Own business: how to open a copy center. Copy Center Business Plan: Cost Calculation, Necessary Equipment and Proper Advertising of Services Copy Center as a Business

Business at the copy center in the last 10 years has been quite common and simple due to the start without significant investments. This option is ideal for entrepreneurs who bypass seasonal business. Why, despite the fact that students and office workers have computers and printers, copy centers are still needed? This is because, in addition to the usual photocopying, such centers offer Additional services(e.g. diploma binding, large format copying) and sell stationery. The main thing is to offer the right services and provide quality service. What is the essence of the project, what are the risks and what level of costs should be expected, the business plan of the copy center will show. This example can be used when developing and running this kind of activity.

Project Summary

The copy center will be located in a separate building in the central area of ​​the city. Must be in the neighborhood educational establishments, office buildings and government institutions, since the target audience of the copy center is different groups of people:

• Students (30%).
• Office workers (30%).
• Employees public services (15%).
• Employees of legal organizations (15%).
• The rest (10%).

The main services of the copy center:

• Photocopy and scanning of documents, papers, books.
• Printout from electronic media.
• Binding of documents and magazines.
• Multi-format lamination.
• Photos for documents.
• Sale of related office supplies.

The last point can bring up to 50% of the total profit.

A copycenter competitor can only be a similar copy center, therefore, before renting a room and purchasing equipment, you should analyze nearby competitors and prospects for the number of customers. The copy center will work according to the schedule from 07:00 to 18:00 5 days a week, Sunday is a day off.

Key business risks

• Bad choice of location.
• Lack of demand.
• Overpriced services.
• Poor print quality, which will lead to a drop in visitors.

This business is based in 80% on regular visitors, because if you serve the client quickly and efficiently, he can come to the copy center on various matters up to several times a week. In addition, it will launch a word-of-mouth campaign.

Except good choice location and analysis of competitors in the area, an acceptable cost of services and prices for stationery is important. Next, we purchase a high-quality photocopier (MFP) and good computer, which will allow you to quickly implement these services. It is important to calculate in advance the costs and potential profitability of the organization, which will help us this business- plan of the copy center with calculations.

Registration of activities

We register activities with local tax authorities. To do this, fill out and submit the appropriate application, choosing the form entrepreneurial activity- Individual entrepreneurs with a simplified taxation system with a rate of 15% of the difference between income and expenses. It is also necessary to write there required OKVED to open a copy shop: 74.85, 74.83. To be able to trade stationery, add the OKVED code 52.47.

Next, we need to obtain permission from the SES and the fire station, since, given the presence of a powerful electrical equipment, which will work almost the entire working day, it is necessary to secure the premises.

The cost of an IP certificate will be 5-7 thousand rubles. About 10 thousand rubles will be required to obtain permits and pay the state fee.

Room search

For the implementation of the above services and trade in office supplies, we rent a room with an area of ​​20 sq. m for a long time, signing a lease for a year. This area is sufficient to accommodate equipment and goods. The cost of such premises major city will be at least 30 thousand rubles per month. Immediately you need to pay 2 months. You will have to spend no more than 5,000 rubles a month on utilities.

As such, there is no need to do repairs in the room. Minimum Repair, which is already in the rented premises, will be sufficient. This item is not included in the costs.

Purchase of equipment

To serve customers, the copy center will need furniture and equipment. It is important to choose high-quality printing equipment, as the productivity of the salon, its image and, as a result, profit will depend on this. Therefore, investments in technology should be justified. The copy center will need:

Name	price, rub.
MFP Brother MFC-L2740DWR (2 pcs.)	40 000
Inkjet printer 12-color Canon IPF5100 (format up to A2)	120 000
Printer 8-color Canon Pixma PRO-100S (format up to A3)	30 000
Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner	13 000
Laptop	20 000
Laminator BURO SUPER-236	4 500
Large table for equipment installation	30 000
Showcase for stationery	15 000
Rack for stationery	15 000
Camera	25 000
Worker's chair	3 000
Total	315 500

The purchase of high-quality equipment will ensure the provision of copying services at a professional level and the attention of customers. Buying inexpensive office equipment for home and small office is not recommended for such a business.

