John MacInnes of Print Audit
Almost 17 years ago, John MacInnes, president of Print Audit, ran a Lotus Notes consulting company. He recalls that at the time the company’s revenues were almost entirely service-based, so he sought a product that could sell while he was sleeping. A revelation occurred when he threw a Christmas party that year for his customers and suppliers. “At the end of the evening I was sitting with one of my suppliers who mentioned that his customers were charging for photocopies but not print,” he explains. “A light went off. Five days later I hired a software developer for a three-month project and 16 years later he is still on the Print Audit team.
MacInnes says that a typical day at Print Audit begins every day at 8 a.m. in what he calls the North American huddle. The staff of 31 spends 8 minutes reviewing the previous day, stating their priority for the current day and examining key numbers. “After that my days are not typical,” he says. “I have a checklist of important items that I want to tackle for all three of my companies. The days fly by.”
Asked what if feels like to be named an ENX Magazine Difference Maker by his peers, MacInnes is thankful, but is quick to credit the dedicated and hard-working staff at Print Audit. “Print Audit has been around for over 16 years,” he points out. “As a team we have worked hard to make fabulous products and support our customers’ way past their expectations. I feel like we are hitting a great stride and I’m proud to be recognized for the work we have done.”
We have all had colleagues and mentors who have helped shape our personal and professional lives. For MacInnes, the most influential person was his father. “He was an entrepreneur and a really good person who I strive to emulate every day,” he says. He adds: “In addition to him, I have actively sought mentorship and guidance from my team, Entrepreneurs’ Organization (https://www.eonetwork.org/) and YPO (http://www.ypo.org/).”
For Print Audit, 2016 was largely devoted to evangelizing their Seat Based Billing program and preparing for the future. ManInnes says that they will release their newest user management product in 2017, which he describes as “hands down, the best print management product on the market.” He adds that they also have another surprise that will be announced soon. On a personal note, he mentions that along with seven friends, he hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. “It was one of the toughest and most beautiful trips that I have done,” he says.
MacInnes pulls no punches in describing the ambitions of Print Audit. “Our mission is to save the office equipment industry,” he states. “That may sound lofty, but we believe that our customers — office equipment dealers — are facing a change or die scenario.”
He adds: “They need new products, outside of paper-based, to sell. They need new business models that fit with what their customer is trying to achieve.”
Continues MacInnes: “In 2015 we introduced the world to Seat Based Billing (SBB) by creating a council of forward-thinking office equipment dealers and their partners to create a framework for SBB. In 2017 we will be hitting the road teaching office equipment dealers all over the world how to implement this new model. I already hinted that we will be announcing another exciting direction that our Premier Members and other office equipment dealers can easily pursue.”
MacInnes says that the best advice he ever received occurred while managing a painting franchise during his summers in college. “At the bottom of every page of their massive training manual was a quote: ‘Take good care of your employees and they will take good care of you.'”
He adds: “I really love coming into work every day because of the people who are there with me. We have fun, laugh together and we ride out the rough times together.”
