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DELIVERING greater cost savings and fostering better customer loyalty has paid off for Smartprint, which recorded one of its biggest turnovers in FY2011.
Managed print services group founder Jason Ganis (pictured) is passionate about two things - saving money and the environment.
Solid ink is becoming increasingly popular as not only a more carbon neutral printing technology but also a healthier alternative.
“We have a lot of accounts for refill toner cartridges that can be traded in and reused up to three times. We don’t mind using them and think it’s good because a lot of cartridges end up in landfills,” says Ganis.
“Toner is carcinogenic. It has lead particles in it and there are laws in place that require proper exhaust fans for such systems. However, the solid ink cartridge uses a cube-shaped wax ball. There is no plastic or gears.”
About 5 per cent of Smartprint’s customers use solid ink printers, which Ganis claims offers the same quality and cost as commercial laser printers.
He believes there is potential to increase business due to the technology’s durability.
“Solid ink printers can output resolutions of up to 1200dpi. You couldn’t tell the difference between its output and that of a laser printer. The ink doesn’t run if you splash water on it. You can also bend the page and it won’t break the print work,” he says.
Ganis partly credits falling electronics prices for increasing customer savings that ultimately fuelled his company’s 91.4 per cent revenue jump to $11.5 million in FY11.
“Equipment is becoming cheaper. Colour printers have fallen to prices that office fax machines used to cost. A fax machine used to be up to $15,000 but a colour photocopier will now set you back just $8000,” he says.
Although Smartprint has operated managed print services (MPS) since 2005, it has lately become somewhat of a buzz word.
“Toys ‘R’ Us has 110 new printers from us, while WHK Australia has been provided with more than 100 printers. They got lost in the technology and found it quite expensive to maintain it on their own so they turned to us,” says Ganis.
“Instead of having clients buying machines, service and toner, we accommodate for that and charge as little as 3 cents a print instead of $200,000 for a fleet of new printers.
“We also monitor emissions and toner levels. We plant trees to offset emissions, order new cartridges once the toner gets low and provide it to the client before running out.”
Other Smartprint clients include PR Finance Group, Motor Finance Wizard, AMX Loans Centre, Howards Storage World, Next Byte, Bartercard, Bell Potter Securities and Cardno group.
Smartprint has streamlined its MPS process with the Click MPS online service. It allows users to create, package and propose MPS in just 10 per cent of the normal quoting time.
“It has gone live online and attracted very big interest from a global IT organisation. If everything goes to plan, we will have access to 6500 resellers in Australia,” says Ganis.
“It’s pretty exciting. We’re expecting the announcement to be made soon. We’re pushing that in the US.”
The group also boasts an iFish Finance equipment-leasing portfolio worth more than $50 million.
“During the downturn we were worried that people wouldn’t pay their bills, but that was not the case. We haven’t had too many delinquencies. Most clients managed their payments on-time,” says Ganis.
“Our interest rates are the same as a bank would charge, making us pretty cost effective in the sub-$100,000 leasing range. There are no deposits and we offer most leases for five-year terms. We do computers, software and printers.”
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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FINALIST
Jason Ganis
Smartprint Fleet Management/
iFish Finance/Print Security/
Laser Printers Direct
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Age: 36
Business Est: 2005
Staff: 14
Growth: 91.4 per cent
Turnover: $11.5 million
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