IN THIS ISSUE:
The Feed: Industry insiders weigh in on 2007
The Top 7: Interview mistakes
News In Brief: Announcements from Danka, Ricoh, Canon, Staples, and FedEx
Holiday Bonus Section: End of the year tax tips
Q&A: Mario Quezada of X-Tech Systems chats with Copier Careers
Job Listings
Industry Vets Comment On Year's Top Trends and Events
This month we asked several people what, from their perspectives, were the most significant trends and events of 2007. Some of their answers may surprise you.
"At BTA, we view the market from the perspective of the independent dealer. With that in mind there were, of course, a number of positive trends in play in 2007. But, to narrow down to one trend, in 2007 I was particularly intrigued by the growing emphasis of open development platforms for MFPs, such as Sharp's OSA and Canon's MEAP. When one considers the ultimate impact these platforms could have on MFP sales and connections to back-office applications, it is easy to point to this as a key trend." Brent Hoskins, Executive Director, BTA
"One change that has been very beneficial to us would be the rebate system HP went through. Just as HP hoped, it's generated a lot of replacement of older equipment with newer equipment. We got a lot of old equipment out of the field, and people got a lot of good, state-of-the-art equipment that's a lot easier to use and more maintenance-friendly." Steve Kelley, Service Manager, Print Manage
"I would have to say the competitiveness in the market has grown at an extremely quick rate, and for me what's of particular importance is that the competitiveness is making the aftermarket profit a little challenging to achieve. It's not unachievable, but the competitiveness and the pricing that's being gotten from customers on their cost-per-copy for service and supplies impacts the revenue coming into service, which can make it challenging to maintain good strong markets on the back end." Jerry Newberry, President, BEI Pros
"To me, the most sweeping trend of the year 2007 is the greening of the paper and imaging industries. A new keyword in the environmental field is 'sustainability', prompted by indisputable climate changes. The green movement is being driven by increased fears of global warming, depletion of fossil fuels, and the long term consequences of these changes. Both society and industry have embraced green technology, energy conservation, biofuels, and the need to monitor and control our carbon footprint. These essential measures will help ensure that our living conditions can be sustained far into the future." Art Diamond, President, Diamond Research Corporation
"Well, the biggest event that I saw was Global Imaging Service selling out to Xerox. That sort of shook everybody up. The whole business is based on what dealers are selling, what they want to sell, what they can't sell, etc. So that had a big impact on the industry." Paul Youngberg, Vice President of Marketing, Ross International
"One of the things that has had a big impact on our business is increasing competition from the manufacturer direct channel. They've started to get more aggressive over the past year or so, and it's really eroded the margins of our cost-per-copy charges. That competition from the directs has had probably the most impact on our business-not necessarily negatively, but we've lost some business as a result. It's forced us to change our model." Charlie McGoldrick, Owner, Copy Images Inc.
THE TOP 7...Interview Mistakes
Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track
Last month, we asked a group of owners and managers what a candidate could do to impress them in a job interview. This month, we asked the inevitable follow-up question: "How could a candidate blow an interview?" The answers we received weren't exotic, unusual, or unpredictable-you'll find the same roster of gaffes on any number of lists. Yet, despite constant warnings, job candidates continue to make the same mistakes. So here, ad nauseam, are the Top 7 Interview Mistakes. Candidates, consider yourself warned.
1. Dressing inappropriately. Trick question: Who looks fantastic in a pair of faded jeans and a cool t-shirt? Everybody does. Who looks fantastic in a pair of faded jeans and a cool t-shirt at a job interview? With the possible exception of Bruce Springsteen, nobody does. What is or is not appropriate interview attire varies from job to job, and service candidates can usually (but not always) get away with dressing more casually than sales candidates. When in doubt, however, err on the side of formality. A good rule of thumb is, if The Boss would like your outfit, your boss probably won't.
