Starting any business whereby you will predominantly be working from home requires a great deal of attention to detail and forward planning, and if you have decided to start a printing business, presumably and indeed, hopefully, you have at least some experience in the industry.
Here is a simple guide on how to start your own printing business from home and some common pitfalls to learn how to avoid.
Be Empowered by the Benefits of Being Your Own Boss
Especially when it comes to the art of printing, not only do you need to have a deep-seated passion and specific interest in printing and the processes involved, but you also need to take pride and ownership of your business and your position as your own boss.
There is a plethora of advantages to being your own boss and launching your own business from home in the printing industry, including:
- The fact that 7/10 home business start-ups in the US are successful
- You retain complete ownership and control over your own products and designs
- You have the freedom to experiment
- You can place your own value on your time and finished products and set your own prices
Choose Your Print Niche
There are so many different products and associated printing processes and equipment available that it makes much more sense, particularly in the first year or so of launching your business, to pick a niche upon which to concentrate on.
Whilst making your decision, conduct thorough research into the different styles of printing and teach yourself about current printing trends in terms of what companies and, indeed, individual customers want.
Decide Upon Your Necessary Equipment & Accessories
Once you have decided upon your specific niche that, certainly in the beginning, your at-home printing business will be concentrating on, this will determine the technologies and equipment you will require.
If you have a background in printing and even have worked professionally in the industry in the past, you may well either already own one or two commercial printers yourself or else know how to get hold of what you need.
Almost conclusively, though, you would certainly be advised by current printing professionals to invest in a new wide format printer, which will make a huge difference to how efficient each order you are commissioned to complete becomes.
Focus on Website & Social Media Management
Naturally, as an at-home printing business, your promotion and establishment of your company and brand will be almost solely based online, and this is why you must devote no small amount of time to social media and website management.
For a printing business, especially one at home, by far, the best choice would be to run a web-to-print live software package. Essentially, this will mean that your clients and customers can upload their personalized designs directly onto your website, or else follow a link from your social media pages to your website, which you can then store and print from home.
