White Fright - The Blank Page Syndrome

Have you ever had the feeling that you want to begin a new project but you struggle with where to start? You have a reservoir of pent up creative energy waiting to be unleashed...but you worry about making a 'wrong' first step. You stare at your blank notebook, blank Word page, blank canvas and drill holes in it with your eyes, looking for 'inspiration'.

It doesn't take long before that energy is redirected to a distraction - internet, creating to do lists, mindless tasks, cleaning up your email inbox - in the misguided hope that the distraction will kick something creative and productive loose. This step is called procrastination and it is the kryptonite of getting things done!

There is another way.

What works for me is a process based on what Tony Buzan developed called mind mapping. Essentially what you do is start with a blank space - it could be a piece of paper, a flip chart, a white board - and write you objective in the center. Let's use 'write a book' as an example.

In the area around the center, write down the various components of your project. From each of these headings, write down the sub headings that represent key facets of the heading that need to be created.

It is not critical to do this in one sitting - or standing - but to allow your brain the freedom to have inspiration and ideas 'arrive'. Keeping your map handy to record the ideas will help you avoid forgetting the ideas that arise but get lost by 'I forgot to remember to write this down'. If it's not practical to keep your map handy, a small notebook to record random ideas for transferring to the map later works just as well.

Two positive things happen in this process: you allow your brain to work the way it needs to during the creative process and the act of committing you ideas to a blank page often is exactly the trigger you need to stop procrastinating.

If you are comfortable working digitally, there are some very good free mind map programs available for downloading. The low tech version - paper and pencil - work equally well. Regardless of how you do it, the key is to do it!

If this idea appeals to you but you are not sure how to get it going, your coach may be the right next step to your completed project!

Is Mobile Printing Right for Your Business?

On-Demand Printing and Agility

Mobile employees need access to business documents, but "read-only" access isn’t enough. Mobile team members need to be agile: able to create, use, and share notes, invoices, and fact sheets. Mobile printing eliminates cumbersome workarounds (like emailing documents to yourself or a client) and can even allow guests and customers to print.

Considerations:

• Security — Passwords, ID cards, and two-factor authentication can all be leveraged in mobile printing solutions to prevent data loss. Of course, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies are mandatory.

• Costs — Mobile printing can reduce hardware expenses by freeing your team to use smartphones and tablets instead of costly laptop computers. Ensure central management—like an MPS partner—oversees your mobile printing solution.

• Ease of Use — Depending on your needs, you may prefer email-to-printer, browser-based solutions, independent applications, or MPS tools to get your documents from device to paper.

• Features — Your solution can include functionalities like guest printing and eco-friendly rules, or your devices can be set up to keep your options simple.

For more information regarding MOM's mobile solutions, check out the Mobile page on our website.

The Five Elements Of Authentic Happiness

The theory of positive psychology and its extension into the practice of authentic happiness were developed by Martin Seligman.  Dr Seligman is the acknowledged authority in this area and his many books and papers represent a practical starting place for anyone pursuing the goal of increasing their happiness.

Today the concept of happiness has turned into a catch all buzz word and most people have become deaf and blind to the array of information promoting happiness as a worthwhile  personal goal. The result of this overload is essentially no change.

It’s worthwhile to take a step back from the current happiness hype and revisit what Dr Seligman considered the specific aspects the led to happiness. Breaking the broad concept into practical elements can change a person’s perspective from apathy to proactivity and positive results..

Seligman’s theory of Authentic Happiness was that happiness could be broken into five different elements that we choose for their own sake: positive emotion, engagement, meaning, relationships and achievements. Each of these elements is better defined and more measurable than happiness.

The first element is positive emotion; what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and so on. An entire life led successfully around this element, Seligman called a ‘pleasant life’.

The second element, engagement, is about flow: being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of self consciousness during and absorbing activity. Engagement is different – even opposite – from positive emotion.  If you ask someone who is in flow what they are feeling, they usually say ‘nothing’. In flow, we merge with the object.

The third element of happiness is meaning. Humans want meaning and purpose in life. A meaningful life consists of belonging to and serving something you believe is bigger that the self and society has created an array of positive institutions to allow this: religion, political parties, protecting the environment, charitable organizations, family.

The fourth element is relationships; that individuals flourish through their connections through relationships. This concept may seem obvious but, many cases, relationships are taken for granted and the impact of them is significantly diminished.

Seligman’s final element of happiness is achievements; which are activities in which we engage to the unique purpose of making an impact and feeling successful

When assessing our own sense of happiness, we will get a far more accurate picture when using Seligman’s five elements to create the assessment. Answer the question "how much of a specific element am I actually bringing into my life?". If this idea is appealing but you don’t know where to start, perhaps your coach get  you going in the right direction!

