The latest bundle of press releases indicates that education and training are back on the agenda after taking a something of a blow in a rocky economy. All the more reason to do more with what you have of course, so any way of enhancing your teams knowledge and skill should be welcome. But what about becoming an educator yourself and spending time (if not actual money) working with schools, colleges etc. to promote careers in print? If you already do, please drop me a line.
Wide-format Blogs
09 January 2012
A cloud doesn’t always signify rain! Indeed, a little ray of sunshine is more likely to be associated with the new Optimus Cloud system for integrated online trading. Now I’m not in any way advocating that you stop talking to your customers, but if you’re looking for a hands-off, hassle-free way of dealing with some of them, this could be the kind of development you’ve been waiting for. I daresay we’ll see more of products of this ilk as the year progresses.
05 January 2012
Yes, we’re going to see pre-show information coming through thick and fast (one hopes!) now that we’re into the New Year, what with Fespa Digital just a few weeks away and Sign and Digital UK and Drupa close on its heels. But with three trade shows in close succession, which will you be attending? And how much weight do you give to the various show seminar/education programmes now of offer? What entices you to one event over another?
December 2011
I sold my way into my first print job with no clue about printing. I sold ad. space for a newspaper to start with and fancied a change. The fact I had ‘blagged’ the experience became apparent after a couple of days but my new boss said he admired my tenacity so trained me up.
Two years later I fancied another change so I left that company on the promise of a new diesel Golf and an extra £5k a year and poked two fingers up at the guy who had taken me under his wing. I feel guilty about it now but that’s the thing; salespeople have a fire in their belly and quite often want to be company owners so beware.
The importance of asking questions
The importance of asking questions
A groundbreaking study into innovation by the business school Insead (http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation-innovators-dna-091221.cfm?vid=358) found that one of the traits that marked innovators was the quantity and quality of questions they asked. One researcher met Alan Lafley, who runs Procter and Gamble, and found that Lafley asked more questions than he did. Another asked Michael Dell, who turned around the computer firm, what his favourite question was. To which Dell replied: “Hell, if I had some favourite questions, everybody would know the answers. Instead, when I’m wandering the world, I try to construct a question for every conversation that might generate information I’ve never had before.”Green and white
Green and white
To most businessmen, white papers are about as welcome as root canal surgery. Yet Planet Positive has produced one (available on http://beplanetpositive.com/sites/default/files/downloads/White%20Paper%20-%20Realising%20the%20Benfits%20of%20Environmental%20Sustainability%20in%20Business%20-%202011-04-01.pdf) which you might find enlightening and useful. The paper explores the case for businesses becoming more sustainable (paying particular attention to the demand from companies, many of which buy a lot of wide-format print) and sets out a roadmap to help businesses save the planet – and save money. The not-for-profit organization also has a handy environmental index so you can assess the progress you’re making against an external yardstick. That is likely to deliver real feedback on your sustainability performance, and not just the kind of stats to make up a self-congratulatory notices for the canteen notice board.The next big thing?
The next big thing?
When Bruce Nussbaum was one of the most respected journos on ‘Business Week’, he fervently believed that design thinking – ie the intellectual and physical process designers used to create anything from iPads to chairs – could solve many corporate ills and stimulate innovation. Now blogging for the entrepreneurial American magazine ‘Fast Company’, he has a new creed: creative intelligence. He defines this as “the ability to frame problems in new ways and to make original solutions”.Face up to Facebook
Face up to Facebook
“If people don’t see you, how can they choose you?” This simple question, recently raised by Pierre Chandon, associate marketing professor at the Insead business school, underlines the importance of an online presence. With budgets under pressure, it is easy to see why printers might cut costs in this area but it is a false economy.EFI, Alice and the iPad
In Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll presented his feisty heroine with refreshments labelled ‘Eat me’ and ‘Drink me’. This naming system has obviously inspired EFI which has dubbed its mobile printing software PrintMe.
November 2011
November 2011
For the last two years I have taken advantage of the HMRC’s more liberal approach to the collection of corporation tax as they have allowed me to pay a small lump sum and then contribute a percentage of the debt monthly for ten months.
The beauty of scale
The beauty of scale
Gilbert and George, David Hockney and Andy Warhol are just some of the geniuses who have found artistic inspiration in printing technology. French street artist JR has kept that grand tradition flourishing with the aid of a £63,000 grant from the TED conference and an HP Designjet Z6200 large-format printer.