2. Arriving late. Maybe you got lost. Maybe your car wouldn't start. Maybe your alarm clock exploded in the middle of the night and you were so tired from putting out the blaze that you slept right through your backup alarm clock. No matter what your excuse is, it isn't good enough. Employers are looking for employees they can count on, and showing up late-regardless of the reason-makes you appear irresponsible and unreliable. Make absolutely certain that you know where you're going and how long it will take you to get there, keeping in mind that traffic jams happen and tires blow out and, occasionally, small electronics spontaneously combust. Plan to be early and you'll be on time.
3. Lying. It may be tempting to inflate your GPA, fudge your past performance record, modify your employment dates, or fib about your job title. Don't. If you were the assistant to the regional manager, don't write "assistant regional manager" on your resume. If you were fired from a job, don't tell the interviewer you quit. These details may seem minor, but to a potential employer, they're not. Be truthful. It will get you further than you think.
4. Talking above your level of knowledge. It seems obvious that job candidates shouldn't and couldn't answer questions whose answers they don't know, but you'd be surprised by how many candidates will answer for the sake of answering, embarrassing themselves and alienating the interviewer in the process. In a situation like this, a simple "I don't know but I'd be happy to learn" will inevitably be better than the weird, rambling answer you'd otherwise produce. As long as "I don't know" isn't your answer to every question, the interviewer will appreciate your honesty.
5. Using profanity. Profane speech is rude, unprofessional, offensive, and completely out of place in a job interview. Nevertheless, some candidates can't seem to hold back. No matter what position you're applying for, at some point you'll be interacting with customers, and employers need to be certain that you'll represent the company well. If you can't express yourself accurately without resorting to profanity, buy a thesaurus.
6. Badmouthing your previous employer. It doesn't matter if your last boss was Cruella de Vil herself: when you speak poorly of your previous employers, the only person who looks bad is you. Keep your comments professional and your feelings to yourself, and you'll make a strong first impression. Badmouth your old boss, and you risk spoiling the interview. As one employer put it, "If you didn't like the management in your last three jobs, maybe it isn't the management."
7. Overemphasizing your needs. All job candidates want a flexible schedule, a fair wage, and the opportunity to improve their skills and advance their careers. Employers know this, and good employers respect this. But they don't want to hear about it-at least not in the first job interview. Every employer hires employees for a single reason: because employees can in some way contribute to the bottom line. So, if you can avoid it, don't talk about your wants, needs, or expectations. Instead, make every effort to explain how your skills, education, and character can contribute to the business. To borrow from John F. Kennedy, ask not what your employer can do for you, but what you can do for your employer.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Konica Minolta Signs Distribution Agreement with Danka . Under the terms of the agreement, Konica Minolta will market its complete line of bizhub color printers, network-ready multifunctional products, and network printers in select Danka markets beginning in early 2008.
"Konica Minolta's partnership with Danka is evidence of expanding strategic digital imaging sales opportunities in our channel, and further penetrating the color and production print markets," said Steve Jones, executive vice president, U.S. Dealer Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.
Ricoh Executive Wins Stevie Award. Ann Moser, senior vice president of Ricoh's Printing Solutions Division, won an award in the "Best Executive" category at the 4th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. "This honor is a testament to the power and influence women can have in today's business world," said Moser. "It is Ricoh's mission to strengthen relationships with resellers and customers to improve market share. I am happy to help Ricoh achieve those goals by creating strategic initiatives that make an impact."
Canon U.S.A. Introduces imageCLASS MF7400 Series MFPs for Small Businesses and Office Workgroups. The new imageCLASS 7400 series provides 'big office' workflow capabilities at a 'small office' price tag, enhancing the productivity of burgeoning workgroups and busy small office environments. The imageCLASS MF7480, MF7470, and MF7460 will retail for $4,995, $3,995, and $2,995, respectively, and will begin shipping to retailers in December 2007.
