How to open a copy center and succeed. Business plan for a copy center: cost calculation, necessary equipment and proper advertising of services Necessary equipment for a copy center

Today, the copying business may seem to some to be of little demand.

True, you walk around the city, there is not a single point for you to make such a necessary photocopy of a document!

And for some reason in another place there is not one copy center, but two. Why? Let's figure it out.

Who are we working for?

You must always remember: the characteristic of this type of business is that people always need it. The demand for such services is almost constant. Students and students need them first. Modern student does not waste his personal time rewriting notes. A photocopy is our everything. It’s very convenient to photograph an entire general notebook in a few minutes, and you can relax!

Then come the clients of banks, notaries, BTI, tax, and pension funds. Everyone needs a certain package of document copies. The main thing is that the flow of visitors does not dry out.

Where do we work?

An important point must be included in the copy center business plan - the location of your establishment. It also must be selected with filigree precision. The most profitable ones are near educational institutions: institutes, schools, colleges. There will always be a need for this type of service. The location in the city center is important. Renting here is more expensive, but will probably pay off faster.

Types of activities

Still, not everyone has computers these days! And printers, even though many have rushed to buy them, need to be constantly maintained and cartridges refilled on time.

Therefore, photocopies of documents and printouts of texts are basic types activities. What else? Disc cutting, photo printing, typing, laminating, binding, scanning, dumping information onto media, printing leaflets, brochures, promotional handouts, business cards.

And also we should not forget about the trade in related goods: souvenirs, stationery. Because, upon entering the copy center, you immediately remember that you need a folder, that your pen has already stopped writing, and your pencil is broken, and you urgently need to buy a new one.

We continue to draw up a simplified business plan for a copy center together. So, summary: we provide services for printing text, making photocopies, selling stationery, souvenirs.

Your minimum costs will depend on both the cost of rent (10-15 sq. m. is enough) and on the professional level of the purchased equipment. How to open a copy center? In general, you can get by with 5-7 thousand dollars! You will spend no more than a week or two on organizing your business.

Technique

An important point included in the business plan of a copy center is the availability of equipment. Modeling the process begins with understanding what the whole thing will be based on. What is your business based on? That's right, on good (preferably new) copying equipment! Do not skimp on it or skimp on it. Those who open a copy center and install cheap or old equipment there begin to regret it very much later. This equipment often breaks down, and as a result you will spend a significant amount of money. more money for repairs than for herself. It’s no secret that some printers (especially “promotional” ones) are cheaper than the consumables for them.

How to choose equipment?

This matter is not particularly difficult. There are companies that sell similar equipment. These offices have consultants who will be happy to advise you on the best option. Visit several companies, compare prices, terms of sale, service. Consider taking the equipment in installments - many people do this, especially if it is expensive. In general, choose the best, most suitable option for you.

Some people like to stock up on equipment: one printer is good, but two are better. Just in case one of them breaks! You can attract investors, because opening a stylish large copy center is not a very cheap pleasure. But still, if you have money, it’s better to do it yourself or take computers and copying machines in installments.

We will need two desktop PCs or laptops, if desired. The last option is also good because it can be taken from the premises to do “homework” or in case there suddenly are problems with security. We also need two multifunctional devices (to have a printer, scanner, copier in one case), two tables, two chairs. To sell stationery, it is necessary to have a display case. For now, one will be enough.

Consumables and stationery for trade

You need to purchase printing paper, photo paper, cardboard for business cards - everything you will print on; cartridges, toner, ink - what you will print with. Do not purchase consumables from large quantities straightaway. As you go, you will see how much is needed per day, week, month. Also, for trading you need a “gentleman’s set” of stationery: folders, files, scissors, pens, etc.

Try to time the opening of your copy center at the beginning academic year. Then success is definitely guaranteed! It is advisable to make and distribute before the start of work promotional material so that they know about you. On your flyer or business card, indicate a diagram: how to get there, how to get there, write the phone number, address, opening hours. You can develop your own logo and come up with a catchy name. Everything is in your hands.

