By Deborah Snider, e-LYNXX Corporation   The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) awarded more than 16,000 jobs (also called jackets) in the $1,000 to $10,000 per job range in 2011 totaling almost $30 million to private sector printers. Close to 2,000 jobs in the $10,001 to $100,000 per job range totaling more than $50 million were awarded per data from the largest database of...

By Debra Thompson It's the latest watchword. That's all we hear about today. There are tons of books out there, articles being written in every magazine we pick up and seminars going on everywhere discussing the importance of good customer service. But many of the owners I am consulting with today still don't get it. They hear it, they talk about it, but they don't really know what to do...

I've been following the billboard ban issue in California over the last year or so, so it was kind of interesting when I saw a news item last week about a new documentary to hit the Dallas Film Festival later this year (April 12-22). This film made its worldwide debut at New York's Documentary Festival back in November 2011. "This Space Available" is a documentary about Sao Paulo and other...

By Karen Hall It is time to submit your entry forms to be considered for the 2012 Quick Printing Top 100 list. Small commercial printing companies that produce at least $1 million in annual sales are encouraged to enter. This is your chance to have your company’s accomplishments recognized in a prestigious national forum. The marketing opportunities are second to none and all of the Top...

By Bob Hall An op-ed piece in this Sunday’s paper caught my eye with the headline: “Writing: more important than ever” Since I’ve blathered on about lousy writing over the years, I had to read the article. Pointing out that documents written centuries ago still influence our lives (the Bible, the Quran, the Constitution, etc.), the authors noted that technology is spurring another...

There are a lot of printers going out of business or about to go out of business because they can’t change their business model. Customers no longer walk in and ask for something to be duplicated. The day of commodity printing is over. People no longer need forms to collect information. It is now done on a computer. What print customers now need is help in finding the best way to...

I learned early in consulting that when owners self-diagnose, often true issues are hidden. In fact, one of the criticisms leveled at consultants is their solutions are so simple that “anyone could have said that.†Sure, solutions are simple. Where a good consultant earns their money is asking good questions so that real problems can be defined; not in just providing solutions. My last...

A MyPrintResource.com exclusive By Mark Vruno, MPR Portal Editor Akin to automakers, press manufacturers face the sullen fact that not very many commercial printer budgets can withstand brand-spanking-new hardware investments. That explains why still-struggling OEMs are more warmly embracing the idea of selling their own used or “pre-owned” output devices, be they conventional iron or...