SME Printers Biggest Worry – Where and When to Invest?
Every printer starts his business to grow, but lot of small printers are confused, as they want to grow but don’t have enough resources to increase sales or handle production. Earlier printers differentiated themselves investing in machines, but today non-printers are growing faster than printers, as machines are not the only way to grow.
SME Printers understand it is important to invest in business to grow, but struggling as don’t know where to invest and what is the right time to invest, and what will get them better returns?
So here is one of the conversations we had with SME printer, who has been struggling and looking for ideas to grow, and how he plans to grow:
Q. How long have you started your own print business?
A. 3 Years
Q. How do you get new sales?
A. Through references and some clients I have got from my old job.
Q. What is stopping you to grow?
A. Don’t know how to Increase Sales and team to manage sales, as don’t have enough funds to invest in people or machines, as currently we are just 3 people team, one designer, support staff and myself with two Digital Print Machines.
Q. What do you think where you are investing the maximum time of yours?
A. I practically do everything from estimation to negotiation to invoicing to printing to delivery. Recently my graphic designer has left, I have to make changes in design files, same time if customer walks in, need to engage him. Working overtime to deliver and still I am missing on delivery dates.
Q. If you get the bigger order then how do you manage?
A. Sometimes we deny as don’t have resources to deliver, than I cannot entertain my routine customers.
Q. Have you thought of solving this problem investing in Print Order Management Software?
A. I have thought a lot of times, but we are small company and don’t have much strength to sell online and so feel it is good for Large Print Companies. I will invest once I increase sales and have don’t need to worry about losing money.
Q. Are you aware Web2Print/Print Order Management can help you manage 10 times more orders with same team and also outsource orders that you cannot print?
A. No, for me it is only tool to get new sales.
Q. Would you like to know more?
A. Yes, in-fact I would like to see demo urgently, if it helps me automate my daily orders, online estimation for 80% jobs, only 20% custom jobs I need to give estimation, customers can easily reorder from anywhere, make small changes in print files, you mean even if I don’t invest in machines, still I can sale more outsourcing to vendors.
