As a business manager, you’re constantly faced with the
question of whether to branch into offering something new, versus concentrating
on what you already know and do best. Diversification or consolidation? Venture
or tried and true? Risk or safety?
Standing still is not an option in the graphic arts industry
of the 21st century. Successful graphic arts businesses all too often find
long-standing customers, even lucrative market sectors, dry up quickly. Look at
typesetting in the 1980s, and colour separation firms in the 1990s.
Is the same thing happening to offset commercial printing?
Customers today expect high quality, low prices and fast, if
not instant turnaround. And they’re getting all three from Canadian printers
today.
Our main feature article this edition presents four
businesses run by professionals who recognize that their customers expect more
than just ink on paper. They offer services that fit a defined market segment’s
specific needs. It’s their unique edge in the market.
To use a buzzword, they’re providing "solutions."
To succeed in today’s graphic arts market, you have to offer
something besides fast, high-quality printing at low prices. You have to give
customers a reason to come to you and stay with you.
As successful printers and just about every business pundit
will tell you, customers will pay for services, but what they really want are
solutions. Successful printers, like those we’ve profiled, recognize that print
is just a part of the whole communications package, along with the Web,
telephone systems, broadcasting and everything else. Many printers — many
of you reading these words — have integrated the Web into your own
businesses with e-commerce, Web-enabled ordering and tracking and even
Web-to-print services.
And now it’s our turn at Graphic Arts magazine.
Starting in September, GraphicArtsMag.com will present
late-breaking news about the graphic arts industry in Canada and the world,
previews of upcoming features as well as complete stories and columns from the
current print edition of Graphic Arts.
So take a look at our site, and tell us what you think about
it.
Have a terrific summer!