How to Start Your Own Work-From-Home Printing Company

Working from home provides you with ample benefits. As an entrepreneur, you have complete freedom over how you run your business, and where. Whether you choose to work from home in your pajamas or to hit the road and work from a coffee shop in Bali, there’s no denying that spearheading your own business is a highly rewarding feeling.

There are many different types of companies you can start from home, and a printing company is just one attainable idea. The commercial printing industry is valued at $81 billion, and there’s still plenty of room for growth and boutique printing companies. With that in mind, here’s how you can start your own remote printing company:

Find a Niche

When you’re just starting out, it makes sense to find a targeted niche and stick to it. Within the printing business, there are numerous niches to choose from. For instance, perhaps you’ve noticed that your neighborhood is up and coming, and many new businesses are popping up left and right. In this case, perhaps you’d be interested in specializing in banner and sign printing for retail companies. Do you want to print t-shirts? Posters? Brochures? Direct mail marketing materials? Think about where your passion lies, and how big the market is for that passion.

Invest in Technology & Equipment 

The equipment you invest in can make or break your printing business. For example, if you’ve decided to go with a high-quality printing business, you might invest in sublimation or pigment from providers like Cosmo’s Ink (https://cosmos-ink.com/). What’s most important is that you research your market to determine the printing equipment you’ll need from various manufacturers. Design software and a high-quality printer are a must. The type of printer you’ll need depends on your niche. Basic printers have laser, screen, inkjet, and offset options. You’ll also need to invest in your print stock and get your ink from a reliable toner cartridge supplier. This might mean a stockpile of posters, t-shirts, or cardstock for business cards, depending on what your needs are.

When you’re just starting out, you might consider a dropshipping method. With dropshipping, you can create your designs or mockups, and outsource your printing to other companies when an order is placed. Once you’ve gained some traction, you can pivot your efforts and start to invest in some equipment of your own. When you begin with dropshipping, it’s also an effective way to test your market and see what sells. Many businesses have failed after they invested thousands of dollars into equipment and product that didn’t sell, and are now stuck with huge amounts of inventory and no dollars to show for it.

Create a Website

Your website is most likely the link between you and potential customers. Early sales might be fueled by word-of-mouth referrals and friends and family, but relying on this isn’t sustainable. You’ll need a great website to really demonstrate the power of your services. The fact is, most people make quick first impressions about a company based on the website. If you don’t focus on this area of the business, you could quickly lose out on a large customer base.

If you aren’t savvy with website design, outsource your design efforts –hire a UX designer.  This will save you plenty of time and effort in the long run. You’ll handle the product and vision, and the website design agency can focus on execution. Always begin with a sitemap to help you better understand your product offerings and how your navigation can be as intuitive as possible.

In order to create the best user experience possible, your website should be clear to understand and navigate. You can’t be a printing company with a chaotic website: great typography, simple and succinct copywriting, and balanced use of white space and imagery are all important design tactics to consider.

Market Your Business

Now that you’ve got a solid foundation for a printing business, you can get to work on your marketing plans. There are many ways you can market your business, but the first step is to conduct market research to determine who your ideal target audience is. If your niche is direct mail, for instance, your market might be small business owners.

In this case, put yourself in their shoes and go where they go. In addition to social media ads, a beautifully designed website, and SEO efforts, you should also go to events where your audience is likely to be. Meetup.com is a great place to find potential customers and integrate yourself into relevant communities in the area.