Printing News - January 2018

January 2018

The h Resource for f Commercial, C i l Sign Si & Digital Di i l Printing Di Pi i

• Executive Executive Q Q&A &A • Direct Mail Insights

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Table of Contents

January 2018 On the Cover To establish a presence in the ad specialties market, print service providers (PSPs) are partnering with distributors in this space, mega-printers and suppliers that bring the equipment, products, expertise, and geographic reach required to succeed.

How the Right Distributor Can Pave the Way

10

See why now is an opportune time to enter the growing ad specialties market, and why it makes sense to partner with a distributor.

By Laurie Weller

14 Executive Q&A: Greg Muzzillo, Founder of Proforma

Columns 07 Editor’s Note

Professionals in the industry need to make sure they are part of an organization that will help them not only survive but thrive.

By Jennifer Wilberschied

Better Safe Than Sorry

By Jennifer Wilberschied

18 Marketing Matters

10 Marketing Ideas for Printers

By Patrick Whelan

19 Human Resources

16 Direct Mail Insights: Hurricanes, Floods, & Tornadoes

Departments 08 Printing Pulse 24 New Products 26 Classifieds/

Supplier Directory

27 Ad Index

Housekeeping for the New Year

By Debra Thompson

For most people, disaster recovery is a concept, a “just in case” that never comes to fruition.

By Michael Henry

20 Case Study

Case of Equipment Justification Part IV

By Tom Crouser

22 Sales Clinic Selling Yourself

By Dave Fellman

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January 2018

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CELEBRATING

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1948

2018

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In the Know

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Featured Publication January 2018

Events:

Printing News

EFI Connect 2018 Time to present the latest innovations and new products or services to an independently owned and operated global network, and showcase your expertise and capabilities.

January 23-26, Las Vegas, NV

@PrintingNews PrintingNews.com

Graphics of the Americas GOA is one of the graphic communications industry’s largest, annual, combined expositions and conferences, attracting printers, designers, and creative professionals from North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and all corners of the world.

February 23-24, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Pure Digital Within one single and exclusive European event, Pure Digital will showcase and celebrate the very best of creative design within digitally printed applications.

April 17-19, Amsterdam Netherlands

The Th h Resource R for f Commercial, C i l Sign Sii & Digital Di D i l Printing Pi i

Trade Brokering & Ad Specialties • Executive E ec tive Q&A Executi • Direct Mail Insights

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S Published by SouthComm Business Media, Inc. PO Box 803 • 1233 Janesville Ave Fort Atkinson WI 53538 920-563-6388 • 800-547-7377

ince 1928, Printing News has focused on improving efficiency and increasing sales and profits in the print shop. Industry experts share their ideas and technical knowledge on ways to improve operations.

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Contributing Editors Tom Crouser Paula Fargo David Fellman John Giles Toni McQuilken

Joe Rickard Richard Romano Debra Thompson Howard Riell Jeffrey Steele

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January 2018

January 2018

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Editor’s Note

Better Safe Than Sorry In a world where Mother Nature, while stunningly beautiful at times, can wreak havoc on us, it is always smart to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

T

By Jennifer Wilberschied Editor Jennifer Wilberschied is a seasoned journalist who brings her award-winning talent and fresh perspective to the ever-changing print and graphics industry, exploring the issues, challenges, and technology revolving around the commercial, digital, sign, and wide-and grand-format markets.

2017 was a severe time for natural disasters all over the globe, including many of which hit close to home here in North America. Hurricane Harvey, a category 4, killed 77 in August as it struck near Rockport, Texas, into Houston and surrounding areas. More than 6.9 million people were pummeled with 30 inches of rain as another 1.2 million were flooded under 45 inches, causing $198.6 billion in damages. I have family in Houston who braved the storm and did not evacuate. Luckily for them, they were hoisted up on a hill and while the waters did creep up their stems, it ever entered their home—thankfully.

Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane in the Dominican Republic, saw a death toll of 38 in September and saw 37 inches of rainfall, causing flooding and mudslides. The list goes on.

Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm this summer, caused more than $100 billion in damages and killed 95 as it ravaged through the Dominican Republic, made its way to the U.S Virgin Islands, and finally to the U.S mainland. And let us not forget the tragic earthquakes to our neighbors below in Mexico in September. The 7.1 quake caused 370 deaths due to building collapses and more than 6,000 were injured.

iStock

he recent wildfires sweeping Southern California triggered by strong Santa Ana winds have forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate their homes and more than 250,000 acres of land devastated, displacing and killing so much wildlife found in the mountains and valleys of the West Coast. This batch of wildfires is just the latest in fire disasters in the state, bringing the total of acres burned to no more than ashes and dust to more than 1 million. And while I am constantly touched by how brave the firemen and women are to face such trying times, I can’t help but recall what a devastating year it has been for the world and Mother Nature.

And this is just a taste of what the world has endured last year.

I urge you to take a close look at our Direct Mail Insights piece covering how to prepare your business for natural disasters, starting on page 16.

You never want to think of your home or business being destroyed but as my mom used to say, better safe than sorry.

Chatting with Muzzillo “Printing used to be a craft and printers earned business based on their reputation. In today’s market, quality is assumed and for small printers to survive they need to find a better path to earning new customers, expanding their product lines, and growing their sales.”

