There has been a lot of misdirection and even confusion for many on how tariffs work.
The truth on Tariffs are that we have already went through this. In 2018 the first set of tariffs came through against China. Over the first year, many companies, who relied heavily on Chinese products, went out of business. While all who import from China had to raise prices, as it is the importers who pay the tariffs. As an importer, I know this first hand. The importers/sellers pass that cost along to customers and that cost has made prices rise throughout the last 6 years. We are already seeing freight raise their prices as are many stores in advance to the January tariffs that are coming.
We have kept our price the same this December, however, we are going to be raising prices come Jan 2nd. And by the end of the month, will have to assess what further price raising may have to occur.
We will be selling the Blue Sky embroidery machine at the prices on our web site until Dec. 20th, 2024 this year, which is our last day of the year. We will be shut down for the holidays after that, and will return on Jan. 2nd.
As always, our owners have a private way of getting a hold of us and getting any help they need even during our holiday vacation.
We also have one new item coming in January that we are excited to show off once we have it. But Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

In other news today. If you are waiting for a sale for Mighty Hoop products, Durkee products, Fast Frame product, or Hoop tech products, we have a sale for you. We're happy to help you with any question. Buy online directly at our AdvantageIncStore.com, Call and order, or email and order. We'll make sure you get the right part for your machine.
We're having a sale!
Use Code: HolidayMadness-10
copy and paste the code
10% off on any product in our hoop category
MightyHoop, Durkee, Fast Frames, and Hoop Tech
https://www.advantageincstore.com/store/c4/VariousEmbroideryHoops#/

Holidays are the time of year where your embroidery business can shine. Marketing and making personalized items make your customers friends and family feel important and special. Makes them feel understood and cared for.
Starting with Halloween, you can turn an inexpensive costume into a detailed, personalized work of art that will make others want your products. Halloween also has many who like to decorate and want to find personalized decorations that stand out, that make a huge statement in their home.
Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festival of Lights or other. Whether you make decorations, jewelry, clothing, or something else, you can help others realize their dreams of having that something personal to them. Let us also not forget if you are into costumes for things like Comicon or Roll playing games where you dress up. What about war enactments, their costumes can also be personalized, just like they soldiers would have personal hand stitched items that their loved ones would make. No one has to know it was ran on a machine. 

Embroidery has so many avenues that just when I think I have heard of them all, someone comes along and tells me a few things they do that I never thought of before. That is the beauty of embroidery. I've said many times to be open to where the market takes you, to where your customers take you. Don't jump on every fad, they die out too fast. Find what sticks around in your neck of the woods. Farming areas love good farmers hats that are personalized to Their fields or farm. Maybe they want their tractor or combine have a personal touch and don't even know it yet? People who own horses often love personalized items for their horse tack or riding gear. Motorcycle riders love personalized items for their bike. Clubs of any sort love to all share in that personalized items.

Be open to whatever potential customers coming to you may want. Don't turn down the smaller jobs as you have no idea how it may open up your business to a huge amount of embroidery jobs in the future. One item today that is done so well, that maybe next year you'll have 100's of pieces to do from 100's of people. Each wanting their items done to their specifications and you get to charge a whole lot more per piece than you ever will with a large order. One shirt with a 24 piece order, 5 dollars for embroidery for a logo, maybe 10. One shirt personalized, 15 to 20 dollars for one 10 min run on a shirt.

Remember, it may be fun to vlog or have videos out with big views, but if you tell everyone how you make a living, they can saturate that field quickly. You even gave them all the ways to do it. Might even be that a person who has vlogged so much about their business, saw a decrease in their sales, so they might want to say the market isn't there just so they can continue making a Fantastic living at embroidery.

Embroidery is still wide open and has so many options. I still get Tons of calls with people who are looking for embroidery and do I know who will do their items? Often, I don't. The people I sell machines too are often too busy in their own field to take on other jobs. Yes, there's that many embroidery jobs left and is still wide open.

 I was recently listening to a video where this person has ran embroidery for awhile now. She goes on and mentions that the embroidery market is stagnant. I disagree with her. No, not because I sell embroidery machines. But for the amount of calls I get per week on people looking for a good quality embroidery shop. They don't ask me for the cheapest, people are tired of cheap bad quality, they are wanting good quality embroidery.

