, and even RSS feeds all in a single interface. You can filter and search through everything together, to find a news update and a related email, then tie them together into a note that you add to next week’s appointment on your calendar. Between the online and app options, I can really customize it to fit my needs. Including a to do list.I am absolutely sure that Inbox by Gmail and Apple Mail have the same capabilities.  We just need to learn to utilize them.

ELIMINATE THE NOISE

Last, but not least, it’s time to eliminate the noise.  Two takeaways from this article by Forbes:

Rule #1, unsubscribe from email newsletters. Go to www.Unroll.me and you can easily unsubscribe from the newsletters you want to trash, and then it will consolidate the newsletters you want to keep into one big daily email.  And, Rule #2, turn off all email notifications.  Notifications interrupt your concentration, your work sprints, and your ability to be present and mindful during meetings and conversations. Whether you have an audible ding, a phone vibration, or a little window that pops up with every new email—turn it off.

What are your favorite email hacks? 


How to Hire Better With These 3 Questions

Hiring is one of the most important and critical tasks for any small business owner.  Roles are generally less defined in a small business and just about every position involves meaningful interaction with customers. After all, your business is only as good as your people.

But how do you know who the good people are? And how do you determine which candidates will perform to your expectations? Anyone can put on a good show for a few hours during an interview. What you want are people who will still be good next year.

For those reasons and more, the questions you need to ask a candidate before hiring them to join your small business are different than the ones you’d need to ask if you were hiring for a large company.  This interview with Tony Robbins really shed some light on the interview process.  Here are Robbin’s top questions:

1. Can they do this job extremely well? First and foremost, we want to hire someone who can do the job really well.

2. Will they continue to do the job extremely well long term?  What are the person’s goals, and are those goals in alignment with the actual position? We are proud to have built our company on the longevity of our employees, so being committed to the job long term and/or wanting to grow with the company long term are key assets.

3. Is it the right team fit?  The person can be an extraordinary performer, but if they don’t fit with the team, it can cause chaos. Fitting into ECHOtape culture is critical to our overall health.

There’s one more question that we always like to ask:  Why should we hire you?  This question is the perfect way to open things up and allow the person to show you what they bring to the table. Sometimes the most compelling qualities are hidden within the stories we tell.  A good hiring manager can pull those stories out as the conversation progresses and this question helps to accomplish that.  Plus, it’s an opportunity for them to display talents that you might not have thought to ask about during the interview.

What interview questions do you think are crucial during the hiring process? Do you have a unique hiring story to tell?

 

 


4 Top Tips from #Inbound17

It’s been a month since we returned to our desk from  HubSpot’s annual INBOUND Conference, and we’re still reeling.   Thousands of professionals in content, marketing, graphics and sales gathered in Boston for the annual event, which focuses on education, networking, and recognizing innovation.

Self-described as “an event that celebrates the human, helpful side of business,” INBOUND’s scope has widened far beyond  inbound marketing. Among this year’s keynote speakers were Pixar Animation Studio’s Ed Catmull,  best-selling author Brene Brown, pro-wrestler John Cena, and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

It’s more than a little overwhelming — 273 speakers across four floors and two buildings — but very exciting.

First, it’s important to note that as a company, we’ve been eyeing Hubspot as a marketing platform for a few years.  At ECHOtape, our goal continues to be providing customized and personalized service while building relationships with our customers.  More and more, marketing is aligning with those corporate goals, and tools like Hubspot allow us to connect to customers by leveraging new technologies. It’s a win-win.

So, now that we’re finally ready to join Team Hubspot as a corporate marketing tool, INBOUND was a great way to spend quality time with product engineers and ask lots of questions.  If you are considering it, make a note to attend the conference next year. You won’t be disappointed.

For those of you who weren’t there, or need a refresher, here are 4 key takeaways:

Video. In the digital world, we’re transitioning from static to full motion. This is partially because people don’t want to read about your products or services anymore; they want you to interact with them, to show them how your products work. Consider this compelling stat from one:  People are 144% more likely to buy after watching a video.

