As a child, Saleh Shirafkan gained a reputation for being too rough with his toys. What his parents didn’t realize was that their little boy was actually paving the way to his future vocation. Fascinated by how things worked, Shirafkan would dip into his father’s toolbox and Read More

A golf course provides ample opportunity to kick around ideas, and Andy Slawetsky would agree with that assessment. The CEO behind Industry Analysts, one of the office tech industry’s top news and trends media outlets and someone who frequently tees off at charitable fundraisers, Read More

The Business Technology Association (BTA) blew out the candles at its 100th anniversary celebration earlier this month in Kansas City. It’s been a long journey for the organization since its debut as the National Association of Typewriter Dealers, and while the technologies have Read More

It doesn’t necessarily take a profit and loss statement to identify when an acquisition candidate in the office technology dealer realm doesn’t measure up to a buyer’s standards. During the course of his 40-plus year journey, James Morrissey has witnessed the good, the bad and Read More

In the world of production print, what the client cares most about can greatly outweigh speeds, feeds and even the manufacturer lines adorning a dealer’s portfolio. That can vary based on the customer, be it a commercial printer, in-plant shop, central reprographics department Read More

This publication is guilty of frequently extolling the virtues of dealers diversifying into ancillary products and services. And dealers are frequently wary of embracing the somewhat derisive term of shiny, new things, like cheap jewelry from a mall kiosk. Who can blame them? Read More

It might be said that Chenyi Chiu reached the pinnacle of success the moment he committed himself to embracing a servant mindset. It wasn’t an executive title, notoriety or financial wealth, but rather the riches reaped when putting the needs of others before his own that enabled Read More

In the 1998 poker-driven film “Rounders,” Matt Damon’s character opines “Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career.” Bad losses can definitely leave a mark, but Read More

Early in his career, Michael Conklin was sitting in his office when the owner of the company strolled in, toting two images. One was a picture of a medieval-period stone castle, the other an image of a pristine sandcastle. Conklin watched curiously as the owner taped both to a Read More

In the introduction to this month’s State of the Industry report on product diversification in the print edition of ENX Magazine, we rattled off a sampling of the many questions dealer execs have when pondering a given offering. Among the many factors to weigh, one of the more Read More

The key to success in office technology sales is not all that dissimilar to the qualities that make for an impactful lawyer. Just ask Amie Geary, who has thrived in both worlds. The vice president of NBM secured her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School, and has enjoyed Read More

As summer winds down, we’re gearing up for the mad dash that leads to 2027. In the process, we’re preparing for our largest issue of the year, the Elite Dealers. We’re also taking every opportunity to remind you that Sept. 18 is the deadline for submissions. This is one of those Read More

Diversifying your product portfolio carries with it certain opportunities. The obvious one is the ability to offer it to your current client roster. Two, depending on the product, it can open the doors to a whole new subset of clients who may or may not have a need for MFPs. At Read More

There’s a certain “Don’t worry about a thing,” Bob Marley-like quality to the attitude Travis Lemke has embraced throughout his professional career in the world of accounting and finance. While it may not be the most nerve-wracking discipline, numbers-crunching can be intensive Read More

To live in the shadows of Chicago is to know the city’s rich history of legendary sports coaches and managers. Phil Jackson led the NBA Bulls to six titles. Mike Ditka guided the Bears to a Super Bowl title in 1985 and became a cultural icon. Even before Iron Mike, George Halas Read More