How to open your own copy center? Detailed business plan and calculations. How to open a copy center and succeed

23.06.2023

Almost everyone wants to organize their own business with small financial investments. But not many people dare to open it.

Some people are afraid of various difficulties when starting their own business, some don’t know where to start, and people of the third category cannot. But since you have already started reading our article, then you are on the right track. We will tell you how to properly organize a copy services business and give you an idea of what it should look like.

Now many people most likely have a question, what is a copy services store?
Let’s answer it right away - this is a small room or building, which is located in a busy place, and which provides printing, photocopying services, as well as some other services, which we will talk about a little later.
It is no secret that in any city there is a demand for printing various forms, documents, abstracts, articles, as well as copying documents, etc.
Because of such trifles, no one will contact the printing house, and they will not take on such work. This is where the so-called copy centers come to the rescue. Almost all such points usually not only provide copying services, but also printouts, and some also provide assistance in drawing up various forms or applications. This is precisely the niche in the market we are talking about.

The location of such a copy center plays almost the most important role.
The best option would be if it is located in the city center near various business centers or government agencies. You can stay in another place, but be sure to stay in a busy place, for example, near institutes. Under no circumstances should you organize this business in a residential area.

We will immediately tell you about all the pros and cons of various locations.

Rented premises in the center with access to a busy street:
pros:
Very high cross-country ability;
Random clients;
The copy center is very easy to find;
There are many different business centers and government institutions nearby.
Minus:
Very high rental costs.

Rented premises in the center with access to the courtyard:
pros:
All the same as in the first case;
Rent is lower.
Minuses:
Additional advertising is needed to attract customers;
Additional signage is needed to help you be found.

In a government office or business center:
pros:
Services are in high demand;
Regular customers are very close to you.
Minuses:
High rental costs;
In some cases, there is a lack of available premises.

Separate kiosk in the center:
pros:
The same as in the first option.
Minuses:
It is necessary to agree with the city administration;
Approval costs (time and money);
Construction costs.

Room on the outskirts:
pros:
Low rent.
Minuses:
Few clients;
A small list of services is in demand.

Kiosk on the outskirts:
pros:
Your location is remembered well;
Minuses:
As in the fourth option, approval and construction are required.
As in the fifth option, a small number of clients.

So, after you have chosen the option that suits you best, you need to decide on the services that your copy center will provide. But, nevertheless, it is best to provide all the services we offer. Below is a list by demand (the most popular services at the top):

Copying services;

Printing of documents;

Drawing up forms, contracts, applications, etc.;

Refilling printer cartridges;
Recording information on CD/DVD/flash media/floppy disks.

As you may have noticed, the services are designed for different clients, but it often happens that several services are in demand at once. And if you can get them all at once from you, that will be a big plus. In addition, if it is popular enough, it will be possible to add new services in the future, for example, printing on cups, T-shirts, printing business cards, you can also sell stationery, etc.

Expenses:

Premises rent - $500/month.

Purchase of a computer, copier – $1,000.

Consumables – $250.
Staff salary – $250.

Total: about $2,000.

Income:

Copying services – $0.03/copy;

Printing documents – $0.04/page;

Cartridge refilling – from $7/piece;
Filling out forms, questionnaires, recording on media – from $1.

Total: with the right choice of location, income will be from $800
The payback for this business idea will be about three months.

Let's hope that someone is interested in this idea and will consider it as starting their own business. Good luck!

Our interlocutor today is a young girl Bersheva Lucia from the small town of Akhtubinsk in the 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
Date of start of business 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 kindergarten teacher.

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. I got a job as a teacher in a kindergarten. At first I liked everything, but then, you understand, the issue of wages became acute - it 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 finding 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 premises - in our small city, rent is for some reason more expensive than in the capital of the region - Astrakhan, or even in Volgograd, a million-plus city! In my case, the starting capital was 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 it 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!” And what is it? How to use it? The people in our city are not very educated in such know-how.

Are there inspections by 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.

Nowadays, more and more young and ambitious people are thinking about starting their own business. If you have a clear confidence in the need for this, then you should decide for yourself a number of important questions: in which area to make your choice, how to get the most income with the minimum amount of costs, how to draw up a business plan, buy the necessary equipment, select information advertising. Recently, various copy centers have become the most popular, and this is understandable, because not everyone has their own personal printer at home, and copies of various documentation are always in demand. You should think about how to open a copy center and what you need for this.

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First you need to think about what the size of the initial capital will be, develop a business plan for the copy center, its location, technical equipment and equipment.

To locate a copy center, you should choose crowded places, educational institutions or areas nearby.

