Of course it is the memories of your wedding day that are the most important, and your husband of course, but wedding stationary has a big part to play as well.

The invitation sets the tone and sits centre stage in all your friend’s homes for six weeks. The place cards, thank you notes and all other bits and pieces of print will capture your day and be checked out in years to come by yourselves and the kids.

It’s important then to get this part of the wedding right but it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

In days gone by DIY printing was a no-no unless you had secret late night access to the company print room. Shhh! One of our friends went through three refills of ink cartridges and reckoned it would have cost the same to get them done professionally.

Here are six easy steps to great stationery at a fraction of the cost:

1. You are unique and it’s your big day. You don’t have to go through a book of ‘traditional’ invites. Look around for inspiration at Irish sites like DIY Wedding, One Fab Day or go further afield for something likeEM Papers. If you don’t like them, cuddle up with Google for an hour.
2. Get decent paper that will stand the test of time. It won’t do to fold over an A4 sheet like a Kiddy’s birthday card. There is a great shop on Camden Street called Daintree which will have everything you need. It has won a bunch of awards and if you are outside Dublin, they are on the web.
3. You’re sorted for ideas and paper, next up is the printer. That one that came with the computer is making a few strange noises but they sell them cheap at the moment. Wasn’t there one in another shop for about €60? Yes there was but then you have to pay a not so small fortune for the ink. Club Cartridge Greengives you a top range Brother Printer and unlimited ink for a year for only €12.99 a month, and in the second year that drops to €6.99. No strings no catch. There’s a video here which explains how simple it is.
4. To print you need ink but that all comes with Club Cartridge Green subscription. Go crazy, print ten versions with all your details to see which one you like best.
5. Well OK, maybe not that crazy, but when you’ve run out of ink, just pop down to your local cartridge green store and get your refills for free. It takes about an hour so go with a pal and treat yourself with some of the money you would have spent on a Cappuccino and one of these little delights.
6. If you don’t live near a Cartridge Green store you can post back your cartridges and they will be right back to you in less time than it will take to dream of the dress, the honeymoon and the happy ever after.

Now, on to the DIY Flowers or maybe Franc will have something interesting on the show this week?

Be Print Happy!

Cartridge Green, Ireland’s leading printing solutions franchise has become the first company in the world to offer an unlimited ink subscription service called Club Cartridge Green and they are hitting the streets of Ireland to tell the people that it. “The traditional model for home printers has been to sell the printer at a low cost and the ink at a very big premium,” said Cartridge Green’s Managing Director Niall McConnell. “We thought that this was bananas and we wanted to tell the public too. We saw customers who were afraid to print what they wanted because they were scared of how much the cost of ink would be. We also saw that the majority of our customers regarded their printer as something they only used when it was needed rather than using it for printing photos or fun stuff such as greeting cards or invitations. It was important that we got out on the streets and told people that you can now print what you want, when you want with the unlimited ink that Club Cartridge Green gives you and it was important that both myself and the co-founder of Cartridge Green, Nik Healy joined our promotional teams to spread this great news.”
Club Cartridge Green subscribers get a brand new multifunction printer and unlimited ink for a monthly payment of only €12.99 for the first year. In the second and subsequent years, that monthly payment drops to only €6.99. Subscribers can also choose to pay annually and receive one month’s free printing.

Cartridge Green recently won the Innovative Marketing Award for its development and marketing of Club Cartridge Green. The Award was announced at the Irish Franchise Awards in Dublin on Friday (April 27th).

Cartridge Green, Ireland’s leading printing solutions franchise has won the Innovative Marketing Award for its development and marketing of Club Cartridge Green, the world’s first unlimited ink subscription service. The Award was announced at the Irish Franchise Awards in Dublin on Friday (April 27^th).

“This is a great recognition for an Irish product, conceived, developed and launched in Ireland and now about to go to our first international markets,” said Niall McConnell, Cartridge Green’s Managing Director.

“We have a great team of people across our 13 stores at present and we hope to roll out an additional 16 over the next two years, as well as having our first presence in Britain.”

“Cartridge Green was always going to be more than an ink refill business. We set out to change the model for printing and this award is testament to the progress we are making.”

“That old model for home printing has been to sell the printer at a low cost and the ink at a very big premium.”

“We wanted to change the model and make home printing fun for the first time. We wanted people to be able to print what they want, when they want, without having to worry about the cost of the ink. Our marketing message is inviting people to ‘Be Print Happy’.”

The company began trials of Club Cartridge Green across its 13 stores last year and has now expanded the offering to include an online facility to service households not located near a Cartridge Green store.New subscribers get a brand new multifunction printer and unlimited ink for a monthly payment of only €12.99 for the first year. In the second and subsequent years, that monthly payment drops to only €6.99. Subscribers can also choose to pay annually and receive one month’s free printing.

