Printers must act now to take advantage of the free Future Print business coaching program, which has kick off its first round of briefings with more than 150 Australian companies on February 10. The first workshop, in Auburn, New South Wales, Future Print says, reflected the project’s aim to help businesses transform themselves to meet the challenges of the future. Allan Ryan lead advisor of Future Print employed the benchmarking formula, which uses feedback from attendees to evaluate their business processes against other businesses. He then revealed the results, which he says was ‘enlightening to the group’.
Future Print business advisor John Clements says, “Benchmarking is a very important tool which is available free of charge to all businesses who sign up for the Future Print Business Transformation Project.” He says it is important because it gives participants a chance to anonymously evaluate their performance against ‘like’ businesses both within the graphic communications sphere and, on certain criterias, more widely. The results revealed how businesses were performing in areas including revenue per employee, gross profit, net profit, return to the business owners and even areas like insurance payments. Clements says, “A participant described his efforts until now as ‘trying to run a four minute mile without a stopwatch’. They thought they were on track, but now have a very different, and much clearer, idea of where they stand. “It left many participants with furrowed brows, but also encouraged many by showing that they were performing well in many areas and while some things might need to change, in other areas they can keep doing what they are doing.” Speaking with Australian Printer, Clement says, “To help print businesses adapt to the fast changing world of online, we have some government funded subsidised courses, which aim to address skills shortages the companies might have.” He says the courses are subsidised 64 per cent for a business with less than 100 employees, 50 per cent for businesses with less than 200 staff members and for business with more than 200 employees the rates vary from 34 per cent to 66 per cent. Ryan says the training courses are now available to Future Print participants at a subsidised rate, as part of the federal government funding for up to 500 training places. “Importantly, these include not only registered Certificate and Diploma courses but targeted training designed to deliver specific skill sets,” Clements adds. Free leadership briefings are open not only to print service providers but all participants in the wider graphic communications and media space. Sessions will take place around the country until February 27, on: Melbourne – February18 Maryborough – February 20 Bendigo – February 20 Gold Coast – February 23 Brisbane – February 24 Sunshine Coast – February 24 Sydney – February 26 & 27 Celements says, “There are limited places left for businesses who would like to benefit from this government-funded program, which provides a range of information, resources and support to help businesses prepare for a secure and profitable future in graphic communications.” “With almost 100 per cent of businesses who attend a Leadership Briefing signing on to continue in the program, it is important that any businesses who are still considering whether to get involved realise that once the project has 350 companies signed, then it is closed to further enrollment. There is no guarantee such an opportunity will ever be offered again, so there is no time to lose.” To register visit: www.futureprint.org.au.
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