Comments: Authenticated sender is 
From: Cy Stapleton 
To: username@odin.tcac.com
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 20:17:09 +0000
Subject: Hotline Newsletter
Reply-to: hotlinecy@aol.com
Priority: normal
Content-Length: 14216
X-UIDL: 842884804.001

 Cy Stapleton's Hotline Newsletter

    Compliments of:
    The PTN Graphic Arts Group and Quick Printing,  Southern
    Graphics,  Printing News East, and Printing News Midwest
    magazines in cooperation  with  PrinterNet Online Svc.
    =====
    August 23, 1996 - Book Review & Incoming Mail
    =====
    Please  forgive me for intruding if you are not a member
    of the printing or graphic arts industry and do not wish
    to receive this free e-mail newsletter. If you  wish  to
    be  removed  from  this list, simply reply with the word
    REMOVE. Flames are ignored and our IP is aware of this
    bulk mailing.
    ======
    If  you  have anything you would like for me to address,
    please let me know. This  is  going  out  several  weeks
    late.  Sorry,  but  between  testing this new technology
    and a personal physical problem, it couldn't be helped.

    If you want to get an idea of the varied  subjects  that
    will   be   covered,   send  an  e-mail  message  to  my
    Infoserver at hotinfo@printer-net.com and in the Subject
    area type the word INDEX. Shortly you  will  receive  an
    index  of  available  documents.  To  order  one, simply
    replace the word INDEX with the document's  keyword  and
    send it. Nothing is required in the message area.
    ======
    I  want to thank those of you who sent cards, faxes, and
    e-mail to me after the Big Boy upstairs sent me a strong
    message.  A week or so in the hospital put me  very  far
    behind   in  responding  to  Hotline  inquiries,  and  I
    probably will never catch up. The doctor says that if  I
    change my lifestyle, I will be around for another couple
    or three decades to inundate you with my drivel.  Almost
    giving  up  cigarettes was not as difficult as giving up
    fried oysters, cheese and peanut butter.  Also, my  idea
    of  exercise has always been a nice brisk sit.  But I am
    dedicated to sticking around for another  few  years  to
    see  my  youngest achieve her goal of becoming a cardiac
    surgeon so I am walking a mile or so each day.
    =====
    My  dear  friend, Bud Hadfield, founder of the Kwik Kopy
    Corp. and CEO of ICED, called on August 13  to  tell  me
    that  a  letter  of  intent  has  been  signed  with the
    Franklin Printing (Franklin's Systems,  Inc.)  franchise
    where  Franklin  will  now be a part of the ICED family.
    ICED is the umbrella that includes Kwik Kopy, Ink  Well,
    American   Wholesale   Thermographers   and   Copy  Club
    franchises. Hal Collins, CEO of  Franklin's,  will  join
    the  Board  of  Directors  of  ICED.   Franklin's has 70
    centers in 14 states - including the  one  in  Dunwoody,
    Georgia  that  my father patronizes. ICED is the world's
    largest alliance of printing and copying franchises with
    business centers in 21 countries. I am especially  happy
    at  this  alliance.   I have been trying for years to no
    avail  to  get  Dad  to  patronize  an  area  Kwik  Kopy
    franchise   just   because   I  know  the  folks  there.
    Evidently, Bud got word of my efforts and decided if you
    can't switch 'em, join 'em.   I  feel  rather  confident
    that  this alliance came about because this was the only
    way to get Dad's $5 or so per month in copy fees.

    =====
    Book Review...

    Business Forms Encyclopedia on CD. $89.99

    One of the all-time best-selling books in  the  printing
    industry has been the Business Forms Encyclopedia (BFE),
    published  by  Printer's  Shopper.  That 2-volume set of
    books has made literally thousands of extra dollars  for
    the  printers  who  used  it.   Now  BFE  on CD has been
    expanded to include over  600  forms,  and  rather  than
    having  to  cut  and  paste  changes  and paste down the
    customer's contact information, you simply open the form
    into your page makeup software (like PageMaker) and,  if
    necessary,  move  the lines around, change the copy, set
    the customer contact information, drop  in  their  logo,
    and  print  the completed form to your laser printer. If
    you have made major changes to the form, you can save it
    as a template  so  you  have  it  available  for  future
    customers to look at.