“We have doubled the number of subscriptions we had initially planned for and expect to have over 10,000 subscribers within the next six months. With our new online service, orders are coming in from every corner of the country.”

Irish Company Cartridge Green launches world’s first unlimited ink subscription service

· Irish Consumers first to benefit from ‘new model’ for print cartridges

Cartridge Green, Ireland’s leading printing solutions franchise has become the first company in the world to offer an unlimited ink subscription service. The Club Cartridge Green service is aimed primarily at home users although it has also proved popular among sole traders and small businesses.

The company began trials of Club Cartridge Green across its 13 stores last year and has now expanded the offering to include an online facility to service households not located near a Cartridge Green store. New subscribers get a brand new multifunction printer and unlimited ink for a monthly payment of only €12.99 for the first year. In the second and subsequent years, that monthly payment drops to only €6.99. Subscribers can also choose to pay annually and receive one month’s free printing.

“The traditional model for home printers has been to sell the printer at a low cost and the ink at a very big premium,” said Cartridge Green’s Managing Director Niall McConnell.

“We saw customers who were afraid to print what they wanted because they were scared of how much the cost of ink would be. We also saw that the majority of our customers regarded their printer as something they only used when it was needed rather than using it for printing photos or fun stuff such as greeting cards or invitations.”

“We wanted to change the model and make home printing fun for the first time. We wanted people to be able to print what they want, when they want, without having to worry about the cost of the ink. Our marketing message is inviting people to ‘Be Print Happy’.”

“For many families this is a traditionally busy and expensive time of year for printing with school and college students printing large volumes to prepare for upcoming exams. Once word began to circulate among students and families that you could get a new printer and unlimited ink for a low monthly cost, the subscriber numbers soared. We expect sales volumes to grow further during the summer months when people realise they can print their holiday photos at home”

“We have doubled the number of subscriptions we had initially planned for and expect to have over 10,000 subscribers within the next six months. With our new online service, orders are coming in from every corner of the country”

“We have identified 16 locations in Ireland where we are seeking to expand through our franchise model and will be opening our first stores in Britain in the coming months as well.”

Cartridge Green has been nominated for the Most Innovative Marketing Award at the Irish Franchise Awards this week, as well as for Franchise of the Year (Service), Best Emerging Franchise, and Best Indigenous Irish Franchise. The Award winners will be announced next Friday, April 27th.

There was a full house for Thursday’s very successful seminar “Can Franchising Help My Business Grow?”

The seminar was meant for business owners who are considering franchising as a route to expansion and professionals who wanted a better understanding of how franchising works and how it could benefit their clients.

The seminar was supported by three of Ireland’s most successful franchisors – Nik Healy of Cartridge Green, suppliers of printing solutions and supplies to both home and business users, and Anne Marie and Maurice Byrne, founders of Fitkids, who operate fun gymnastic classes for children. While we talked about the theory of franchising, Nik, Anne and Maurice gave insightful, anecdotal and practical information on the industry and what it takes to develop a business successfully through franchising.

It was a great night. If you missed it don’t worry, there will be another seminar in September.

Cartridge Green aims for four colour success at Irish Franchise Awards.

Cartridge Green, Ireland’s leading provider of printing solutions and supplies has been nominated as a finalist in four separate categories at the 2012 Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association Awards.

The company has been nominated as Franchise of the Year (Service), Best Emerging Franchise, and Best Indigenous Irish Franchise, and for the Most Innovative Marketing Award. The Award winners will be announced on April 27^th.

Cartridge Green has 13 stores operating through Ireland and has identified 16 more towns and cities where an opportunity exists. It is also actively recruiting franchise operators in the UK and plans to have five stores opened there in 2012.

“We’ve worked very hard this year to drive the brand forward through the promotion of our Club Cartridge Green product,” said Cartridge Green’s Director of Franchising, Nik Healy.

“This is the world’s first ink subscription that gives members a brand new printer and unlimited ink for just €12.99 a month.”

“There has never been a greater level of interest in providing the print solutions we offer.”

“The Club Cartridge Green offering in particular has caught the imagination of home and small business users.”

“We offer new equipment and a manageable fixed cost alternative which allows users to print what they want rather than what they think they can afford.”

“Our franchise model provides sustainable repeat revenues, and we are pleased this has been recognised by the judges behind the Irish Franchise Association Awards.”

Cartridge Green, Ireland’s leading provider of printing solutions and supplies have been nominated as finalists in four separate categories at the 2012 Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association Awards.

“We’ve worked very hard this year to drive the brand forward through the promotion of our Club Cartridge Green product, the world’s first ink subscription that gives members a brand new printer and unlimited ink for just €12.99 a month,” said Cartridge Green’s Director of Franchising, Nik Healy.

The company has been nominated as Franchise of the Year (Service), Best Emerging Franchise, and Best Indigenous Irish Franchise, and for the Most Innovative Marketing Award. The Award winners will be announced on April 27^th.

