Case Study: Code Print

Printing for perfection

Code Print is a small business based out of Nottingham in the East Midlands. Having opened its doors in 2010, the small print management and promotional gift business offers print solutions, as well as advice and guidance on making the most of print and promotional goods at a cost effective price for customers.

Despite being a competitive market and establishing the company at the height of the recession four years ago, Code Print has quickly grown and continues to prosper with year on year revenue growth of 60-70%. Given the financial expenditure to set up print machinery, Code Print’s successful business model gives its clients access to a broad range of print and merchandising suppliers but with the creative consultancy from the Code Print team.

Phil Simpson, Managing Director, comments that,

“Customers rely on us to understand the processes involved in printing, advise on materials, size and quantities – all at a cost-effective price. Print still forms an essential part of the marketing mix as people like a tangible product to hold in their hands”.

Optimising resources and protecting business

Servicing clients in the local area of Nottingham as well as across the UK, the team of three people at Code Print brings over 50 years’ combined experience to their customer base.  Managing print jobs for long-term customers as well as driving new business through short-term projects, they can be juggling up to 100 briefs at any one time. Being a small team however, it’s critical that they work efficiently to turn around briefs, deliver print jobs productively and ultimately get paid on time for their work.

Phil Simpson has used Experian products since the company’s first day of trading and it forms an essential part of his ‘toolkit’ in operating the commercial aspects of the business. As soon as the team receives an enquiry, Phil uses Experian Business Express to check the credit rating of the company involved.

Not only does this give him peace of mind that the company he is doing business with is creditworthy but it ensures good cash flow for the future, by minimising any risk against any bad debts. The fact that the credit report can be generated online also means that he can determine the credit worthiness of a potential customer in an instant.

Phil comments,

“I see it as an insurance policy. I cannot afford to waste time doing quotes for people who in the long run will delay or never even pay for the work that we do. Having used Experian’s products for over 15 years, it makes business sense to do the relevant checks upfront”.

Safeguarding against rogue suppliers

As a business that also relies heavily on a variety of third party suppliers to deliver the end product to customers, it’s critical that Code Print works with partners who also deliver on the brief.  Phil therefore uses Experian products to continuously monitor credit reports for suppliers and manage any challenges before they become a major issue.

Phil Simpson concludes:

“Suppliers are also a key element of our business so knowing if one of them could go ‘pop’ at any moment means that I can safeguard our business and manage customer expectations quickly, either by negotiating terms upfront or changing supplier in the worst case scenario”.