Roland has some important tips for keeping your printer working smoothly. And it’s not just about when the operator is at the shop; it’s also about making use of the time that the machine is not working when the operator is away. This may be for short periods over a weekend or particularly for...

Large organizations and governments frequently undertake simplification exercises or projects which they like to refer to as “red tape reduction.” Essentially it’s a process of eliminating unnecessary activities and streamlining others to achieve the simplification we all crave when things just...

There's something your label and decal customers should understand. Some apparently don’t, and it’s costing them. This is where you have a role to play in offering good advice—it will be appreciated and help to consolidate your relationships with customers. This real-life story of a few years ago...

You’re in a competitive market. The degree to which you succeed or fail depends partly on how well you perform in competition with your competitors. This means knowing at all times as much as you can about what they’re up so that your shop isn’t left behind in the event that they’re offering a new...

You may have an active vehicle-wrapping business already or you may be considering getting into vehicle wrapping, regardless though, I read about a great idea for promoting vehicle wrapping . . . Run a competition for local schools whereby students are invited to design a vehicle wrap for the...

The Canadian sign industry has a number of big players but there are a vast number of smaller shops; some are one-person and home-based shops. Unfortunately, it’s commonly assumed that the little guys can’t compete with the big guys because they’re not as “professional” or as “business-like” as...

This year the ISA Sign Manufacturing day falls on the 6th of October. Whattheythink.com describes the day as follows: "On October 6, sign companies will have an excellent opportunity to potentially attract new and young talent to their businesses. Every year, on the International Sign Associations...

Doug and Howard want you to know that Stanley's Richmond warehouse has moved. The new address is: Units 5 & 6, 1350 Valmont Way, Richmond. The contact information is unchanged: The phone number is still 604 873 2451 and the email is howard@stanleyssigns.com It's business as usual, just at a...

I met with a friend recently in the local village coffee shop. At the next table were three people discussing a proposed gift store. They were so excited by the ideas they were coming up with that they seemed to forget that everyone else within earshot could hear them. It was a meeting that should...

In the previous post I addressed introvert entrepreneurs. And while introversion is a very real thing, an introvert entrepreneur still has to find comfortable ways to promote the shop or it won't prosper or possibly even survive. Many small graphics shops are like many small businesses in general,...

You're talented at what you do and you love being in your shop exercising that talent. And, like somewhere between a third and a half of the population, you're an introvert. The thing is though that you're running a business and this means having to do stuff that introverts hate. For instance,...

As you know by now, Printing United Expo this year is in Atlanta from October 18th to 20th. And as you also know by now, you really should make the effort to attend. To that end, Sign Media Canada is reporting that it's shaping up to be a major label event. So, as a label printer, that's an...

Sign Media Canada is conducting their 17th annual Canadian industry salary survey. It's short and it's anonymous, but the results provide very useful insight into employee affairs in the industry. Here, according to Carly McHugh, Sign Media Canada Editor, is why you should participate: "This...

Just about every time I see a magazine, website, or blog about sign or billboard design, I see reminders to design for simplicity. And the reason is obvious. In our busy world, if your message isn’t immediately apparent to the viewer, you’re wasting your time and money on ineffective advertising....

In the service of your customers you have a choice between being reactive and proactive. Reactive would be responding to their requests for products or services, whereas being proactive would be making suggestions for products or services that they might not know about or know that they could use...

Smithers, the provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance of Akron, Ohio, has projected a downturn in the global display graphics and signage market. In their recent report, The Future of Printed Signage in a Digital World to 2028, they see 2023 declining by $5 billion from a...

A number of recent studies have confirmed the value of floor decals in a retail environment. And the numbers are quite amazing. One retail chain reported a 91 percent increase in sales of a name-brand insecticide after placing multiple six-foot-square floor graphics of "bugs succumbing to Raid." ...

One part in particular of a recent Sign Media Canada article caught my attention. The industry expert being interviewed pointed out that "we're seeing a lot of consolidation." If true, this could be quite profound for an owner looking for an opportunity to sell the shop. The interviewee claimed...

Every year I encourage you to enter the Signmedia National Sign Competition. There are many reasons to do so including the positive impact on staff morale, the exposure and publicity, and a host of other benefits that accrue to shops that aspire to something better. Well, the 2023 winners have...

Two sign shop operators were recently asked about how they differentiate their shops from the competition and how geographic location affects their competitive ness. Here are some of the interesting points that were made and that you may want to ponder . . . Buy new equipment, keep ahead of...

Here's a situation you may have run into or may still run into. What's the best way to handle it? You may have a long-standing customer who approaches you about, say, digital signage. Now you may not do digital signage and know nothing about it but that's no reason to get ulcers. It's not...

The Printing United Expo in one of it's earlier iterations was a huge textile screen printing show but has since morphed into what is primarily a huge digital printing show. This why this reminder to register is being posted here on the digital and graphics blog. If you want to be up to date on...

Henry Ford is reported to have said: "I do not believe that a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night." Seriously? That's all there is to life? Nothing but business? If he did indeed say this, and was implying a 24-7 business preoccupation, we must...

Here's a common story. See if you recognize it . . . A sign shop is not meeting profit expectations. So what is the first thing the owner does? Looks for more sales and cuts costs, right? And what is the obvious cost-cutting target? Material costs. But that is most often not a solution. It may...

Here's and interesting statistic (per Network Solutions)—65% of consumers believe a custom email address is more credible than a free email account. No surprise there . . . I've been writing about this for years. For instance, see a recent post on November 21st. So, as Network Solutions quite...