Check in with Proforma’s Greg Muzzillo on page 14

Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12386877

PrintingNews com

January 2018

Printing News

7

Printing Pulse FTA Announces Forum 2018 Theme, Venue, Chairs Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), producers of the No. 1 educational symposium for the package printing and converting industry—Forum 2018—announced “Bringing It All Together: Synchronizing Processes, People and Potential” as the official theme of the 2018 event. More than 2,000 professionals from every segment of the supply chain will attend the May 6-9 event, held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Indianapolis, Indiana.

es. Attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of the customer’s point

Bryan Hall Elected as Chairman of the Board of Printing Industries of America

of view of package printing, the brand management process, how to effectively

Bryan T. Hall, president and CEO of

communicate the proof approval process between brand owner and printer, and

Graphic Visual Solutions, Inc. of Greens-

so much more.

boro, North Carolina, has been elected

PrintingNews.com/12378257

Chairman of the Board of Printing Indus-

Culminated into one event through nine informative sessions, topics including student research about the future of flexo, how company cultures impact all strategic planning for success, new capabilities, and the technology of today’s flexo press-

tries of America (PIA) and its Foundation.

The installation ceremony took place on

INX Implements Certified Business Management System with Integrated ISO Systems

November 12, 2017 at PIA’s Fall Adminis-

INX International Ink Co. has created an

teer leader who brings passion and expe-

instrumental Certified Business Manage-

rience to the position. He will do a great

ment System after successfully earning cer-

job as Chairman,” noted Michael Makin,

tification for three key safety standards.

president and CEO of PIA.

trative meetings held in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Bryan is an exceptional volun-

Eight INX properties achieved certification for the latest ISO 9001:2015 and

Hall has supported industry associa-

ISO 14001:2015 safety standards, in addition to establishing first-time certifi-

tions for years, including Printing Indus-

cation to the OSHAS 18001:2007 safety standard. The eight facilities include

try of the Carolinas, Inc. (where he served

the corporate office and Research & Development Center at separate locations

as chairman of the board), NAPL, and

in Chicago’s western suburbs, as well as manufacturing complexes in Apple-

PIA, where he has served on many com-

ton, Wisconsin, Charlotte, North Carolina, Edwardsville, Kansas, Dunkirk, New

mittees, including chairing the educa-

York and two in Illinois – Homewood and West Chicago.

tion and marketing committee. Hall has

“The OSHAS 18001 standard will automatically carry over to ISO 45001 in

given back to his community in many

2018, and INX will have the OSHAS 18001 certification transferred during the

ways. He has served on the Greensboro

next re-assessment cycle,” remarked David Maternowski, INX VP of business

Sports Council, the Greensboro Ballet

management systems. “This process began in mid-2016 and was important for

Board, and on the Print Advisory Board

us to achieve. The safety standard is desired by manufacturing facilities look-

of North Carolina A&T State University.

ing to implement legitimate systems to enhance employee safety.”

PrintingNews.com/12380816

PrintingNews.com/12384189

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Printing News

January 2018

PrintingNews com

Printing Pulse

Sappi North America Invests $5.94 Million in Cloquet, Minnesota Mill Sappi North America announced a $5.94 million

Koenig & Bauer and Esko Strengthen Partnership

capital investment in its Cloquet, Minnesota mill to replace the headbox on Paper Machine 12 (PM12).

This investment enabled Sappi to maintain its ca-

Koenig & Bauer and Esko, both leaders in the field of packaging printing,

pacity by adding a state-of-the-art, dilution profiled

recently agreed to further strengthen their partnership. To this end, col-

headbox that produces excellent basis weight pro-

or management and workflow solutions from Esko were installed at the

files. A headbox is an integral part of the paper ma-

Koenig & Bauer demo center in Radebeul and are available with imme-

chine responsible for spreading the pulp fibers even-

diate effect for live presentations to interested customers.

ly to form the sheet. “This investment shows Sappi’s

As a solution provider to the packaging industry, Koenig & Bauer sees

unwavering commitment to its graphic papers and

Esko as a strong partner when it comes to process-integrated workflow

packaging customers,” said Mark Gardner, president

solutions. Accordingly, they will be able to show users the Equinox col-

and CEO, Sappi North America. “The new headbox

or management technology, which enables printing with an extended

will ensure that we’re fulfilling orders to the highest

color gamut, with the necessary RIP architecture being provided by

quality standards that Sappi’s customers have come

Esko’s Imaging Engine. One of the benefits of an extended color gamut

to expect. This project will not only improve upon

is that printers are spared the constant wash-ups which accompany

our longstanding history with the graphic papers

the use of spot colors.

market, but also support our growing paper-based

PrintingNews.com/12384425

packaging business.”

PrintingNews.com/12381127

EFI and Xerox Announce NextGeneration Fiery Server for Xerox iGen 5 Press Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII) announced the availability of a new EFI Fiery digital front end

“We believe the new capabilities with the Fiery DFE

(DFE) for the Xerox iGen 5 Press. The Xerox EX-P 5 Print

will be a significant asset to our customers, especially

Server Powered by Fiery first made its debut at PRINT 17.

as it relates to optimizing our fifth station options,” said

The new Fiery DFE supports the iGen 5 Press’ new White

Ragni Mehta, vice president and general manager, cut

Dry Ink capability, and is the first commercially available

sheet business, Xerox.

DFE on the new Fiery FS300 Pro platform.

PrintingNews.com/12379290

PrintingNews com

January 2018

Printing News

9

Expanding Into Ad Specialties:

How the Right

Distributor

Can Pave the Way See why now is an opportune time to enter the growing ad specialties market, and why it makes great business sense to partner with a distributor.

Custom-printed mugs, like this example from 4over, help companies keep their brands front and center with customers.

Providing custom-branded accessories and apparel items is a great way to expand your relationship with local businesses beyond traditional print services. (Photo courtesy of 4over.)

