Tanvi's five-point something for PrintPack

1. Focus on existing customers before you go looking for new ones can reap rich rewards. Create a strong sales team which works with your existing customer base. When that has been secured, your firm can tap new customers. Also think of investing in a good CRM software system that will allow you to track results, identify problems and promote retention strategies. A CRM can also provide a buying history that allows you to customise its sales and marketing efforts.

2. Your website introduces the world to your business. It’s also a great equaliser in a competitive market. Besides making your website look cool and clean; remember the three-click rule. The three-click rule shows, on an average, if a visitor cannot find a wanted item or piece of information within three clicks of entering your site, they will go somewhere else.

3. New technology is offering printers opportunities to marry print and digital. For example, the popularity of smartphones is unlikely to go away. Even the humble business cards can be brought into the 21st century via a printed QR code on the front or back of the card, which is linked to a profile page that can be accessed on a smartphone or tablet. The profile includes all the regular contact information as well as digital links, so customers can easily access further information if they please. This means users will no longer have to take the extra step of typing contact information into their phone, they can transfer it to their contacts with a QR reader app, while still keeping the physical card.

​4. Look out for new devices like an inkjet glass printer which can bind ink directly to the glass (at lower cost); or dye sublimation for direct of textile and fabrics. Similarly, what I saw the glimpse of Roland DG I saw at Media Expo. This means a solution for point-of-sale displays, event graphics, restaurant menu boards, retail signage, corporate news broadcasts and presentations which can be produced and managed virtually from any Windows-based or Mac computer.

​5. And finally, do an internal check of how many women in your workforce? Do move away from patriarchy. We are in 2015. More than 75% of the women in the printing industry say they still have to deal with sexism from clients and suppliers and co-workers on a daily basis. When I chat to women in the industry, most of them say sexism is everywhere and a few of them say it is getting worse – despite women owning numerous print businesses and the existence of stringent "harassment" laws.