We’ve all heard the phrase “we don’t know what we don’t know,” and as it applies to business, it is those variables that are not readily apparent and cannot be factored into a business plan. Natural disasters and pandemics immediately come to mind, as do man-made/triggered Read More

A pair of dealers embraced the “buy local” mantra in announcing acquisitions this week. Braden Business Systems of Fishers, Indiana, bolstered its Midwest holdings by obtaining Lafayette Copier, roughly 67 miles away. Meanwhile, Doing Better Business of Altoona, Read More

Dealers are renowned for being brutally honest, so it speaks volumes that they weren’t overly negative or pessimistic in characterizing the state of the industry in 2022, even despite the remnants of supply chain issues, stifling inflation and the challenges on the HR side in an Read More

In conjunction with this month’s State of the Industry report on marketing, our dealer panel has provided seven successful campaigns and strategies that were rolled out in 2022. A little creativity and a lot of ingenuity enabled these dealers to produce campaigns that speak to Read More

In mapping out a timeline of the past 25 years, Jim Coriddi notes remarkable growth spurts walk hand-in-hand with some of the most significant business advances/movements to hit the office technology sector. The senior vice president, dealer division for Ricoh USA, Inc. touched Read More

The world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be a complex one. Income statements, balance sheets, market strategies, product and service portfolios, primary vendor lines and any number of performance metrics can go a long way toward projecting whether a potential target Read More

Given the symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing, it’s curious that there are dealers within the office technology sector that have chosen to outsource their marketing needs. After all, who would better understand the industry, the intricacies of customer verticals, Read More

It’s that time of year for the industry’s best and brightest students to take home their report cards. Instead of a semester or marking period, we’re evaluating the 2022 calendar year as a whole. All we need is those little manila envelopes that parents needed to sign and send Read More

A racecar driver doesn’t need to know what’s going on under the hood of the vehicle in order to be successful, but having an intimate knowledge of the machinations certainly helps. However, when it comes to guiding the fortunes of an office technology dealership, boasting an Read More

Remember the five-year business plan? Perhaps your dealership still develops them to set the stage for long-term goal achievement. There’s certainly value in a $20 million dealership laying the foundation to increase top-line revenues to $30 million and identifying a Read More

Rohan Santora is on a mission to change the way dealers think about their customer relationship management (CRM) tools. The director of sales for The Sailor Group/AgentDealer knows the humble CRM has more to offer beyond being merely a sales and forecasting management vehicle, Read More

If there’s one thing the past three years have taught us, it’s that lessons aren’t truly learned unless we implement the knowledge into our processes and the way we conduct business moving forward. Repeated mistakes are often costly and can be accompanied by unforgiving Read More

As we empty out the notebook from our January State of the Industry report on trends and predictions for 2023, we offer a few final thoughts from the world of manufacturers, distributors, leasing concerns and other providers to the industry. These contributors offer a unique Read More

As soon as the ball dropped in Times Square on Sunday, the countdown began for all the Negative Normans and Nellies who reside in Pessimistic Cove. They’re all asking the same question: when will something bad happen in 2023? It’s a coping mechanism, a raising of the defense Read More

Loyalty is a funny thing. Sure, we know the textbook definition, but we also have our own interpretation of what loyalty looks and feels like, but there’s rarely consensus. Take relationships, whether they’re personal or professional. There’s a fine line between being loyal and Read More