Does the expression “if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind” resonate with you? Or are you more ambitious and want more for your business than merely keeping up with the status quo? Would you rather your business was streaking ahead; growing revenue, employing more staff, conquering new markets with new products? Or does that sound exhausting…even daunting?

As a minimum, let’s assume you’re keen to simply stay afloat, keep paying the bills and continue to satisfy your happy customer base, as you always have. 

To maintain even that ‘balanced’ position, you need to keep up with your competitors and stay on top of market trends, which requires you to keep tabs on what’s going on around you and understand where your business is at. Essentially you need to continue growing your business just to maintain your position, because everything and everyone around you is constantly evolving and moving forward so ‘if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind’ – relatively speaking.

_{Start by understanding your business position}

This article is intended to serve as a guide to help you keep your business growing; it’s up to you and how hard you push, to accelerate that rate of growth or simply keep up with your competition.

Start by understanding your objectives

First ask yourself:

• Are you looking to grow your revenue and/or your profit for intrinsic reasons?
• Or is it being forced on you? For example, are orders overwhelming you or did you just win a big contract? 
• Is your equipment outdated/ requires constant maintenance/ is it over-worked/ underutilised/ unsuitable for what you want to produce, etc.?
• Is it your desire to grow by expanding into new markets?
• Or are you focused on doing more business in your current markets?

Based on your answer to these questions, your next step is to look at your business’ situation.

Assess your position

Ask yourself: Is it possible to do better with the equipment/people/processes you’ve currently got? Or is everything exactly as you need it? 

We recommend a simple ‘audit’ of your printing operations along the following lines.

Equipment

What do you have/use now? Brand/model, etc?

Form your ideas on its strengths/weaknesses? 

People

Another area to look at through your simple ‘audit’ is skills and training. Do you/your operators have the right skills and know-how to operate your business’ equipment and software? Could you/they benefit from more training? 

Perhaps tap into the up-skilling options readily available to you through:  

• Your Dealer’s training – many national dealers offer their own training programs on Roland DG equipment and the applications you can produce. Visit your Dealer’s website to see what’s available.
• RolandClinic – offered through Roland DG Care, RolandClinic sessions give you the opportunity to book a free one-on-one consultation with our Roland DG technical and product specialists. You can bring along materials, tools, files and any questions or issues you have that our experienced staff may assist you with. Register here.
• Roland Academy – we offer a number of online training courses to help our customers increase their efficiency and productivity covering topics from basic VersaWorks 6 training, cutting, colour management and profiles to UV and desktop printing. For information or to book a session visit.

Device & Ink Management

This area of your simple ‘audit’ looks at how you’re currently using your equipment. 

• Do you have the latest RIP software for your machine? Could you upgrade your RIP software to maximise the power of your printer or printer cutter? For example, VersaWorks 6 RIP supports 64-bit native processing, an updated user interface for increased visibility and ease of use, a new printer colour matching function and much more.
• Are you storing your inks correctly and shaking them according to standard guidelines ie. vigorous, daily shaking for Eco-Solvent and Eco-UV White inks, weekly for TR2 inks?
• Are you using Roland DG Connect which allows 24-hour remote monitoring to give you a detailed understanding of your entire print operation? Choose from 3 Plans to fit your business and budget. 
• Are you experiencing any issues?
• Downtime for maintenance? 
• Clunky processes? 
• Wastage? 
• Could you save time at any stage?

Research

Depending on what you uncover from your simple ‘audit’ the next step is to conduct your own research using the Roland DG website product and application pages, speak to your Dealer or submit an enquiry to have a Roland DG sales representative contact you to discuss your needs. And budget.

Here we’re suggesting you look at what else might help improve your operations? Based on:

• Technology and equipment available to improve workflow. For example, an integrated printer cutter may reduce manual intervention in print and cut jobs, while a cutter may free up your printer. 
• Technological improvements available, for example the BN2 series of desktop inkjet printer cutters offers 4 times faster print speeds than previous models
• Process improvements for example through faster drying time (consider the TrueVIS AP640 resin printer that uses quick-drying, scratch-resistant, vibrant resin inks
• Engendering more reliable operations through software upgrades, regular scheduled service maintenance or better ink management
• Improving your time and production management through clever device monitoring with apps like Roland DG Connect

If your objective is to boldly grow your business, you’ll also need to look beyond your operations.

Helpful sources for market and industry trends include your Dealer, your Roland DG Sales Representative and/or industry bodies including Visual Connections, the PIAA (Printing Industries Association of Australia), Visual Impact and the PVCA (Print & Visual Communications Association), etc.

Look both in Australia and overseas for inspiration and industry trends to increase sales. A great example of a current trend is the move towards product personalisation, especially mass-customisation (ie. Using flexible computer-aided systems that combine low-unit cost mass production processes, with the flexibility of individual customisation in print and customised production). 

For inspiration on what’s possible to diversify your product/service offering, visit the Applications section of our website. Consider new types of labels and packaging, product and garment personalisation, small print run customisation, stickers, different types of signage etc. Or visit one of our Roland DG Creative Centres where we demonstrate a range of wonderfully inspirational things you can create with a Roland DG device.

Also consider ramping up your advertising and social media presence or tendering for work your business could extend to produce.

Next steps

By this stage of your ‘audit’, you’ve assessed your internal situation, and looked at what’s possible to create in the marketplace. The final gap to bridge, is determining if the features and capability of your current set-up can deliver what you’re looking for?

When researching equipment options, look for these are the sorts of things when choosing the right printer for your needs:

• What you will be printing ie. Your printing requirements eg. Photography, fine art, vinyl banners, indoor signage, vehicle stickers, textiles and apparel, wall coverings, personalised items?
• Print material and the respective ink to use on that material
• Required print speed to meet your expected workload
• Functional space available to house any new equipment
• Operator skills and availability
• Budget for equipment and material
• Develop your pricing strategy for the new products/service
• Look at Finance options eg. Roland DG Rental which allows you to purchase Roland DG equipment without the upfront investment

_{Ultimately you should be looking for the best return on your investment}

Then… go for it…

If you need to acquire new equipment, start strong by using Roland DG Engage to install any new devices you invest in, and register your new product to take advantage of our industry leading support program - Roland DG Care including our warranty support and Fixed Price Scheduled Servicing.

It’s essential to train yourself and/or your staff to use your new equipment, leveraging either your Dealer’s training courses, Roland DG Academy &/or RolandClinic programs to ensure you get the most out of your machine.

Following these guidelines should put you in the best position to enjoy smooth operations from then on and solid business growth for the future.