For years now, Michael Porter has reminded all business leaders that their performance is shaped by forces largely outside of their control. Well, in the print world, those forces are alive and well, and at times more intense than ever. None of this is new...
What will you stop doing this year? I don’t mean having that extra scoop of ice cream on a Wednesday night, I’m talking about the things you need to stop doing so that you’ll have time to do the things that are most important to you and your business. These are the...
Every year, printing companies create a sales budget. After much tweaking, negotiating, and some wishful thinking, the numbers are finalized, the goal is clear, and everyone says, “Let’s do this!” However, the simple truth is a budget is just a number. It doesn’t tell...
It’s easy to get caught up in the mindset of being a train conductor. Your daily objectives are to keep the engines gassed up, and the schedules tight. With additional goals of keeping the day-to-day operations gliding along without going off the rails, especially in...
What once defined success for most printers was how close their operations were to the customer, how many shifts they ran, their equipment list, and the strength of their relationships with the sales team. Well, these may be good reasons for customers to stay, I’m not...
If there’s one universal truth in leadership, especially in the print industry it’s this: it’s awfully hard to lead others when you’re still trying to lead yourself. You can have the title, the corner office, the decades of experience, and the reputation for “knowing...