You Don’t Have To Be Big To Do It Online
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I needed a small print job done. I had a PDF which would print 2 flyers on a page which I wanted 50 copies printed then cut in half. I could have done it myself, but I wanted it done with a laser printer rather than ink jet.
Being the web geek I am, I went to Google and searched on “printing” and my city. I got back a few results, and I went clicking – letting my fingers do the walking in a new way:
- One search result I clicked I ignored because it was actually an ad for Broderbund Software.
- The next I skipped because I’d done business with them before and I didn’t have a good experience.
- The third shop’s web site was “Under Construction,” so I called for an estimate.
- I emailed the file to two other shops with a description of what I wanted along with a request for an estimate.
- The next two shops were local franchisees of national chains which had long and complicated forms to fill out to request an estimate. I filled out one of them.
Of course, the shop I called gave me an estimate after I emailed the file to them. I had to get the email address from the person when I called since there was no contact information other than the phone number on their “Under Construction” web page.
I received a reply from only one other shop that day, Advanced Reprographics. They had a good price and I wanted the job done quickly so I decided to go with them. We exchanged a few emails within about half an hour to set up the deal. I picked up the flyers the next morning.
I talked with Toby at Advanced Reprographics for a few minutes when I picked up the job. I asked if they were a part of a national chain; to which he replied they weren’t, they’re just a local business. I expressed my appreciation for being able to do the whole thing via email. He said that had the job been bigger he would have asked for me to come in and proof the job, but for a small job like mine it was OK to conduct business on line.
The Advanced Reprographics web site is not huge – it has basic information about products and services and contact information. It does the job, though. Toby’s business proves you don’t have to be big to do business well on line.
