NFIB

On the Map
07/ 11/ 2002

by Kathleen Landis

Most folks find handkerchiefs purely utilitarian. Not Larry and Helen Smith of Professional Impressions, Inc. Their signature product, the bandanamap, takes bandanas to new heights.

Bandanamaps are 22-square-inch, brightly-colored cotton kerchiefs that double as detailed topographical maps. They fold, stash and launder--a boon for outdoor enthusiasts. And it's not a crisis if this map falls in the river.

Bandanamaps feature over 70 detailed sites and locations, including the north and west rims of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park and the red rock mountain bike trails surrounding Moab, Utah. Maps range in scale from 1/24,000 to 1/250,000 and retail for $8-$10. A new product, the Mapkin, is a mini-version of the Bandanamap, sold in sets of four to six.

Bandanamaps are sold in the gift shops at national parks, outdoor stores or directly from Professional Impressions by calling (530) 274-8787. Some even purchase Bandanamaps as art, explains Larry Smith, who's partial to the Moab map. "I love the visuals," says Smith. "It looks like a piece of art."

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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2002 issue of MyBusiness magazine.

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