Archive for July, 2009

Businesses Must Innovate or Perish

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

We had an open house recently for the members in our Sonoma County Executives business networking and referral group. We had been planning it for weeks and everyone got involved in the preparations. It was sort of like having the entire family over to your house for a holiday meal, only in July.

The weather cooperated beautifully, as the day before the temperature was in the 90′s, but on this evening it was a beautiful summer day with the cooling breeze coming from the ocean and our large roll up doors open, bringing in plenty of fresh air.

Letterpress printing demonstration at Ajalon Printing

We had explanations of offset printing, digital printing and letterpress printing. During the letterpress demonstration, I was explaining how we are using presses that were built 40 or more years ago, based on the printing practices that were hundreds of years old. While the printing practices are old, we’ve adopted modern plastics technology to make photopolymer plates instead of using the traditional lead type.

Afterward, one of our guests pointed out how it was ironic that the computer and modern imaging practices had impacted the printing industry so much, and yet it was the internet and our website that was making it possible for us to be printing letterpress wedding invitations for clients all over the world.

I was struck by this observation and realized that, yes we are given new opportunities in today’s business climate to be versatile and innovative. My son, home from college, is fond of reminding me that every business must innovate or perish. Certainly here at Ajalon we have been reinventing ourselves and approaching situations with new eyes.

We are always on the lookout to find new ways to make business cards more economically, to save our clients money. We try to stay on top of the changes in the printing industry so that we can use the latest proven technology to meet our client’s needs in this ever speeding up world.

We try to stay on the leading edge of innovation. This allows us to utilize processes that benefit our clients, but does not find us chasing after the latest unproven idea.

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Read Your Junk Mail

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

One great way to keep up with what works—and what doesn’t work—in marketing today is to read your junk mail.

Both at home and in the office, you most likely get scores of direct mail a month. Pick up each piece and give it a one-minute evaluation. Does it capture your attention? Does it interest you? Would you consider purchasing this product? Looking into it further? Does it inspire you to take action?

You were targeted, rightly or wrongly, to get all the direct mail you get.

By evaluating its effectiveness on YOU, you’ll develop a keen understanding of what makes a successful campaign…and what doesn’t.

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What is Service?

Monday, July 27th, 2009

One of our local building supply stores had this headline in a full page ad in the paper. It led me to reflect on what service is at Ajalon Printing & Design.

First, service is having a comprehensive inventory. This is true. You can’t deliver what you don’t have. Our access to paper, be it tree free, recycled, FSC certified, or the many specialty pages that we have available to us, means that we can provide the paper that our clients want.

Service is a staff that can answer your questions. One of the guiding values in dealing with all people, over the 60 years we have been printing for businesses in Sonoma County, is to answer their questions directly and openly, guiding them to their best choices.

Three of our staff members have over 20 years experience in the graphic arts industry each. Our experience is hard won and freely offered.

Service is being open for business. When you call Ajalon Printing, a person answers the phone and you are not sent into a phone tree jungle of “push this button if.” We don’t hide behind technology, but use it to better serve our customer.

Service is delivery. On time and when you need it. We always endeavor to meet your needs for delivery time. We have access to the means to give you what you want when you want, at a price that pleases you.

Service is having comprehensive abilities. If you need graphic design, marketing consultation, mailing services or just want to bounce your ideas off a receptive ear, we can do it. We also print, fold, score, die cut, foil stamp, emboss, mail, address, and print variable data on just about any project you have in mind.

Service is service after the sale. Ajalon is not going away. We have been here over 60 years and have always stood with the business community of Sonoma County, helping grow and strengthen individuals and corporations.

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A Quick Check for Your Website

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Here are some common web design mistakes that can drive visitors away:

  • Overwhelming graphics & flashy banners – if your visitors are distracted or confused by excessive images, they may close your page before for they find the information they need.
  • Too many links going to too many different places – make sure you lay out your site navigation in a logical and consistent manner.
  • Lengthy, pointless flash presentations – generally, visitors don’t want to sit through 2 minutes (or 20 seconds) of pretentious flash animation and background music in order to check your open hours, view your services or place an order. If you do include flash animations, make sure you offer a link to skip or bypass them.
  • An entire home page devoted to your corporate mission statement or something else without a reader benefit
  • Lack of relevant information
  • No call to action

Give your business’s Web site a quick check. If you’ve got any of these mistakes, get rid of them ASAP!

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5 Ways to Cut Your Printing Costs

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Are your printing expenses too high? Maybe you’re spending more than you have to. Consider these printing money-guzzlers:

1. Two-Color Offset Printing. Yes, multi-color offset printing offers great image quality, but digital printing can produce excellent full-color results faster and more economically.

2. Better paper. A small downgrade in paper quality can mean huge savings over the year, whether it’s for newsletters or business stationery. Most customers will not notice any difference. Ask your printer for advice. Some will offer better deals on paper they regularly stock, so be open to considering something a little different.

3. Corrections. These should be made before the printer gets to look at the job, not after. Catching a mistake on the printers’ proof is costly. Finding it after it’s been published is even worse. Have someone who is completely unfamiliar with the project do the final proofreading.

4. Rush jobs. Plan ahead to avoid last-minute rush charges.

5. Printing small quantities. The more you print, the less expensive it is. Consider “frames” for newsletters, print more letterhead at a cheaper price, and when you have a good brochure, print lots of it. If you need business cards for multiple employees, try to group them into a single order. By You’ll save money versus placing multiple orders a few days or weeks apart.

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7 Marketing Steps You Can Take During the Slow Season

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Traditionally, things slow down in the summer for all marketers. Rather than sit back and wait for the fall, however, here seven things you can do to take advantage of the slower pace of the summer months and come out ahead of the game.

  1. Polish your marketing plan and review your marketing calendar. Are you on target? If you haven’t written one yet, get started now.
  2. You can get cheaper advertising rates and take advantage of many promotions being offered to you from other businesses. Stock up on promotional giveaway items like pens and tee shirts, and get advertising rates, which may be lower now, from your local media.
  3. Start a “Swipe” file. You may find you have more time now to clip ideas, ads and promotions you like and keep them in a 3-ring binder you can refer to when you need new creative ideas.
  4. Try writing a press release and sending it to your local papers. Make it interesting and place a follow-up call.
  5. Evaluate and develop your newsletter. Have five objective outsiders review your newsletter and give you their comments.
  6. Review your current promotional materials. Do they need a new look?
  7. Develop your Web site and a plan to promote it.

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Today’s Printer is Versatile

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

I love paper, I love words, their meanings and etymology and design.  Is it any wonder that I love printing?

I recently came across a word that describes well the printing industry today.  It is versatile.  It’s first meaning is having an aptitude for various tasks or occupations; many sided.  It comes from the Latin word vertere, to turn.

Today’s printer has to be versatile.  Yesterday’s printer could often work alone, doing all the operations necessary, such as writing, setting type and printing.

The modern print shop is anything but simple.  At Ajalon we have over 10 devices to put images onto paper.  Each with its own requirements.  And we have six computers involved in producing the words and images that are to be printed  on those machines.

All this leads to an environment that demands today’s print shop to be staffed by well trained, versatile people.

Ajalon Printing in 1963

Ajalon has been printing in Sonoma County for over 50 years.  During that time much has changed, including the needs of our clients. We pride ourselve on being versatile and innovative in anticipating the needs of our clients, while providing a trusted and reliable source for all their printing needs.

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