So, let's summarize our copy center business plan. A pair of computers - $1000. A pair of copying machines - from 2000 to 4000, furniture - up to 500 dollars, a display case - 500, consumables - 1000. There are also costs for renting the premises. We recommend renting a small room of 10-15 square meters. m. Then the price of the issue will not hit your pocket so hard. The main thing is that this retail space is located in a walk-through location. Thus, initial capital should be about 10 thousand dollars.

Work for the first month or two yourself, without hiring anyone, and your expenses will decrease by at least the amount of the employee’s salary. If you are a beginner, we recommend adjusting the cost of services using intelligence in similar copy centers.

At first, make your prices a little lower than there. Dumping at good quality does wonders! Then prices can be raised, but people will get used to going to this particular place. Remember that your earnings directly depend on the number of visitors.

According to experience, the investment pays off in a maximum of six months if there is good pedestrian and student traffic. Then you can think about hiring employees and opening a network of copy centers. Of course, you can’t make millions in this business, but stable income and interesting activities are guaranteed. Good luck to you!

The services of copy centers are still used good demand. Clients include students, employees of engineering and construction companies, citizens preparing some documents, and so on. An entrepreneur who decides to open a copy center will not make a mistake, especially if the center is located near an educational institution, market, bus station, that is, where it is always crowded, and the people passing there really need such services.



Nowadays, the demand for photocopying services is growing, people have to make copies of various information materials, documents, print out documentation in electronic form, or vice versa – make electronic copies of documents and business documentation. In this case, electronic copies are stored on memory cards and laser disks.

People visit copy centers many times, especially if the nature of their work or study requires it. We are talking about printing coursework, school essays, document forms; in addition, such an office often provides services such as laminating documents, refilling cartridges, and printing color photographs. It is worth noting that the demand for photocopying services is always high, regardless of the season, weather conditions. The main thing is that the mining center is located in a busy place, in the center, as they say, of the city, not far from some university, business center, administrative office, school, and so on.

To set up a copy center, an entrepreneur will have to purchase certain equipment, the type and quantity of which determines the list of services that his company will provide. In any case, you will have to buy a photocopier, personal computer, printer, scanner. Today it is not easy to buy this office equipment; any electronics store has several models of any of the above copiers. Moreover, we are talking about electronics from various manufacturers, cost, quality, level of performance, functionality.

WITH service Repairs of the above-mentioned equipment should also not be a problem, service centers have been operating for many years, there is no shortage of consumables (paint, paper) and components. In the event of a breakdown, faulty equipment can be quickly repaired, set up at the nearest service center, or you can even call a technician to the office.

The price of services that sell copying prices initially depends on demand and the level of competition. The most popular services are photocopying and printing of electronic documentation, which is why it is advisable to set competitive prices here, that is, the lowest. Services such as recording data to disk, external storage media, and preparing forms are less in demand, so their cost should be a little higher. Refilling cartridges requires special skills, so the cost of this service is quite high. Still, people willingly use this service, because buying branded consumables is much more expensive.

The photocopying center is an enterprise that must be registered with tax service. Registration is what an entrepreneur has to start with, that is, the first stage in the process of organizing a business. Once the “paper issue” is resolved, you can start purchasing the necessary equipment that will allow the copy center organizer to “earn” money. You need to choose high-quality, multifunctional, reliable equipment that will work for more than one year without interruption for repairs. Cartridges must be designed for at least 1500 copies, no less. It is advisable to purchase a new standard computer, a high-quality scanner, and a reliable color laser printer.

All this electronic equipment will pay for itself very quickly, in just one or two heavy sessions, when there are more than enough student clients near such copying centers, and they often print up to fifty or more pages at a time. At such times, the load on equipment is especially high. An entrepreneur can purchase the above-mentioned copying equipment on a rental basis with the right to purchase later if he can convince the supplier of the prospects and profitability of his business project.

