Printavo PrintHustlers Podcast

9 Ways to Compete Other Than Being the Cheapest by Printavo

Marketing your screen printing business is difficult. Retargeting is an automated advertising strategy that improves your brand's visibility and credibility. Retargeting puts you in the background of prominent websites your customers visit – without you lifting a finger. The two primary retargeting services are: 1. AdRoll 2. Perfect Audience It works by adding a tracking pixel to your website, setting an advertising budget, and running the ads you choose. You can control the precise parameters that trigger retargeted advertising so you don't pay to show ads to people that only visit your site for a moment. Retargeting is powerful. It puts your brand back into your customer's mind. This doesn’t just increase the familiarity your customers have with your brand, it bolsters your credibility and leverages social proof to make you seem even bigger than you are. Try Printavo for free: https://www.printavo.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/printavo

2018 has been wrapped up and we hope it was a solid growth year for everyone. As the new year begins, it's great to list out your goals for 2019. We create a list of 8 potential ideas you can use to craft your own list. 1. Raise Prices. As business owners, we undervalue what we offer. It's natural to think that someone won't pay our asking price so we undercut. As printers, we do this to get more business out of the gate. It's dangerous to the industry as a whole and doesn't accurately reflect the value provided. Instead of a race to the bottom, let's race to the top. Shoot to increase your prices by 10-15%. If you provide enough value, you'll be surprised what people are willing to pay for your services. 2. Delegate. You started the business, but it's to be on top of the business. Focus on extracting yourself out of the business. If you take a week off, your training, systems, and processes should continue to work as if you were there. If they don't, it's time to dive back in and create better, repeatable systems. 3. Pay Yourself. To create a sustainable business, you need to take a fair salary. Shops of all sizes skip payroll to make ends meet especially during slow periods. This isn't a sustainable business. Get to a point where this doesn't have to happen. Read Profit First: (https://profitfirstbook.com/) by Mike Michalowicz to help you execute a plan do this. 4. Fire Non-Performers. If you have an employee that doesn't follow protocol, is absent or just a poor cultural fit, it's time to move on. Clean out the employees holding your company back and create a superstar team. Stop giving excuses. I guarantee you'll wish you did it sooner. 5. Operations Manager. Day to day operations is where many shop owners get swamped. Hiring an operations manager to take this off your plate will greatly help you to delegate. Imagine a day where the tasks you set to complete actually get done in an 8hr period. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? You may have to wait until you can reach $2-3M in revenue, profitably, and that's okay. Keep an eye out for a great fit early. This will be someone you can rely on when you're not at the shop. 6. Visit Your Customers. Take an hour every month to visit a customer of yours. Show up at their office with a small gift and ask them to show you around. They'll be unbelievably thankful you spent time with them and you build a great rapport. Remember, each shirt, trophy, sign, and hat has a story behind it. Tapping into that story will help build a deeper relationship and increase sales. 7. Go to a Tradeshow. There are incredible tradeshows in our industry including ISS, NBM, SGIA, and DAX. Be sure to take the time to visit one. The network gained, relationships built and knowledge learned will be worth the time & money. Make this an annual event and bring your star players from the shop. 8. New Sales Channel. The world of marketing is changing. You're able to tap into customers worldwide in 15min and measure conversion rates. Setup your website funnel to handle inbound leads. It should look something like: Website/Audience Specific Landing Page Submit Contact Form Sales Rep Phone Call Drive sales through this funnel using AdRoll (retargeting), LinkedIn messaging, shop open-houses, community events, small business committees, and Facebook ads. Pick one and grow it! Best of luck in 2019 and let's all grow together!

We too often become wrapped up in "what's next". What will the next greatest technology be or equipment I need at the shop? Which competitor do I need to worry about? It can be exhausting to go through this repetitive cycle especially if you're using it as a guide for your team. Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon made the quote in 2015: --- I very frequently get the question: "What's going to change in the next 10 years?" And that is a very interesting question; it's a very common one. I almost never get the question: "What's not going to change in the next 10 years?" And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two -- because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. ... [I]n our retail business, we know that customers want low prices, and I know that's going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery; they want vast selection. It's impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up and says, "Jeff, I love Amazon; I just wish the prices were a little higher." "I love Amazon; I just wish you'd deliver a little more slowly." Impossible. And so the effort we put into those things, spinning those things up, we know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it. --- What won't change? An incredible way of thinking about your business. What will your customers want from you now, in 5 years and in 10 years? This is what we focus on at Printavo and what you can too. Your customers will always: - Want transparency to where their order is - Want faster turnaround time - Want zero mistakes - Want faster shipping - Want to be treated like a VIP client Keep focusing on what won't change and let's excel together!

