Opening a printing house where to start. Possible formats of activity. Finding a production area

Starting a business in the printing industry is affordable with minimal capital: entry barriers are low. The main requirements for an entrepreneur: a general understanding of the field and the presence of a business plan thought out to the smallest nuances of a printing house. The growing number of participants in the printing market confirms the prospects and profitability of such a business.

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Services

The main types of services provided by printing houses:

1. Printing magazines, newspapers, books.
2. Release of booklets. The booklet is a single sheet on which the text with illustrations is applied, folding several times.
3. Issue of brochures. A brochure is a product that has more than four pages and contains certain textual and graphical information. The pages are fastened together with glue, paper clips, springs.
4. Flyer printing. A flyer is usually one sheet of A5 or A4 format, containing information on both sides or only one.
5. Create folders. A folder is a product made of either cardboard or polymer, designed to store a small amount of paper. The necessary information is applied to the folder (for example, the logo of the customer's company, advertising text, drawings, etc.).
6. Release of labels. Labels are usually made on special paper and are intended for further gluing to a specific object. In the classic version, it contains information about a specific product.
7. Making calendars. For example, print shop specialists can design a calendar for a particular company, containing its company name, logo, etc.
8. Business card production. A business card is a small sheet of thick paper/cardboard that contains brief information about a person/organization and contact information.
9. Printing on A1 and A2 sheets.
10. Role print.

Additional earning options:

• binding;
• scanning;
• lamination;
• corporate logo design development;
• development of invitations, greeting cards, etc.;
• issue of business printing (for example, envelopes, notepads, forms, receipts, bulletins, etc.);
• printing methodological and educational materials;
• production of color separation photoforms;
• embossing on paper;
• printing on T-shirts, mugs;
• making souvenirs;
• proofing layouts, etc.

In a mini-printing house, the following distribution of the range of products is usually observed:

• booklets, leaflets, brochures, labels - about 60 percent of the total turnover;
• copying documents of various formats - 25 percent;
• binding of documents (for example, diplomas, term papers, reports, etc.) - 5 percent;
• lamination - 5 percent;
• other goods - 5 percent.

Printed materials can be replicated in small batches using copiers, or in large quantities using a risograph. The possibility of producing goods in a small volume will be of interest to numerous small entrepreneurs when ordering promotional products.

Relevance

The relevance of business in the field of printing is due to the following factors:

1. In order to open a business, an entrepreneur does not need special knowledge and skills. Both an experienced and a novice entrepreneur can organize a business.
2. High profitability, profitability and payback.
3. High demand for printing services from legal entities and individuals. The growth of small business observed in Russia leads to an increase in the need for printing products, to a greater extent - advertising.

Types of printing houses

Traditionally, printing companies are divided into:

• bookstores;
• newspaper;
• magazine;
• book and magazine;
• newspaper and magazine;
• printing factories;
• cartographic factories;
• blank factories;
• white goods factories, etc.

Classification of printing houses according to the share of one or another type of service in the volume of production (if the value is above 50%, the enterprise is considered specialized):

• publishing and printing complex that prints newspaper products;
• a printing company specializing in the printing of graphic products (including label products);
• a printing house that produces blank products (including ticket products);
• a printing company producing goods for the blind and visually impaired;
• a printing company that produces promotional products;
• a printing house that produces a wide range of all kinds of printed products (universal enterprise).

According to the level of technology and technique used, printing enterprises are divided into:

• printing houses with offset printing;
• letterpress printing houses;
• printing houses with digital printing;
• printing houses with flexographic printing;
• screen printing printing houses;
• printers using different printing methods.

According to the technological specialization, polygraphy is divided into:

• full cycle enterprises;
• enterprises producing original layouts;
• color separation studios;
• offset printing production, etc.

On the basis of "scale of production", printing houses are classified into:

• large (more than 200 workers);
• medium (from 50 to 200 workers);
• small (from 20 to 50 workers);
• mini (up to 20 workers).

The video tells about mini-printing houses and the main steps entrepreneurs take to open them. Shot by channel: TemplateMonsterRu.