    BFE on CD comes with a hard copy printout of each of the
    forms. The forms in the printout are indexed to the file
    on  the  CD.  BFE  on  CD is $89.99 plus $5 shipping and
    handling for a total of $94.99. It is available from the
    PTN Graphic Arts Bookshelf by faxing your order to (409)
    637-1480, e-mailing it to hotlinecy@aol.com, by  calling
    (409)  637-7475,  or  by  mailing to Box 151107, Lufkin,
    Texas 75915-1107. MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American
    Express are accepted. It works on Mac or PC.
    =====
    Questions & Answers, etc.
    =====
    Subj:   Questions, etc.
    From:   scotts@bcw.com

    How can my company be listed in the Hotline Database?

    ANS: Simply send an e-mail message to my Infoserver  at:
    hotinfo@printer-net.com.  In  the Subject area, type the
    word VENDATA.  Nothing is required in the  message  area
    unless  your software requires it. Send the message, and
    in a few moments you will receive the Vendor  Data  Form
    via  e-mail.   Complete it and fax it to (409) 637-1480.
    There's no charge to be listed.
    =====
    Subj:   Pocket Protectors
    From:   DOROA.AMARROQU@HW1.CAHWNET.GOV (Marroquin,Alex)

    My  name  is  Alex,  and  I  am  requesting  information
    regarding  the  printing and ordering of specialty items
    for advertising, such as pocket protectors, pens, letter
    openers, watches, etc. -  Basic,  inexpensive  items  to
    give away.

    Ans: There are literally thousands of inexpensive  items
    you  can  market.  I would suggest starting with someone
    like CHS, Inc. They have  a  nice  little  catalog  that
    includes a wide variety of inexpensive items. You have a
    50%  discount  on  everything  in their catalog. You can
    contact CHS  at  800-872-5329.  Ask  for  Tammy  Archer.
    Calendars  are  also  a very profitable item. One of the
    industry's premier vendors is Keith Clark. This  company
    is  very  much  interested  in  setting  up  printers as
    distributors. Contact them at 800-333-1125.
    =====
    Subj:   Re: October QP Hotline
    From:   LarryHN

    Would you please mention the new AOL Web Browser and the
    NAQP  OnLine page - a great and painless way for newbies
    to try the world wide web out. Also the new AOL  version
    3.0  software is great. Anyone who has not downloaded it
    should go to keyword Upgrade and get it for free. Larry

    Ans: Thanks for the input, Larry.
    AOL  has a forum for small to medium size printers - the
    NAQP forum. Keyword is NAQP. When there, also check  out
    the Publications/More Hotline area.
    =====
    Subj:   No Subject
    From:   averil@legendcomm.com (Averil Strauss)

    I was very sorry to hear about your heart  problem  from
    Tom Crouser's letter.  I hope that you feel better soon.

    Regarding meetings, your  friend  wrote:  'A  number  of
    years  ago  I  was  involved with a local quick printing
    group.  The group met monthly and almost  all  of  their
    meetings  revolved  around a balance sheet and an income
    statement.  During one of these  meetings,  a  craftsman
    and  I were discussing a problem, and we shared ideas on
    how to overcome the problem.  This individual's employer
    suggested that he should no longer attend meetings if he
    was going to give away secrets.' Personally,  I  think
    the  problem  is  secrets. Many of the business owners
    are just in it for money and think that they can  follow
    the  formula.  They  have  no  intrinsic love of helping
    others by giving them good service.

    Fortunately,  you  can  still  find some people who take
    pride in their products and do  love  providing  a  good
    service.  It's  the old village principle of making your
    customers your friends. Naturally, I prefer to deal with
    friends, whether buying or selling.

    Averil Legend Communications, Inc.
    Makers of  PostScript and Imposition Software
    http://www.legendcomm.com

    Ans:  I  fully  agree.  There  are still some around who
    love to share their knowledge.  Those  are  my  favorite
    people.  Things  are  changing in our industry. We don't
    see as many newcomers  who  have  paid  the  price  by
    coming up through the ranks. That price is what helps to
    instill  the  love  of the industry. I meet far too many
    people now who have absolutely no  idea  where  we  came
    from,  how  we  got here, etc. How many of our newcomers
    have even heard of the connection  between  a  chicken's
    egg and a metal plate?  How many could tell you within a
    hundred  years  of  when  paper  was  invented,  or when
    Gutenberg gave his gift to mankind, or what Aldus'  main
    contribution  was,  or  when  Mergenthaler  gave  us the
    Linotype? It's sad, but that's life. I feel that in many
    ways those of us who started  hand  setting  type,  hand
    feeding  an  old  clamshell  press,  fought the old tape
    perforators, and set type blind  on  one  of  the  early
    phototypesetters are far more fortunate.
    =====
    Subj:   Re: Newsletter Advertising
    From:   Gutenpress@aol.com

    How can we advertise in your Hotline newsletter?

