Crissy, one of our Canvas on Demand customers fromCalifornia, has been nominated as the best dog photographer in the San Francisco area. I thought some of our readers might find this intriquing. Simply go to the voting site by clicking below. You can also visit Crissy’s professional site at www.doggieportrait.com. Tom
Voting site: http://baylist.sfgate.com/doggie-portrait-by-alessandro-desogos-photography/biz/548215/photos?page=2
Joe here. I really loved Mom’s photo of the stacks of thousands of canvases going out to the mothers of our deployed service men and women. We love being able to do this every Mothers Day. I have a couple more photos to add here; they are of our folks loading up the boxes at the loading dock. Thanks to all our staff who gladly work to make this project happen…even during one of our busiest seasons!
Happy Mothers Day to the moms out there! Joe
That wonderful old song about mothers begins: “M is for the many things she gave me.” But now with Mothers Day just a month away, it’s time for everyone to start thinking about what they’re gonna give HER on her special day. What could honor her more than a canvas of your favorite “mom photo”? Start thinking about it now, so you’re ready on May 9th!
Joe
The new article that Mom just posted about Kathy’s 12-panel rowboat canvas made me think it might be time to remind our customers that our art department also can create incredible collages. With spring just around the corner, families are planning vacations, children are participating in sports, and everyone is biting at the bit to get outdoors again. It’s time to get out the camera and start snapping pictures!
So as you select some of your new favorites, keep in mind all the options that we offer here at Canvas on Demand! Below are a couple of great collages we’ve created recently. Tom
This time of year is so much fun around the Canvas on Damand facilities. With Mother’s Day not far ahead of us, we turn some of the cutest photos into canvases! I thought I’d share this one with you that was sent to us byLara in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Thanks for sharing this story with us, Lara. And thanks for your kind testimonial about Canvas on Demand! Here’s what she had to say about this precious mother/daughter canvas and the service she received:
This photo is of me and my 11 month old daughter in our kitchen at home, taken with a timer and tripod. She has just learned to walk, but is still in the precious stage of wanting to hug Mommy’s leg. This is a memory that needed to be captured.
Canvas on Demand emailed me the day after I submitted my order to tell me that since the image was cropped closely, they were going to add a black border around the picture to make it a better fit within the canvas print. It looked absolutely fantastic; I was glad someone had the wherewithall and forward-thinking to preserve this memory in the best possible way. Canvas on Demand sent emails periodically with update of the order and I received it exactly when they promised in exactly the condition they promised. They had stellar customer service. Lara
Just a reminder to our readers that it’s not too early to be thinking Mother’s Day. If you want to give your mom a gift that will really touch her heart, a gift that will let her know how much you appreciate her each time she passes it…then give her a lovely art canvas from Canvas on Demand.
So this May 9th, make certain that the hands that rocked your cradle will open a Mother’s Day canvas that she’ll never forget. I love Indhira’s story below. Check it out! Joe
Because my mother lives far away from her grandchildren (my nephews) I asked my sister to take a nice casual picture of her three boys so I could order a Canvas and send it to my mom for Mother’s Day. When she got the Canvas in the mail she was so happy and called me to tell me how cute the boys were in the picture, and how beautiful and realistic the Canvas looked. I also got another copy for half the price and gave it to my sister for Mother’s Day as well. I am even thinking of getting a copy for myself… my sister’s are the only three grandchildren/nephews in our family.This is my second Canvas, and the service was as exceptional as the first time. I called to make sure they cropped the picture like I wanted and they were extremely nice and did exactly what I asked for. I was able to talk to them online through their chat which made it easier to communicate with them in real time. The Canvas was more beautiful than what I was expecting because the colors were so intense and rich.
Wow, Erik and Ginger. Those of us at Canvas on Demand love your winning entries. Of course, we have learned NOT to be surprised by our customers’ amazing talents. You guys nailed it with both the photographs and the poems. We heard that the judges had a very hard time judging…and now we see why!
We can’t wait to see the work of the other three winners.
Joe
February is the perfect time to tell someone you love them. Write a poem, take them flowers, name a star in their honor…or capture that precious moment on a lovely canvas from Canvas on Demand!
And while we’re reminding all our readers, we also want to take this time to say: WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day from Canvas on Demand!
Joe and Tom
Just a heads up to our great customers in Florida. Mom’s in the Canvas Crazy Van and headed your way. She wants to meet a few of our satisfied customers and perhaps even a Canvas Crazy or two! So if you’re in the Sunny 
State, you may be getting a call from Mom. And if you see this Crazy Van rolling down the highway, honk at her so she will know just how much you love canvases!
