In the graphic printing industry there is one group that is dedicated to building a better future for your company, and that is the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association. SGIA’s absolute one main goal is to make you better. Regardless of the substrate you are printing, this organization is committed to advancing best practices, lowering costs, training labor, advocating legislation, and disseminating information.
I’m in the apparel decorating industry, which is a fancy way of saying I print t-shirts. I quite often rely on the information that SGIA provides me to make sound business decisions, understand the marketplace, learn a new technique, or write a new policy or procedure in the shop. Best industry practices are available to me at the click of a button. If I want to provide training for my staff, videos and webinars are at my fingertips. They make it easy to succeed.
Over the years SGIA has helped me:
-Write the company employee handbook by providing guidelines.
-Write staffing job descriptions.
-“How to” information on business and strategic planning. Build a stronger company the right way.
-Fantastic videos on safety, hazardous materials, and employee training
-Understand complicated legislation or laws that apply to my industry with articles, webinars, and lectures.
-Provide best industry practices and techniques, and demonstrate these by providing examples and training.
-Dive deep into subject matter in my industry by having experts detail real-world solutions to complex technical challenges.
-Access to others in my industry through participation in Peer-to-Peer learning groups.
-Lobbying Washington DC on my industries behalf; SGIA represents our industries well. You have a voice.
-Information to optimize my technology and equipment. What new developments are on the horizon?
-Benchmarking statistics tailored to my industry. What do other companies pay their staff for the same position? Where are the markets growing or shrinking?
-Detailed equipment comparisons. Learn the pros and cons before you invest on capital expenditures.
-Access to the SGIA Journal – one of the best, well written, and information packed publications on the market.
-Advantages with Group Buying Power. Save on freight, insurance, energy
-Information to build our shop Sustainability program. How did we do it? They helped by giving us the answers we needed.
-World class, once-a-year trade show. It’s a “who’s who” event, with incredible exhibitors, industry training & lectures, and tons of networking. This is where you go to learn how to earn.
If you haven’t joined SGIA and have taken advantage of membership in this association I’ll just ask you one question. Why not?
Membership starts at just $300, which is pretty cheap for the benefits that you receive. If you are striving to build your company to be an industry leader, gain market share, hit sales and production goals, or stay relevant in this fast paced, and highly competitive economy…aligning your company with an association like SGIA is a smart way to start that journey.
Or don’t. Let’s face it; I don’t need the competition anyway.
