how's business

[rbailleu]

going from trade bindery to full service printer is going to be tough. you might lose your trade customers, unless you are going to be trade printing as well. that means you will have to be cheaper and face plenty of competition. but I think if you have the capital to get it going and fund it for a year I would get started. It wont be easy, but what is. now is a good time to buy equipment if you really need it.

 

[OutSourceD]

I have heard of a lot of printers who are having a really hard time. I believe we are successful in this economy because of our low overhead, our minimal but competent workforce and above all, sales and marketing.

 

[GazKL440]

Busy as per norm..

Busy as per norm..

Australia is suffering from the GEC as well, the saying goes that when the American economy gets a sniffle we get a proper flu! In general terms our economic health is tied rather intimately to yours! However these days we are not entirely dependent on America, and whilst we are not smiling, things could definately be worse.. I saw my parents business struggle for years during the 80's recession, battling 27% interest rates and dodgy gold coast operators.. Eventually that cost me a lot of money but thats another story..

We are always busy, generally pulling 50+ hours per week(double time is lovely!) Our production board is always pretty full, and its rare we are waiting around for work, so much so that maintenace can suffer to the point where i must be creative in making time to do it.. Recently we replaced an Akiyama 628 and a Roland Rekord A1 with a Lithrone 40", and even with production levels up by a good 40% we still require 24hr operation to keep ahead of the workload at times. We have put on more salesmen recently, with the benefits being shown in our small offset division and some larger jobs for the bigger machinery(good to see the GTOs flat out!). In general the economic crisis has been good for this company as our major client is on an advertising drive in all forms of media..

With regard to paper pricing, whilst not involved in purchasing atm, paper has always had a general upward trend, occaisonally plateauing but rarely falling.. Market forces dictate that pricing will climb and fall in relation to supply and demand and other economic pressures, but i have very rarely had a rep give me a list of prices that had cuts on them.. even when they are bludging a coffee

 

[TheMarine]

Manifest Your Destiny

Manifest Your Destiny

Business is booming (the last 12 months have been the highest profit gains ever and we are still achieving record month after record month), but no matter how good or bad you do- it can always be better. If not constantly improving and achieving higher results- you're dead (or will be shortly). Paper and pulp prices have been on the low side of the spectrum (some of the lowest levels since the late 80's) and while many companies have constricted cash expenditures- they still need print. My opinion, and it's just my opinion, is call your clients every 2 weeks, guide them on how to effectively use print to market their goods/services/products (we all know our customers tend not to have any clue, they just look for price when it's probably costing them thousands just to save the $1 in price)- YOU are the print expert, so be one! But most importantly, be a Master at what you know best.

If any company thinks the neon "Open" sign on your door will attract business- you're crazy. If you don't call clients and prospective clients- somebody else will (I promise you). If your company does not go out and CREATE SUCCESS and you rely on taking orders that do trickle in- you will get paid like an order taker (not making much money and complaining about the economy or whatever security blanket can be used at the time for passing blame) And didn't Doctor Joe explicitly show proof that the Economy and the Print industry have had no correlation for almost 10 years now. If that's true, then why are we still blaming the economy and not looking at the lack of intestinal fortitude to ask for orders and generate business. This is your money and your business, and your blood,sweat,tears- do something about it. Pick up a phone book. But don't sit around and complain while doing absolutely nothing about it! No matter how hard you yell at the Nail, it won't move unless you hit it with the hammer. Cause and Effect remember.

Want to get paid the big bucks? Manifest your destiny and do something about it. No whining, no complaining, no hissy fits. Want to do better- then do it. Want to complain about it? Get out of the way and leave it to those who are intelligently adding clients and profits while you sit around and miss out.

There should NEVER be any excuse on why not to make money! You are the constant and everyone else is the variable (only you can control what you do)- if you still don't have success, maybe it's not the variable......... Of course it is easier said than done, but if you aren't willing to do what is necessary- why did you even get into business in the first place?

 

[cymk]

Question

Question

The Marine,
Wow you are right on target. What equipment do you have and why are you so successful? One huge client or many small ones? Are you true offset based or digital copiers?

 

[OutSourceD]

This is your money and your business, and your blood,sweat,tears- do something about it. Pick up a phone book. But don't sit around and complain while doing absolutely nothing about it! No matter how hard you yell at the Nail, it won't move unless you hit it with the hammer. Cause and Effect remember.

Wooo Mr. Motivational speaker! It's in our hands! Yeah! Whoo hoo! Success is mine for the taking. Pish posh...

