29 Mar 2024

LFR on the Money: Seize the Improving Outlook


As key indicators show an upturn in the country’s economic prospects, businesses must be ready to take advantage. Evette Orams, Managing Director of Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions, discusses how printing companies could do just that with the aid of the most suitable funding facility.

"At long last, the steady flow of bad news stories about our economy is gradually being replaced by more positive trends and figures. Highlighted effectively in the most recent economic growth statistics, which suggest that the British economy expanded by 0.6 per cent between April and June this year, trading conditions are finally beginning to improve and wider business confidence is growing.

Although these only represent green shoots at this stage and much work needs to be done before we can proclaim a blossoming recovery is well underway, businesses of all shapes and sizes should be able to take heart and look on the bright side once more.

The printing industry, which has been vastly affected by the economic downturn, would appear to have already embraced this improving picture. This is demonstrated by new research, which has found that almost one in five of the UK’s printing and packaging companies believe the current state of the economic climate is benefiting their company. As new business has picked up, 61 per cent expect similar, stable orders over the next three months.

Mind the gap

The economic downturn has been characterised by businesses facing a vast array of cash flow related problems – many of which have stemmed from reduced demand for their goods and services. Even when orders have been received, getting paid for the relevant goods or services has then commonly been difficult, as businesses have had to seize every opportunity to preserve their own cash flows. Late payment has been a key feature, particularly amongst SMEs, with 17 per cent of those surveyed suggesting it’s their biggest worry at present. A further 16 per cent said bad debts were theirs.

While these concerns look set to continue for some time yet, businesses are urged to be vigilant about the widening cash flow gap between the provision of goods and services and getting paid. This will become more important once orders pick up, as paying suppliers whilst trading on credit terms will increasingly become more of a juggling act.

However, another interesting statistic from the survey is that more than 80 per cent of respondents said they had no plans to raise additional finance in the next 12 months, despite the benefits this can bring. This could arguably be, at least in part, due to the fact 16 per cent of the same sample were declined additional bank funding in the last six months, an unsurprising figure given the well-publicised declines in lending to small businesses of late.

Looking ahead

It is important to note that other avenues exist which deliver focused support that compares more favourably than traditional lending. Invoice finance, for instance, targets this cash flow gap by releasing up to 90 per cent of an invoice’s value within 24 hours of its issue, providing the means to fund day-to-day operations, bringing with it a peace of mind. Additionally, the boosted cash position can be utilised to take advantage of early settlement discounts with suppliers and focus on business strategy and growth. However the research also indicated that two out of three printing and packaging businesses had never heard of invoice finance, which encompasses the likes of factoring and invoice discounting.

Invoice finance has been well utilised by printing companies over the years as the industry is well suited to its facilities, which can also incorporate funding against other assets such as equipment, plant and machinery. Further, it remains widely available.

According to the latest official figures from the Asset Based Finance Association, the amount of funding that was advanced to its members’ clients during Q1 2013 increased by six per cent on an annual basis to £16.3 billion as client numbers rose by two per cent to more than 43,000.

This is evidently setting clients up for growth, as total clients’ sales increased by nine per cent over the same period. Arguably the biggest reason for this is that invoice finance grows in line with a business; the more invoices it raises, the more funding it can access, which is why more companies are ditching traditional funding products such as loans and overdrafts in favour of this solution.

So as economic conditions improve and cash flow pressures evolve, don’t just wonder which funding solution could help. Ask yourself this: What could my business achieve with the aid of the right facility?"

About Evette Orams: Evette Orams is Managing Director of Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions, which is part of the Hilton-Baird Group of companies. As an independent commercial finance broker, Hilton-Baird’s aim is to clearly identify their clients’ business requirements and introduce them to relevant providers.

Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions
was voted Asset Based Finance Broker of the Year 2009 & 2010 at the Business Moneyfacts Awards and UK Asset Based Finance Broker of the Year 2012 at the ACQ Global Awards, demonstrating its reputation and the trust its clients place in its service.  The business’ affiliations to the leading financial industrial bodies, the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) and the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB), ensures it maintains the highest level of standards for its clients.

