Peer Group Discussions

I was talking to a couple of prospective members last month, and they told me about a session they had attended at the NPOA conference in Fort Lauderdale, where a study was presented about the average age of a printing company owner being 59.
While maybe not surprising, they said there was a hushed silence in the room as everyone absorbed the sobering fact that had just been brought to reality. So, what do I do now?
In our meetings, we walk our members through the FIVE steps necessary to effectively execute this strategy.

1. The most important consideration is can I afford to? There are a number of things we work through with our members such as:

  • Do you own your building
  • Are there any other sources of income
  • CAN there be other sources of income

2. What would an exit strategy look like?

  • Do you have family members or employees who will and are ready to take over the business?
  • CAN you have family members or employees take over the business? (This may entail a process to accomplish this.)
  • Or, you would NEVER want to have a family member or employee take over the business.

3. How much is your business TRULY worth?

  • Today?
  • How do I increase the value in a relatively short period of time.

4. What is my PLAN for accomplishing this?

  • It's critical to develop objectives
  • You then need to develop strategies to accomplish these objectives
  • Set action plans (steps) that must be taken to execute your strategies
  • The SMART goal criteria must be followed.
  • A good source of reference we share with our members who want to achieve this is a book called Built to Sell - Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You.
  • It is also a good resource to simply IMPROVE your business as well.

5. The most challenging component of executing your plan is to HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE.

  • If you don't plan your work and work your plan, you will never be successful.
  • All of us have a tendency to get too distracted with the day-to-day. We spend too much time working IN our businesses instead of ON our businesses.
  • You MUST allow yourself time to work ON your plan or you will never be successful.
  • The feedback from our members is that this is one of the primary benefits of being part of our peer group; it helps them maintain focus and accomplish their goals.
Owning a print or sign company can be a lonely experience. The challenges are real and most owners don’t have a trusted place to talk them through.
Our peer groups provide a confidential environment where you can have honest conversations with other experienced owners who understand exactly what you’re dealing with. This isn’t theory—it’s practical insight, shared experience, and real answers from people who’ve been there.
Our goal is simple: help you get from where you are to where you want to be—faster and with fewer missteps.