Know-How Exchange : Strategy

First, let me say many businesses are going through exactly the same issues as you are. Recessions have the effect of changing the way business is done - not just during the recession but for ever.

Based on the short paragraph you have provided, I would have a hard time determining exactly what you need but.... allow me to say this. Many of the marketing professionals on this forum are the "real deal". They have experience driving strategies that work.

If you do decide to hire a consultant: Here is a checklist of things to do:
1) check references - who have they worked for and what did they do?
2) ask for detailed deliverables - what will they provide in their project
3) don't be sold - dont allow anyone to pressure you into a quick decision
4) make it an ongoing relationship

A few quick thoughts.

Do you have a particular specialty or industry that you service? You'll get better results focusing on a particular niche than trying to sell to both the kid doing a school report and a large company holding an annual stockholder meeting. Become known as the "go to" people for say, pharmaceutical trade shows.

Once you focus on a niche, partner with complementary businesses. Get together with other vendors providing services to those events (venues, shippers, exhibit designers, etc.). Recommend each other, have each one add a directory to their web pages for cross-referrals.

Encourage your current clients to recommend you (a discount offer, an extra bonus).

Do you have a blog? If not, start one. Then go leave useful, relevant, non-spammy comments on relevant industry blogs. This will help establish you as an expert.

Write articles for trade publications (sharing your expertise, not selling).


Hope this helps.


Jodi

I dont see print going away.. your just have to position yourself to grab whats available.

;)
Paul
7 days from ordinary to Extraordinary!

Dear Slopar,

Your pain is felt by all here. The trick now is to either repackage (or realign), or to retool and offer your skills to a new niche.

This means looking at a new market and offering them the same or similar goods, or looking at different goods, but offering them to the same (meaning your current) market.

Could you offer print and finishing expertise to vanity publishers, to small run printers, to university press collectives, to artists, or to some other print-based group?

Or could you offer digital binding, "We'll take your digital documents and turn them into brilliantly packaged PDFs, POwerPoint or interactive books!"

Cold you create sketch books or drawing books for sale to art students? Or fantastically bound and competitively priced artisan style journals, note books, and desk calendars or day books?

What about some kind of binding or presentation service to professional groups such as lawyers, surveyors, real estate agents, design companies?

Could you take on companies like www.lulu.com or www.blurb.com and offer print and binding on demand for short runs? Could you offer your services to these two companies, or to other print shops outside your area and create some kind of cut price deal on shipping with a local shipping company?

Or could you team with information marketers, the kinds of people who sell bound handbooks that go with CD or DVD packages, many of which sell for high profits? Could you assemble these kinds of packs for these kinds of clients and offer a soup to nuts service that includes fulfillment of orders for a cut of the profit?

I know these might all be shots in the dark, but I hate to see someone which such obvious craft skills just shut up shop.

There's a movie you might want to watch that gives a great example of one business (a men's shoe factory in Northamptonshire, England) that was failing and that was on the brink of closing.

But one chance encounter turned the business around and created new products (kinky boots) for a different market (transvestites and cross dressers) but using their years of boot and shoe making expertise and a lot of imagination.

The movie's called KinkyBoots and it's based on a true story. www.imdb.com/title/tt0434124/ -

The tagline for the movie is "How Far Would You Go To Save The Family Business?"

It might seem totally unrelated I know, but it could spark an idea. And to move toward success, one idea is all you need.

I hope this helps and I really do wish you the best of luck.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA