Picture this: You’re ready to grow your print business, but every day feels like you’re trudging through quicksand. Your MIS system, once the lifeline of your operations, now feels more like a ball-and-chain. It’s slow, outdated, and no longer serves the growing needs of your business. If that sounds familiar, it might be time to embrace a fresh start—without the baggage of the past weighing you down. Moving to a new MIS (Management Information System) can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’ve accumulated years of data. But clinging to an outdated system in the name of your old system’s history might be doing more harm than good. Instead of hauling old, incomplete data into a modern platform, there’s a better way: starting fresh with tools designed to meet the demands of today—and tomorrow.  The Hidden Cost of Clinging to Old MIS History Every system has its shelf life. As technology evolves, outdated MIS systems can limit productivity and growth. Old data can be messy, incomplete, or poorly structured, making migration complicated. Trying to import everything into a new system often leads to frustration and confusion—dragging old inefficiencies into a platform built for efficiency. While Odyssey (the Print MIS


Welcome back to another edition of “Sell More Printing,” where we consider sales and marketing strategies that can significantly boost your printing business. In this issue, we’re spotlighting how your Management Information System (MIS) can be so much more than just a management tool; your MIS can also be a key element of your sales and marketing framework. Keep reading below, but also watch the replay of the Your Marketing-First Blueprint for Website & MIS Success webinar to discover how this strategy unfolds in more detail. This all-in-one solution, with its one-of-a-kind approach, specifically addresses the challenges of running a print business.  In today’s competitive market, integrating your MIS with your marketing strategies is not just innovative; it’s essential. If your marketing strategy is designed to lead your prospects and customers to your website’s order forms, why can’t your website ask for the sale when they arrive, “Ready to make a purchase?” Why can’t your MIS tell your website to say to your customer, “Thanks for your order!” and then turn to your production team and say, “I’ve got a new order for you to print!”  Odyssey Connects Marketing to MIS  That’s exactly what happens with Odyssey, the Print MIS that lives


Running a printing business is no easy task, and one of the most critical factors that can make or break your success is effective leadership. Strong leadership plays a pivotal role in steering your print company towards growth. It’s not just about managing the day-to-day operations; it’s about inspiring and guiding your team to reach their full potential and drive the business forward. What’s the Big Deal About Print Leadership? A great leader sets the tone for the entire organization, print or otherwise. Your vision, passion, and commitment can be contagious, motivating your team to share your drive and dedication. By fostering a positive and creative work environment, you encourage your employees to think innovatively, leading to improved solutions and a competitive edge in the market. Solid leadership also directly impacts customer experience. When your team is inspired and focused on delivering excellence, it reflects in the quality of your services. Satisfied customers become loyal supporters and brand advocates, amplifying your business through word-of-mouth referrals. Strong leaders are also adaptable and resilient. They embrace new technologies, staying ahead of the curve and remaining competitive. The truth is, as a printing business leader, your actions and decisions influence the success and


Odyssey 2.0 MIS shown on computer screen

As a print owner, you know how important it is to stay competitive and efficient in today’s fast-paced world. One way to achieve this is by using a Print MIS solution. A Print MIS solution, or Management Information System, is a software tool that streamlines your workflow by managing customer information, materials, labor costs, and prices, and here are the top five reasons why your print shop needs one. 1. Print MIS Improves Efficiency One of the most significant benefits of using a Print MIS solution is improved efficiency. With Odyssey 2.0, you can manage customer information, materials, labor costs, and prices in one place. This eliminates the need for double entry and ensures accurate pricing. You can also estimate jobs faster and take on more work, which allows you to grow your business. 2. A Print MIS Gives You the Competitive Advantage In today’s fast-paced world, speed is essential. Print buyers expect quick turnaround times, and if you can’t provide that, they’ll look for another print shop that can. By using a Print MIS solution, you can provide accurate quotes to customers within minutes, giving you a competitive edge over those who still rely on manual estimating methods. Odyssey


Printers have a habit of working in a production timespan measured in days, if not hours!  Why?  Because print buyers demand a faster turnaround, and efficient technology makes it possible. The print production scheduling guidelines of “one day per task” from back in the day when I started my career in print just don’t apply anymore. With those ever-shrinking production timelines, how does a phrase like “Print Production Started Last Year” even make sense? Here’s how: You started building the customer relationship long before that first production step was scheduled. You may have scheduled the physical tasks for each step of print production, and those tasks may cover the span of a few days or hours, but you started building a relationship with the print buyer long before that first production step was scheduled. When Does Print Production Start? Print production begins before the print buyer orders printing; before they know you are a print and communications expert. It even starts before you take the time to sit down and show your prospect how print is a powerful vehicle for communicating their important ideas. Print production begins the first time you proactively contact your prospect, and that first touch may have occurred last year, before


