E-Verify
to Take Effect in September
The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says E-Verify will
become effective September 8, 2009...
SGP
List Promotes 50 Green Printers
As of June 30th,
more than 50 facilities are participating in the SGP Printer
certification program...
Online
Training for CSRs
Train new
hires and polish the skills of current staff in this
6-part webinar series that begins August 6th...
Member
Chat--A Sales Rep Dress Code?
Should sales reps sometimes
make calls in "casual" attire?
5
Hidden Costs of Layoffs
If you are considering
layoffs to help fix your firm’s financial problems,
read this first...
Only
YOU Can Prevent Plant Fires
To help keep your plant and personnel
safe, here are a few reminders for reducing fire hazards:...
Member
News
Meet
the newest PGAMA member...
Upcoming Events
|
Promote
Your Company at
the MAGE Crab Feast
Get your company name into the conversation
at the biggest MAGE event of the year (200+ attendees)!
The annual Crab Feast will be held September 24 at Ten
Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD, and sponsorships are
still available for prizes and gaming tables.
Thanks
to our Crab Feast sponsors:
Heidelberg, Prisco,
Xerox, xpedx, sappi
Additional sponsorship opportunities
available. Sponsor firms receive recognition (re: targeted
advertising!) on promotional pieces at the event, and
in Association newsletters before and after the event,
as well as on the PGAMA home page. Contact Paul
Foster for more info, 410-319-0900.
|
E-Verify
to Take Effect in September
The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says E-Verify will become effective
September 8, 2009. The implementation of this rule, which
was issued by the Bush administration, was postponed when President Obama
took office. The rule requires all federal contractors and sub-contractors
(including GPO) to verify the identity and employment eligibility of
all new hires and current employees through the DHS E-Verify system.
Participation with E-Verify is
currently voluntary.
More DHS News....
The Department of Homeland Security also announced it was dropping the Bush
administration's initiate for the Social Security/IRS "no match" rule.
That program sent employers a letter when employees' names and social security
numbers did not match. For more information, contact Jim
Kyger at Printing
Industries of America.
SGP
List Promotes 50 Green Printers
As of June 30th, more than
50 facilities across the country are participating in the
SGP Printer certification program. There are currently
nine certified SGP Printers and 45 SGP Applicants posted
at www.sgppartnership.org,
and the program hasn't even celebrated its first birthday
yet! The Summer 2009 issue of the SGP Newsletter (Sustainable
Green Printing Partnership) also spotlighted this milestone
achievement. If you are interested in receiving the SGP
Newsletter on a regular basis, send your request to info@sgppartnership.org.
Learn more about becoming an SGP printer at https://www.sgppartnership.org/index.php?PageID=12.
Online
Training for CSRs
This program is developed to help
support your internal sales force...your CSRs. Participants
learn about the importance of a customer focused attitude,
building rapport, approaches for successful negotiations,
and using positive language in securing customer satisfaction.
Includes Curriculum Workbook (available for downloading
24 hours before each webinar). Each session is 45 minutes
of curriculum, followed by 10-15 minutes of online Q & A
with attendees. Presented by Sid Chadwick, President of
Chadwick Consulting, a consulting practice focused on research
and development for graphic arts companies. Members can
sign up for one session for $90 per connection or $490
for all 6. (Non-members pay
$190 for a single session, and $1090 for whole series.)
Register at www.pgama.com.
Member
Chat--A Sales Rep Dress Code?
Sales reps sometimes make
calls in "casual" attire because their firm has
casual days. Despite the popularity of this trend--especially
with younger reps--it is the opinion of many businesses
that this is a bad idea. The
rationale behind a more formal dress code is a more professional
image of both rep AND company. What do YOU think? Do clothes
make or break the sale? Does your company have a dress
code for sales reps or other staff dealing with clients
and potential clients? If not, do you want to institute
such a policy? Email your thoughts to Katie at
PGAMA. We'll publish any comments in the next issue of
eNews, anonymously of course.