Artificial Intelligence. AI is going to be playing a huge role in our daily lives and in marketing, which is a little unnerving. If you want to know more,  this post is a fantastic resource.

Adopting AI technologies and marketing automation tools will alleviate repetitive, mundane tasks and help marketers work more effectively. But that’s not the point. It’s not about “us” –  it’s about better serving our customers and buyers. The key to leveraging these tools is to remember that our customers are human beings. It’s a simple concept that can be easily forgotten when adopting new technology and processes.

Sales Enablement.  There are a lot of marketing tools available right now. 5,000+ to be exact.  Consider this infographic:

It’s completely overwhelming.  How do you choose? Where to begin??  What’s important to keep in mind is aligning sales and marketing in such a way to meet you end goal. In our case, that’s building customer relationships.   Currently, the big buzz word is Sales Enablement, meaning give your sales team the knowledge, tools and content to deliver a more valuable buyer experience.  You can read more about the idea here.

The Leadership Challenge is an amazing framework for leadership but also for Sales.  There are five practices to the concept, but in her presentation which was based on research she just completed, Deb Calvert pointed out that the most important one for B2B business buyers is Enabling Others to Act, especially in this world of info overload.  We found this to be really practical,  so chances are pretty good that we’ll explore this idea in another blog post later this year.

All told, we’re still unpacking our notes and letting the experience sink in.  However, # INBOUND17 reinforced the idea that by better understanding ECHOtape’s customers’ wants and needs, we can use content to build meaningful connections.  In an ever-growing sea of information, your brand perspective, and experience, is the only way to truly stand out.


Don’t Just Sit There

 

Colon cancer. Insulin problems. Heart disease. Slowed brain function. Sitting is quite literally killing us,  at least according to this graphic by the Washington Post.

Given the nature of our increasingly computer-driven work environments, there is little that can be done to avoid sitting for most of the 8-10 hours we work in the office each day.  Unfortunately, research shows that extra-curricular trips to the gym — running the mornings before work or hitting up a post-office spin class — can’t undo the effects of a day spent on one’s behind.

That means the only available option is to reimagine our work environments. Here are a few ways you can avoid the dreaded effects of the insidious office sit-in:

Make a Stand.  Standing desks have been gaining popularity for several years, thanks to a collection of studies finding that working from an upright position may be better, metabolically. The workstations are often DIY, though commercially available desks are also a hit. The key is to make sure that the desk is at the appropriate height for you. According to Wired, it’s important to wear comfortable shoes and stand on a soft mat for added support. Men’s Health reported that you burn 40 percent more calories while standing than while sitting, but what’s more, you may be making profound changes to your endocrine system and blood lipid profile.

Walk It Out.  Taking regular walking breaks can help your circulation, working to counteract some of those problems. Reported Olivia Judson in the New York Times: A study of people who sit for many hours found that those who took frequent small breaks — standing up to stretch or walk down the corridor — had smaller waists and better profiles for sugar and fat metabolism than those who did their sitting in long, uninterrupted chunks. Try to take two breaks per hour, suggests Men’s Health. That means getting up for a glass of water, walking down the hall to visit coworkers or just doing a lap around the office perimeter.

Go Pomodoro.  ECHOtape writer, Heather Stalker, adapted the Pomodoro Technique to offset sitting. “I used to use Pomodoro to help me focus. I would work on one project for 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break before continuing that project or starting on another.  Now I use that 10 minutes to stretch, to get some water, or if I’m particularly stressed out, just some 10 minute focused breathing.  {Hooray for the Headspace App!}  I used to set my FitBit to go off once an hour as a reminder, but that was too easy to ignore. Now I set an obnoxious timer that I have to get up to reset.”

Herman Miller’s Live OS.  We love this option from Fast Company:  Imagine that you’re sitting at your desk, working on a spreadsheet. That’s when you feel a vibration in your hands. Then you see a subtly glowing light. And you realize it’s nearly noon, and you’ve been sitting all morning. So you touch the light and your desk automatically raises to standing level!  Live OS itself is an online platform: Its desks and chairs sync automatically with the cloud, thanks to built-in, encrypted cellular connections. How cool is that?