10

Printing News

January 2018

PrintingNews com

A

By Laurie Weller ccording to the Advertising Specialty Institute, the market for promotional products is a $22.9 billion industry, growing at more than 3% annually as of the second quarter 2017.

While as a commercial printer you may hesitate to take the leap into a new business with its own complexities and challenges, in fact, the same customers purchasing your brochures, packaging, letterhead, and labels are also stocking up on custom printed mugs, T-shirts, pens, and hats.

Consider also that promotional items complement your own products and services well—and that selling them successfully could produce a nice new revenue stream for your business.

To establish a presence in the ad specialties market, print service providers (PSPs) are partnering with distributors in this space, mega-printers and suppliers that bring the equipment, products, expertise, and geographic reach required to succeed.

Distribute as a superstore “I like to describe my business as a strategic sourcing partner for print, promotional, apparel, and direct mail items,” said Joe Walkup, president/ co o ner of Nashville-based co-owner Nash ille based InnovaInno a tive Business Products, LLC, and vice president of the board of directors for

the Print Services and Distribution Association (PSDA). “We build stores for clients to do their releases, and we have a 6,000-square-foot facility that allows us to do fulfillment and warehousing.”

Inside the headquarters of Innovative Business Products, says Walkup, is a wonderland of “printing equipment, forms, labels, custom printed bottled water, pens, notepads—a little of everything.”

Jared Silverman serves as copywriter for 4over, a national distributor for the printing industry based in Glendale, CA. “Customers rely on offset, digital, promotional product, and large format capabilities from our 10 facilities and more than 15 distribution centers across North America,” he said, adding that these resources provide PSPs with three key advantages: “product access, speed-to-market, and profit, all without additional capital investment.”

Riding today’s economic wave According to Silverman, now is a great time to enter the ad specialties market. “We are in the midst of an uncharacteristically long expansion in terms of the U.S. economy,” he said. “Printers of all types are now leveraging our assets, while taking on a more marketing advisory role with

the businesses they service.”

Walkup agrees, emphasizing that the state of the ad specialties market tends to reflect economic trends.

“In a recession, the fi rst thing you see is the spend cut,” he said. “When the economy is growing like it is now, the market for promotional items continues to grow. The question for print buyers then becomes ‘How do I outdo my competition?’”

Customization is sticky with consumers—so is luxury While economic conditions can fluctuate, Silverman sees strong, consistent demand industry-wide for more customized, higher-end products.

“Run sizes continue to drop since audiences are being segmented more frequently, and the messaging is more targeted so that it speaks uniquely to each group,” he said. “We’ve seen this segmentation also translate into easier access to high-quality materials and products. Since the quantity and dollar thresholds are lower, more businesses can fi nd affordable ways to affect their brand.”

For 4over, this means that PSPs are increasingly relying on the company’s variable data printing capabilities and embellishments such as specialty coatings and fi nishes to make their ad specialties stand out.

“Examples include versioned materials where each item is unique or personalized,” said Silverman. “Dimensional graphics using raised print and unusual foils also help our cus-

“Run sizes continue to drop since audiences are being segmented more frequently, and the messaging is more targeted so that it speaks uniquely to each group.

We’ve seen this segmentation also translate into easier access to high-quality materials and products. Since the quantity and dollar thresholds are lower, more businesses can find affordable ways to affect their brand.” — Jared Silverman, 4over.

PrintingNews com

January 2018

Printing News

11

Variable data printing makes it easy to personalize promotional items with logos, contact information, and more. (Photo courtesy of 4over.)

tomers provide something different and fresh. These ultimately position them as leaders and pioneers, both of which help them develop long-term, consultative relationships.”

Print resellers are using ad specialties as an effective brand vehicle.

Because the media is not a traditional marketing material, it’s received easily and sometimes more naturally.

Walkup points to today’s political climate as another factor defi ning the current market. “We see a push for more U.S.A.-made products,” he said.

“The issue, though, is that there are a lot of economies in buying products overseas. So how do you get companies to pay three times more for the same products? It is one of those

12

Printing News

wonderful goals to aim for.”

Automation will drive costs down A goal, he affi rms, that technological advancements will ultimately help PSPs achieve. “Technology will drive U.S.A.-made in this area because innovation always helps to cut production costs,” said Walkup. “As a case in point, our IBP online tool makes it easy to order items like business cards, custom ink pens, and letterhead. Our customers can proof these items online and handle it all with one checkout.”

Silverman added, “Our technology simplifies and transforms the way customers access and deliver print. The standardized, automated approach used for current products is the same approach we’ll apply as we expand more into ad specialty offerings.”

Serving Main Street in the Amazon economy With Innovative Business Products and 4over deeply entrenched in both

January 2018

commercial printing and ad specialties, what advice do these market leaders have for printers looking to excel on both fronts?

“You have to figure out what sets you apart from everyone else in this arena, and If you think you can continue to do business the way you have always done it, you are going to lose out in the end,” said Walkup.

“The big boys like Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart will continue to drive us to be better. We all have to stay up to date with the trends, and the best way is to do that is to participate in an association and to partner with other distributors and manufacturers.”

For Silverman, the key to success in ad specialties is to stay focused on the needs of local businesses.

“The big direct-to-consumer online players are not being ‘print advisors’ for their customers,” he said. “They are servicing the new small- and micro-businesses that start every year, or the once-a-year photo book or greeting card customer. Ultimately, that customer may go online, but those who don’t are the businesses and consumers that need a one-stop, solution-oriented partner who helps incorporate printed products into an annual budget.”

