A little goes a long way

Entrepreneur Magazine, March 2012

An article by Lolita Villa of Entrepreneur Magazine Philippines about Sinag Printing winning the Natasa Prize 2011 in Vienna, Austria.

Not all CSR programs cost an arm and a leg. Take it from this small printng press in Laguna.

A small business south of Manila owned by a young couple recently proved that you can undertake a CSR (Corporate Social Resposibility) program for under P50,000 – and even win an international award in the process.

                In 2007, Ruel Landicho, 34, and his wife Raia Dela Peña-Landicho, 32, started Sinag Publishing and Printing Services, a Calamba, Laguna – based printing company that specializes in school yearbooks and marketing collaterals.

                Sinag is actually an offshoot of Tambuli Publishing, started by Raia’s father and known for printing community newspapers since the 1970s. Though growing and successful, Sinag is still a small outfit run by less than 15 people, using an old Heidelberg offset press manufactured a hundred years ago.

                Which is why the unassuming Landichos, who started Sinag on a whim, were surprised when the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers or WAN-IFRA, awarded them the first Natasa Prize for Printing Plants in the 2011 World Young Reader Awards for running a series of successful programs that benefited young journalists in the greater Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces) area.

How did they do it?

Aiming to “foster a love for writing and journalism in the youth of our province”, the Landichos launched their first ever Sinag Journalism Training (SJT) seminar at Calamba’s Central 1 Elementary School in October 2008.

                Raia, a Comparative Literature Major at the University of the Philippines –Diliman, tapped her former schoolmates as speakers for the event. The couple also approached the local Department of Education office to have them sponsor the venue and open the event to both public and private institutions. Local government officials responded to their solicitations by providing food and announcement banners for the event. The result: about 1,000 young students attended the seminar.

                Since then, the couple has organized two more seminars, both of them sponsored and offered to the students for free.

At what cost?

The Landichos spent less than P30,000.00 for all three seminars by tapping the resources of like-minded organizations. Raia, a great fan of social networking sites, admits that Sinag does not even have its own website (although they are currently working on one), but uses Facebook, Multiply, Sulit, Blogspot and other free sites to promote the business and the seminars.

                These sites were how Wan-Ifra executive director Dr. Aralynn McMane discovered them. McMane saw Sinag as the one that embodied the spirit of the Natasa Award the best. She contacted the Landichos, who then flew to Vienna, Austria to attend the 63^rd World Newspaper Congress in October last year, to receive the recognition.

                The Landichos get emotional when asked about this achievemnt – they have never dreamed that their experimental attempts at business and CSR would let them reap an international recognition. Raia says: “We are just a small company. But this has not deterred us from dreaming to do great things for the Community.”

What is the Natasa Prize?

The Natasa Prize for Printing Plants category of the World Young reader Awards goes to a newspaper printing plant “that has an effective educational programme to teach the young about newspaper journalism and about the importance and fragility of a free press,” according to the WAN-IFRA website (www.wan-ifra.org)

                The prize was named after the late Nataza Vuckovic Lesendric who, in partnership with WAN-IFRA and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), founded and ran a distribution system and then a printing plant for the independent press of Siberia under the repressive regime of longtime president Slobodan Milosevic.

SINAG PRINTING TERMS & CONDITIONS

PRINT 101 SERIES:

Article 2

Sorry about the delay, its been a while since our last post and this new post is still connected to our print 101 articles. We decided it would be best to publish in full our print terms and conditions in our blog. This is so we are able to clarify a lot of questions and issues that arise during negotiations, pre-press and press work. For potential clients or those wanting to get a look at how printers work. Here is the document for you. It can be a bit technical but very helpful to those dealing with print suppliers.

SINAG PRINT TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

The quotation sent is based upon the print specifications provided by the client to the printer. Inaccurate print specifications can result in erroneous pricing and miscommunications between client and supplier so please ensure that the specifications you have provided are complete and correct.

The quotation price includes delivery charges within the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas provinces) area. Beyond this, separate charges will be computed into the quotation.

QUOTATIONS ARE NEGOTIABLE: Please feel free to contact your print consultants for quote adjustments or negotiations, finalizations and actual prices are settled and agreed upon during the negotiation period after quotations are sent to the client.

Payment terms: Fifty percent down payment (50%) and cash on delivery (COD).

Free lay-out and design services with the following conditions:

· Free lay-out and design service is given only for CONFIRMED and SIGNED printing contracts.

· There will be a maximum of 3 design studies and 3 print proofs or drafts per project for the free lay-out and design service. Beyond this, there will already be a service charge.

· Timeframe for the lay-out and design service (or prepress work) is three weeks, maximum of one (1) month for book or yearbook projects.

Timeframe for delivery: Depends largely on the type of project, so delivery timeframe will be indicated on the final printing contract agreed upon by the printer and the client. However, as a reference, on average, delivery timeframe are typically the following: fourteen (14) working days for smaller and short run print projects. Thirty (30) working days for bigger print runs and labor intensive projects like yearbooks and books.

Conditions for possible delays:

· Natural disasters and other acts of god out of the control of the client and printer.

· Delays by the client in editing and approving the proofs for printing including changes made in the content of the project.

· Delays caused by third parties such as suppliers and merchants connected with the printing process but out of control of the printer.

RUSH JOB: Depending on negotiations reached, the printer may require a RUSH FEE for particular projects with this type of request, this is to offset additional costs not computed into the quotation (such as overtime or night differential payments for workers doing rush projects).

ACTUAL SAMPLES OR SAMPLE RUNS: For offset printing projects, we do not give actual samples of print projects as that would already entail exorbitant production costs like negatives for filming, aluminum plates, machine preparations and actual running costs.

