Mar 25, 2008
Just Starting Out in TransPromo? SMB isn’t Just for SMB Any More!
More and more companies are looking to get their foot in the transpromo door. For those just starting out one of the primary questions is, “How can I get started in transpromo without breaking the bank?”
This question used to be asked primarily by companies in the SMB (small to medium business) category but it now is a concern of even the world’s largest enterprises. The ROI is very evident across a variety of industries and applications so people are getting serious about the requisite software and hardware.
Print service bureaus can offer promotional messaging on their customer’s existing transactional documents as a method of increasing their customer’s profits and thereby the service bureau’s value proposition. The net? The printer’s customers are less likely to change print vendors.
In-house print services can look to offer the same benefits to their company and an SMB product provides easy entry into the transpromo arena even to the largest company. Larger companies are typically using SMB as a solution to a smaller defined business process. This type of implementation (smaller and more focused) can prove ROI faster making it much easier to rollout variable data printing to additional locations or business units. Track the ROI and then expand the software and related services to bring value to more areas within the company.
Here are the major benefits of an SMB product --- offerings that make it easy to get in the “transpromo door”.
- SMB price points
Transpromo-capable software products priced and configured specifically for this market.
- Printer optimization
Time is money and the printreams that drive these devices are optimized for best results.
- Web-based training
Online courses offset travel costs and keep designers in the office so they can be available during business hours. (did I just use the word “offset”?)
- Quick start templates
Take advantage of the vendor’s design services or template libraries to seed your transpromo library as well as other document designs.
- SMB customer support
You don’t have to have a fleet of printers driving b’zillions of pages for us to take your call! We’re here to help and offer support services inline with your specific goals.
Cary Sherburne from WhatTheyThink.com has addressed this issue in a post-OnDemand article titled Red States/Blue States: Where is the Convergence? In the article Ms Sherburne sites software and hardware configurations that can get you in the door for around $50,000. Ms Sherburne further notes that leasing can reduce the monthly cost even more. In short, tell your vendors what will work for you. We all want you to be successful.
The door is wide open!