He continued, “Print resellers are using ad specialties as an effective brand vehicle. Because the media is not a traditional marketing material, it’s received easily and sometimes more naturally. Th is improves use and keeps the message in front of recipients for longer view cycles.

We’ve seen customers use mugs, for instance, to ensure the brand is seen every morning that a buyer drinks their beverage of choice. Because that mug mirrors the brand printed on postcards, brochures, and notepads, the end user is communicated to on several levels at once.”

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Executive Q&A:

By Jennifer Wilberschied

Greg Muzzillo Founder of Proforma Just “getting by” is failure. Professionals in the industry need to make sure they are part of an organization that will help them not only survive but thrive.

500 fastest growing company three years in a row.

PN: What do you consider

your greatest achievement in this market to be?

PN: Tell us a little about your

company, the segment of the market it serves, and what you consider to be your “core” users/ customers.

GM: Proforma is a $500 million print and promotional products distributor network that serves approximately 60,000 clients through more than 750 independent member offices across the globe. Our largest market segments include manufacturing, healthcare, education, finance, and retail.

PN: How did you get in-

volved with the company? What is your background before that?

GM: I graduated from college in 1977 and joined the audit team of Haskins and Sells (now Deloitte and Touche). In 1978, I left the CPA world to start Proforma, a distributor of just printing at the time, with a college friend. We each invested $100 and started knocking on business doors.

Within five years, we grew the company to several million in sales, and by the mid 1980’s, Proforma had been recognized by Inc. magazine as an Inc.

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Printing News

GM: We help our owners’ dreams come true. We’ve helped many people transition their jobs into successful businesses. We’ve helped many small business owners, distributors, and printers take their businesses to the next level.

PN:

If there was anything you could change, either about your career in regards to the print industry, your company, or the market as a whole, what would it be and why?

GM: It saddens me to see so many printers struggling in the new realities of the printing world. Printing used to be a craft and printers earned business based on their reputation. In today’s market, quality is assumed and for small printers to survive they need to find a better path to earning new customers, expanding their product lines, and growing their sales.

PN:

What do you consider the greatest challenge to be for the industry right now? Why? GM: Many small printers who are try-

January 2018

ing to adjust to the realities of the new printing world think the solution is to buy more equipment. More equipment is rarely the answer. Small and medium sized printers can rarely afford the breadth and depth of equipment required to become a full solutions provider for their customers. And customers want to do business with fewer suppliers. In my view, smaller and medium sized businesses shouldn’t be investing in more equipment, but rather investing in more and better ways to grow their sales and expand their product lines.

PN:

What do you consider the greatest asset to be for the industry right now? Why? GM: Technology is truly driving the industry forward. It provides printers with a better path to economical, efficient, and effective printing methods and it provides end user customers with a better way to communicate with printers.

PN: In your opinion, what

have been the biggest changes to the way we communicate with one another in the past few years? How would you recommend this industry take advantage of that?

GM: Not that many years ago, customers wanted to see their salesperson.

PrintingNews com

Greg Muzzillo with Suzette and Fred Albrecht and Vera Muzzillo, CEO of Proforma at Proforma’s annual Million Dollar Club celebration. The Albrechts are Proforma’s highest achieving Proforma owners with more than $34 million in annual sales. Last year’s Million Dollar Club celebration was held at The RitzCarlton Dove Mountain Resort in Tucson, AZ

They wanted to talk face-to-face and have a personal relationship. Today, an increasing amount of customers want to communicate through email, text, and social media.

PN: Looking ahead, what

major innovations or technologies do you believe will shape the future of the industry? Why?

GM: Technology will significantly change the way we do business in the near future. It’s an exciting opportunity for us. Proforma is investing $10 million in a state-of-the-art technology platform and proprietary eCommerce solution to provide our owners and end users with an Amazon-like experience to make doing business easier and more efficient than ever before.

PN:

GM: In my view, just “getting by” is failure. Professionals in the industry need to make sure they are part of an organization that will help them not only survive but thrive in the new realities of the printing world today.

Especially with the oncoming changes that technology will surely drive.

PN:

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

GM: At Proforma, we are more excited than ever about our industry. We believe we are in the perfect position as a network of independent distributor owners to take maximum advantage of the ever-changing needs of end users through the technology we are developing.

Greg Muzzillo addressing the Proforma network at Proforma’s annual convention.

This event draws nearly 800 Proforma owners, suppliers, support team members each year for networking and learning opportunities.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to printers and others involved in this industry?

PrintingNews com

January 2018

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Direct Mail Insights:

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Hurricanes, Floods, & Tornadoes For most people, disaster recovery is a concept, a “just in case” that never comes to fruition.

By Michael A. Henry

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hese days you don’t have to be in Kansas to realize extreme weather is on the rise and in the news, almost on a daily basis. Extreme weather can result in extreme consequences, not only for your business, but your employees, your home, and your city’s infrastructure and services. Although severe weather events are by no means the only cause of business interruptions, they are a stark reminder that we are all at the mercy of forces beyond our control.

You may have a state-of-the-art, hurricane-proof facility, but if your employees are evacuated or vendors can’t get materials to your plant due to flooded or damaged roads, operations can still be halted.

You may hope or believe that most disaster events are short in nature and your business can weather the storm, but is that fiscally sound? What is the

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actual financial risk to your company, your employees, and your shareholders if your business’ print and mail services are disrupted for one day? One week?

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One month? Depending on the industry, you could be facing lost revenue, SLA penalties, fines, and lost customers due to a delay of even a day or two when mailing critical communications. Can you really afford to gamble against Mother Nature when your business is at risk?

The obvious solution is a back-up plan, but that’s easier said than done.

