The following post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, FASTSIGNS International.   In 2003, Richard Helmey transitioned from being a senior executive in the Coca-Cola Companies juice division to the owner of a local printing business in Houston area college campuses. With a finger on the pulse of industry advancements and the changing needs of his customers, Helmey parlayed his background into quick revenue growth. He changed his company’s name to truecolor GRAPHICS and began offering marketing communications services as well as more comprehensive printing offerings. “My penchant for big growth led me to enter the wide-format market,” Helmey explained. “While we were in the wide-format business for some time, we felt there was a greater opportunity that we were missing out on. We evaluated expanding the product line internally, but knew we would need help to be effective in both production and marketing.” Helmey looked at various franchise offerings within the print space, but given his desire to also keep his existing business in operation, he found that some were inflexible on how an arrangement could work. He turned to the signage industry expecting to find the same feedback, but was excited when he came across FASTSIGNS®. The FASTSIGNS Co-Brand program helps independent business operators with print-related services add the FASTSIGNS brand and full-suite of solutions, while retaining control of their existing business. This allows Co-Brand franchise owners to maximize their businesses’ true potential by expanding their service offerings and effectively marketing and selling the new services with ongoing guidance from FASTSIGNS. “FASTSIGNS was really the perfect solution,” he added. “The Co-Brand program made it possible to separate the businesses for royalty purposes, meanwhile providing access to the resources and tools we needed to effectively build out our wide-format offerings. This made it a natural decision to add the powerful branding of FASTSIGNS to drive incremental gross profit.” He continued, “We added the FASTSIGNS franchise to our current printing location and the cost of entry was very affordable. We spent about $85,000 to purchase the franchise, necessary equipment, and complete the build-out at our existing location.” Co-Brand franchisees  can join FASTSIGNS for a down payment of $10,000. The company also offers the leading brand name in the sign and graphics industry, as well as product and printer reviews and negotiated discounts on equipment and supplies among several other benefits. “After becoming a FASTSIGNS Co-Brand franchisee, things really took off—it meshed well with my existing business, gave us the capability to provide a full range of wide-format projects, and injected a new level of sophistication to my company,” Helmey said. “Most importantly, wide-format sales are 20 percent of total revenues and are on track to double in the...

This post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, FASTSIGNS International.   As the need to diversify service offerings grows, many independent print operators are turning to FASTSIGNS International, Inc. for direction and ongoing support to develop and sell wide-format signage. In 2015, the company’s Co-Brand program accounted for 20 percent of the franchise agreements it signed, a significant increase from prior years. Launched in 2012, the FASTSIGNS® Co-Brand program helps independent business operators with print-related services add the FASTSIGNS brand and full-suite of solutions, while retaining control of their existing businesses. Co-Brand franchise owners maximize their businesses’ true potential by expanding their service offerings and effectively marketing and selling the new services with ongoing guidance from FASTSIGNS. Franchisees in the program consistently report that the partnership is adding value for customers and promoting long-term growth opportunities for their businesses. For Donna Booth, a FASTSIGNS Co-Brand franchisee and owner of Prestige Printing, joining the company’s Co-Brand program in 2013 saved her significant time, resources, and money. She spent the previous year trying to maintain operations, while researching the equipment necessary to offer wide-format. After purchasing equipment, she came across FASTSIGNS at a trade show and began talking with a company representative. She quickly realized that she needed to change her equipment order and join the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand program. “Words can’t describe how much of a relief it is to have a business partner I can turn to on an ongoing basis who understands my business and knows the best way to continue moving it in the right direction,” Booth explained. “FASTSIGNS takes out much of the guess work and walks you through every aspect of moving into the signage and visual graphics industry. They helped me with everything from purchasing the right equipment to marketing the products and services to existing and potential customers.” FASTSIGNS also offers the leading brand name in the sign and graphics industry, as well as: The latest technology including product and printer reviews Negotiated discounts on equipment and supplies Extensive training opportunities Comprehensive marketing programs and support Mentorship program Check out the benefits of networking with FASTSIGNS centers nationwide. For information about the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson (@) fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679) or visit...