Working hours are preferably 24/7, without weekends or holidays. After all, students often need copies of documents at the very last moment, and this will help increase income and leave a positive impression of the company. The copy center business plan should also include the amount of initial capital and what it will be used for. To begin with, the amount must be at least 100 thousand rubles. If this money is not available for this period, then you can take advantage of a favorable offer for opening a small business with the help of an employment center or take out a loan from a bank.

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Company name, structure and expected costs

You need to decide on the name of the company and its structure. Depending on what it will be, a small copy point or a large copy center, you should purchase equipment. For a large organization, one inkjet printer and computer will not be enough; it is better not to skimp on a professional laser printing machine, bookbinders, bookmakers, consumables, etc. The name of the organization should be chosen in such a way that it is clear what it does and what range of services it offers provides. It is advisable to use part of the word “copy”, for example, “Copy center”, “Kopimania”, “Copy market”, “Copy color”.

Let's calculate approximate costs. Please note that prices may vary greatly depending on the region.

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Registration and taxation of an enterprise

Now comes another important part - the registration and taxation of the enterprise. It is better to register as an individual entrepreneur first. It should be noted that the individual entrepreneur transfers an ever-increasing quarterly tax to the pension fund and bears full responsibility with all his property to the tax service.

There are several types of tax system, and you need to choose the most optimal option for your company. The tax is calculated depending on the number of employees working in this organization. The most successful solution would be either a simplified taxation system or a single imputed tax. Having assessed the profitability of one or another option, you should write an application to the tax service addressed to its head.

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Organization advertising and pricing

When everything is formalized legally, you should declare yourself. Advertising activities will depend on what material resources and capabilities you have. These could be cards with discounts, leaflets at entrances and in mailboxes, advertisements in regional media.

To attract an additional number of customers, you can set a price below average, for example:

printing and photocopy of documents - 3 rubles;
photo printing - 6 rubles;
drawing up documents, recording on information media - 8 rubles;
production of teaching materials for educational institutions - 35 rubles.

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Profitability and potential profit

The approximate profitability for all types of services offered will be as follows:

black and white printing, document lamination - 300%,
souvenirs and photo printing - 100%.

The most popular services in descending order are: photo printing, copying and laminating documents, refilling printer cartridges, recording on information media. They also bring in more income.

Net profit, as a rule, depends on the size of the cash investment:

up to 100 thousand rubles. - from 5 thousand rubles. up to 30 thousand rubles/month;
up to 500 thousand rubles. - from 5 thousand rubles. up to 40 thousand rubles/month;
from 500 thousand rubles. - from 10 thousand rubles. up to 100 thousand rubles/month

The first option is to have a small copy center and work for yourself. In subsequent ones, an indication of employee salaries is required. After just a couple of months, you can analyze the current situation; if expenses exceed income, advertising activities should be improved to attract an additional number of customers. If even after six months there is no result, close the outlet or open it in another location.

A novice entrepreneur will be interested in learning how to open a copy center. To do this, it is enough to draw up a competent business plan with detailed calculations of expenses and estimated income. Although initially you will need to carefully assess the market and the relevance of the issue.

With a focused approach in this area, you can achieve stable and constantly growing profits. The profitability of the project is about 30%, and sometimes higher. True, such a business will not bring you millions, but it will give you a chance to earn enough to feel like a confident entrepreneur.

Relevance of the idea

Even with computers, laptops and printers, most people still need the services of a copy center. After all, for such equipment to constantly work, it needs maintenance, changing cartridges, refilling ink, etc. For many people, it is much cheaper and more convenient to use third-party organizations to obtain duplicate documents than to do it themselves.

If you find a good location, for example, close to educational institutions, then you can count on a constant flow of the target audience. With a well-chosen range of services and additional products, high quality of service and affordable cost, a copy center as a business will become popular among customers and bring significant profit to the owner.

The main advantage of this direction is that minimal investment is required to start, and you can start a simple activity with one device. And only as income increases, a gradual expansion of the range of services, purchase of new equipment and growth of the client base is available.

Registration questions

It is not difficult to prepare documents for conducting business in the field of copying services. Let's list what you need to run a legitimate business:

Register with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur). In this case, indicate all OKVED codes covering the expected range of services - 74.85, 74.83, 52.47.
Choose the appropriate taxation system - UTII or simplified tax system.
With this form of activity, a cash register is not needed to make payments to clients. It is enough to keep simple accounting and use sales receipts. If you decide to purchase a cash register, then you will need to register it with the tax office.
Since complex and powerful electronic equipment will be operating in the room, you will definitely have to undergo inspection by the SES and fire inspectorate, which will issue the appropriate permits. But for this you will need to initially prepare everything in accordance with norms and standards. Particular attention is paid to fire safety.
If you plan to hire employees to work in a copy center, you will need to register with the Pension and Social Funds as an employer.
If you rent a premises, make sure that the contract is well-drafted. It is advisable that it refers to a long term (at least a year) and indicates the amount of the monthly fee.

