No matter what industry you were in, 2009 was one of the most difficult years in recent history. We saw record number of unemployment, the bottoming out of customer confidence, and cost-cutting measures within both businesses and families. But, despite the difficulties, some businesses survived and even thrived.

In the print and signage industry, much like last year, banners and signs make up the largest selling products. Retail and POP displays pulled in a very close second. The chart below shows what else made up a majority of the sells for the past year.

Have you ever taken an order from a client knowing that there was very little immediate profit from the order for you and your company? Perhaps you sold someone an order and when you finished you most likely wondered why you did all that work for little or no profit at all. It seems that we all think about this little scenario around tax time every spring. We'll take a look at the volume handled and the amount we still have, then will stand there with a mystery to solve -- what happened? This is one of the reasons to constantly monitor our businesses in order to know where we are and to avoid getting into a problem before it's too late.

Often, clients will look to us to solve a problem they have with obtaining a product or a service that is foreign to our offerings. If we really want the loyalty of our clientele, we must service their requests for help even before they ask for it. We must learn to anticipate their requests even before they make them because if we do not help them, someone else will be there to take care of these needs, and possibly their future needs.

It is very common to get requests from clients for very small things, especially in the sign supply and advertising business. You may come across someone who wants one or two small items printed and/or installed, and it may seem not worthwhile at that moment, but that small service will often propel you to landing a much larger order. We must care for those who have a need, even if it isn't to the greatest of profits. It takes a lot of money to keep your business moving, and the margins of profits you must maintain are essential to your continued operation, but sometimes you need to plant some seeds that might take a little longer to give you a good harvest. There is a time for all things, and when you service your clients, that might be the right time for you to give service because the client has supported you.

We all have a treasure in the accounts we now have, and selling to them is much easier than attempting to sell a new account. You may be surprised at what kind of orders you can obtain simply by asking for them!