There are few major industries that have the fiscal decline apparent in this industry. Go ahead pick up the phone call 100 companies at random in the phone book. You will be met with disinterest, complete lack of need or my favorite: "that number has been disconnected or is no longer in service". We have a phone room with telemarketers who KNOW how to close and we've never seen it like this. Sure, there is business out there but for small shops this market is grim to say the least.

 

[TheMarine]

CMYK,

I am a proud Sales professional that caters to the print industry. But please don't get me confused with the jack-of-all-trades incompetent paper brokers out there. I won't get you any product then drop my prices faster than a school girl drops her panties on prom night. I WILL provide you with hand selected products from over 50 years+ of paper and pulp manufacturing and 40 years+ of paper distribution- that WILL save you time, reduce your operational expenses, and generate true profits for YOUR pockets. More importantly, we offer ways to give you the competitive advantage.

What keeps me successful- I call my clients every 2 weeks like clockwork. I bring in AT LEAST 1-2 new customers EVERYDAY. I expand my service areas and increase my market share. I make NO LESS than 100 phone calls a day. Yes, 10% are disconnected numbers and 30% of the remaining are not interested or it's not for them. Ok, I don't get mad and obnoxious- of the people I speak to who are serious about doing etter for themselves- I still have a 70% closing ratio (in sales that is far above even top performers in any sales profession). I am the first to walk into my office and I am ALWAYS the last to leave. To keep me on my game, I have a trained support staff that I would be nothing without (Elena, Brad, Bill, Elaine- I love you guys, thanks for being the best!). But are you going to tell me that a business owner that is open to generate a profit isn't going to be interested in making more money or reducing operational expenses (that's like calling a telemarketer a closer- ha ha). Are you going to tell me that the clients you cater to know more about how to use print to market their company better than YOU the printer (c'mon, stop it!). You are going to tell me that the companies you service that were spending money like fools when things where booming (wrong idea) are broke now that the same items are less expensive? It's just that they were throwing money around then and are more wise to spending now. Since they aren't expanding and throwing money around like fools, they still have cash to invest. What's a better investment that spending cash on their own company to bring in more business or generate more sales?(isn't that the idea behind owning a company- invest and grow?) Well Duh, that's where a Master Print Professional comes into play- guide them, hold their hand (unfortunately a good portion of "business owners" have LESS than a high school education and could use some guidance from someone who knows what the heck they are doing).

If the economy is so bad, why then are 530,000 NEW businesses being created EVERY MONTH in the US? Why aren't you calling on them? If you have a room of "telemarketers" that are supposedly closers (closers and telemarketers should never be used in the same sentence when describing a sales professional), then why does your business still suck?

I believe in printers. I don't think many printers believe in themselves. I couldn't tell you how to run a print company, as I don't print and chose not to get into that profession. But if you got back to the basics and focused on what you are a Master in and stopped worrying about what others around you are doing- there is no reason why you shouldn't be doing well.

But I don't have the answers and what works for ME will only work for me. YOU have to do what works for you, but you better be damn good at it or just leave it alone. But LIFE is a chemistry experiment with constants and variables. How to identify the constant- it's the controllable aspect. The variable- uncontrollable. Why is everyone worrying about the uncontrollable? Why not perfect what YOU CAN CONTROL (yourself, your company, etc.) and let everything else fall into place. You will have ups and downs, it's the nature of the beast. But a true professional doesn't over-react, doesn't under-react, they are CONSISTENT. when things are good- you work your ass off. When things aren't so good- you work 10 times harder. No vacations, no breaks, 100 hour work weeks, whatever it takes. And if you aren't willing to do that- then get out of the way and stop dragging down those that WILL get it done chicken little.

In My honest opinion. Am I wrong- maybe and if I am I can be a man and admit I am wrong. But what I am doing for me is working- in fact I am outperforming even some of the "best" out there. But it works for me. I believe we all have what it takes, it's who will have the testicular fortitude to do it?

Do you?


Regards,

Thomas Parbs
"The Marine"

 

[tmason]

Mr. Motivational speaker has some good ideas. However, is he a vendor or a printer? Google his biz.

 

[TheMarine]

Gentleman, as I previously explained- I am a paper Salesman. My Father is a printer, my Uncles are printers, I grew up in a printer's family- but I am not a printer. Please do Google my business, and while you take the time to do that feel free to contact me and I will guide you on how to reduce your operational expenses by $20-50K (conservatively) per year, increase your margins of profit, and how to effectively use the right paper to have an advantage over your competition.

