AT COST PRINTING: Why it's a bad idea.

"Red"

Graphic Designer
I came to a unique realization last night. I know that power washing companies don't like the guys that low ball cleaning jobs. Why is that? Do they feel they are somehow being cheated? That the quality of their service could never be met by someone "giving away the farm"? What is it about the "low baller" that puts them in a sub-category not worthy to clean along side their higher priced competitors?


When it comes to a cleaning organization/association offering "at cost printing" to promote its own membership signups they're perfectly fine with that, in fact they think it's great. Why is that? Why is it ok to low ball the design and printing of marketing materials, but not cleaning services? This double standard needs to be fleshed out.

Everyone likes to save money, but low balling printing services is the same as low balling cleaning services. Giving away a service that you have no vested interest in (meaning you couldn't care less who it harms) is wrong. Design and printing services are an integral (and very important) part of a successful company's marketing strategy, so why destroy that market just to save a few bucks.

Power washers typically spend $100 on a job to make several hundred dollars in return. Why would you not spend $100 more to make thousands of dollars in return?

I find myself competing with self-serving organizations that think they are providing a "valuable" service to its members when in fact they are devaluing one of the most important aspects of any cleaning company's success - marketing. Eventually the good designers will start to vanish leaving only unskilled and untalented people to produce your marketing materials (just to save a few bucks on the printing).

More and more individuals are starting to promote "at cost printing" as well. If the design and printing industry turns into a collection of unskilled "low ballers" then the quality minded designers will have no choice but to move on to greener pastures leaving the power washing companies to either accept substandard design work in order to get the "cheap" printing prices or start paying much higher design rates which will completely nullify any savings afforded by the "at cost printing" scheme.

If you have a good designer that provides great service and products, pay them the same way you expect to be paid. Designers and printers are people too, they have bills to pay and families to feed. They also want to raise their standard of living. If your marketing materials provide you a good living, then don't balk at the prices of designers that want the same thing.

Giving away services that others rely on for a living does no one any good, well except the organizations and associations that are collecting membership fees.
 
Red this is a very good question. We want to buy everything we can for the business at the lowest price possible but we want our customers to pay top dollar. This is a huge double standard but the fact is every business looks for ways to cut cost so that they can maximize their profit.

This is a good topic and I am interested to see others opinions.
 
Thanks Michael.

If someone came along and started selling equipment and supplies at wholesale cost, contractors would go nuts. But what about those people that make a living from reselling the equipment and supplies that have vast amounts of knowledge and experience? If you push out your best resources for better pricing, what will you be willing to pay to regain access to those valuable resources?
 
As for Pressure Washing, To me it's not about the low ball contractor. You will have that in every business/trade/town. I concern myself more and try to be more wary of the customer that is looking for the low ball contractor. I simply want no part of that customer.

AS for marketing/printing. web companies, etc etc, I think we are all entitled to search for the best value, and this is what I look for when I hire various trades to do work for my company.... price, timeliness, communication skills, understanding of job scope, quality of work/product, production, and ultimately delivery of what was promised/contracted. Sometimes it can be one one of those or a combination, that fails and causes the relationship to fail.

As for orgs or associations that take this on their own, perhaps find out WHY they are doing this and try to become the solution to their problem. Obviously they may feel that what they are doing is the "better value" and better end product for their customers.
 
I came to a unique realization last night. I know that power washing companies don't like the guys that low ball cleaning jobs. Why is that? Do they feel they are somehow being cheated? That the quality of their service could never be met by someone "giving away the farm"? What is it about the "low baller" that puts them in a sub-category not worthy to clean along side their higher priced competitors?


When it comes to a cleaning organization/association offering "at cost printing" to promote its own membership signups they're perfectly fine with that, in fact they think it's great. Why is that? Why is it ok to low ball the design and printing of marketing materials, but not cleaning services? This double standard needs to be fleshed out.

Everyone likes to save money, but low balling printing services is the same as low balling cleaning services. Giving away a service that you have no vested interest in (meaning you couldn't care less who it harms) is wrong. Design and printing services are an integral (and very important) part of a successful company's marketing strategy, so why destroy that market just to save a few bucks.

