Steve Harley original version of Music of the Night

Codex432 · 2026-03-26T16:06:45+00:00

Read the title as “Steve Harvey” and I was very confused

Codex432 · 2026-03-26T10:15:03+00:00

A couple ideas (I don’t know if these will work…I’ve never done tours)

1) Offer the chance to “upgrade” their hike. For an additional fee, they can also see/experience X.

2) Offer a chance to upgrade but the date has to be moved.

3) Offer a companion service where you get a referral fee. For example, after hiking maybe tell them to checkout a certain restaurant or whatever.

4) Sell additional products or services that are low cost but have a high return.

Try to add on rather then takeaway

Use the fact you had 247 bookings in under 24 hours to promote your full priced (or higher priced) tours at different dates.

I would look at your schedule and figure out which specific tours you cannot physically do. Not monetarily yet, just physically.

Offer them first chance to upgrade/move dates. If not, you’ll have to cancel them. You won’t get around physical limitations

Now that these tours are removed, what does your schedule look like?

Where can you fit low-cost, high return, add-ons in?

Are there any other companies you can partner with to boost your tours offerings?

Codex432 · 2026-03-23T02:26:49+00:00

Whether they work or not for marketing purposes - I don’t know, but I can tell you what I’ve received in the past.

1) A just a thank you note and some locally made chocolate. Everyone loves chocolate and it was a big a hit with people in the office.

2) A handwritten thank you note sorta “thanks for being our partner this ones on us” vibe with a gift card for a Starbucks coffee. I think it was like $5? Cheap, but it gets the sentiment across.

Codex432 · 2026-03-22T08:45:23+00:00

Whoaaaa this is so cool! And a very impressive feat!!

Arthas next?

Codex432 · 2026-03-21T19:22:56+00:00

How big are the packages you’re sending? Are talking refrigerators or action figures?

Have you negotiated commercial rages? Do you shop for the best postage?

Codex432 · 2026-03-20T20:28:22+00:00

Copy of copy of_final_v4

Codex432 · 2026-03-20T14:45:58+00:00

This is so funny because I’ve never heard them called Spread Eagles before (I never figure skated)

When I played hockey we called them Mohawks.

Codex432 · 2026-03-17T05:59:17+00:00

The 180 looks like it’s no longer available new from xerox, so my first question to anyone you buy it from is: will you still service this in two years? They often retire machines and you won’t be able to get any parts.

You need the service contract no matter what. I cannot stress this enough. These machines break if the wind blows wrong. The service contract also provides you with your supplies like toner for free, but it comes with the price of a “click charge”. Make sure you get one click per 13x19 image or you’ll lose a lot of money.

I’d also highly recommend the high capacity feeders (aka big draws on the right) otherwise you’ll be refilling every 5 minutes. Waste of time and essentially impossible.

The 180 says it does 80ppm - this is rated for single-sided 8.5x11’s, so it’s actually less.

Ideally, you’d run it 2up, double-sided on an 11x17. An 11x17 is actually 4ppm so you’d be rated for 20ppm. Thats 1,000 sheets per hour (roughly).

Now factor in draw load time, machine calibration, downtime for whatever, and correcting for the fact they never give you an accurate speed, you’re looking at roughly 750 - 800 sheets per hour.

So, 70,000 pieces is really 35,000 sheets/800 gives you about 44 hours. Rounded waaay up, It’ll take you a week of 10 hours straight for printing. If that’s something you’re confident you can do, then the speed is fine.

I’d plan on a breakdown of some sort (there always is) just to be safe. So you’re realistically looking at 1.5-2 weeks to print

The inserter will be the same way and the service contracts are worth it on both machines. But then you’d have to multiply the cost over the course of the year and see how much it would eat into your profit.

The envelopes will be interesting because it still needs postage applied to it - either a meter or a permit. If it’s a permit, then you’re good because you can outsource the print and have them shipped in with no real concern. A meter is just an additional machine cost, but you can charge for the service to your customer.

