IN THIS ISSUE:
The Feed Manufacturing in China gets spendier
The Top 7 Ways to make tough conversations easier
News In Brief Announcements from Ricoh, Monomoy, Canon, Toshiba, HP, and Xerox
Q&A Copier Careers talks to CPA Greg Kemp of Myslajek LTD
Copier Careers Poll-of-the-Month Is the slow economy hurting copier sales?
Featured Job Listings
Improvements in Environmental and Labor Conditions Increase Cost of Manufacturing in China
In an August article, CNNMoney reported that the cost of manufacturing in China has risen significantly over the past several months.
Reporter Emily Maltby writes: "Once the epicenter of low-cost manufacturing, China is becoming an increasingly expensive place to do business, thanks to a series of sweeping mandates introduced to pacify discontented Chinese citizens and global critics….Aware that the world is watching, China has intensified its efforts to clean up its domestic affairs by enacting stricter environmental and labor controls, increasing its land and commodity prices, and slashing the export-tax rebates that helped create the country's giant trade surplus."
Some recent policy and enforcement changes include:
- A government plan to increase the country's energy efficiency by 20% by 2010. The plan calls for greater reliance on renewable energy sources and for the closure of inefficient factories.
- Stricter enforcement of existing safety and hygiene rules. The crackdowns came partially in response to last year's slew of safety recalls.
- A new labor law that makes it mandatory for employers to offer employment contracts, social security programs, and overtime pay. Several studies indicate that the new law will cause Chinese wages to rise by 10 to 15 percent annually.
- Unannounced drop-ins by government officials to help prevent worker abuse at factories. The government is also pushing for employers to provide insurance to all workers.
While environmentalists and labor rights advocates support the new regulations and see them as a step in the right direction, U.S. companies can't help but be concerned about the increased cost of manufacturing in China. Rodney Carr of California-based Softline Home Fashions, a distributor of curtains and home fabrics, tells CNN, "It's a battle every day. We are not going to cut salaries, staff or any other assets that are important to the company. Sometimes we compensate by raising prices, but mostly we're just eating the additional costs."
THE TOP 7...Ways to make tough conversations easier
Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track
Not every on-the-job conversation will be pleasant, especially if you manage other people. Sometimes keeping your business on track means keeping your employees in check. Here are a few tips for making those tough talks a little easier.
1. State your commitment to the relationship. Open the conversation by telling your employee how much he or she means to the company. People who feel valued and who understand their role in the business are more likely to change their behavior.
2. Recognize successes. Employees want to be praised for their hard work. Let them know what they're doing right before you start in on what's going wrong.
3. Explain the benefit. Most employees won't change their behavior just because you want them to. Make sure they understand how they'll benefit personally from changing their actions.
4. Avoid "you" statements. Replace "you" with "I" or "we" to avoid putting people on the defensive.
5. Replace demands with requests. No one likes to be bossed around. Simply replacing direct orders ("Do this.") with questions ("Could you please do this?") can make a big difference.
6. Listen carefully to the other person. Address any excuses, justifications, or objections calmly and thoroughly. Respect your employees' opinions and try to see their side of things.
7. Don't get defensive. If your employees fire back, stay calm. Likewise, if employees get upset, don't press the matter. Suggest another meeting time to give them-and yourself-time to cool down.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ricoh to Buy Ikon Office Solutions for $1.6 Billion. Ricoh, Japan's second-largest maker of office equipment, agreed to buy Ikon Office Solutions for $1.62 billion in cash to expand its sales and services operations in the U.S.
The deal adds Ikon's 400 sales locations in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe to Ricoh's primarily Japan-based business. The Asian nation accounted for 46 percent of Ricoh's revenue of 2.22 trillion yen ($20.2 billion) last year. The acquisition takes the last independent printer distributor in North America off the market after Global Imaging Systems Inc. and the U.S. unit of Danka were bought in the last 18 months.
Monomoy Capital Partners, L.P. Acquires Katun Corporation. Monomoy Capital Partners, L.P., a New York private equity fund that makes controlling investments in middle market companies, today announced that it has acquired the Katun Corporation, the world's largest supplier of compatible supplies, photoreceptors and parts to the imaging industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed
Ricoh's Environmental Marketing Receives Five Design Awards. The awards were given by Graphic Design USA, the Art Directors Club of New Jersey, and the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The award-winning posters and point-of-purchase displays advertise Ricoh's recycling programs, its Energy Star-qualified devices, and software solutions that reduce paper and energy use.
Canon Introduces imageCLASS D480 Multifunction Laser Copier. The new model, for home office and small business use, prints up to 23 pages per minute and delivers first print and copy pages in approximately nine seconds. "The new imageCLASS D480 multifunction copier helps entrepreneurs and small businesses leverage Canon technology and innovation to have a positive impact on their business success," said Jim Rosetta, VP of Canon's Imaging Systems Group.
Toshiba Partners with Close the Loop to Create "Zero Waste to Landfill" Recycling Program. Close the Loop, a recycler of imaging consumables, will provide Toshiba with collection boxes and supplies, freight, transportation, and recycling services for its toner bottles, laser cartridges, drum units, toner bags, and other bulk imaging consumables. Registration for the program will begin in October.
HP and Junior Achievement Announce Winners of the HP Global Business Challenge. In August, HP and Junior Achievement hosted 16 students representing eight countries at HP's Colorado Springs campus; the students competed in a contest designed to increase their business knowledge and skills. Team Hattrick from Lithuania received first place and a cash prize of $3,000. Second place was awarded to Team Santos from Argentina, and third place went to Team Kiki from Estonia.
Xerox Named "Overall Winner" and "Company of the Year" by VARBusiness Magazine. The VARBusiness "Annual Report Card" recognizes outstanding companies in 18 product and service categories. Xerox earned top scores for product innovation and support, surpassing its competitors in the workgroup color printer category.
Q&A with CPA Greg Kemp of Myslajek, LTD
Greg, over the past five years, Copier Careers has seen a huge increase in the number of independent copier dealerships looking to hire accountants and controllers. Any idea why?
Everybody knows that change is a constant. What's mind-boggling is how quickly things change. Not too long ago, a company's financial information would have been stored in a shoebox and given to someone to sort through at the end of the year. And the owner didn't really know for sure whether things were better or worse or if sales were growing or how profitable the company was. But with technology and business changing so quickly, more and more small business owners feel that it's important to have that information more frequently.
How do you think our industry's tight margins factor into the demand for accountants?
I think it's a significant factor. The more your margins get squeezed, the closer you have to watch the numbers to make sure your pricing is appropriate and to determine whether it's worthwhile to continue selling certain products. It helps a lot to have an accountant staying on top of it. Another factor is the subprime crisis and the slumping housing market, which have made bankers more cautious about granting loans of all types. And when bankers are cautious, they ask for better financial statements. So the easiest way to get a business loan is to hire someone who can keep detailed statements and who can speak the same language the bankers are speaking.
Do you think it's more effective for small businesses to outsource their accounting or to hire an in-house accountant?
I don't think it matters much whether the person is onsite or off. What's more important is that you find a skilled accountant who knows what he or she is doing and who can get you the information you need to run your business well. Good accountants and controllers are always asking themselves, how can this company be more efficient? How can it increase its sales? The stereotype is that we sit around all day crunching numbers and that we have no idea how to sell products or communicate with people. I think that's a false stereotype-we bring a lot to the table for small business.
POLL OF THE MONTH
Is the slow economy hurting copier sales?JOB LISTINGS
We have over 700 jobs currently listed online
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Service Manager - Washington DC
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