Before opening a copy center, it is recommended to conduct a small advertising company, that is, place advertisements in nearby crowded places, distribute information in nearby student dormitories, educational institutions, make a sign. It is advisable that the range of services of the photocopying center, their cost, and discount conditions be listed there, if, of course, the business owner accepts this.

Modern photocopying centers are usually stuffed with a mass of all kinds of digital equipment that allows you to design and correct documents in electronic format. To work with all this electronic equipment, qualified specialists are required, although in principle this equipment is not difficult to use, configure, or service.

An entrepreneur will have to spend some money to advertise his copy center. On a computer you can type and print promotional letters for posting, distribution in nearby educational institutions, government institutions. It is recommended to make a bright, informative sign and hang it at the entrance to the premises where the mining center is located. You can put up an eye-catching billboard near the building where the business is located.

Nowadays, an incredibly large number of people regularly use Internet resources, wander around various sites, forums, weigh in social networks. The Internet, as a resource for disseminating information about a copy center and the services it sells, is incredibly effective, especially if the business is organized in a large city. On the online network, on your website, other people’s online resources, you can publish a list of services, a price list, current discounts, some interesting information, in order to attract the attention of the online audience.

Now a little about the expenses and income of the photocopying center. Renting a space for a mining center will cost around $300, it all depends on the location of the building and the company’s office. It is desirable that this be the first floor, the entrance from the front side of the building, so that people can find the mine center without problems, and its sign is visible from the street. You will have to spend at least $2,000 to purchase copying equipment, a PC, and other office equipment. About $100 a month will be spent on purchasing paper, other consumables. The salary of an operator at a photocopying center is somewhere around $200-300, which means that an entrepreneur will need at least $3,000 as an initial investment, plus something for advertising and sign making.

On average, a copy center located in a good, crowded place, selling a standard range of services, brings its owner an income of 1-2 thousand dollars (per month). The amount of income of a copy center is influenced by the level of competition, that is, the further away the same copy center is from it, the better. The payback period for a copy center is about 2-4 months. Good luck!

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Our interlocutor today is a young girl Bersheva Lucia from the small town of Akhtubinsk in Astrakhan region. She opened her own printing services department by investing only 15 thousand rubles. How did she manage to do this?

 

Main points of the interview:

• Type of activity: provision of services to the public (photocopying, printing of documents and photographs)
• Business location: Russia, Akhtyubinsk
• Occupation before starting a business: kindergarten teacher
• start date entrepreneurial activity: 2013
• Organizational and legal form of doing business: individual entrepreneur
• Initial investment amount: 70 thousand rubles.
• Source of initial capital: own savings, free grant for starting a business
• Formula for success from Bershova Lucia: “It is important to set a clear goal: what exactly do you want to achieve, what do you want to do and why...”

Hello Lucia! Tell our readers about what business you are in?

Hello! I have my own department of printing services “Printed Font” in the city of Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan region. We provide services such as text copying, typing and printing, firmware, and so on. We also print photographs.

When did you open this department?

A little over six months ago.

What did you do before you became an entrepreneur?

I was a teacher at kindergarten.

Lucia, what was the impetus for you personally to start your own business?

After finishing my studies and returning to my native Akhtubinsk, I began to look for work. Got a job as a teacher at kindergarten. At first I liked everything, but then, you know, the question of wages- she was very low. One day I was walking home from work and thought - why not change my life? Then I had a firm decision - to open my own business. I had a dream about starting a business for a long time, but at that moment I was determined to realize it.

Why did you open a printing department?

It’s just that I myself was a student quite recently and often turned to the services of such departments. My classmates and I made copies of entire books, and typing the text cost a pretty penny. I roughly figured out how much I could earn from this, and decided to open such a department. Then, it seemed to me that there was nothing particularly difficult about it...

My decision was also confirmed by the fact that the condition for receiving a subsidy from the state (for which I opened my department) was precisely the provision of services. That is, for example, I could not open a store or sell anything at all.