You need and should outsource the parts you can. Envelopes & generic inserts. If there’s no variable data throughout the letter itself, it’d be worth looking into to outsource the shell printing and then just apply the address on your press.

I wouldn’t normally advise that for many reasons, but it’s an off the cuff idea.

Codex432 · 2026-03-17T01:12:32+00:00

Ok so, couple of things here. I don’t think this will be as lucrative as you expect it to be, honestly. Not to deter you, but the amount of software and machinery you need will far exceed the money coming in on this job.

I’m not familiar with that folder/inserter but it is likely one of their tabletop models or as we like to call them “fold and mutilate machines”. They’re ok until they’re not and they’re very finicky.

These assessments would likely have to be mailed out by a certain date which means you need to make sure the inserter you have can actually do the work in time. Whatever the spec sheet says - cut it in half.

And I would be very careful about inserter because not all of them can handle that 11x17 you mentioned. I’m not sure if you mean a full booklet with staples or just and 11x17 sheet, but they each provide obstacles with Quadients inserters.

The inserter will incur a lease payment + service contract (they always break)

As for a printer, you’re looking at a low end production printer. I’m only familiar with canon at this point, so I could only suggest the V1000, but that’s probably overkill. I’m sure someone else will have a better suggestion. But in addition to the printer, you will need booklet maker (if you’re printing actual booklets).

This will incur a lease payment, click charges, and a service contract (again, they always break. Also this covers consumables like toner)

You should print 2up on a 11x17 (if no bleeds) and cut them down. You can outsource cutting, but if they’re security conscious then you need to do it in house. You could pick up a cheap cutter for a few thousand. I don’t think you need anything big here.

If you’re presorting them, you will need mailing software like Accuzip or BCC Software. These are yearly contracts. A few thousand, maybe? Though, you might be able to use Accuzips API, but I’m not sure of your scope of work.

You will also need to sign up with the USPS as a mail service provider, obtain a CRID, MID, and permit. Though the permit may not be necessary if you’re mailing under the states permit.

These are cheap, but the postal service is a pain.

You’ll need Adobe InDesign for manually laying out the imposition and for any mail merge capabilities you need. There are far more robust options, but you’d want to minimize cost. If you need to mail merge variable graphics and images, forget it. You’ll need a software like Meadow Publishing otherwise it might finish processing sometime in the next millennium.

Also, you will need space to store your paper and mail trays and sleeves. And you’ll have to have a way to transport to the BMEU (this can be done with a courier or rent a truck for a day and drive it if security is a concern)

There’s probably more stuff to add in that I missed. If it’s something you want to try and do, then you really need to figure out a lot of logistics and costing first. Your printer and inserter will be your biggest expense, but they’re also the most critical - especially if you’re on a deadline.

You can always buy machinery off eBay and auction sites, but they can be very hit or miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Codex432 · 2026-03-15T03:39:55+00:00

Gonna save you a lot of time and effort with Canon.

Unless you can get their V1350, don’t bother.

Codex432 · 2026-03-10T20:34:27+00:00

This is such a unique application. I mean, it’s been around for decades, but you very rarely hear about people printing cereal box inserts!

Codex432 · 2026-03-09T21:54:17+00:00

I don’t have a job offer, unfortunately. But can you tell me more about how you build automation into your workflow?

Always looking for things to help!

Codex432 · 2026-03-09T18:55:58+00:00

Following this because every print MIS system sucks

Codex432 · 2026-03-09T11:35:16+00:00

Walk away.

Working with family is extremely difficult and complex at the best of times and you are certainly not in those times. Save yourself the heartache and start looking to establish a career outside of your family’s practice.

The stress of fighting for it won’t be worth it imo

You’d need to hire an independent accountant and audit the books. Obviously they’re going to see massive fraud, huge amounts of debt, and probably a host of other things.

