"The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity." - Peter Drucker
1. Try a new print technique
Now is the perfect time to try printing techniques that you may have seen or heard about but haven't had a chance to use because of normal production. Specialty inks like clear gloss, puff or high-density printing can be a way to spark creativity and hone skills. At NorCal, we have a fondness for screen printing with Discharge Inks. Check out the CCI Discharge White; it's great to print with and creates some awesome results!
2. Dive into unfamiliar programs.
Whether it be applications for design, separation, marketing or even organizational. Getting formal and implementing new features and implementing new features could help speed up the production in your shop. At NorCal, we have been digging into Separation Studio Spot Process 4 color separation software for screen printing. It does some amazing stuff!
3. Update social media.
Posting pictures from previous jobs, branding your content and refining your hashtags could be the simplest way to reach more customers on social media. There are a lot of free apps that you curate posts and create a set of hashtags that are easy for you to copy and paste into each post. We've been digging the Preview App for its ease of use on our Instagram Page.
4. Reach out to your customer.
Now is a great time to reach out and remind your customers that you appreciate their business. You don't necessarily need to call every customer however you could send an email blast to the majority of your customers and call a handful of top-priority clients just to say hello.
5. Inventorying supplies
Its always the last thing that you want to do, clean. However inventorying your ink, supplies and cataloged screens can be the perfect opportunity for future success. Know exactly what your shop has on hand, what needs to be replaced or disregarded because it's just taking up space. Some of those random odds and ends might even come in handy for tip number one.
Hopefully, these ideas can help guide you down a path of productivity in light of these trying times.