The Opportunity Economy Delivers Growth for Print Businesses

The Opportunity Economy Delivers Growth for Start-Ups and Print Businesses

Attention U.S. print business owners and employees of printing companies! With the election coming up, I am hopping on my soapbox to appeal for the economic plan that will foster print business revenue growth, create loyal and collaborative customers, and contribute to the future of the printing industry. You may be familiar with one aspect […]

Big Business Awaits in the Flexible Packaging Market for Printers

a flexible packaging press printing flexible packaging in a red background

With dueling print industry tradeshows overlapping in the US this year, I chose to attend LabelExpo Americas and skip Printing United. While that may seem a strange choice, it was a strategic decision to go where I believe unbridled growth and opportunity lie for commercial, label, and packaging printers. The experience delivered on all my […]

How to Run a DIY Print Sales Improvement Program

orange bar chart with a rocket illustrating increased improved sales performance

If your print sales team wants to systematically improve — rather than leave things to chance — try running a DIY team program. The key is to choose training materials from a top sales trainer who understands the printing industry. Here’s how to lay out your DIY program, choose the right materials, and get started. […]

Are You Choosing the Right Chief Officer for Your Printing Company?

choosing the right person

As a printing company advisor, I help clients hire Chief Officer positions for sales, operations, and business transformation. Before we design a C-suite level role (let alone meet with recruiters and post job openings), I talk with the client about why hiring for the print industry is different – and special.  When hiring Chief Officer […]

When Print Sales Are Down, Who’s Really at Fault?

an orange image of a finger pointing

When printing businesses see their sales drop, there are gaping organizational issues that can be the root cause. The printing company itself may be the one at fault, and that’s the core reason the sales team struggles to do its best work.  We’ve talked about how print sales teams can hold companies back. In this […]

Is it the Right Time to Sell Your Print Business?

colorful umbrellas floating in sky Selling print businesses

Printers ask me: “When is it time to sell or exit from my business?” Good question. Whenever that time is, we can’t wait until the last minute to position your business to attract a buyer. Here’s one way to see where you are on the “readiness to sell” scale. Think of a strike price. A […]

Build Back Better Brings Print Customers

a red image of construction workers

This is not a political post. It’s a financial one for design, print, and marketing pros. At the end of 2020, the United States Construction Industry was valued at $1.36 Trillion Dollars. Even with the pandemic, private residential and non-residential construction had record-breaking figures. Up until 2020, the construction industry employed more than seven million […]

Five of the Best Ways to Be a TERRIBLE BOSS and Tank Sales

how to succeed with a bad boss

We’ve all probably had one or more. Some of us have probably even been one at one or more points in our careers. You might even have one or be one right now…  A TERRIBLE BOSS. But if you’ve never had one, or been one, and you have put it on your bucket list for […]

2019: A Year of Setbacks, Comebacks, and Givebacks for Print

Greetings Citizens of the Printerverse! It’s almost time to close the books on 2019 which means it’s a perfect opportunity to look back at some of the subjects that drove discussions in the Printerverse this year, and what we can learn from them moving forward. Setbacks While some manufacturers may have reason to boast about […]

War and Peace: What Hamilton and The Print Industry Have In Common

After an utterly fantastic Project Peacock event providing Printspiration to a room filled with print customers and PSP’s eager to learn about, and get their hands on the amazing print and paper samples shared by the Peacock Partners, I had some time to actually hang out in Chicago. One of the unexpected activities turned out […]

Nordstrom and J.Jill Profit Losses Due To Reduced Direct Mail Marketing

profit losses due to direct mail reduction

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that digital marketing channels hold the keys to driving revenue in brick & mortar retail businesses. Relying on traditional marketing channels may seem archaic when you’re starting to feel like you are a legacy business. But moving off of the traditional marketing channels that you’re customers […]

Five Life (and Sales) Lessons From My Third, Half-Marathon

Well, friends, I did it again. Back in 2015, shortly after I moved to Connecticut from Chicago, I trained for and ran my first half marathon at the age of 45. Then the next year I ran another. Earlier this year, I decided that the months leading up to those races were great for me […]