Business

Earlier this year Web-to-print specialist Vpress partnered website developer Making Websites Better (MWB) to bring out e-commerce solution CloudToPrint, promising printers a ROI within days. Sounds miraculous - so I asked Vpress sales director Kelvin Bell to elaborate on this, and on the urgency for printers to adopt ecommerce in general. 

There’s nothing like a new tax year to concentrate the mind on all things financial. Here Compass Business Finance walks you through the most noteworthy considerations.

Peter, your role means you deal with a wide spread of people/organisations, not all of which are within the wide-format print sector, but many of which will impact it somehow.

In the last issue, Richard Clark of Raccoon outlined business since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this promised update, he explains how lockdown provided the time re-evaluate and reinvigorate the business ready for the upwave.

With what seems like the whole of life changing at the speed of light it’s hard to keep abreast of everything that’s impacting your business right now, but here are some key issues that need your attention.

In the first of a new series of ‘First Person’ articles by leaders of large-format PSPs explaining how they’re evolving their business, Richard Clark of Raccoon explains how his company is weathering the Covid-19 storm.

The BPIF is looking into the formation of a special interest group for the large-format digital print community. The thinking is that there are gaps in sector information and services that the federation could help fill. Investigating the situation is Marcus Clifford, regional director for the East and South East. I asked him to expand upon the idea, and how wide-format PSPs could help - and benefit.

Covid-19 has knocked everyone for six, but I’ve got to say, the IPIA has been really quick and forceful in its actions. Back in March, and together with the then separate BAPC, it produced an impact statement on the print industry for the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

John Boland is co-founder of custom workwear and safety signage company HiVis.co.uk, which has seen its in-house large-format print operation take-off since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. His take on developing that side of the business may well help you do likewise.

Retail has always been a key market for large-format digital print companies. So how will the sector be impacted by the retail reboot - or lack of? I asked well-known consultant Steve Lister for his take.

As your focus moves from survive to thrive, clever marketing is going to be a strategic necessity. Ice Blue Sky works with B2B organisations to deliver higher than average marketing qualified leads and/or sales qualified leads, so what its MD has to say on the topic is worth hearing.

Wish you had a crystal ball to tell you how business is going to look post Covid-19?  Well, we have the next best thing. Having raised some interesting points in his talk at the Future Print virtual summit, I linked-up with Colin McMahon, research analyst with Keypoint Intelligence, and asked him to expand on some of his key messages. It doesn’t all make for comfortable reading.

Looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, Walter Hale highlights some good habits - and principles - that can help you manage cash more effectively as you enter the new normal. 

Wondering when it will be ‘back to business’? Isn’t everyone. There can’t be a single print operation that has not been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, nor can there be a single way of coming out the other side as fit as before, but is there a case for what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger? I asked ImageCo MD and Fespa UK board member Nathan Swinson-Bullough for his take