Business Success

I SPENT two days last week at the AlphaGraphics headquarters in Salt Lake City observing the monthly Discovery Days event for folks considering an AG franchise. Some were looking to start a franchise from scratch while others were considering converting their existing printing operation or buying an existing AG franchise. I don’t know if any of the people who attended will actually pull the trigger but they certainly got what I think was a full measure of candor and openness. Now let’s be clear. I’m not a cheerleader for AlphaGraphics or any other particular franchise system. I am, however, a cheerleader for this industry and I found the attendees’ interest in the industry encouraging. The days of go-go growth are long past and attrition is taking its toll on unhealthy or unprepared printing businesses. That said, there still is a very real opportunity to build a successful and profitable quick or small commercial printing business. The key word is business. As I told several attendees at the Discover Days event, we do not publish a printing magazine. We publish a business magazine for printers. Technology certainly is important but it is not a substitute for business management, marketing, sales, or human resources skills. I got the impression that the folks attending Discovery Days get that message.