5
Hidden Cost of Layoffs
If you are considering layoffs to help fix your firm’s
financial problems, read this first! These "hidden costs"
of layoffs could make you think again:
1--Savings from layoffs can be negated by severance pay and the cost of outsourcing
work...or hiring new employees in 6-12 months.
2--Layoffs can scare away top performers by creating
a general sense of unease, which businesses rarely address.
3--Remaining workers can become less motivated, assuming
that since they may be next on the chopping block, why
bother?
4--Less people and less motivation can mean a less-than-stellar
job performance...which can lead to less customer satisfaction.
5--Letting go experienced
employees who have strong relationships
with clients can cause clients to leave, too.
So what is a business to do in tough economic times? Experts
agree that the best route to achieve prosperity is to expand
the successful parts of a business, not to"slash and
burn" staff. In addition, cost-cutting can be achieved
by having workers reduce hours, or even their rate of pay
(including bonuses). Any salary reductions MUST include top
level management, too. What's most important is to keep communicating
to everyone involved what is being done across the board,
and that these measures are being taken to achieve management's
vision for success.
*This article was excerpted from "The Hidden Cost of Layoffs"
by Carlos Bergfeld, first published on bnet.com.
Only
YOU Can Prevent Plant Fires
In the struggle of surviving the recession, fire prevention
measures in your facility can drop from the priority
list. But even a small fire
in your workplace can be a catastrophe--or lead to a major
blaze with
tragic consequences. To help keep your plant
and personnel safe, here are a few reminders for reducing
fire hazards:
- Don't stack paper (documents, magazines
or files) near equipment that produces heat even (photocopiers,
computer monitors, etc.).
- Check electrical cords to ensure
they aren't pinched by furniture or cubicle partitions.
Also look for signs of fraying or other damage, and replace
when necessary.
- Be cautious with anything that
might catch fire, including cleaning solvents.
- Keep walkways
and exits clear of anything that might slow down or prevent
an evacuation.
- Hold fire drills at least
once a year so employees will be familiar with evacuation
procedures. Everyone should know of at least two
exits from your workplace and where
fire alarms are located. Emphasize that
employees should pull the alarm even for small fires.
- Prominently
post phone numbers for your local fire department.
Member
News
Welcome to new member Shannon
Business Systems, mainstay in the Maryland
mailing and shipping marketplace. With almost five decades
of industry experience, SBS provides not only a wide range
of mailing and shipping equipment and software, but also
a well earned reputation for consultative knowledge and
unmatched customer service. The company has forged its
image from its conviction that great products coupled with
great service is a rare and valuable combination. Shannon
Business Systems welcomes every opportunity to work with
PGAMA members on all their mailing and shipping needs.
They can be contacted at 410-769-8700, or email: tshannon@sbsmailsystems.com.
Upcoming Events
| August 6 |
CSR Webinar
Series Part 1:-Foundations for Managing Information
and Perceived Customer Value, Noon-1:00pm.
Train new hires
and polish the skills of current staff in "Strategic
Training for your Internal Sales Force," a
6-part webinar series that begins August 6th and
runs each Thursday through Sept. 10.
Designed for CSRs, CSR managers and other sales
professionals and led by business
development expert Sid Chadwick. Sign up for
one session for $90 per connection or $490 for the entire
series. Register at www.pgama.com. |
| August 13 |
FREE Webinar:
Using Adobe Creative Suite 4 to Harness the Power
of Cross Media Communications, 2:00-3:00pm.
Learn how to use the tools in Adobe Creative
Suite 4 to create and deliver powerful cross-media
experiences. We will show you how to take print
content and re-purpose it for a variety of additional
mediums such as web, video and even mobile devices.
