If you own a small business or run an organization that’s dependent upon community involvement, you’ll understand how vital supporting a local company can be. Research has shown that 85% of a business’s customers live or work within a five-mile radius of your location, which is why it’s so important to reach those local customers.

1. Full-Service Printing Comes With Expert Help.

The key to self-serve anything is that you're on your own, whether it's at the gas station, the grocery store or the copy shop. You can, of course, call a toll-free number for help if you're in a bind.

When you go to a store, you can get personal, expert help with whatever you want printed, whether it's a stack of new product brochures or simply a few posters to hang around your store. Printing experts may have suggestions that you hadn't even thought of. This is especially helpful if you don't have a background in graphics or design and you're unsure how to improve the look of your project.

Choosing the best printing services for your business depends on your design background, comfort level with technology, available time and the project itself. If you're comfortable with technology and know exactly what you want, you can save time by ordering what you need online — but if you're new to designing and printing marketing materials, look to full-service printing to produce the best materials for your business.

2. Check the quality of work – Don’t sacrifice quality for price!

Ask to see samples of recent work from your short-listed printers that reflect the specification of your project so you can make like-for-like comparisons. Check if the finish is to the standard and quality you require – is there any smudging of the ink – or mis-registered text? Are the images clear or blurred? The reality is that going for the cheapest option can prove a false economy. If the products printed are not up to standard this will reflect badly on your brand. Low price often means low quality, because companies can use cheap ink and paper to be able to offer very low-cost printing. Furthermore low costs can also mean your job gets printed at the same time as other customers – which can affect your lead times & the finishing quality. We’d recommend choosing a printing company that is a bit more expensive but that offers good quality and value for money.

3. Service with a smile

Sometimes, workers at big box stores seem less than excited about helping their customers… in fact, they can be very nonchalant or even downright rude at times! By contrast, local businesses often have a customer-centric focus and frequently, the employees of these shops will go out of their way to make sure you get the high quality printed products you need. Quality customer service is the focus for many small businesses who treat customers like friends and family rather than dollars and cents.