Staff

As for employees, at first the owner himself can serve customers. But even in this case, he will need an assistant to speed up service and keep the point working if the owner leaves for the tax office or buy consumables. In the future, another employee will be hired to ensure the smooth operation of the copy center.

When the number of points in the city increases, 2 employees will work in each copy center.

The functions of an accountant can be performed by the entrepreneur himself using a cloud service.

Procurement of materials and goods

To open a copy center, it is necessary to make an initial basic purchase of materials for equipment, as well as stationery for sale and for personal use in the process of providing services.

Goods for the use of the owner in the process of work:

Name	Price	Quantity	Sum
B&W ink	2 000	1	2 000
Photo printer ink	3 000	1	4 000
Office paper A4	500	5	2 500
A4 photo paper	1 000	10 packs	10 000
Paper A2	600	1	600
Markers, pens	300		300
Laminating film	1 000	3 packs	3 000
Scissors	200	1	200
paper cutter	800	1	800
Total			23 400

Goods for sale:

Name	Price	Quantity	Sum
Notebook 24 sheets.	8	50	400
Notebook 36 sheets.	30	50	1 500
Notepads are small.	50	20	1 000
Notebooks large	200	30	6 000
diaries	400	30	12 000
Office paper	500	20 packs	10 000
Pens	35	100	3 500
Pencils	20	50	1 000
stapler	250	20	5 000
Markers	50	100	5 000
Files	300	5pack	1 500
Paper folders	30	20	600
Plastic folders	60	50	3 000
Other goods	10 000		10 000
Total			60 500

The first purchase should not be large, as you should find out what assortment should be in this copy center. Everything that customers often ask should be listed and taken into account in the assortment.

Advertising

Flyers should be distributed in places where the target audience is concentrated: stops, entrances to student buildings and office buildings. The main tool for attracting customers will be the high service of the salon, the prompt and high-quality work of the employee and the equipment itself.

Income and expenses

Starting costs

It is planned to allocate 500,000 rubles for the launch of the business.

Monthly expenses

Income

Already from the first month of operation of the copy center, the number of buyers should grow, since the copy center is located in a well-traveled place and buildings with potential clients are located nearby.

Since the copy center provides many services, it is extremely difficult to detail the sales plan. An example of a price list of a large copy center operating in a large regional center can be viewed. We will proceed from the fact that in the first months the revenue will be about 319 thousand rubles.

The difference between revenue and monthly expenses for tax calculation:

319 000 – 237 000 = 82 000.

We calculate the tax payment:

82,000 x 0.15 = 12,300 rubles.

We pay 50% tax, in accordance with the norms of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.

The total tax figure is 6,150 rubles per month.

As a result, net profit copy center will be:

82,000 - 6150 = 75,850 rubles per month.

Let's calculate the profitability:

(75,850 / 237,000) x 100 = 32%.

This profitability for a copy center can be considered low, especially considering good place the location of the copy center and its potential prospects. However, it is possible to underestimate the number of the target audience due to the complexity of its calculation. In the future, to increase income and profitability, it is planned to expand the range of services provided: for example, designer services for the development and printing of business cards, posters and other banners, the purchase of a printer for printing drawings up to A0.

The average check is at the level of 100 rubles.

Let's calculate the payback period of investments:

500,000 / 75,830 = 8 months.

Eventually

The payback period is quite long, so it is recommended to introduce the widest and most relevant range and add design services already from 2-3 months of work. Only an increase in current offers for the buyer will increase the amount of revenue.

Our interlocutor today is a young girl Bersheva Lucia from the small town of Akhtubinsk in Astrakhan region. She opened her own print services department with an investment of only 15,000 rubles. How did she manage to do it?

Main points of the interview:

• Type of activity: provision of services to the population (photocopying, printing documents and photographs)
• Location of business: Russia, Akhtyubinsk
• Occupation before entrepreneurship: Kindergarten teacher
• Starting date of business activity: 2013
• Organizational and legal form of doing business: individual entrepreneur
• The amount of initial investment: 70 thousand rubles.
• Source of initial capital: own savings, gratuitous grant for starting a business
• The formula for success from Lucia Bershova: “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 kind of business you are in?

