10 Years of Printotype Ltd - And 10 Takeaway Points I Learned...

Wow, I can't believe its already been 10 years since starting Printotype!

3D Printing was constantly in the media and public eye in 2014, with companies like MakerBot and Stratasys in the news, articles abounding the benefits of custom-fit 3D printed everything and everyone thinking that we would have home based printers like the replicators from Star Trek in just a few years!

Well, that didn't quite happen, but it's incredible to see the innovation and progression within the design and 3D printing space over the past decade.

Being self-employed and managing a business over the last 10 years certainly has had some challenging and stressful times, but also been incredibly satisfying and rewarding at others. No one could have foretold of Brexit, COVID, the war in Ukraine and global shipping crises, and each has presented its own limitations - and opportunities. Rather than exclusively focusing on 3D printing as a service, its evolved to become one of the multiple dexterous tendrils used by our octopus-like product design studio - because its innovation and developing ideas that really gets me fired up inside!

Printotype may not have yet become a vast international multi-billion company since starting 10 years ago, but in any case, we have had a chance to work on some incredible things over the years both overtly and covertly, helping numerous businesses and individuals turn their ideas into real world products and solutions, and that's what its really all about, empowering that next generation of innovation!

So, if I had to think of 10 takeaway points from 10 years of running a small business? what would they be -

1. Always be learning. Whether its innovations in your field, new hardware hitting the market, new industry trends or future strategies - knowing this can give you that 'first mover' advantage. These innovations you will learn can really set you apart from the rest, and will also help to keep your passion alive for your industry. I don't think it needs to always be entirely an industry related aspect or specific you need to be learning - be it Cantonese, Horticulture, or High Pressure Injection, the act of keeping that grey matter flexible is all important.
2. Be flexible with client demands, but don't be too quick to compromise. I think its safe to say most clients would like you to be cheaper, charge less, produce more in the same given time. You know your margins, the hidden costs, the extra labor involved you don't charge for- your clients often don't. Stick to your guns. One of the biggest things I think designers can under-value themselves for is the breadth of knowledge and years of experience that they bring to a project. Explain this to your clients, and they will see its not just your skills they are paying for, its your mindset and thought process.
3. If you don't shout about yourself, no one will (a big one this!)I think you need to be prepared to stand up and shout about your company, on the Internet and in person from time to time. Imagine the whole planet has never heard of you, and you need to work backwards from that. If they don't know you, they wont buy your services or contract you to work with them. Knowing where to shout, that can be key too. Its easy to spend far too much money on paid advertising to the wrong people!
4. Networking is more than lead generation. Don't be looking for the value or sale potential of every contact. Think "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" here. I've had many a project land with Printotype that has due to a referral from a contact of a contact of a person who has spoken to me about a project that went nowhere. And you never know what off-topic information a contact might have that may propel you into orbit
5. Don't feel guilty for taking time off. As most small business owners don't get the perks of employed life with holiday time, sick time, paid leave and all the rest of it, its easy to get into a mindset of "I don't get it so I don't deserve it". If your business cant survive the odd long weekend or 4 day workweek, there may be bigger issues at play.
6. Separate work and play to a degree. I am always thinking about work. i cant stop it. ill be sat in bed at 3AM and think about a new fixing mechanism that can use threaded inserts, or conformal cooling channels in a pulse-jet combustion chamber. Brains cant be separated, but you can try and divide work and play by keeping work out of the living room, office and bedroom. Work in your work areas, and for me, having a work phone and personal phone was a big help.
7. Very little benefit comes from working after 6pm on a Friday. I mean sure, if you have that big tender document that needs to be ready on a Monday or a quote required before close of play, crack on. But most employed staff mentally seem to switch off after 4pm on a Friday, so I would give yourself a rest and say, if it needs doing, you'll get much more done early on a Monday or a few hours over the weekend, than toiling away into Friday night.
8. Treat every customer with respect and interest.Like I've said before, you never know where you might get that incredible insight. Their contract might only be 20% of the last one you signed, but to them, it's a major investment and a leap of faith to pass the work over to you. Treat them all as A* customers, and you'll find them coming back. Counter-intuitively, the smaller the client, often the louder they shout your accolades. I've had far more referrals from SME clients than large multinationals, and think that can be simply because SME's are interacting far more with other company owners than procurement departments do among other large corporations, often not looking to keep their development partner cards close to their chest.
9. Time spent organizing isn't wasted time. I used to hate lists, and would shudder at the sight of a GANTT chart. But the reality is that unless you have incredible time management and memory, lists, timelines and milestones can be invaluable for keeping you in-line and on track to achieve projects. Use software, post it-notes, magnetic letters on the fridge, or temporary tattoos, whatever works for you to keep those important tasks visible and ordered. This is a great one to ask your network of contacts about, I always find someones got a great process or method I hadn't thought about!
10. EAT THAT FROG (this really should be #1!) It's way too easy these days to spend an entire day making busywork networking, chasing leads, writing socials, a bit of marketing or whatnot. Most weeks will have a big job to focus on. Do that first, get it over and done with, you'll suddenly realize wow that wasn't as bad as I thought. Every. Single. Time! And its such a good feeling to have that priority task monkey off your back! ......Now, if I could only consistently practice what I preach

Well, that's all I can think of for now! Thanks to all my colleagues and clients who have supported me over the years, I've learned greatly off you and cant wait to see what the next 10 years have in store!

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessJourney #Innovation #Printotype