When Talking to Customers, Be Confident and Show Your Expertise Everyone wants their customers to be happy. And that requires using the right words, especially since more and more customer interactions take place through writing (email, live chat, even Twitter). Start the conversation by establishing a personal rapport. Show the customer that you’re listening to their problem or complaint, and then shift to a take-charge attitude, using confident, assertive language. Use dominant language instead (“must,” “confirm,” “action”). In addition, customers will see you as more helpful if you use specific words. For example, a clothing retailer should talk about the “white turtleneck” rather than the “shirt,” and the “high-top sneakers” rather than the “shoes.” Don’t be afraid to explicitly endorse a product to the customer (“I suggest this comforter” or “I recommend this album”); doing so implicitly, by sharing your personal preference (“I like this comforter” or “I love this album”), can be less effective. An explicit endorsement signals both confidence and expertise.

Justin Lawrence, Oklahoma Shirt Company has an incredible story. After leaving med-school to dive into screen-printing he’s grown to a 30 person shop passing $6m in revenue. Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com

I had a great podcast with Ryan Schraffenberger of Promotions Guy. Ryan has a print shop in Florida and in Michigan where he dives into how he balances this. Take a listen as we covered the following topics: - Saying "no" more leading to growth - How he found customers in a small town vs a large one - Lessons learned when hiring sales reps - The changing role of an owner - How to manage live printing - How to host open houses Try Printavo: https://www.printavo.com

As a business owner, separating your work from personal life is borderline impossible. This is your baby, it's what you created from scratch into a living breathing, separate entity. Your business takes a lot of time, care and attention. When you're at home the shop may be at a different location, but mentally you're still thinking about growth, mistakes, improvements, and people. These demands can create a tough strain on families of business owners. Being that you're mentally preoccupied a majority of the time. Here are two ways We've compiled a list of ways to push yourself to create a better work-life balance and a happier personal life. Focus on the moment. After leaving your office, pay attention to details. Ask questions about everyone's day. Create good eye contact. Focus on improving communication and listening well. Share stories. Share your day's to-do list. Ask for opinions. Treat family like your business. This is a great tip shared from Ryan Moor from Ryonet along with the book "The Secrets of Happy Families". You always want to reduce turnover and make your team members happy, do the same at home. All hands meetings to get everyone on the same page, do the same at home to correct miscommunication. Regular employee outings, schedule regular dates. Plan for improvements, shop moves, equipment purchases, create a schedule for things to improve at home. Hopefully, this helps and provides context. If you have other tips, drop them below! Try Printavo - https://www.printavo.com

Have you ever bought an item that was more expensive because of the name behind it? Shoes, a purse, equipment? The reason you feel strongly about your purchase is because of the brand. It creates an emotional connection to your consumers which makes their purchase decision easier. It is essential to create a brand your customers love and praise. Since this process doesn't happen overnight, here are 3 tips to start now: Create a guarantee. What can you do to guarantee your customers? Can you deliver goods at the best price, quality, turnaround time? This statement will help rally your team around one goal and make decisions when you're not present. Create a full experience. Every touch point of your business is a piece of your brand. How your staff answers the phone, what you feel walking into your shop, email response time, your website and social media presence. It's all apart of your brand and should be thought out carefully. Swag out your team & customers. People will start seeing your brand more in town and ask about it. Bring on the referrals and let customers be a fan! Try Printavo - https://www.printavo.com

After chatting with more successful shop owners, we've learned they all have something in common. Extreme optimism. Everyone started their screen printing shop in one way or the other. A band, clothing line, bought into a business. It didn't make much sense at the time, but you kept persevering past all odds to create a sustainable business. Between improving your workflow, managing a team, and growing sales, extreme positivity has been proven to help keep pushing you forward. Past the highs and lows. Lastly, your high amount of optimism funnels down into your staff. When things go wrong, the right attitude will help make decisions. Try Printavo - https://www.printavo.com