ENGRAVING & CUTTING BUSINESS

TABLE OF CONTENTS Want to start an engraving business?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Is this a franchise opportunity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Is a laser business right for you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 What do I need to get started? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Custom engraving is easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Earning potential using a laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Calculating...

WANT TO START AN ENGRAVING BUSINESS? Many people who have the opportunity to see an Epilog Laser system in action are eager to start a business utilizing the equipment. Due to the extensive variety of products that can be laser engraved or laser cut, a laser engraving business has virtually limitless income potential. From more traditional items, such as awards, plaques or photo frames, to more high-tech gadgets, like MP3 players, mobile phones and laptop covers, customization of products is a service consumers are quite willing to pay for and adds value to any product you offer. But is a laser...

IS A LASER BUSINESS RIGHT FOR YOU? We have found the people who flourish most in this business are those who are creative, sales-oriented and outside-the-box thinkers. Take a good look at your personality and see if you fit the mold. (If you’re not naturally a creative person, don’t worry, the laser tends to develop your creative side!) • Creativity rules Sure, there are a million things you could engrave, but laser engraving business owners must always be on the look out for the next big thing - bringing the tally to a million and one. • Selling your service Potential customers may not realize...

EASY CUSTOM ENGRAVING Epilog’s systems work like a printer, so they are very easy to use. Set your page size to the size of the piece with which you are working, import your image and place it on the page where you want it to engrave, add text or any other changes you would like to make, and print it to the laser. That’s really all there is to it. To get you started, our manual provides suggested laser settings for a wide variety of materials. For example, let’s say a customer brings you a photograph he or she wants engraved on a plaque. EARNING POTENTIAL USING A LASER The earning potential with...

Pricing example: Wedding Favors - 100 Engraved Wedding Photo Frames What do you charge for a project like this? It’s really based on the market in which you are selling and the amount you need to earn on the job to make it profitable enough for your business. Below are a couple different ways that you could price this project: Charge forengraving per letter. Forexample, you could charge a standard engraving fee forany engraving over40 characters at $0.30 percharacter. Use a standard fee for engraving based on the time it takes to engrave, not on the number of characters. For example, the text...

MARKETING YOUR LASER COMPANY Before you begin marketing your product and service, assess the area in which you want to sell. Determine if there is a demand for laser services. How do I obtain customers? For a business that specializes in engraving, the proof is in the end result. People need to see engraving and cutting examples to truly appreciate them, so visual advertising will be of great importance. Determine your signature sample. Ideally, your signature sample is one you can mass produce and send to prospects. Your signature sample also illustrates the great engraving detail and spot-on...

WHAT’S MY FIRST STEP IN STARTING AN ENGRAVING BUSINESS? Your first step is to learn everything you can about the laser engraving industry and potential markets you want to serve. Trade publications such as Awards and Engraving (A&E), Engravers Journal, Recognition Review and CorelDRAW Pro are all reputable publications that will give you insights into potential markets and customers. The second step in starting your business is searching for and purchasing the perfect laser engraving system that best meets your needs. Four main questions before buying a laser: • What is the maximum size piece...

Guidebook to Starting Your Own Engraving and Cutting Business Automobile dealerships As you can see, there are several markets you can serve with a laser engraving business. The biggest challenge is honing in on the market that is most profitable for you. If you start your business with an expansive product line, you’ll quickly learn what products and services are the most popular.

READY TO START YOUR ENGRAVING BUSINESS? HARD WORK AHEAD! Most successful business owners are passionate entrepreneurs at heart. Are you an entrepreneur? What makes a successful entrepreneur? Ambition First and foremost, to be a successful entrepreneur you must have an insatiable desire to create your own business. You must possess the drive, dedication and commitment to make your business venture a triumphant one. It’s not a requirement, but it helps if you have a connection to your business, meaning your business should incorporate something you love - if you don’t particularly care for laser...

BUSINESS PLAN CREATION A business plan is a viable tool that will help you analyze the crucial issues you may have not yet considered. It will help raise money for your business and also provide milestones to gauge your success. It is the first step in any business venture. What it is a business plan & why you need it A business plan precisely defines your business and identifies your goals. The basic ingredients of a business plan include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. A business plan will assist you in properly allocating resources, addressing...

FINANCING Financing is imperative to all businesses. Since raising capital is an integral part of starting a business, the topics below are crucial when starting your venture. Startup Costs Unfortunately, there is no “magic formula” for estimating the start-up costs of your business. This is because each business is different – each has its own monetary needs at different stages of development. Some can be started on a small budget, while others may necessitate considerable investments in inventory and equipment. The first step in determining your start up costs is identifying all the expenses...