A new year is like another Monday but much bigger; you get a number of new cool goals to achieve, as well as some fresh pages to start scheduling your projects, assigning installers, planning your budget and finding ways to improve your work.
So what to consider? Where to start? We’ve prepared a checklist to help you kickstart a successful new year as a signage and graphics installation manager and be ready for what is ahead of you in 2022.
Decluttering old items is a great way to give yourself the space you need to work on your goals in the new year. The process of decluttering can impact you in a variety of surprising ways – from making you feel less stressed at work to even becoming more creative.
Start by cleaning out your email box, so no more emails in your inbox will get lost and you will have the most efficient communication with your clients and partners. Additionally, to keep your communication platform more organised in 2022, archive group chats with graphics installers upon completion. There are tools specifically designed with such features, where the software automatically adds each team member to a group chat and archives it once the assignment is complete.
The wide-format printing industry has a focus on reducing waste, improving sustainability, and creating a circular economy. The creation of newer, more sustainable materials such as mono-material polyolefin, biodegradable and compostable solutions, and a return to natural fibre-based products helps print specialists to raise interest among consumers about more environmentally conscious options.
As a business providing signage and graphics installation services, being familiar with your client’s increased focus on sustainability and being able to handle such requests will help you to stand out among the competitors.
Another trend that has been actively growing in size in the past few years is ‘Instagrammable’ designs, as shareability and word of mouth continue to be essential in attracting more customers. Therefore, if your team is trained to work with POS installations that embrace alluring visual cues to keep visitors talking online about their client’s product, you will be able to win more deals in 2022.
A new year often means a different budget for many companies. Mapping out the most common project cost categories from the last year will be helpful when getting started with budget planning for 2022. This way, you will see what aspects of your projects can be optimised to prevent unnecessary costs and where the additional investment will play a crucial role.
For example, investments in new equipment can help you stimulate your company’s growth. With more advanced equipment, you will get more printed in the same amount of time and handle more requests, or install more advanced types of installations. Your investments might also focus on upskilling your signage and graphics installation team. This way, you will increase efficiency among your team, boost the quality and quantity of your printed graphics installations, and boost your team productivity.
If working with subcontractors is an important part of your business flow, you are probably familiar with having thousands of contacts. Yet it might still be a struggle to find a specific contact or know who that random email is in your contact book.
To fully benefit from the power of freelance collaboration with signage and graphics installation subcontractors, an active database of every freelance vinyl graphics installer you work with or worked in the past will be of massive help. By doing so, you and your colleagues will manage to find and book graphics installers for any project with a clear understanding of who is best for that particular job. And in case of a cancellation, you can quickly find a substitute.
There are signage project management software applications that, besides helping you organise workflow with sign fitters, also let you keep your entire network of installers and sub-contractors in one place. So, you can send a job description to your freelance installers and sub-contractor network and check who is available in two clicks. For example, at Vantage, your installers can add skills, tools and location info, as well as copies of their insurance, CSCS, PASMA, IPAF and other qualifications and certifications.
A few clicks instead of switching between many standard tools that aren’t perfectly tailored to your needs undoubtedly save time and a lot of energy.
You can automate your administrative tasks repeating throughout the day to boost your productivity and serve more clients, while focusing on things that matter most. The quality of your work also increases as there is less room for errors compared to situations when you have to share the information manually.
As you have set the goals for 2022 that might add a generous workload for you than in years before, automation might be worth to consider and implement. So, you can check everyone’s availability in a couple of clicks, instead of making 10 or more calls, or simultaneously share documents with everyone on the project.
There are many things to consider for the new year, but if you are ready to try out new ways to improve your workflow and know how to manage your day-to-day responsibilities more efficiently – you’ve set your business up for success in 2022.
Automate the whole workflow and start managing your installations with Vantage.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave us a message:
hello@vantage.software
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