Power washers typically spend $100 on a job to make several hundred dollars in return. Why would you not spend $100 more to make thousands of dollars in return?

I find myself competing with self-serving organizations that think they are providing a "valuable" service to its members when in fact they are devaluing one of the most important aspects of any cleaning company's success - marketing. Eventually the good designers will start to vanish leaving only unskilled and untalented people to produce your marketing materials (just to save a few bucks on the printing).

More and more individuals are starting to promote "at cost printing" as well. If the design and printing industry turns into a collection of unskilled "low ballers" then the quality minded designers will have no choice but to move on to greener pastures leaving the power washing companies to either accept substandard design work in order to get the "cheap" printing prices or start paying much higher design rates which will completely nullify any savings afforded by the "at cost printing" scheme.

If you have a good designer that provides great service and products, pay them the same way you expect to be paid. Designers and printers are people too, they have bills to pay and families to feed. They also want to raise their standard of living. If your marketing materials provide you a good living, then don't balk at the prices of designers that want the same thing.

Giving away services that others rely on for a living does no one any good, well except the organizations and associations that are collecting membership fees.

Part of the problem Red is that Printing Services are considered "faceless industries" where there is virtually no interaction with the client

How many clients on your printing side have you actually met??..Thus, these At Cost Printing services, Vista Print, etc operate purely on price use, low quality products and maybe if the order is large enough have someone in China doing it (like tee shirts)..You cant even get them on the phone

These internet businesses make it so hard to convey quality- Thats why the best business model is those you can get in front of- to convey your services
 
Red your expertise seems to be graphic design. People here are starving for talented designers. Not someone who can pull cartoon characters off the computer. The printing business seems to be even more competitive than PWing
 
GotPrint is significantly better quality on full color prints than any local outfit I have tried. Their prices are significantly lower too, especially through an org offering "group buy" rates. They are cheap because Got Print has invested in some printers that are the size of a football field (I may be exaggerating). I assume they make a profit when I order from them, even through an org that has a special group discount. If that same org offers me pre-designed and proven marketing materials (again, high quality), I think that's an effective way to multiply their intellectual property. Good for them. If you are suggesting the designers never got paid for their work, that's one thing, but if you simply can't compete with someone with a more effective business model, good luck shaming me for using them.
 
I have seen some of those org cookie cutter marketing pieces and they were not too good at all, a few friends of mine told me that the customer that responded asked why many similar contractors were using the same postcards and ended up going with the lowballer in the end so the postcard got some calls out of 5000 postcards sent out but with a professionally designed postcard results should be a lot better.

Another contractor friend told me that they got hardly any response at all, the reason he bought them was because you have some "cheerleaders" hyping the marketing pieces for some org out there and saying how great they are, how many they send out and how cool or awesome they are but not much if any response is not worth the money spent when you can get something professionally made at a fair price.
 
I have seen some of those org cookie cutter marketing pieces and they were not too good at all, a few friends of mine told me that the customer that responded asked why many similar contractors were using the same postcards and ended up going with the lowballer in the end so the postcard got some calls out of 5000 postcards sent out but with a professionally designed postcard results should be a lot better.

Another contractor friend told me that they got hardly any response at all, the reason he bought them was because you have some "cheerleaders" hyping the marketing pieces for some org out there and saying how great they are, how many they send out and how cool or awesome they are but not much if any response is not worth the money spent when you can get something professionally made at a fair price.

Psychologically speaking, how closely is print quality tied in with recipient response? I'm sure over time, quality will prove to be a factor, but how about the content itself?
 
If area exclusivity on content were a factor in these distributorship mailers it might be ok but when you have a few members in each area sending the same piece to the same areas people are more likely to go on price.
 
Kind of off subject. Just like the contractors that think the local supply company is "raping them" for couplings and parts etc. They bought that surface cleaner you need right now months ago!! They had to buy 1000 fittings so you could have the ONE you need right now. Often these contractors praise themselves for being the highest paid guys around.
 
