Need help with business start up!

[Capron11]

Hello everyone!

Im not sure I am in the right spot so you can redirect me if need be. I am looking for some advice to start up a home based printing business. I am not interested in going mass or printing THOUSANDS of orders a month. I am a stay at home mom of two (one in school) and I just lost my mom a few months ago. We decided to do a memorial service for her and I handled the whole thing. I am a bit of an event planner! lol Anyway, I really had a super hard time finding products catering to the memmorial industry. Let me re-phrase that because the memorial industry really doesnt exist. I would like to print non cheesy memorail announcements/invitations, memorial programs, funeral cards (the ones with a picture, saying and beloveds name and date of birth/passing. I ended up going to vista print and changing a wedding invitation to all memorial notice wording. So this is what I want to do. Obviously, it will be very small and hopefuly mainly internet based. There is a Catholic company out there and a few other affiliates based off this trinity company and I had HORRIBLE service with them. Besides them, thats about all thats out there!! So if you all can give me some ideas on equuipment/software, etc I would be most greatful! I am not a designer in any way. I mean I can be creative but I do not know how to self design stuff. I do not want to lease a machine because A. I do not know how this will go and B. it is very expensive. I would rather test the waters with something affordable I could buy and then upgrade to a lease later if need be and use the older machine as a back up of sorts or if the biz flops I can use it for home use or lightweight local printing for churches or foundations, etc for cheap prices! Thank you for your time!
Danielle

 

[neprint]

Start up

Start up

Danielle,

I believe you should find a local print shop and develop a relationship with that shop; be open about what you want to do and let the shop understand you will send all the business to them if the shop can give you wholesale pricing. My sense is a decent digital shop should be able to handle this - we could (I believe).

Anyhow, your high payoff activities center around handling the details and events not in the actual printing - you be the 'face' and let someone else do the print.

 

[ShortRunMagazines]

Agreed... while you may be able to use the printing if the business flops, most people don't have a huge "home use" for a folding machine, scoring machine, or paper cutter...

 

[Capron11]

hu?

hu?

"Anyhow, your high payoff activities center around handling the details and events not in the actual printing - you be the 'face' and let someone else do the print. "

I am not sure I understand or you have possibly misunderstood. I am not doing any event planning. I am only doing the printing. I mentioned event planning in regards to planning my own mothers memorial but not in this instance. This is diffirent. I want to start a printing business not an event planning busines.

Thank you,

 

[Capron11]

I do not need any of those items as Short run listed. I will be buying my supplies pre-sized. These are very small jobs so I wil be getting Sheets of funeral cards, and all ready sized invitations. Everything is pretty much done on flat paper so nothing will be folded or need to be cut.

 

[oxburger]

Who will be handling the design if you aren't? There would be software and design issues to overcome on top of the equipment cost. If you're not going to do the design, you'll have to pay for a designer to do that and they (we) don't come cheap. $50 hour unless you strike some sort of deal. What about marketing? Will you go directly to the funeral homes? How about advertising? What about a website with online ordering? You also have the problem of the fast turnaround. When someone passes, you're lucky to get 4 days until the memorial.....

 

[oxburger]

I think your best bet advertising/marketing wise would be to strike a deal with the funeral homes in your area. That way, you don't have to do any direct advertising to the consumer at all, the funeral home would do it for you. You give the funeral home a list of your designs/services and then a cost for different quantities for the different sizes and they tell their client what the options are. It will save alot of money by not having to place ads in publications or have a website, etc.

 

[maynardsayswhat]

Starting a business is not easy. Especially in an industry that you are inexperienced in. I would very strongly suggest you stop by your local community or junior college and inquire about small business courses.

Also, talk to your local print shops about what products you could offer. Just shooting out lasers on pre-scored and pre-cut sheets might work for some jobs but you'll eventually need a professional press to handle anything outside this norm. Start your relationships early.

Good luck.

 

[oxburger]

Just a basic google search delivered these results. It seems the memorial card and services is alive and kicking.

Google

Funeral Program, Funeral Obituaries, Obituary, Funeral Program Template, Funeral Software
In Loving Memory, LP; funeral programs; customized printing
www.eduringkeepsakes.com
Memorial Print memorial cards, prayer cards, funeral cards, mass cards
Funeral Program Templates | Funeral Programs | Obituary Templates | Funeral Program | Memorial Service Bulletins | Funeral Poems | Elegant Memorials
www.funeralprogram-site.com
Funeral Home Web Site Design, Funeral Tribute Video Software, Funeral Home Consulting
Funeral Programs | Funeral program Templates | Obituary programs | Memorial Funeral Program Printing | Memorial Service Programs |Free Funeral Memorial Programs
www.vistaprint.com

 

[Tbiller]

There may be a market in your area. There are videos and books that you can get to learn design and related software, and do it at home. Probably Indesign and Photoshop to start. Peachpit: Publishers of technology books, eBooks, and videos for creative people Software training online-tutorials for Adobe, Microsoft, Apple & more and competitors, plus some free stuff to get you going on Adobe's website. For a printer, you are really on the wrong forum, for small stuff like you are talking about, you need some kind of desktop printer, but as others have suggested, you might be better off at a local print shop. I know there is one in town here that would be perfect. Try look up a larger printer and ask for a recommendation on a smaller one. larger printers will not want to bother with the small quantity, but will know which small guys are good. For marketing, I would recommend working on relationships with local funeral homes rather than online. Online you will have more competition and you'll have the expense of a good web site.

If it works let me know and maybe I'll try it here. Well, probably not, but let me know anyway. My wife is a stay at home mom also, which is in my opinion a worthy career.

 

[easiprint]

Not sure about where you are, but here in the UK, almost all funeral directors have relationships with printers, and they arrange these cards as part of the 'package'. We are a digital printers and have tried in the past to build relationships with funeral directors to provide this service. but it was very hard as most already had existing agreements with printers. Of course it may be different where you are, so have you contacted some funeral directors to see if they would be interested in partnering with you in some way. Market research is key before committing to a new business, especially one which is very specialised as you are looking at.

To get back to answering your actual question, if once you have determined there is a market, then I think the best printer to fit your needs would be one of OKI range. They are ok for small run stuff on thicker card. I personally have a hatred for OKI machines, as I had one in my shop which was no use for my type of work (solid coverage), but as long as you are doing low volumes with low coverage, then they would suit you fine.

Good luck - just make sure you look into the market before committing.

Simon

 

[verticaldirect]

Let me give you the best advice anyone on this forum will give you: Don't think that because you have a wonderful idea that it is worth starting a business over -- especially one that you don't have a single shred of experience.

I don't want to quell your entrepreneurial drive, but the printing industry is the last place I would try to make my first company.

As a few have already stated, your best bet would be to learn what it is you are trying to sell FIRST, and if you can sell it by brokering the work to existing brick and mortar businesses, then do that.

Otherwise, to make a 100K plus investment, in this economy, in an industry you are not familiar with, is pure suicide.