I have never tried to hide this fact, nor will I ever. I am very proud of what I do and my clients fully appreciate having more money in their pockets (it's your money, isn't it better in your pockets where it belongs). And I am not talking about selling you cheap crap or foreign garbage that wastes your money faster than that $1 you're trying to save.

Now I know many of you hate "vendors" and sales people, etc. I hate sales people who don't know their products and sell to make commissions too. I don't operate on commissions, nor do I keep a variety of products around to find "what sticks." My concern is how we can help take your business to the next level and I only handle high-end quality- the kind that runs faster, eliminates your waste, and can generate more cash flow RIGHT NOW than any "broker" you deal with. The products we carry are proven to offer better solutions to your company than that of most out there. But if I lead a horse to water, is it socially acceptable to dunk it's head underwater so it drinks if it has no idea what is good for him? Just kidding. I don't force anyone to do anything, but if it makes sense and you stand to gain more from our relationship- doesn't 1+1= 2?

But what I do for my business and my success is far outpacing what most everyone is doing- why? Because what works for me, works for me. My father once told me," if a printer didn't have paper to print on, he isn't a printer then is he?" So unless you have paper making equipment in your basement- you printers need professionals like me more than you realize. I am sorry you have to deal with boneheads in the market place, I really am. It gives me a black eye for a fight I never jumped into. But don't blame me or what I am doing that make me successful for your shortcomings. I didn't create your mess, but I will do my damnedest to try and offer solutions to fix it.

You want it done right, talk to me.. You want mediocre results and less than average profits, call up your jack-of-all-trades broker and ask them about products they typically know nothing about. We make paper, we just don't sell it.

Yes I sell paper. Yes I am a businessman just like you. Yes I can make your life easier. But whether you sell paper or print on paper- IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS AND DO WHAT IT TAKES FOR YOU TO SUCCEED- STOP COMPLAINING AND WHINING- IT'S YOUR FAULT AND NOBODY ELSE'S.

You can hate me for saying things everyone thinks secretly. I went to war, life is too short for nonsense. Pick up your skirts and get to work doing what YOU do best- and that's being the best damn printer your market area(s) and clients have ever known!!!!!

Look me up- I have nothing to hide. Don't be afraid to take risks. There is more risk to crossing the street that taking educated and intelligent business risks. If you get hit by a car- you're dead (there is no fixing dead). So if you look left and right to calculate the risk before crossing, why is it so hard to take calculated risks in your business- it takes money to make money. and if you build your empire on cheap crap, don't expect to be a superstar at what you do. you get out what you put in!

Respectfully,

Thomas Parbs
"The Marine"
Senior Sales Executive
Guy's e.Paper Co.
888-932-7273 Ext. 2172
847-669-0222
[email protected]
Guy's E.Paper, LLC 847-669-0222
888-932-7273 Ext. 2172

 

[OutSourceD]

Tom, these forums can get a little out of hand. You are who you say, and you are indeed not hiding. We can plainly see that.

Me, I'm here anonymously, but I still try and watch what I say. Some of the anonymous posters can be brutally rude.

I appreciate your candor, but for my company, things are worse than I have seen them in my 30 year tenure. Nothing compares to what I am currently experiencing first-hand. We are making sales calls. We have trade clients. We have brokers who sell for us. We offer digital printing, we no longer have offset presses, but we have diversified our services into signs, large format ink jet printing, screen printing, and embroidery. These are all services that we provide in-house. We are trying to sell more to our existing clientele. But business is not what I would call good.

Keep up the good words, some people need to hear it, I apologize for getting sarcastic with you, because we ARE beating bushes, we ARE planting, and hunting. Man, let me tell you, things do not look good.

 

[TheMarine]

Outsource,

I understand it is tough, and I know it is tough. Have you read Dr. Joe Webb's (of WhatTheyThink.com) "Renewing the Printing Industry- Actions and Strategies for Success?" If not, I believe it could offer some great ideas and ways to improve. No one person has the answers, and I don't think I do, but the models I enforce have kept me way ahead of my competition and it has definitely given me job security through thick and thin. Also, the Kauffman Report on new business creation has an invaluable resource in it- giving an industry break down and income potentials (your sales team can punch in the industries and attack the new businesses being created- after all, any new business needs to expand or die- new business owners can add and/or replace sales dollars and profitability that has been lost). If you are hitting the scene very hard, keep it up and continue working hard- with blinders on 9don't worry about what everyoneis is doing, focus on what you know best)- becuase it will pay off. Perhaps a little adjusting can be in order, but the industry today is not what it was even 3 years ago. Any business model or action plan that worked back then- isn't going to work as effectively today (if even at all).

