Whereas before clients would receive a quote for a full package based on their requirements, we now provide a base price. The starting point being the lowest spec., cheapest possible way of getting the job done. Improvements to print specs. (materials, special finishes) are then individually priced options – allowing you to pick and choose.

This transparency ensures you get the most competitive prices available:

A4 Flyers – Full colour, Gloss / Matt Art Paper

5,000 Starting from AED 4,750
10,000 Starting from AED 5,750
50,000 Starting from AED 9,500

A4 Brochures – Full colour, Gloss / Matt Art Paper

1,000 Starting from AED 5,345
3,000 Starting from AED 6,750
5,000 Starting from AED 7,900

When new businesses come to us, cost is obviously a big concern. To support them in starting up we need to identify and advise the most economical way of meeting their print requirements.

Business cards are a good example; it is usually better to print in higher quantities than needed – printing cards without names and contact details which can be added later by over-printing in black. A single print run is more cost-effective long term and guarantees consistency. Most clients opt to batch orders in this way. This kind of print management is one of the key ways we differ from printing presses in Dubai in making print more affordable.

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A relatively small expense, that could prove an inspired investment.

As part of your marketing plan, producing corporate greetings cards is unimportant and certainly isn’t a priority. It will be somewhere near the bottom of your list, if at all. When budgets become strained, designing and printing your own greetings cards is one of the first ideas to be axed, along with many other non-essential expenses.

If done properly however, a greetings card can give your company a welcome lift into the new year. Direct mail is known to be one of the most effective forms of marketing. The key is to use the cards and your budget wisely.

Where you intend to send your cards is a very important point. This is the difference between making a return on your investment and wasting money. The first recipients must always be your current customers. It’s important to maintain regular contact with them; if you don’t, your competitors will. Dispense the remaining quantity carefully, this can be done through partners or outlets who share the same customers as you.

Why not give your cards other uses?

There’s no reason a greetings card can’t double-up as something else. For retail businesses, why not print cards with tear-off voucher panels included, offering discounts or special offers – creative uses such as this can transform a simple season’s greetings into something far more valuable.

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After extensive research into the Dubai print market, Al Azizi Investments selected mepc to produce a quality, case bound brochure, to represent their prestigious Diamond property development at Dubai’s Cityscape Exhibition.

The brochure comprised 24 pages of text, Printed in 4 Colour Process, plus overall sealer varnish and spot UV Varnish on the photographs, logos and vector illustrations.

Binding was perfect bound & thread sewn, with Spot UV Varnish and Hot Foiling on a special Die Cut flap bound 6 Page Cover.

The timetable for print and production was only 4 days for 1000 copies.

mepc was also commissioned to produce the giveaway flyers, which were produced throughout the duration of the event at a rate of approximately 20,000 per day.

Printing is something your business should take seriously.

By tuning into your business and understanding your print requirements, we are able to implement a consistent print procurement strategy throughout your organisation.

Almost like having your own bolt-on print department, we manage the entire project – hunting for mistakes and making corrections, running the entire print process and making any adjustments needed to guarantee quality control and critical colour matching.

New research has proven; every $1 spent on in-house printing costs $9 more to manage.

Perhaps the biggest savings are made in terms of time and resources. As opposed to handling your printing in house, relieving your staff of print responsibilities means that they can concentrate on managing your real business – which probably isn’t printing.

The good news is that if you have yet to review your printing costs properly, you could stand to make substantial savings on your annual print bill.

90% of firms do not calculate the true costs of their printing in full.

Particularly popular during any downturn is the ’scarcity’ theory, which says there ‘isn’t enough to go round.’This mindset can be very damaging and just isn’t true.

During any recession people change their spending habits – they do not stop spending altogether. Right now, video games developers and confectioners such as Cadbury’s are seeing their businesses grow, because of the downturn. Look for positives and adapt your business to suit.

2 – Marketing

As we’ve mentioned before, during a recession advertising and marketing budgets are often slashed. This can be used to your advantage. With less competition, its a good time to raise your company’s voice and be heard. There could also be much better advertising deals around, some adverts can cost up to 50% less during a recession.

You should have at least 5 different ways of attracting new customers. Think about your referral strategy, potential customers are most often convinced by word of mouth recommendations. Referrals are one of the most trusted forms of marketing.
Simple adverts which send traffic to your website can be very cost-effective, whether you choose to place an ad or print items designed solely to get your website address out. We’ll help you utilise your print to suit your needs and objectives.

3 – Focus on customers

It might seem obvious, but concentrate on what your customers need and want.
Most companies are mediocre at this.

Go the extra mile – make the effort to learn what your customers want and then give it to them consistently, you will gain a real competitive edge. Give your best customers a call, not to sell to them – but to find out how you can help them. Out of 20 customers, around 7 – 9 should result in sales.

4 – Work your website

The internet is not all about sales, and nor should your website be. Use your website to communicate with customers, to pass on knowledge and information. That’s what the internet is about.

Give visitors something of value and they will keep coming back. Consider making information available through downloadable pdf’s or perhaps offer an opt-in newsletter subscription. Most of your competitors’ websites will be ineffective. By conversing and interacting with customers through your website you can gain an advantage.

5 – Generate leads

Rather than making a straightforward advert selling your products or services, why not give something away for free or come up with a special offer?

While an ordinary sales advert might produce 3 responses, a free offer could generate 20. Following these leads up properly should produce far more impressive sales. It is becoming increasingly difficult to make instant sales, advertising in this way will help build confidence and brand loyalty.

6 – 7+ points of contact

Research shows that on average, to make a sale people need 7 points of contact. This costs nothing but time and effort. The good news is – your business is probably not doing this, as most companies give up after contacting prospects once or twice. So you could potentially increase sales simply by contacting people at least 7 times to develop new customer relationships.

Printing with recycled paper saves landfill space, energy and water consumption. There are now 100% post consumer recycled papers available – but they are available internationally.
How many thousands of miles would we need to ship recycled paper for us to print with in Dubai?
And how does that compare with normal paper stock?

Inks are exactly the same – calculating the impact of your company’s printing becomes extremely difficult and complicated. So what can you do? By making some simple, easy to implement design choices you can lessen the impact your printing has on the environment. 

Use less ink.

Wherever possible, make design decisions which minimize your ink usage. Cut down on solid backgrounds, try using blank pages and more text based designs. Colour is fine – the more, the better. Take your overall ink use of both colour and black into account when reviewing your concept designs.

Cut down the excess.

We see a lot of print media with too many pages and oversized dimensions. Be ruthless with content, cut out pages or sections you don’t really need or could do without. Keep your designs focussed and lean – whilst ensuring you get your message out effectively.

Most importantly,

Use your imagination.

Why not incorporate seperate print items into one another? Make your business cards and stationery multi-purpose . We can help you use your printing intelligently and efficiently with fresh, innovative ideas.

Research by the Retail Think Tank (UK), has shown that increasing your marketing spending during a recession can put your business at an advantage once it has passed.

“When comparing the figures of those who continue to invest with those who haven’t, it’s the businesses who continue to spend that gain market share from their competitors during tough periods and position themselves to prosper afterwards.”

Retail Think Tank

In fact, the question is – can you afford to stop marketing? Yes, your budget may be tight, but as marketing generates income, it’s one of the last things you should think of cutting back on. What you really need to do, is make sure that you get the most for your money.

Where printing is concerned, we can help you make informed print buying decisions and suggest fresh ideas that make the most of your investment.

Keep marketing.
A recession can be an opportunity to grow, to win market share, rather than just survive.

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