Case Study: Case Of What Do We Do Now?, Part 2

I said last month that there is not panic and fear among printers concerning the economy. In fact, there is not as much concern as I think there should be. Why? I think many printers are ignoring the reality of a probable loss among their top accounts. Why do I say that?

You may remember that I am presenting a seminar for printers around the country entitled "Surviving the Economic Downturn" (schedule at www.cprint.org). I started last November, so the observations in this series aren't based on old perceptions, but on what I have seen since then. So, what I have I seen and heard?

I have heard a significant number of printers talking themselves out of business. One explained that there was no more printing for his type of presses and that he wasn't willing to learn or invest in any new technology to move his company off of the train tracks before the train comes.

I heard another printer describe how sales calls became ineffective for printing about 10 years ago and how direct mail stopped working five years ago. Sales are down, by the way, and he wonders what he should do.

I heard a printer who has serious family issues in the business describe everything but the family relationships as being a concern.

I heard how another printer didn't have time to create new business, yet he also described how he spends a lot of time filing every day.

I learned one printer who is doing a significant amount of sales has not found the time to computerize order entry and estimating, while that is his main bottleneck.

I learned how another printer, facing price competition for walk-up copies, diversified into more trinket business. That, in turn, has eaten up his time without producing an increase in revenue.

I found a printer who required his staff to do duplicate paperwork, thus creating an unnecessary waste of time for him as well as for others.

I heard a printer say his sales were down, but he couldn't say which specific customers were buying less than before.

I listened as one printer described how he had to work more than 60 hours a week—except during the summer when he spent a lot of his time boating.

I was very interested when every attendee at one session described lack of cash as being their major concern, yet not one would actually say so during the session. Instead, they wanted to talk about other things.

I am very interested to find almost everyone saying that more sales would cure their ills, but not finding one who is really doing anything about creating them.
I listened as another printer described how the printing business, which has provided him a bountiful life for many years, is suddenly no longer viable.

I found it is still common for most printers to describe their biggest concerns as a lack of cash, lack of sales growth, amount of time spent in the shop, and the hassle factor in running their businesses. Yet it is also common that I find these same folks resisting the changes necessary to create cash, increase sales, and to decrease shop time and the hassle factor in running their businesses.

What I am saying is that I am finding the same concerns that were there in the good times. There's not much difference. Why? Business owners want to change results without changing their behavior.

Reality Check

Let's do it by the numbers. First, this industry is not going to disappear. Our industry is one in which we buy business technology that is too expensive for the typical business and then we time share it with a geographical market. It's too expensive, too labor intensive, too complex, requires too much space, or it's too dirty and messy. The equipment is too something, which is why most businesses don't have it or the expertise to provide it.