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Indeed, COVID-19 has changed business landscape with unprecedented consequences felt around the world. For businesses, it is important not only to consider how to survive this pandemic but to also have a strategy in place business sustainability. Characteristically, WHERE To Print VOX POP Crew went to town to speak with print business practitioners, on the strategies they have put in place that will not only mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic but most importantly sustaining their businesses in the years ahead. Read their responses in excerpt below:
MR. GIWA SHERIFF ADEOLA – BEE PRINTING AND MECHANICAL
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I have been able to embrace the cultural and behavioural shifts that COVID-19 has introduced. As a business person, I have to devise a lockdown exit strategy in continuing the use of technology to augment my business but not to replace people. Companies which have gone digital are adapting to the crisis better than their peers.
MR. BENSON EDET – RHINE INDUSTRIES
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First, I will like to appreciate the business relationship between our company and yours (WHERE To Print magazine). It has been a commendable one that even during the lockdown period, we were getting calls from clients based on the advert in your magazine. But, the challenge we had then was the restriction in movement. I thank God today that things are beginning to go back to normal and businesses coming up again, we are hopeful that we will be better than we were, even before the pandemic.
MRS ESTHER ALEX – BEE PRINTING AND MECHANICAL
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We keep our customers updated through calls and social media platforms, to know their needs and the challenges that they are going through. We also give them some form of encouragement.
MR. MAYOWA AZEEZ – NOBLE PRINTS
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We just come and go back the same way most days because of the effect of the pandemic on our business. We do not have customers like we use to before, but we sincerely hope things change for the better soonest.
MR. SAMUEL OPEYEMI – BIAS COMMUNICATION
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We ensure that we as a company and our customers are safe by ensuring that we communicate with our customers through social media. This also has helped us to make printing wide, which means that we longer put our entire focus in the office alone, but also in every aspect of communication to reach them.
MR. TAYO BAMIDELE – SPARKMAN LTD
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We have established good relationship with our clients in cutting the rate we charge them to get their jobs done.
MR. PIUS ORIM – GRANDSTRIDE LTD
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First of all, I will say that the rate at which we receive jobs has declined drastically. Also, the little jobs we managed to get, getting payments is another issue although we are not into printing fully but we do what is called marketing communication and we thank God we still have some of our billboards that is generating revenue to sustain our business.
MISS IBIYEMI ANUOLUWAPO – IST POINT PRESS
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We have adopted the system of price reduction and promise to make out a good production for our customers. Customers love it when they hear of price reduction, so it actually helps us to sustain the business through these difficult times.
MR. OLOWO WAHEED – OLOWO ENTERPRISES
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Since the lockdown, we have not had any work to do at all. But now that school is about to resume, we are making sales little by little because we deal with school jobs mainly. We help our customers also by giving them discounts and other side attractions.
MR. ADEWUSI IDOWU SHAKIRUDEEN – HOODART CREATION
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Most times, I stay at home due to the effect of the pandemic on our business. But regardless, we communicate with our customers through social media and so far, we thank God for everything.
MISS ADESANYA OLUWAKEMI – T.DEGREE LTD
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We have established good customer relationship and also maintaining adequate quality control on their various jobs.
MR. ALEXANDER ARHEWE – SAMTEX ENTERPRISES
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COVID-19 affected the business greatly including the quality of paper and materials used to carry out jobs due to increase in price. We have been helping in delivering our orders to our customers on time.
MR. KEHINDE BELLO – KEN ON POINT ENTERPRISES
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It has affected all areas of printing. Most of the events have gone down. To sustain our business, we have decided to go into other business and not just one particular printing business like before. And we have also adopted the use of social media to adjust to the new Government regulations.
MR. FISAYO BOLAWA – EMMY CONCEPTS
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During the lockdown, we were still open. We deal with finishing printing so everyone that needed one thing or the other in post press had to come over to get it done. But in the meantime, we have tried our best to keep business going by helping our customers reduce cost of getting their jobs done. This has helped us a lot.
MR. IDOWU AYODELE – JENDOL PRINTING
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During the period of the pandemic we do delivery to our customers while some of them come for their order themselves. With these we have been able to retain our customers.
MR. OMOTAYO SAMUEL – REMLINK COMMUNICATIONS
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First, we are taking risks of low income to sustain clients in giving out discounts. Also, reasoning together in doing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to our immediate environment.
MR. JIMOH SULUKAY – SUKAS NIGERIA PRINTER
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All we know is that it has affected our business at large. And we are trying our best to make sure we do not lose the little customers we have by reducing the cost of services the best way we can.
MR. ONANUBI OLABODE – FORWARD GLOBAL RESOURCES VENTURES
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As the task falls on both director and staff, we both reached an agreement on scheduling work days and hours to sustain the business, so that both sides would not be affected. Thank God, though we have reduced production, but we are sustaining our business in ensuring understanding and consistency from all stakeholders.
MR. BOLARINWA OLUWAFEMI SHOLA – PRINTING SOLUTION
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For me I still have some loyal customers who constantly come around to get their jobs done and I do adverts on WhatsApp too.
MR. IBRAHIM BASHIR – AGFA PRINTING PRESS
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It has been the same approach I have been adopting all this while, and I also maintain good business relationship with all my customers.
MR. RUFAI EMMANUEL ABAYOMI – OLAPETS COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES
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Although with what is going on in this country, most of our customers do complain to us that; ‘is it because of COVID-19 pandemic that we increase the price of our jobs?’ Obviously, it is and we have little or nothing to do about that. We just try to accommodate our customers the best way we can because without them, I don’t think we will still remain in business.
MR. OGUNSHINA TAYO – TOPBRAND PRODUCTIONS
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First, we have reduced the work force by 30%; plan work schedule together to allow other machinery have job; and doing part time to minimize the cost of diesel/power usage and we have also ventured into Direct Image (DI) Printing since clients are requesting for few quantities.
MR. ISMAIL AJAO – TEMIDIRE PRINTS
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Most times, our customers come for the job ordered so we don’t get to do delivery all the time. But then we have learnt in this period to diversify our business and not focus on one type of business alone. For instance, we now make jotters, fliers, business cards etc, unlike before when we concentrate on textbooks and notebooks production though we still do those.
MR. ADOF AGBOKOW – JOSFOD NIGERIA LTD
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By first ensuring that we follow the COVID-19 guidelines in keeping safe. Also, due to good relationship with our clients in our manner of approach to them, we have been able to sustain them, thereby sustaining our business too.
MR. OLAMIDE TAIWO – GRATEFUL COLORS
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We help most of our customer in this pandemic like reducing the cost at which they get their jobs done. Also adopting home deliveries and we satisfy our customer with what we have by printing quality jobs for them. We do not behave to our customers rudely; we ensure we respect them because customers are always right.
MISS ADEBARI MARIAM – ELOHIM GRAPHICS
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At Elohim Graphics, we design and send to our customers through email or WhatsApp. So, if there is any correction, it will be easier for the clients to make it themselves. And we offer delivery packages too.
MR. MURITALA ABDULGANIU – MURGAN CARES VENTURES
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The situation we are in now is not helping at all. Things are becoming very expensive. But then, we don’t increase our fees. We try our best to reduce cost and also help in delivering orders to our customers at the right time.
MRS. ORJI UCHENNA – VICTORIOUS MEDIA CONCEPT
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With the situation of the country, we can’t assure giving discounts. But we create possible awareness on social media, distributing business cards and so on. This has helped us in the little way it can and business is thriving.
MR. AKANDE ADEDOTUN – TEMSDAK CONSULT