If area exclusivity on content were a factor in these distributorship mailers it might be ok but when you have a few members in each area sending the same piece to the same areas people are more likely to go on price.

That's a good point. There is some true value in custom graphic design. However, I have sent out the exact same piece, just changed the expiration date and it was well received. Even had a couple folks tell me they recognized it from before and were thankful for the reminder to call me. It could totally backfire if they got the same piece from different contractors though, as Christopher mentioned!
 
This is sorta a Funny Post coming from you , I'm not sure to call you POT Or kettle.

The Association & PWI has helped Build the Vary Business you have. You had been given a free membership to help you at the start.

In return you have truthfully done nothing to assist the association or others as I can see expect charge folks money to process the many orders you have received from two Venues , HERE & the UAMCC which Neither COST you a Nickel.


So in all what your saying is Shut down PWI because its free, Derrel Said "I'm done with the UAMCC because I got everything there from all the good people so why should I pay to belong NOW."

But wait your preaching about THIS??????????

Seems to me you have a doubled standard, or maybe theres just something wrong with your HEAD.

When you accused people of Stealing from you I really took offense after all we had tried to help you with. I have remained as professional as possible because I still felt sorry for you after this occurred.

at this point I can see you can hurt others, use free resource with out returning the favor. Then post about others who are just trying to make it fair and honest and you cannot compete.

I do not wish you any harm, I hope like I have in the past you WAKE up and see we only HELPED you. Stepping all over Our Backs not reciprocating the generosity those in this group have given you didn't feel good.

Instead of offering and Apology and Seeing your own hypocrisy I'll expect nothing, after all its what your good at.

Feel free to use the forum, after all PWI is run by the staff not me. Its why its the best and the busiest because we can speak our minds when people are wrong.

YEAH I took all the above Comments personal, I do not have a printing business but I related it to all my past experience with you. WAIT ALL MY FREE Advice


Those Trying to understand this has nothing to do with Expecting reciprocation from endearment. Just the above Statements by Derrel go both Ways. He has Clearly shown he wants everything free and returns nothing, but expects guys low balling his service to be different. LOL

Well I feel better today!!!


I came to a unique realization last night. I know that power washing companies don't like the guys that low ball cleaning jobs. Why is that? Do they feel they are somehow being cheated? That the quality of their service could never be met by someone "giving away the farm"? What is it about the "low baller" that puts them in a sub-category not worthy to clean along side their higher priced competitors?


When it comes to a cleaning organization/association offering "at cost printing" to promote its own membership signups they're perfectly fine with that, in fact they think it's great. Why is that? Why is it ok to low ball the design and printing of marketing materials, but not cleaning services? This double standard needs to be fleshed out.

Everyone likes to save money, but low balling printing services is the same as low balling cleaning services. Giving away a service that you have no vested interest in (meaning you couldn't care less who it harms) is wrong. Design and printing services are an integral (and very important) part of a successful company's marketing strategy, so why destroy that market just to save a few bucks.

Power washers typically spend $100 on a job to make several hundred dollars in return. Why would you not spend $100 more to make thousands of dollars in return?

I find myself competing with self-serving organizations that think they are providing a "valuable" service to its members when in fact they are devaluing one of the most important aspects of any cleaning company's success - marketing. Eventually the good designers will start to vanish leaving only unskilled and untalented people to produce your marketing materials (just to save a few bucks on the printing).

More and more individuals are starting to promote "at cost printing" as well. If the design and printing industry turns into a collection of unskilled "low ballers" then the quality minded designers will have no choice but to move on to greener pastures leaving the power washing companies to either accept substandard design work in order to get the "cheap" printing prices or start paying much higher design rates which will completely nullify any savings afforded by the "at cost printing" scheme.

If you have a good designer that provides great service and products, pay them the same way you expect to be paid. Designers and printers are people too, they have bills to pay and families to feed. They also want to raise their standard of living. If your marketing materials provide you a good living, then don't balk at the prices of designers that want the same thing.

Giving away services that others rely on for a living does no one any good, well except the organizations and associations that are collecting membership fees.
 
Back
Top