Think Outside the Chair.  Stability balls or Yoga Ball Chairs go in and out of fashion. Some studies say they are great; others, not so much.  Stalker likes to mix it up. “I switch between a chair and a stability ball throughout the day.  When one area starts to tighten or ache a bit, I move around.

Meetings on the Move.  Another way to easily add a bit of activity to an otherwise sedentary day is to move meetings from the conference room to the outdoors. Walking not only burns calories, but it will help you get outside for a dose of vitamin D and a different environment.

What do you do to offset the effects of sitting?? 

 

 

 


ECHOtape’s Top Book Recommendations

ECHOtape's Best Books for Business and Life | via TAPED, the ECHOtape blog

The most successful people didn’t get to where they are without a bit of sage advice along the way. Mentors, co-workers, and leaders all play a key role, but so do good old fashioned books. Whether its strategy, self-improvement, fiction or non-fiction,  the right book at the right moment can level the playing field and give you a crucial new outlook. We asked the ECHOtape team what their favorite books are, and here’s their response.

Risa Edelstein, Director of Marketing

  • Favorite business book: I have a few.  The Tipping Point  by Malcolm Gladwell is an oldie, but goodie. Great by Choice by Collins & Hansen. And, Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg.
  • Why these? I like books that make me think about doing my job differently, that challenge my way of thinking or that educate me about a better way to do something.
  • Favorite book of all time:  1,000 Places to See Before You Die because I love to dream and I love to travel.
  • Currently reading…  Inside the Box by Drew Boyd & Jacob Goldenberg

Kyle Beaulieu, Sales Manager

  • Favorite business book: The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton.
  • Why? It inspired me to save and invest for my future in a way I never thought before.
  • Favorite book of all time: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Patrice LaPlante, Account Executive

  • Favorite business book: The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer
  • Why?  It taught me to put the emphasis on Value instead of Price.  Also some advice on building relationships with customers.  In the end, the buyer buys the rep and the product, not only the product.
  • Favorite book of all time:  The Black Tower by Stephen King, and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
  • Currently reading…  The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

John Rose, Account Executive

  • Favorite business book: The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly.
  • Why?  The mutual investment between employers and employees needed for companies and individuals to succeed professionally and personally.
  • Favorite book of all time:  Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.
  • Currently reading…   1984 by George Orwell and Born to Run (autobiography) by Bruce Springsteen.

Elisa Quintero, Administrative Manager

  • Favorite business book: Deep Work by Cal Newport.
  • Why? It taught me how not to spread myself to thin, which I use at work and at home.
  • Favorite book of all time:   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
  • Currently reading…    Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Steve Underhill, Sales & Marketing Coordinator

  • Favorite business book: PSTC Directory and any tape manufacturers manual.
  • Why? It helped me become very knowledgeable and has helped me help with my career as “The” all around tape guy!!  Honestly, I don’t read very much, I learn most of what I know through experience although my new duties in marketing have me reading a lot more again.
  • Favorite book of all time:  All of the How to books for dummies.

Patricia Villeneuve, A/P Coordinator

  • Currently reading… I have been absorbed for quite a period of time now in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I am now reading the 7th book out of 8. I become so absorbed in the story that I really feel part of it.  My interest also lies there as my father and ancestors were Scottish.  It gives me a bit of a picture as to what they must have gone through during those very turbulent times, both in the “old” country and the new.

Heather Stalker, Writer/Editor

  • Favorite business book: You know what I really love? Magazines.  Fast Company, and Wired.  Oh! And Psychology Today can be really provocative.  But as far as classic books, Creativity, Inc.by Ed Catmull stands out, and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.
  • Why these? As a writer, reading is my job, so to be honest… reading business books feels like work.  The magazine format allows me to glean more information, faster.  When I do settle down with a good book, it’s to escape.
  • Favorite book of all time:  The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.  What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell.
  • Currently reading… My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl.  What is the Bible by Rob Bell.  