The Russian printing market is mainly occupied by mini-printing houses, today they account for more than 70%. This is an ideal business option in this area for beginners.

Advantages of mini-printing houses:

• requires a smaller amount of start-up capital, compared to large;
• quick payback;
• business can be gradually expanded.

Description and analysis of the market

Characteristics of the printing market:

• high social significance of the market;
• reduction in the number of state printing houses;
• the market is dominated by small enterprises providing highly specialized services;
• a growing number of market participants working in new formats - digital and "hybrid";
• high competition;
• market players are trying to track technological innovations in the industry, modernize their production and produce their own printed product;
• multi-technological printing enterprises;
• in recent years, there has been an increase in the production of printed packaging and promotional products;
• the state is preparing a program to support the printing industry;
• increased interaction between small print shops;
• in 2016, the capacity of the all-Russian market for the production of printed products amounted to approximately 50 billion printed sheets;
• 2016 is considered a turning point for the domestic printing industry, as most of the printing houses are going through a stage of development of business and investment activity;
• the annual volume of printing in Russia in foreign currency terms will be about 6.5 billion dollars (according to data at the beginning of 2015);
• in cities with a population of up to 4,000,000 people, there are 230-300 printing companies.

Structure of the Russian printing market by product type in 2016 Total output of printed materials in physical terms according to the nomenclature of Rosstat in the first half of 2015-2016 Distribution of enterprises by form of ownership in Russia (printing industry) The structure of the output of printed products for industrial purposes in the Russian regions in 2016

The target audience

Potential consumers of printing services:

• commercial organizations that need promotional products, forms, forms, newsletters, labels, packaging, etc. (about 60 percent);
• non-profit organizations (for example, charities) that also need promotional leaflets, brochures, folders, notebooks, calendars, and other products (about 10 percent);
• individuals (about 20 percent);
• schools, higher and secondary vocational schools, etc., which need to publish manuals, textbooks, manuals, etc. (about 15 percent).

Competitive advantages

Success factors of modern typography:

• performance of the service on time;
• providing the opportunity to provide services in a shorter period;
• a wide range of services;
• provision of unique services (for example, spectacular advertising, label and packaging products; use of the metallization effect; three-dimensional images; aromatic printing);
• modern and high-quality equipment;
• own informative website, pages in social networks;
• accepting payment in various ways;
• thoughtful loyalty program;
• qualified service;
• the ability to print products in small quantities;
• reasonable prices;
• high quality of finished products.

Advertising campaign

• adding information about the company to reference publications of the city;
• advertisements in local print media (eg magazines, newspapers);
• development of a corporate website with the ability to calculate the cost of services of a printing company, taking into account circulation, size, color;
• opening your own group in social networks;
• for the first time, promotions can be carried out (for example, a discount on the first order, when ordering from a certain amount, etc.);
• exchange of promotional materials with various companies (for example, advertising agencies, notary offices and courier services);
• advertisements in public transport (for example, metro and buses);
• a bright signboard and a banner with a list of services provided;
• cooperation with advertising agencies, which, working with their clients, will order the production of promotional products in our printing house;
• an unobtrusive offer of company services over the phone.

Step-by-step instructions for opening a printing house

To successfully launch a printing house, you need to follow the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Analysis of the local market, allowing you to choose the format and direction of activity for the company.
2. Development of a business plan for a printing house with calculations.
3. Registration of the enterprise in state bodies.
4. Search for a suitable premises, conclusion of a lease agreement (or purchase of a production area) and its repair.
5. Purchase of equipment in accordance with the planned product range and production technology.
6. Installation and adjustment of equipment for printing production.
7. Hiring staff.
8. Search for partners.
9. Carrying out marketing activities.
10. Purchase of consumables.

