George Connell started Inscapes Creative Design & Print out of his basement more than 40 years ago. The first two years, he balanced building the business with maintaining a day job film stripping for a large printing company. Even after Inscapes became his sole focus, it remained an at-home office. For five years, Connell operated Inscapes out of his three-bedroom bungalow: his wife and three kids lived on the main floor; two presses and three employees occupied the basement.

Inscapes grew, and Connell eventually moved into an industrial unit in Oakville, Ont. He stayed there for 30 years, at one point occupying as much as 6,000 square feet, including storage. About four years ago, the industry started shifting. Long-time customers retired and sold their businesses. Others turned to the international market for lower prices. And changes in technology were changing how people did business. One client, for example, stopped printing their manuals altogether and began offering them online instead.

Connell realized his office no longer needed the same footprint. He relocated to a more efficient 1,600-square-foot space. During the move, he acquired a Canon imagePRESS C750 digital colour production press.