Consider This...

I have recently encountered several print industry articles voicing concerns about the decline in paper use due to the digital age and speculating on the impact this trend may have on the industry as a whole. As with most things, opinions run the full range from panic to optimistic assumptions that it is just an opportunity to become more creative. Being an optimist, I tend toward the later sentiment, but it is impossible to ignore the reality of the digital invasion. That said, I think there are still a number of things to consider before engaging in a full blown Chicken Little impersonation.

Digital is expensive. Small businesses getting started or trying to stay in the black during down times in the economy are not likely to have the large sums of capital available to invest in digital solutions – no matter how tempting they may be.

Old habits die hard. Having worked in a number of small business environments, I can assure you that business owners get set in their ways. With the many details that must be juggled to keep a company moving forward, the usual philosophy is – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it! This often translates into a continued use of the existing methods of paper forms and checks.

Sometimes you need a paper trail. For some businesses and industries, going digital is just not a viable option yet. This means that they still need paper work orders, receipts, etc.

Security Concerns. Although there have been great strides in digital security, there is no shortage of stories about sites and companies being hacked with customer information at risk of being accessible to the hackers. Although paper can also be snatched and counterfeiting is certainly not a dead art form the new security features on business checks and other forms should not be overlooked. A number of new measures have been implemented to add layers of protection for such items ensuring that they are safe to use while still being cost effective for your business’ bottom line.

Budget. These days most companies are very mindful of their expenses attempting to get the most for their money. Whether this means shopping for the best deal or deciding between pre-printed checks and forms versus printing your own, the great debate continues. There are a number of software products currently available allowing companies to print their own checks and business forms. HOWEVER, before you assume that this is a cost saving measure consider all of the costs involved. Most people evaluate the cost of the software and paper, but forget the additional cost of printer ink which can add up quickly. The cost of MICR ink should also be factored into the decision when thinking about printing your own checks as it is an important security feature of checks and missing this step could cost more in the long run than you save up front. Unless you are printing A LOT of checks and forms, I would be willing to bet that you would be better off finding a reputable supplier with great prices rather than trying to manage all of these details on your own. After all, there are so many responsibilities to manage in a small business – do you really want to add “printer” to your job title?

 

As always, I urge you to consider what is best for your business and sanity. The needs of each company are very different depending on industry, profits, staffing, resources and time. Before you take on a “cost saving” initiative, be sure that you have fully evaluated the costs – including the non-monetary – to ensure that you are not just creating more work for yourself.

Certificates of Appreciation

I recently read a few articles on marketing initiatives designed to entice customers into revisiting and spending at a store or business. There were a number of great points made, as well as suggestions, but what caught my attention most is a common thread of offering customers a tangible reason to return – gift certificates!

There are a number of ways in which you can provide gift certificates to your customers, but just like many other things to be considered when running a business, you need to select the method that best suits your company personality. For example, if you have a strong presence on the social media circuit you might want to think about a contest in which you engage your fans/followers in an effort to win a gift certificate. Since I don’t know many people who are not interested in winning something, this is a great way to build excitement with your customers while also encouraging sharing with others to build new customer relationships. Every share or re tweet of a contest is free marketing!

If your company does not have a strong foothold in the social media realm or your customer base is not likely to interact with you in this arena, there are alternative considerations. Pay attention the next time you visit a coffee or sandwich shop. Most now have a frequent shopper card that earns you free items after a set amount of purchases. This plan of action is not limited to the food service industry! Consider your customer base and think about ways that you could initiate a similar program. Perhaps instead of a punch card, you send them a certificate of appreciation (gift certificate) when they have reached a certain spend amount. For example, for customers spending $100 or more, send a $10 gift certificate for use on future purchases. If they spend $250 or more then send a $25 gift certificate. Again, I can’t think of anyone who would not feel appreciated receiving what appears to be a spontaneous gift of gratitude for their patronage – can you?

