Last January, I proposed a few new business models that could take print forward for the near term. I gave these types of print shops names like the Specialist, Localist, Technologist, Leanist, and the Entreprenuerist. All, with the possible exception of the Leanist, challenge the status quo through the effective exploitation of technology.
Fast forward to this January where I found myself reading Phil Simon’s The New Small. Simon talks about a new breed of small businesses that take advantage of what he calls the “Five Enablers” — cloud computing, SaaS (software as a service), free and open source software, mobility, and social technologies. Although these topics are a mainstay on this blog, the printing industry is just now starting to here many of these terms as we lead up to Drupa.
Anyone who needs a primer or refresher on these topics, along with 11 profiles who business that embody the “new small”, should buy and read Phil Simon’s book. Over the past two years, it is one of the most apt and timely books I’ve read for those in graphic arts. Go read it and prove me wrong. I dare you.
Book Trailer for The New Small from Phil Simon on Vimeo.
Random Note: To my surprise, Phil Simon and I happen to live in the same town. It’s a small world indeed.
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