Every small business needs printing services at one time or another, whether it be for a regular order of notepads and stationary or for the occasional promotional labels and membership cards. Finding the right business printing supplier – and the right pricing – for these items can be a challenge, or at the least an extra hassle in the daily life of a small business owner or office manager. Most businesses rely on multiple vendors to supply their business printing needs. Financial documents, such as blank or pre-printed checks, are often sourced from banks; stationery and envelopes might be purchased online or from chain printing stores, while promotional items such as banners and display signage are more often sourced from signage companies.By relying on different vendors for each different type of printing need, small businesses spend more time negotiating with all these different suppliers. This can detract from managing the business itself, and can be a time suck for office managers. Additionally, sourcing each type of business printing from a different vendor is often cost-inefficient.While many printing service providers specialize in one or two types of business printing, some business service providers offer all business printing services under the same roof. These types of “one stop shop” business printing providers offer:
custom office supplies (business cards, stationary, envelopes etc.)
legal and financial documents (business checks, forms, contracts, reports)
promotional printing (direct mailings, postcard mailers, promotional banners) and company brochures, event invitations and membership cards.Truly all-in-one business printers are not limited to printing on paper; die cut decals, stickers, labels and other non-traditional types of printing are no problem for these types of vendors.Cost-Savings of Having a Single-Source Business Printing VendorTo be sure, relying on printers who specialize in a certain type of printing – such as brochure and business card – offers an advantage in terms of expertise, but this is about as far as the benefit goes. All-in-one business printers work with companies that are experts in niche printing types as well, but by working with these types of printers, companies can save on management time by relying on one vendor to negotiate for them rather than being requiring to go to each of these different experts individually. As with any other type of bulk purchasing, making all business printing purchases from one supplier creates a higher order volume, lowering overall costs.Cutting Back Time & Management Hassle of Re-stocking Office SuppliesSmall business owners and managers rarely have surplus time, and the extra time spent communicating with individual vendors adds up quickly. By having a single go-to vendor for all business printing, owners and managers can eliminate this extra supply management time and focus instead on tasks that are most important to the business. To further eliminate supply management time, owners and managers can ask their one-stop business printer to put certain orders on monthly repeat.What to Look for in a Business Printing Services SupplierNot all business printing services are made equal! To be sure, business owners or managers should verify the quality of a vendor’s printed supplies by reviewing samples before investing in a long-term relationship. In addition to product quality, businesses should keep an eye out to make sure their chosen business printing vendor provides prompt, on-time ordering service and personal customer service. If you plan on giving a vendor all your printing business, they should have a sales rep on staff who knows you by name!