Find out more about how invoice finance can help your business at www.hiltonbaird.co.uk/FS.

For more information, please contact:
Evette Orams
Managing Director, Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions
Tel: 0800 9774833
Email: LFR@hiltonbaird.co.uk
www.hiltonbaird.co.uk/FS

Roland launches VersaCAMM VS Series ‘cash-back’ summer promotion

Roland DG UK has announced a summer promotion for its popular VersaCAMM VS-640 and VS-540 print & cut machines.  Customers who order a 64 inch or 54 inch wide VS machine before the end of August will automatically receive £1,000 cash back as well as a free take-up unit for the wide format printer.

Roland’s VersaCAMM series pioneered print & cut technology and remains the world leader with over 130,000* units sold worldwide. Its multi-award winning Roland VS printer/cutter series is the fastest and most versatile VersaCAMM yet, with print speeds up to 23.1m²/hr, integrated print and cut capabilities, superior media handling and unattended print features. For maximum versatility, the VS series comes in four ink configurations with the option of Metallic and White ink printing, adding value, luxury and an eye-catching edge to any graphic.

Available in 64" (1.62m), 54" (1.37m), 42" (1.07m) or 30” (0.76m) models, the affordable VersaCAMM VS wide format printer/cutters achieve stunning results across a world of applications including signs, banners, posters, vehicle graphics and wraps, packaging prototypes, exhibition displays, labels, point-of-sale displays and garment decoration heat transfers.

The promotional offer ends on Friday 30th August 2013.  For more information, please email sales@rolanddg.co.uk or visit www.rolanddg.co.uk/VS

* The total number of inkjet devices shipped from the Company as of 31st March 2013.

AJD Group opts for HP solutions for 'reliable and efficient' output

AJD Group, of Bournemouth, UK, has become an exclusive HP branded large format digital print service provider in order to offer its customers a high level of print and product quality through the use of HP inks, media and printers that it could not otherwise deliver.

AJD Group, comprising A J Print, BPE Signs and JUST, serves a wide range of customers, from councils to the police force, and offers varying applications including POP/POS displays, posters, roller banners and vehicle wraps. The company which currently owns two HP Latex 260 Printers and two HP Designjet Z6200 Photo Printers has found that using only HP printers and HP inks and media is the most effective way to deliver reliable quality on a wide range of substrates for diverse indoor and outdoor applications.

“We at AJD Group have been in the printing business for many years, and know that to be competitive you need to continuously evolve and move forward,” said Andrew Ballington-James, group chairman, AJD Group. “Our decision to exclusively own HP products followed extensive research and testing of different print solutions to help our company expand. We found HP products, along with HP Inks from our HP reseller Perfect Colours, to be the most reliable and efficient with the best finish we had seen.”

AJD Group has reported a reduction in printed waste now its end-to-end print components are all HP. The company was also attracted by the fact that both the HP Latex 260 and the HP Designjet Z6200 printers use water based inks as it increased its appeal to environmentally aware customers.

AJD Group uses the two HP Latex 260s for a wide range of applications. An important selling point of the printer for AJD Group was the versatility of the media that can be used, enabling the company to offer new and different applications to its customers.

“We use the HP Latex 260 for virtually any application, but the main reason we bought this machine was for self-adhesive banner vinyl, canvas and flag material,” said Ballington-James. “The head technology of the latex printer is the same as the Z series that we own, which enables us to control colour and branding. The technology and the printing methods used by the HP Latex 260 are far superior to any solvent printer we have ever used and the prints are ready to finish and dispatch straight from the printer.”

The company mainly uses its HP Designjet Z6200 to create exhibition products and displays for promotional events. AJD Group is able to meet all its customers’ requirements, from roller banners to pop up systems and posters, with the capability of the HP Designjet Z6200.

