How good networking can grow your business

Why network in business? Networking is a business-building tool and some of the most renowned entrepreneurs in the world, such as Richard Branson, have attributed their success from making business connections.

We all know that “people buy from people” and the same applies in our business partnerships - as we build connections in other areas and regions, we’re able to grow our expertise and multiply our reach. This is the whole reason why we created the Premier Partner programme.

The Xerox Premier Partners Global Network is well into its teenage years now. It started as a way for the most innovative companies in digital production print, to come together to find new opportunities and explore ways of doing business in a fast changing market.

Today, this community has over 550 members from all over the world. These businesses share similar values, have a highly driven business growth and are at the forefront of innovation and technology.

In preparing to write this post, I wanted to hear from our Premier Partners themselves. To learn from them, why belonging to a global network – sometimes with their competitors – is valuable. Here are a few examples of what they said:

“Networking with the Stalwarts of the trade enables us to keep updated with the new trends in the print industry along with the ability to adapt to it.” Shailesh Sharma, Inndus Cards & Gifts, India

“It is about sharing good practice, expertise and being able to pull on the resources of like-minded print professionals.” Dave Dixon, Minuteman Press, United Kingdom

“I meet people in the line of business, and we take advantage of each other's experiences and challenges. This lifts my business.” Jonte Rosendal, Strömberg, Sweden

“The industry needs this type of program to help businesses grow and strive in the ever changing world of digital Print.” Paul Callaghan, Callahan Publishing, Singapore

The pattern that emerges is clear. Networking with like-minded people, sharing best practices and staying on top of new communication trends is key to developing and growing their print and communications businesses.

To support these business ideals, at the end of May just before drupa 2016 kicks off, we have gathered the complete network of Premier Partners from around the world and our European Graphic Communication Resellers for the Xerox Global Forum in Düsseldorf.

If our top customers are talking to each other, they are building business ideas and micro networks which generate growth and, in turn, more opportunities for Xerox solutions to support them. This makes the business world go round.

The Jubels Story

A shining example of success through the Premier Partner global network – and one I have been fortunate to follow at close range in the last few years – comes from the Netherlands. Jubels, out of Amsterdam, is a fine old printing company that have made an amazing journey in the last few decades, pioneering areas such as cross-media communications, and have managed to grow into a global market leader in the printing industry.

Jubels has, through its CEO Jeroen van Druenen, been able to form relationships and partner on business opportunities with other Premier Partner members across the globe. As a result, Jubels have not only gained new business, but they are also able to boast international printing capabilities – a more common customer demand these days - as they expand their reach by leveraging these industry relationships.

“You can build very strong relationships with the members of the Premier Partners community. We regularly work with partners in Japan, Germany, the U.K., and the United States. Sometimes I seek them, and other times they seek me. They like us because we’re from Amsterdam—one of the major cities in Europe—so we have skills in multiple languages and a great graphic communications tradition.”

On the day before this year’s Xerox Global Forum, our Premier Partners from Asia-Pacific countries and regions will be visiting Jubels along with De Budelse, Gigaprint, Greetz and Editoo in the Netherlands on their journey down to Dusseldorf. What a great way to share business ideas face-to-face and start to build the conversation across geographies to generate new opportunities.

In life, you learn the most from other people and in bringing all our valued Premier Partners together in one place, we look to strengthen their business bonds and opportunities to thrive.

This lifts all our businesses so let’s keep talking #XeroxForum