Hello! I have my own department of printing services "Print 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 photos.

When did you open this department?

A little over half a year 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 a job. She got a job as a kindergarten teacher. At first I liked everything, but then, you know, the question 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 made a firm decision - to open my own business. The dream of a business was a long time ago, but at that moment I firmly decided to realize it.

Why did you open the printing department?

It’s just that I myself was a student quite recently and often turned to the services of such departments. I myself and my fellow students made copies of entire books, and typing even “flew a pretty penny”. I roughly figured out how much you can earn on this, and decided to open such a department. Then, it seemed to me that there was nothing particularly difficult in this ...

Another confirmation of my decision was the fact that the condition for receiving a subsidy from the state (for which I opened my department) was the provision of services. That is, for example, I could not open a store or trade anything at all.

Who are your main customers and how many are there?

There are enough clients. Basically, these are students of the university, which is located not far from us. Another of the main visitors are servicemen who hand over documents to their communal maintenance department (it is located next to us). There are also a lot of older people. In general, I chose the location of my department so that the traffic was high.

What difficulties did you have to go through when opening the department?

I would not say that there were special difficulties - they helped me a lot with the paperwork at the labor exchange. I received my main funds there. Probably, the search for the necessary equipment for the department can be attributed to the difficulties. At that time, I was poorly versed in it - for me it was absolutely new area knowledge in which I made mistakes.

Let's talk about the financial side of the 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 depends on the premises - in our small town for some reason, rent is more expensive than in the capital of the region - Astrakhan, or even in Volgograd, a millionaire! In my case, the starting capital amounted to about 70 thousand rubles.

Where did you find the necessary funds?

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

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

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 didn't have to wait too long!

What taxes do you pay?

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

The purchase of consumables is on me, and the maintenance of equipment is carried out by a specialized service center. If you need something - just call the master on the phone.

Is it expensive to maintain such equipment?

No. For six months of work, nothing has ever broken and no special expensive maintenance was required either.

Did you know that there are vending machines that allow visitors to make copies on their own? Would you put one like this?

Yes, I heard about it. In my department, I would not put this - too expensive and complex equipment. Who will serve her in our small town? Yes, and this device would not have unloaded an employee in my department in the slightest - she would have been pulled every now and then. “Girl, explain how to put the document! And what is it? And how to use it? The people in our city are not very enlightened in such know-how.

Are there regulatory audits? How often do they run?

There have never been any checks.

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

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

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

There are a lot of competitors! The difference of our department is in 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!) - a person will come to us 100%.

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

Mistakes in the acquisition of equipment. Not knowing it well enough, I purchased a printer that was very expensive to maintain. I just had to give it away and buy a new, more economical one.

If you go back in time, I would better understand 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 do some people succeed and others don't?

In my opinion, the most important thing is to be well versed in the business you want to open. Then there won't be many mistakes! You also need to study the market.

What advice would 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 the plan. You also need to believe in success and dream big, even if not everything works out.

The services of copy centers are still in demand and are very popular. This happens through the use of professional equipment, which is aimed at fast and high-quality results. At the same time, the cost of printing text is much lower than on a home printer, which periodically needs to be refilled and paper needs to be bought for it. It is also necessary to contact a copy center if you need to print color photographs and images. Rarely does anyone have the necessary equipment at home.

Business specifics

A copy center is understood as a special service that provides services to the public for copying and printing any type of documents in different formats.

Usually, government institutions for various purposes, including higher and secondary educational institutions, become clients. At the same time, students often require services not only for printing information on paper, but also for scanning, copying, binding of term papers and theses.

