Businesses can and do fail, but this is not necessarily a reflection on the industry as a whole.  One or two printshops going out of business, does not automatically mean that print industry in the region is in decline.  Individual businesses are vulnerable to many situations outside its control - economic or political- which may force certain decisions like downsizing or closing shop, but this does not reflect on the resilience of the industry, and one should not be hasty in pronouncing its demise.   Perceptions also play a part in consumption patterns, and striking the death knell too early could well contribute to hastening its early downfall. However, it’s a sad fact of life that the fallout of failed businesses impacts many – owners, shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers alike.
This issue of PrintWeek MEA has an interesting article on Search Engine Optimization and the benefits of all the efforts spent on improving it.  There are more than 6 billion word searches on the internet everyday, and more than 4 billion of those on Google. About 94% of those searches lead to an ‘organic’ link and just over 5% opt for the advert. Experts say that if you are a pure-play digital company, then at least 40% of your initial cost of setup should go towards your search engine optimisation (SEO).  Read all about this digital equivalent of a business card in our Better Business Feature.

Shilpa Jasani is the editor of PrintWeek MEA magazine.