“The HP Designjet Z6200 was a cost-effective purchase for us as it is more economical on ink than our previous printer, as well as quicker, allowing us to complete more projects with a faster turnaround,” said Ballington-James. “Our customers have been very impressed with the quality and the speed that we turn around our work since installing both the HP Latex 260s and the HP Designjet Z6200s. Following this response, we are exploring adding an HP large-format flatbed press in the future.”

[Photo caption: The versatility of the media that can be used with the HP Latex 260s enables AJD Group to offer new and different applications to its customers]

Caldera launches Webshop web-to-print solution for sign & display printers

Caldera has announced the launch of a new web-to-print solution developed specifically to meet the needs of sign and display printers. WebShop will help large-format PSPs promote their products online, reduce the time spent on the sales process and increase the number of jobs coming in.

"Web-to-print has been gaining momentum for commercial printers for some time now, and we realised that wide-format PSPs could benefit from this new sales channel too," explains Joseph Mergui, chief executive officer of Caldera. "Many potential customers turn straight to the web when they are looking for the best deal, and with Caldera's WebShop solution print providers will make themselves more visible and accessible than their competitors without an online presence. This is a development that could be a real game-changer for wide-format."

Based on the popular Magento e-commerce solution, Caldera WebShop is a full-featured solution that allows PSPs the freedom to tailor their online store to their individual needs. The SaaS product can be integrated with Caldera's Flow+ and RIP solutions to provide a complete sales-to-production system.

Highlights include the ability to create multiple shops, with different products and prices for specific customers or target markets, and various product categorisation features with unlimited numbers of categories and sub-categories supported.

The Simple Product listing is the basic format, and this can be expanded with several additional options. Grouped Product allows the customer to purchase a pre-defined selection of products with one click, while Configurable Product offers the ability to fix a price for a combination of Simple Product purchases. Sales of intangible services are catered for with the Virtual Product type, and PSPs can also offer a Downloadable Product. Lastly, the Variable Size Product, designed especially for wide-format print houses, is an option allowing the customer to choose the size of product they want, with a more complex pricing mechanism that can calculate a price according to factors such as the number of items or the total printed area.

A Dashboard interface offers direct access to important information for production and sales teams, such as the average order value, the most recent orders, the best sales, most popular products and new customers. Orders, invoices and shipping are managed via a sales portal, and WebShop also includes a customer database management system, which allows customers to be grouped.

In addition, a newsletter function helps PSPs to keep in touch with their web customers, offering templates and subscriber management. A number of reporting options are also available, such as sales, shopping cart, product and customer statistics.

"Caldera is once again blazing a trail with the introduction of the industry's first dedicated web-to-print solution for wide-format PSPs," says Sebastien Hanssens, vice-president of marketing and communications, Caldera. "We know that our customers will find this a really valuable addition to the Caldera family of products, and that their customers in turn will enjoy the convenience of ordering their print at any time of the day or night."

FESPA Mexico 2013 set to open its doors



FESPA Mexico 2013 is due to open on 15th August 2013 at Centro Banamex, Mexico City and the organisers say that the floorplan is 98% sold out.  The sixth FESPA Mexico welcomes 114 exhibitors and has increased its floor space by 11% compared to FESPA Mexico 2012 due to the increase in demand from exhibitors. Exhibitors including All Win México, Celupal Internacional, Gizmo, Global Playerytees, MTM Soluciones, Papelerías Lozano Hermanos, Roma Digital, Sain Soplai, Soluciones Para Impresores and Tubelite have all increased their stand space for this year’s show.

The theme for FESPA Mexico 2013 ‘discover a new world of print’, is designed for print service providers to seek out new opportunities, products and trends at the exhibition for them to develop new business solutions.

As with all FESPA exhibitions, there is an emphasis on educational content to help printers build on and develop their business offering. The conference theatre will host seminars from industry experts on a range of relevant topics to equip printers with the knowledge to maximise their businesses and to discover new print possibilities. Sessions in the conference theatre will look at textile printing with PVC free inks, digital signage and its future challenges, new innovations in calibration, colour management and creativity.

