How's Business
How's Business
I had a recent discussion with some fairly successful yet small to medium print owners over the weekend, and an interesting comment/point was brought up. A couple printers we know whose business has been off lately made a remark about the economy getting better and "hoping" things would pick up for them, etc. Basically, the same song and dance people have been griping about for months and months. You know, the collective "poor me poor me, I want things to be better but I don't want to do anything about it" kind of song and dance. And a great friend and print owner made an interesting point to this person-
"If your business is off, and your margins are suffering- it's most likely an internal problem and not an external one.." Since the print industry and the economy have not had any correlation to each other and that relationship stopped years before the current recession, a person can not blame the economy. Sure a bad economy lessens the spending (contraction) by businesses and consumers, but it also presents more opportunities than you think. These companies still have to market their goods and services, so they are still spending money- just more wisely with who they spend it with. And NO if you think someone who is tight on spending wants to throw their money away because you the printer has the cheapest job lot paper or foreign garbage (or surplus waste you bought off a printer that went down)- you are sadly mistaken. If your margins are getting killed AND your business is off- that means you aren't attracting business because of your own value (your worth as a printer) and the quality of your paper and/'or jobs is causing clients to defect and/or seek printing elsewhere.
And don't tell me companies want to do it themselves. It costs a company 3-4 times MORE money to print in house than to have a good printer like You do it for them (so the companies that tell you they have no money can spend 4 times as much money to do it themselves? Then they must have money if they can spend 400% more to do it right). But if they feel they get better VALUE and QUALITY by doing themselves- then it is your fault. I would spend 50% more of my money as a consumer to get what I WANT and have it DONE RIGHT, then to get an OK job or something that just barely is satisfactory just to save a couple bucks. Anything less than the BEST is like throwing my money away- and the defection of your clients is reality of such. So while you look for ways to cut Quality, Value , and Reliability out of your workmanship- so goes your business and your profit margins. An INTERNAL problem, not an external issue.
Opportunities- with so many printers whining about how "bad" things are but seriously not doing a thing about it. Guess what, smart printers are out there with better products, better attitudes, and better QVR (quality, value, and reliability)than you and they are taking your business. Wait, you mean the clients you are losing are spending money with someone else. But didn't you say nobody had money to spend? That's right, while you sit around and play the poor me game, there is someone who will not go quietly that believes they can provide a better service than you, better products, and go above and beyond what you have done- heck- they might actually call more than you and care more than you- and they are getting your business. Because you want to complain and whine and whimper. If you aren't going to do anything about it, just give up already because you already have pretty much thrown in the towel. No matter how many prayer candles you light, there will be no divine intervention. If you put nothing into your business, don't expect to get anything out.
it's the 5 P's of life people- Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Didn't you have any contingency plans when things were booming? Didn't you expect that what goes up must come down? Didn't you formulate any strategies to build your business when things are the cheapest they have been in years and years? Or were you too busy thinking you were a genius and the house of cards you built was untouchable?
Price- get off it people. If you think selling on price will help your business, I promise you are wrong. There are times when discounted pricing, sales, etc can attract attention but it will only kill your profits. Look at it this way: WHAT CHANGED ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE TO SELL IT CHEAPER? Are you using garbage stock? Is your quality less than it was? If so, drop your prices- you sell less quality, expect less profitability. But if your services are better, your quality is better, and your workmanship is the best- why would you take less for it? People will pay, it's up to you to make that happen. As a successful printer that you claim to be, then you should be able to make it happen!
So I DARE you- go out there and do something about it. How will you set yourself apart from every other printer who offers the same as you (and I don't mean price- messing with your prices is not only foolish, but a good way to erode your profitability FOREVER).
If it is the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs, bases loaded, 0 balls and 2 strikes- down by 3 runs and you are up to bat. What are you going to do? Complain that the umpire is not fair, complain the the 3rd inning should have went better? Use the excuse the fans and hecklers are too intimidating (or there aren't enough fans to cheer you on)?
Or are you going to be the Superstar you are and hit the damn ball out of the park?
It is Showtime, Man up or sit down- plain and simple.
IMHO,
"The Marine"