Chief executive Stephen Gilbert explained that the charity was seeking to raise awareness of the work it does across the whole country, but that Yorkshire was a key locality because of the size of the print industry in the region. He said: “Once upon a time, the charity had a network of auxiliaries across the whole country and the organisation in Yorkshire used to be very strong. We’d like to get back to that level of engagement and support. “This event will provide an ideal networking opportunity for us to showcase the charity as part of our drive to substantially increase the number of people we help year-on-year.” The Printing Charity will be exhibiting on stand C120. North Print & Pack runs from 14 to 16 May and is being held at the Harrogate International...

The guide, available now to download for free, combines the forum’s existing credit control guide, which has advice on managing bad debt, negotiating better payment terms and invoice templates, with a guide created by finance experts that explains what can be done to improve a business’ credit rating and how to present to a lender to secure a loan. Of the FPB’s circa-18,500 members a few hundred are currently print companies and the Forum’s Robert Downes said it had identified the sector as one of the worst affected by late payments and cash flow problems. As such he said the guide was being targeted at printers first and if its reception was a success the FPB would look at other sectors that could particularly benefit. He added: “We recognise that the print industry is under pressure and that it is one of the most impacted by late or slow payments. “We’re fairly sure our guide can help some printers bring these payment times down a bit and give them a good steer for future contracts.” Forum member Steve Swinyard, who until last year ran Stockport print firm JS Dutton with his son, backed the new guide and said that late payers and bad debts had almost crippled his firm. “Printers are always going to have problems with people that can’t pay and people that won’t pay. You can work with the ones that can’t, which is where this kind of advice comes in handy and is something that we could do with more of. “On the other hand if people just won’t pay I somethimes think it is more effective to do it the old fashioned way and pay them a visit. Small printers simply don’t have the time to be chasing paperwork and going through court after court. That’s what can close people down. The right advice in the first place could help avoid all that altogether though,” he added. According to Downes improving credit rating was another key factor for SMEs to address in order to improve their chances of being accepted for business loans. “All the banks look at credit scores before making a decision on credit, from overdraft to full blown loan, and if they get a whiff of a risk they won’t like it,” he added. He explained that a major cause of rejected loan applications was that too many business owners were unprepared and did not carry out enough research often due to lack of resources or not knowing where to look. He added: “We know that there are already a lot of guides out there that will give you the official information you need when it comes to applying for finance. But...

The association has lined up speakers from across sectors to headline its annual conference on 19 June in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The event is followed by a glamorous awards ceremony. “The conference, called Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick, will look at how companies can successfully integrate cross media into their business,” said a spokesman for the event, which is also run with IPIA’s annual general meeting. Resource sales and marketing director Asif Choudry will tell the conference about the challenges he had to tackle to move from a print-only business 10 years ago to a company that now blends virtually all cross-media services. IPIA chief executive Andrew Pearce said: “There’s a lot of talk about cross media but I want delegates to fully understand what it means, and to be fully aware if it’s viable for them to pursue it. “If you are a business forms printer, do you continue with that niche and hope more people drop out or do you think about offering cross-media services? For print buyers who understand what they are doing it is not such a huge investment to embrace it because they can look for partners.” Pearce added: “Each year we aim to deliver a theme that is really ‘of the moment’ and this year’s event is for any business looking to use cross media to gain sales for themselves and their clients.” CVG Papier business development manager Ad Sies will look at how digital print can add value to the cross-media mix. Digital media expert Nigel Dacre will look at multiplatform delivery through print, websites, mobile phones, tablets and TV. Dacre said: “The days when printing was the only form of communication are clearly over but clever organisations are still using a wide range of methods and print is still a crucial means of communication.” Other speakers include Andy Rafferty, client partner at marketing company Brightsource, who will look at the role of print in multi-channel marketing. Media entrepreneur Sarah Hughes will talk on using social media as a sales tool. Last year’s event attracted over 100 people such as printers, print managers, marketers, print buyers, machinery manufacturers and trade associates. This year’s gathering is at Puckrup Hall Hotel. The IPIA annual awards, presented on the evening of the conference, will include gongs for best trade manufacturer, print manager, associate member and individual personality of the year. Guest speaker is actor Shaun Williamson. Visit www.ipia.org.uk, call 0844 90 20 214 or email: info@ipia.org.uk...

