The £5 investment...

I'm a member of an on-line business network.

 

I like being a member of this network. It allows me to undertake an element of networking at  a time that suits me and my work schedule, rather than at 7am or lunchtime

 

Not quite the same as an in-person networking club, however there is excellent advice and banter amongst the members, some of which clearly meet up on a regular basis.

 

It's a great source for sharing information too. Many members will ask questions about the best place to go for a coffee or who would you recommend for fitting double glazing. It's great and members are clearly willing to provide advice to other members when there is no benefit to them personally.

 

However I noticed a post last week about a member asking for a recommendation for printing business cards. they had already approached a local company for a price but wanted a comparison.

 

There were 17 replies.

 

Most backed up the original poster, agreeing that she had made the right call in going to the local company. The company isn't the one I work for, but they have a good reputation for quality and service. whilst being competitively priced.

 

Other replies were suggesting that she should be using price as the one and only factor in buying business cards. They really were suggesting that spending £5 for 250 cards or whatever was the best way to promote their company.

 

Your business card says everything about your company, and if you're only going to spend £5 (and believe me, people know that's what you've spent!), what does that say about you?

 

Like I said, it's a great network and I really enjoy my daily visits, but some of the information has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Time for Global Domination...

 

 

So, it's been a little whilst since I last posted.

 

In fact, even I was shocked to see it was May since my last post on my blog.

 

Of course, I still have my Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts that I have been posting regularly. I guess it's just easier to post a picture than it is to create a post..if you get my drift!

 

So what's been happening in this time. Andy won the tennis, the football has restarted (not that I'm a fan), the whole world waited for the birth of a new baby and a new Dr Who was announced.

 

Anyway, I'm going to be a bit more disciplined with my blog and get posting to it a bit more regularly.

 

I guess the most existing new we have, I cant even say!! We are under an embargo until mid August before we can share the good news.

 

But it's BIG!

 

In fact, it's Global!

 

Can't wait to share the news very soon.

Cheap as Chips...

One of things I find most frustrating about working in this industry, is how people think they're doing well by purchasing from the cheapest supplier.

 

Really. They do.

 

Somebody wants some urgent leaflets for an exhibition and hadn't planned well enough ahead.

 

So they get the office junior (usually) to start calling round all the local printers on Google or Yell.com to get prices for their now urgent leaflets.

 

And then they buy from whoever is cheapest.

 

Little consideration is given to experience, investment, contribution of the local community or sound advice.

 

Nope. They decide to put their company reputation, and potentially their future, in the hands of the cheapest vendor.

 

Time and time again. In the various companies I have worked for. I hear the same thing. I want Concorde but want to pay Easy Jet.

 

But if Easy Jet is all you want to pay, then that's all you're going to get!

 

It's good that we have a number of loyal customers who appreciate the service and advice that we're able to provide.

 

And to coin that old phrase "you get what you pay for" and it might not be what you're expecting.

There's Cake...it must be Friday..!

 

 

So there's birthday cake on the go at Printagraph Central.

 

Home made ultimate chocolate cake. With sprinkles.

 

Hmmm, sprinkles!

 

Free Golf Balls...!

It's always nice when you get something for nothing!

 

For a strictly limited period, Printagraph will give you 50% extra free when you order 12 x dozen personalised Srixon AD333 golf balls!

 

That's right. Order 144 balls and receive a further 72 totally free!

 

But just until the end of April 2013.

 

Give us a call on 01224 893900 or email promo@printagraph.co.uk

Think you're hard...?

At Printagraph, we're always looking to make new and exciting additions to our range of services.

 

The latest service that we now have available is the ability to produce hard back bound publications (sometimes called case binding), and we believe this to be a first for the North East of Scotland.

 

Up until now, no print company in the area was able to complete it, so whilst the print was generally produced locally, all hard back binding was shipped south, mostly to the central belt, for completion.

 

It's a bit difficult to portray in a photograph, however the above books have been produced with a thick, hard cover..much like the annuals that the kids get at Christmas time.

 

Produced entirely by hand, and in-house at our premises in East Tullos, our new binding service is a perfect presentation option for many documents. Commemorative books, School / University YearBooks and Golf Day books are only a couple of uses.

 

And they can be bound with as little as one insert page!! (although why anyone would want to go the lengths of hard back binding a single sheet us beyond us.)

 

If you'd like to see some samples of recently completed orders, just give me a call on 07584473738 or email me at grantm@printagraph.co.uk

Birthdays and Christmas....

 

 

 

I hate bad manners.

 

Not the 1980's ska band with the bald outsized frontman Buster Bloodvessel.

 

But bad manners.

 

When you hold a door open fora stranger, and they brush past without the slighted "thank you", as if your only job is life was hold open the door to make their journey through it easier.

 

I was brought up to always use my please and thank you's, and I always do. I'll always send thank you cards after birthdays and Christmas (it might take a few weeks, but it will be done!). I always think it's the least I can do when someone has gone to all the trouble of remembering.

 

But my bugbear at the moment is the standard of driving, and lack of manners on the local roads, and in particular the seemingly growing trend for undertaking. That's passing the car in front on the inside left, rather than the outside right.

 

Whilst I understand there are moves afoot to make it legally acceptable, at present, it's currently discouraged in the UK.

 

And dangerous.

 

But more and more people seem to think it is acceptable.

 

Just last night, I had the driver of a van rap on my car window, mouthing off that I had dared to flash at him (just my lights) as he was undertaking me, even though I was already at the maximum allowed speed limit.

 

He was probably a nice guy, perhaps with a wife and young family, but for the few moments, he turned into a snarling, knuckle dragging, spluttering neanderthal. And yet, it was of his own doing. Not only was he undertaking, but he was doing it over the maximum speed limit (some people seem to think the speed limit signs are a MINIMUM not a MAXIMUM!)

 

He was in the wrong. Anybody that overtakes under normal driving conditions is in the wrong. Here's what the Highway Code has to see on the matter:

 

The Highway Code discourages undertaking on motorways with some exceptions (rule 268): "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake". Undertaking is permitted in congested conditions when frequent lane changing is not recommended.On other roads, the Code advises drivers "should only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right" (rule 163). Rule 163 uses advisory wording and "will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted", but may be used in evidence to establishing liability in any court proceedings.

 

Like I said: I hate bad manners.