July is a special month for many small business owners. It is Independent Retailer Month, which means that small business owners in the retail segment are highlighted. It is a great month to think about your business, and how you can enhance your own business by working with a local printer on your next campaign. Here are some advantages you may find when you use a local printer rather than outsourcing to a national printer out of state.
Why Independent Retailers? Why Shop Local?
Small business owners who sell items are often called independent retailers. These amazing retailers are not focusing on a national brand. Instead, they are focused on creating their own brand. For example, a local florist is not affiliated with a national flower chain. They create and market their own designs. They handle their own advertising, signage, and special buys. Small business owners work hard at crafting ad campaigns and marketing strategies geared towards the local market. Many people, especially during the recent pandemic, found that by staying local, and shopping in small retailers, they received personal service they could not get buying from a national box store.
Using A Local Printer Has a Lot of Advantages
If you go with a local printer, you will not only be helping another small business, but you’ll also be helping your own business as well. One of the biggest advantages you will find when you use a small printer is face to face communication. It never hurts to be able to meet a local business owner with your plans and goals for your business, and your expectations for any print job. Also, it is much easier to communicate with a local printer about any issues or problems that may come up, rather than relying on a printer located hundreds of miles away.
Another huge advantage to using a local print shop is that you will be supporting another local retailer in your community. Small businesses in your community thrive when the community works together to support them. By using a local print shop, you are showing the community that you care about maintaining local relationships with other small businesses. You might think that networking locally is just good community relationship building, but it makes good business sense as well. Research shows that local businesses tend to support each other through purchasing local, so this helps you as well as your community.
Thinking about creating a new local ad campaign, complete with signage and mailers? You don’t want to take the word on marketing or advertising fliers from a print shop that doesn’t know the community. Instead, you should rely on a local printer that knows the area, and advertises locally as well. They may have some great marketing and printing ideas, and may also be able to suggest signs and other advertising items you haven’t thought of. For example, you may want to think about a targeted postcard with social media marketing and follow up.
Staying Local Means Local Emphasis
There’s nothing better than staying local when you are in a hurry. What if you came up with a great idea for an August sale, either for Back to School shopping or for pre-Labor Day festivities? You’ll want a marketing campaign that targets your customers quickly. If you go with a national chain printer, nothing happens quickly. In fact, the turnaround time at some national printers can take weeks–and your big idea needs to happen now. A local printer can offer you a quicker turnaround time, which means you’ll be able to get your idea off the ground quickly.
Also, you don’t want your new idea for marketing to look cheap. Your potential customers aren’t going to be impressed with cheap paper or ink that is smeared. Instead, you want high quality printing and impressive looking materials at a reasonable price. There is no one that is better able to offer that to you than a local printer. Your printed materials will come out crisp and sharp, which will impress your community.
Finally, local printers don’t hike up the prices on printing just because they are local. Instead, research shows that local printers are competitive with national chains in terms of price. In fact, local printers can give you a great price for your business needs. Best of all, by using a local printer, there’s no shipping costs that you will have to pay. Shipping costs, especially right now, can be very expensive, and most small business owners are always looking for ways to save money. Depending on your printing needs, you may be able to save thousands of dollars a year just in shipping costs alone by going with a local printer.
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By choosing a local printer like AmeriPrint during Independent Retailers Month, you will not only be helping your community, but you can gain a valuable local partner. You’ll also be saving yourself time, money and headaches as well.