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Insanity in the Sign & Graphics Industry

Einstein’s Definition

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Think about this quote for a second and ask yourself, does this quote apply to the way you run your company?

Have you been doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? If so, then you might want to keep on reading. In a world where technology is becoming a key productivity tool to the success of any business, it simply comes down to, are you accepting and harnessing technology or rejecting it. Are you willing to change or will you do the same thing over and over again? There are two main reasons why I pose this question. First, many shop owners today have trouble understanding how new technology, specifically software, can become a major benefit to their business, and second, owners have trouble measuring the profits they are losing by rejecting this technological change. Have you ever rejected technology?

“If It Ain’t Broke Then Don’t Fix It!” Mentality

Are you expecting to increase profits by continuing the same business strategy year after year? If so, how long do you think the method will work?

Many shop owners simply do not see the need to update or change their current method. They believe that there is no need to invest in a new method when the old one still seems to work fine. This is the common, “If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it!” mentality. Well, I hate to be the one to say it, but just because something isn’t “broke” doesn’t mean you can’t make it work better. When new technology such as software, could save you large amounts of time & money, how can you not accept it? In an industry where there is an increasing level of competitiveness, shop owners must take advantage of every method available to help them cut costs. Would a commercial printer looking to grow their business, limit their shop to just a one color press? Sure they can continue to operate with a one color press, but wouldn’t a two or four color press help expand their business into other areas more effectively. In this example the current method works, but a technological change would help increase the company’s ability to grow. Exploring these other areas help companies to sustain and increase profits. Without accepting new technology, shop owners greatly limit their profit potential. By using the power of technology to make their business practices more efficient owners can continue to achieve their goals.

Are You Sacrificing?

A lot of shop owners that we talk with have a hard time visualizing the amount of money they are losing, or in actuality, the amount of money they are giving to their competition, due to inconsistencies in the work flow process. These shops feel they are doing well with the system they currently have in place and do not see the need to change to a new method. This lack of vision can cause owners to limit their future profits. On the opposite side, the owners that do see a need for change begin to focus more attention on how much money it will cost to make the switch rather than how much they are losing. These owners become unsure and wonder if the investment today will pay off tomorrow. To those owners, how much will it cost you not to switch? Do you even know? Is it one, three, possibly five jobs a day? Do the math. How much money/time is lost due to inefficiencies such as faulty estimates, under/over-priced jobs, or lost invoices. Ask yourself, how long can a company continue to compete if they are not being as efficient as their competition? If companies choose to stay with the same system they have been using for years and reject change are they, in essence, choosing to sacrifice future profits?

$100,000 a Year

One company in particular that we spoke with was losing 4 orders per week to their competition. Since only one person in the shop was able to estimate, it was taking days to get quotes to customers, therefore forcing their clients to seek, and eventually accept bids from competing companies. When this company finally analyzed their method and applied a dollar amount to the loss, they estimated they were losing around $100,000 in revenue a year. Amazing right? What would 4 orders a week cost you? Or if you could accept 4 more orders a week, what would you do with the extra profits? How does a company like this one miss out on a $100,000 opportunity? Simply put, insanity, the Einstein definition.

It’s not Just Estimating

Companies are not just losing profits due to faulty estimates; they’re also losing profits due to a lack of follow up, or customer management. When sending estimates out to potential clients, how often do companies remember to follow up with them? With the constant chaos that shop owners experience on a daily basis, this follow up process can become an aspect that is quickly forgotten, especially if the current estimating system doesn’t include this integration. How much can a company increase their “win” rate for estimates by placing follow up calls to all customers with estimates outstanding? By using a powerful integrated estimating and business management software, like Cyrious, company’s are able to create reminders that will tell employees who to call, when to call, and why, automatically. It keeps all customer, contact, and order information together in one place and increases the ability to save time and builds customer relationships essential to business growth and expansion.

Adapting to Change

By adapting to change, and accepting and harnessing technology, shop owners who use Cyrious Software have become more efficient and profitable.

Cyrious helps owners solve a variety of different frustrations. Whether you’re an owner who is frustrated with estimating because it takes up too much time or one that is annoyed that orders keep getting lost and misplaced, Cyrious has a solution. Cyrious helps put an end to the lack of integration by providing the power of multiple software systems in one (estimating, accounting, job tracking, customer management, etc.). No company is happy about losing customers due to late quotes or losing money because parts are omitted from estimates and orders. When owners understand the amount of time and money a different method can save them, the switch to powerful software like Cyrious is simple. Is it time for you to explore different methods to increase sales & profits, and make your business more manageable?

For More Information on Cyrious Software go to http://www.cyrious.net , call 1-800-552-1418 , or email info@cyrious.net

About The Author

Danny Tangredi, Cyrious Software " Your Estimating, Business Management & Job Tracking Software Solution "dtangredi@cyrious.net

This article was posted on September 16, 2004some content courtesy ArticleCity.com

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