Starting Your Own Printing Business

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Managing a printing business involves a small number of equipment or paraphernalia. These comprises a printer and a computer, an internet access which may take over many aspects of printing, a telephone, a design software, paper, cutter and a toner. You can start operation with just a small investment. At first, you may find this business a simple one but the business itself is complex or difficult.


You have to choose a profitable location that you think would work well.  Find a place that is within your budget and that is accessible to customers. The type of printing you plan to have will dictate the type of printer you want.  Printing business can be can be home-based, in an Internet Café, or a store.  This includes:

  • Document printing,
  • T-shirt printing,
  • Business card printing,
  • Brochures,
  • Election ballots,
  • Banners,
  • Programs or invitations,
  • Birthday and holiday greetings

If you want a business card printing better, select a laser printer.  You need a screen printer if you plan to print on fabrics as shirts.  You just need to create unique and interesting designs if you want to climb up the ladder of success in the business.

In order to create and design prints, you need a computer and software that would aid you with it.  You must have an option of a simple design to high-end specialized design programs.  Aside from the printer, computer, and the software, you also need to have a cutting system; for business cards, you must have a hydraulic cutter.

Printing business can be an interesting, attractive and compensating line of business, thus it require a thorough training and experience to produce quality output. Try looking for a business partner instead of looking for a supplier. This supplier will provide you your supplies and services whenever you need. Moreover, most importantly those supplies must be of good quality.

If you were able to purchase all the needed equipment then start planning your own marketing strategy in promoting your business. You should build your own portfolio and start telling everybody what is your business all about.  You can create your own marketing and promotional materials like brochures and flyers and also business card, forms, T-shirts, stickers and dispense them outside. Hand them out to friends and relatives. You can also create a page on social media like Facebook and ask friends of friends to like your page. This will help you produce interesting and unique announcements. You can also advertise your printing business to customers through mailing. Another way of promoting is through local publications.


Make sure that your equipment are cautiously equipped because most machines require special ventilation and electricity. Try running all the equipment to make sure it is operational.

Before anything else, you must obtain the necessary and legal permits and documents from your municipality.

Proprietors are required to register with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the registration of the business name. Registering with DTI does not give anyone a license to start business operation because they still need to obtain official receipts and invoices to issue to their customers. In this case, they are still required to register with other government offices. The basic requirements includes:

  • SEC registration – for registering as partnership or corporation
  • DTI registration – for registering the business trade name
  • Mayor’s business permit – this is like license to operate in the city or municipality and payment of local business taxes,
  • BIR registration – for getting TIN, official receipts, and invoices, registering book accounts and paying national internal revenue taxes
  • SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig Fund registration – for registering as an employer and remitting your employees’ contribution and the employer’s share.

The printing industry is a very competitive business. It mostly employs fewer than 10 people. Then what makes you different from all other printing businesses? Give your customers a unique sense of capabilities that makes you different from the rest. Some customers would not mind what are you capable of doing, sometimes they would look for one where they can save money and time. Find a way to stand out from the crowd. We all know that all printing business put ink on paper but that is not the only thing the customers are buying, what they want is something to make their lives easier, simpler and better. One effective strategy is – find a niche within the printing business. Focus on a specialized area like for instance, in digital printing, you must attain your customers target and fulfill their needs.

Read Also: 21 Home-based business that Filipinos can do


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