6 Seemingly Small Reasons Some Businesses Fail

Posted on June 12, 2019 Written by

reasons why some personalized print businesses fail while others succeedSometimes when you see another business fail, why they got there seems obvious. Other times, it can seem like a mystery. In many of those failures, what seems like a small detail can mean big problems for those businesses. Here are six of the reasons why some businesses fail while others succeed.

1. Ignoring Customer Needs
Every business will tell you that the customer is the most important thing, but many businesses don’t deliver on that promise. What are your customers telling you? Have you been listening to the feedback you’ve received? How can you make that feedback a part of your business plan? These are important questions for all businesses to ask and answer.

2. Not Learning From Failure
Not every project or plan will be a success. However, it’s important to learn from that failure. If a business isn’t learning from their mistakes, they may repeat them.

3. Growing Too Fast
Whether it’s investing in a new piece of equipment before they’re ready or rushing into a larger building or move to a new location, growing too fast can be a big challenge for businesses if your customer base doesn’t match that growth.

This is part of why Navitor offers you such a wide selection of products—you can offer your customers more without having to make the investment to produce those products in house!

4. Not Identifying What Makes Them Different
Some businesses pay too close attention to what their competition is doing and don’t take the time to highlight what makes them different. While looking to the competition can be a great way to know what works for customers, doing too much of the same can make their business unmemorable. Instead, successful businesses figure out what makes them different and highlight the things that set them apart from their competition.

5. Leadership That Doesn’t Grow
While employees need to continue growing and improving throughout their careers, sometimes businesses don’t realize that the members of their leadership team also need to grow and change in order to keep things working. Businesses with leadership that doesn’t work to improve might see those challenges impacting all levels of the business.

Leadership improvement doesn’t have to be difficult, though. It can be as simple as identifying a problem and working to improve one aspect of their leadership skills at a time.

6. Relying on Enthusiasm Rather Than a Strong Plan
It can be easy see the drive of an employee or team and expect it to keep a business going. However, without a plan to guide growth, even the most driven business can easily misplace employee efforts and find itself going in entirely the wrong direction.

When you see other businesses fail, what reasons can you see for that failure? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

The Worst Business Advice We’ve Ever Heard

Posted on June 7, 2019 Written by

worst personalized print business advice we've ever heardBad advice is everywhere. Have you ever had someone give you a recipe that simply didn’t work? Or have you followed the instructions on a tutorial only to have it turn into a complete disaster? We get bad advice regularly in our lives—and business advice is no different! Here are five pieces of the worst business advice we’ve ever heard.

1. “Don’t Make Friends”
We definitely understand where this one comes from—after all, sometimes friends don’t make great colleagues and vice-versa! However, it’s essential to cultivate positive relationships with customers and coworkers alike to keep your business going strong.

2. “Stick to Your Plan”
Plans are great, but if your plan isn’t working then you need to have given yourself another option. Whether you have a backup plan at the ready or take a moment to form a new plan, it’s important to be flexible enough to redirect when needed.

3. “Cast the Largest Net Possible”
For some businesses, doing business with everyone possible is a great way to expand their network. However, this isn’t necessarily a good approach for every business. Instead, you might want to focus on the market or markets that suit you best. Not only does this targeted approach allow you to sell more effectively, it will quickly build up market-specific examples and experience.

Want to focus in on a particular market? Navitor is here to help with our vertical market kits. These kits are stocked with the products you need to focus on a niche market and are absolutely free to Navitor resellers—contact us today to request yours!

4. “It’s Okay to Fudge the Facts”
It’s important to be confident when you walk into a sales meeting. However, fudging the facts can lead to problems in the future. For example, don’t tell your customers that you offer a product that you haven’t yet found a source for. Making that promise without a caveat can lead to losing the sale and making the customer unhappy in the process. Instead, offer to look into the answers to your customers’ questions and check back when you know more.

5. “If You Want Something Done Right, You Have to Do It Yourself”
Being confident in your own abilities is great, but it’s essential to acknowledge when someone else could lend a hand. Whether it’s letting someone else take a phone call when you’re busy or boosting your product offering by partnering with a wholesale company like Navitor, teaming up allows you to rely on the skills of others to make your business stronger.

What’s the worst business advice you’ve ever heard? Join in the conversation below to share your examples and what you would suggest instead.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News

Make the Grade with School and Educational Labels

Posted on June 6, 2019 Written by

As summer approached and another school year came to an end, Ms. Claire Gilman felt it was time to breathe some new life into her 5th grade classroom. The school was repainting classrooms, which would certainly freshen things up. With things pulled apart to paint, Ms. Gilman knew it was the perfect opportunity to implement some ideas she had been considering for some time. She had wonderful plans for the reading nook in her room. She had also begun to collect some creative additions for the art supply storage. New colors, new shelving, and some new technology were just the beginning to Ms. Gilman’s new and improved 5th grade room!

