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Dealers, start selling the Toshiba and Minolta Digital copiers, printers, fax machines, accessories, software, supplies, and parts today! If your customers are going digital, see International Digital Solutions (IDS) for all you digital needs, including Sales Materials, Marketing Strategies and Technical Training Info direct from Toshiba.

IDS offers dealers Toshiba copiers, facsimiles, and printers ranging from 12 cpm to 25 cpm, as well as selected Minolta lines. Look forward to new Toshiba equipment, scheduled to arrive in September, consisting of the e-Studio 200L, 230 and 280 copiers (20-23-28 copies per minute) and e-Studio180 and 200CP printers.

Authorized and unauthorized dealers are welcome at IDS. But, if you are interested in becoming a certified Toshiba Business Product Center, IDS will assist you in getting the certification you need, from your computer at the office or at home (see the “Here’s How” section for more info). The certification is free, if you do business with IDS.

Should I Become a Toshiba Business Product Center (If you are already, see the “What you Get” section)?

If you are not already a certified TBPC, perhaps you should consider it. Why? The answer is Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS) produces a staple in the imaging business when it comes to quality machines. This can be seen time and again by the recognition they have received since their inception by Toshiba in 1999 (TABS was started by Toshiba and handles imaging sales in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean).

“Consistently recognized for innovation, quality and technological excellence, Toshiba (TABS) has garnered more than 150 industry awards and product recommendations including the prestigious Channel’s Choice award, which has been presented to the Company in seven of the past eight years,” read press materials supplied by Toshiba.

Not only do they sell quality products, but they provide complete technical support for dealers and technicians. Interested in becoming a TBPC?

Here’s How

Becoming an authorized Toshiba dealer through IDS is as easy as one . . . two . . . three. When you contact IDS, simply say that you are interested in becoming a Toshiba Business Products Center. A customer service representative will enter you into their system so that you can begin your Toshiba training.

Once you are activated, you can become certified at your PC by taking an online course from Toshiba’s website, you have 60 days to complete the program. After finishing the tutorial, you are certified by Toshiba as a TBPC, you have received the same training as an authorized Toshiba dealer. It’s that simple.

What Do You Get (Toshiba Dealers, this means you)?

So, now that I’m certified, what do I get? Once you become a TBPC, IDS offers you Toshiba products at a discount, this includes Toshiba’s OCR software. As a certified dealer, your parts are drop-shipped directly from the manufacturer to you. And, IDS offers you technical support online, in the field, or straight from the manufacturer.

If your technician gets an error code or forgets a programming code in the field, he/she can contact IDS for the information. They will fax it to you so you can have the information on hand or supply you with the information over the phone, whichever is more convenient for you at the time.

You Get Two day shipping anywhere in the U.S. IDS has locations in the West, Mid-West and East, so all your parts, no matter where they’re headed in the United States, can be there in two days or less. And, orders made before 3:00 p.m. are shipped same-day from IDS or straight from the manufacturer, if need be.

In addition to this, you are invited to IDS seminars twice a year that Toshiba attends, in case you have any particular questions for them about the products. It is a good chance to network with other dealers and become educated on new products as they hit the market.

Have you ever considered leasing the equipment through IDS? IDS will teach you how. Also, learn from them how the government could use your services.

Founder and President, Sylvia Turner, has worked with the (GSA scheduling) government agencies for a number of years, and she understands how it buys, commenting:

“The Federal Government (no matter what corporate America is doing) will still need to print, fax, and copy. The government is the biggest consumer, buying almost 2.3 billion dollars in products/ services a year. If customers need help, we will assist them in writing proposals and positing their company for open bids.”

Whatever your needs, IDS is interested in servicing dealers to succeed. “We don’t just want your order, we want your business,” says founder and President, Sylvia Turner. “Our goal is to offer you solutions that will assist you in growing your business. Becoming a Toshiba Business Product Center is one of the ways in growing your business by Leasing, Dealer Split and Bid Assistance for those of you who would like to do business with Federal, State, County, City and Municipalities.”

IDS- They are there for you, from Beginning to End

“Our motto is Alpha and Omega, we are dedicated from beginning to end: from sales to customer service, from the warehouse to the service department. We do not take your order, ship out your product, and then you fall by the wayside. We ship out the order, we call you with a tracking number, we have a great customer service department that makes sure you receive your product in a timely and good manner.” Sylvia said of the IDS business philosophy, “We are dedicated to people that purchase products from us. They have support after the sale.”

Sylvia went on to say, “One thing that sets us apart is that we are sincere about what we do. It’s not about, ok, we’ll take your order and we’ll take your money. We want a relationship with our dealers. Anybody can take your order, but not everybody can earn your business.”

In Business Since ‘99- A Woman’s Touch

IDS was founded in ‘99 when Sylvia Turner realized her long-term dream, since she could remember, of becoming a entrepreneur. She met with an investor that had the financial backing to make her dream a reality and presented her idea. He agreed, and IDS was born.

Turner’s 13 years of industry experience started when she heard about an opportunity in sales from a dear friend, Suzanne Carter. At the time, she was working as a quality assurance inspector for government products. Turner’s people-person attitude had convinced Suzanne that she should go into sales in the imaging business and this story is the history.

She began work as a wholesale sales rep for OEM Sharp equipment and supplies . . . and loved it! She stayed on for four years. Then, opportunities opened up for her in other aspects of sales including used equipment, doing government sales (GSA), and becoming the sales manager at ACM. Above all, at these jobs, she learned to know her competition and to discover how to sell to them, along with dealers.

With this combined industry knowledge, she finally had the experience and financial backing to begin IDS. Starting with two employees–one of which was Suzanne Carter who has 20 years of industry experience, IDS now has five who work from a 5500 sq. ft facility that warehouses a quarter of a million dollars of equipment consistently.

What’s more, IDS is mostly made up of women. “What makes us unique is that we are predominately females in this company. We do everything from sales to customer service, technical support, advertising, and marketing. We are a true sense of Charlie’s Angles,” Turner says of IDS.

She went on to say, “I attend the dealer meetings. And when I look in that room and see all the suits, I see that I am primarily the only executive female present in that room. Not to say that we discriminate, it’s just to say that we get the job done equal to or better than the suits. We are authorized by (TABS) Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc, a 50 billion dollar company worldwide. That speaks volumes.”

IDS becomes a household name . . . Someday

Someday, Turner envisions IDS in the four corners of the U.S. She wants IDS to become synonymous with Toshiba products, with quality, reliability, and excellence . . . from beginning to end.

“To become one of Toshiba’s national distributors is my primary goal. And, to one day start another company and set them up the exact same way. And then keep going, we want to be a household name like General Electric and Westing House, Sears, and Starbucks–there’s one on every corner. We want to be an International Digital Solutions West Coast, International Digital Solutions East Coast etc. . . . That’s our goal.”

Contact IDS:

www.idswc.com

T. 310-537-9811

T. 888-372-3700

F. 310-900-1444

F. 310-537-9819

by Jamie Hamilton— in addition to writing business profiles in ENX, Jamie writes and designs ads, brochures, catalogs, newsletters, and technical manuals for companies in the imaging industry. She can be contacted at: Tel/ Fax 502-896-1051 or e-mail her at: jamiewriter@hotmail.com.

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