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