9: Turnkey + Turnaround = Trust

I hear it all the time. “I’ve got this local printer,” or “I’d like to keep my printing local.” Sometimes, it’s a harmless question: “Could you let my local guy quote this next job?”

I like supporting local entrepreneurs, too—when they’re the best fit for my situation. The village centricity model fades almost daily in our culture with dwindling borders—a commercial environment where we buy office supplies from faceless web sites, where our restaurants are mostly franchises, where so much of our income travels to Bentonville, Arkansas.

I find irony in the request, knowing my clients use an out-of-state design firm. Many also contract auctions in places out of county or out of state—wooing business away from that localities’ local auctioneers, REALTORS®, or dealers.

But, unlike the rest of the advertising agency industry, BiPlane doesn’t mark up its printing; I get a commission only on printing other designers use on my recommendation. So, I oblige my valuable clients their local print shops. I’m in business for BiPlane, after all—not my printers.

My two printers have earned my business multiple times over. If they’ve not had a chance to do the same for you, I’d challenge you to find a better one-two combination—let alone one in your local business district.

Shearer Printing & Office Solutions
I’ve printed literally millions of sheets of paper with this firm. They run at the cutting edge of printing—in the first 100 in the nation to run a digital press, the very first in the nation to implement prepress software for digital and conventional presses. Their print products range from business cards to books, high speed copying to indoor/outdoor signs.

They’ve turned complete direct mail [emergency] projects in as few as 5 hours. From the time they receive my files to the time the pieces arrive at the post office averages between 48 and 72 hours. Printing, folding, list certification, barcode addressing, and mailing happen in the same building—and arrive on the same invoice.

Everybody in the workflow has a keen eye, often catching mistakes that passed the inspection of me and my clients. They know auctions and their red line deadlines. Shearer’s printed for dozens of auction firms and thousands of auctions. Almost 25% of the 2007 NAA awards for direct mail were printed in their Kokomo, IN, shop.

Auction budget keepers don’t have time for quotes and re-quotes. Shearer provides me with a pricing grid, so that I don’t have to call for an estimate on each job. The Shearer staff is always looking for cost efficiencies. This past year, they’ve found ways to cut 30% off catalog printing by changing the paper orientation and almost 50% off catalog postage. Their postal software has saved as much as $.17 a piece for first class mail. With BiPlane’s volume, my clients get preferred pricing and scheduling priority—and a choice of direct billing or invoicing through BiPlane.

expresscopy.com
These guys in Portland, OR, make quick printing look like art. In fact, I’ve won a national award in a brochure category with a postcard printed by this firm. Their competitive pricing (to local copy shops, let alone print shops) includes UV or laminate coating and overnight delivery.

Turnaround? How ’bout 48 hours—like clockwork. The expresscopy staff proves conscientious with mailing issues, and their customer service over the telephone makes you feel like family. Like Shearer, they certify mailing lists and save significant postage.

Their product line is limited to 4-page brochures and smaller; but at the quantities in their wheelhouse and for the typical auction direct mail campaign, that’s never an issue. Their online technology makes reprints cost-effective and time-efficient. They can also handle your mailing list acquisition, too.

I can work with most local printers—and do for some of my clients. But when the call and/or cost is mine, the choice is Shearer and expresscopy.
[tip]

I’ve discussed at length with different friends the values of small churches versus big churches. I grew up in churches of 50-200 attendees, went to college church with an assembly of over 5,000, and now work in a body of approximately 2,000.

The conflict presents that most small churches feel like family but lack a range of ministries for different ages and needs; and most big churches lack a personal touch or accountability. Both can be safe; both can be uncomfortable.

Like my printing, where I’ve found relatively large shops that function as small ones, I’ve now found a happy-medium church.

Our pastor’s directive pushes the church to be growing smaller as it grows larger. You accomplish this by building mass through smaller groups. We have medium group functions (15-300), small group environments (6-15), and even micro group meetings (2-5). It’s an atomic structure that allows your church to function at any size, if it’s built on the pods and sub pods. The church can react quickly to personal needs (both physical and spiritual), when that person is plugged into the network through an intimate, family setting.

This setup requires a secure pastor(s), multiple levels of leadership training & networking, and a lot of prayer. But hitting on all cylinders, this church model attracts both kinds of church seekers and has the potential to massively impact the Kingdom.