The target audience

When planning this business, it is very important to consider which clients will come to you. Basically, in your calculations you need to start from this fact. Thus, there are the following groups of people who periodically require the services of a copy center:

students are the largest and most permanent audience and are considered a “gold mine” for this area;
schoolchildren, teachers;
office workers;
visitors to various government institutions (pension, social funds, tax, etc.);
clients of banks, notaries;
clinic patients.

But a lot depends on the services offered. If, for example, you print photographs, your customer base will expand to the entire age group of 35-55 years. To make the flow of visitors as rich as possible, you need to focus on people’s needs and offer more different services for which there is constant demand.

Selecting a room

The most important thing at the stage of organizing this business is a good location for the copy center. The number of clients, the demand for certain types of services, the necessary equipment and much more will largely depend on this.

Once you have assessed your target audience and its size, you need to determine the main areas of their concentration. For example, the best solution would be proximity:

Educational institutions.
State and municipal institutions.
Offices.
Clinics and hospitals.
Various financial enterprises.
City center.

In some cases, it makes sense to locate a copy kiosk in a residential area with a large number of residents, but then it is desirable to offer a wider range of services, including printing photographs, cutting discs, etc.

The size of the room depends on how much equipment you need for work. Sometimes 10-15 square meters is enough. m. for installation of one copy machine and laptop. With a wider range of services, you need more space, so sometimes it makes sense to immediately rent an office of 30-45 sq. m. m.

It is very important to monitor the quality and power of the electrical network, as well as other nuances of fire safety. Most often, additional repairs are not required, since the owners of such a business are looking for premises that are already ready for work, which is very convenient and saves start-up investments.

For a reputable copy center, it is advisable to properly divide the room into zones. Separate the reception room from the area where equipment is refilled, as this process is associated with increased contamination. You also need to take care of the availability of a bathroom and utility room for staff, a warehouse for storing additional equipment, spare parts, consumables, etc.

What services do you offer?

The copy center can perform only one function - to duplicate text or graphic documents. But the more different tasks you can perform, the more attractive your establishment will be to potential clients.

So, you can focus on the most popular queries:

photocopying of various document formats;
printing files from digital media;
disc cutting;
typing;
lamination;
binding of scientific works;
printing photos;
scanning;
transferring information to removable media;
printing of leaflets, booklets, brochures in small editions, which are not taken for;
creation of advertising materials, business cards, posters, postcards, calendars, etc.

You can also sell related products. For example, when going to a copy center, students often remember that their pen has stopped writing, their notepad or notebook has run out, there is no file or folder, etc. They will buy all these little things right there while they are waiting for ready-made copies. Sometimes it makes sense to set up a camera and take ID photos.

Purchase of equipment

It is very important to choose the right device model to perform the main function. Your income depends on its power and speed of operation. If the equipment is used or produces poor print quality, often breaks down, or is expensive to maintain, then do not expect any benefit from it.

It is better to initially spend money on a high-quality professional device with simple consumables than to constantly suffer losses from its improper functioning. For example, laser printers are much more expensive, but their maintenance is much easier and cheaper than inkjet models.

It is also important to determine the list of necessary equipment. Here you should carefully consider the range of services offered, the number of expected clients and other factors. For example, sometimes one copy machine or multifunctional device is enough. But with a large influx of visitors and varied demand, it is advisable to have several devices in stock.

We offer an approximate list of equipment for a full-fledged copy center:

MFP – can make photocopies, scan documents and print information.
Computer or laptop.
Xerox.
Scanner.
Printer for black and white and color printing.
A similar technique for working with non-standard document sizes, for example, A3.
Camera.
Laminator.
Risograph.
Bookbinder.

Also take care of trade displays and racks for selling related products. Purchase at least the minimum amount of office furniture for staff - tables, chairs, cabinets. Don’t forget about consumables – cartridges and ink, paper, tools for cleaning and refilling equipment, etc.

Staff

With a small influx of clients and a limited amount of equipment, you can cope with the work yourself. But as the center's activities expand, it will be necessary to hire assistants. The staff may include the following employees:

secretary;
copyist;
designer to perform various character tasks;
an accountant is not necessary, since when registering as an individual entrepreneur, the business owner fills out all the reports independently;
a foreman for cleaning, refueling and repairing equipment - may come only to perform certain functions.

If the copy center is well located, no special advertising campaign will be required. You just need to install a sign, put up posters, you can put up a pillar or draw arrows leading to the kiosk.