In today's world consumers want a few things. One: real customer service. Not to cater to those customers who demand everything but want it for free. But to those who are willing to pay a good price for quality, they want to be shown they have value. They want a company who will talk with them on the phone or in person. They want a company who cares about the embroidery they are putting out and can take pride in their work. They also are looking for many who will do small amounts of work. Most of the big shops won't take anything less than 20 to 24 piece orders.

Another issue are that trends and fads come and go so quickly they are hard to keep up with. Don't over extend yourself on making too many products at once. This might not be as easy to do if you are going to a show, however a bunch of flyers or cards made up and a small (even free site) where they can go and purchase is often worth looking into. There's so many great online options these days. Take the free Square or free Paypal store sites. One option I have found is using GoDaddy free site with a free Square store and linking the items together where they can go purchase can be a great way to keep customers engaged.

Watching some vloggers,I have to say that their showing every piece of work they are doing makes a lot of people go and try to do the same thing. And an area can become inundated with the same work. Children's blankets had that happen. One vlogger did several videos on how much money she was making and then suddenly there were 300 others doing the exact same thing. The vlogger even gave advice on where they got their blank blankets, what threads were used, etc. In business, one should keep some things in house so as not to get taken over by everyone else.

If you want to work at home and make a real living with embroidery, which is easy, make sure you really know your bottom lines. Down to the smallest details. How much does the thread cost, the bobbin, how much will it cost you if you mess up one item? Regardless of brand of machine, at least once in a blue moon a machine might eat a garment. How much is your time worth? Are you needing to make 20 an hour or 25? 30? Know the amount of time you'll be spending on any item and know what your bottom line costs are and then add what you'll need to make that living you seek.

My last piece of advice is to stay open. I tell everyone who asks about purchasing a Blue Sky embroidery machine that staying open is the most important part of your business. Some who were doing children's bath towels switched to other fields and are still making a fine living. I'm not going to give their secrets away, but let us say, they (sometimes) ended up doing things they hadn't thought of and are enjoying themselves.

#BlueSky1501emb #BlueSkyembroiderymachines #EmbroideryMachines #MachineEmbroidery #AdvantageInc #DougandJes #AdvantageIncStore #embroidery #BlueSkyCB2 #EmbroideryAdvice #embroideryblog #embroideryhelp #Beyourownboss #Betheboss #businessowner #stayopen

It's June, it's hot, there's crazy weather everywhere. Uncertainty has gripped this nation. Belts have been tightened.
Unfortunately, I can't fix any of those things. But what I can do is offer our first and only sale for the CSII model.
We hope to make at least one thing go right for you this summer. A great deal. And yes, shipping is still included.

I often have people who are interested in the Blue Sky embroidery machine call me and ask me how long it takes to get on the schedule for training or help (help includes repair).
With Help, we can often help the moment you call or contact us. We start working for you when you need us . If we need to  schedule, we can do so. Often that means that afternoon or the next business day. During the busiest of times, you might wait two business days at the most. This is most uncommon and more likely that the customer asked for a certain day to work around their schedule. We are Always happy to work around your schedule.
With Training, if you reached out that morning, we can normally get you in that afternoon or by the next business day. We want you up and running as fast as possible. Waiting for training means your Blue Sky isn't making the items you want to make. Having our owners up and running makes them happy which makes us happy.
And yes, if you only have a night or a weekend (due to a day time job), we even will work with you then.
When it comes to training we use an program called Gotomeeting and send you a link. You don't need to download the  program, and it puts very little into your computer, tablet, laptop, smart phone and uses both Iphone, Android; as well as Google, PC and Mac. We don't want you to have to download a whole program or get anything special to get your training or help.
With help, most of the time we can answer you quickly and without video chat, but will go to video chat anytime you prefer.

With Advantage Inc. and a Blue Sky embroidery machine, You get to be in control. You are important. We don't claim to have a family style way of doing things, we actually do treat everyone like that favorite relative we can't wait to help.

Oh, and if you are worried you are one of those that might call a lot.... we don't actually ever think of it as a lot. If you call us, message us, text, email us 30 times a day, we are happy to hear from you and help you 30 times a day, with a smile.

I look forward to chatting with you if you have questions before, during and after a sale. I'm here for you.

