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producer. If all parties in the chain work collaboratively then the profits will flow for everyone.’
“Many of our customers literally work in their business, every week, every day. They get little or no
time to work on their businesses strategically. That’s where Starleaton comes in adding value. We want to work on their business with them, offering access to our advice rather than just relying on us as to be a box mover” he said.
Starleaton Vision 2022
Eaton has a plan is to create and deliver ancillary services, what he terms ‘market expansion services,’ as part of the future Starleaton Vision. The goal is to provide support, to make life easier for printers to run their businesses, by commercialising services that help them operate “in a healthier and more efficient manner.”
Underlying the Vision are such initiatives as Jump Start and Starleaton Hire. Details of these services are yet to be announced however the aim is to help plug the gaps left by holidays and sick leave. With a beta launch planned for later this year in Melbourne it will encourage printers to factor in and budget for replacement staff during time off.
July sees the official market launch of Starleaton’s own finance services hub. According to Eaton, this will specialise in meeting the requirements of the industry in a rapidly changing environment.
“It’s not just about securing the client finance. The fiscal landscape has been incredibly tough over the past few years. Gone are the days of picking up the phone to your bank manager and automatically being granted your request for any given amount of funds to facilitate your next purchase. Now it’s a far more substantial and somewhat forensic document, which asks everything including the day of the month you’re paying school fees. The Starleaton finance team will offer valuable advice on what finance product is best for the individual all the while ensuring the purchase in question is, in fact, sustainable.”
“We want to inspire the future of visual communications, the definition of which is changing year on year.”
“We need to work hand in hand with our customers, suppliers, manufacturers, and financiers
to figure out how we’re going to manage this next decade. We
need to have an industry wide, collaborative approach that will help ensure our clients can continue to invest. There are some really clever people in our space; it’s
a shame the state of the global traditional printing space has been choking us.”
Team Starleaton
on track
Earlier this year Ben Eaton assembled his company in Sydney. In the 40th anniversary year of the company being founded, the entire team from every division across Australia and New Zealand along with 16 major suppliers from around the globe gathered in Sydney where he lay before them his vision for
the company.
“It was long over due. We had over ninety people together when I spoke in detail about the activities planned for the next three years and where those activities will see us land in 2022.
“One of the things I challenged them with was ‘what is the definition of print and what will that mean for Starleaton ten years from now?’ It’s certainly not going to mean what it does today. With some print sectors under a seemingly guaranteed decline, how quickly can businesses move
to ensure their future? Those with traditional motivations will find it difficult to adapt. We are a young dynamic team always reminding ourselves never to lose our ability to change direction quickly. We have an agility factor that is, I believe, unique.
“I know where I want the business to be in three to five years. And
now the staff can see we’ve got a sustainable plan going forward. The vendors can also see we’re here for the long journey. I believe it’s about having that clear picture of where we’re going.”
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