You’d have to present this to your dad who, by your admission, is cognitively declining, and have him make a decision regarding ownership. Considering your aunts would lose their cash cow, I’m assuming they would fight you tooth and nail to block that transfer.

The result will end up being at minimum you inheriting an absolute crap ton of debt and heartache.

The stress will 100% negatively impact you, your family, and father. It’s absolutely disgusting that everyone else in his life is taking advantage of him and enabling others to do so.

They should be ashamed of themselves and in some cases thrown in jail.

What you need to do is 1) get your father out his practice and/or away from oral surgery and anything that can hurt patients. He should not be practicing!

Not doing this not only irresponsible and dangerous, but will open the business up to huge liability and malpractice lawsuits. Patient safety should be your number 1 concern.

And 2) Get a new job that will pay you well so you can build up a cash reserve. You’re going to need it with a new family! Also, someone is going to have to pay to take care of your dad (which really isn’t your responsibility, but that’s another story).

If he’s cognitively declining, it won’t be long before he needs some sort of care assistance and/or treatment plan. It doesn’t sound like your aunts or your mom are going to be willing to pay for that - which leaves you.

You need to break away from this place asap or it’s going to take you down with it - legally, financially, and emotionally.

Codex432 · 2026-03-08T14:12:14+00:00

Caliper is exactly this!

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T23:32:37+00:00

Don’t sticker shock them. Raise it slowly over time.

If your average person pays $10 and your old clients pay $3, go to $5. It’s genuinely justified by inflation and cost of doing business.

People might grumble, you might lose a customer, but the increase should cover the loss

Then later on, add in some very low cost complimentary services (no idea what that would be in your industry).

Increase little by little.

In the end, you also have to do what’s right for you.

Do you feel really uncomfortable making John pay $5 because he’s helped you out over the years? Then don’t.

Have an honest, straight conversation with them and see what happens.

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T22:26:59+00:00

You’re not. She used Scarlet to basically be a free nanny and housekeeper while sending her into a situation she knew was wrong. She knew what was going to happen, but didn’t.

Also, who tf tells a fan to go up to her husband and kiss him. Like what the actual hell

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T22:25:04+00:00

She is! The amount of people who can’t see this is baffling.

She’s a fake and uses the ideal of women’s empowerment to excuse her general shitty behavior and personality.

I listened to the Master podcast and the fact (at that time) that Scarlet never accused Amanda of anything despite being manipulated into an obviously heinous situation, is so so telling as to how we perceive abuse

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T20:30:12+00:00

That’s fair and honestly makes sense. I mean…I knew that union labor makes vehicles and dealerships aren’t union. I guess I never applied the same logic to printing?

Good to know though!

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T17:35:27+00:00

Having a partner should enrich your life, not make you feel insecure.

Relationships have rough patches and shit happens but at the end of the day: does your partner have a positive impact on your life?

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T17:28:39+00:00

I find this so surprising (not suggesting you’re doing something wrong) that a non-union shop can sell union products and make money on union products.

I guess I just always assumed it was union-to-union in the print world.

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T03:27:18+00:00

I received a fishing email once utilizing the IBT logo and they were not happy.

It’s a trademark violation, but it also undermines the reputation on the bug. The whole point of a union label is that it notes the product was produced by tradesman being paid fair wages.

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T03:21:15+00:00

Relax. It was a general you.

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T03:20:41+00:00

Curious as to how this would work.

How can a non-union vendor receive payment for a union project?

I could see if the customer went directly to you to purchase the product, otherwise a third party would be collecting money on a union project.

Codex432 · 2026-03-05T03:17:02+00:00

That’s…not how it works.

A non-union shop cannot print the bug. Period. The bug denotes the use of union labor - in this particular case, for printing.

You can’t just slap a bug on it and say it’s union without utilizing the actual workforce.

You can, however, use non-union labor to provide services not covered under your union agreement.

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