2020 was a watershed year that challenged us in ways we had never anticipated, upending both lives and livelihoods. Everything we knew about business and communication changed in an instant. While these challenges have been disruptive, they have also been transforming.
Printing Is Essential
As frontline workers rushed to keep the population healthy, safe, and fed, the printing industry soon found itself to be essential in other ways. With schools closed, educational printing for students learning from home surged. So did the need for signage for Covid precautions, as well as the uptick in reading and the need for books. This urgent need during the pandemic created a new problem: how do we continue with business as usual when we are all tied to our home offices?
Reflect, Reset, and Rebuild
The printing industry had to adapt to the lightning-fast changes we faced along with the rest of the world. We took stock, pivoted, and adapted, like we always do and always will. The pandemic forced us to address how to communicate differently and yet somehow more efficiently. Video calls became an effective tool to hold meetings and communicate with team members and clients. Live video demos became (and still are) a great way to get a message to an audience that has a very specific need and want to continue moving their business forward. Virtual conferences and trade shows appeared and blended seamlessly with the old way of doing business. Many parts of the industry, especially books, continued the upward growth trend and excelled as the perfect medium to get away from reality and screen time without a power cable attached.
2021: The Bridge to Normalcy
Almost a year to the date after Covid-19 was declared a national emergency, we are finally in a position where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. As vaccines roll out, restrictions are gradually lifted, and the return to travel and visiting resumes, it is possible that some customers will want to continue to socially distance until they are comfortable with our new world. While I will be reaching out to customers and travelling/visiting in a safe manner, this year has shown us we have a host of options to continue to do business as usual. I am happy to discuss your service/solutions needs and present new technology to you via Zoom, Teams, Skype, FaceTime, WebEx, WhatsApp, and even the good old-fashioned telephone.
I look forward to “seeing” you in 2021. Please reach out and let me know how I can help grow your business.