Seattle Bindery Newsletter: Issue No. 54. We welcome your comments.

1. What Print Buyers Want. Here’s something interesting that came out of the recent Print Buyers’ Online Paper Specification Survey (www.printbuyersonline.com). Although the majority of buyers do want more advice from their printers, they think that their sales reps are not adequately prepared to offer consultations. One of the responses that came back was: “I’ve been involved in this for many years and the trend towards salespeople that ‘don’t have a clue’ (about paper) is disturbing.” With that in mind, make sure you continue to educate your sales reps on issues like this, and keep them updated on changing trends as well.

2. A Little Help from Friends. In case you missed the notice, an auction is scheduled for December 19 to sell off equipment from the former Alpha One Press. Here is a chance to help Frank Avery recover some value and maybe pick up some goodies for yourself. For more details, visit www.murphyauctions.net/alphaone.html.

3. The Greening of Print. In the next few years, how much of an issue will the environment be, for both commercial printers and print buyers? A series of benchmark studies by Nima Hunter, Inc. is underway to find out the current and future impact of environmental compliance and “beyond compliance” initiatives on the print-buying process. The study promises to find out how businesses can prepare for these changes and implement new strategies to thrive under those conditions. (By 2003, for example, Ford, Dupont and Toyota will require all suppliers to be ISO 14000-compliant.) To learn more, visit www.nimahunter.com.

4. Handling Pay Raise Requests. Now that we’re officially in a recession, it’s more important than ever to work smarter and do more with less. That means not replacing departing workers, deferring capital expenditures and, except for unusual circumstances, refraining from pay raises. The last one is a toughie, since retaining good employees is vital. Here’s my reasoning for why raises are real scarce these days. Employees often argue that they “need” a raise, whereas company management will counter with the argument that the company can't “afford” a raise. Neither position is relevant. The decision, rather, should be based on the market rate of  hiring someone with the employee’s skills. The rising unemployment rate means there are probably people on the market who can fill the employee’s shoes at the same, or lower, salary level. However, we would not want to lose a competent and committed employee, so an exception to the rule might be needed occasionally. Any feedback on what works for you in the current environment? E-mail me.

5. Tip of the Week. How do you clean up smeared ink or setoff on coated stock, without destroying the finish? On some matte and coated stocks, a little trichloroethane may be effective in removing unwanted ink marks. Just dab a little of it on a rag and rub the area that needs to be cleaned. The trichloroethane should dry quickly and leave little residue or smell.

 
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