How to Begin a Printing Company

By | October 4, 2011

These are some of the things that you may consider as get into business of commercial printing. When demand is increasing, need to buy another machine

Starting a commercial printing business can be quite hard at first because of the many things that you have to consider. But these are just “birth pains” because once the operations have started and the business is running; it is all a matter of keeping the customers happy. It may take maybe one to two years to become an established commercial printer but as you gain regular customers they will be the ones to make referrals to other people. That would be your word of mouth advertising.

Here are a few guidelines that you can look into as you seriously think of getting into the business of commercial printing. May these help you as you venture into the new and exciting world of the printing industry.

1. Prepare your business plan. This is important in starting your business, whether this is going to be in printing or not. If you need help in this aspect, you may look for business plan formats from the internet. There is nobody who will check or grade your business plan unlike in school. So this is not about making the perfect business plan that will please your professor. However, your business plan will be like your guide in running your new venture. It will contain the amount needed for the start-up capital, the budget for monthly expenses (an estimate), and a list of competitors. You will also have to think about the ways how you can earn as a printer. List down your main source of income and the smaller side businesses that can be an additional source of income for your new company. This shall also be your guide in the sense that you will use your resources, energy, and manpower in order to prioritize the main source of income. You can probably just hire part-time employees for your sidelines.

2. Check your finances. You may have some savings that you can use as capital or you may need to file for a business loan so that you will have money to pay for your initial investments. Keep a detailed record of the loans that you need to pay and pay them up at the soonest possible time.

3. You may be excited to start your operations but first, you will have to fulfill the papers and permits required by the government. You have to pay the fees and submit the papers needed for a legitimate business.

4. Your office and printing plant. You will need some space to contain your printer, your office space, and your paper stock. If you have space at home, you can place your machine in the garage and then just have a small booking office in the city. That way, you can save on the rental while your business is just starting.

5. Canvass and purchase all the equipment that you need. You may use your existing computer for business transactions but you will have to invest in a computer with high specifications for the design and layout. You will also need communication devices like a landline telephone, fax, and internet.

6. Purchase your printing equipment. You have to prioritize the purchase of one unit of four-color offset printing press so that you can accommodate the demand for colored printing.

These are just some of the things that you may consider as you get into the business of commercial printing. When the demand is increasing, you might need to buy another machine to accommodate all your orders. But no matter what, make it a point to pay your loans so there are not hitches to your success of being a commercial printer.