The documents

Features of printing house registration:

1. To start the operation of the printing house does not require a license.
2. An entrepreneur has the right to create a legal entity (for example, an LLC) or an individual - an individual entrepreneur. The second option is relevant for mini-printing, where only one person acts as the organizer. At the same time, it must be remembered that printing houses registered as LLCs are more trusted by partners and customers.
3. The basic type of economic activity (according to OKVED) is 18 “Printing and copying of information carriers”.
4. The optimal taxation regime is the STS (scheme: 6 percent of income).
5. Opening a bank account for non-cash payments with partners, suppliers and customers.
6. Permits from the sanitary-epidemiological and fire services will be required.

When registering an IP, the following papers are provided:

• a statement expressing the desire of the entrepreneur to open an IP;
• a copy of the main pages of the entrepreneur's passport;
• a copy of the TIN certificate;
• a statement expressing the desire of the entrepreneur to switch to the simplified tax system;
• Contact Information.

When registering an LLC, the following documents are provided:

• protocol from the meeting of the founders or the decision of the founder (if he is one);
• a statement expressing the desire of the entrepreneur to open an LLC;
• company charter;
• a receipt confirming the payment of the fee;
• a receipt confirming the contribution of the authorized capital;
• a copy of the main pages of the passport of all founders.

Room and design

Requirements for the production room and its location:

• availability of communications: electricity, water, sewerage, heating, ventilation;
• the premises should be easy for both clients and partners;
• good access roads and parking;
• to open a mini-printing house, an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 60 square meters is suitable;
• the possibility of expanding production in the future;
• the publishing house can be located in a business center, in the office district of the city or near educational institutions;
• a room in a residential area is not suitable, since the main target audience is commercial organizations, and not ordinary people.

Distribution of floor space:

• production room;
• workplace for the designer;
• reception room or reception;
• warehouse of raw materials and finished products;
• bathroom;
• staff room;
• administrative and business premises.

Equipment and inventory

An example of equipping a mini-printing house.

Digital duplicator (Rizograph) - 340,000 rubles Copy machine - 100,000 rubles Color laser printer - 80,000 rubles Booklet maker - 5,000 rubles

In addition to equipment and inventory, you will need to purchase consumables:

• master film for risograph;
• additional photodrum on the copier;
• additional photodrum for a laser printer;
• paint (color and black);
• A3, A4 paper, etc.

Staff

Mini Printing House Staff:

1. Manager. The manager of the printing house, in addition to performing the functions of organizing its work, can work with clients (search for customers, receiving and sorting orders).
2. Cutter. The cutter is mainly engaged in post-press preparation of products (cutting, stapling, packaging, laminating, embossing, etc.).
3. Maker-up designer. The designer develops the project and prepares it for printing.
4. Printer (two people). The printer is the main specialist who ensures the workflow of printing production.
5. Ancillary worker. An auxiliary worker helps the printer, he also carries out loading and unloading operations, purchases raw materials, delivers products to the customer, etc.

Requirements for a designer/coder:

• special education;
• work experience;
• having a portfolio;
• creative thinking;
• Knowledge and ability to work with various specialized software.

Requirements for a printer:

• specialized education;
• work experience;
• Ability to work with various modern printing equipment;
• learnability;
• accuracy;
• a responsibility;
• attentiveness;
• equilibrium.

Financial plan

Further financial planning is based on the following initial information:

• a mini-printing house is being organized in the city, with a population of about 1 million people;
• organizational form - LLC;
• specialization - production of promotional products;
• the premises are taken on a long-term lease;
• room area - 60 square meters;
• location - business center;
• number of workers - 6 people.

Starting investments

Initial capital for opening a small printing production.

You can determine exactly how much it costs to open your own printing production after:

• choice of production technology;
• formation of the product range and the desired production capacity;
• equipment selection;
• choice of premises;
• clarification of current prices for equipment and the cost of its delivery;
• preparation of a marketing plan, etc.

Recurring costs

Monthly business investment.

Income

Financial results:

• production capacities will allow to receive a monthly gross income of 360-400 thousand rubles;
• annual revenue in the first year will be at the level of four million rubles, and in subsequent years it will reach five million rubles;
• profit for the first year will be about 400 thousand rubles, and the second and subsequent - 1,500 thousand rubles.