Show Some Gratitude

An industry article I read recently was discussing the business impact of the economic dips. The focus of this particular piece was the relevance of promotional products regardless of the state of the economy. While the article contained a good deal of great points, what really caught my attention was a single sentence… “The expectation of a gift during the holiday season is not necessarily there this year, so businesses that thank their customers and potential customers will stand out.” Why did this sentence catch my attention?

Two key reasons:
One – it is a simple truth. 

Two – it indicates an opportunity for savvy business owners/managers to capitalize on sincere gratitude.

In the new business model of “do more with less”, most clients understand that companies are running on lean margins and displays of gratitude must adjust to the financial times. This thought process supports the simple truth of the sentence statement. The bi-product of doing more with less, however, is that companies have learned to be more creative with their resources. This sometimes means that what used to be simply a thoughtful gesture now doubles as marketing allowing budget resources to be successfully combined. The economic reality in which we are all now conducting business requires this balanced blend of fiscal ingenuity and sincere appreciation for customers. What exactly do I mean by this? When you find a reason to reach out to a customer be sure that it is for a sincere reason – a birthday, a thank you for a piece of business/purchase, etc. Try to avoid inventing reasons to contact them as it is easily spotted as a marketing ploy dressed up as gratitude. Once this happens any sincerity your gesture included is immediately lost.

Once you have identified a genuine reason to contact your customer you can begin to consider ways in which you can provide a legitimate gesture of gratitude that also incorporates your company’s marketing efforts. This, I believe, is the point of the sentence quoted above. Invest your marketing dollars in a few key promotional items that can also provide exposure for your business and use them for sincere displays of gratitude. This will allow you to capitalize on your gestures by gaining face time, as well as building a reputation worth claiming.

Over the years I have been in the position of both developing these gestures and receiving them. Below are a few that I have enjoyed as the gift giver and receiver.

Customized Coffee Break – If you know that your client/customer is a coffee lover, put together a little coffee break kit for them. Include items such as a coffee mug, coffee beans, peppermint sticks for stirring, flavored syrups and for a playful touch add breath mints for post coffee needs. Pick just one item in the kit as your marketing touch – perhaps the coffee mug with your company information – to ensure that your business gets the recognition while the gift still maintains the integrity of a sincere gesture.

Customized Soda Break – One of the most clever gift ideas I have encountered was given to me by a vendor seeking to educate about the depth of their service offerings. The worked with Jones Soda to create customized labels for various flavors and cleverly linked the featured service to the style of soda. The batch of beverages was delivered in the afternoon just about the time that we needed an afternoon brain boost so the gesture was immediately appreciated for its legitimate need fulfillment while also leaving us with creative reminders of what they have to offer their customers. If you don’t have the time or budget to invest in customized labels, you could achieve a similar impact delivering an assortment of popular sodas along with koozies sporting your business logo.

Just some food for thought…

Put it in Print!

Having recently cycled through the process of purchasing a printer, I have come to realize that the selection process is not quite as cut and dry as one might expect. Since they do not offer all the initially exciting bells and whistles of their computer counterpart, the printer is usually a secondary selection and the recipient of much less focus in the purchase process. That said, when I began my recent purchase process I recruited the assistance of a technical minded friend and got schooled in all the considerations I had previously failed to consider.

Is there a particular brand that you are devoted to? If so, save the people assisting with your purchase the futile efforts of showing you alternate options. Don’t worry that they will take offense. In the long run, you are actually saving them time and energy! (Caution Note: If you are too stuck on a particular brand you can risk missing out on some great new products!)

What is your budget? No one really enjoys working with a budget, but before you talk yourself into spending the extra funds on the really cool printer, be sure that you really need everything it offers!

What do you need from your printer? Much like selecting a mate, you need to know what functions you need it to do best and most immediately. You should also consider growth potential for the future -assuming that your purchase is a long term investment. ** For example, if you are starting a business and know that you need the ability to print, scan and fax you might consider a single multi-functional device. However, before making your final selection think about the company growth potential you hope to achieve, as well as the volume of printing, scanning and faxing you will be doing. If you expect a high volume of all three options and multiple users need access to all three services, perhaps a single multi-function device may not be the best option. What happens if the printer portion fails and needs repairs? While it is out of commission – so is your administrative business functioning! (** Be sure to balance growth considerations with available funds so as not to land in the red before you really get started!)