As the project progressed, Ms. Gilman looked for ways she could best keep art supplies organized on the new shelves. She ordered some custom industrial strength labels that would adhere nicely to the shelves. Voila! Everything was clearly labeled and would stay neatly in the right spot! The students would have no problem finding what they were looking for. When the school’s technology liaison delivered new Chromebooks to her classroom, she noticed each device was labeled on the bottom with a barcode tracking label, an official ID label, and another label offering contact information for tech support. Hmmmmm, she wondered. Could she use labels on the top of the laptops to help the students? She ordered colorful labels instructing students how to log on to the school’s server, as well as cheerful labels that reminded students of safe internet use practices. For fun, she also ordered custom-shaped tech labels in the form of the school’s mascot paw print. She placed them on the closed top of the laptops. “Nothing like a little school spirit to brighten up these black devices!” she thought as she finished placing the labels.

What other ways could she use labels to help her in the classroom, she wondered. Over lunch that day with Mr. Frank, the kindergarten teacher, and Mrs. Horner, the administrative assistant, Ms. Gilman shared her label endeavor. Mrs. Horner piped up to add that the office, too, was utilizing labels and stickers for the upcoming school year. “I just ordered visitor badges, as well a parking permit labels for our cars, accreditation seals for official documents, and mailing labels with our school mascot. I also helped our librarian order new labels for our books and music, as well as custom school spirit labels that affix to water bottles for the back to school barbecue!” Mr. Frank reported that his kindergarteners would be excited to see themed sticker sheets throughout the year, keyboard tech decals to help them learn to type, and Elmwood Elementary Wildcats bumper stickers for moms and dads, which would be handed out during School Spirit Week.

The dedicated teachers and staff at Elmwood Elementary aren’t the only ones who regularly put educational labels to work. Preschools, high schools, colleges, and even tech and trade schools rely on labels to perform a myriad of different jobs. School property ID labels, contact info labels, parking permits, window decals, and even fun locker stickers are just some of the many uses for labels in the school and university setting.

Label Works’ new tech decals are a wonderful way to keep your school’s colors and motto front and center, 24/7! These affix to laptops, computers, tablets, keyboards, and even cell phones. They are available in individual sheets, making them perfect to hand out to students and parents, and free gloss lamination is included. That’s an A+ school spirit win! Convenient removable adhesive ensures easy removal without sticky residue.

We offer a wonderful selection of various shapes and stocks in our 24 Hour FasTurn® labels. We also offer our freeform™ laser-cut labels, available in any shape you can imagine. No matter how unique the mascot might be, Label Works can create the perfect label!

Study up on what Label Works has to offer the school and educational market! Contact our Customer Support team at 800.522.3558, to order school specific sample packs, or to ask about any of our products.

Filed Under: Design, Labels, Marketing, News, Print Products

4 Tips For Perfect Poster Design

Posted on June 5, 2019 Written by

Whether your customer is looking for a way to promote their event in the community, wants to create posters to inform their clients about special offers or summer sales, or simply wants to create more striking décor for their space, poster design can be a challenge. When you are called upon to help them create a design for their upcoming event or promotion, use these four tips to create a striking poster design.

1. Stick to the Most Important Information
A poster might be a large print piece, but that doesn’t mean you should cover every inch with information. A good poster gets its message across clearly, and the best way to do that is to focus on a small amount of information. For example, if your customer is using their poster to promote a fundraiser, their poster should include the essential information: what kind of event it is, when and where it will be held, and other essential information like sale details or ticket prices.

This goes double when a poster is going to be displayed on a crowded bulletin board or in a busy space. If the people reading it only have a moment to see what it says, focusing on the information that is most important will ensure that it is memorable even in a busy location. And speaking of location…

2. Keep Location in Mind
Is the poster you are designing going to go in a specific place? It’s important to keep that location in mind. If the poster is going to be displayed on a community bulletin board, for example, you’ll want to create an eyecatching design that will capture attention. If it’s going to be displayed in your customer’s place of business or at their event, they might want to create something that matches their brand or event décor.

3. Use Your Colors
With full color print, the options for color on your customer’s poster are nearly endless. That’s why color is one of the most useful tools in creating an effective poster design. Your customer can use bright colors to add energy and excitement to their sale, use seasonal colors to highlight a seasonal event—think red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July—or use high contrast colors for a more readable design.

