Seattle Bindery Newsletter: Issue No. 45. We welcome your comments.

1. To Outsource or Not to Outsource. We continue to get positive feedback on the PPI Outsourcing presentation we gave last month, so we thought you’d be interested in seeing some salient points in our Newsletters. Here’s one: to determine if outsourcing is the right decision for your company, you need the true cost of any new equipment you’d purchase to do the work in-house. This includes “life cycle costs” like; training, waste/rework, space, power, site prep, ventilation, supplies, spare parts, etc. Your accountant should be able to help you estimate these costs. To review other outsourcing points visit our library at www.seattlebindery.com.

2. Happy Anniversary to Us. July 24th marked the 10th anniversary of Seattle Bindery under the current ownership. It seems like yesterday, although much has transpired over those years. We purchased a tabbing operation and a letterpress shop. Then we moved all our services into a brand new facility to offer everything under one roof. Along the way, we held fast to our mission to always put our customers first. We also worked hard to keep our loyal friends and to build more relationships in our new neighborhood. So thanks to all for a memorable 10 years. We look forward to the next 10!

3. Magazines Take Another Hit. According to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB), total magazine ad revenues for June declined 8.2% compared to the same month last year. YTD ad revenues are down 2.9% and ad pages are down 11% from 2000 figures. The good news is that the following ad categories showed positive dollar growth this June: Toiletries & Cosmetics; Drugs & Remedies; Transportation; Hotels & Resorts; Automotive; and Direct Response Companies.

4. Tip of the Week: For plastic spiral binding, it’s a good idea to send us a bulking dummy using the job’s exact paper stock. Because paper bulk varies between different brands, even between different lots of the same paper, the dummy will help us determine the correct coil size. If the binding element is too tight, the pages won’t turn; if too loose, the book will be dwarfed by the binding. By the way, plastic spiral bindings are perfect for cookbooks, computer manuals, children’s books, flip charts, and calendars. I’ve even seen a very cool annual report that used plastic spiral binding!

5. A Bad Rap. That itty bitty “e” (as in eCommerce, eMarketplace, eBusiness, etc.) has become such a pariah that even big name companies have forsaken it. But eCommerce has not been abandoned by print buyers, according to a recent study by TR Cutler, Inc., a manufacturing marketing firm. 84% of the buyers surveyed indicated they were likely to use eCommerce if their printer suggested it. The study also found that many buyers believe that if they were to implement eCommerce, “they would have to abandon relationships with their current printers.” A sobering thought. See www.businesswire.com/emk/trcutler.shtml for more about the study.


                                                                    

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email her at judy@seattlebindery.com
Phone 425-656-8210
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