I Built An Amazing Print Business...
Then I Wrecked It...
Over 30 years in print at the highest levels has taught me how print businesses REALLY grow and scale, and FAIL.
Would that be helpful information for you? When I share the eight reasons why my business failed many business owners shake their heads as they can relate to some of those mistakes. Others shake all over as they can relate to them all.
It's all covered in what became the Amazon #1 Best Seller, "How To Wreck Your Business". It's my story, a true story, a horror story, do not make it your story.
Stuart Mason
Does Some Of This Sound Familiar?
Busy, but cash flow is often tight.
Staff issues never seem to stop.
Prices under constant pressure.
Kit payments that don't care about quiet months.
Increasing customer demands.
Marketing just doesn't work as well as it did.
Not enough hours in the day.
I'm guessing you shook your head at a few of these?
It's why I created the "Power Hour", to discuss this openly, without any charge, expectation, or sales pitch.
All we need is fresh coffee and
60 minutes.
How To Wreck Your Business - The Amazon #1 Best Seller
the story of amazing print success, and the hull crushing lows of avoidable business failure
The False Success
That's what caught me out... The "False Success".
Print businesses can look healthy right up until the point they aren't. Turnover does not guarantee profit.
Growth does not provide stability. Most print businesses that fail, fail after they looked successful.
That's a sore one, that was me!!
Can you recognise any "False Successes"? Sometimes you need to look hard for them.
I just wanted to touch base and say I am thoroughly enjoying the book so far. I love your "say it as it is" way of storytelling and the fact of how open and honest you are. I wanted to let you know that up until this point of my life, I always thought that because I never gave a crap about Maths in school and didn't apply myself to certain subjects, I was destined for failure. Well, your book so far has changed my views on that. You're an inspiration sir, and I am very glad to have made your acquaintance. Thank you for the book. I am hooked!
James Reader
Patron Print Ltd (January 2026)
That 20 Year Moment
My business didn't fail on its 20th Birthday, that's just when it died.
It failed many years before that. It looked amazing, and was hugely successful on paper, but I ignored the warning signs. I was
arrogant and complacent, I can blame many things for my demise, but the
real reason why my amazing business failed, well, I can find that in any mirror!!
The warning signs are always there, they hide in plain sight, it's up to us to read the signs, change the course, and take the action.
Stuart Mason
Print Pain Is Different
The rules change for print and graphics businesses, the "proven" methods from other industries rarely work. They don't appreciate the high fixed overheads, the investment in new and ever changing technology, and how aging equipment erodes margin through inefficiencies. If you've never felt it, how can you fix it?
Too often there's a customer power balance, and of course price-led competition. All this in an industry that is wrongfully seen as dated, and wasteful. It's time for print to fight back.
Would you like some help with that?
Stuart Mason
Explain To Me What Your Inverted Business Growth Model Is
Oh, and do it in a way that my dog would understand, no waffle
The Inverted Business Growth Model was created out of FRUSTRATION with the many offerings out there claiming riches beyond avarice for print and graphics businesses. The ones that claim to 10x your business or provide seven figure monthly revenue streams.
It was time to reverse that trend. It was time to create a content based on substance and fact over waffle and open ended questions. It was time to create a programme that was based on what you want.
The Inverted Business Growth Model was created because while I got so many things right, I also got many things disastrously wrong. I was focussed on growth, and not the levers and buttons behind the scenes that drive that profitable growth. I can share that with you.
For most business owners, growth should not be the first port of call... there's work to do first.
Let me share with you my story, how I created the largest chain of independent print centres in the country. Then, what you really want to know is how that massively successful business failed on it's 20th Birthday.
That's why I wrote the Amazon #1 Best Selling book, "How To Wreck Your Business", then created The Inverted Business Growth Model, I created it for you.
Tip - Have a look at the Inverted Growth Model, select what's relevant for YOU, then book a "Power Hour" to cover everything you want to focus on. No charge, no commitment... just action.
Stuart Mason
What Is Power Hour?
The first thing to do is to decide if the Inverted Business Growth Model
suits your business, and that you and I are a good fit. My style does not suit everyone, and that's okay, we're as well getting that out the way right at the start. Step one
is a one hour call where we'll cover loads about your business, the programme, and how to move forward. If you don't want to proceed, you'll still have a number of ideas to help improve your business. I call this the "Power Hour". There's ZERO sales pressure here.