Who are your main clients and how many of them are there?

There are enough clients. These are mainly students from the university, which is located not far from us. Another of the main visitors are military personnel who submit documents to their utility and operational department (it is located next to us). A lot of older people also come. In general, I chose the location of my department so that there would be a lot of traffic.

What difficulties did you have to overcome when opening the department?

I wouldn’t say that there were any particular difficulties - the labor exchange helped me a lot with paperwork. I received the main funds there. Probably, the difficulties include searching the necessary equipment for the department. At that time, I didn’t understand it well - for me it was a completely new area of ​​​​knowledge in which I made mistakes.

Let's talk about the financial side of business. How much money do you need to have to open such a department?

Of course, the more money you have, the better! Here a lot still depends on the room - in our small town For some reason, rent is more expensive than in the capital of the region - Astrakhan, or even in Volgograd, a million-plus city! In my case starting capital amounted to about 70 thousand rubles.

Where did you find the necessary funds?

As I already said, I received the main amount in the form of a subsidy from the employment service. It amounted to 58,800 rubles. The rest was borrowed from my parents. This is not a business that requires millions, so I didn’t even think about a bank loan!

How long did it take to wait for government funding? Was it easy to get?

To receive a subsidy, you need to write and defend a business plan. A week and a half after his defense, the money was already in my account. So my answer is yes, it was easy to get and there wasn’t much of a wait!

What taxes do you pay?

I see a lot of equipment in your department. Who is involved in its maintenance and purchase of consumables - you yourself or someone else?

The purchase of consumables is my responsibility, and maintenance of the equipment is carried out by a specialized service center. If I need something, I just call the technician by phone.

Is it expensive to maintain such equipment?

No. For six months of work, nothing ever broke down and no special expensive maintenance was required.

Did you know that there are vending machines that allow visitors to make copies themselves? Would you get one of these for yourself?

Yes, I've heard about it. I wouldn’t install one like this in my department - the equipment is too expensive and complicated. Who will serve her in our small town? And this device would not have relieved the employee in my department one bit - she would have been jerked every now and then. “Girl, explain how to put the document!” What is this? How to use it? The people in our city are not very educated in such know-how.

Are there checks? supervisory authorities? How often do they happen?

There were never any checks.

If you take the monthly budget for running a business, what is the largest expense item?

Rent! As I already said, for some reason it is very large in our town. In second place is the purchase of consumables.

Do you have any competitors in the city and how do you attract customers?

There are a lot of competitors! What makes our department different is our convenient location. We are closest to the main client - students. I also attract people by making our services a little cheaper than in other similar departments. Of course, someone who needs to copy five sheets will not go to another department because it is cheaper there, but if we are talking about a hundred sheets (and this happens!), the person will come to us 100%.

If you could now go back to the time when you just started, what mistakes would you like not to repeat?

Mistakes in purchasing equipment. Not understanding it well enough, I purchased a printer, the maintenance of which was very expensive for me. I just had to donate it and buy a new, more economical one.

If we go back in time, I would have a better understanding of the specifics of this business. Before starting, I would consult more with knowledgeable people.

What do you think is the most important thing in business? Why does it work out for some and not for others?

In my opinion, the most important thing is to have a good understanding of the business you want to open. Then there won't be many mistakes! You also need to study the market.

What advice can you give to those who want to start their own business?

First of all, you need to set a clear goal for yourself: what exactly do you want to achieve, what do you want to do and why. Then you need to do everything to implement your plan. You also need to believe in success and dream big, even if not everything works out.

If you absolutely do not welcome seasonal business, a copy center is something that might interest you. Focusing on a specific target audience and thoughtful location of the copy center. As a rule, students use this type of service office employees, visitors to various government agencies.