What is the final cost? It’s easy to get excited about some of the great deals available right now, but I caution you to think long term. In order to being a truly useful device your printer will need ink and it always runs out a lot faster than you expect! When you have narrowed down your potential purchases to a handful of options I suggest doing a little investigative research in the ink aisle. Some of the printers that are low cost at the point of purchase recover their profit margin in the cost of replacement ink. Be sure that you understand the long term costs associated with this new piece of equipment before you make your final decision!

Additional Information to Consider:

While the majority of inkjet printers these days utilize a thermal inkjet, others use a piezoelectric crystal in place of a heating element. What’s the difference you ask?

With a thermal inkjet there is a heating element in each partition of the ink reservoir and when the printer sends the appropriate signal, a tiny current passes through. This current warms the heating element and results in the vaporization of the ink surrounding the plate producing a tiny air bubble inside the nozzle. An ink droplet is then forced out of the cartridge and onto the paper. This method relies on a smooth flow of ink and can develop problems if the ink starts to dry at the print head – usually when the ink level becomes low. (Fix it – dried ink can easily be removed from a cartridge print head by gentle rubbing with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab or paper towel.)

The piezoelectric crystal printers place a crystal in each nozzle in place of a heating element. With the application of an electric current, the crystal changes shape and/or size producing a drop of ink from the nozzle. A plus for this method is the use of inks that traditionally have bad reactions to heat. (Most Epson printers use this method currently.)

Laser printers have proven to be great for high volume printing, but there are a few things to keep in mind in order to receive optimal production.

Not all paper is created equal! Make sure that the paper you are inserting for your print jobs is compatible with your machine. The wrong paper selection can result in paper jams due to folding issues and an inability to handle the heat necessary for a static load process.

Fast printing means greater heat, so be sure that you are using the correct type of ink for your needs. If you need a machine that can print quickly, be prepared for it to produce some heat! (“Cooler” printer options to consider are bubble jet and dot matrix.) Use of the wrong ink in a high heat printer can cause bleed over in your print jobs can which waste both your time and paper. If you are printing high volume on pre-printed paper (such as checks) be sure that your printer is using thermocromatic ink to ensure a smooth printing process.

Old Faithful

Did you know that the wall calendar is considered one of the most widely successful promotional products? Me neither! I recently read an industry article offering some enlightenment on this item as an important piece of a marketing mix. As I began reading the article I was prepared to scoff at the idea that calendars could still be a valuable player in today's market place. Everything has gone digital with most people using a smart phone or Outlook to track their schedules. Just about this time, something caught my attention and I realized that in spite of my use of a digital calendar, there is a wall calendar hanging above my desk... and that made me stop to reconsider my thoughts about this old faithful product.

As I worked to adjust my thoughts on this product, I began with a simple question - Why do I have a calendar hanging on my wall if I primarily use my digital calendar for scheduling? The top answer is that I enjoy the monthly photos - cute French Bulldogs make me smile. Second to this is that I work in an office not yet using a shared calendar. Adding important details to the wall calendar provides a great method of covering my backside allowing others in the office to easily view days that I am out and why without having to send email reminders and/or share my Outlook password.

The next step in my thought adjustment brought me to consider whether or not I would feel the same about my adorable calendar photos if they also showcased a company logo or motto. Although it might somewhat detract from the cute factor the thoughtful placement would not dampen my viewing pleasure in the least. If I am being totally honest, it would also serve the purpose of visually reminding me of a company thoughtful enough to send an item that brings me a little joy on a daily basis... and this, I believe, is the reason that customizable wall calendars remain a staple in the promotional product realm.

As you prepare for your next marketing adventure, consider this old faithful and the vast array of customization options now available. Whether adding a company logo to a calendar with pre-selected photos or developing your own monthly displays, a thoughtful gesture is always noticed and usually rewarded!