You'll learn how to export InDesign content for
further editing in Dreamweaver CS4 and Flash
CS4. You will then get an overview of Dreamweaver
CS4 and Flash CS4 allowing you to extend your
print content with interactivity and animation
for use on the web and even mobile devices. This
is your chance to gain first-hand experience with
one of the industry's most exciting advances -
cross media communications - using a familiar publishing
platform: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium.
This broadcast is FREE for PGAMA members! More
info and register at www.printing.org. |
| August 13-16 |
Special Event: Summer
Management Conference, at Great Wolf
Lodge in Williamsburg, VA. Come for the family
time. Come for the classes. Come for the networking.
Whatever your reason, be sure to attend this year's
event. Featured speakers include Lisbeth Lyons
of Printing Industries of America who will weigh
in on the EFCA; sales consultant Linda Bishop who
will give three talks on sales techniques; and
Ray Prince who will share ideas on implementing
LEAN manufacturing at your plant, plus a Recession
Checklist. Room rate is
just $219 if booked by July 13~call the hotel at 800-551-9653. Call PGAMA
to register for the seminars, 410-319-0900. |
| August 27 |
FREE Webinar:
Success Stories with JDF Automation, 2:00-3:00pm.
During challenging economic times, many companies
intensify their efforts to become more efficient
and drive out needless costs. The use of JDF (job
definition format) files to automate processes
is already having a profound impact in this way
for some printers. Our webinar Success Stories
with JDF Automation will focus on how to incorporate
new technologies via JDF automation and its real
world results. We will help you understand the
process of integrating JDF automation and how it
can effectively address today’s business
needs.This broadcast is FREE
for PGAMA members! More info and register at www.printing.org. |
| September 11-16 |
Special Event: PRINT
09,
at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. PRINT 09 is
where top executives come to learn, network and
make informed intelligent purchasing decisions.
From design to delivery you'll see the full spectrum
of equipment and services for: Commercial Printing,
Creative Services, Quick Printers, Book Printers/Publishers,
Mailing & Fulfillment, Package & Specialty
Printers, Wide Format Printers, In-Plant Printers,
Print Buyers, and MORE! Over 650 leading manufacturers
and suppliers will be exhibiting at the show and
80% of them will be showcasing newly released products,
technologies and services. More info and registration
at http://www.print09.com/My-Print.aspx. |
| September 20-22 |
Conference-Label
Printing Industries of America Fall Management Conference at
the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg,
VA. "Get Back to the Basics of Business" is
the theme of this conference, and educational programs
will show you why and how to become an
expert in your customers’ businesses
and guide the strategic
direction of their enterprise. More info and registration
online, http://www.printing.org/page/5307. |
| September 24 |
MAGE Crab Feast, 6:00-10:00pm
at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD. Come to the
biggest MAGE event of the year and enjoy LARGE crabs
all night, plus a dinner buffet. By popular demand
there will once again be Blackjack 21 gaming tables--play
for prizes! New this year: your ticket stub enters
you into a drawing for a Garmin GPS system. Tickets
are the same cost as last year: just $60 per
person for ALL YOU CAN EAT LARGE CRABS! ($575
for a table of 10.) Reserve
your seats by 9/18. Call
PGAMA, 410-319-0900.Thank you to ***Sponsorship Opportunities
Available. Contact Paul at
PGAMA for more info. |
| October 1 |
Seminar:
10 Things Keeping CEO's Up at Night, 10:00am-Noon
at PGAMA (9685 Gerwig Lane, Columbia). If you're a
printing company owner, president or manager wondering
how to increase profits in a down economy, this
is the best two hours you can possibly spend. Member
firm Heidelberg will give concrete answers to questions
like: "How can I reduce make-ready times and
save on labor and material costs with the equipment
I already have?" "Am I really making
money? How do I calculate actual production costs
for specific customers?" "How do I get
G7 certification?" This
is a FREE presentation for
PGAMA members! Register online at http://sso.us.heidelberg.com/pgama. |
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