Case registration

A business plan for a copy center begins with registering an enterprise. The optimal organizational and legal form in this case is an individual entrepreneur. Despite the fact that you will be responsible with your property and constantly pay pension tax, it will be easier for you to maintain the company’s accounting, and you also have the opportunity to switch to a simplified taxation system or a single imputed tax. There is also no need to form an authorized capital.

When registering, you must indicate the OKVED code - 74.85 “Providing secretarial, editorial and translation services.” Payment can be made without cash register, but if it is purchased, it must be registered with the tax office.

Choosing a location for a business

The next point that a copy center business plan should include is choosing a suitable location. This is a decisive factor for of this business. It is important to find not just a crowded place, but where the maximum flow of your potential clients will be. Such places are premises near or directly in universities, administrative institutions, business centers, office buildings, etc. For your center, it is advisable to find an area on the ground floor of buildings. Firstly, traffic on higher floors is much worse. Secondly, if a competing establishment opens on the ground floor, your income may be significantly reduced.

How much space a copy center business plan should include depends on your budget and the scale of the business. So, with the most modest investments, an area of ​​6-10 square meters will be enough. m. If you plan to offer a wide range of services, you will need a room of 50 sq. m. m. The main thing is that at least several clients can fit inside at the same time.

The main requirement for such a room is the absence of dust and dampness. Otherwise, the equipment will quickly fail, and the paper will simply deteriorate.

Sample list of services

The list of services provided directly depends on the scale of your project. They can be divided into basic and additional. The main services that actually make a copy center such are:

• actual copying;
• black and white printing, including in large volumes;
• color printing, which is usually ordered in small quantities;
• lamination.

To provide these services, a minimum area for equipment is sufficient. To optimize your business, it is advisable to offer an expanded range of services. In any case, it needs to be expanded when the basic services allow you to break even and receive a certain income. Additional services are:

• Print photos on-site with the ability to select images from existing removable media;
• production of business cards;
• printing small batches of booklets and booklets;
• binding of diplomas, coursework, dissertations;
• sale of stationery, including paper by the piece;
• production of invitations, calendars, greeting cards;
• printing images and inscriptions on T-shirts, cups and other souvenirs.

Required equipment

Accordingly, based on a set of services, it is necessary to plan the purchase of equipment. At a minimum, to operate a copy center you will need:

• computer or laptop;
• copy machine;
• bookbinder;
• laminator;
• printer (laser or inkjet).

A laser printer will cost more than an inkjet printer, but it is cheaper to maintain.

You can save on equipment by purchasing a multifunctional device (MFP), which combines a printer, copier and scanner. But when the flow of clients increases and you have to scan and copy at the same time, for example, you will still need separate devices. In addition, you must take into account that if the MFP breaks down, you will not be able to provide three types of basic services. By operating devices separately, if one of them breaks down, your productivity will decrease slightly.

The copier must be selected based on the following characteristics:

• the presence of two automatic paper feed trays;
• printing speed of at least 20 copies per minute;
• print density 1200 x 600 dpi;
• it should be verified, not new model on the market;
• You can easily find free software for it.

If you offer nothing else other than copying services, your business is doomed. One device is not able to cover the cost of rent and employee salary. You can make up to 5 thousand copies per day on one device, which is only $250 in profit per month.

For an expanded scope of services it is necessary to purchase the following equipment:

• black and white copying machine (A3) – from 1.5 thousand dollars;
• laminator – 0.8-5 thousand dollars;
• risograph (A4) – from 4 thousand dollars;
• color copying machine – from 20 thousand dollars;
• paper cutting machine – $2 thousand;
• designer computer – from 1.5 thousand dollars

On average, about 60 thousand dollars must be allocated for the purchase of equipment. Another about four thousand must be allocated for the purchase of furniture. You can save on it by buying used copies.

Business income

Profit from this activity depends on the range of services offered, as well as their average cost in the region. On average, printing one sheet will cost $0.06, copying will cost $0.08. Again, the average order figures for one center located near VZUa are 20 abstracts of 30 sheets each and a dozen papers of 100 sheets each. This will allow you to earn about a hundred dollars a day, but such luck will not happen every day. Therefore, on average, you can earn about $2 thousand per month from such a business.

