What makes for a successful print company today?

Charles Jarrold, BPIF

Charles Jarrod
BPIF

What makes for a successful
print company today?

It is something that I think about and discuss a great deal with people
in our sector, something that I am frequently asked for my opinion on.

It seems to be the perfect topic to address in a publication such
as this, that has a lens-like focus on achieving business success
in the print industry.

Before I answer my own question though, it is worth considering the context. The UK print sector is a £14 billion industry – an enormous industry made up of many small to medium sized businesses, and a smaller number of large to very large enterprises. The challenges and pressures on printing firms can therefore vary from one business to another. It is already a diverse sector, and becoming more so, but there are certain pressures that all have faced: the COVID-19 pandemic; Brexit; the increasing influence of digital technology; the ongoing shift away from high volume, generic print, towards smaller volume but more targeted print, often integrated with digital media.

Running a print business amidst these pressures has been and remains a demanding job. You need confidence, optimism and energy to guide your company to success. You need to be on the front foot, talking to your clients about their needs, and looking for the opportunities that very clearly do exist. The market will never stop evolving: as a printer, you must be prepared to embrace that; think hard and plan thoroughly as you plot a path forward; invest in the people and technology that will allow you to turn those plans into action.

None of this needs to happen in isolation, however. You don’t have to have all the answers yourself. We exist in an industry where the spirit of partnership between competitors is growing; where there is a recognition from progressive print companies that sensible collaboration can increase the size of the prize for all involved.

You can also draw upon the expertise and support of technology providers such as Ricoh, who themselves have evolved over recent years to appreciate the value of working in closer relationships with their customers. Today, they should play a greater hand in first understanding the business need for their technology, and then in helping to sculpt an environment in which a technology investment leads to business success.

The UK print sector is a £14 billion industry – an enormous industry made up of many small to medium sized businesses, and a smaller number of large to very large enterprises.

This publication is called Anything in Print. It is a reflection of the possibilities and opportunities that exist for printing companies that approach the market with the right mindset. As I said above, confidence, optimism and energy are key. If printers get on the front foot and seek the new opportunities out there, there are no limits to what they can achieve.

As Ricoh would say,
anything in print is possible.