And the Foolish Man Built His House on Sand

Recently, my 4-year-old Lane wanted to get a treat all by himself.  After all, he is 4 years old now.
The Skittles he wanted was on the top shelf in the pantry.  Yep, Skittles.  Not the apple or banana he passed in the fruit bowl on the way to the pantry.

So obviously, he couldn’t reach it.

• At first, he tried to stand on his bean bag to reach them.  His bean bag is pretty old, so it is really just a bag at this point.  That didn’t work.
• Then he tried blocks.  He came tumbling down like a bad game of Jenga.  
• Next, he tried a chair, but it was still out of reach.
• Lastly, he asked his dear old dad for a little help.  I picked him up, he grabbed the goldfish, and life was good.  

Lane needed a solid foundation to achieve his goal.

The same is true with your business.

You need solid foundations for your solutions.  There are no quick fixes.

• If you are having cash flow issues, you may need to dive deep into the numbers.  Getting a loan may only be standing on a bean bag, especially if you don’t address the source of the cash flow problems, i.e. accounts receivable, having too much payroll, not charging enough.
• If you are having personnel issues, continuing to hire the same type of person, may be like standing on a set of blocks.  It may be time to review the set of qualifications needed for the job you have, such as the attitude and translatable skills versus just having experience in the industry.
• If you want to have a consistent marketing approach for your business, you need to have your own content and a calendar to keep you on track.  Just dragging up a chair to stand on, every time revenue dips will only get you close to your goals.

While you will have to be patient, building your business on a solid foundation will always beat sand.

Or a bean bag…or blocks…or a chair.

The Magic of 5th Color Print Technology

Ricoh's workintelligent.ly site is a wealth of knowledge for our industry and we look forward to sharing many articles from their site in 2017. One of the most interesting products that Ricoh released in 2016 was the Pro c7100-c71170 series with it's ability to print with both White and Clear Toner. Below is an article by John Fulena about the impact the 5th Color station can have on your printing environment. Internally, MOM has utilized the 5th Color station for event flyers, candy bar wrappers, and tickets with a clear coat so they cannot be duplicated. Enjoy the article below...the 5th Color station is definitely worth a closer look for your business in 2017.

John Fulena

John Fulena, Vice President, Production Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc., oversees the design and implementation of all marketing and business strategies to drive Ricoh’s success in the Production Print market. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Fulena continues to be an integral part of Ricoh’s leadership in the Production Print market.

What would it take for Graphics and Marketing (GAM) to enter the luxury retail, customized promotions and packaging, restaurant and hospitality industries?

That question had been plaguing GAM’s owner, Nathaniel Grant, for the past few years. Located in Sterling, Virginia, the firm offers a broad portfolio of services and print technology: advertising, branding, bindery, creative services, direct mail, strategic marketing, print and fulfillment services, and large format / tradeshow displays.

Nevertheless, even with offset, digital and wide-format equipment acquired over the firm’s 40 years in business, Grant watched profitable jobs walk out the door because he lacked in-house capabilities to produce decals, loyalty cards, oversized brochures, and short-run book jacket covers.

A wonder of effects

That all changed the day he was offered the chance to put a powerful  5th Color station, digital color production print system through its paces. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The press did everything he wanted. It supported White Toner, which made images printed on dark colored and metallic media pop. It supported Clear Toner, which added a gloss effect, creating a premium look for store catalogs, business cards and packaging. And it printed oversize sheets, which could open the door to customers who required full-sized, trifold brochures and unique folding pieces.

Creative possibilities danced before Grant’s eyes. No longer would he have to offload jobs to a specialty printer. He could handle decals, window clings, metallic effects, light box transparencies and more from his own production floor.

Behind the magic

Once the press was installed and operators trained—simplified by step-by-step video instructions—Grant set to work, unveiling the capabilities to an array of prospects. He felt like a magician when he demonstrated how quickly and easily the press handled seemingly impossible tasks. He glowed at the delight clients expressed when they saw minute details of their products leap off the page, and he grinned as orders flowed in from new clients.

• Simulating metallic printing and producing promotional displays on synthetic materials opened the door to luxury brand clients.
• Producing in-store signage and seasonal promotional items landed jobs from food service clients.
• Enabling cost-effective security and authenticity watermarks drew another group of clients.
• Printing unique, eye-catching pieces, on short runs, at affordable prices brought designers and creative directors knocking at the door.