4. Take a Step Back
Think about where you see posters. Sometimes you walk right up next to them, but sometimes you see them from across the room. That’s why a poster should be as visually impactful from a distance as it is from nearby. No matter what your customer’s poster is for, it’s important for that poster to be appealing from a variety of vantage points. Don’t get bogged down with the little details as you design—take a step back, too!

Do you have more tips for designing a great poster? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, Marketing, News, Print Products, Stationery

Quiz: Which Print Process Are You?

Posted on May 31, 2019 Written by

You know that every print piece your customers buy has a personality. Maybe their business cards express just how professional and polished they are. Maybe they evoke a sense of fun. Maybe they show off something new and exciting. With all that personality, you might start to see yourself in the many print processes you offer your customers. So, which print process are you?

1) What does your desk look like?
A. Decorated! I like to have a fair bit of color around me. I also like to have my resources at the ready so I can use them whenever I want.
B. It’s pretty old school. I like my pens, my file folders, and my bookshelf, but I do like to get good quality pieces that will last a long time.
C. I try to keep my desk clear and as organized as possible. I love that my desk gives me a blank canvas for my work.
D. Organized and simple. Most of the things I’ve got on my desk fall within the same color scheme.

2) Everyone can use an inspiring quote sometimes. Which one of these quotes speaks to you?
A. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”–Chris Grosser
B. “Hard work pays off—hard work beats talent any day, but if you’re talented and work hard it’s hard to beat”—Robert Griffin III
C. “Make an empty space in any corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it.”—Dee Hock
D. “The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well.”—John D. Rockefeller Jr.

3) What’s the fastest way to catch your attention?
A. Vibrant color
B. Quality
C. Subtle detail
D. Strong design

4) Which of these is most important when you’re going into a sales meeting?
A. Showing the variety of options you offer.
B. Showing off your company’s history and professionalism.
C. Making a striking first impression.
D. Showing the thing that you do the best.

5) What do you think about taking center stage?
A. Sounds fine to me—I’m flexible.
B. It depends on the stage. I’m more comfortable in a professional setting than entertaining.
C. I can do that, but I also like to support others who are more colorful than I am.
D. I’m not loud, but I’m perfectly comfortable being the center of attention.

ANSWERS:

Mostly A’s: You’re Full Color! Full color print is vibrant and versatile, just like you.

Mostly B’s: You’re engraving! Professional, polished, and maybe even a little bit upscale, engraving is a great fit for high end customers.

Mostly C’s: You’re spot gloss! Whether flat or raised, you’ve got plenty of potential. You work well paired with full color print, but you can also shine on your own to add a subtle design element.

Mostly D’s: You’re spot color! Tried and true—and maybe a little old fashioned in the very best way—you’re someone who knows what they do best.

So which print process are you? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, Misc, News, Print Products

4 Reasons Post-it® Notes are a Great Fit for Customers Large and Small

Posted on May 30, 2019 Written by

You may work with a wide variety of different customers in your day-to-day life. Some of your customers might work for big companies. Some might be entrepreneurs doing things on their own. No matter what size their company, your customer should consider what Post-it® Notes could do for them. Here are four of the reasons Post-it® Notes are a great fit for customers large, small, and everywhere in between.

1. Small Need? No Problem!
One of the biggest reasons that Post-it® Notes are a great fit for a wide variety of customers is that there are a wide variety of quantities available. Does your customer want to create just a few note pads? Are they a smaller business looking for a great employee “thank you” or a gift for top customers? Low quantities of Post-it® Notes are here to deliver!

2. The Same Goes for Big Projects
Is your customer looking for more? Post-it® Notes are a flexible product that can deliver. Whether your customer wants to create a promotional piece for a large event or has several locations in need of practical sticky notes with branded flair, larger quantities make Post-it® Notes pads a great fit for their larger projects, too!

3. Personalized Printing Makes Notes a Canvas for Many Projects
It can be easy to think of Post-it® Notes as only a note pad, but with a bit of creativity they are a great canvas for a wide variety of different print pieces. Does your customer want an invoice that will stick with their products in transit? Consider a larger Post-it® to keep that information with the package being delivered. Is your customer looking for a practical form? The adhesive on Post-it® Notes will stick securely to homework after a student absence, paperwork in need of a signature, and a wide variety of other documents. Does your customer want to highlight donations to their nonprofit? They can create a colorful sticky note to be displayed in donation centers as a visual reminder of every donation.

4. The Name You Know
Your customers will appreciate that they can personalize genuine Post-it® Notes when they are ordering their print. They stick securely, remove cleanly, and come in a variety of different sizes, making them deserving of their status as a household name.

Ready to place an order? You can order short and long run Post-it® Notes quantities through our catalog, or through Navitor.com.

How do your customers use long or short run Post-it® Notes? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources

5 Reasons to Stop Using Your Personal Cell Phone for Business Calls

Posted on May 29, 2019 Written by

It can be easy to use your cell phone for business calls—after all, it’s right there in your pocket! However, there are a number of reasons you might want to reconsider that decision. Here are five practical reasons why you might want to stop using your personal cell phone for business calls.

1. Screening Your Calls? You Might Miss Out on Opportunities
If your cell phone is anything like ours, you probably get a lot of robocalls, and screening your calls can be a great way to avoid having to talk to a telemarketer. However, if your personal phone doubles as your business phone it also means that you’re likely to miss a call from a customer. That runs the risk of losing sales or damaging customer relationships.

2. Your Voicemail Might Get Too Crowded
Another disadvantage to using your personal cell phone for personal and business calls is that your voicemail can get overcrowded. From telemarketer calls you haven’t erased yet to messages from your kids, there are a wide variety of messages you might receive and keep for personal use. However, that overstuffed voicemail could also make it harder to answer messages from customers in a timely fashion.

And speaking of voicemail…

3. Your Personal Voicemail Message is Likely to be Different From Your Business One
Your voicemail message is a great chance to promote products, let customers know about upcoming holiday hours, and more. However, you could be missing out on that promotional opportunity if you’re using your personal phone.

4. It’s Important to Know Who You’re Talking To When You Answer
Think about the many different ways you can answer the phone. If you get a phone call from an unknown number, you might assume the person on the other end of the line is a telemarketer and your tone might reflect that. If that phone call is, instead, from a customer using a different phone than usual, that tone could start that conversation on the wrong foot.

5. On Your Personal Phone You Can’t Share Responsibility for the Line
When your call volume gets heavy or when you’re unable to take a call, it’s nice to have another person take a call. However, when your customers use your personal phone number, it’s much harder to hand the phone off if you’re unable to take the call.

How do you make the most of the telephone at your personalized print business? We would love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Misc, News

4 People You’ll Meet at a Trade Show

Posted on May 24, 2019 Written by

people you will meet when tabling or attending a personalized print trade showWhether you’re attending a tradeshow or setting up a booth to promote your print business, you’ll meet a wide variety of people at a show. Depending on their goal for the show, they might have a very different approach to tradeshow attendance than you do. Here are four people you’ll meet at the next tradeshow you attend.

The Info-Maniac
It’s good to do some research on the tradeshow ahead of time and to pay attention to the details, but this person takes that to the extreme. They love doing their research on exhibitors beforehand, and probably can be seen on the exhibitor floor with a notebook full of scribbled bits of information and a bag full of informational pieces.

If you’re an exhibitor, the Info-Maniac could be a gift or a curse depending on how you handle it. If you can give them the right details—or get their contact information so you can touch base on those questions after the show—you might have a new sale on your hands. Just be sure that you don’t let them monopolize your time.

The Trick-or-Treater
Remember how much fun it was to go door-to-door on Halloween and coming home with a bag of candy? The Trick-or-Treater definitely remembers, and they want to come home with a bag of tradeshow swag to rival those youthful candy hauls. If you’re attending, don’t be afraid to keep an eye on this person if they have a great promotional piece. That might give you an idea of where to explore next.

If you’re exhibiting at a tradeshow, though, this person can be a challenge because they might be more focused on stuffing their tote bag with logoed pieces than they are connecting with the companies behind those logos. Try to limit the amount of time you spend on this person and move on to more promising leads.

The Stealthy Competitor
The Stealth Competitor isn’t interested in doing business with the exhibitors—in fact, he’s one of those exhibitors! He might be seen asking very specific questions about pricing or production costs, trying to get the inside scoop by posing as a customer.

If you’re exhibiting and think you’re talking to a Stealthy Competitor, don’t be afraid to be brief. Ask for their contact information so that you can follow up. If they actually are a potential customer, it’s a great chance to answer those specific questions in a less busy setting. If they are a competitor, chances are they won’t want to talk further.

The Serious Buyer
This trade show attendee visits a booth for a good reason—to buy a product—and that makes them the best person to talk to when you’re exhibiting. If you’re attending, on the other hand, you can still benefit from the Serious Buyer. If you overhear them talking to an exhibitor, pay close attention—you might learn something! Not only might the Serious Buyer give you ideas for good questions to ask, but the direction of their conversation might tell you whether or not an exhibitor is a good fit for you.

