Press On

I read a story about a man who was looking for an easy way to strike it rich during the gold rush. He purchased some equipment with hopes to mine gold. After a few days without finding any gold, he became frustrated and tired. He sold his equipment to another man who resumed mining where he left off. This man was very ambitious and determined to succeed. He worked tirelessly for days on end and struck gold a few weeks after taking over, not far from where the first miner stopped digging.

Here’s the way I see it: J. Calvin Coolidge said it best, “The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.”

As printers, this slogan has a special place in our hearts, but it holds true regardless of industry or task at hand. If you need help reaching the finish line with your next big printing project, our team is here to help!

A marketing plan is just as vital as a business plan. Depending on your budget, your marketing plan can be elaborate or relatively simple. Here are a few things to consider when creating or updating a marketing plan:

• Define and describe your niche or target audience. This could include age, sex, location, job title, or more. For example, your audience could be homeowners between the age of 30-65 who live within 30 miles of your business.


• Create a list of the benefits that your products or services provide. For example, if you are selling window well covers, they provide safety for pets and family, protect your home from intruders, keep the elements out (snow, rain, leaves, etc.), and add beauty to your home.


• Identify key ways that your business is different from your competition. Perhaps you source all products in the USA, offer a lifetime warranty, or a price match guarantee. Use these unique selling propositions in your marketing efforts.


• Make a wish list and prioritize content you’d like to create and/or update, such as print marketing materials, paid advertising, direct mail campaigns, signage, videos, social media engagement, your website/online presence, newsletters and blogs, tradeshow displays, customer loyalty or referral programs, and more.


• Increase your business exposure by offering customer training or workshops, write industry articles and/or speak at conferences, increase press release announcements, and boost your networking efforts in your community and overall industry.


• Set attainable sales and marketing goals for the upcoming year, such as increasing your online sales by 15 percent, and social media followers by 20 percent. Track the results and use this data to tweak and improve your marketing efforts.


• Most importantly, update your marketing plan frequently. Markets and products evolve, economy changes, and customers come and go, so your marketing plan should be flexible and have the ability to change as needed.

Send this article to a friend

Printed flyers are a great way to spread the word and promote a fundraising event. Here are a few reasons why you should consider fundraiser flyers:

• Flyers are affordable and can be printed on low-cost paper. The more you order, the cheaper they are!


• Most fundraiser flyers are single-sided and have a speedy turnaround to print.


• Fundraiser flyers are easy to distribute. Flyers can be handed out in person, folded and mailed as a self-mailer, or posted on bulletin boards. Flyers can also be left at the check-out counter of local businesses and be folded and added to existing mailings to save postage


• Physical flyers have staying power because they give people a tangible object to hold and look at. This is an important experience for many people (especially an older audience).


• Fundraiser flyers can act as a teaser that encourages people to visit your website or social media page for additional details and information.


• For added exposure, digital versions of your flyers can be shared on social media or posted on your website to boost marketing efforts.

If you’d like help designing a fundraiser flyer that is sure to get noticed and remembered, give us a call today! And remember, other printers may be nearby, but no one comes close.

Send this article to a friend

Did you know that you can make your Microsoft Word reports more powerful and professional by linking Excel data into your Word document?
Here are easy instructions on how to link Excel data in a Word document:

1. Open your Word document and place your cursor where you want the data to display.


2. Then open Excel and copy the cells you want to include. If you plan to expand columns or rows, select the entire worksheet by clicking the triangle in the upper left corner where the rows and columns meet.


3. Return to Word and click Home>Paste>choose the dropdown options, and select “Link & Use Destination Styles” or “Link & Keep Source Formatting.”

Because you are linking the spreadsheet, data editing must be done in the original Excel worksheet. This info will automatically update in Word every time you change data in Excel. If the Excel file is moved, the link to the Word document needs to be re-established. And if you plan to transport the Word file or use it on another computer, the Excel file must be transported along with it.

If you’re looking for helpful tips to save time on your next printing project, we’re just a click away!

Send this article to a friend