Welson Ang On Helping Printing Industry Grow With New Software

Welson Ang, Founder of ExpressPrint, says printed products will continue to be in demand and use of new technologies will only enhance cost efficiency for those in the industry. Photo courtesy of Weekly Echo.

By Jeff Yong

KUALA LUMPUR: Welson Ang, a chirpy 45-year-old printing entrepreneur from Singapore, has found that being a printing technopreneur is even better: it gives him better control, higher productivity, more revenue, wider sales area and more leisure time to spend with his family.

After leaving the Singapore Navy 18 years ago, he decided that going into the printing business would give him better leverage to know key people for his business endeavour.

Especially important people or bosses, who could then provide him with business leads and expand his
business. And he has not looked back with regret ever since. “In business, people need business or calling cards to build contacts. That was how I went into the printing business because I knew the demand was there. And I made sure I knew who were the important people who would lead me to more businesses,” he told Weekly Echo in a recent interview.

Contrary to the common fallacy that computerisation and automation would spawn a paperless environment, Welson would be the first to say that it isn’t so.

Singapore based ExpressPrint founder Welson Ang speaks to Weekly Echo. Video courtesy of ExpressPrint.

“People still need invitation cards for weddings and special occasions because sending invitations
via the phone is tantamount to ‘not giving face’ in our society. Even during Christian funerals,
you still need to print the hymn books,” he said as a matter-of-factly.

From just a small office in a factory in 2005, Welson’s ExpressPrint expanded to eight in two
years, specialising in printing business cards, documents, and rubber stamps besides offering
simple artwork services.

His business then caught the eye of his industry peers and that won him a Merit Award in the
Biennial Shell LiveWIRE Awards 2007, which gave recognition to aspiring and successful
young entrepreneurs.

ExpressPrint eventually grew into one of Singapore’s main printing service providers. “We
print everything except money,” he quipped. This was because ExpressPrint evolved into a big-
scale commercial printing entity offering a diversified range of printing services such as
offset printing, digital printing, large format printing and sublimation printing.

As his business prospered, Welson also pondered how he could expand without taxing him in terms
of finance and resources. He decided franchising was the way to go. Again, he struck gold and his business acumen was recognised in 2016, This was when he received the Star Achiever Award that is awarded to a company that has achieved more than 300 franchise stores.

Today, aside from typical printing services, the company also prints on textiles, gifts, and large
format standees and buntings for more than 120,000 customers. But the Covid-19 pandemic, which curtailed the movements of business owners and woud-be customers alike, compelled Welson to a major re-think.

He decided that the way forward was developing a software that would make it easier for his fellow printers in the same industry.

Then Came PriceCal

PriceCal was initially developed as an in-house tool to increase business capabilities and capacities, simultaneously unleashing the business potential by connecting ExpressPrint to other printing-related players.

Primarily an AI-powered price calculation software, it assists printers in automating and digitising the ordering process in order to increase client interaction while optimising cost and pricing structures.

In other words, the software helps printing business owners to know the costs and parameters involved in a particular job. Besides having algorithms to help determine the profit margins, the software also helps to identify the entire supply chain printing eco-system that will aid business owners to complete a job and deliver it to retail customers as promised and without fuss.

Priced at a subscription fee of RM500 and RM1,000 a month, PriceCal will be able to help existing and would-be printers to offer more variety of print products and services, addressing potential overspending
and underearning issues associated with each business order.

“We initially built PriceCal as an in-house solution to connect us with wholesalers and partners.
During the course of the pandemic, we decided to develop a commercial version to benefit all
printers. We want to be the catalyst for the growth and prosperity of this industry,” Welson
said.

As an entrepreneur, Welson’s philosophy is that a business should be progressive and not stagnant.

“If you can’t ensure growth, then there’s no point to be in business as that wouldn’t be fair to your
employees who have families to feed,” he said, adding that PriceCal has that ability to make a
business impact for the printing industry in Malaysia.

–WE