When would you take on the services of a Print Broker?
If you run a small business, I don’t need to tell you that every minute you and/or your staff spend buying printing is time you could have spent working on strategy, or customer service, or some other significant business function.
You don’t have the time to expend with printing salespeople. You don’t have the time to investigate print production or electronic procurement.
That is where a Print Broker can help!
It is their job to find the right suppliers to produce your work in the most timely and capable manner possible; and then oversee those suppliers to make sure your job is delivered as ordered — all for less than what it would cost you to do it yourself. Visualize that!
Wouldn’t it be nice to have one resource that offers a wide range of printed products so you could focus on other aspects of your work? The right broker can help by offering various printing services to suit your needs while eliminating the inefficiencies of dealing with numerous vendors.
So, how do you select the proper broker?
It should be a person that has been around the industry for a extended time. Choose someone who knows the printing and graphics business inside and out and is well connected in all areas of the Graphic Arts.
These days it is simply not enough to just know one particular area of the industry as the line between each area becomes fuzzier with each passing day. Digital, Litho, Screen, Inkjet, Large Format, Fabric, Large Run, Small Run-what’s the unsurpassed way to go?
An knowledgeable Print Broker will:
1) Sit down with the client and properly assess the specs of the project at hand.
2) Determine which process method of production will best fit the customer’s needs
re: timing, budget, material etc.
3) Source the job through his network of first rate suppliers (a good broker will be
well associated to a number of good suppliers in each of the areas mentioned
above).
4) Present a wide range of different alternatives to the client so they can make the
right production decision best for them.
5) Become the Project Manager and take possession of the project, keeping the
client updated every step of the way. Only when the job is completed to the
approval of the client is the broker’s job finished.
The best Print Brokers are expert negotiators who can bring a great deal of business to a good supplier. Suppliers also like the fact they are dealing with an experienced Print Broker they don’t have to manage the project and the client. Because of these factors, a good broker is usually able to negotiate better pricing for the client.
These are just a few reasons why it just might be in your best interests to enlist the service of a Print Broker for you next graphics project.