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!

Now is the time to crank up your marketing efforts. The ONLY way to work (which is the key word here) our way out of a down cycle is to increase marketing efforts for your business This will help threefold: (1) You will get more leads into your sales pipeline, (2) You will enhance your relationship with your existing clients, and (3) You will refocus on defining your “REAL” value-add and develop ways to maximize their value in the minds of your audience. Therefore, you will have the opportunity to expand your business into new accounts/.markets or you get more business (share of wallet) from you existing clients. I know that this is all easier said than done, but we all have to try if we want to grow now.

Magicomm is doing it by enhancing our web site landing page (if this is the first time you visited, you won’t know this) and we are “beefing” up our demo platforms, interactivity, and high value content such as samples and case studies. We have some pretty good stories that we are going to share. You will see many changes over of the next couple months. It’s a rolling effort, because we have more ideas then resources and we still have to continue to service our existing clients to “keep the lights on.” Additionally, we are evaluating new markets, products, and services that we can “quickly” expand our business with. Opportunities are everywhere, just sometimes they are not out in the open.

It’s easy to cut marketing budgets to save costs. The proof of that thought process is everywhere around us. But maybe we should look at the competitive and economic environment around us to find where growth exists. It does exist, you know. Learn how marketing techniques and tools have changed. The “traditional” ways of marketing are being challenged. The shift is towards leveraging the internet (web site, email, and personalized url’s), integrating the web with print and communicating more relevantly. Databases, personalized communications, social media strategies, and the ability to have measurable results are becoming increasingly important. Real time feedback to our prospects and them having “instant” access to information has high value. Time IS money. Cross media marketing strategies, including use of viral techniques, are coming to the forefront in our marketing thought process. Mass marketing is becoming less important. Finding the right person and communicating with them in the way they want is the game we are in now. The consumer of the information is increasingly able to control the conversation with corporations. It’s becoming more of a “pull” communication process than a push the message out to them process. Deal with this new reality. Don’t delay.

The sands are shifting and we cannot deny it! Why would we (The truth is a defense)? It’s summer time and it’s fun to play in the sand and the sun (equating sun with new business opportunities…I wanted to make sure that you got that connection. LOL). It’s more fun trying to grow business than it is trying to cut costs to profitability (or oblivion?). Don’t be a stay at home couch potato when all the fun is outside. Come on in and join the fun. What’s the worse that can happen? Getting a sunburn? That doesn’t seem so bad, now does it?