If you don’t have a Disaster Recovery/ Business Continuity (DR/BC) backup plan, where do you begin? If you already have a DR/BC plan in place, is it the right plan? Is it comprehensive enough? Does it really work? And have you tested that plan regularly? Any business in the print/mail services industry needs to have a wide-ranging DR/BC plan covering not only back-up for your data communications, but a print-to-mail production back-up site as well.

demands within hours?

Suppose you have two print facilities some distance from each other. The town where Plant A is located is hit by a hurricane; the plant is still standing but the employees were evacuated.

You decide to shift the Plant A work to Plant B for a few days until things are back to normal for Plant A. In scenario

two, suppose that Plant A also incurred some flooding during the hurricane and the site recovery will take 3-4 weeks instead of just a couple of days to clean up and restore or replace the damaged equipment. Finally, in scenario three, instead of flooding and evacuation, Plant A was destroyed by Continued on page 21

Mother Nature is unpredictable. The 2017 hurricane season is proof it makes sense to plan for the worst and hope for the best. A successful Disaster Recovery plan should address all of your print recovery needs.

The first step is to determine whether to use internal resources or to partner with an external vendor as a back-up print/mail provider. For companies with more than one print facility, the conventional thinking is to use the sister facility as the print backup site; in other words to “self-recover.”

That solution certainly allows you to check the “DR back-up site” box (and it looks good in the operating budget, too), but is that recovery option really the right solution for continuation of your business? Can the back-up operation absorb not only the volume, but also the personnel and equipment For more information, visit PrintingNews.com/10005400

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Marketing Matters:

Marketing Ideas for Printers A new year ushers in new opportunity. Here are 10 catalysts for growth.

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new year ushers in new opportunity.

Here are 10 catalysts for growth. Embrace, refine, and rejuvenate your sales and marketing efforts by following some of my all-time favorite (and effective) marketing suggestions for printers.

❶ Print newsletter

By Patrick Whelan President , Great Reach Communications Patrick Whelan is president of Great Reach Communications, Inc., a provider of direct mail and online marketing solutions to the print and direct mail industry.

Your ability to retain customers has the greatest impact on growing sales. An informative company newsletter is one of the best ways to make that happen. It’s long been proven: Skip print, results go down. Use print, results go up. Print is taken seriously and breaks through even where e-media do not. That’s why a company newsletter is critical for customer retention. It is also effective at creating demand for your services through education and perhaps most importantly, promoting your brand as a thought leader. Content is king. Produce and distribute one at least every 90 days.

❷ Email newsletter Email is a great way to add touch points to your marketing strategy. Opt for less content (375 words max) and follow best practices. Use a third-party secured sender. Add a sign up on your website and post the content to your site as well as social media. Monthly or bi-monthly should be your target distribution frequency. Be mindful, however, that with spam filtering, not all of your emails will reach their intended targets. That’s why print should be part of the mix.

❸ Utilize a blog

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Google’s Hummingbird and Panda algorithm likes relevant fresh content. If you’re looking for new sources of leads, inbound web traffic represents a great opportunity. Make the content relevant to your audience and the SEO will happen organically. Once a week? Even a monthly update will generate results. Just as important as

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January 2018

the SEO benefits, great website content promotes thought leadership which in turn, fosters trust and credibility. Make sure to share your blog out on social media as well (particularly LinkedIn).

❹ Social media Very simple—customers now expect this. They seek to work with tech savvy progressive companies rather than “old school” ones. If you’re not utilizing social media or not updating it consistently, your brand looks bad and you create a competitive disadvantage for your company.

Social media allows you to connect with your audience in a more personable manner. This helps foster trust. Your social activities now affect your SEO as well. Don’t ignore this. In addition to the big three (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), make sure you also have a Google+ page for your business. It’s a fact that Google plays favorites. It’s easy to set up.

❺ Direct mail Create a direct mail campaign and distribute it to a targeted list. Use a list source so that you’re reaching out beyond just your in-house lists.

Consider rolling this out on a weekly or monthly basis. I have a client that is targeting 200 names per week for two months. The offer is a half-hour lunchtime review of the recipient’s current marketing activities and challenges. The mail package includes a menu from a popular restaurant from which the recipient can select their lunch.

A follow-up report is delivered a week later. The company is creating face-to-face interactions with companies and persons they have never had previous contact with. By rolling this out, they have the opportunity to gauge results and refine the offer (A/B testing).

❻ Webinars This is a great way to way to project your compaContinued on page 23

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Human Resources:

HOUSEKEEPING

for the New Year

All business owners and managers should make sure that they’re prepared to handle a sexual harassment complaint.

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ach day brings new complaints of harassment of bullying in the workplace. This should be an awakening for all business owners and managers to start the new year making sure that your organization emphasizes that harassment of any kind is not permitted and that you’re prepared to handle a complaint, if one were to be filed. I cannot stress enough the importance of having a Sexual Harassment Policy and a General Anti-Harassment Policy (or Workplace Bullying Policy) instituted, along with the Complaint/Investigation Procedures accessible to all staff members for their knowledge. It’s also good practice to send out a reminder of the policies to all staff and conduct training on the policies.

By Debra Thompson President of TG & Associates Debra Thompson is President of TG & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in “The Human Side of Business” specifically for the graphics industry. Her company provides Virtual HR Services and Customized Staffing Solutions.

Debra can be reached at 520751-8922 or email her at Debra@ TGassociates.com.

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With social media, texts, emails, and whatever other means available, there is much more communication going back and forth. This communication may start off innocently with bantering back and forth and then one person feels it’s gone too far. Many employees caught in this pattern may feel pressure or harassment from the continued conversations. In many cases, there is a real intent to harass or bully another employee.

Whether the harassment starts out casually or is more blatant, you must have policies in place that define harassment, state that it is prohibited in all forms, provide procedures for lodging complaints about conduct that violates the policy, have procedures in place to properly investigate the complaint, and carry out appropriate disciplinary measures in the case of violations.

When an employee complains that he or she is experiencing harassment of any type, the employer has a legal, ethical, and employee relations obligation to thoroughly investigate the charges.

The employer cannot unilaterally decide whether the complaint is invalid, but must take him or her in good faith at their word that they feel threatened. All employees of your organization must know that any form of harassment will not be tolerated and that it will be investigated.

In Susan M Heathfield’s article, How to Legally Handle an Employee Sexual Harassment Complaint she stated: “If an employer hears rumors that sexual harassment is occurring, the

employer must investigate the potential harassment. This can include hearing gossip by other employees. It can involve instances in which noninvolved employees or friends of the targeted employee bring up the subject with HR to help their coworker or friend who is embarrassed to go to HR. It can also include any instance in which an employee tells HR about questionable behavior that they have witnessed.”

Again, all too often, what begins as simple workplace humor turns into an expensive harassment claim (or, even worse, retaliation) when the employer does not conduct an effective investigation. Therefore, it is imperative that employers implement an effective mechanism to investigate and resolve workplace complaints.

A key individual needs to be named in your handbook as the person to receive the complaint.

Depending upon the size of your organization it could be the head of HR, a supervisor, or the owner. This individual should be knowledgeable about the organization, the people in the organization, and the history of the organization.

The person who filed the complaint should be asked to document the complaint in their own words, then sign and date the document. If the person prefers, the investigator can ask questions, document what they heard, then have the victim sign the document.

• Next, it is prudent to give the alleged harasser Continued on page 25

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Case Study:

Case of Equipment Justification Part IV

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By Tom Crouser Senior Contributing Editor Tom Crouser is senior contributing editor, chairman of CPrint International, and principal of Crouser & Associates, Inc. You can reach him at 304/541-3714, connect on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow his business tweets on Twitter @tomcrouser.

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ver the past three installments, we’ve explored equipment purchase decisions. First, we reviewed if you should gamble in the first place. Second, we covered the first half of the fourstep payback formula and, third, we covered the last half. What’s left? Nothing but questions.

Here I address the most common ones:

How do you handle a trade-in using payback? If the trade-in is paid for, disregard it.

everyone to quote you the same thing. And, you will find some will and some won’t.

That’s because giving it to the equipment dealer creates no change in your checkbook. If it’s not paid off, then the equipment dealer will usually add the unpaid balance to the new equipment which will increase the initial cost. If you must pay it off before you trade it in (uncommon), then add it to the cost of the investment in the calculation.

Is it better to pay in full or finance? Paying $60,000 cash or making 60 payments of $1,274.82 for a total of $76,489.36? Paying cash will obviously cost less over time, but it could cost you the business if you pay down your current ratio and cash on hand too far. So, get your accountant involved. I recommend you maintain a 2:1 current ratio and maintain 30 days worth of cash on hand once you complete the deal. If you’re unable to do this, then borrowing the money would be better, even if it costs you more over time.

Now, assume we borrow as most would do.

How does that factor into payback? Figure it the same. If you have a choice between leases or leases vs. a loan, multiply the payment by the number of payments and add any upfront payment or end of term buyout. If it’s a fair market lease with the purchase price computed at the end, use 10% of the total equipment price as an estimate. Then compare the total payout between the options. The one with the lowest total wins unless there is some other complication.

How much leverage do we give the vendor who is willing to make an appealing deal like waiving the first six months of payments? None, unless you absolutely need six months up front without the obligation of payments. If so, ask

How do you compare deals if some have a six-month grace period and some don’t? Thank

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January 2018

them and then ignore it for justification purposes. Treat it as if you begin paying in month one.

Of course, don’t begin to pay until month six though.

What’s the difference between buying equipment and leasing it? Not much other than technical issues. If you borrow money from the bank and buy equipment, you owe the bank the money. Bank doesn’t own the equipment and, often, won’t even take it as collateral for the loan.

That’s under the assumption that your lender isn’t in the equipment business.

With leasing, the leasing company maintains ownership of the equipment and essentially rents it to us for use under terms that simulate borrowing. Tax law changes categorize leases as operating or financing. A financing lease is another form of a “bank” loan. Operating leases are like a building lease where we pay rent each month and give the equipment back at the end with no expectation of ownership (also known as fair market leases), although there’s typically an opportunity to purchase the equipment at “fair market” value at the end. Tax changes require this fair market value to be at least 10% of the original value so that effectively ended the historic one-dollar buy-outs.

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Continued from page 17

the hurricane and the company is now faced with months or even years of recovery time. In all three scenarios, Plant B is the back-up plan and the burden on the existing internal resources is growing exponentially.

You’ve essentially taken a disaster that has physically affected half of your company and spread the trouble to the other half as well. Now half of your employees and equipment are responsible for producing 100% of your print/mail production, which may not even be possible based on Plant B’s capacity. The strained resources, both human and mechanical, may solve the problem for a day or two—but what if the recovery is longer, like scenario two or three?

Can you afford to assume that a longterm solution isn’t necessary? Are you willing to risk your company’s solvency on short-sighted solutions? This is not worst-case hyperbole. As a point of ref-

erence, in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy destruction, a large healthcare provider needed print/mail recovery services through 2016!

Print and mail recovery requires expertise along with a state-of-the-art, dedicated recovery center that can help plan and optimize DR/BC needs.

