Laying the foundations for a profitable future

Running a successful print business isn’t how it used to be. The Internet and other digital media have been responsible for the loss of around 20% of all the print volume that existed around the world in 1995.

In Europe, roughly the same amount of volume has been lost to cheaper imports from other markets, especially Asia. A study by Prof. Frank Romano from the Rochester Institute of Technology, which was commissioned by Canon Europe and published in an Insight Report entitled Digital Print Directions, also predicts that further losses in print volume will continue until 2020, but by then worldwide print volumes will stabilise.

The study also identified that 89% of printers recognise that costs are rising faster than selling prices, putting increased pressure on margins.  Increasingly printers are finding that cost reduction and efficiency improvements alone are not enough.  72% of European respondents agreed they can no longer continue to do things in the same way.

With this significant decrease in print volume and the pressure on margins, print providers have to focus on growing through more effective sales and marketing, and positioning their capabilities to expand into new markets.

To complement our outstanding professional print solutions, Canon has developed the acclaimed Essential Business Builder Program to give print providers an industry-leading suite of tools and education workshops, as well as affordable expert consultancy; all designed to bring increased success to print businesses.