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What is the Owner's Job? Part 1
By Tom Crouser - Tuesday May 15, 2012
By Tom Crouser So what’s my job as business owner? Makes my head hurt. Wrapped up in one short question is one seriously long answer. So, this is part one of four and my first answer is that there’s not a job for an owner. There is for the person running the business, however. Ownership is a passive verb. If you own stock in General Motors, you have a right to a return on investment and you have a right to expect your management will focus on increasing your shareholder value. In our kinds of businesses it is no different. You may own a car but that does you little good until you take on another role – the role of driver. Same is true with our businesses and the refusal of many business owners to actually drive their car is a... -
Successful GPO Print Suppliers Form Partnerships
- Monday May 14, 2012
By Deborah Snider, senior vice president, e-LYNXX Corporation Three quarters of all printing for the federal government is provided by public sector printers, and that is a proud partnership that dates back to when the United States Government Printing Office (GPO) opened its doors on March 4, 1861 – the same day Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated the 16th President of the United States. For 151 years, the GPO has depended on thousands of printers nationwide to keep the public informed. In her FY 2013 appropriations request for the GPO, acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks told the U. S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, Committee on Appropriations: “Other than congressional and... -
Buying Is More Than Writing the Check…
- Wednesday May 9, 2012
By John Giles With all of the cool new print equipment and technology at drupa and at the upcoming Graph Expo, printers need to make sure they are covering the basics before they add something new to their production mix, especially if it requires a big investment. Financials – In this day and time, you need strong financial information before you make a decision and ask your banker for help. Many printers are coming off slow growth years and don’t have the cash they need to safely add new debt. A strong current ratio is needed before adding to your liabilities. Not enough cash can cripple a company, even if sales are climbing. Creditors don’t want to wait until your customer pays you before they get their money. You have to... -
Procurement Innovation Can Drive Productivity Gains
- Tuesday May 8, 2012
By William Gindlesperger, chairman and CEO, e-LYNXX Corporation Innovation is required if the United States is to regain the level of productivity that it enjoyed toward the end of the 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. However, innovation by itself is not enough. Just as our parents and grandparents adopted electricity, the automobile, credit cards and airplanes in the period from 1870-1950, businesses and organizations of the 21st Century must embrace change. This is one of the conclusions of the McKinsey Global Institute Report on Productivity, prepared by McKinsey & Company in February 2011. “U. S. infrastructure is not only inadequate to meet the needs of a dynamic, growing, and productive economy, but its quality has... -
One World, One drupa
By Karen Hall - Tuesday May 8, 2012
After my sojourn to Dusseldorf for drupa 2012 there is no shortage of things to tell you about — the dilemma is knowing where to start. The theme of this year's show was "One World. One drupa." That speaks to the fact that this is truly an international trade show. I encountered people from all corners of the globe: Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Most printers in the US don't make the trek to Germany every four years, but if you have never done so, I highly recommend that you start making plans now to be there in June 2016. Being at drupa reminded me that, while the US may have the largest printing market in the world, from the global viewpoint, it is just a big region. In so many press conferences, I heard... -
Greetings from Germany!
By Denise Gustavson - Friday May 4, 2012It's only been one day since the offical start of drupa 2012 and I have to admit that while the dogs are tired of walking already--the show takes up 17 buildings on how many acres I don't know--but there is a lot of wide-format news already announced. Press conferences on the first day included news from companies such as Durst--with several new introductions including a corragated packaging press configuration for the Rho 1000 and a high speed label press; Ricoh--with an entrance to the wide-format market with a latex inkjet printer (perhaps because of the arrangement with Mimaki who is using Ricoh heads in their printers...haven't had the chance to ask that question yet.); HP--with the official introduction of the FB7600; Mutoh's new... -
Lassen Sie Uns Auf drupa Gehen!
By Karen Hall - Thursday April 5, 2012So drupa is just around the corner, and I’m brushing up on my German. Just for the record, mein Deutsch ist schrecklich, but the people I meet there are always so kind (and frequently amused) regarding my attempts to speak their language. They always seem to appreciate the fact that I’m making an effort, so with my attempts at German, their attempts at English (which are almost always superior), and a bit of sign language, we manage to communicate. This will be my fifth trip to Germany. Bob lived there for six years, so it has been one of our favorite vacation destinations. It will be very odd to be there without my husband and his translation skills. Sure, drupa is the mac daddy of print trade shows and most people on the show... -
LinkedIn: Moving from a Connection Collector to a Sales Generator
By John Foley, Jr. - Thursday April 5, 2012By John Foley When people talk about how they are using social media in the marketing efforts, Facebook and Twitter are often the first answers given. Sure, they might be on LinkedIn. But they may currently only view it as a way for them to “collect people” – i.e. to amass connections. If that sounds similar to how LinkedIn is utilized in your business, here is one idea for converting that connection data into a way to build relationships and generate sales. Connections and Job Status When someone experiences a change in their employment status, LinkedIn is often the very first social network that they update. Depending on our relationship with that person, taking action on that information can be valuable to them... -
Procurement: An Under-managed Treasure Chest
- Friday March 9, 2012
By William Gindlesperger, chairman and CEO, e-LYNXX Corporation The cost of procured goods and services represents between 25% and 60% of a company’s total operating expenses. That is true for nearly all businesses according to Bain & Company’s survey of executives in a broad range of industries. As stated in Bain & Company’s January 2012 “A Fresh Look at Procurement” Report on its survey findings, the evidence is clear that procurement is an area that is ripe for improvement. “We recently surveyed executives about their experience with past procurement management initiatives. While most reported annual gains in their efforts to save, 72% of the respondents believe that they could do substantially better. Interestingly... -
GPO Work: Worth the Competitive Bidding
- Wednesday February 15, 2012
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 GPO job records which is at e-LYNXX Corporation. The majority of printers that win these jobs are small to mid-size businesses, many with 20 employees or fewer, according to the GPO. There also is tremendous opportunity for printers capable of handling GPO’s million dollar plus jobs – often ulti-year programs. Examining GPO data back to 2006...