If you don't have the large amount of funds that are required to start a brick and mortar printing business, consider starting a print brokering business in your home. This type of business requires very little capital and is well suited for a home based business. Any business, regardless of its size, needs printed pieces of all kinds. This includes such things as business cards, letterhead, envelopes, forms, pamphlets, sales sheets, presentation folders, labels, promotional products and much more. Businesses usually don't care where their printing comes from as long as it is done correctly and on time.

A print broker doesn't have his own printing facilities, but does have connections with wholesale printers that can provide all of the printing needs his customers might have. The print broker secures the job from his customers and then has it printed at a wholesale printing company at wholesale pricing. The broker charges his customer retail price for the printing. His fee is the difference between the wholesale and retail price of the item. Printing brokers typically get a 30% to 50% discount off the retail price from the wholesale vendors.

This business model usually works best if the print broker also provides desktop publishing services to his customers. You don't need to be an experienced graphic designer, but basic layout and design skills are a plus. There are inexpensive desktop publishing programs on the market that a beginner can learn to use effectively in a short amount of time. One of these programs is Print Shop. Print Shop is easy to learn, inexpensive to purchase and will allow you to do most of the jobs your customers will require.

If you are not already familiar with terms used in the printing industry, you can do a Google search for printing terms and find many useful resources. One such resource is the glossary of printing terms provided at Printusa.com

Here are the basic steps you will need to follow to get your business up and running:

1. Initial Setup

a) Name your business and decide on a business structure. For most small businesses this will be a Subchapter S Corporation, LLC or a Sole Proprietorship. Do your research on the type that is best for your business. The Federal Government and the Small Business Administration both have websites with lots of useful information on naming and structuring a business. If you do decide to incorporate your business, consider doing it yourself on line at The Company Corporation to save money.
b) Get the necessary city, state and federal (if applicable) permits required to operate a business where you live. A sales tax permit from your state of residence is extremely important because it allows you to purchase goods and services for your business at wholesale prices.
c) Purchase desktop publishing software, a good laser printer and a scanner if you don't already own these items and learn how to use them.
d) Contact wholesalers for various types of printing services and request catalogs and pricing information. You will need that sales tax permit for this step. A good place to find wholesalers is by looking in the various trade journals devoted to printing. A good free source is Quick Printing magazine.

2. Develop Your Initial List of Target Customers

There are many ways to do this, including searching the Yellow Pages of your local directory, checking your local newspapers, local business directories and by visual inspection of the businesses in your area.

3. Market Your Business Services

First, you will need to develop and print your own business cards, letterhead and other sales pieces. You can also design a number of generic pieces using your desktop publishing software to show people your capabilities as well as to give them ideas for their own business. You will use these pieces and/or the catalogs you receive from your wholesale vendors to show potential customers. Some of the ways you can market your business include:

a) Targeted direct mail using the list you developed above
b) Networking at various organizations in your area
c) Cold calling either in person or by phone

You can get this type of business up and running fairly quickly and without spending much money. It is not a get rich quick business but it has great potential for a person with a good business sense and good marketing skills.