GAM has been approaching high-end retailers, ad agencies, and hotel and restaurant chains to tell their story and discuss how the new 5th color technology can set them apart from their competition. Orders have been coming in for large, personalized posters, six-page newsletters with variable data, and even postcards 4-up, and brochures running 2-up. Ultimately, GAM has made a measurable impact on its business and future proofed itself in a rapidly evolving industry.

Learn more about GAM’s successes with 5th Color technology in its case study here.

The Benefits Of Mindfulness

It is difficult for one to avoid information promoting the benefits of mindfulness, so much so that one's own self defense mechanisms filter much of it out and deposit the information in the overload scrap heap. This is a shame because mindfulness really works!

The important aspect of mindfulness is that for a practice to be effective, one needs to tailor it to your personal needs, lifestyle, and how you learn.

There is tons of credible research available to define the benefits of a mindfulness practice. With this research as the basis, here are some of the widely accepted benefits of a mindfulness practice:

1. Reduced rumination. Rumination is the continual replaying of similar thoughts and often associated with worry or even obsession. Typically, the thoughts are focused on the past or the future and the more a person ruminates, the less they are focused on and aware of what is happening in the present.

2. Stress reduction. Stress is often associated with worry and worry typically is related to something in the future. By focusing on the present, you become more aware of what you can influence and manage and what is beyond your control.

3. Boost working memory. The mind can only hold 5 or 6 separate things in working memory. When you add an additional element to be considered, something usually falls by the wayside. Focusing on the present allows you to keep the elements that are critical to the present in front of you and you are less likely to ‘forget’ something. For example, if you are ‘thinking’ about what you are going to do on the weekend, you may overlook something you meant to do on your present shopping trip.

An effective way to stay focused in the moment is to keep a note pad handy to record things that need to be done ‘in the future’.

4. Improved focus. Mindfulness helps notice when an intrusive thought arises – a thinking habit ‘fork in the road moment’ – and makes it possible to let the thought go or record it for attention later.

5. Less emotional reactivity. Emotions arise regularly. This is the mind’s normal response to experiencing life. How you respond to the emotion – how much energy you devote to reacting – can be managed. Mindfulness allows you to recognize the emotion and respond skillfully rather than getting indefinitely lost in the grip of an emotion.

Emotions are cyclical – they have a beginning and an end. The length of the cycle can be heavily influenced by the messages we send ourselves about the emotion. For example, when anger arises, you could think “I am angry” or you could think “There is anger”. Two completely different perspectives about the same circumstance.

6. More cognitive flexibility. We judge so much of what we experience in life and when we judge something, we have already formed an opinion about it. When an opinion is formed, we stop learning. When we stop learning, life begins to close down.

The more mindful we are, the more aware we are of our judgments and can use that awareness to take a more curious approach to the array of people and circumstances we encounter.

7. Greater relationship satisfaction. The quality of our relationships with others directly impacts the quality of our lives and the amount of happiness we experience. One of the simplest ways to improve the quality of our relationships is to be appropriately mindful when we are with someone. Listening mindfully sends an incredibly powerful message to another person.

As a place to start, check out this short piece on mindful breathing. Breathing is something available to everyone and a simple, personal yet exceptionally powerful foundation upon which to build a mindfulness practice.

If the potential for mindfulness appeals to you but you are stuck in getting a practice off the ground, your coach may be able to help you launch.

Security Breaches can be Costly for Businesses

Sensitive information leaked can equal a scandal for companies. Besides the obvious loss of customer trust, reputation, sales and lowered stock price, the non-compliance fines can spell real trouble for an unwitting business. Audit committees are voracious about protecting customer-related information and corporate sensitive data.

Companies are required to comply with data-privacy regulations, best practice requirements and industry guidelines regarding the usage and access to customer data. Privacy requirements for protecting non-public personal information include: selective encryption of stored data, separation of duties, proper access control and centralized independent audit functions.

Data security is not an option - it is mandatory according to government legislation and industry regulations. For example, the U.S. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) requires financial institutions and their partners to protect non-public personal data while in storage, while implementing a variety of access and security controls. Failure to comply with GLBA results in big regulatory fines for the financial institution. Equally damaging, the CEOs and directors can be held personally responsible and legally liable for any misuse of personally identifiable non-public information.

There are $4 million in losses quoted as the annual estimated loss from security breaches according to the Computer Security Institute (CSI) Computer Crime and Security Survey. Further it was revealed that over half of the databases have some kind of breach on a yearly basis. Being that these are only the security problems that companies are reporting, this percentage is staggeringly high. Organizations don't want to advertise the fact that their internal people have access to customer data and can cover up their tracks, take that data, give it to anybody, and stay undetected and employed while a crime is committed.

Download our document on How to Avoid Getting Ransomware.