Small
Signs of Optimism in Latest
Business Index
The responses
for the first quarter PGAMA
Business Index suggest we are still in the midst
of a significant slowdown with 84% of respondents saying business conditions
are slow or bad. That’s
in the same ballpark as last quarter, when 82% respondents reported similar
conditions. There is a saving grace of this situation, however,
and that lies in the expanded pool of talent for printers that are hiring.
The slow growth in employment makes this an opportune time to upgrade your
workforce, and as reported in last
week's eNews, there are incentives in the form of tax breaks for businesses
that do take on new employees through the HIRE Act. Printing
Industries of America Economist Ron Davis also makes the point that “...the
improved attitude and flexibility of current employees allows a once-in-a-lifetime
chance to cross train and change work rules.”
There are small
signs of optimism among the membership, such as the 13% of companies who
do plan to hire in the second quarter, and the members who note "modest improvement
to businesses over the last quarter, and a more positive outlook to the
general economy.” Another added, “We're
seeing improvements in both traditional and online sales over prior months,"
and one member stated that "the majority of our new business is coming in
through the efforts of our website.” Stay tuned for members'
outlook on the second quarter, coming to an Association publication soon!
The complete PGAMA Quarterly
Business Index report is available exclusively to participants. The survey
is conducted among current active and associate members of the Printing and
Graphics Association Mid Atlantic as a means to assess current economic conditions
and opinions on issues of importance and value to the industry. The
second quarter report will be sent to participants later this week, with
a brief summary shared with the entire membership in an upcoming Association
newsletter.
OSHA
Announces 'Get Tough' Policy for Industry
OSHA
has announced a new "get-tough" policy for companies considered
high hazard and repeat offenders, which includes businesses in the printing
industry. Printers have already been targeted by OSHA for amputations and
combustible dust, with inspections and activities up nearly 60 percent from
a year ago. The new policy means that targeting will continue, and among
the changes to expect are a further increase in the number of inspections;
a boost in the average penalty for each 'serious' violation up to $4,000;
and a reduced ability to negotiate lower penalties.
In order to help members prepare for OSHA's
scrutiny, the Printing Industries of America EHS team has developed an OSHA
Compliance page on their website. Please be sure to utilize this
resource whether or not your firm has previously been cited. Members can
also contact Rick Hartwig in the
event of a citation, at 800-910-4283 (ext 792).
Lawmakers
Call for Open Commission Meetings
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility
and Reform is being asked by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to
assure all of the panel’s
meetings be open for Internet streaming and C-SPAN coverage.
Three working groups have set their agendas focusing on specific policy
areas; discretionary spending, mandatory spending, and taxes. Typically,
the working groups report at the monthly meetings of the full 18-member commission.
The panel’s executive director Bruce Reed told the Huffington Post
that the “goal of the working group meetings is to give members of
the commission a chance to ask questions and learn things and not have to
make formal statements.”
Democrats led by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) sent a letter April 28 to the
commission’s co-chairs – former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY) and
former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles – requesting that
the commission open all of its meetings, “including planning meetings,
working meetings, drafting sessions, public meetings, and all other sessions
where commission work is performed or planned.” Republicans have also
called for transparency as the commission considers recommendations that
balance the budget by 2015. The panel, which consists of 10 Democrats and
eight Republicans, will need 14 of 18 members to agree on recommendations,
which then must be reported to Congress by Dec. 1, 2010. The next full commission
meeting has been scheduled for May 26.
5
Free Apps for Your Business
Sometimes you need
to pay for a commercial product when what it does is better
than anything you can get for free. But there are a lot of
free options out there which are just as good as what you
can get by pulling out your credit card. Here are 5 recommended
by the experts at bnet.com:
1. Microsoft Security Essentials. Security
Essentials is hands down the best value in malware protection
that money cannot buy. Bottom line: If you are paying actual
money for anti-virus protection, you’re probably a sucker.
2. Open ClipArt
Library. You can never have
too much money or clipart. This expansive
clip art collection is all public domain content shared via
a Creative Commons license.
