Moving offices and into fulfilment gives Len Smith more time for pictures after 35 years
After 35 years of doing it themselves, moving to third party fulfilment has been no snap decision for Len and Issy Smith, co-owners of Leonard Smith Publishing, but they are delighted they now have more time for taking the photographs for their cards and stationery.
The couple run the photographic card specialist publisher together and know the story behind every image Len takes, the trouble was keeping the business going was taking over their lives.
Now that he has more time, Len told PG Buzz: “I’ve already taken some beautiful snowdrop pictures when they were in all their glory – it’s slightly a case of ‘why haven’t we done this before?’ moment!
“We found that, with the way our work was changing, we were having less and less time going out to get new photos and looking at new card business, and being much more involved in the day-to-day operation of the company – and we thought we just want to be out taking photos! It’d be a beautiful day out there and we wanted to be out in the lovely countryside.”
So, after more than three decades of picking and packing all their orders themselves, the fulfilment side of the Leonard Smith business is now being looked after by Mark Sayers and Jon Adams as the first fulfilment contract at specialist trade distributor Teal Press, based in Attleborough, Norfolk. Len and Issy have also moved the company offices from Essex to the studio at their Suffolk home, with a change of phone number to 01206 393321.
“It’s not been a quick decision,” Len adds, “it’s been a decision we had in mind before the pandemic – which has changed the retail landscape quite a bit. We started on December 1, and are announcing it now because it’s definitely working. It’s in our neck of the woods being in Suffolk, so we’re there once a week or so to see how we can help.”
And the changes are broader than just picking and packing, also involving the printing side of the publisher’s products.
Len explained: “Historically we used litho printing, but that means long runs. Everyone’s going digital these days and Teal Press has inhouse printing and finishing which is fantastic for us. We’ve known them for 20 years and they’ve approached us over that time saying if we ever wanted any help, they were there. And now is the right time.”
With the smooth transition, Len and Issy are getting dates in their diary for photographic trips, to the West Country and around Britain.
“At last we’re a bit freer, we were busier than we wanted to be to be able to get the pictures that we wanted,” added Issy.
Top: Snap-happy – Len Smith now has more time for taking pictures like these
