By: Brad Kartel
Submitted: 2011-08-04 22:15:11 | Word Count: 600
It is nice to be engaged in the commercial printing business because there are just so many opportunities for growth. Every day, schools, private clubs, hotels, companies, and even individuals just have some printing jobs needed to be done. That is why being a commercial printer is really profitable, if you know how to manage your business well.
While printing industry is thriving and you could really enjoy great profits, a commercial printer also faces some operational problems that can make or break the business. There are some really big companies that have failed because of any one or a combination of these problem areas. And the sad thing is that they were already so big before they were discovered so there was not much to do but to close shop.
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a. Poor Print Quality. Obviously, your business is about commercial printing of materials but if you turn out ugly prints, nobody will go to you anymore. There could be many reasons why this is happening but the most common would be poor workmanship. It could be the fault of the operator or the supervisor or both, because both are not maintaining the quality of their work. So needless to say, if your output is of poor quality, then people will clamor for a reprint. If you reprint the materials, that would mean losses for your company. While the cost of materials could be break even, you will still lose in terms of machine usage, energy, as well as labor costs. And instead of printing other things already, you are still working on the reprint.
But if you do not give in to the demand of a reprint, chances are your client will not pay for the job and they will no longer come back. Either way, you are losing business. So the printer and the supervisor should work hand in hand to maintain the quality of the prints.
b. Poor Customer Relations. Your sales agents are sort of the "image" of the company because they are the ones who deal directly with the clients. They have to be knowledgeable about your different products and services. But even if they are not so knowledgeable about the products, as long as they always have a pleasant demeanor, they will work fine. However, there will be times when the client will have to talk to the graphics designer, layout artist, or proofreader for technical instructions. So that means that everyone should treat clients with the utmost respect and courtesy. It is a really big turn off if your staff is nasty and unfriendly. Nobody would want to work with them.
c. Pricing. There are already so many printing companies today with about the same quality of printing as well as service. So the deciding point would boil down to the price. Your prices should be competitive but should be computed so that you will not lose the bid. If you could no longer go lower, be honest to your client. But just make sure that you complement this price with good service so that they will prefer you over other printers.
The business of commercial printing will eat up a lot of capitalization. But if you make it work, it can be really profitable. If you can offer good quality prints, fast and efficient service, as well as competitive rates, then you are the commercial printer to beat.
Author Resource:-
Brad Kartel is a marketing executive whose passion is helping business owners build their campaign through acquiring commercial printing services. Learn more about this commercial printer.
