| Through former business and employment
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| | individuals and corporations, often with
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| roles, I have previously serviced
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| | millions of dollars held "in trust" by a
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| numerous marketing communications
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| | financial institution. A pension fund or
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| projects. My own personal path
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| | some wealthy kid's inheritance would be
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| influenced my approach to design and
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| | two examples. A few hundred account
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| execution, and I learned several lessons
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| | holders might be worth billions of
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| along the way which you will probably
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| | dollars, and they wanted regular reports
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| find valuable. Some of these lessons
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| | (and I am certain that they wanted these
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| were acquired through business startup
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| | reports to look at least as good as the
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| experiences that entailed bootstrapping
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| | bank's marble floors). The solution?
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| as an entrepreneur; others were from
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| | For that client, I preprinted a large
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| servicing clients. There is little
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| | quantity of multi-color layouts with
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| incentive for anybody in the business to
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| | stable information such as the name of
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| tell you how to save big money, and the
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| | the fund and the bank's logo, and used a
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| tips that I plan to share with you do
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| | portion of these preprints for each
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| make a few jobs less profitable for
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| | update on the part of the bank to its
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| certain producers. On the other hand, if
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| | trust account holders.Here are some other
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| you use this knowledge, they will
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| | preprinting examples:Business cards are
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| R-E-S-P-E-C-T you!Rule-of-Thumb: The More
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| | often printed "ten-up," on a sheet of
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| You Print, the Lower the CostLet's start
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| | cover weight paper. Suppose that you
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| with an easy concept: the more copies of
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| | printed, in large quantities, a fancy
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| an item that you print, the cheaper each
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| | color logo on these sheets, but did
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| individual copy becomes (rule-of-thumb,
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| | nothing else. If you printed several
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| but of course there are exceptions).
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| | thousand, you'd probably be set for a
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| I'll use an extreme example, just to help
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| | while (for a much less expensive cost per
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| you get your critical thinking cap on and
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| | printed sheet). If you added a sales
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| creative juices flowing. Suppose that
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| | person to your staff, you could then run
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| you hire a designer to create some
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| | some of these fancy sheets through a
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| business identity basics for your new
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| | printing press one additional time,
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| company, e.g., a logo and some basic
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| | printing only that person's name and
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| stationery items. Within the trade,
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| | contact information, as appropriate.
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| there are guidebooks listing the going
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| | Fifty preprint sheets would yield 500
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| rates for these services among
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| | very nice business cards, yet they would
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| professional firms and designers.
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| | cost you only a fraction of the amount of
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| However, you will find wide variation
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| | money that you would spend if you
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| these days. This is because a desktop
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| | (naively) ordered them separately,
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| computer, the right software, and enough
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| | starting from scratch with the print
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| talent can enable a designer who is less
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| | shop, each time.Pocket folders are a
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| established, cheaper, and yet just as
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| | staple for many business promotional
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| capable quality-wise to do a bang-up job
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| | kits. These can be ordered in large
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| for a client.If you care to check out the
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| | quantities. Apply only the logo to the
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| story of the famous Nike "SWOOSH" logo on
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| | front over. Have one of the inside
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| the company's Web site, it serves as an
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| | pockets "die cut" for business cards
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| example of what I mean by "bang-up job"
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| | (with four small slits, typically on the
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| and "cheaper." Its designer, Caroline
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| | right inside pocket). The business card
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| Davidson, was a student who met Nike's
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| | contact information and other pocket
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| founder, Phil Knight, while he was
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| | folder inserts can carry the burden of
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| teaching an accounting class at Portland
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| | keeping all of the information, as a
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| State University. When she delivered the
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| | package, current. Pocket folders are
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| logo in 1971, she was paid $35.00. To
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| | usually very pricey, so if you use these
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| Phil Knight's credit, after Nike took
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| | in your type of business, there are real
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| off, he hired Caroline for many more
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| | cost advantages associated with ordering
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| projects and eventually rewarded her with
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| | these in a quantity that is as large as
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| an undisclosed amount of stock in the
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| | you can comfortably afford.The Concept of
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| company as well as other forms of praise
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| | Salvaging MaterialsHere's a lesson I
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| and acknowledgement. (I admire an
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| | learned the hard way. Let's suppose that
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| entrepreneur or anyone who is loyal; when
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| | we printed some letterhead with a layout
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| I read this part of the story I was
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| | such that a logo appears in near
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| really impressed.)We'll use a $75.00
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| | proximity on the page with other
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| amount for a logo in this example (we can
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| | information that is liable to go out of
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| assume there has been some inflation).
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| | date. For instance, at the top of the
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| And, we'll make this a two-color printing
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| | letterhead, centered, you place a fancy
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| job. On a small printing press, an ink
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| | foil-stamped, embossed logo, and
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| reservoir will be filled with the first
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| | immediately below that, you place your
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| color, the first "pass" on the paper will
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| | address, phone number, or other
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| be run, and then the same thing will
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| | information that is subject to change.