This state of affairs is due to the need to promote the business in the first year, the incomplete utilization of production capacities and the search for regular customers. It is possible to increase project efficiency indicators by expanding and modernizing production, as well as offering a wide range of relevant printing services.

The profitability of the printing business is at the level of 20-30 percent.

Calendar plan

Calendar plan for the opening of a small printing house.

From the moment of developing a business plan to the launch of printing production, it will take an average of three months.

Risks and payback

Factors on which the success of the printing house depends:

1. High competition in the local market. To minimize this risk, an entrepreneur must carefully consider the development of a customer loyalty program. Also, high quality services should be provided at a favorable price for customers.
2. Low quality of services provided. This may be a consequence of the incompetence of the main specialists of the printing industry.
3. Economic instability. Financial crises may have a negative impact on the solvency of the main consumer group - commercial enterprises.
4. Use of outdated equipment. An entrepreneur needs to keep track of novelties in the printing industry and, if necessary, modernize production.
5. Offering unclaimed services. It is important to analyze the market at the stage of developing a business project and identify the range of services that will be in demand in the local market.
6. Leakage of valuable personnel. Here, a businessman should interest key specialists in good wages, working conditions, etc.
7. Production downtime due to equipment failure. To minimize such risks, the equipment must be serviced and used by competent specialists, in accordance with the regulations.
8. Increase in prices for consumables from suppliers. For example, due to the growth of the exchange rate, there may be an increase in prices for imported raw materials.
9. Failures in the supply of consumables.

The mini-printing house will fully pay for itself in about 19-24 months.

♦ Capital investments – 700,000 rubles
♦ Payback – 10–12 months

Today, it is rare for a business (even a small scale) to do without printing information and promotional products, business cards.

Students of many specialties also often resort to professional printing services during their years of study (print the same project or bind a diploma).

What can we say about various public organizations and political parties - the main suppliers of waste paper.

The demand for professional printing services today is simply huge and there is no evidence that it will decrease.

All this leads to the fact that many begin to think, how to open a print shop and how much it might cost.

You should not immediately aim at a large printing factory with many machines. Start with a mini printing house whose business plan you and.

You will only have to use these calculations or conduct your own if you plan to open a business of a different kind.

Benefits of opening a print shop

There are a number of reasons for opening a printing house:

1. Printing services are needed not only in metropolitan areas, but also in small towns where there are private enterprises, educational institutions, party cells, public organizations, etc.
2. In order to open such a business, large expenses, special permits, and huge working areas are not required. You will not often be pestered by the sanitation station and other inspection bodies.
3. Printing is a profitable business if you build a good customer base.
4. It is possible to purchase the equipment you need at half price, if it is not new.
5. Pretty fast payback printing compared to other types of business.

How to open a mini printing house: planning

Summary

In Soviet times, any type of activity, and even more so such a strategically important area as printing, was in state hands.

With the collapse of the USSR, it became clear that huge publishing houses and printing factories were unprofitable. It is much more profitable to maintain a mini printing house.

This type of business, despite the fact that there are a great many large and small publishing houses and printing houses in our country, still remains profitable if you optimize costs and acquire regular customers.

The competition in this sector is high enough, but not enough to be intimidated by it.

Professional equipment is expensive, and renting a room costs a penny, so get ready for the fact that in order to open a mini printing house you need to have at least 700,000 rubles + annual expenses for consumables.

Pursued goals:

1. Buy inexpensive, but high-quality equipment, thus reducing the initial costs of the business.
2. Find a print shop at an affordable cost, strategically located in the city center, an easy-to-remember address.
3. Hire qualified employees who can easily replace each other and have work experience.
4. Acquire a base of regular customers, open new sources of income for your printing house.
5. Provide the population of the city with printing services of varying complexity.
6. Constantly improve our own business, modernize equipment, get the opportunity to fulfill even complex large-scale customer orders.
7. Build a profitable business that would pay off within a year.

Mini typography marketing plan

When thinking about opening a printing house, one should take into account the high level of competition in this sector.