The advantage of using a dedicated recovery vendor for printing critical communications is twofold: First, you’re ensuring that your critical print/mail schedule is uninterrupted by using additional resources that are both familiar with your print needs and prepared (and contractually required) to step in at a moment’s notice. Second, by shifting the production burden to an experienced and proven outside print recovery partner, you’re freeing the full capacity of your internal team to deal with the aftermath of the disaster itself, both at home and at work.

For most people, disaster recovery is a concept, a “just in case” that never comes to fruition (and thank God for that). That’s exactly the reason to partner with a company for whom disaster recovery is reality. Think about what it takes to onboard a new client with a complex program, stringent security requirements, and a narrow SLA with harsh regulatory penalties for non-compliance. The value of actual experience, as well as the peace of mind that comes with sharing the recovery burden, can’t be overstated.

Mother Nature is unpredictable. The 2017 hurricane season is proof it makes sense to plan for the worst and hope for the best. A successful Disaster Recovery plan should address all of your print recovery needs and if it doesn’t, you need a partner who can.

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Sales Clinic:

Selling Yourself First, you have to sell yourself, then you have to sell your company, and only then will you have the best chance of selling your product.

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found an interesting article online recently, originally published in the Harvard Business Review.

The author, Steve W. Martin, wrote “6 Reasons Salespeople Win or Lose a Sale,” presenting findings from his years of win-loss analysis and research. “There’s a tendency,” he wrote, “to assume that the salesperson lost because their product was inferior in some way. However, in the majority of interviews buyers rank all the feature sets of the competing products as being roughly equal. This suggests that other factors separate the winner from the losers.”

By Dave Fellman President of David Fellman & Associates Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, Cary, NC, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic-arts industry. Contact Dave by phone at 919-363-4068, or by e-mail at dmf@davefellman.com. Visit his website at www.davefellman.com.

Find this article at PrintingNews.com/12384283

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That sounds like printing to me. It’s the same paper and the same ink, and my own research supports the idea that most printing buyers think of printing as a commodity product. But as I’ve been saying for years, printing companies and most importantly printing salespeople are not commodities.

And, as others besides me have also been saying, first you have to sell yourself, then you have to sell your company, and only then will you have the best chance of selling your product.

Three sales people example Martin posed this question: Imagine three salespeople who’ve pitched products that are very similar in functionality and price. Who would you rather do business with?

1. A professional salesperson who knows their product inside and out but is not necessarily someone you would consider befriending.

2. A friendly salesperson who is likable and proficient in explaining their product.

3. A charismatic salesperson who you truly enjoyed being with but is not the most knowledgeable about their product.

The friendly salesperson was the preferred choice selected by different industry professionals in Martin’s study. So what does that mean for you? Perhaps you should aspire to friendly, likeable, and appear proficient, but that’s not the whole story. You must also sell yourself as trustworthy because you sell a custom-manufactured product, and they know a lot can go wrong between order and delivery. I can probably sum up your final sales pitch in just a few words: “I promise that none of the negative things that

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January 2018

could happen will happen if you do business with me.”

Friendly, likable, and proficient If you can convince people that you can promise satisfaction and keep that promise, they’ll think seriously about buying from you. Friendliness and likability create an environment where they may want to trust you, but the proficiency you showcase in your extended knowledge of the product is the element that takes you to the finish line.

Put it into practice Make a list of 100 companies that might make good customers. Do some research to identify one or more decision-makers at each company.

Then reach out by phone and/or e-mail using a sales pitch that shows how much you know about the way in which your product could meet their needs and be friendly!

The best overall strategy is a cordial e-mail followed up by a phone call. Give them two chances to give you a chance. If they don’t say yes, go on to the next call. If they do say yes, go meet with them and be friendly, likable, and proficient at what you do.

And don’t expect everyone to say yes. But don’t expect everyone to say no either!

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Continued from page 18

ny as an expert and thought leader. If you’re talking about it, it is assumed you know about it! Even non-signups will be influenced by the invite and promotion.

Limit these to just 30 minutes. They are easier to produce and more enticing to the recipients than longer Webinars. A quarterly basis would be a great interval. Even twice per year. Subject matter is easy to come up with and develop.

Stick to ways you can help them grow or manage their business.

❼ Write a letter Yes, it’s old school and you don’t see this often, which is one reason why you should do it. The other reason is that it’s an easy and personable way to help foster trust and credibility. Talk about recent success stories (mini case studies), community and charitable involvement, and other information that is relevant to the recipient such as USPS

rate increases or new regulations.

❽ Website resources According to Forrester Research, todays buyers would have gone through up to 90% of their buying journey before they make the first contact with the vendor.

Simply put, having up to date, relevant, engaging content (blog) gives you a competitive advantage over those that do not. Having the information reside on your site will also help with SEO. The content can be short. One page is just as effective as three. Create short case studies or mini white papers. Post content from company newsletters.

Always share your new content out on social media.

to educational (customer education) events. My suggestion would be a hybrid mix of both. Fun and helpful is always the best combination.

❿ Have a plan Planning is critical. If you want successful results, you will need to create a plan and commit to executing it. Don’t let your company to be out-marketed.

❾ Host an event Host an onsite or offsite customer (and prospect) event. These can range from purely social (customer appreciation)

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New

Products Drytac Protac Anti-Scratch Gloss Film Drytac, an international manufacturer of self-adhesive materials for the print, label and industrial markets, has announced the expansion of its ProtacT range of films with the introduction of Drytac Protac Anti-Scratch Gloss. This 4-mil (100µ) clear PET laminating film with a scratch-resistant hard coat, high gloss finish, has been designed to add depth, detail and protection for printed graphics.