Estimating has been a cornerstone in the printing industry for years. While you may think that providing your customers with an estimate is for their benefit only, in fact, estimating a job also provides you with a myriad of benefits. A good estimate: Provides efficiency Ensures accuracy Creates consistency Fosters professionalism Displays your cost/value ratio Most importantly, good estimating is the secret sauce to good sales. Estimating Supports Good Pricing Willy-nilly pricing can mean lost profits and missed opportunities. By knowing your anticipated costs before negotiating your price, you’ll have vital information to know things like the break-even point on print production, an acceptable price point, and at what point there is both zero profit and zero loss. These details are also critical when you want data on which of your print items are (or aren’t) profitable. Printing multiple orders of [blank] doesn’t mean business is good if you’re losing money on every order you accept. Good print estimating empowers your staff with the knowledge they need about where they can be aggressive and where they need to hold the line on price. What About Digital Printing? For low-margin work, estimating takes on an increasingly important role. In most situations,


By the end of 2019, it’s estimated that there will be 224 million digital shoppers in the United States alone. That statistic is shoppers, not orders. How many orders do you think 224 million shoppers place annually? A lot — as in that’s-a-whole-lot-of-numbers-math-is-hard kind of a lot. But, if you think about it, online order numbers like that shouldn’t surprise most of us. We’ve all been known to engage in a seek-and-destroy online shopping experience while in our pajamas using our weapon of choice: our index fingers. That tactic seems to make way more sense than actually getting off the couch, driving somewhere, and becoming a participating member of the retail world in person. Seriously, why would you do all that work when what is needed is right at your fingertips? Since more and more people are opting for online shopping, it’s pretty easy to conclude where your focus needs to be for selling printing. It needs to cater to your online storefront. The Pricing “What Ifs” For many small businesses, one of the biggest hold-ups for selling online is the debate of whether or not to put your product pricing on your website. After all, there are so many “What ifs…”


“Does my print shop really need a Print MIS Solution?” The short answer to that question is: Yes! And here’s why… Print MIS Explained MIS is an abbreviation for “Management Information System.” Like most manufacturing businesses, the printing industry requires juggling a lot of information to function profitably. An MIS solution helps you with the juggling, and therefore, the profits! Here are some examples of the types of information a Print MIS solution will manage for you: Customer names and contact info Paper cost Ink cost Click cost Hourly rates of each piece of equipment in your shop Boxes Tape Overhead Accounts receivables Account aging Sales commissions You get the idea. Although it might seem like an overabundance of bullet points there, that’s really just scratching the surface of the knowledge you can have at your fingertips with a Print MIS solution for your print business. Back in 2006, we implemented our first robust MIS solution. We were able to prepare estimates so fast that many customers reported that we had delivered the completed job before our competition even delivered pricing! A Rocky Path to an Imperfect Result Take a minute to picture this and see if it sounds familiar:


Imagine a world where you’re able to sell more printing online AND in person. (This isn’t some dreamy place beyond the realm of possibility.) It sounds easier said than done, but it is VERY possible. A recent experience of mine with my cell phone company touched on one of the most important goals to not overlook in selling more printing: having an in-person AND an online focus for your business. My Experience(s) Let me start by saying I hate dealing with the details of cell phone agreements and contracts. When my kids were young and impressionable, I told them, “Hate is a strong word.” I don’t use the word “hate” lightly, but I hate trying to make sense of cell phone agreements and contracts. Recently, my wife and I decided to add our youngest child to our family’s cell phone plan. I approached the task with a combination of fear and the perseverance of a bully-mindset where I got my way by taking no prisoners. Ordering Online: The Path of Least Resistance I went for the path of least resistance: online ordering, here I come! It was more convenient and, quite honestly, it empowered me to make better decisions. If I need to


five things im thankful for, Odyssey, Print MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers

Here’s a quote that has really impacted me in recent days: …there’s a danger in overfocusing on the finish line. When you do, you lose the power of seeing how far you’ve come. ~ Jon Acuff When working on a project as big as Odyssey, our Print MIS, that finish line can be elusive. The truth is, there is no finish line for Odyssey because it makes its home in the cloud. The cloud is never “done.” Instead, the cloud allows for a neverending stream of updates that will enable Odyssey to grow well past any finish line. Finish lines are so limiting! There is no finish line, but there’s a definite starting point, and in the spirit of this season of thanks, when I look back at the starting line I see so many things I’m thankful for. When looking through the lens of the work we do here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, here are five things I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving season. Our wonderful team. There’s power in numbers, and there’s super-power in a team that’s united for a common purpose! The support of Odyssey’s Early Adopters. These are Odyssey’s very first customers; we would have never been able


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