If the business model you current enforce is still not achieving the results or the return, then an overhaul could be needed. And not 100%, maybe fine tune some things- or maybe a complete overhaul is needed. Either way, while things are slow it's a great time to make the changes but not too much change (unless absolutely needed).

I don't know your business and/or it's strategies- but one suggestion I can make if you have a sales team that goes door-to-door per se- STOP. Most Sales people who are "outside" sales people spend just as much time getting coffee, cigarettes, chatting on the cell phone than they do actually selling. That's valuable time that can be spent in securing real face-to-face time with simple phone calls (and it's your money that is paying for them to not focus on selling). Perhaps this could even allow you to increase the market area you service- if you are in NY, then Upstate and the City can be your true market areas, and so on.

I am not able to upload the .pdf files that contain the reports to this post, but feel free to email me and I will forward you Dr. Joe's report and the Kauffman report on 530,000 new businesses that are created every month right here in the USA (including state by state breakdowns, etc.). I have a bunch of items that don't have the answers, but offer invaluable ideas you could use to adapt your business philosophy to.

Ask yourself- what do I offer my clients/prospects that nobody else can do? It doesn't have to be a different product or service, it could be as simple as YOUR ability to provide a better service, a better quality product, or whatever it is. Noone will ever be a bigger cheerleader for your products and services than yourself. Nobody knows your strengths and weaknesses than that of you the business owner. I believe in leadership through example- get in the trenches and fight. happy works are productive works- productive and happy workers increase sales, increase profits, and put that big smile back on your face!

Tom Parbs
[email protected]

 

[Jecclr2003]

Well I was working as prepress for a pretty steady and successful commercial printer... until yesterday.

I was laid off because our business tanked within the past couple months. It was like everyone became terrified to do any sort of business. With me being low man on the totem pole, I was laid off.

Yes, I'll get unenployment for a while. But, I'm not one to rest on my ass while I'm receiving a handout.

Don't fool yourself, things are BAD right now and seemingly no signs of getting better any time soon. Wages are dropping like crazy, as is hiring. As a whole our country is in a LOT of trouble. 10%+ unenployment is a scary thing.

 

[TheMarine]

Positivity breeds positivity

Positivity breeds positivity

You know it's funny, I have some family that owns car dealerships around Chicago and I remember reading some of the material my cousin used to give his sales people. And while I was the senior sales manager for a large finance company, the same ideology was prevalent in our sales material too (as the senior sales executive at my current company it's something I talk to my team about all the time)=

Negativity breeds negativity. Positivity breeds positivity. plain and simple. In layman's terms- if a group of nay-sayers and people, business owners, employees, etc. are are huddled around the water cooler (Printplanet being the pseudo "water cooler") talking about how this sucks and that sucks and egging each other on because "life sucks so badly." YOUR MENTALITY WILL BE FIXATED ON HOW BADLY THINGS ARE. Think of chicken little!!! I also have a philosophy called the "lemming effect" - most people just follow what everyone else is doing anyways. it must be human nature to want to fit in with the next person, or so as not to feel "alone" that we huddle together and complain and moan, and groan about how poor this is and how bad that is. Negativity is a CANCER. IT KILLS. If everyone is jumping off the cliff, you want to follow with them? If yes, you are indeed a lemming. If no, then why would you want to be associated with anyone who will drag you down (don't you have enough to deal with?). Yes, i know it feels better knowing other are hurting too and some have it worse- but did that knowledge make you any more money. did it alleviate your situation, or is it adding to your already compounding problems? Listen up chicken little- sitting around the "cooler" complaining about how bad things are and "boo-hoo" how worse it's going to get, isn't going to do much but continue to drag you down.

Ever thought about talking to and associating with those who are positive and have a great attitude? How about rubbing elbows with and spending time with and chatting with those who are actually doing quite well? If you wanted to become a millionaire, you wouldn't take advice from the man standing on the street corner with a German shepherd and a tin cup would you? If you wanted to run a successful business, you wouldn't take advice from the store owner who went bankrupt or is a step close to it, right? If you wanted to lose weight- you wouldn't get tips from someone that is 200lbs over-weight themselves, correct?

So if you want to do better- why would you shoot the breeze with or take advice from anyone who isn't doing better for themselves and certainly why would you want to be a part of the "huddle" that talks about how the evilness of current conditions is going to be the end of us all.

The sky isn't falling, and the end of the world is not nigh (unless you think the cosmic alignment and the Mayan doomsday prophecy of December 21, 2012 is true- ha ha). But if want out of the quicksand- stop purposely swimming in it.

