Blogs

Will a reminder that the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) will fall from the current rate of £500,000 to £200,000 on 1 January 2016 do anything to prompt you to invest in equipment and business development programmes before the end of this year? If it will impact your operations I’d be interested in hearing from you.

…to use alternative inks in your printers? It’s a question that gets put to me time and again, and the honest answer is I don’t know! I hear so many stories about the pros and cons, often the ‘price’ a PSP ‘pays’ having little to do with the actual price of the ink itself. Any suggestions on how the sector can get around this conundrum?

Are large-format PSPs getting the most out of their MIS systems and fully utilising all the analytical tools they present? The best of the companies I speak with are – really digging down deep into the stats to fully understand where they are making and losing money. Others seem to still be using the systems as little more than a quote tool. What is it that gets a company from one position to the other?

McGowans’ substantial Durst investment prompts the question of how PSPs in Ireland now view levels of business – are the dark days over? If you’re an Ireland-based large-format PSP please let me know your thoughts.

Speaking with a number of PSPs over the summer it seems that increasingly there’s a demand for bespoke ‘tweaking’ of inkjet printers to match particular company/application requirements. Am I way out of kilter here in thinking that PSPs are having much more input these days on the spec of the machines they are buying? And if so, is how is that impacting pricing?

How useful are ‘open house’ events to you? Do you see them as somewhere to get an introductory look at systems you’re mulling over or as a place for more in-depth discussion? Are they a valuable addition/replacement for trade show attendance? Let me know your take…

No editor’s comment today as Lesley’s away on holiday. Normal service to resume next week!!! In the meantime please send all requests to the contact details below.

I’m just back from France where the slow pace of life drove me nuts! I can’t tell you how many stores and restaurants just never seemed to open. I’m assuming the country’s print businesses don’t hang out a ‘closed for the holidays’ sign throughout July and August. But it did get me thinking about productivity, and the fact that the UK is being hauled over the coals for being a pretty poor performer. Are there still plenty of to be made – and where?

I’d like to talk to large-format PSPs that are involved in any kind of carbon capture/offsetting scheme about the pros and cons of undertaking such a step. If you are thus engaged please get in touch at the usual email address – thank you.

Well done to Precision Printing (North) for scooping a gong in the 2015 Big Chip Awards for your ‘WhereTheTradeBuys’ website. It seems that there’s much more noise now from those involved in wide-format digital print in relation to e-commerce development. If you’re going through the rigours of system development and are willing to share your experiences – good or otherwise, please drop me a line.

Can you open your doors to design students, to show them just what large-format digital print is all about? I ask because I’ve had an art college on the phone this morning specifically asking if I can help direct it to companies willing to do so. The reason? The college has seen the Think Bigger Reports and been made aware of some of the applications possibilities, but wants students to better understand the technical aspects. If you’re willing to help, drop me a line.

Where are you off to? I’m not talking holidays but business expansion overseas. Callprint growth in the Middle East begs the question, ‘are other PSPs doing likewise?’ If it’s something you’ve looked into, did you find knowledgeable people that understood the vagaries of print requirements/opportunities in various foreign territories? My assumption is that you didn’t, but I’d be happy for you to prove me wrong.

Seeing Soyang Europe celebrate 10 years of sustainable growth reminds me of an article in Widthwise 2014 asking ‘Is growth good for business?’ The answer…not always. This quote from the article: “The history of the British printing industry is littered with examples of companies that grew fast and died young” got me wondering. Perhaps Soyang’s successful development lies in measured growth through strong leadership and an effective marriage of calculated risk and reward.

Ok, so holidays are around the corner (for some!) – so if you see any eye-catching wide-format print on your travels please take a piccy and send it in to me – I’d like to get a seasonal feel to the Think Bigger gallery in the August/September issue. Thank you.