What positives are you able to draw on from the experiences of 2022?
The big positive for me has been our launch of Eight Plus, the new division we set up in March. It was developed at breakneck speed to help buyers left in the lurch with the demise of the YM Group. It has exceeded my expectations massively and will mean we will break yet another record this year for top line sales and growth.
What trend do you think has been accelerated because of the impact of inflation?
The focus on value for money and ROI has been under even more scrutiny and quite rightly. This is driving efficiencies and in many cases reduced spend and therefore volume which has played into our hands in some aspects as we specialise in short run.
What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2023?
For me it’s the same as last year, and the year before that – diversification.
What are your hopes for 2023?
At an industry level I hope to see some stability from the paper market in terms of price, as this is what our customers are asking about, and we really do need it, as does the entire print sector. I also hope Royal Mail and the CWU can come to some agreement that does not jeopardise mail volumes even further.
For the business it is continued growth, but at a steadier pace as this year has been hard to keep up with, albeit very successful, so now is the time to evaluate where we are at and ensure the correct structure and resource is in place.
What piece of advice do you wish you had been given in December 2021 to prepare you for the year you’ve just had?
Create a clone of myself! Not because I’m amazing, as I’m not, but there were probably too many plates spinning for a while which was challenging and not sustainable long-term. However, with that in mind it is about people and ensuring you bring the right ones in who share the same values and visions, which we did.
What was your word or phrase of the year in 2022?
Opportunity!
What, if anything, will you do differently in 2023?
Spend more time in the virtual helicopter. By that I mean taking a step back at regular intervals to review where we are, what we are doing, where are we going, as a sanity check to ensure everyone is on the same page and we continue to do what we do best.
Are you making any New Year's resolutions? If so, what?
Focus on the things that matter, forget the things that don’t.
