Sidney Bobb, BAPC

The print calendar is full of activities for printers – the BAPC Conference in September and significant activities throughout October. On 9-10 October is the BPIF’s Print Congress and of course the highlight of the month is Digital Print World at Earls Court on the 17, 18 and 19 October. This exhibition seems to grow in stature as each year goes by and allows exhibitors to show their latest wares and visitors the opportunity to examine, on a level playing field, all the technology they need to help make business more efficient. They may even source some new technology, which will help give them that extra edge.

However running a print business is more than just following the usual day-to day routine and turning up at some of these events. It is an ongoing process of development and learning and unless printers do try to evolve then the changes in the general business culture will continue to have an adverse effect.

Print business owners are real experts on productivity and perhaps, because they are familiar with that aspect of business, that is where their focus lies so that they get better and better at producing goods. However, this concentrated effort helps to cloud the other aspects of running a business. Competition has never been fiercer, or margins lower and certainly only a small minority are running at anywhere near full capacity.

Perhaps a look at the other aspects of the business may help improve matters and business owners should consider planning on a strategic basis the development of their business. It seems that every printer is faster, cheaper and better than the competition so that is certainly not enough to guarantee longevity. Printers should look at where they are different and, if they can find that unique proposition, capitalise on it. If, of course, they cannot find their differential they do need help and should not be afraid to ask. Organisations like the BAPC are there to help and a word with an independent outside force could make all the difference.

Successful sports people who have an obvious talent are recognised as being good at what they do. All have coaches and mentors to help them and it should be no different in business. It need not be a costly exercise as there are a number of government-sponsored schemes that help provide this guidance at little or no cost and there are in certain circumstances grants available.

 

Nigel McNaught, PMA

The world’s top sportsmen and women, golfers, athletes, footballers, tennis stars and cricketers are at the peak of their profession: their capability to achieve has
never been better. Yet every single one of them still has a coach, a person looking at the way they do things, suggesting ways to improve, to be more efficient, to make more use of their own talents and to play off their opponent. Having watched Tiger Woods march down the 18th on his way to winning the British Open, the commentator remarked that Woods had been up that morning at 8.00am and put in two hours on the practice ground watched by his coach and mentor.

Can you use that same philosophy in your business? I think you can. A few years ago I went on a course to look at presentation skills and I was surprised and pleased to see two faces that I recognized on the same course. I didn’t know these people but I had often seen them presenting programmes on television. Yet here they were, brushing up on their skills with an expert showing them how to do it better. I thought to myself “If they need help, then I certainly do”.

In October the PMA is launching the Photo Retail Business Academy which is being run by retail experts Retail Performance Specialists. I know I’ve talked about it before, but now that it is set to go ‘live’ I think it is worth reiterating what it is all about.

Aimed at owners and senior managers, the Photo Retail Business Academy looks at helping them to run and manage their business better. No matter how long you have been running that retail business you can always learn more. You could have been there all your life or just a few months.

The course will include not just aspects of marketing your business but also how to manage staff, how to control store traffic, how to improve customer relationships and, importantly, how to measure your efficiency and your business in general. For as Dennis Reid of RPS remarks: “If you don’t measure it, you don’t know how it’s performing”. Factors in your business that you measure do have a way of improving, perhaps because they focus your attention.

The Retail Business Academy will help you focus on what matters in your business. The launch is on 18 October in Coventry. For more details call PMA on 0870 240 4542 or email pmauk@pmai.org. See you there?