Staples Study Reveals That Fewer Than One-in-Four Americans Recycle Technology Waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American consumers generate nearly two million tons of used electronics each year, which contain hazardous materials such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and brominated flame retardants. In May of this year, Staples became the first national retailer to launch an in-store computer and office technology recycling program. For more information about this program, visit www.staples.com.
Fed Ex Donates Christmas Trees to U.S. Troops. In the coming weeks, tree growers, retailers and FedEx will be donating and delivering approximately 20,000 trees to more than 35 bases in the United States and overseas. Last year, FedEx Express and FedEx Freight donated all transportation and logistical services to collect and deliver almost 12,000 trees to 25 military bases. This year, the public will have opportunities to participate by purchasing trees for sale at 40 retail locations nationally.
Holiday Bonus Section
Year-End Tax Tips* for Small Business Owners
- Defer billing when possible. Any income you receive in January, as opposed to December, will cut your 2007 tax bill.
- Tangible business assets purchased before the end of the year may be entirely expensed in the current tax year. This election (the Section 179 expense deduction) also includes some large trucks and SUVs.
- If you and your employees are enrolled in a high deductible health plan, consider setting up a Health Savings Account (HAS). An HAS may reduce overall health insurance costs for your and your employees, and it also allows funds to be carried over and used in future years.
- Make plans to set up or contribute to a retirement plan before the end of the year to reduce your taxable income.
Thanks to Greg Kemp of Myslajek, LTD for sharing these tax tips with us.
* The tax tips contained herein are for general information only and should not be considered a substitute for professional tax advice. You are encouraged to seek professional tax advice for income tax questions and assistance.
Q&A with Mario Quezada, Operations Manager for X-Tech Systems in Santa Barbara, California
Mario, how long have you been working in the copier industry?
Thirty-one years. I started as a technician with Xerox Corporation in 1976. I went on to X-Tech Systems in 1985, as a member of the service team. Three years later I was promoted to service manager, and in 1990 I became the operations manager.
Do you prefer managing people to working on machines?
Oh yes, I like it much more. I think managing is my calling. I love working with people and trying to make them successful. I directly manage 16 people, and I indirectly oversee a copy shop as well.
What's the best thing about your job?
The managing portion of the business, and being able to pass my experience as a service technician on to the people I hire. I've also had the good fortune to hire employees who've stayed with me a long time-I have one tech who's been with me 17 years; another technician who was once a sales rep has been with me 15 years. I've also been able to bring people from other cultures here-I've had three people from India work for me.
What's the worst thing about your job?
The worst thing about my job is seeing a technician not performing up to good standards and having to deal with that. That's the most frustrating. It's always a bad day when you have to fire somebody. That's tough to do, but sometimes you have to do it. The only time I lose sleep in this business is when I have to deal with an employee who's neglecting his job duties.
What challenges do you face from day to day?
One of the most challenging-but also the most enjoyable-things about this job is the last-minute decision-making involved in service. If a part's on backorder, for example, it's tough to fulfill our obligation to the customer. That's when we sometimes have to swap out a whole machine just to keep them happy. We oftentimes have to provide a loaner at the last minute, because a part didn't come in. But we pride ourselves on never having a machine down for more than a day, and we've developed a good reputation for keeping our machines up and running.
What are the benefits of working for a small company?
Working for X-Tech Systems has been very rewarding and challenging, because I've had the chance here to use my full potential as a person. In a big organization like Xerox you get to show off your technical skills, but your other skills are often hidden. In a small organization, on the other hand, you get to use all of your skills all the time.
What advice would you give newcomers to the industry?
To remember that the customer's always right. If you keep that in mind, you'll always try to provide them with the best possible service. I'd also tell them that, in this business or any business, people still respect good character, integrity, and an honest day's work.
JOB LISTINGS
Sales Representative - Louisiana
Field Service Technician - Eastern Coast of NC
Sales Management - Houston
Service Technician - Oklahoma
Sales Representative - Detroit
Director of Sales/Sales Manager - Philadelphia
Field Technician in Vancouver, British Columbia
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