Many entrepreneurs have long understood how profitable this type of business can become by investing in printing presses, risographs and other equipment.

But in this area there are enough unoccupied niches, so if you form a competitive advantage, you can not be afraid of the owners of other printing houses.

Competitive advantages of printing house

Interesting fact:
Color printing appeared in the 14th century. For this technology, a huge number of engraved tablets were used, while each was painted in the desired color.

Even before opening a printing house, it is important to think about how exactly you can stand out from your competitors in order to quickly build up a client base.

Well, of course, while working, you should not forget about increasing not only turnover, but also advantages.

Here are some ways to quickly promote your business and increase your customer base:

• The presence of equipment that would print products of impeccable quality.
  If you buy a low-quality risograph, printer or scanner, wanting to save money, then the client simply will not return to you.
• Acceptable pricing policy for printing services.
• System of discounts for regular customers and wholesale consumers.
• Possibility to fulfill urgent orders at any time.
• Availability of "home delivery" service, if we are talking about a large batch of printed materials.
• Polite and qualified staff who will treat each client with understanding and respect.
• The convenient location of your printing house so that the client does not have to get to the edge of the city.

Target audience of business

To indicate the target audience of a mini printing house, the age or gender of a potential client does not matter. Even his financial situation is not so important (although it will not be superfluous to get a few rich regular customers).

You only need to consider the scope of your customers.

The main clients of printing houses are students, private entrepreneurs, media editors, public figures, political parties.

Advertisement for printing house

A newly opened printing house needs high-quality advertising.

You must quickly convey to a potential client how advantageously you differ from your competitors in the quality of your products, pricing policy, etc.

Since you have your own printing equipment, you can save on the creation of leaflets, booklets, banners.

It is desirable to create your own website, where the client can see samples of your products and learn about prices.

Also, don't forget about popularizing your typography on social networks, thanks to which you can reach a student audience.

It is also important that each of your clients be satisfied with the services rendered to him and wish to return to you again, recommend your printing house to his friends.

Hand out your business cards to all new clients.

Staff for a mini printing house

You will not be able to cope with all the work on your own, so you cannot do without hiring qualified personnel.

You will definitely need several generalists (people who would know computer graphics programs and know how to handle equipment), an accountant (better - part-time, while you have a small business).

With leadership functions, you can do it yourself.

If you do not plan to clean the printing house yourself, then do not forget about the cleaner. You can hire a woman of retirement age part-time, because cleaning a small office takes only 1-2 hours in the morning.

All this implies the following expenses per month for wages.

How to open a mini printing house: implementation

Printing house calendar plan

Before starting work, you need to draw up a business plan for a printing house with specific calculations (or use a ready-made one).

In addition to it, you need to draw up monthly or at least quarterly plans (provision of printing services, expected profit, actions to attract customers, etc.).

As soon as your business pays off, you can stop making monthly / quarterly plans, and limit yourself to only annual ones.

Stages of launching a mini printing house

The most difficult thing for you is to find a suitable premises with an acceptable rental price, purchase good equipment and hire experienced employees.

For renting premises, choose not expensive commercial areas (shopping centers charge a lot of money per 1 sq. Meter), but simpler organizations, for example, communal establishments located near the center.

In order for the printing house to work successfully, you do not need European-style repairs.

Professional new equipment costs a lot of money, so used equipment is fine to start with, but make sure it's in good condition.

You can search for staff for a printing house through recruitment agencies or the labor exchange.

To start your mini printing house from scratch with proper planning, it will approximately take no more than 5 months.

Table of expenses for opening a printing house

High-quality professional equipment, even if used, is not cheap, but you cannot do without it if you want to build a successful business.

No one will come to your printing house if you print products on a regular printer.

The main costs of starting a business are as follows:

In addition to the initial opening costs of 680–700,000 rubles, you will also have mandatory annual expenses in business.

It's not just about paying employees, renting space, or taxes, but also about maintaining the equipment you have and buying the paper you'll be printing on.