Dave Jugan, Account Executive

  • Favorite business book:.  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
  • Why? Because you learn, “It is not about you.”
  • Currently reading…  For sure, the Bible.  Also, my all time favorite book. But other than that, most of what I read is now online.

Is there a book that changed your life or business? Tell us about it.


Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Bigger Isn't Better When It Comes to Customer Service | via TAPED, the ECHOtape blogThere was big news in the tape industry this summer:  Intertape Polymer Group, (IPG) the Canadian packaging company with executive headquarters in Florida, acquired rival specialty tape supplier, Cantech. Of course, we weren’t really surprised.  Intertape boldly announced last year that mergers and acquisitions would drive its global expansion strategy. In fact, last fall IPG paid $42 million for a company in India that makes acrylic adhesive-based carton sealing tapes and stretch films.

We aren’t the first small, family-owned business to feel the pinch of this trend toward consolidation. And we freely admit that a little healthy competition is a good thing—but what happens when that competition becomes impossibly large?

First, it’s important to realize that bigger isn’t always better.  IPG’s distribution channels are bigger than ours, which is why we aren’t even focusing on size.  Instead, we are focusing on our differences. We have a lot of potential to be better and stronger — like being more nimble, ready to make changes and adapt to trends.

At ECHOtape, we compete through quality and customization. That includes everything from product innovation and quality (launching a state-of-the-art duct tape in direct response to customer feedback) to solving unique problems in the workplace. And, most importantly, through genuine connection with people. Every. Day. Like this interaction with Lydia D:

Hello. Have not purchased your products yet, but have to comment on customer service. First off — a human being actually answered your phone. Unheard of in this crazy Tech world we live in, yet so nice and personal!  Received a callback from Steve Underhill and am amazed with  the time and care care took for my potentially tiny purchase. After all was said and done l surely felt as though l was up there with the big guys. Thanks so much for the great customer service and please keep it up. Very refreshing in today’s fast-paced world. Looking forward to actually buying and using your products.

We applaud IPG for the work they are doing, bring more solutions to the world and raising the awareness of what tape can do.  But we’re going to stick with what we do best, delivering extraordinary human-to-human experiences alongside innovative products.

How is brand consolidation impacting your small business? Tell us about it on Facebook or LinkedIn!


All in the Family

Consider this:  A business run by a team of family members is more resilient and more likely to succeed than any other kind of company. Not as likely. More likely.  We like to believe we’re a living example of that adage.

ECHOtape was started by Stanley Edelstein, and it’s now managed by a second generation of Edelsteins.  BUT what really makes ECHOtape a family business are the other families within.  Like Darren and Kevin Quesnel, and Mike and Stephen Grevatt. [Read about them here!]

And this summer, we added a third generation to the mix!

Jimmy Berghello worked for ECHOtape for 10 years before retiring.  In fact, this 76-year-old still comes back to work special projects and odd jobs just because he loves working and he loves the business.

This summer, Jimmy encouraged his grandson, Preston —  who also happens to be Darren Quesnel’s nephew — to apply.  Preston is just a student right now, but this summer he got to work alongside his grandfather on a relabeling job!

“Preston used to come to our holiday parties as a baby!” says Cherie Edelstein. ” Although he doesn’t remember it, there are pictures on our wall! Grandfather, son-in-law and grandson. We really are a family-oriented company. “


Forcing the Issue: Should Time Off Be Required?

With vacation season now in full throttle, here are some surprising statistics:  American workers left a stunning 658 million vacation days unused in 2015.  That’s according to U.S. Travel Association’s Project Time Off.  A similar study last year by career website Glassdoor found that only 54% of employees who receive paid vacation used that time.

As someone who plots and plans another vacation often while currently on vacation, my question is why??!  And I certainly thought, “Not at ECHOtape.”

