Gone are the days when a print firm could boost its business simply by installing a better press; clients are now more demanding and premium quality is expected to come as standard.

Excellent article. I share with you a few ideas below you may find of interest. CHALLENGES FOR THE PRINTING INDUSTRY Proactive maintenance of an existing customer base to improve your `bottom-line`. This is the future strategy for all to be successful in a global trading environment. Read on and find out how you will be successful by taking on board the facts that you need to master for 2008 and beyond. Marketing to existing customers and prospects, with the goal of retaining their business while stimulating the marketers` sales. Also, the important of the retention of employees in this task. Building and Communicating Value will be the single most valuable investment your organisation makes on the road to delivering sustainable shareholder value. The creation of shareholder value is the primary objective of any organisation, be it a plc or privately funded company - and research indicates that the pressure senior managers already face to deliver value will intensify significantly into the future with a global economy. Today, it is vital that all senior management builds and delivers superior long-term value to meet and exceed the expectations of all its organisations shareholders. Open your mind up to the `Challenges` we face in a global trading environment to be successful. Colin Thompson Cavendish www.cavendish-mr.org.uk

Here are the three most effective ways to market your printing business and my suggestion as to how much time you should spend on each. 1. Spend 60% of your time marketing to current and past clients. Your customer list is your printing business' most-valuable asset. These people have already bought from you and already know, like, and trust you. They already know how you work, what you offer, and what you can do for them. And not only are they most likely to buy from you again, they are most likely to tell others about your services. So make it easy for them! Give people a story to talk about. Make your product or service so exceptional, they can't wait to tell their business contacts because it's just so incredible they can't keep it to themselves. 2. Spend 30% of your time marketing to referral partners. Think of all the types of businesses that also can do business with your customers and clients. What do your customers usually purchase before they hire you? What about after they hire you? You can't possibly offer everything they could ever want or need by yourself, so partner with other businesses to make it easy for you to refer your clients to other professionals who can also help them. They'll appreciate and reciprocate the referrals. 3. Spend 10% of your time prospecting with education-based materials. Create education-based marketing materials that focus on offering solutions to your prospects' biggest problems and concerns. That means, the best way to grab someone's attention isn't to make the funniest ad you can, but to create something - a free guide, FAQ, Special Report, free analysis, audio CD, DVD, or book - that is so relevant to your prospects' current problems, concerns and fears that they say, "Wow, they read my mind. Maybe that guide really can help me." When you educate your prospects about their problems, you show them you understand what they are going through and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You demonstrate how your products and services have helped others like them and educate them about what it takes to solve their problem. That's what sells your products and services. Happy Marketing! Rod Sloane www.RodSloane.com