Blogs

Small businesses on TikTok contributed £1.63bn to UK GDP in 2022, with regions outside London benefitting most, according to a new report from Oxford Economics. Apparently - the report was commissioned by TikTok - 47% of users bought a product or service as a result of seeing it on TikTok. Just saying...any scope there for your business to benefit?

Do you have a DTF printer yet? Do you want one? I’m trying to gauge the level of interest in such kit among those operating in the professional large-format print sector so I’d welcome your thoughts. Thank you.

So, Imageco has bagged a £45,000 grant from Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership that will help it invest in new kit and people. I’m wondering how many of you apply for similar financial aid. Is your company one of those benefitting?

With the Labour Party Conference underway I’m wondering what would be your one ask of this country’s major political parties? It’s a topic I’ll broach with the print chiefs taking part in tomorrow’s Widthwise roundtable discussion, but I’d love to have your thoughts too…

The EcoPrint Virtual Summit takes place next week - 11-12 October to be precise. There are 34 speakers to pick and choose from and it’s a free event so you might want to register. If circumstance drags you away from your monitor you can catch-up later. 

Now that we’re into October a reminder that Fespa UK’s next 'Next Generation on Tour' event will be going ahead on the 18th, at Zund UK’s premises in in St. Albans. Those in the industry aged 18-30's are invited - but will need to sign up as only eight can be accommodated on the day.

I will soon be hosting the annual roundtable discussions on the state of the UK large-format inkjet print sector - you’ll be able to view them online when I have. Is there a burning question you’d like me to put to either the panel of print chiefs, or to the sector’s suppliers? If so, drop me an email and I’ll see what I can do….

A call for sales and customer service entries has been made by the organisers of the 2024 international Stevie Awards - the early-bird deadline being 11 October, though the final closing date isn’t until 24 January (with a late fee charge!). Anyway, I thought I’d flag it up as we’ve some brilliant sales and service teams in this sector, and these are accolades that your customers may just well recognise! If you’d rather be on one of the judging panels, you can apply to do that too.

The Print Show ends today so I’m wondering what you thought of the large-format offerings - anything knock your socks off? 

Did you know that there are government-run Business Support Helplines for UK-based companies? Should you need them the numbers are: England 0800 998 1098; Scotland 0300 303 0660; Wales 0300 060 3000; Northern Ireland 0800 181 4422. They promise free, impartial advice, so it may be worth keeping the numbers handy!

So there’s a new head of credit at Compass Business Finance, which is on record as saying that over the next three to five years it is looking to double the amount of money it is putting into the market. No doubt newcomer Ken Archbold’s phone will be red hot right about now…

With news that the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) has joined Two Sides to strengthen the message that paper is a sustainable resource I’m wondering how print is doing in convincing people that’s the case? And how is the wide-format print sector specifically doing in arguing it has improving eco credentials, especially given that so much of the media used is non-paper-based and less easily recyclable etc?

I note that ESMA will run a new course in November dedicated to inkjet printing onto glass. Do you now do this often? I ask because our Widthwise survey suggests not, yet surely it demands a premium and delivers a good margin? Wondering what your thoughts are on this – and on printing onto other less mainstream surfaces….

RMC is spotlighting a blog it’s put together for designers on ‘how to prepare files for large-format printing’. I’m sort of assuming that you all have conversations with clients on this issue, but given the diversification so many PSPs have made since Covid 19 hit - hopefully bringing in new clients as well as new job types - are you having to spend more time on tackling pre-production problems like this?