    Ans:   Sorry,   we   don't   accept   any   normal  paid
    advertising.  The  exception  is  that  if  you  have  a
    closeout  or  special that is available at substantially
    below the normal wholesale price (such  as  paper  short
    lists,  or  any  other  items  that  are below wholesale
    price, we will offer it to our readers). It's  an  honor
    system,  and  we  have  no  intention  of  filling  this
    newsletter with commercials.  The  readers  enter  their
    orders  through  us, we forward the orders to the vendor
    and charge them  10%  (plus  the  merchant  credit  card
    charges  on  credit  card orders) to cover overhead. The
    number of these offers are limited and  are  subject  to
    approval by Hotline and PTN publishing.
    =====
    I  would like to hear from you as to how often you would
    like to receive a Hotline newsletter. I was  thinking  a
    couple of times each month. Is that too many? Would once
    a month be better? There's so much to write about and so
    little time.
    =====
    If  you  sent  in  a  Hotline inquiry towards the end of
    July and  early  part  of  August  and  did  not  get  a
    response,  I  was  out  for about 2-3 weeks. I'm back on
    schedule but don't know whether I will ever catch up  on
    the  older  inquiries. The best bet would be that if the
    inquiry is still live, re-fax or e-mail it to me, and  I
    will  respond  promptly.  I  will  be  at  Graph Expo in
    Philadelphia from September 28 through October 3,  so  I
    will  not  be  able  to  respond to anything during that
    period.
    =====
    My friend, Tom Crouser, also  has  an  outstanding  free
    e-mail  newsletter.  If  you  would  like to receive his
    newsletter, simply send a message to  tomcrouser@aol.com
    and  tell  him  you  would  like  to  receive  it. Tom's
    newsletter differs from mine in that it  constently  has
    hard-hitting  management  ideas  rather  than  my small
    talk, book reviews, potential profit centers, etc.  It's
    a must for every printer.
    =====
    Finally...

    The incredibly  popular  Helene's  Hotline  free  source
    service  is  getting  even  better  thanks to Dr.  Terry
    Montgomery  of  PrinterNet.   We  are   setting   up   a
    Listserver  -  HotTalk - which will enable you to send
    an e-mail with an inquiry. That inquiry will go  to  all
    subscribers  of  HotTalk.  I will respond to the inquiry
    with my suggestions and that response  will  go  to  all
    subscribers.  But,  in  addition,  subscribers  are also
    invited to respond to the inquiry. Listserver is totally
    automatic.  It is not monitored for language or content.
    If you are a subscriber, you will receive  every  e-mail
    message.     The   e-mail   address   for   HotTalk   is
    hottalk@printer-net.com. Vendors  are  also  invited  to
    subscribe.

    Future  issues  of  this  newsletter  will  not  include
    responses to Hotline inquiries. Those will all  be  done
    through the new HotTalk listserver.

    The 15th of October we are going to add everyone on this
    newsletter  list  to  the  HotTalk  mailing list for two
    weeks. If you do not wish to remain on the list, you  do
    not  need  to  do  anything.  That  mailing list will be
    deleted on October 31. To continue  receiving  the list,
    you  must  respond  to  one  of the e-mail messages with
    SUBSCRIBE in the Subject area of your  e-mail  software.
    You  may  be  removed  from  the  list  at  any  time by
    responding to any message with the word  UNSUBSCRIBE  in
    the  Subject  area. HotTalk is made possible through the
    cooperation   of   Dr.    Montgomery    at    PrinterNet
      and  Quick  Printing/Southern
    Graphics magazines.

    One thing we hope that this will do is enable vendors we
    may  not  have  in  the Hotline database to respond to a
    message, as well as other subscribers -  giving  you  an
    even  broader  range of potential vendors to get pricing
    from. It is not uncommon for readers  to  tell  me  that
    their  Hotline  response  generated anywhere from $50 to
    over $2,000 in additional profits.
    =====
    Commercial...

    If you would like a brochure on the Hotline database  or
    the  Hotline  Ad Specialty database, e-mail your request
    to hotlinecy@aol.com or fax it to (409) 637-1480.  These
    are  the  industry's  premier source databases. It's not
    LIKE having Helene's Hotline on your own computer, it IS
    having Helene's Hotline on your own computer.

   Till next time...

   God bless you and yours...

   cy

    =====





The House of Gutenberg

Cy Stapleton

Box 151107

Lufkin, TX 75915-1107

(409) 637-7475

Fax (409) 637-1480

Email - hotlinecy@aol.com



Tuesday, January 14, 1997 2:10:30 PM