Many have embroidery machines for one of three reasons. The first is they want a second income with flexible hours and days. Well, with your own embroidery machine you have that ability to work when you want or can, or take the important days off to be with family, friends, or even just taking the day off to rest.
Embroidery can and does create income and creates more financial security. But even more importantly, it can and does give you job security.
The second reason many get into embroidery is to make it a full time job. Easy to do, especially if you start out on the side and let everyone know you are running embroidery. If you have it, they will come for it. Making it possible to build enough work to make it a full time job. A single head can earn you up to 32,000 a year on average.
One of the things I tell people who are looking to get an embroidery machine is to keep your options open. So many get into embroidery thinking they may exclusively be doing what they want, but keeping yourself open has led to many success stories doing something completely different than what they thought they'd be doing. All you have to do is own a Blue Sky to already get that perfect high range quality embroidery and then allow yourself to consider what people will come and ask you to do. There are those that wanted to do business uniforms and are now exclusively doing stuff for auto lovers instead. Or they wanted to do infant wear and find themselves instead being exclusively doing horse and riders items. The list goes on and on. Staying open to the business that you may not even consider or know is an option, can lead you to the greatest success.

The last reason people get an embroidery machine are for their own personal hobbies. And I'll say this. The hobbies you are doing right now are going to be easier and you'll be happier with the quality you'll be able to put out. And, your hobbies will most likely expand when you are able to do any item you'd like on a Blue Sky embroidery machine. Those who also run embroidery as a hobby often find themselves saving money at the holidays by making the most beautiful presents I've ever seen. Presents that surpass anything you can buy. And a few times it has helped people when their company went on strike, or when their job hours gets cut back, or downsizing. They have something to fall back on and can start making money with the machine on as soon as there's a hint of an issue. Great for hobbyist, but possible financial security if needed.

What embroidery does for you is gives you real options, gives you financial security. Whether you are just starting a career or need something during your retirement, and in-between the two. Embroidery can be there for you and give you peace of mind.

#BlueSky1501emb #BlueSkyEmbroideryMachine #AdvantageInc #EmbroideryMachines #MachineEmbroidery #DougandJesy #AdvantageIncStore

The Holidays, I remember as a child the holidays brought about a fluttering of the heart, wide eyes watching all the latest and greatest things in commercials and wondering if I'd get even some of what I wanted.
These days I get to hear what others want and need and I am so grateful to get to hear these stories. To get to know those who are either considering or are purchasing a Blue Sky embroidery machine.
I am so blessed to get to be apart of so many lives.
I'm on the front line daily, taking the calls, reading and replying to the emails, texts, messages and more, helping where I can, or passing it over to the expert (Doug), and it makes me feel like we have built one big family. And a joyful family at that. My heart swells and I even get misty eyed when I think about all the wonderful owners that I have been so fortunate to get to know.
Today was one of those crazy days, a day where I blinked and it went from 10:30 to 1:15 and I felt no time pass. That is how much I enjoy what I do, what we do. The dream for so many adults is to have a job they truly enjoy getting up for each and every day. A career that makes their day. And I have that, and I know how rare that really is.
I don't know how I got here really. Doug grabbed and and drug me into his world and I have loved it ever since. Long as he doesn't make me Run embroidery, anyway. ha.
So, for all who read this, I want to say how thankful I am for you and for all those who own the Blue Sky embroidery machines.
Oh, and Doug says ditto... boy, he's well spoken sometimes. hahaha.

We've had so many ask for the CS style machine to come back. As always, you spoke and we listened. Making sure we are working to make our customers happy.
The new model is upgraded and updated and will be called the CSII (CS2). Bigger better motors, bigger better board. Wifi, over 150 fonts, Doodle and photo embroidery. You'll still get all the features, all the hoops, the table top, the stand, the sash frame, the entire hat system, as well as the starters kit.
Our CSII models will be back in stock as of mid Dec. 2023. We have one available at this time.
Our CBII and CBIIcam are still in stock and ready to ship.
Call me for details: 941.493.1343 Jesy
or email: [email protected]
#BlueSky1501emb #Embroiderymachines #AdvantageInc #AdvantageIncStore #DougandJesy

We have longer arms than many of the brands on the market these days. Meaning, we can get you more use out of the sew field. Our stronger and sturdier 14.5" arms allow your machine to use the big Mighty Hoops, without offset brackets. These work on both the CB11 and CB11cam machines.
Not only that. All the Mighty Hoops are already pre-loaded into each machine for easy use. Hey, we know those Mighty Hoops are just Awesome. And Yes, we can sell them to you with your embroidery machine, saving you shipping costs.
We even have a new Mighty Hoop that we're selling exclusively that will work on the Blue Sky CB11 machine. It's a 19x17.25 inch mighty hoop. You can see pictures through our store.
Getting more out of your embroidery means getting more money in your pocket.