The association has lined up speakers from across sectors to headline its annual conference on 19 June in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The event is followed by a glamorous awards ceremony. “The conference, called Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick, will look at how companies can successfully integrate cross media into their business,” said a spokesman for the event, which is also run with IPIA’s annual general meeting. Resource sales and marketing director Asif Choudry will tell the conference about the challenges he had to tackle to move from a print-only business 10 years ago to a company that now blends virtually all cross-media services. IPIA chief executive Andrew Pearce said: “There’s a lot of talk about cross media but I want delegates to fully understand what it means, and to be fully aware if it’s viable for them to pursue it. “If you are a business forms printer, do you continue with that niche and hope more people drop out or do you think about offering cross-media services? For print buyers who understand what they are doing it is not such a huge investment to embrace it because they can look for partners.” Pearce added: “Each year we aim to deliver a theme that is really ‘of the moment’ and this year’s event is for any business looking to use cross media to gain sales for themselves and their clients.” CVG Papier business development manager Ad Sies will look at how digital print can add value to the cross-media mix. Digital media expert Nigel Dacre will look at multiplatform delivery through print, websites, mobile phones, tablets and TV. Dacre said: “The days when printing was the only form of communication are clearly over but clever organisations are still using a wide range of methods and print is still a crucial means of communication.” Other speakers include Andy Rafferty, client partner at marketing company Brightsource, who will look at the role of print in multi-channel marketing. Media entrepreneur Sarah Hughes will talk on using social media as a sales tool. Last year’s event attracted over 100 people such as printers, print managers, marketers, print buyers, machinery manufacturers and trade associates. This year’s gathering is at Puckrup Hall Hotel. The IPIA annual awards, presented on the evening of the conference, will include gongs for best trade manufacturer, print manager, associate member and individual personality of the year. Guest speaker is actor Shaun Williamson. Visit www.ipia.org.uk, call 0844 90 20 214 or email: info@ipia.org.uk...

The guide, available now to download for free, combines the forum’s existing credit control guide, which has advice on managing bad debt, negotiating better payment terms and invoice templates, with a guide created by finance experts that explains what can be done to improve a business’ credit rating and how to present to a lender to secure a loan. Of the FPB’s circa-18,500 members a few hundred are currently print companies and the Forum’s Robert Downes said it had identified the sector as one of the worst affected by late payments and cash flow problems. As such he said the guide was being targeted at printers first and if its reception was a success the FPB would look at other sectors that could particularly benefit. He added: “We recognise that the print industry is under pressure and that it is one of the most impacted by late or slow payments. “We’re fairly sure our guide can help some printers bring these payment times down a bit and give them a good steer for future contracts.” Forum member Steve Swinyard, who until last year ran Stockport print firm JS Dutton with his son, backed the new guide and said that late payers and bad debts had almost crippled his firm. “Printers are always going to have problems with people that can’t pay and people that won’t pay. You can work with the ones that can’t, which is where this kind of advice comes in handy and is something that we could do with more of. “On the other hand if people just won’t pay I somethimes think it is more effective to do it the old fashioned way and pay them a visit. Small printers simply don’t have the time to be chasing paperwork and going through court after court. That’s what can close people down. The right advice in the first place could help avoid all that altogether though,” he added. According to Downes improving credit rating was another key factor for SMEs to address in order to improve their chances of being accepted for business loans. “All the banks look at credit scores before making a decision on credit, from overdraft to full blown loan, and if they get a whiff of a risk they won’t like it,” he added. He explained that a major cause of rejected loan applications was that too many business owners were unprepared and did not carry out enough research often due to lack of resources or not knowing where to look. He added: “We know that there are already a lot of guides out there that will give you the official information you need when it comes to applying for finance. But...