And Mom…remember that your task is just to keep brightening lives everyday with canvases from Canvas on Demand! Joe
Our Canvas Crazies are a group of customers who are so absolutely crazy about our canvases that they apply to receive our Canvas Crazy Kit filled with a T-shirt and lots of fun surprises. Every month or so, Mom poses a challenge to that group. In December, she invited them to request as many $25 Gift Cards as they wanted to insert in stockings or cards during the holiday season. Last week, Mom heard from one of those participants. Her name is Lorri, and Mom forwarded her poignant comments me and Tom.
Every now and then, a story comes our way that deserves to be shared, and Lorri’s story especially touched our hearts. Lorri, you have shown us how one person’s strength and determination in the midst of a tremendous life challenge can serve as the catalyst to begin the healing process–not just for you, but for so many others. We at Canvas on Demand are honored and humbled that we could play a small part in it. Thanks for sharing this with us. Blessings to you and to all those you love! Joe
Hey Mom!
Thank you! Your December challenge helped make a very difficult Christmas much happier! I sent the $25 cards out with our Christmas cards and a photo of my son who passed away this year. I encouraged my family to find their favorite photo of Joe and have a canvas made! My hope is that every single one of us will recall a special memory and that the canvases will help in the healing process.
Thank you again,
Lorri
Tom and Joe, co-owners of Canvas on Demand, share an entrepreneurial spirit, a genuine interest and concern for their customers, and a commitment to their family and friends. Both partners’ exposure to entrepreneurship stems from close relationships with their fathers. Tom worked after school at the family printing business in upstate New York, while Joe was in Indiana working in his dad’s building-supply company. The two would tagalong with their hustling fathers. Joe and his dad traveled by car between cities in the Midwest. Tom and his dad traveled by train to NYC to call on ad agencies.
But Tom and Joe’s fathers could never have imagined a business where thousands of people could go online, upload a sentimental photo, and in a few days receive a beautiful canvas artwork. But the lessons the fathers had taught their sons,to have the perseverance to make the extra call, to be optimistic, and to understand that the real joy in business is developing relationships,are the very traits that have made Canvas On Demand a success.
Tom and Joe knew each other for a few years before taking positions at the same dot.com company as VP of Marketing and Director of Sales respectively. The experience was exhilarating, but the company wasn’t theirs. They had a burning desire to create a business of their own. So they left their secure positions…and launched Canvas on Demand.
THEIR PHILOSOPHY: From the onset, Canvas On Demand worked hard to create direct relationships with customers through their website. One day Tom and Joe saw their FedEx representative, Meghan,who had just received her own order,sitting in her car sobbing. Her canvas had so captured the beauty of her children that she was overwhelmed! The owners were greatly touched, and from that moment on, they created every canvas with Meghan in mind.
They built a website friendly enough that Meghan would feel confident visiting it. With Meghan in mind, they set goals for high customer service. Customers were encouraged to talk directly to their friends at Canvas on Demand for second opinions and advice. Orders were attentively reviewed before processing. Often clients were contacted with suggestions and free upgrades,just as if each customer was their friend, Meghan!
The goal is to exceed customer expectations. They were determined that each canvas would be an improvement over the photo submitted. Orders are carefully packed and shipped within three days. If customers call with an issue, they are sincerely thanked and offered a re-make. The objective is to absolutely delight each customer.
Tom and Joe embrace the concept of “doing well by doing good.” Every product awareness campaign aims at benefiting others. Example: During Operation Hi Mom and Operation Hi Honey, overseas troops are offered,absolutely free,a canvas they can send to their mom for Mother’s Day or to their spouse on their anniversary. In conjunction with Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Canvas on Demand agreed to produce 1,000 mural canvases with all proceeds benefiting Camp Heartland, a summer camp for families affected by HIV. In fact, every 501C3 non-profit in America is eligible to receive a $100 gift certificate for a canvas to raffle or auction as a fundraiser.
Tom and Joe’s personal life motto is a quote by Winston Churchill: You make a living by what you earn; you make a life by what you give.
Tom is a native of Mahopac, New York and a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology. Tom has spent much of his career in business development in the commercial printing industry. Prior to Canvas On Demand, Tom was the Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising for a large online retailer. Tom is proud of his family that includes his lovely wife of 26 years and four great kids. Tom spends his free time on his bike (the kind you pedal), on his kayak, playing golf, or watching ACC basketball.
Joe was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his undergraduate degree from Ball State University with a major in entrepreneurial studies. His MBA is from Boston College. Prior to Canvas On Demand, Joe has been involved in numerous successful technology start-ups. He is extremely proud of his family-his lovely wife and their three delightful daughters, Joe enjoys a variety of redneck pursuits including hunting, fishing, and watching Nascar.