Here is a rough plan for the annual expenses of the printing house for these purposes:

Item of expenses (equipment identification)	Cost of one copy (in rubles)	Plan for the production of copies for the year	Amount of annual expenses (in rubles)
Total:			400 000 rub.
risograph	0,4	400 000	160 000
Copy machine	0,3	150 000	45 000
Printer	0,35	200 000	70 000
Paper A3	0,38	8 000	3 040
A4 paper	0,15	800 000	120 000

Services that a printing house can provide

We invite you to take a short excursion into the world of modern typography

by watching the following video:

Calculation of revenue and profit of the printing house

Download ready-made business plan printing house with quality assurance.
The content of the business plan:
1. Privacy
2. Resume
3. Stages of project implementation
4. Characteristics of the object
5. Marketing plan
6. Technical and economic data of the equipment
7. Financial plan
8. Risk assessment
9. Financial and economic justification of investments
10. Conclusions

As you can see, with proper management of the printing house, there is a chance to earn three times more than the initial investment, that is, the business can be made profitable.

Of course, you will have unplanned expenses (some equipment may fail, employees will demand higher wages, etc.), but nothing prevents you from increasing the pace of production and gradually increasing the cost of printed products.

thinking how to open a print shop, and taking the first steps to build a new business, do not postpone the development of competitive advantages and ways to attract new customers.

The more successful your start from scratch, the faster the development.

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Business today cannot do without advertising booklets, business cards, letterheads and other printed materials. But ordering prints from large publishing houses, and even in small print runs, is beyond the means of most entrepreneurs. And this means that the services of small printing houses will always be in demand. How to open a printing house, and what difficulties await a novice entrepreneur in the printing business?

The specifics of the printing business

The organization of their own printing house is most often thought of by people who have been “rotating” in this area for a long time. Printing requires special knowledge, but this can hardly be regarded as a serious obstacle to opening such a profitable business. You, as the owner of a printing house, do not have to understand all the nuances yourself: there are professionals for this. Finding print specialists in smaller towns may not be easy: be sure to study the job market in the relevant profile so that you have several workers in mind. In megacities, finding people with the right skills and education is not a problem.

Private printing houses serve mainly small and medium-sized businesses: many firms need printing services from time to time. With active involvement, you can get a bunch of small orders, but you can’t count on stability when working with one-time clients. A printing house as a business should be focused on a regular clientele: even at the stage of thinking through an idea, it is important to have an idea where you will take customers with a regular need for printing, and how you will keep them. It is desirable to have preliminary agreements by the time of opening.

Business organization

It is advisable to open a printing house not as an individual entrepreneur, but as a legal entity. Most likely, you will work with organizations, including state and municipal ones, when concluding contracts with which individual entrepreneurs may have difficulties.

So, at the initial stage, you are required to:

• determine the organizational and legal form of the enterprise;
• pass state registration or;
• indicate the types of activities suitable for the printing house (printing activities - 22.22; advertising - 74.40);
• choose a tax regime;
• apply for a license if you plan to print strict reporting forms.

On the tax point - you need to look at the scale of your business and potential customers. For mini-typography, "" is quite suitable. If you work with large VAT clients, consider finding an experienced accountant as well.

The next steps you need to take:

1. Rent a space for a printing house.
2. Buy, rent/lease equipment.
3. Hire workers.
4. Arrange an advertising company.

Room search

You can open a mini-printing house on an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 30 "squares", this is quite enough. The more important issue is location. A large client flow, which provides accommodation within the shopping center, will only attract individuals to you for small services such as copying, laminating, making photo books. Alternatively, a small space in the shopping center can be used as an office for negotiations with customers and taking orders, while the print shop will be located elsewhere.

The most preferred location of the printing house is surrounded by potential customers: in a business center, on a university campus. Entrepreneurs will apply to you for advertising printing, universities - for printing educational literature, scientific papers, brochures, binding, etc.

To work with large businesses, municipalities and other "serious" clients, the location of the printing house, by and large, is not so important if you will go to the office to clients, deliver finished products to them and be able to offer attractive prices. You can safely save money and rent a room for a printing shop in a residential area or on the territory of an industrial zone. The main requirements for the production premises are good ventilation, exhaust and, preferably, non-residential fund.

