BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
In today’s society the importance of branding is reiterated in everything that we do. We are continuously advised to brand and market our creative projects, businesses and events to ensure that any potential clients have a clear idea of what services we offer, by presenting them in a fun, professional and unforgettable way.
Young entrepreneur Shaun Ragubance grew up here in Toronto and attended University, looking to carve out a career for himself in a world of many possibilities. Shaun attended York University studying Environmental Studies when he realized that it just wasn’t for him. He had grown up in a family of entrepreneurs; both his father and his uncles were into their own business and so he considered heading down that route to see where it would take him.
His father was into office furniture and offset printing and so he decided to do something in conjunction with that to compliment the business. With some previous experience in the printing industry, Shaun took his own project on a different route in the wide set division, printing banners that was a newer market at the time and was more open to potential growth.
Shaun’s family started in the printing business back in 1982 under the name Merit Printing. After University he started helping out at his father’s shop part time and they added on a design aspect to the business. It wasn’t until 2008 that Shaun decided to take the business online as Print My Banners, looking to separate the two and see which one would perform better. He found that with the newer generation and progression of technology Print My Banner’s was doing much better than Merit Print and Design. These days’ people aren’t looking to go into a printing house, but instead can appreciate the convenience of online shopping.
Although he had no standardized teaching in print or design, Shaun did learn a lot from his father and his uncles in regards to color management, learning how to mix colors in relation to which outlet was being used for printing. Most of what he knows about print and design was self taught or shared through his family trade.
When he decided to run with the idea for his business and tackle it full time, the original purpose was to only print banners. The company was initially established as Banners Banners Banners but in looking to work with this long term and to stay competitive he found it was in their best interest to expand their reach.
In addition to printing banners, Shaun began printing backdrops and working in more digital formats designing and printing stationary, business cards and sliders that would be attractive to businesses and corporations when it came to marketing and branding their respective companies.
Print My Banners is your source for banner stands, backdrops, removable wall decals, stickers, posters, outdoor sign, coroplast signs, stationery and office furniture, shipping and design, artwork templates. Located at 5785 Kennedy Road, in Mississauga they offer a wide range of products and printing services with quality color, and pristine high quality detail.
They are dedicated to their customers, doing whatever it take to make sure their clients jobs are printed quickly and efficiently with a turn around time that’s off the charts. Print My Banners is open from 8am – 7pm Monday to Friday and available 360 days a year, only taking a break for Christmas and New Years. They specialize in rush orders and last minute orders with jobs that can be completed same day or next day depending on when the files are received for printing.
While most other printing houses might offer their services at discounted rates, clients are not guaranteed to receive their orders for a few days to a week depending on when their job is completed. Although they might not be the cheapest option, they are the most efficient. Print My Banners is committed to dedicating their time to working with their clients to get the job done and make sure it is ready for them quickly while also meeting their high quality standards.
As a local print shop, they prefer for their clients to come by and see them, that way they can offer you ideas and package options that might be available depending on what type of products you are looking to purchase. Many of their products are available online complete with a price list and sizing chart for your convenience. Print My Banners offers design services, as well as shipping and delivery to ensure that all complete jobs are received on time for the main event!
Over the years and also because the technology is always changing Shaun says there have been challenges when it comes to the caliber of machinery involved. Investing in your business, as well as the technology it takes to run it requires a lot of capital and for Shaun it has always been a tug of war when purchasing new equipment. “Sometimes you’ll buy a new machine and the sales rep tells you about all of the great things it can do,” says Shaun. “Unfortunately sometimes you buy it and when you start using it you realize that it doesn’t actually do half of what it needs to.”
Although there have been ups and downs when it comes to staying on top of the technology, they have been pretty proactive in making sure their machines are versatile and able to print on a wide selection of material. From paper to card stock, banners and even canvas, Print My Banners offers glossy and matte finishes on many of their final products.
Looking toward the future Shaun hopes to offer a lot more services at Print My Banners, hoping to include custom cutout signs, perhaps invest in a laser cutter and offer more custom packages and deals for business owners when it comes to investing in their marketing and branding products. They encourage all business owners, corporations and companies to check them out online and just ask for a quote. They are willing to work with all new clients to get them the best bang for their buck. No job is too big or too small for them, if you need it printed; they’ll get it done!
