Crouser & Associates Performance Group program helps printers prosper through
on-site assistance and twice yearly group meetings. For more information by Email or call (304) 342-5100. Crouser Report OnLine is the Copyright Thomas P. Crouser. Material may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Current reports are on the WWW at http://www.printusa.com.

Letters: T-Head, Pricing, FTP File Transfer

Copyright January 8, 1996

Transmitted from Statesville, North Carolina

Asking Questions

One reader asks what questions I answer seeing as I am a consultant and get paid for answering questions. As a matter of course, I answer (hopefully timely) all questions to the best of my ability within the time available. I try to respond to the writer immediately. Some of these responses I publish. Some I hold for a more thorough answer. Some I answer and never publish. But, sooner or later everything is answered. As for charging, I do this only after a free initial consultation and an engagement letter is issued which lets me know what I m supposed to do and you know what you are paying for. So, send in your cards, letters and email messages. And don t worry about asking me something I might charge for. . ..I ll let you know if that is ever necessary. Thanks. Tom.>

And here s the kind of messages I like to receive:
Subj: Re: More Buying Equipment
From: JackCKern
To: TomCrouser

Dear Tom:

Your comments are superb. The quick printing industry needs the financial expertise and discipline you exhibit.

I am a CPA and have my masters from the Graduate School of Business of the University of Texas. I spent five years with a Big Eight firm, 15 years with my own practice (tax and computer consulting) and in industry. I went to work for Elizabeth Bradshaw at Ginny s in September, 1992. Your financial insight is very logical and at a level that I have not often found in this industry. How similar is your background to mine? Got to go watch the Longhorns win the Sugar Bowl. Jack.

Tom:
As the KING would say, Tunk yu vury much. And, Uh, sorry bout that suugar bowl thing. My undergraduate degree is in accounting, I hold a masters in business administration and I had about half the hours I need for a Doctor of Business Administration when I got side tracked several years ago.

I owned and operated a printing business for 20 years which I sold in 1986. I have taught printing plant management to senior printing management students at WV Institute of Technology (7 years) and operations management in an MBA program (4 years). In my spare time, I am retired from the reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel with the US Air Force and am fully capable of suiting up and kicking butt at anytime. This is particularly amazing for I am only 30 years old and married to the most beautiful 29 year old blonde grandmother from Georgia you have ever seen. Seriously, thank you for your kind comments.

Tom
On the subject of running a T-Head, Michae0912 added to his comments about the great job the new press operator did in running the T-Head.

Subj: Re: Answer: T-Head Or 2 Pass? T-Head!
From: Michae0912
To: TomCrouser

Tom, I forgot to mention (not that it makes a bit of difference), but the T-head press (Ryobi) is run by a female operator. I ve had 5 different male operators (none had trouble with the T-head); but it was the female that made the T-head outperform anything it has ever done before. Every day I see more and more, better and better work coming from that T-head. It s a good piece of equipment; made better by the right operator. (Kind of back to the old personnel hiring theory of you must put the right person in the right job at the right time sort of thing. MIKE, Printing Center, Bartlesville, OK
And Brother Cy Stapleton sent us this message regarding price.

Subj: Re: Letters: Prices, Inventory and Sub S
From: Hotline Cy
To: TomCrouser

In a message dated 95-12-22 11:35:08 EST, you write:

We can t think of a better example of the damage you can do to yourself by making the estimate (of production costs) the basis of your price.

That is one reason I have always touted perceived value. You certainly need to know your costs, but perceived has always worked better for me that a percentage mark-up. The largest job I ever produced in my little shop was the last job I produced before I sold my company. I had been waiting for that job for over 30 years. My customer told me, I have to come in under $5.15 each on these 10,000 books. That was all I needed to know. Total cost on the job was $16,000. Sales price was $51,000. Profit was $31,000 after bonuses and shipping (which I forgot to include in my estimate).... Cy
And regarding our discussion of transferring files on the internet, we heard first from Alex van Bienen in the Netherlands. . .

From: (Alex van Bienen)
To: TomCrouser@aol.com

I am also interested in file transfers via the Internet if it were only for selfish reasons of offering this service to our users.

It would appear to me that FTP is omitted from our discussion. I would think that using FTP, ISDN lines and ZIPPED files, a lot of work can be efficiently handled over the net. I look forward to comments from more experienced internetters...

Regards/grusse/salutations/groeten... http://www.globalprint.com alex van bienen - tel/fax 31-499-391781 - Best - Netherlands
And so we did, Alex. Larry Nebel gives us this internet files update:

Subj: Files on the internet
From: LarryHN
To: crouser@ibm.net, TomCrouser

However if you use FTP to transfer the files there is no encoding issue. We use FTP very successfully (and easily) to transfer files - take a look at our home page - URL=http://www.alco.com/alco/ - for some more information on our services. I think that anyone with Internet access has and can use Fetch or another FTP client.

Larry Nebel, United Electronic Printers Inc., 39176 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538-1316 or call 800/515-COPY (2679) or 510/796-COPY (2679) or FAX 510/795-7029... E-Mail LarryHN@alco.com World Wide Web URL = http://www.alco.com/alco Bringing Full Color Electronic Printing to the Internet.

Thank you for your cards and letters. Keep em coming.

Well, that s the story from here in Statesville, North Carolina where we have 2 of powder on a good 7 base. Now if I can just find me a hill to ski on, we ll be set. Until next time.

Happy Trails, Tom Crouser (I have left the auditorium)

Crouser & Associates - Helping Printers Prosper Since 1985

Crouser & Associates Performance Group program includes two on-site evaluations by Tom Crouser each year along with two group meetings. Management training is held during the group meetings along with participation in a meeting with non-competing printers. Join others who have decided to run their business instead of the business running them. Reply to by Email to Tom Crouser for more detailed information or call Clark Workman at (304) 342-5100. Or fax (304) 342-5187 or contact crouser@ibm.net.


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Date inserted: Thursday, February 01, 1996 3:48:39 PM

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