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| happen again with the next color and a
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| | Embossing is a process whereby the paper
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| second pass of the paper through the
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| | is pressed with a three-dimensional
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| printing press. If you have ever painted
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| | shape, in this case your logo, which
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| anything with a two-color design such as
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| | raises the paper in your logo's own
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| walls with a different trim color,
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| | image; foil stamping applies a metallic
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| perhaps around your house, you will
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| | foil to the sheet (much like aluminum
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| immediately recognize what I mean when I
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| | foil in your kitchen cupboard; however,
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| say that cleaning up the mess in between
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| | it comes in a variety of colors).
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| can be a chore if you are using some of
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| | Foil-stamping and embossing are very
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| the same tools. You have to clean those
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| | expensive processes, especially in small
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| tools thoroughly, or you're going to
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| | quantities. If some of your information
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| contaminate your original colors. I've
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| | does change, there's not much you can
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| just alluded to the printer's problem.
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| | salvage.On the other hand, let's suppose
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| Each color requires a "wash up" and ink
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| | that you designed your letterhead such
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| changeover procedure.I'll suggest that
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| | that your logo appeared centered at the
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| each ink color change is $35.00. So far
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| | top of the page, as before, but your
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| we've spent $145-still no stationery has
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| | address and contact information was at
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| been printed. We can now add the cost of
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| | the bottom of the layout, as a footer.
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| paper; we'll make it $20. Of course, the
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| | If some of your contact information
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| printer is going to have some overhead
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| | changed, you could chop off the outdated
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| costs; we'll call that another $20.
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| | information on the bottom, and run the
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| Although my prices are hypothetical, if
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| | paper through the press again with
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| you actually tried this you'd find that
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| | current information. The end result
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| I'm not that far out of the ballpark, by
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| | could be some monarch-sized letterhead
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| the way. We've spent $185.00, and no
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| | (also known as "executive" letterhead),
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| stationery has been printed.Now, since I
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| | or memo sheets, or at least something
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| told you this would be extreme example to
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| | that you have salvaged instead of
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| illustrate my point, let's suppose that
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| | throwing everything away. Obviously,
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| we print just one sheet of stationery:
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| | executing a salvaging strategy requires
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| that sheet will cost $185.00. At that
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| | forethought.The Concept of
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| price, it should be fit for a king!
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| | Gang-upsSometimes it can be economical to
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| After you recover from the sticker-shock
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| | print on large commercial presses that
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| that I've just subjected you to, let's
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| | accommodate larger sheet sizes. I was
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| look at what happens when we increase the
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| | previously involved with a company that
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| quantity. If we paid to run the press
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| | printed poster-maps for various
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| for half an hour for, say, $15.00, we've
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| | communities. These posters carried
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| now spent $200.00 total. During that
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| | advertising from various businesses in a
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| half an hour, we could print 1000 sheets
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| | given community. One of our early press
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| of stationery (we already figured in
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| | runs was on a large press that used a
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| paper cost, above). This would amount to
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| | sheet size that was big enough to carry
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| a unit cost of twenty cents per sheet.At
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| | the image of not only the posters for one
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| the above rates, we could add $80.00 for
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| | such community, but several other items
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| another 4000 sheets of paper and $60.00
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| | as well. On one large sheet, we printed
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| for labor, and we'd have 5000 sheets of
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| | an order of posters, several full-color
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| stationery for $320.00; that means each
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| | business cards, a pocket folder, post
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| sheet of printed stationery is now just
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| | cards, and other promotional materials
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| over six cents, or less than one-third
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| | for the company, such as "mini-posters"
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| the unit cost of printing 1000 sheets
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| | and brochures.It was a complex job, which
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| (which is a typical small business
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| | was a real pain, according to the
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| order). Wow!-what a difference.The
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| | printer. However, I also earned the
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| Concept of Time and Information
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| | printer's respect since I had
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| InstabilityHere's another rule-of-thumb:
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| | successfully planned the most innovative
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| If you print it, something will change.
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| | and efficient printing yield in the
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| You will change some things voluntarily,
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| | company's history (the printing company
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| perhaps. If you add a new toll-free
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| | was a large commercial press that was
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| telephone number because your business is
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| | several decades old). I don't expect the
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| growing, that's great; however, now your
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| | average reader of this article to pursue
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| business cards and stationery are out of
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| | one of these types of jobs on his or her
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| date. In some cases, information will
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| | own, but at least now you know about
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| change without your knowledge or consent.