3. OpenOffice. If you
have an old copy of Microsoft Office,
a switch to
OpenOffice is a free way to upgrade. There are apps which
match most of the functionality found in Office, and you
should have no trouble reading old Office documents as you
make the transition.
4. EasyProjects.NET. If
you need to build detailed project plans and production schedules,
EasyProjects.NET give you time and
billing, message boards for cross-team collaboration, file
attachments, reporting tools, and an elegant, interactive
Gantt chart that compares favorably with Microsoft Project..
5. FoxIt Reader. FoxIt
Reader is a PDF reader that's faster and
smaller than Adobe, and even more versatile. The best part?
When you double click a PDF, it opens very nearly instantly.
This article excerpted from "5 Great Free
Programs for Your Small Business" by Dave Johnson first published
on bnet. com, May 6, 2010.
What's
Your VDP Love Story?
Whether you're new to Variable Data Printing
(VDP) or experienced with how it can bring a new level
of value to clients (and thus benefit your business!),
Printing Industries of America has a training program
for you. Coming this June--two variable data
workshops that can give you a solid strategy for VDP at your
company:
New to VDP?
Then VDP Boot Camp is right for you.
Build on your VDP relationship today by visiting www.printing.org/vdpbootcamp.
Already Working
with VDP?
Then Total Immersion: VDP is the program
for you. Keep the VDP love alive by visiting www.printing.org/vdpimmersion.
Say
Thanks to Shipping/Receiving Personnel Next
Week
Satisfied workers who feel valued by their
employers work harder at their jobs. That not only means
better business for you, it also help you avoid the cost
of recruiting and retraining new workers. Recognizing
your staff with a Certificate of Achievement is a low-cost
way to boost morale, and since May 16-22
is Shipping/Receiving/Drivers Week, why
not make use of this industry recognition program to salute
the good work your staff does? You can create your
own informal thank you celebration, or you may want to take
advantage of the pre-made awards available through the Employee
Recognition Program (ERP) of Printing Industries
of America. Through their ERP, you can purchase Certificate
of Achievement for Production employees, Administrative staff,
and
Management; as well as Length of Service Certificates for
important milestones such as 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 years. For
more information please contact the ERP staff at ERP@printing.org or call 202-730-7968.
Member
News & Activities
Brendan Connors, co-owner of MOSAIC, is
quoted in the May issue of the
magazine from Printing Industries
of America. The article featuring Brendan's insights is "Printing
Faces Cybercrime" which begins on page 10.
Oles Envelope Corp. has
been purchased by Double Envelope of Roanoke, VA. Oles
will continue to operate in Baltimore, and will retain most
employees.
Upcoming
Events
| May 14 |
NEW
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE!
PAY
$135 PER GOLFER BEFORE MAY 14 OR $150 PER GOLFER
AFTER. |
May 16-19
Baltimore Show! |
2010
PIFE Spring Conference, Baltimore
Hilton, Baltimore, Maryland. Come meet and
network with other finance professionals, plus
find out about the latest technologies and
keys to profitability to help successfully
manage your company’s
finance and administration functions. PIFE
meetings provide continuing education credits.
Learn more at http://www.printing.org/event-calendar/5642. |
May 17-19
Baltimore Show! |
2010
Offset & Beyond,
Baltimore
Hilton, Baltimore, Maryland. Attend
to get the resources, tools, and connections
you need to succeed. Offset & Beyond
offers topics that cover business opportunities
and trends, comprehensive technology, production,
digital, sales, marketing, and financial sessions
via leadership, operations, and production
tracks. Learn more at http://www.printing.org/offsetandbeyond
**SPECIAL RATE AVAILABLE FOR PGAMA
MEMBERS** |
May 17-19
Baltimore Show! |
2010
BIA Mid Management Conference, Baltimore
Hilton, Baltimore, Maryland. The BIA Mid-Management
Conference brings together mid-managers from
trade binderies, graphic finishing, information
packaging, custom loose-leaf manufacturing,
and the suppliers to those industries. Be prepared
for a blitz of information, new products and
ideas, as well as unparalleled networking with
your peers from around the world. Plant tours
featuring PGAMA members, too! Learn more at http://www.printing.org/event-calendar/5946. |
| May 18 |
FREE Webinar:
Direct Mail Dynamics, 11:00am-Noon. If
you've been stuck on direct mail autopilot, take back
the creative controls with this FREE Webinar presented
by PaperSpecs. See some of the most innovative and creative
direct mail ideas on the planet, plus:
*Learn the
rules that will prevent the most common and expensive
direct mail mistakes
*Explore the world of proprietary folding styles
*See how the right paper choice can turn a campaign
from flop to pop
*And more!
