Wanted to give you all (the southern in me is coming out) some insight into why I think that the time is right for a service such as iFix.com. Also, how that impacts what we do at Magicomm.

Given the increasing pressures on printers to control, if not reduce their costs, during these trying economic times, I felt that the time was right to provide them (including dealers and independent services organizations) with the ability to extend the usefulness of their existing equipment. Many will decide to purchase the latest and greatest technology available, because that is what they have always done to maintain their competitive edge. But most will want to spend their limited resources in new growth areas that will provide them a higher margin and expanded business opportunities while maintaining their existing infrastructure and core business (Can’t kill the cash cow, ya know!). Replacing an existing platesetter with one that is shinier, faster, and more automated may not provide them with the biggest bang for their buck. Purchasing a system that allows them to automate and connect their internal processes may be a better place to spend their money. Or, expanding into fulfillment…Or, providing a web-to-print portal for their clients…Or, purchasing a digital press that is variable data capable…Or…Or….Or…You get the picture.

Additionally, the existing manufacturers of this equipment have gone through significant cost reductions (laying offs) and there are many highly qualified technicians that are looking for ways to support their families. Many are providing support to the clients that they had worked for through the years by servicing them directly, which would mean that they need a resources, besides the manufacturer, to help them with access to quality parts. AND, there are no organizations that will provide used parts (which means lower cost) available to them today(that I know of).

I know that many are leery of used parts, which is why we have provided a warranty that is even better than what you get with purchasing some new parts from the manufacturer. How do we do that, you may ask. Well, with our access to used equipment, we can use their parts at a fraction of the cost for us than by purchasing them separately. Also, we have extremely low overhead that is difficult to the larger manufacturers to match. It just seemed like a service like ifix.com that was right for the times, therefore we decided to take advantage of this changing environment that printers, dealers, and manufacturers are experiencing during these difficult economic times by providing them with a needed service that is not available anywhere else. A tsunami is hitting our industry and when it is over, we will look extremely different that we were back in the “good old days”.

What am I doing with Magicomm?

iFix.com is a natural extension of Magicomm. I hope to do many more of these type of business ventures in the future. With Magicomm being a innovative marketing solutions provider that is focused on leveraging all media and building integrated marketing solutions, I felt that by starting a ecommerce company that would provide a much needed solution to the graphics industry was a “no brainer”.

I was talking to a buddy of mine last year about the need for a resource that he could purchase reliable laser imaging parts for his clients platesetters….thus the idea began. We decided to use the resources of Magicomm to build the site (still working on it, but it is good to go now) that the industry could trust to purchase BOTH NEW AND USED PLATESETTER PARTS from. Took us almost a year, with no marketing, to fine tune our internal processes and sources for parts before we decided to “formally” launch the company. I have working in the industry for over 30 years and have been lucky to get to know people in the industry from all over the world, printers, dealers, and vendors. So, by leveraging my industry insight and experience with my contact base and what I have learned with Magicomm, it just made sense to start this business. I expect to be expanding into other areas, such as used equipment and software solutions, in the near future. Magicomm with ALWAYS be at the center of these efforts, because of the resources that we have and the knowledge we have developed during our marketing efforts in the graphics industry.

I will continue to look for opportunities to partner with other companies and individuals to develop new businesses and revenue streams for Magicomm. After all…Isn’t the goal for us all is to “Make money while we are sleeping?” and the ONLY way to do that is through the Internet and through the use of automated workflows. Stay tuned for the further adventures of Rick Littrell, Magicomm, and iFix.com!