I can’t believe its February already, and probably one of the worst things I’ve done is not post on this blog…blog posting is tough, especially when you are (or at least think you are) busy. But we have been busy with a bunch of stuff. We’ve been looking at new digital printing equipment, we need to expand our building, we’ve been talking to some very qualified candidates for the sales department and all of that equals a lot.

So, some new digital printing equipment?  There’s a lot of super cool, super productive stuff out there in the last couple of years. I won’t say quite yet which machine we’ll pick, but the whole object is to be able to digest digital jobs quickly, make them look good and get them delivered. I used to think it was important to qualify what machine we used, but it all looks so good anymore, you really just need to know “is it color or black and white?” and “when do you need it?” Well not really, we’d like to know how are you using your printed piece, and what results do you expect from it, but thats for a later discussion.

I don’t know how many people have been to our building, its a nice, neat and clean building…but we are tight. Now thats always worked for our lean and mean philosophy, but still, we are tight. We’ve got a very cool plan on the drawing board to double the building size, and believe it or not, it seems to work within the city regulations, but there are still a few hurdles to clear. I hope to be writing about these plans within a couple of months.

To get ready for the bigger building move (and we’ll do this weather we build or not) we are remodeling our front office. Well, we are not really remodeling, but getting a bunch of new furniture and just making a lot better use of our space. Remember, Lean and Mean. But this does give us back our conference room, and we need that, plus its going to look good.  And somebody new in the sales department…I won’t say anything quite yet, but we’re close.

So I feel like we are right on the cusp of making a bunch big moves, and I’m really proud of what is motivating all this…to get more volume, better looking, more complicated work done and delivered more efficiently than ever before. But from a customers standpoint, it needs to be done right, it needs to be done on time, and it needs to stay within budget. I’ll go into some depth about what these changes mean for customers, but I hate to say to much before its on the floor.  Stay tuned…

Happy New Years! Of course, the beginning of a new year is the natural time to lay out plans for the coming year while reflecting on what did and didn’t work last year. In my years in business, one thing I’ve learned is that the big changes that our companies need to make never happen as fast as we would like them to and if we can identify the changes that we need to make, and then start taking the baby steps to get there…pretty soon we are changing the direction of the company. 

Training is Key in a Technology Economy

I’m finding a lot of forward thinking companies (ourselves included) are seeing training as a real key to not only growth, but to give their customers better access and understanding to complicated, under-used technology that’s available. And that means training for our employees as well as our customers. I think this sounds great, but in reality it can pose a lot of challenges. It starts with how and where to train. In many cases (ours included), there’s great customer service, but you know how the old proverb goes, you don’t know what you don’t know, especially in technology. We’ve got to continue to give our employees and customers access to all the cool things this technology brings us.  That means first we need to implement a continuous training program for us (webinars and other training from our vendors). Then we need to turn around and pass that information on to our customers. There are so many capabilities in the whole digital print workflow (from design to delivery) that go unused, everybody in this industry needs to continue to train themselves as well as their customers.

So the fun starts here….First, I need my conference room back, set up to bring training in from our vendors as well as push it out to our customers. And as we started our thoughts on redoing the conference room, it ended up expanding into the front office and prepress room. We started then to think ergonomics and how information, work and people all flow in an office, and we found that with some new furniture and people placement, we should be able to  really increase productivity. We’ll know the real truth when we are done, so stop in and check out our front office in a couple of months. There’s a lot more in the business goals for 2012, but for this posting, I’ll stay focused on the training and education goals and office remodeling.

So what about personal goals and resolutions? I’ve got some, and instead of trying to live by some statement, I like Chris Brogan’s idea of breaking your goals down to 3 words for next year…read his post. So without putting in to much deep thought, here’s my 3 words.

Self. I’m going to take better care of myself. In my case, I’m just getting over major surgery, and that has a way of making you more aware of both your body and your mind. I’ve never had more than a hang nail, so this was a life changing experience. Since starting rehab, I’m really enjoying getting back in shape both mentally and physically, and I’m going to keep it going.

Focus. I’m going to work harder to stay focused on the things that are within my control to change. And I’m going to not try and focus on a million things, I’m going to take them 1 or 2 at a time, figure them out and move on to the next ones.

Creativity. I want to nurture creative thinking not only in myself, but in the people around me. We need to consistently work on looking at things differently. I need to push myself, when I just can’t come up with that idea, word or thought, then do something to change my surrounding…take a walk, do something that you normally wouldn’t, just change the routine (and your thinking to). I’ve also been playing with the idea of finding ways to capture those ideas when you get them…it seems like we get ideas that are great, but if we don’t find a way to capture them when we have them, they can just escape us.

I’m not a New Year’s resolution kind of guy, but I believe if I put my goals or ideas in writing, I’m more apt to hold myself accountable. So, here’s to a successful 2012 for everybody….I’m thinking it’s going to be a good year!

Investing in your community is a great way to give back to those who have helped support your business. Volunteer groups and non-profit organizations do so much to help the communities that all of us are a part of, but they can’t do it alone. We realize there are many opportunities to come together and better our community and encourage you to join us in lending a hand, or to spend time helping other charities and non-profits of your choice.

As successful members of the community, we have a responsibility to help those that are less fortunate and contribute to the common good. Every little bit truly helps when it comes to good works.

Below is a listing of just a few of our great charitable organizations we contribute to:

• We are proud underwriters of WYSO 93.1FM, as well as WDPR 88.1FM, both public radio stations. We also go on air a couple of times a year to help with their fund drives. Not only does it support public radio in the Dayton region, but it gives us an opportunity to connect with a lot of their listeners as well as supporters, and in our minds is the right thing to do.

• We are Gold Bell sponsors of Dayton History and many of their events, including Ringing in the Holidays. If you have not checked out Dayton History at Carillon Park lately, you should. Dayton History is organization, and our community is extremely fortunate to have a group like them to tell the story of Dayton’s remarkable history. We are proud supporters of Dayton History, and on a personal level, I always look forward to attending the Heritage festival, the Philharmonic concert and Ringing in the Holidays, all at Carillon Park among all the other events they hold.

• Dayton Gastroenterology celebrates Colon Cancer Awareness with a 5K race ‘No Buts About it‘ that we have been sponsors of for quite a few years (and again this year). Net proceeds of the “No Buts About It” 5K Run/Walk are used to fund screening colonoscopies for uninsured persons in economic hardship who meet the medical criteria for a screening colonoscopy.

• We gave over $1,000 to United Way to help them get their annual report and additional collateral printed at an affordable price. And if you are looking for volunteer opportunities, go to their website for a great list that fits any interests.

• We helped Miami Valley Hospital Foundation with their invitation set to celebrate the new Miami Valley Hospital Tower.

• Joe Ryan of Reliable Electric has set up a walk/race called LENLO (Long Enough Now Let’s OVARcome) to help overcome ovarian cancer in memory of a friend Kathy Alianello. Its been a great success and we have been proud sponsors for two years.

Perhaps in the holiday season, more than at any other time, our hearts go out to others. But there are always those who are less fortunate than we are and will appreciate our help all year round. Give what you can regularly to the charities that make a difference to your local and national community. You may be surprised at the benefits you reap!

I don’t think we are that much different from a lot of other small businesses and groups out there. We do what we can to help out, and we love seeing others do the same. And that’s what makes Dayton a great place. I guess being the holiday season, it’s a good time to say thanks to everybody that is willing to make a difference, and I’m thankful that we are in a position to be able to give back.