Quick Printing

Well, 50,000 air miles later the 2007 high travel season has come to a close. Trade shows, franchise conferences, association events, vendor briefings, etc. have mostly come and gone. That is a good thing because now my weekends can be used for the really important stuff — like football games. Herwith a couple of general observations.

1. The industry seems to be of good cheer and optimistic about the near future. Owners who have figured out that they are business people rather than printers are doing the best.
2. Green is the color of the year, but as Kermit noted: “It ain’t easy being green.”Printers and vendors are just now trying to figure out how and how far they need to go to meet the slowly growing customer demand for environmentally responsible products and services.
3. Hardware vendors finally have (for the most part) figured out that they need to help buyers of their boxes make money or they won’t be around to buy more boxes.
4. Believe it or not, the Internet is here to stay. Some printers have figured out how to use it to make more money — many have not.
5. Flying sucks but is essential unless you are of Frank Romano’s stature and status and have the time for transcontinental trains or trans-Atlantic ships. For us doomed to air travel, remember the clear plastic one-quart zip-top baggie and American Express — don’t leave home without them.