Coated on one side with a pressure-sensitive, solvent acrylic adhesive with a PET release liner, Drytac Protac Anti-Scratch Gloss film is ideal for the protection and enhancement of photographs, inkjet prints, department store advertising, POS displays or for any application where a durable, high-gloss, mirror-like finish is desired. Thanks to its superb quality and durability, this high-end laminating film is also suitable for use in art galleries and museums.

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Colordyne Technologies 2800 Series Mini Laser Pro Colordyne Technologies has released the 2800 Series Mini Laser Pro. The newest addition to Colordyne’s suite of solutions provides end users, private brands and in-plant printers with on-demand digital label and tag production and in-line lamination and laser die cutting capabilities. The 2800 Series Mini Laser Pro is a turnkey solution designed for mid-volume label production. Print, laminate and laser die cut your labels all in a single-pass on one affordable, compact piece of equipment. With the 2800 Series Mini Laser Pro’s inline finishing capabilities, users can protect the high resolution aqueous inks with lamination and create custom label shapes and sizes with laser die cutting. Users experience greater flexibility and can produce a broader range of applications in today’s continuously changing and fast-paced production environment.

Novastar D 2000 IML BIO Novastar D 2000 IML BIO is a mineral oil free, low migration sheetfed ink to be used for label printing without direct food contact. Suitable for printing work corresponding to ISO 12647-2, Novastar D 2000 IML BIO is especially suited to printing on metallised paper and other non-absorbent substrates. It is the latest in a line of products introduced by Flint Group to create a rounded portfolio for the offset label print market.

This very high color strength product features good printability with excellent dot sharpness and fast oxidative drying. Based on renewable raw materials and produced conforming to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), it has exceptionally good adhesion and scratch resistance, while it is very versatile in high temperatures or sub-zero temperatures.

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Lecta’s Garda Premium Natural GardaPremium Natural is a two-side coated wood-free silk paper with a smooth surface and a natural shade. It offers good thickness, extraordinary runnability, high stiffness, and good resistance to cracking on fold, in addition to high opacity. These characteristics guarantee excellent print results for any type of project, as with all of Lecta’s premium coated papers. With the new GardaPremium Natural catalogue, you can directly observe the paper’s natural white shade, obtained without the addition of optical brighteners.

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New

Products

Raster Blaster Pro from Xitron Xitron, an independent developer of RIP and workflow products for commercial, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing has begun shipping the next generation of TIFF Catcher soft ware - Raster Blaster Pro. Browser-based and accessible from any platform, Raster Blaster Pro was designed for CTP owners looking for more than “catch & release” functionality in plate production. Because it is browser-based, Raster Blaster Pro is accessible by any authorized user in the printing plant. Coupled with the release of Raster Blaster Pro, Xitron has also introduced B3, the Xitron Network Interface. Xitron revolutionized CTP interface technology in 2007 with the development of the USB “Blue Box,” which eliminated the need for PCI slots in computer platforms. With B3, Xitron has taken the next logical step and eliminated the need for a separate computer entirely.

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Comexi ML2 Comexi launched its latest lamination technology: the Comexi ML2, a top-range laminator designed under two key concepts: versatility and the highest productivity. “These are the pillars that best define this new laminator that, thanks to its ergonomic design, facilitates daily operations, maximizing production”, highlights the Comexi’s Lamination brand manager, Carles Rodríguez.

“I like to call it the gadget machine, because is full of new solutions that will delight operators”, explained Rodríguez.

This laminator can work with solvent-based, water-based, or solvent-free adhesives. It provides a wide range of lamination and coating options and works with materials up to 1530 millimeters (60.2 inch) wide and at a speed of 450 meters per minute (1467.4 ft /min), enabling all kinds of coatings and applications such as coldseal, heatseal, ink, or varnishes.

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an opportunity to respond to the allegations. Inform the alleged harasser that a complaint has been brought against him or her and that the company is required by law to investigate all complaints whether or not they are valid. Again, all information obtained should be documented, signed and dated. If there are any witnesses, they must also be interviewed, the information documented, signed and dated. Once all the interviews have been finalized and credibility issues are resolved, management needs to determine whether harassment, discrimination, or retaliation has occurred. Next, the appropriate discipline to the appropriate people must be determined.

Below are a few statements taken from the HR Employee Handbook

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Template under Workplace Complaint and Harassment Prevention Procedures that we offer on our website.

• Anyone who knowingly makes a false accusation or gives a false statement about an ongoing investigation will face disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

• As part of the Harassment Policy it should be stated that retaliation against a person who has made a complaint will face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. No one shall face retaliation for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation unless that person deliberately provides false or misleading information.

• All investigations and interviews will remain confidential by all parties.

A couple more HR housekeeping notes.

When it comes to filing employee information you should have separate files for: • Employee Personnel General Information • Medical information • Payroll Information • One I-9 file which has every employee’s document • And it is highly recommended a Grievances file be created to hold all complaint documentation. The last four categories should be kept confidential and only be accessible by the head of HR, CEO, or CFO. This article can only highlight key components of harassment complaints, and in no way supplements or provides legal counsel.

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Signs 365............................................................. 28 PrintingNews.com/10449454 www.signs365.com; 800.265.8830

Uline.....................................................................21 PrintingNews.com/10718883 www.uline.com; 800-295-5510

Xante......................................................................2 PrintingNews.com/10008689 www.xante.com; 251.473.6502

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PN_26-27_Classifieds0118-eMag.indd 27

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January 2018

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