PrinTree: Business technology champion 2020

The Champions of Business awards programme is hosted each year by the TT Chamber to recognise and highlight four categories of outstanding achievement in the sphere of business. This year the event took a virtual turn, due to the covid19 pandemic. The finale was a televised broadcast on November 20, and also streamed live. The awards program started with the Business Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2014 two categories were added: Entrepreneurship and the Internationally Known...T&T Owned Company of the Year. And, with technology transforming the global marketplace and society as a whole, the chamber joined with bmobile to introduce the business technology category in 2018.

This year, PrinTree Powered by the DocuCentre emerged out of three finalists (the other two being Excellent Stores and ShupHub.com) to be the award recipient for 2020 for business technology. PrinTree is a platform for sourcing, selecting and outputting a client’s print needs from a remote location anywhere on any day; it is a “one-stop online shop for personalisation of print collateral”. It is available to anyone with an internet connection.

Understanding that in the TT culture, there is a hesitation to pay by credit card and on local websites, the platform was launched in May 2018. The implementation of these services was new to the TT market at the time and PrinTree had to put a “face” to the project. They invested in full-time human resources to manage website traffic, particularly direct customer interaction. A live chat along with more traditional methods ensured that there was consistent and timely communications with clients.

A variety of payment options allowed them to tap into the broader market, including online payment, wire transfer and in-store cash on delivery. To make life easier for the client, they partnered with TTPost and FedEx for delivery services. They also partnered with local store owners at various points across the country to serve as collection points as a no-cost delivery option. PrinTree recently won best online print service in LATAM as adjudicated by Corporate Vision's Small Business Awards.

The company takes pride in its social responsibility initiatives. In the year of PrinTree’s launch, they partnered with Global Entrepreneur Week, under the theme Entrepreneur Engagement Series – Ready, Set, Go, hosting the workshop at no cost to the businesses/entrepreneurs. Working with other leading small businesses they were able to source speakers and content for seminars. They renewed this partnership in 2019 working with the theme – engagement for success, and again partnering with various small businesses. This time, they also partnered with the TSL Foundation, where attendees would donate voluntarily to those in need, with proceeds going to the foundation.

Since their launch, they have sponsored multiple small business events with printed material and speakers.

Having a particular interferes in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, they additionally partnered with South Market, a popular sales forum for entrepreneurs. So outstanding was their support that South Market’s managing director Siljan Ramphal noted that Nekesha Bartholomew-Ramey “not only functioned as a business development manager at her company, but for mine as well.”

That spirit of generosity and sharing was succinctly articulated by Bartholomew Ramey when she accepted the award. She noted, “Every time we look at it, we’ll be reminded of this moment and how much it means to us. That said, we mustn’t forget that awards are not simply about 1st and second. They tell us a lot about our (industry), and give us another starting point, enabling us to innovate further. In some ways the work has just begun.”

The chamber congratulates PrinTree Powered by the DocuCentre upon receiving the award for business technology.