Turns out, I was wrong.  I didn’t have to go very deep into my contacts to find ECHOtape staffers who have not taken vacations in several years.  Some say it’s just too expensive to take a family of three or four or five on an week’s adventure.  Scheduling was problematic for several staffers whose spouse, partner and/or significant also works. Teenage children with social lives, athletics and part time jobs can be difficult to wrangle.

All valid reasons. But another reason lurking out there? Good old fashioned fear. Employees fear getting behind on their work (34%), believe no one else at their company can do the work while they’re out (30%), they are completely dedicated to their company (22%), and they feel they can never be disconnected (21%).  Smartphones are partly to blame there.

Here’s the thing:  No matter what your reason,  not taking a vacation hurts employees and hurts the company. Skipping vacation time as a way to climb the corporate ladder faster has been found to be ineffective; indeed, a new study has found that employees who take a vacation are more likely to get promoted and get a raise!

Bestselling author Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness and founder of consulting firm GoodThink, writes in Harvard Business Review that vacation isn’t about “you”.  Vacation actually helps the entire company thrive, from the employee’s mental state and productivity, to coworkers ability to get along and problem solve together, to the company’s bottom line.

Achor even cites research that found when “the brain can think positively, productivity improves by 31 percent, sales increase by 37 percent, and creativity and revenues can triple.”

So what’s an employer to do??  Here are some innovative ideas I thought could be great food for thought for us at ECHOtape:

  • At Kik, it’s mandatory for employees to take at least one week off every four months. Its offices also close for two weeks around the holidays.
  • FullContact pays a whopping bonus of $7,500 to employees who take a vacation.
  • HubSpot makes all employees take at least two weeks of vacation every year.
  • Rather than force vacation, Boston Consulting Group  started mandating that team members take time off during the week, whether it was to head to the gym or spend time with family.

All great ideas, but I’m curious… how does your company encourage employees to take time off? Share it with us via Facebook or LinkedIn. 


Tape Challenge: Reflective LED Lighting for Indoor Sports Complex

Tape Challenge Vinyl Fabric to Painted Steel | via TAPED, the ECHOtape blogWhat does indoor tennis have to do with tape?

Well, earlier this year, we received a tape challenge from an indoor sports lighting company.  The company, who installs professional LED lighting in large indoor tennis arenas, had developed a new way to enhance the lighting without adding extra wattage by draping reflective fabric from the purlins of the complex.

Originally,  the company was using a liquid adhesive to hang the fabric, but the smell was causing dizziness and nausea among the installers and players alike.  An alternative was needed, and fast.

ECHOtape to the rescue!

First, we needed to assess the surfaces. In this case, they were bonding a vinyl reflective fabric to painted steel purlins.  Once we knew the substrates, we needed to understand the stress the tape would be under, i.e. how much load would the tape bear after applying it to the fabric, and how long they needed it to hold. Since this would be a permanent installation, the adhesive needed longevity against the forces of gravity.

We dove into our catalog and looked at tapes that could handle differential surfaces with permanent load bearing. DC-U032A High Performance Double Sided Tape seemed to be a natural fit.

Coated with an ultra-strong acrylic adhesive, this tape has an instant high tact for a quick stick to almost any flat surface, making it ideal for creating a permanent bond between metal, plastic, wood, glass or fabric. We chose a 3” width to match the width of the purlins.

Of course, in order to ensure the success of the tape, we needed to test it. We sent the company a sample, along with strict application directions. During the testing phase, the company put extra stressors on the tape, tugging and pulling on the fabric in extreme manners, and subjecting it to additional heat and cold. None of which would happen in this temperature controlled environment.

Shortly after the testing phase, we received the first of several orders for various jobs. The company remains happy with the ease and strength of the application, and, of course, fumes are not an issue.

At ECHOtape we offer a full range of specialty tapes that can work in all kinds of circumstances, like the LED lighting tape solution listed above. Contact our ECHOtape team with your tape request if you want help determining which product is best for your particular project.

Do you have a tape challenge we can help solve? Tell us about it via Facebook or LinkedIn.

1.800.461.8273 | info@echotape.com | echotape.com