In order for potential clients to know about you from the very first days, you need to distribute leaflets or business cards in places where the target audience is most concentrated - in front of the entrance to educational institutions, in the nearest cafes, near dormitories, near office buildings and government institutions.

Depending on the presence of competition, you will have to very competently regulate the pricing policy and range of services. So, if there are many other copying stalls around, then it is better to attract visitors with lower prices. With a limited range of functions performed in neighboring establishments, it is worth offering something unique and in demand, for example, printing of non-standard formats.

Today it is also important to pay attention to advertising using the Internet. To do this, create a business card website where all the services and tariffs offered will be listed. Post on social media and participate in discussions on local forums and groups that your potential clients use.

You can download it here for free as a sample.

Financial questions

Start-up investments can be very different. It depends on how much the selected model of equipment costs, what list of equipment is needed for work, the number of staff employed, the size and price of renting the premises, etc. You can enter this business with a minimum amount.

If we talk about a more reputable copy center, then the costs are expected to be as follows.

Also always remember about the regular costs of maintaining activities. Be sure to include them in the copy center business plan with calculations, since this largely determines what the net profit will be.

If you hire employees, then fixed costs will increase by the amount of wages and social benefits for each person on staff. But at first, in order to save money, it is better to perform all the functions yourself.

The amount of income is much more difficult to calculate, since profit will depend on many factors - the number of clients, competition, established prices, services offered, etc. Approximately in the first months, about 300 thousand rubles in income are expected from a small center, which is located near the educational institution. Even with such figures, you can expect that in 4-6 months all investments will be fully recouped.

In general, the profitability of the project is estimated by experts at 30-35%, which is a very good indicator. But a lot depends on what amounts were initially spent. To organize a solid business, you need large investments that will return to the owner only after a year. If you limit yourself to one device, the investment will pay off in 1-2 months.

Video: how to open a copy center?

Copy center business on printing.

Printing and copying services during student sessions bring significant profits. Abstracts, manuals, term papers, theses, drawings - all this requires printing and you cannot do without a copy center. A copy center located near an educational institution will bring you good profits.

A copy center is primarily a center for providing the following services:

Photocopy.
Printing the text on a b/w printer A 4.
Printing the text on a color printer A 4.
Scan A 3, A 4.
Printing photos from digital media.
Lamination.
Recording to discs, flash drives.
Large format printing A 1, A 2.
Risography.
Hard and soft binding.
Typing and editing text.

The number of services provided depends on the availability of equipment at the copy center.

Since the main consumers of copying services are students, the copying center should be located in close proximity to higher educational institutions. Quite often, printing services can be found in office supply stores; in addition to printing, customers often buy related products - folders, pens, notebooks and other accessories.

For a small copy center, it is enough to sublet a small room or part of a store space of about 8 m². This area is enough to install the necessary equipment.

The equipment for a beginning copy center will require at least:

A computer with an MFP or a printer for black and white printing.
Single-color copier A 3.
Laminator.
Risograph (duplicator) A 4. Printing, duplication of forms, questionnaires, leaflets, the cost of such printing is very low, the larger the circulation, the lower the cost of printing.
Paper cutting equipment.
Semi-professional stapler, hole punch.
Binding device (soft, hard cover).
Office furniture.
Showcases for stationery.

This equipment will be quite sufficient at the initial stage; over time, you can expand the range of services and add equipment:

Color copier A 3.
The printer for photo printing is preferably inkjet, for example Epson A 4 format with CISS.
Wide-format plotter A 1 (for printing drawings).

To open a copy center, it is enough to register an individual entrepreneur. OKVED code 74.83 is suitable for this activity.

If you plan to sell office supplies, you will also need to indicate - 52.47.

Taxation system: simplified tax system or UTII.

To operate a copy center you will need at least 2 employees with shift work.

Monthly expenses will be:

Rent.
Consumables (paper, ink, toners).
Wage.
Taxes.

In addition, the equipment requires periodic maintenance - cartridge refilling, repairs.

Copy center as a business.

As has already been said, the main clients of copy centers are students, of course, there are also clients who need photocopies of documents, but the main profit is made by university students. Therefore, a mining center will only be profitable near universities. Accordingly, in the period from July to August, when there are no classes at universities, there will be practically no clients in the mining center. As an option, you can also organize a trade in office supplies.

The main expense item when opening a copying business is the purchase of equipment; it is up to everyone, the entrepreneur, to buy new or used, depending on their financial capabilities.

To cover monthly expenses (rent, consumables, salaries, taxes) and turn a profit, you will need at least 3 months of work after opening the mining center. But if we talk about when the equipment will pay for itself, it depends on the cost of the equipment itself; the minimum set of copying equipment will pay for itself no earlier than in a year.

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