What we do provide are digital proofs of print projects for the client’s approval, this is to help the client check on typos and color fidelity. Print proofs are usually printed on specially color-calibrated digital printers (CMYK colors) so as to simulate the colors that will come out when the project is run on the actual offset machine.

In special cases where the client absolutely requires an ACTUAL SAMPLE of their project, we can accommodate such requests but running charges and fees will be collected for these actual (offset-machine printed) samples.

Print 101 series: Article 1

These are articles about printing basics. Some of these are standard texts from our marketing kits, others will become a part of our upcoming website. All are designed to discuss and teach clients about printing basics and procedure as well as peculiar procedures or jargon associated with the printing industry. We aim to enlighten our clients and potential clients to the ways of doing business with professional printers. We hope you enjoy these articles and learn from them along the way. (Raia Jennifer E. Dela Pena-Landicho)

How to get a print quote?

Commercial or job printing is a customized service business. That’s why there are no fixed or standard prices with a printing press – everything depends on the specs or specifications of the print project the client has in mind.

Many people often ask us the price of a project but we usually ask for the specifications before even mentioning prices. In this world of instant gratification, this way of doing business may seem slow to some people, but we always strive to tell our potential clients that taking the time out to properly discuss each project makes all the difference in the world. After all, we are professional printers – each job we do is custom-made and one of a kind.

So take the time out to discuss your project with us. We are well known as specialists in the business.

10 steps to acquiring the services of a
professional printer

1. Contact your target printer/s (online is a good place to check) but Sinag printing is one of the best in the market so make sure you include us in your shortlist.

2. CONSULTATION PERIOD: Discuss the printing project you have in mind with our designated sales consultants. If you are not sure about details, it’s ok, they can help give hints or options for you. Best option for beginners is to visit the printing plant directly or have the printers send in their sales consultants for a visit so you can discuss options better and they can show samples of their work for your evaluation.

3. GET A QUOTE: If you already know what you want printed and you have the complete print specifications on hand, then go ahead and give your print specs to the printer’s sales consultant so they can process a formal print quote for you. It is important to note that the client provides complete and correct print specifications. This is so because every detail of the print specs can make a big difference in the price of the quotation. Giving the wrong specs not only wastes both you and the printer’s time, it may also mean the wrong price and wrong expectations when you receive your formal quote.

4. After providing the complete and correct print specifications to the print consultant, expect a formal quotation within 24 hours after contact.

5. NEGOTIATION PERIOD: After receiving the quotation, the negotiation period begins. This is the part where you talk about terms and conditions with your printer, value added services (if any) and possible discounts (if you are a regular customer).

6. CHOOSE WHICH PRINTER IS BEST FOR YOU: Remember, when canvassing for suppliers, the lowest price may not necessarily mean the best product or service. Most suppliers who give the lowest prices are able to do so by scrimping on materials or labor. They are also the most swamped or burdened with overbookings, so deadlines and delivery, not to mention quality, may be an issue. Always fact check your suppliers, research on their background, visit their offices or plants if possible (in the Philippines, there is a proliferation of what is known as “jobbers,” people pretending to be professional printers but who don’t actually have their own printing plants or offices. They survive by having their print projects sub-contracted by other printing presses. It is dangerous to deal with “jobbers” because you will never be sure of your project’s quality, safety and timeliness. Liability may also be an issue since you are paying or trusting someone who doesn’t have an office, a printing plant or even basics such as business permits.)

7. SIGN THE CONTRACT: Secure the deal! Finalize your quotation, terms and conditions with your chosen professional printer. Make sure everything is clear and accounted for. Miscommunications during this very crucial period can mean the success or failure of the print project. Have everything written out -- issue a purchase order form with all the necessary approvals, then have your printer issue their own printing contract with all the specifications, terms and conditions spelled out. Pay your printer the deposit for the project. That way, as the project progresses, everybody has peace of mind with regard to the print contract.

8. PRE-PRESS OR LAY-OUT & DESIGN WORK: Most companies who have their own marketing or sales teams already have “camera ready” or “print ready” projects. They just give the final and approved files to the printer, the printer then issues the final proofing for signatory approval (so that the client can check on quality and color fidelity), the client signs the final proof as approved and the printer proceeds to production work. However, there are many small and medium businesses who do not have a marketing arm that will do the pre-press work for them. In cases like this, Sinag printing offers its value-added service which is FREE LAY-OUT and DESIGN services for print projects. If you want Sinag to do this for you, the condition for this service are the following:

· Free lay-out and design service is given only for CONFIRMED and SIGNED printing contracts. Many times, clients have approached us for projects and ask for the lay-out and design services -- only to tell us in the middle of the whole process that they will not push through with the project. Cases like these, leave us, the printers, at the loosing end of the deal as we have already devoted labor time to the lay-out and design of the projects. So as a consideration to your print supplier, avail of this service only and only if the contract has been signed and approved.

· There will be a maximum of 3 design studies and 3 print proofs or drafts per project for the free lay-out and design service. Beyond this, there will already be a service charge.

· Timeframe for the lay-out and design service (or prepress work) is three weeks maximum.

9. PRINT PRODUCTION: After pre-press work (when the lay-out and design has been signed and approved), the printers will go into press production work. Timeframe for this depends on the type of print project. Small projects like brochures or posters will take around 14 working days while bigger projects like books will take an average of 30 working days for print production.

10. Delivery and payment! Check that the delivery is ok and according to the proof approvals and make sure you pay your hardworking suppliers on time.