A PRINTING business from Penarth has given an insight into the challenges of running a small business.

As part of the Penarth Times’ support for the Shop Penarth scheme this week we hear from Hi-Plan Copy Print.

The shop is full. People are coming in to collect printing, one gentleman has come all the way from Monmouth just to buy his stationery, another wants a photo copied in a very particular way, one young couple want to know if they can have wedding invitations designed and printed by the weekend, someone has a box of old batteries to be re-cycled an elderly woman wants advice about a birthday card.

Behind the counter is Emma Pringle, owner of Hi-Plan since 2010. She knows there are jobs mounting in the back room, orders to meet, emails to read, but no panic, she and her namesake Emma Keegan, and their part-time colleagues, know about working under pressure but still manage to meet deadlines.

Ms Pringle said: “To me the greatest satisfaction is getting a job right for our customers, whether it’s copying one small item or large professional plans. It’s about good team work.”

Hi-Plan’s customers come from Penarth, Barry, Cardiff, Bridgend and beyond.

“Apart from getting to know our customers, we learn something new every day, and that’s the fun of this job,” said Ms Pringle. She first joined the business as maternity cover but three years later she was asked if she wanted to take over the business.

“It was quite a shock but the idea grew on me,” she said.

She tries hard to keep her prices competitive and to do this she needs to maintain a good footfall. She says it is hard to switch off, but essential if she is to keep on top of things.

Her family is central to her life, as is her determination to maintain the business despite overheads increasing, the rise in the minimum wage, on-line shopping and the occasional customer who says they can buy stationery cheaper in Cardiff.

“Some items may be a little cheaper, but remember the cost of travelling and time” she said.

Hi-Plan has been a member of Shop Penarth since it began in 2012 and supports GPG’s ambition to get more people to leave their cars behind when shopping but also worries about the lack of parking available.