To register, go to www.paperspecs.com/webinar. |
| May 19- June 23 |
CSR Training Webinar
Series (Part 1), Noon-1:00pm. Tune in to
one or all six broadcasts of Sid Chadwick's CSR Webinar
Series. Part 1 focuses on Foundations
for Managing Information and Perceived Customer Value,
and will address:
*The changing roles of CSR’s with production,
account executives, and customers
*Importance of the
customer profile
*Communication tools, and how to more effectively
use them to create customer preference, improved
sales rep productivity, and
improved productivity of the production team
*How to use prepress to create
stronger customer loyalty
Cost is $75 for individual
sessions or $400 for the complete series. All
you need to participate is a phone and a computer with
Internet connection! Register with PGAMA by
May 17, 410-319-0900/877-319-0906 or www.pgama.com. |
May 24-26
Baltimore Show!
|
PSDA
Print Solutions Conference & Expo, Baltimore
Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland. The
Print Solutions Conference & Expo is the
only national trade show focused on supporting
printing professionals who buy print and print
services for resale or distribution to an end-user
customer. In the mix of large trade shows held
throughout the year, this is the only show
targeting this specific niche of printing professionals.
The Print Solutions Conference & Expo
is for anyone directly responsible for buying
or influencing the buying of print. EXCLUSIVE
MEMBER BENEFIT: FREE HALL PASS ($65 VALUE)!! Learn
more and register to attend at http://ops.psda.org/Meetings/DMIAIndividRegV3/Search.aspx?ecd=IN10PG |
| May 26 |
FREE Webinar:
Restructuring the Balance Sheet, 10:30-11:30am.
PGAMA member MargolisBecker is sponsoring this event,
which is geared to owners and financial executives.
Get help with financial decision-making
and cashflow management in
this broadcast. Topics to be covered include:
· Restructuring Debt
· Getting
a handle on credit and collections
· Controlling
Inventory
· Managing Accounts Payable
· Cash
Forecasting
Guest speakers are Jim Russell
and Tom Williams of New Direction Partners. Call the
PGAMA office to register, 410-319-0900 or email Debbie@pgama.com.
Questions about webinar content? Contact Bonnie Pfaff
at 888-577-1717. x 110 or bpfaff@margolisbecker.com |
| June 1-3 |
Introduction
to Printing, PGAMA
Boardroom. Give your new-to-the
industry employees an understanding of
how the entire printing process works--from
start to finish. Great for CSRs, Sales, Management
& more! Course schedule is Tues: 8:30am
- 4:30pm; Wed: AM field trip/PM class; Thurs:
8:30am-Noon. Cost
is $295.00/person for members/$495.00/person
for non-members. Fee includes all instructional
materials, lunch every day, & transportation
for field trip. To register contact Debbie at
PGAMA, 410-319-0900/877-319-0906 or online
at www.pgama.com.
**REGISTRATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY
MAY 24. |
June 14
|
PGAMA's
5th Annual Golf Outing, at Crofton
Country Club in Crofton,
Maryland. PGAMA’s annual golf outing
is the perfect place to make contacts with
fellow members and other professionals. There’s
also excellent food, awards, and cash prizes*
so recruit a foursome, polish your swing, and
prepare for a challenging game on this Arnold
Palmer course. *Prizes are given for Longest
Drive, Closest to Pin, Hole in One, and Putting.
Register by May 14 and pay $135 per
person for golf, breakfast & lunch. After
5/14 pay $150 per person. (Lunch/awards only
is $45 per person.) To Register: Call the office,
410-319-0900/877-319-0906. Sponsors
Welcome! Call PGAMA for more info, 410-319-0900. |
|
