Here’s the Outdated Advice Screen Printers Must Grow Beyond

THIS ARTICLE LOOKS at why many of the common truisms or beliefs well-meaning mentors, experts, teachers, and parents have been advocating do not hold up under close examination. Learn the reasons why and some alternatives to move ahead quickly What follows are my top commonly held beliefs that fundamentally are inappropriate for the digital economy and the markets we operate in today.

1. If You Build It, They Will Come

Simply creating a product or service will not automatically attract customers and is a dangerous myth in the digital economy. This outdated thinking ignores the reality of oversaturated markets, fierce competition for attention, and the extremely rapid R&D (Rip off & Duplication) of ideas.

Superior products often languish in obscurity while inferior alternatives thrive through effective marketing. Success requires more than just building; it demands strategic promotion, audience targeting, and continuous refinement of market needs. Even groundbreaking innovations can fail without access to a qualified market, proper positioning, and outreach.

Competing today is noisy, with countless options vying for limited buyer attention. Standing out requires a multi-faceted approach: SEO, content marketing, social media presence, and paid advertising, among others.

Successful businesses understand creation is just the first step; the real challenge lies in cutting through the digital clutter to reach and engage your target audience. In the end, what you build matters far less than how effectively you can make people care about it.

2. Work Hard, Get Ahead

This is really Work Hard, Get Old! I’m not against a solid work ethic, but I am very aware busy being busy is not the solution. Time is the most valuable resource you have, and it can’t be renewed once you’ve used it up.

After reviewing thousands of individual customer jobs in the decorated apparel space, it’s painfully apparent the most common practice is to keep a shop busy at all costs. A better choice is to occupy your time with high-value effort instead of a lot of low-value work. As an example, taking minimum orders in the hope that they will grow.

There is a 90% chance the tiny minnow orders will result in a single order that doesn’t repeat. To make matters worse, these are the price shopper/tire kicker orders you actually lose money producing.

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3. Failure is Not an Option

Embracing failure as a learning opportunity and part of the innovation process can lead to greater long-term success. The idea that “failure is not an option” can be counterproductive in the digital economy.

Instead, view outcomes as either success or the price of a valuable lesson — both of which drive progress. Embracing failure as an integral part of innovation allows for rapid iteration and improvement. This is especially true as new technologies and techniques come to market. A perfect example is DTF.

In fast-paced digital industries, those who fear failure often stagnate, while those who learn from it thrive. Each “lesson” provides crucial data and insights, effectively becoming an investment in future success. This mind-shift from avoiding failure to leveraging it will lead to more experimentation, creativity, and ultimately, breakthrough innovations. By reframing failure as the cost of education in the school of experience, we encourage resilience and continuous learning. In the digital world, the ability to adapt quickly and learn from setbacks often is more valuable than never failing at all.

4. The Customer is Always Right

The customer can be misinformed, unreasonable, or even abusive. Blindly adhering to this truism can lead to poor decision-making and a negative impact on employee morale as well and reputation damage from negative social reviews.

While customer satisfaction is foundational, blindly following the mantra “The Customer is Always Right” can be detrimental in the digital economy. This outdated approach fails to account for the complexities of modern business interactions.

Customers can be misinformed, have unrealistic expectations, or even act abusively. Prioritizing these demands over sound business practices can lead to unsustainable policies, damaged employee morale, and ultimately, a compromised product or service.

In the age of viral social media, catering to unreasonable demands can set dangerous precedents and attract opportunistic behavior. Instead, successful digital-era businesses focus on educating customers, setting clear expectations, and fostering mutually beneficial relationships.

They empower employees to make informed decisions, balancing customer needs with business viability. By challenging this truism, companies can create healthier work environments, maintain product integrity, and cultivate a customer base that values fairness and quality over entitlement.

5. A Rising Tide Floats All Boats

The notion that a thriving or growing market benefits all businesses equally is a dangerous oversimplification in the digital economy. While a growing market can create opportunities, it also intensifies competition and can lead to complacency among established players.

A rising tide often disproportionately benefits well-positioned, adaptable companies while leaving others behind. This environment can mask inefficiencies and poor business practices, setting up unprepared firms for failure when market conditions inevitably shift.

Moreover, rapid growth can attract new entrants, confusing and saturating the market while eroding profit margins for everyone. In digital markets disruption is constant. Relying on market momentum alone is risky. Companies that innovate, differentiate, and maintain operational excellence are more likely to succeed, regardless of market conditions. The rising tide analogy ignores the fact that in turbulent waters, some boats are better equipped to navigate than others.

6. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

In rapidly evolving business landscapes this is a recipe for obsolescence. This mindset ignores the accelerated pace of change in the digital era, where product lifecycles increasingly are shorter, and disruption is constant. What works today may be outdated in just a few months. Companies relying on past successes often find themselves blindsided by more agile competitors.

The digital economy demands proactive innovation and continuous improvement, even when things seem to be working well. Successful businesses anticipate market shifts, experiment with new technologies, and refine their offerings before problems arise. They understand “not broken” doesn’t mean “optimal” or “future-proof.” Constantly seeking improvements and staying ahead of the curve allows companies to maintain their competitive edge and avoid the sudden scramble to catch up when change inevitably comes.

7. Bigger is Better

While size once conferred advantages in resources and market reach, the digital economy favors agility over sheer scale. Orders are trending to a unit of one, away from mass production. This especially is true as smart businesses focus on optimized niches.

Another driving force is the limited availability of qualified labor. There are many reasons for this, including the demographic, age-driven, population decline coupled with inadequate replacement labor.

Smaller, more nimble companies can quickly adapt to market shifts, implement new technologies faster, and pivot their strategies with less internal resistance. They’re often closer to their customers, able to provide personalized experiences and respond rapidly to feedback. Large corporations, burdened by bureaucracy and legacy systems, struggle to keep pace with innovation.

The digital economy also has leveled the playing field. Smaller entities have access to global markets and sophisticated tools once reserved for giants. The rise of the gig economy and digital collaboration means small companies can scale their workforce and capabilities as needed without the overhead of large organizations. In many sectors, being lean and adaptive trumps being big and slow.

8. Stick to What You Know

This is another limiting factor in the dynamic digital landscape. It worked in the craftsmanship era when skills didn’t change for hundreds of years.

While expertise in a core area is valuable, rigidly adhering to this principle can lead to missed opportunities and certain obsolescence. Consolidation in the digital economy often blurs industry lines, creating unexpected synergies and market openings.

Companies that explore beyond their traditional boundaries can discover new revenue streams, innovative solutions, and untapped customer segments. Digital technologies enable rapid learning and adaptation, making it easier to venture into unfamiliar territories with calculated risks.

Cross-pollination of ideas leads to groundbreaking innovation. Successful digital-era businesses cultivate a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, balancing their core strengths with strategic diversification. Embracing change and exploring new horizons allows companies to stay relevant and resilient in ever-evolving marketplaces.

These are just a few of the outdated clichés and truisms we’ve grown up with. They’re false today because the world we live in has fundamentally changed from the old, industrial world they were created in. Let me know what you think. There are many more to explore and consider. My goal here is to raise your awareness and consideration of how these old ideas impact the direction and decisions you make in your business.

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