While being eternally grateful to God for His faithfulness, mercies, and blessings all through 2024 Business Year, I (on behalf of WHERE To Print magazine Team) wholeheartedly thank you (our loyal and consistent readers, advertisers, PEP clients and partners for all your support, encouragement and patronage throughout the year.
Before delving into this bumper last edition for the year, permit me to share this invaluable insight of what I learnt from Business Coach – David Braithwaite on 8 Pre-Planning Questions for Entrepreneurial Success In 2025 as we look forward to next year with optimism and lively hope especially in aligning our business plans with ultimate customer experience. Note that it’s the market-driven activities a business engages in to serve its customers that create positive financial results. So, building a plan that starts with a different set of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic & Time-bound (SMART) questions can position your business for success as customer expectations evolve. Now, consider these eight SMART questions as you engage in the pre-work for your company’s 2025 plan:
- What do you know today about changes in who your customers are and how their expectations are evolving? Consider conducting customer interviews or using data analytics to help answer this. Who is buying your product or service today, and how has that changed over the past year? Are new demographic groups emerging in your customer base? What are the different expectations or preferences these groups may have?
- What external forces are shaping customer behavior? Are there economic, social, technological or regulatory changes altering your customer’s journey?
- What do you need to know more about to understand how your customers and their expectations are changing? What gaps exist in your current customer understanding (research)? Are there customer segments or geographic areas where you lack intel?
- What channels are your customers using to communicate, transact and engage with you? Are these changing? Should you be adapting to new social media platforms, messaging apps or platforms?
- Where in your offering (product, service, delivery approach, technology) do you risk falling short of your customers’ expectations today? This is where revisiting (or developing) customer journey mapping matters. Is your offering and go-to-market delivery model aligned with what your customers expect? Are there competitive innovations you should adopt to stay relevant? What has your competition implemented that you haven’t, and how does this impact customer expectations of your business?
- What risks do you face if you approach your go-to-market business model in 2025 the same way you did in 2024? If you remain static, how might shifts in customer expectations, technology or competitors adversely impact your position? Are you seeing any potential industry disruptors on the horizon that may come to market in the new year? If so, what is your approach to mitigating their impact on your business?
- What is the greatest controllable risk you face in 2025 (declining sales, departing customers, product issues or obsolescence, regrettable employee turnover), and what actions can you take now to mitigate these risks? This line of inquiry helps identify the most pressing risks to the existing go-to-market business model. For example, if customer loyalty is slipping, what steps can you take to enhance their experience with your company? It’s also an opportunity to discuss early warning signs for these risks.
- Where do you see emerging trends or market shifts you will need to address in 2025? This question is about identifying what may be unfolding now and coming to fruition in the new year. Are there shifts in customer preferences, technological advancements, supply chain or new regulatory environments that could impact your business?
- Is there anything you’ve observed or experienced this year that suggests it’s time to revisit how you define success in your business (your vision)? This inquiry is an invitation to take a step back and ask: is your strategic vision aligned with the evolving reality of tomorrow’s business landscape? Should your long-term objectives be recalibrated based on shifts in the market or customer base?
There are many unknowable unknowns in the business world today. But these SMART questions, and other similar lines of inquiry, can help frame a more impactful approach to creating your 2025 business plan, starting right now!
WHAT’S IN 93RD EDITION?
This bumper, end-of-the-year edition is characteristically imbued with intuitive, educative and interesting articles starting with latest news, industry trends, and special reports in our PRINT IMPACT AROUND NIGERIA (from page 10) and PRINT IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD (from page 12) respectively to ensure you are aware of the happenings in the printing industry both in Nigeria and across the globe recorded in the last 2 months.
Africa’s ultimate packaging industry trade show – PROPAK Africa leads SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES in this final edition of the year with caption: PROPAK AFRICA 2025: WHERE INNOVATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY. Flip over to pages 14, 15, 16 and 17 as we invite you to join our PEP Delegation to purpose-built Expo Centre Johannesburg, South Africa from 11 to 14 March to discover the future of packaging, processing, printing, labelling, and recycling all under one roof at PROPAK Africa 2025. Check out other 2025 PEP on page 25 to plan your 2025 Business Year. Next, is a celebratory SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE of DR. FALAIYE CELEBRATES GOLDEN JUBILEE IN GRAND STYLE on pages 20 and 21.
As promised, other insightful and educative SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES include: GROWING A MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE PRINTING BUSINESS by Somesh Adukia, Managing Director of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) on pages 26 and 27; WEB-TO-PACK AND DIGITAL – SMOKE AND MIRRORS OR DEEP CURRENT? by Fred Corbo, CEO and Owner of SmilePack.fr – FP Mercure Packaging on pages 38 and 39; DIGITAL PRINTING: THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE OF AN EVER-CHANGING MARKET by Tiziano Polito, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Emballages Magazine on pages 30, 31 and 32; then lastly; THE LABEL PRINTING INDUSTRY, AN EVER-EVOLVING MARKET written by Chiara Bezzi, Editor in chief of Rassegna Grafica. The instructive article by NAPCO Research analyst, Cory Francer sums up this mega edition thus expressly featured as COVER STORY for this issue titled: MANAGING SKU PROLIFERATION IN A WORLD OF SHORT RUNS. Open to pages 22, 23 and 24 to know how as a package printer, you can keep up with Stock Keeping Units (SKUs).
As we round off the year, please prioritise your service to humanity by downgrading irrelevancies, time wasters, and energy sappers. With that, you’ve successfully engineered your peace of mind not only for now, but also for years to come as we wish you a beautiful merry Christmas and happy New Year celebrations!
Until next edition next year, take care of yourself and do continue to do good!