Also returning to FESPA Mexico 2013 in a new format is Garment Central, a must-attend feature for garment enthusiasts. The workshop will cover various garment decoration applications to showcase new techniques and opportunities in the industry for printers. Garment professional and FESPA favourite Charlie Taubliebwill be delivering free daily hands-on practical sessions.

Speeding into FESPA Mexico 2013 is the high powered crowd magnet, the Wrap Professional. The high octane competition brings together wrap cup experts from across Mexico battling it out to be crowned champion.

FESPA Mexico Exhibition Manager, Michael Ryan comments: “With only days to go until FESPA Mexico, it’s great to see nearly the whole floorplan sold. Last year’s Mexico show was an immense success and we’re hoping to reflect this with this year’s show, especially as many of the exhibitors have returned and increased their exhibition space.

“Mexico is a vibrant country with so much enthusiasm for new business ideas, which we hope to showcase the best innovations at FESPA Mexico 2013. Our educational content will certainly provide food for thought for all printers in order to help them develop and maximise opportunities to benefit their bottom line.”

For more information on the show and any of its content features, please visit www.fespamexico.com

Bordeaux to introduce environmentally-friendly ink solutions at Sign Africa 2013

Bordeaux Digital Printink will introduce its new environmentally friendly water-based solutions to the South African market at Sign Africa 2013, together with GSW, its South African distributor (Hall 1, GSW stand F24).  The event takes place at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 21-23 August 2013.

At the show, Bordeaux will demonstrate how print shops can increase their value and printing with sustainable print solutions like the unique Latex-based ink series, new Dye Sublimation inks, Eco Solvent, UV & UV LED inks, UV and water based coatings as well as innovative inkjet technologies.

Exclusively at Sign Africa, the first 100 visitors who convert to Bordeaux Eco solvent-based inks for a Mimaki or Roland printer will receive a free Bordeaux ink set. Bordeaux will further enhance this offer by supplying the first 40 converted customers with a complimentary bulk ink delivery system. 

The Smart bulk ink delivery system, developed by Inkondemand.com and Bordeaux, enables print shops to replace OEM chips, monitor ink level with practically 100% accuracy and receive alerts when to replace the ink bag in order to maximize print productivity and reduce ink waste.  The bulk ink system will be visible on a Mimaki printer using the mild solvent FUZE MS33 ink, conveniently available in 1L durable and sealed bags including chips.
Visitors will also witness live demonstrations of Bordeaux’s unique Latex-based ink, EDEN LX, on a solvent to latex converted Roland printer.  This new environmentally friendly ink provides superior outdoor durability and easy conversion from solvent printers to Latex inks.   Bordeaux will also introduce its Latex-based ink, EDEN TX, for printing on a very wide variety of natural, synthetic and blended fabrics  and its water based Dye Sublimation ink, EDEN ST, for transfer dye sublimation and EDEN SD for direct to fabric applications.  The EDEN series supports printers equipped with Epson® DX printheads. 

“Via our service oriented distributor, GSW, Bordeaux is a major supplier of comprehensive, cost effective pre and post treatment solutions in North and South Africa” said Matthew Reijnders, Bordeaux’s Director of Sales and Business Development.  “At Sign Africa we will proudly present our UV & UV LED ink primers to improve ink adhesion on challenging surfaces like plastic and glass as well as our Liquid Laminates for Fleet, Sign and Banner which protect graphics from extreme weather conditions like acid rain and extends the print life for long term increased value to the print shop and its customers.”

For pre and post print treatments, Bordeaux will exhibit its full line of water based laminates for the wide format digital printing market and UV based coating line for more diverse applications such as document finishing and pre-press applications. Both laminates and coatings can enrich prints with gloss, matte or anti-slip characteristics and are intended to enhance the prints, increase durability to abrasion and prevent fading.