PEiR Makes A Resolution For The New Year...

By Shaun Meany
The PEiR Group

It has been some year, hasn’t it? Peaks and valleys, twists and turns, and crocodiles waiting at every bend in the river for someone to make that one, critical misstep!

Many of you are actively looking for ways to reduce your costs in order to meet next year’s expected revenues and profits. This is a necessary exercise that every business owner (manager) needs to do if she/he hopes to survive. However, it is extremely important that you evaluate each area of cuts and to be sure that the cuts you make do not jeopardize your opportunities for the future; when the economy begins to climb out from the bottom of the economic cycle.

One obvious case in point where making cuts might actually backfire is your investment in technologies. More often than not investments in proven technologies can actually help you reduce costs and at the same time create opportunities for generating new revenues. An example of these technologies might be new printers like the KIP 80 or Océ Arizona 350 GT or the Colorwave 600. Another proven technology investment that can cut costs and grow revenues would be a web based document management solution – like PlanWell.

But technology is not the only area where prudent investments will turn to benefits in these challenging economic times. Take your investment in the PEiR Group. Every member has access to a host of valuable resources to help them manage their business for maximum profitability. Our vendor programs (over 44 vendors) are here to help you reduce costs in new equipment, supplies, freight and other reprographics items.

Our growing “best practices” library has information on how to charge for digital services, strategies for managing your business in a recession, how to sell digital services, develop an FM strategy, HR and Employee Benefits services, safety programs, and more. Of course, you have to participate and use these services. But if you do, you will actually cuts costs and, at the same time, keep up with the trends and practices that your peers are using to gain market share, and revenues, and ultimately reasonable profits – even in an economy like this one.

The PEiR Group is committed to helping our members succeed in the both the best and in the worst of times! A new service we began offering in 2008 was our one-on-one coaching. This personalized program allows you to work directly with our staff to discuss your particular company’s needs. Whether it is PlanWell training, Finance, HR, Sales training, Sales and Marketing strategies we will work to transfer our best practices to your company and its employees. Many of our members have already been the recipients of this new service – and it is paying off.

Think about it. Wouldn’t you think your architects, engineers and contractors are looking for ways to reduce costs and to do things more efficiently and effectively? Don’t you think they are looking at reprographic costs? Don’t you think they are trying to look at ways to reduce those expenses? I can assure you they are.

So what can you do now to position your company for the new environment that we can expect to unfold in the near future?

Your customers need to be reminded of the services you offer. They need to be shown the advantages of proven technologies and how these technologies can be applied to lower operating costs and at the same time offer opportunities to grow revenues and profits.

As the new year approaches and the crocodiles appear to be getting nastier – and hungrier – allow me to offer this personal commitment to all of our member in 2009: The PEiR Group promises to bring all of the considerable resources we have to offer to help its members meet the challenges of this new economy head-on, and to show you strategies that will not only help you survive but to actually thrive.

That’s my promise. My resolution for the New Year.

By the time we’re done with them those crocodiles will be running for cover, we’ll be stronger for coming through tough times together, and we’ll all be able to look at the future squarely in the eye and say: “We’re ready for you.”


With best wishes for 2009,


Shaun