Maybe it's Ockham's Razor, or in Latin- lex parsimoniae ("law of parsimony", "law of economy", or "law of succinctness"): entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem- roughly translated as "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity." To summarize the common understanding of the principle, “Of several acceptable explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest is preferable, provided that it takes all circumstances into account.” Basically, sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.

Here is a couple simple answers:

1. Stop hanging out with the negative nay-sayers. they will just drag you down to make themselves feel better.
2. Work your butt off. (unless you have crappy work and a horrible service to offer- what are you doing in this business anyways)
3. Positivity breeds positivity (I promise).

Intelligence 101 teaches us to take complex problems and break them down into simpler forms that are easier to manage and less difficult to complete. It may take a little more time and it may take a few extra steps, but isn't that part of being a successful person- not taking the easy way or trying to cut corners?

Regards,

The Marine

 

[SES]

^ solid post and solid advice.

 

[gordo]

There's an old Buddhist saying which goes something like this:

"If a thing is within your control - you should not worry since it is within your control.
If a thing is outside your control - you should also not worry since there is nothing you can do about it."

Good companies will do whatever they can to avoid laying people off because they know the value of the people they have on staff.
Bad companies will lay off people because of poor management that has lost the understanding that it is the front line employees, not the equipment, that make a company successful.

best, gordon p

My print blog here: Quality In Print
Current topic: World's fastest stamper (video post)

 

[OutSourceD]

Just heard a franchise graphics shop just closed two locations here. Thier salesman called looking for a job. Says he has their phone number forwarded to his cell phone.

The fact of the matter is, those of us who are proactive about marketing and those of us who are not–are dealing with an industry that is off by 30% or more. Sure, you can choose to not worry about it, you can also choose to try and do something about it–but the fact remains–business is off. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, maybe someone is hiring out there–but we are not one of them. In fact, we just let another person go. For us, that doesn't leave anyone left to lay off and still have the ability to turn work.

This whole "think positive" thing is getting a little irritating to me again...let us bitch in peace why don't 'cha? ;-)

 

[rbailleu]

outsourcd,

what an opportunity. get their salesman and take what ever is left of the customers. maybe you wont have to layoff anyone else. man I wish I was this fortunate. let me tell you my whoa is me story. I have an implant that does not need to make a profit as a competitor. they give away work for free that I used to get paid for. thats ruff competition.

 

[TheMarine]

7 tips for profiting in Lean Times

7 tips for profiting in Lean Times

As I am sure everyone is well aware, I am a Salesman- very proud of it. But I also believe that no company, big or small, can effectively stay ahead of competition without a star sales team. However, everyone has their own opinions and own perspectives, and I am not here to tell anyone how to run or operate their business. I will say that complacency kills, it will lead to disastrous results, and could be a contributing factor to a whole lot of people not doing as well as they would like. Certainly that statement can lead into many other discussions, but I wanted to post something here that I truly believe can be helpful. No one person has the monopoly on great ideas, and no report or strategy will have the answers for everyone.

But to have invaluable resources to utilize to give you the edge is what everyone seeks. I think the report I have attached here can be extremely beneficial in the right hands, with someone who wants (truly wants) to do better and is actually willing to be the hardworking, intelligent entrepreneur that you are!

The opportunites are there- you have to go out there and take them and CREATE your own success (because noone will do it for you)!

Respectfully,

Thomas Parbs
"The Marine"

 

[cymk]

Marine

Marine

Marine,
Have you read Dr. Joe Webb's (of WhatTheyThink.com). What makes this guy an expert? Did you ever think he is a paid spokesman? Marketing people are salesmen that promote what is paying them!
I see him promoting and speaking at lots of machine manufactures sales promotions.
I never trust a paid for report or person.
CYMK

 

[TheMarine]

Of course I have read Dr. Joe. He doesnt' get paid by printing companies to write his reports, and his economics and research commentaries aren't sponsored by printing companies. It's an objective view, while sometimes contrarian, and these people have a great idea of what they are talking about. Maybe you should seek their advice, instead of trying to band together with every other nay-sayer on these forums. He is paid to speak at companies, thus the consulting portion of their business, and the whole crew gets paid pretty big bucks to give these presentations. If you're not doing too good for yourself, but there is a bunch of people who are doing well- maybe it's not the market- maybe it's you. Instead of striking out and pumping these forums full of negativity- maybe focus on what you need to do to clean up your own backyard- before you go knocking on the neighbor's door.

Stay positive fellas. It's time to lead, or get out of the way. Either way, just do something!