Have you met these tradeshow attendees? How did you talk to them? We’d love to see your stories in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Misc, News

Small Badges Bring Big Opportunities

Posted on May 23, 2019 Written by

Badges may be small, but they are print piece with big potential! Not only do they bring your customers a great opportunity to highlight their brand with every interaction, they are also a great upselling option for you. Here are just a few of the ways that small badges bring big opportunities to both you and your customers.

A Badge for Every Brand
Your customer’s badge is an opportunity to reinforce their brand, and finding the right fit is key. When your customer is looking for a more traditional and highly readable look, there’s no better choice than an engraved badge, a highly durable option that coordinates well with engraved signage. For some customers, color is everything, and full color badges and badges printed using sublimation allow them to coordinate their badge order with full color signage and full color print alike!

For customers looking to show off a luxurious brand, they might want to look into metallic badges. Not only do metallic badges feel high end, but they can be personalized with engraving or full color print to suit your customer’s brand.

Practical Badges with Branded Appeal
Badges aren’t only a canvas for branded style, though. There are a variety of badge styles that are as practical as they are attractive. Full Color Chalk Badges, Full Color Erasable Badges, and Full Color Window Badges allow your customer to change their badges as needed, for example.

And for customers that place security at a premium, nothing says “security” quite like a name badge. With photos for easy identification, these badges are an excellent choice for customers who emphasize security or want to ensure that their clients feel secure.

Try Something New
Is your customer looking for something new that is sure to get plenty of attention? New for this year we have Engraved Wood Badges and Acrylic Badges. Clear acrylic badges are a modern option, and because the full color print is placed on the back of the clear stock they add depth to the image. Engraved wood badges, on the other hand, offer a rustic or handmade look.

An Ideal Addition to Your Customer’s Order
Want to boost your business? Badges are a product that appeals to almost any industry and can be a great addition to a wide variety of different orders. Are your customers ordering new signage for their office space? Talk to them about whether they need to update their badges to match. Are they creating print pieces and promotional products for an upcoming tradeshow? Badges are a great way to bring the booth together. Do they need to restock their supplies of the print pieces that they use every day like business cards and letterhead? They should consider whether they also need new badges.

Want to know more? You can visit our website for more information about badges, or click here to get started on your order!

Which badges are your customers’ favorites? Do they prefer to keep things classic, or change it up? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, News, Print Products, Resources

Promotional Power for Your Customers is Just a Click Away!

Posted on May 22, 2019 Written by

Is your customer looking for a way to promote their business this summer? Will they be promoting their business at a tradeshow, networking event, or local fair? Do they want to tell their customers about new products? Some of the best options are only a click away! Here are just a few of the options that you can find on Navitor.com.

Why Buy Online?
Ordering through Navitor.com allows you to benefit in a variety of different ways. The direct web-to-press path of orders allows your order to be completed faster, and digital proofing allows you instant access to a PDF proof for you and your customers to review before you finalize your order.

Buying online also makes it easier for you to reorder your customers’ favorites. Online reordering means that you can place a reorder from any location where you have an internet connection and your artwork will be where you need it when you reorder. If you want to know more about reorders, check out our quick guide to learn more.

Promotional Products with Power
If you haven’t taken a look at the promotional products we offer on our website, you could be missing out on easy ordering and reordering of some of our most popular options! Napkins are a popular addition to events where food will be served like open houses or banquets, and calendars are a classic option that your customers should keep in mind throughout the year. Drinkware and bags are popular and practical, and a variety of options are available online. Silicone card sleeves are a great fit for customers looking to promote their business and create something with high tech appeal.

Picking Up the Pace with Print Pieces
When your customer is preparing for an event, promotional products are a promising way to bring people into a conversation. However, it’s essential that they support promotional products with print to keep that conversation going! Brochures and sales sheets are ready-made for the job. Not only do these print pieces offer your customer the opportunity to pair informative text with full color images, but they’re portable enough to tuck into promotional bags, folders, invoices, and more.

Pocket Sized Print for Promotions
Is your customer looking for a smaller print piece for their summer promotional goals? When they want to highlight a single new product or focus on the high points of what their business offers, smaller print pieces could be the perfect fit. Bookmarks are a great choice for showing off the features of new products, and they offer the versatility of full color print on a convenient small canvas.

Which print pieces do your customers use to promote their business? Which are their favorites? We’d love to see your recommendations in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery
« Previous Page
Next Page »