Take Advantage of the Optimistic Outlook
March 2006

As the spring season rolls around, there’s more blooming than flowers and trees. Data on the graphic arts industry indicates we are in for a strong year in printing. That translates into a strong economic outlook for all graphics arts providers, including prepress and postpress shops.

The optimism comes from data collected by the leading industry analysts. At this month’s big industry event, The Executive Leadership Conference in Hawaii, the topic was “Profitable Growth – 2006 and Beyond.” During his address to printing and postpress executives, Ronnie H. Davis, the chief economist for PIA/GATF, said printers’ shipments reached $165.6 billion in 2005, up 2.8 percent from 2004.

But the good news gets even better for 2006. Davis said he expects printers’ shipments to reach $170.1 billion this year. Ink on paper should rise a little more than 2 percent, while toner-based printing and printers’ ancillary services should rise as much as 4 to 5 percent, according to Davis.

The forecast from Davis is inline with the positive expectations among industry executives noted by Trendwatch Graphic Arts (TWGA). In a recent survey, TWGA found that 36% of design and production firms expected business in the next 12 months to be "excellent, better than the last 12 months."

Carpe Diem

So, what should be done with all this optimism? After several years of retrenching to ride out the economic downturn, now is the time for printers and other graphic arts providers to be aggressive. With revenues expected to rise, put your company in position to grab your fair share.

Here are a few actions to consider for taking advantage of this year’s economic upturn:

Develop a 2006 business plan — Yes, create a business plan just for this year. This will get you and your team thinking about existing and new services, customer acquisition and marketing strategy.

Expand your services — Think about your growth opportunities or the services customers asked for the last couple of years that you don’t already offer, such as printing or finishing of digital products. You could grow your market share by adding to your service capabilities – if they align with your core competencies.

Initiate a customer nurturing program — Get more revenues from existing customers by communicating with them regularly with relevant, helpful information. Vehicles such as quick-format e-newsletters keep customers abreast of design or project planning trends and position your company as knowledge leaders. These communications double as a regular reminder of your complete range of capabilities; even long-time customers will forget all of the services you offer!

The Grow Sales Advantage

Let Grow Sales Inc. help you develop a plan to take advantage of our industry’s optimism. Since our founding 10 years ago, we’ve help clients prosper through both the peaks and valleys. With our complete range of outbound communication, web design, sales support and public relations services by your side, we’ll help you win new business and earn a greater share from existing customers. Give us a call today to discuss in detail how we can help your company.

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