Category: The innovation blog

Making sense of the blogosphere

For smaller businesses – a term which describes most wide-format printing companies – the internet and social media can seem a tedious drain on time and budgets. The Internet seems to offer unlimited opportunity to make your voice – and company – known. Yet with millions of companies all trying to achieve that goal, how do you stand out?

The trouble with cloning

Printers dissatisfied with their own website – and let’s face it, if you’re not, you ought to be – may be tempted to just copy one they like. Some call this plagiarism, others say it’s just learning from best practice. Yet web usability guru Jakob Nielsen (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/copy-big-sites.html) says whatever you call it, you shouldn’t do it.

Don’t copy, just be inspired

Nielsen’s warnings should not stop you learning from what other companies are doing online. The Chicago large format printer Benchmark Imaging and Display has a simple page on its site called The Idea Gallery (http://www.benchmarkimaging.com/Gallery/index.php?option=com_joomgallery&func=viewcategory&catid=1&Itemid=61 ) which does pretty much what the name suggests. The work is simply presented, the notes accompanying each idea/application are succinct and relevant, and the cumulative effect is pretty impressive.

Green doorWith the UK’s central government departments looking to reduce their CO2 emissions by 10% this year, printers may feel the need to join a network like ProcServe which has just gone into partnership with Planet...

Job creation schemeRita McGrath, professor of business studies at Columbia Business School, has identified one essential role at innovative companies: “Resource scavenger”. McGrath didn’t invent this idea, the great Tom Peters...