SHOP TALK

SHOP TALK INTERNATIONAL MINUTE PRESS OF GASTONIA, NC | BY CHRIS BISCUITI

Caring About Customers Showing that print remains essential.

During the COVID-19 pan- talk every day about area challenges and demic, local business owners solutions and finding new ways to keep like Pam and Bill Joles of the COVID-19 guidelines respected and orInternational Minute Press ders coming in.” printing franchise in Gastonia have When International Minute Press in worked harder than ever to adapt and Gastonia received a rush order from loserve their communities. Pam says, “We cal schools for thousands of educational have always been right here, and we packets, they jumped right in to help. remain in service to our local business “Everything was shutting down when and community every day, all day.” the school system came to us and told

For Pam and Bill, orders from clients us, on a Saturday morning, that they did not disappear since print is an es- needed educational packages together sential business, and their full-service by Monday,” says Pam, noting this was design, printing, and marketing center the defining moment for their business was allowed to remain open throughout and showed just how essential printing the pandemic. Their “roll with it” atti- can be for the local community. tude helped lift up other businesses who Her team worked back-to-back twelvedepended on them. hour weekend shifts with all of the lat-

“There was never a thought that we est print technology up and running. By would stop working on behalf of our cli- Monday morning, thousands of packages ents,” says Pam. “We prepared ourselves were ready on behalf of area children. for anything during this unpredictable Pam also signed up with “Reboot, time. We don’t have a big team, but we Recover, Rebuild” (R3) and is listed

Sign Builder Illustrated Magazine (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly 11 times per year in the months of January, February, March, April, May, June/July, August, September, October, November, and December with the exception of June, which is a digital-only issue, by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Print & Digital versions: 1 year US/Canada/Mexico $50.00; foreign $99.00. Single Copies are $15.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. Prices are subject to change.

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2020. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information, contact: Arthur Sutley, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or asutley@ sbpub.com. under “marketing services” in Gaston County. “The R3 Program is funded by a North Carolina State grant through community colleges,” she says. “We are providing marketing strategy counseling so small business owners can get their products and services out in the marketplace, starting with branded door hangers, EDDM, rack cards, flyers, coupons, and brochures.

“It doesn’t pay a lot, but we are building ties by getting to know new people and adding more all the time. I advise people to sign up for R3 for their own savings if they call us first. Then we help them build up their business strategy right away.”

For example, a local tire company came to Pam for advice, and she told them to expand on the use of branded hand sanitizer. “They are giving out hand sanitizer with their logo along with service cards with the promise that customers can return and refill the empty bottles from a dispenser in the shop,” she says. “This way, people are returning to their location regularly. He ordered 500, and people are loving the idea.”

As the sun starts to shine on the new business day, Pam and Bill help shape it. “Face masks, shields, and gloves are going to be part of apparel for a while, so most businesses are smart to have it all tell their company stories. Companies, colleges, and local schools will have more spirit and success with their logos imprinted on PPE when possible.”

Pam says they are following government guidelines and even looking ahead on behalf of the people in their area. “We will be making customized labels using our dye sublimation machines and wide format printers to create face shields,” she says. “The addition of these shields is helpful behind the counter and maybe even to make eye-to-eye networking possible sooner.”

stamats.com, or write to: Sign Builder Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407.

Instructional information provided in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to-activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.

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