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| | gang-ups. You can ask about using a
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| If you live in a high growth
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| | larger sheet size and printing more items
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| geographical area, you may find that
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| | during the same press run. Further, in
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| telephone area codes are changed. You'll
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| | case you haven't noticed, my discussion
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| get a friendly, conciliatory letter from
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| | above about ten business cards on a
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| the phone company, which ends with bad
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| | single sheet pertained to a simple
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| news: "tough." Next, your friendly
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| | "gang-up" example.More "Tricks of the
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| postal service will notify you of a zip
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| | Trade"There are numerous other tricks of
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| code change. Surprise-you need new
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| | the trade that can be applied to the
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| materials. I have personally received
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| | challenge of making your promotional
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| these types of notices, and they are not
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| | tools work smarter for you and your
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| pleasant news. For small business
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| | entrepreneurial enterprise. Even though
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| owners, these notices really have a sting
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| | I am no longer in the marketing
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| to them.As businesses grow, lots of
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| | communications business as a firm owner
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| things tend to change. In practice,
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| | (having now moved on to other pursuits on
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| you'll find that most information is
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| | the Web, as a teacher, speaker and
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| dynamic and unstable. In other words,
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| | writer, et al), it gives me pleasure to
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| you may change addresses, phone numbers,
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| | accomplish two things by writing this
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| office locations, and add employees. If
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| | article: 1) I have explained some ways
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| you print a client list, you will want to
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| | that you can save money by designing and
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| update that immediately after winning a
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| | producing smart promotional and identity
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| prestigious new account. I don't want to
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| | materials; your image is extremely
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| be negative, but sometimes you must sever
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| | important, and these materials carry, or
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| relationships that are reflected in a
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| | will fail to carry, that image
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| client list as well. If someone doesn't
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| | effectively; and 2) I have (presumably)
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| pay you, I suggest that you "disown" them
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| | influenced readers to treat their
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| from your list. Obviously, you had the
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| | designers and firms with some additional
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| misfortune of servicing a deadbeat
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| | respect.The people who do the best work
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| company. Even though you were the
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| | in this area are true professionals.
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| victim, you just don't want your good
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| | Despite any stereotypes you may have,
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| name associated in any way with someone
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| | they are more than artists. A competent
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| else's bad name.When it comes down to it,
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| | designer will work with you to convey
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| I have found that one of the few things
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| | your marketing message effectively, and
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| that will tend to be stable is a company
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| | help your business grow. He or she will
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| name, and a logo. You might note that
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| | approach this task with an understanding
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| there are exceptions to this rule, too.
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| | of how messages are created; what makes
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| If you are planning to evolve from a sole
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| | them compelling, and memorable; and how
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| proprietorship and later incorporate, you
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| | these messages can best be displayed,
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| need to factor that in to your printing
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| | produced, and disseminated. Good
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| plans. If your name and logo fail due to
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| | designers will also take additional steps
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| reasons of marketing appeal, and you need
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| | to ensure the effectiveness of their
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| to realign or otherwise reinvent your
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| | work. For example, they will subject
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| business and its identity message, well
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| | their concepts to focus groups and
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| now you are in trouble.The Concept of
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| | additional research methodologies.As a
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| PreprintsPreprinting static graphical or
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| | business owner, your role is to
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| textual content can be a partial solution
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| | communicate. Whether you are talking to
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| to the problems associated with
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| | employees internally, speaking with
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| information instability. I still am in a
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| | customers, or "pitching" to investors,
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| position to utilize certain materials
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| | you need to do this with passion,
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| that I created years ago. I have
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| | conviction, and professionalism. If your
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| thousands of very high quality preprinted
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| | promotional materials are poorly
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| brochures with stable words such as, "A
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| | conceived, designed, and executed, you
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| Few of Our Recent Clients," printed on
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| | can expect to suffer the consequences.
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| the front side. What's on the back side?
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| | However, let's end on a positive note.
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| Nothing, right now, they are blank. I
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| | By making your promotional tools work
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| can run off a small quantity of these at
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| | smarter, you can communicate more
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| any time. The price I paid per unit for
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| | effectively, and ensure your success.Dr.
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| these brochures was very low, because I
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| | Robert Lahm is the founder of several
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| bought so many. Meanwhile, as for any
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| | businesses and Web sites, an
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| given list itself, depending on who's on
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| | entrepreneurship professor, a public
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| it and when it's printed, I can run these
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| | speaker, and a writer. His typical
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| through a small press using one ink
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| | topics include creativity and innovation,
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| color, which appears along with all of
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| | careers, start-ups, and small business
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| the other colors in the finished
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| | marketing. Webmasters and other article
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| product.Using a preprinting strategy is
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| | publishers are hereby granted article
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| very economical. I've done this for
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| | reproduction permission as long as this
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| clients, too. I serviced a banking
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| | article in its entirety, author's
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| industry client that needed to
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| | information, and any links remain intact.
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| communicate with a relatively small group
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| | Copyright 2005 by Dr. Robert J. Lahm,
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| of trust account holders. Trust accounts
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| | Jr.
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| are typically owned by well-heeled
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|