Cartridge Green has 13 stores operating through Ireland and has identified 16 more towns and cities where an opportunity exists. It is also actively recruiting franchise operators in the UK and plans to have five stores opened there in 2012.

“There has never been a greater level of interest in providing the print solutions we offer,” added Healy.

“The Club Cartridge Green offering in particular has caught the imagination of home and small business users. We offer new equipment and a manageable fixed cost alternative which allows users to print what they want rather than what they think they can afford.”

“Our franchise model provides sustainable repeat revenues, and we are pleased this has been recognised by the judges behind the Irish Franchise Association Awards.”

In advance of their first UK store opening, we take a look at this new and exciting franchise model and find out how Cartridge Green has become a market leader in only four years…
Cartridge Green is Ireland’s leading franchised supplier of printer cartridges and printing solutions for home and business users. Despite Ireland suffering its worst economic crisis over the past four years, Cartridge Green has managed to establish a strong network of franchised stores that are achieving significant double digit growth year-on-year.
According to Cartridge Green’s co-founder and Director of Franchising Nik Healy, “the Cartridge Green franchise model has been developed, tested and perfected over the last four years in Ireland for launch into the UK”. 2012 is going to be a great year for Cartridge Green with the first of five stores opening shortly in the South East. Commenting on Cartridge Green’s new franchise owners Healy stated that “we will be working extremely closely with our new franchise owners to assist them in achieving their goals in the shortest possible timeframe as well as continuing to attract ambitious business people to share Cartridge Green’s success in other parts of the UK”.
Healy added that “the key driver of Cartridge Green’s success has been innovation in how we deliver our products and services and our strong attention to brand identity and consistency. Cartridge Green isn’t your typical, dark, back street printer cartridge refill store. We have specifically designed products that offer great value and service for both home and business users and most importantly excellent profits for the franchise owner”
For the home user market Cartridge Green offer a product called “Club Cartridge Green” that allows users to embrace their freedom to print with ink for a year from only £69. Club members are encouraged to print more, be creative, print lots and have fun with their printers or as Cartridge Green puts it, “Be print happy”. According to Healy “Our Club numbers have soared in the last twelve months because our customers see the fantastic value that a membership offers”.
Cartridge Green’s corporate customers are serviced through a managed print service product called “Control Print”. Created specifically for small to medium sized businesses, it delivers savings of up to 75%, fixes printing costs and generates monthly reports for the customer on printer usage. Control Print also automatically resends supplies before the customer runs out.
According to Healy, “the attraction of Club Cartridge Green and Control Print as far as the franchise owner is concerned, is that it secures revenue for a fixed term, differentiates them from perceived competitors and neutralises competitive forces. However having great products is all well and good but an effective sales strategy is paramount if the business is to succeed”. Careful not to give away too much information on the actual sales methodology used, Healy added “our sales strategy ensures that franchise owners can upscale their business quickly without incurring the costs normally associated with such rapid growth”.
Healy finished by stating that “the potential for the Cartridge Green franchise model in the UK is huge because of higher urban population densities and lower levels of competition when compared to Ireland. Cartridge Green is a new and fresh brand entering the UK, the market is untapped and all the best territories are still available for single or multi unit franchises. If you are looking for something new, exciting and highly profitable then you should talk to us”.
This article appeared in The Franchise Magazine this month http://www.thefranchisemagazine.net/page/cartridge-green/z8r1pa.php

At Cartridge Green we are very excited to announce the launch of our new online store Club Cartridge Green.

Club Cartridge Green is an annual membership that gives you the freedom to print what you want and as much as you want without having to worry about the cost of ink. Go crazy. Print lots and lots and lots. Be creative, be productive, be colourful, share your talents. “Embrace your freedom to print and Be Print Happy!”

It’s so easy to join, you can either join online now by clicking here or visit your nearest Cartridge Green store and they will be happy to sign you up. A Club Cartridge Green membership gives you a new printer and ink for a year. If you already own an approved printer or cartridges you just need to choose an Ink Only membership that matches your cartridges.

When you buy your membership online you can freepost your empty cartridges to us from anywhere in Ireland using the envelopes provided. We will then refill and post them straight back to you. No further payments are needed so you can “Be Print Happy”!

We also recently launched a new TV advertisement to promote Club Cartridge Green which you may have seen, watch it here . Be sure to save money and control your printing costs with Club Cartridge Green.

Be Print Happy this Christmas with Club Cartridge Green

Looking for an original gift idea this Christmas? Embrace the freedom to print with a New Printer plus ink for a Year for Only €149. And that’s not all the great news because the cost reduces to only €79 for every subsequent year! Print as much as you want without worrying about cost. Go crazy. Print lots and lots and lots. Be creative, be productive, be colourful, share your talents. “Be Print Happy!” And remember with Club Cartridge Green you can print premium quality photos at home and with the freedom to print you can print as many as you like for only €79 per year!

NEW printer + ink for a YEAR!