Albums to Outsourcing with Mark Zucker

<p>In 1995 Mark Zucker (Not Mark Zuckerberg 😊) launched <a href="http://www.zookbinders.com/">www.zookbinders.com</a> which became the leading high-end wedding album manufacturer in the US.  During the “peak” just before digital technology disrupted the photography industry, Zookbinders had 100+ employees and operated in a state-of-the-art production facility in Chicago.</p><p>After 13 years of strong growth, sales flattened in 2008.    This was the result of:</p><p>Influx of “Shoot & Burn” photographers that were mostly part-time and didn’t offer albums.</p><ol><li>Online Photo Retailers like Shutterfly offering “Photo Books” for under $20, thus devaluing the professional album</li><li>The Financial Crisis</li></ol><p>2009 brought decreased industry demand for albums and declining prices, while the cost of doing business kept increasing 2-4% annually.   Their solution: Outsourcing office labor to the Philippines.   <strong>Zookbinders </strong>had just introduced a Wedding Album Design Service and hired 5 Graphic Designers which cost 42K “all-in”.   Mark’s CEO, Cherry Orlina was born and raised in the Philippines and suggested to hire a new team of Graphic Designers in the Philippines for 18K “all-in”, saving the company 120K annually.</p><p>From 2011 – 2016, <strong>Zookbinders</strong> moved IT, Accounting, Marketing & Customer Service functions overseas, further reducing cost and remaining viable in an industry where 1-2 competitors closed each year.</p><p>By 2017, <strong>Zookbinders</strong> had a head count of 20+ in the Philippines prompting Mark and Cherry to start their own outsourcing company:  <a href="http://www.mcvotalent.com/">www.mcvotalent.com</a>   The company supports many Professional Photography companies (with full time Photo and Video Editors), and many other businesses that need to reduce cost to stay viable. </p><p><strong>For wedding vendors have who have severely impacted by Covid</strong>, it’s critical to plan now to reduce “fixed” expenses (i.e. back-office labor) as we prepare for r