The programme itself is priced below, and all sessions are delivered 1-1, via Zoom. I am often asked why I don't provide a group course, the reason is simple. Every business is different, with different challenges, and different priorities, together we work on yours.
Henry Ford told us; "If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got". The best time to start that change was yesterday, don't wait until tomorrow, start that change today.
Sounds Good - Let's Book That Power Hour
How To Move Your Business Forward...
"Knowing and not doing is worse than not knowing" - below are a few options to help move your business forward, getting started is easy, and as you'll see, every one of these options provides maximum value, with zero investment.
There is no such a thing as "free courses", unless you value your time at zero, which you will NEVER do, so there's the first lesson, value your time as your most valuable commodity, because it is.
These options ask you to invest your time, by attending then implementing the action points discussed, of which there will be many.
Quick Chat
£0.00
It all starts here. Maybe there's one pressing issue that you want to discuss first. Great, let's start there.
Taking the first step is always the hardest, and always the most rewarding. Let's get started with that Quick Chat.
15-20 mins, and we'll cover tons.
The Power HOUR
£0.00
The Power Hour is for those business owners that are serious about growth and want to explore a number of opportunities. It's your hour, do you want to talk about growth, scaling, marketing, systems, or do you just want a fresh pair of eyes and some very frank feedback?
12 Month Online Course
£0.00
52 business improvement modules, one every week for a full year. "How To Seriously Un-F**K Your Print Business" has a very powerful name, with even more powerful business improvement topics. Yes, a full years content and learnings absolutely FREE.
The "Printeresting" Workshop
£0.00
Printeresting is our online LIVE workshops. They last around one hour and during that fast paced 60 minutes we cover some amazing topics, each one designed to get you really thinking about business growth.
Register now, these events fill up very fast.
A Bit About Me - I know, boring!!
Hi, my name is Stuart Mason. I'll be your guide on this mission.
I ran an incredible print business. An award-winning, multi-outlet, multi-million pound business that became the largest independent print chain in the Country. The business was flying - yet failed on its 20th Birthday. The reasons for that? ALL AVOIDABLE.
I then joined Tradeprint as their Production Director and was an important part of the acquisition process by Cimpress (Vistaprint), and then became a plant director and shareholder at Cimpress.
Corporate life was not for me, so I left and wrote the book "How To Wreck Your Business" to share the enormous highs and hull crushing lows of life in print's fast lane. That book became an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
Today, I help print and graphics businesses, just like yours, navigate the landmines. I share what made me a success, and what led to catastrophic failure.
The Inverted Business Growth Model is the outcome. Would you like to know more?
Oh, and yes, I know - I have a face for radio.
Stuart Mason
How To Seriously
Un-F**K Your Business...
It's the course everyone is talking about
It's the online course that breaks all the rules. It's not an annoying lead magnet, and it's not constantly trying to get you to upgrade either.
It's genuine help for small print business owners, and it's 100% FREE. Every week for a FULL YEAR we're giving you business improvement exercises to grow your business. It's that simple.
"This is one the most comprehensive business development courses I have ever come across" - Alec at Fineline Printing
How About A Little Disruption?
I created the Disruptors Club, a monthly online group for forward thinkers and ambitious business owners just like you.
Every month we pick a topic that's applicable to "Disruptors" and bring along a guest that's "been it, seen it, done it, got the T-shirt".
You may have noticed I don't do bullshit, so Disruptors Club is for people that DO IT... it's not waffle or theory from a book.
Have a peak here for more information.
"There are so many nuggets of knowledge in there that really help you focus and create a plan!" - Nadin - Business Image
the book continues to get rave reviews - thats why its #1
People Say The Nicest Things... aw, shucks.
I have been running my own business for over 10years now and I took away numerous nuggets that I will be implementing in my business. Stuart talks very openly of the good times and the bad times of running a multi million pound business
There is a saying that it is a wise man that learns from his mistakes and an even wiser man that learns from the mistakes of others. Stuart is refreshingly honest about the mistakes he made first time round and I think they are mistakes that any of us could/would make/are making