No one ever said change was easy. But that’s never stopped you in the past, has it? Those of us in the printing industry have always had to learn new technologies, incorporate new equipment, and provide new services to our clients. Change and learning are part of our DNA! Another industry experiencing major change is education, where there is a significant growth trend in online learning. You may have heard about more and more college students taking virtual classes, while some are even earning their degrees entirely online—amazing! This trend is also very evident in employee education. Today, eLearning is a $56.2 billion business and is expected to grow to over $100 billion by 2015. In fact 40% of Fortune 500 companies are turning away from traditional instruction-based learning and investing in online learning (ELearning Magazine, 2013). But it’s not just the huge corporations that are benefitting from virtual education. Printing Industries of America is set to launch a variety of Web-based, industry-focused workshops via a brand new online platform, the Integrated Learning Center. Whether you call all it eLearning, Web-based training, or virtual education, the Integrated Learning Center platform is developed to provide a one-stop-shopping solution to your training needs. This platform raises an exciting opportunity for progressive print and graphic arts companies that view online learning as a competitive weapon, rather than merely an added cost. High-quality employee performance, a key to business success, relies significantly on high-quality training. Online learning, as evidenced in the statistics below, can prove to be more efficient and effective than traditional learning methods and results in greater productivity and competitive gains. Need more convincing that virtual training is right for educating your staff? We’ve highlighted five of the most valuable benefits for our industry members as they apply to both managers and employees. 1.     Quality education on demand Managers: One of the biggest differentiators between online and instructor-based learning is that you can access it virtually any time, anywhere. Since most eLearning programs allow unlimited access, managers have greater flexibility in scheduling training time for employees. Employees: Education is a valuable career asset. eLearning is proven to increase knowledge retention by 25% to 60% over traditional learning methods. (Corporate eLearning Exploring a New Frontier, WR Hambrecht) And since eLearning is self-paced, employees can learn at rates appropriate to their individual knowledge level. 2.     Less time and expense compared to off-site learning Managers: Time and money—two resources most managers wouldn’t mind saving. Recent research shows businesses save at least 50% by replacing traditional instructor-based training with eLearning. Additionally eLearning cuts instruction time by up to 60%. Employees: Those who have online training are more valuable employees. According to a new report...

This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Program or any of the Buying Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...

This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Program or any of the Buying Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...

This blog post was contributed by ASI. For more information on the ASI Buying Power Program or any of the Buying Power Programs at Printing Industries of America, visit www.printing.org/buyingpower. Promotional Products: An Affair to Remember Promotional products are globally recognized as a powerful part of brand reinforcement, and advertisers can’t get enough. A Love Story: The Advertiser & the Promotional Product Did you know that 86% of those who own promotional products remember the advertiser? On average, people in the U.S. own 10 promo products. Whether it’s a calendar, a reusable bag, or coffee mug, logos and brand messages are memorable because they are visible. The Perfect Match: The Advertiser and the Distributor How well do promotional products work? In 2013, the industry earned $20.5 billion. So, where do promotional products come from, and who’s profiting from them? When advertisers need products for a special promotion, they seek out distributors to generate ideas and place orders with suppliers. The First Date: Getting Started as a Distributor Becoming a distributor can be as easy and profitable. Let’s do the math: The average order from a single end-buyer is $1,061. Five orders per year will bring in $5,305. The average small distributor services 94 clients per year, bringing that total up to $498,670 a year. You don’t have to quit your day job. Many business owners sell promotional products in addition to their primary business. You can earn more money from existing customers. For instance, printers can upsell high-end products like embroidered jackets and engraved awards, to their customers, along with their regular orders. Intrigued? Happily Ever After ASI® can help launch your business with robust sourcing tools, free education, catalogs, websites, trade shows, and more! You don’t need a lot of capital or additional staff. You simply sign up, learn, and sell. Big things come in small packages. If you’re not convinced, check your desk, closet, or vehicle and discover how many of these products you actually own. Visit www.printing.org/asi to learn...

The PPLUS Global Logistics Team is excited to be a part of the Printing Industries of America Buying Program. We have seen great success in the first year of the program and enjoyed the opportunity to attend PRINT 13 last fall to meet current customers and gain many new contacts. In the new year, we have added many new carriers to our database. We are adding new carriers on a daily basis at all locations across the country with enhanced service, added coverage, and aggressively reduced rates. To strengthen the relationship with Printing Industries of America and its affiliates, the PPLUS Team has negotiated for no rate increase this year, which is extremely beneficial to you as members and frequent shippers.         At the end of last year, our newly branded Print Freight website, www.printfreight.com, was finalized and created specifically for our printing customers such as yourselves. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to do so, take a look at the newly updated site. If you are not yet a part of our Buying Program, you can use the login information below to log in and get rate quotes on your shipments in order to take a look at what we have to offer: www.printfreight.com Username: PIAdemo Password: password1 In addition, be sure to follow us Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and updates specific to transportation and logistics in the printing industry. If you’re interested in learning more or would like to become a part of this program, contact us directly via phone at 636-946-7587 or send an email to Kasey Lucas at Kasey@pplusglobal.com. We look forward to working with you and further serving the printing...

The PPLUS Global Logistics Team is excited to be a part of the Printing Industries of America Buying Program. We have seen great success in the first year of the program and enjoyed the opportunity to attend PRINT 13 last fall to meet current customers and gain many new contacts. In the new year, we have added many new carriers to our database. We are adding new carriers on a daily basis at all locations across the country with enhanced service, added coverage, and aggressively reduced rates. To strengthen the relationship with Printing Industries of America and its affiliates, the PPLUS Team has negotiated for no rate increase this year, which is extremely beneficial to you as members and frequent shippers.         At the end of last year, our newly branded Print Freight website, www.printfreight.com, was finalized and created specifically for our printing customers such as yourselves. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to do so, take a look at the newly updated site. If you are not yet a part of our Buying Program, you can use the login information below to log in and get rate quotes on your shipments in order to take a look at what we have to offer: www.printfreight.com Username: PIAdemo Password: password1 In addition, be sure to follow us Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and updates specific to transportation and logistics in the printing industry. If you’re interested in learning more or would like to become a part of this program, contact us directly via phone at 636-946-7587 or send an email to Kasey Lucas at Kasey@pplusglobal.com. We look forward to working with you and further serving the printing...