Taxes must be deducted from this profit, as well as the salaries of at least two designers, a courier and sales managers. You can save on wages if you agree on piecework payment.

Another significant expense item is rent, which amounts to $10-30 per square meter, depending on the region. Plus, you need to allocate funds for advertising, without which it will be difficult for you to promote yourself. In total, the project can pay for itself in just four months.

Close to various government agencies, hospitals, educational institutions and simply in places with large crowds of people, copying services are quite in demand. Near universities there is a high demand for scanning, photocopying, printing, page lamination and design theses(binding).

Let's talk about opening a copy center, as well as possible problems and methods for solving them, and in conclusion, let's evaluate the profitability of this business.

Required equipment

You must purchase computer and copy equipment, without which opening a copy center is impossible. Such equipment includes computers, copiers, printers, scanners, and bookbinders. There should be at least two printers - one laser for printing documents (its cost is more expensive, but you will significantly save on ink during its operation), and one inkjet for printing photos. Instead of a printer, scanner and copier, you can purchase a multifunctional device. This way you will significantly save your budget and, importantly, space. Over time, when the flow of clients begins to expand, it will be possible to purchase separate equipment - then the functionality of your copy center, and, consequently, the speed of customer service will increase.

You will also need furniture, but you don’t have to spend much on it; if possible, it is better to purchase used furniture, this will save your money.

In total, opening a copy center will cost about $4,000.

Center placement

The next step is choosing an area for your copy center. As mentioned above, it is better that it is located at a university, big store or in an area with a large number of government institutions.

It is most convenient to place a copy center on the first floor of a building, since traffic on the second floor is always much less (with the exception of universities). In addition, if you open a copy center on the second floor or higher, and after some time competitors settle on the first floor of the same building or a building nearby, then there is a high probability that you will have to urgently look for premises with a more advantageous location, as a result you You will lose clients and a significant part of your budget.

The copy center should be located on an area of ​​at least 6 square meters, and preferably ten, so that several people can fit in it at once.

What services does the copy center provide?

• Printing documents.
• Photocopy.
• Lamination of documents.
• Color printing (uses in great demand due to the rather high cost of color printers and cartridges for them).
• Printing photos– is also a very popular service. Often people don’t even know how to remove the flash card from the camera, so you can offer clients a selection of photos they need for printing right on the spot. In addition, discounts are popular for large quantities of printed photos, for example, when printing 50 photos the price is lower.
• Manufacturing business cards , for this you need to stock up on thick paper and have skills in Photoshop and CorelDraw.
• Production of books and booklets. Such orders are not very frequent, but will appear on the horizon with some frequency, since publishing houses usually print only in large quantities.
• Binding of diplomas. This service, as usual, is seasonal in nature, since students take their diplomas at approximately the same time. However, it brings in good income - the cost of binding one diploma is $8, although its cost is minimal.

In addition to copying services, you can organize the sale of stationery, as well as flash cards, disks, paper - in packs or individually. You can also provide the population with services for refilling printer cartridges.

A copy center can provide services that, at first glance, are not directly related to it - this is the creation and printing of individual postcards with images chosen by customers. Many centers enter into an agreement with wedding organizers and, on the wedding day, print, for example, calendars with received photographs of guests from the wedding. Such services are becoming increasingly in demand.

In order for customers to return to you, you must be friendly, polite and patient. It is worth knowing that for any business the initial stage cannot be called easy and very profitable, but after a short amount of time you will notice all the profitability of your enterprise.

Business profitability

To calculate the potential income of an enterprise, you need to know the approximate number of clients per day, as well as the prices for copy center services in your city. Of course, you won’t always have large orders – there are also periods of downtime. However, with proper business organization, you can count on a profit of 2-3 thousand dollars per month. With such results, you will recoup your investment in just two months.