This post was submitted by 2016 President’s Conference sponsor, FASTSIGNS International.   As the need to diversify service offerings grows, many independent print operators are turning to FASTSIGNS International, Inc. for direction and ongoing support to develop and sell wide-format signage. In 2015, the company’s Co-Brand program accounted for 20 percent of the franchise agreements it signed, a significant increase from prior years. Launched in 2012, the FASTSIGNS® Co-Brand program helps independent business operators with print-related services add the FASTSIGNS brand and full-suite of solutions, while retaining control of their existing businesses. Co-Brand franchise owners maximize their businesses’ true potential by expanding their service offerings and effectively marketing and selling the new services with ongoing guidance from FASTSIGNS. Franchisees in the program consistently report that the partnership is adding value for customers and promoting long-term growth opportunities for their businesses. For Donna Booth, a FASTSIGNS Co-Brand franchisee and owner of Prestige Printing, joining the company’s Co-Brand program in 2013 saved her significant time, resources, and money. She spent the previous year trying to maintain operations, while researching the equipment necessary to offer wide-format. After purchasing equipment, she came across FASTSIGNS at a trade show and began talking with a company representative. She quickly realized that she needed to change her equipment order and join the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand program. “Words can’t describe how much of a relief it is to have a business partner I can turn to on an ongoing basis who understands my business and knows the best way to continue moving it in the right direction,” Booth explained. “FASTSIGNS takes out much of the guess work and walks you through every aspect of moving into the signage and visual graphics industry. They helped me with everything from purchasing the right equipment to marketing the products and services to existing and potential customers.” FASTSIGNS also offers the leading brand name in the sign and graphics industry, as well as: The latest technology including product and printer reviews Negotiated discounts on equipment and supplies Extensive training opportunities Comprehensive marketing programs and support Mentorship program Check out the benefits of networking with FASTSIGNS centers nationwide. For information about the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson (@) fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679) or visit...

By Dr. Ronnie H. Davis, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, and Tai McNaughton, Economist, Printing Industries of America Even companies with in-house printing capabilities rely heavily on commercial printers for their business printing needs. Why? A recent survey of 400-plus marketing and business executives jointly conducted by Printing Industries of America and FedEx Office revealed the answer. The survey respondents were managing marketing activities at medium and large companies across different industrial sectors. According to the survey respondents, there are several important reasons to use commercial printers—nine specific reasons listed in the survey were cited by over 7 out of 10 respondents. Product quality was given as the number one reason to rely on a commercial printer, followed by volume considerations, cost issues, color consistency, and color accuracy. A key takeaway is that customers recognize the array of advantages that commercial printers provide compared to their own in-house capabilities. The survey delved further into the quality and color complexities inherent in print jobs. According to the customers surveyed, commercial printers outperform in-house printers in meeting these challenges. Overall, respondents confirmed that there were lower instances of content being displayed incorrectly, color consistency problems, color accuracy problems, and product quality challenges when using a commercial printer over using an in-house printer. The most significant advantage for commercial printers over in-house shops was in product quality and color accuracy. Which of these Challenges Has Your Company Faced in the Last 12 Months? Customers also expressed the belief that commercial printers are better at addressing the various challenges of processing print projects, such as budgeting, time management, and communications issues. This is particularly true for completing jobs on budget. The only print process challenge in which in-house print shops outperform commercial printers is communicating the requirements for the job, and the difference was small. The findings, contained in an eight-page Flash Report, show a competitive advantage for commercial printers compared to customers’ in-house print capabilities. PIA Member companies can read the full...

By Dr. Ronnie H. Davis, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, and Tai McNaughton, Economist, Printing Industries of America Even companies with in-house printing capabilities rely heavily on commercial printers for their business printing needs. Why? A recent survey of 400-plus marketing and business executives jointly conducted by Printing Industries of America and FedEx Office revealed the answer. The survey respondents were managing marketing activities at medium and large companies across different industrial sectors. According to the survey respondents, there are several important reasons to use commercial printers—nine specific reasons listed in the survey were cited by over 7 out of 10 respondents. Product quality was given as the number one reason to rely on a commercial printer, followed by volume considerations, cost issues, color consistency, and color accuracy. A key takeaway is that customers recognize the array of advantages that commercial printers provide compared to their own in-house capabilities. The survey delved further into the quality and color complexities inherent in print jobs. According to the customers surveyed, commercial printers outperform in-house printers in meeting these challenges. Overall, respondents confirmed that there were lower instances of content being displayed incorrectly, color consistency problems, color accuracy problems, and product quality challenges when using a commercial printer over using an in-house printer. The most significant advantage for commercial printers over in-house shops was in product quality and color accuracy. Which of these Challenges Has Your Company Faced in the Last 12 Months? Customers also expressed the belief that commercial printers are better at addressing the various challenges of processing print projects, such as budgeting, time management, and communications issues. This is particularly true for completing jobs on budget. The only print process challenge in which in-house print shops outperform commercial printers is communicating the requirements for the job, and the difference was small. The findings, contained in an eight-page Flash Report, show a competitive advantage for commercial printers compared to customers’ in-house print capabilities. PIA Member companies can read the full...