Printing house equipment

Professional equipment is something without which a printing house cannot exist, and which will take the lion's share of the initial costs. Can you save money here? Yes, if you buy used equipment or rent it. Well, it’s also good to evaluate your capabilities and not buy too much.

At first, you can get by with only the necessary minimum, for which you can clearly define the range of priority services. With the development of production, equipment can be purchased, upgraded, changed to more modern models, but first, provide the printing house with equipment according to the list:

• computers for working with complex graphic programs;
• professional printers;
• copy machine;
• risograph;
• laminating machine;
• stitcher;
• printing stapler;
• paper cutting machine.

Buy enough "consumables":

• paper for different types of printing products;
• cartridges for copying and printing equipment;
• paints and toners;
• laminate film;
• replaceable knives for cutting;
• fastening hardware.

Purchase furniture for employees, for a client office, warehouse.

Recruitment

The staff of the printing house depends on the volume of services provided. With a complete process chain from designing layouts to packaging and delivery of finished products, you will have to hire 1-2 employees for each stage of production.

The most important people in the printing house, who are valued "for their weight in gold" - a printer and a good "salesman":

1. Print specialists are employees with special education, scarce, and therefore highly paid.
2. The workload of your company with orders will depend on the sales manager. A person working in this position must understand the specifics of printing products and, of course, actively engage in customer acquisition, including cold sales skills.

We definitely need technical workers "on hand" who will help the printer, deal with post-press processing, packaging, and loading.

The rest of the staff: designers, typesetters, proofreaders are also important, but if there is a need to save money, it is better to look for generalists who can combine several professions at once. Some of these workers can not be hired, but freelancers can be recruited for specific orders. Small non-labor-intensive work (lamination, photo printing) entrust any free employee to perform.

Advertising promotion

When writing a business plan for a printing house, consider a good advertising budget - you will need it to make yourself known to potential customers. Print your own business cards, booklets, flyers with your contacts and special offers. Make them bright and creative - this will be the best advertisement for your work.

Hire promoters to distribute leaflets, hold presentations in business centers, contact companies of interest directly to you, place an ad in the press and the Internet, create a website, order a “souvenir” with your logo - promote your services in all available ways, paid and free. Your task is to convey to as many customers as possible the benefits of working with your printing house.

Printing house opening costs

Speaking about the printing industry, you need to understand that a lot of investments in the business will be needed. How much does it cost to open a printing house? Count on at least 750 thousand rubles:

• rent of premises - 100-120 thousand rubles;
• equipment and consumables - from 500 thousand rubles;
• furniture - from 100 thousand rubles;
• advertising - from 50 thousand rubles.

• layout designer;
• printer;
• assistant printer;
• manager.

Administrative functions and accounting, until the business gets back on its feet, you can take over. If not, get ready to "fork out" for a competent manager.

Put in the budget a certain "financial cushion" to cover the risks. There is always a certain percentage of marriage in the printing house. An error at any stage of production can threaten you not only with the loss of the client's favor, but also with significant monetary losses. If anything, the damaged edition will be reprinted at your own expense. The remote designer will delay the delivery of the layout - you, as the owner, will have to answer for the failure to meet the deadlines from your own pocket. Printing is not an area in which it is worth saving on specialists.

Keep in mind that the summer months in the printing industry are a “quiet” season, and salaries and rent costs do not go anywhere. But the New Year period is a hot time, for which you need to prepare in advance.

Successful print shop owners advise you to think about what you can offer your customers that will distinguish you from your competitors. For example, urgent printing, round-the-clock operation, etc. - you will find the answer by carefully studying the printing market surrounding you.

As for payback: it is from 1 to 3 years when installing used, but in good condition, equipment. If you buy everything new, you can count on profit after 3 years. The constant search for clients is what you will need to do all this time. Only by forming a portfolio of long-term regular orders that covers your current costs, you can guarantee break-even production.