Aimée Kligman / Victoria Paper

1. Reduce time from product concept to launch.

2. Reduce costs associated with market research

3. Reduce risk of redundancy or product failure

4. Measure tangible progress during implementation phase

5. Availability of expertise both in US and Overseas

1. You need to be more competitive in the market without adding any more product

2. You think you have a product that will set the world on fire in a particular segment of the art and/or craft market

3. Your procurement chain needs tuning

4. Your current supply chain methodology is not working

5. You want to improve your delivery promise

SIZE MATTERS

That's the advantage that larger companies have: let's face it, if and when you are competing against the large chains, you know that their purchasing power can affect the price on the street of similar items you may carry. For one, we do not recommend you carry the same items. But, you can have the same economic advantage they enjoy if you team up with us as your consultant. It is because we work with very large companies overseas, who produce materials in large quantities,- and can, in turn, enable you to enjoy cost savings on those very same materials.

For the last two years, Victoria Paper has been helping its customers reduce costs even further: as a non-stocking importer/sourcer, we are shipping your orders directly from the manufacturer to your doorstep.   What is most remarkable is that the lead time is the same, or even less than if the items were coming out of a U.S. based warehouse.

It is recommended though, that if you are going that route,  that you make your order as large as you possibly can afford to keep in stock. This will reduce the shipping costs proportionately.  Orders usually ship by FedEx, or if from Japan, by EMS Service; both are impeccable in their handling of paper which is fragile.

Markets are changing faster than the blink of an eye.  The convergence of technologies has made it possible for just about anyone to do anything at anytime, anywhere. So why are some people successful in our markets, while others are either being swallowed by their competitors, or downright eliminated?

Partnerships are the thing today that fuel the economic growth of any market. The more specialized our product becomes, the smaller the supply chain becomes. However, the links in that supply chain are vital, though they may be few. And more than ever before, the consumers are driving the market by making their demands clear. The faster you can respond to those demands, with the best quality product at the cheapest possible price will earn you that customer. It is no longer a matter of outsourcing or off-shoring: it is plainly "sourcing". 

Company "X" in Utah has the best customer service record of any company because when a customer calls, they will speak to a "live" person, who understands their American English.  The calling center is not in India, but rather all over the United States, in the homes of "work-at-home" moms.  Yes...that's correct. Still more cost effective than a call center at the company, but keeping the jobs here, and the customers are tickled pink.  So, here's an example of "in-sourcing" which is working well because of innovative thinking.

The manufacturers we deal with overseas all have production of flat stock as well as  "ready-made" capabilities. Keep in mind that India is a nation on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to printing fabrics, papers, and manufacturing as well. Ironically, some of the outsourcing is being done by India itself to other countries where the labor is cheaper.  The U.S. dollar does respectably well against Asian currencies, with perhaps the exception of the Japanese Yen. Nepal, the Philippines, Indonesia, and most recently Cambodia and Bangladesh present some interesting alternatives.  Saving you time and money, - just let us do the walking.

WEB PRESENCE IS A MUST

There are still those die hard traditionalists who refuse to take full advantage of the web for their business. E-Mail marketing response is getting higher marks than traditional direct mail.  I have kept some metrics together with a report from the April 2006 "Multi channel Merchant and Direct" issue, and all data reported below is appropriately credited.

Reasons for using Email Marketing:

Business To Consumer Projected E-Mail Budgets

Business to Consumer E-Mail Marketing Profitability

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?

1. Get your website in "ship-shape"; if you are selling paper, paper related items, anything tactile, and your graphics are not showing texture and color the right way, call on us.  We know what to do for you.

2. Do you have an in-house mailing list?   Do you rent a mailing list? Do you do permission based mailings? 

3. Over 75% of companies who do marketing via email use HTML.  What are you doing? If you're not, or don't have someone who knows how to format a newsletter, or e-mail seamlessly to tie with your website, call on us. We know what to do for you.

4. 17% of companies who do email marketing are language sensitive - addressing in Spanish? in French? in Italian? No problem. Call on us, and yes, you guessed, we know what to do for you.

SUCCESS STORIES

• 2002-2004 - Savoir-Faire, California gets recognition for its new decorative paper line after working together with me. New papers come into being, old ones are discarded; market research helps with developing new items  with Fabriano Mill.
• 2004 - FiberMark, Vermont successfully launches its new line of scrapbooking papers at the Summer CHA Show following a short five month consultation.
• 2005 - Following two months of negotiations and correspondence, I took on the responsibility of English Editor for VietnamStay.Com. More Americans visit Viet Nam.
• 2006 - By October 2006,  New York Central Art Supply, the foremost retailer in paper in the United States finds a presence on the web with our help.