Based on this, good copy center should provide the following services to the public:

1. Copying of all types, sizes and formats.
2. Lamination of important papers and documents. This is done so that over time the information is not lost and always remains in a readable and legible form.
3. Printing documents. Moreover, it can be black and white documents or papers with color inserts. That is, various charts, tables that may be needed for correct design term papers, theses, and laboratory assignments.
4. Manufacturing business cards. This process is not particularly difficult and will not take much time. But business cards cannot be printed on cheap and low-quality paper, so many customers turn to copy centers for such services, where there is always the right paper. Here, employees are able to use the necessary graphic editors, with which you can quickly create good business cards.
5. Printing photos. This shouldn't be a top priority for a copy shop, but having such a service can go a long way in expanding your customer base. Not every person can afford to install a printer with a color cartridge at home, since refilling it and buying photo paper is a very expensive pleasure.
6. Printing brochures, books and teaching aids. It is much more profitable to perform such a service in a copy center than in a large and professional printing house, in which it is very expensive to reconfigure all the equipment for the sake of a small print run.
7. Manufacture of binding of term papers and theses. Without this, the student will not be allowed to defend his scientific work.

In copy centers, in addition to basic services, you can also provide additional services that will also generate income for small businesses. These include the sale of CDs of various formats, flash drives with various amounts of memory, and small stationery.

The more diverse services will be provided in the copy center, the higher the chance that customers will not only return here, but also bring other people with them.

Premises, location, target audience

To open a copy center from scratch, first of all, you need to Right choose a place for its organization. It should take into account all the features of the target audience that will visit it.

Usually these are students of nearby schools and lyceums, higher or secondary educational institutions. In addition, teachers, teachers, medical staff become clients of the center. Also, all those people who need services for copying, printing documents, photographs and color images become customers.

Therefore, a copy center business plan should begin with choosing the right place to operate. It is best if it is located in close proximity to:

• higher and secondary educational institutions;
• communal organizations;
• medical institutions;
• large residential areas.

The location of your copier should be easily accessible. It is best if it is located in a place where there is a large flow of people in any direction.

It is very important to know how to organize a copy center so that after visiting it, people have only positive emotions. It should be properly organized and include:

• customer service room - 20 sq.m;
• storage room - 4 sq.m;
• a room for storing equipment - 15 sq.m;
• utility room;
• bathroom.

The best option would be a room with an area of ​​20-45 sq.m, which is located on the ground floor, for example, of a university, business center or shopping complex.

Necessary equipment

The organization of a copy center implies the purchase of the necessary equipment. But before you do this, you need to clearly define the services that you will provide at the beginning of your development. After the business pays for itself and attracts a sufficiently large number of customers, you can expand the list of services. Therefore, the mandatory equipment for the full functioning of the copy center are:

• Laser.
• Jet.

The first is much more expensive. But its further maintenance is much cheaper than that of inkjet models.

If there is a restriction in financial terms, then for the first time you can purchase 3 in 1 multifunctional equipment. That is, in one device there will immediately be a printer, copier and scanner. But over time, there will be more customers and you will have to provide several different services at the same time. Therefore, the 3 in 1 device can only be used for a short period of time.

In addition to the purchase of basic devices for the provision of various services, a copy center needs to purchase optional equipment. It includes:

• copier for A3 paper size in black and white;
• color copier;
• device for binding documents;
• laminating equipment;
• risograph.

The wider the range of services of the copy center, the more modern equipment should be present in it. You can't let a client go to another place for necessary service . Therefore, over time, it will be necessary to install equipment for photo printing, making postcards and booklets. In addition to stationary devices, it is necessary to install on Personal Computer or laptop special licensed programs for design and graphics.

To make customers and employees feel comfortable and cozy in the copy center, you also need to take care of purchasing tables, chairs, cabinets and various shelves.

Business registration

The activity of a copy center is not subject to licensing. That is, to get started, you need to obtain a certificate from the Federal Tax Service and conduct business as individual entrepreneur. The expense will be 2,000 rubles. Additional documents for this type of activity are not required.

Advertising

In order for a copy center to make a profit, it must be properly advertised. This will help attract a large number of new customers. correct and effective advertising consists of the following activities:

1. Signboards and outdoor advertising , which will be located near the copy center to indicate it to the flow of people passing by. It should be bright and colorful, but not irritating people.
2. Flyers and business cards. They can be distributed among students, pupils, employees of nearby organizations, as well as customers who have already contacted the copy center. People will be able to transfer information about the copy center to their friends, relatives and acquaintances.
3. Announcements on the Internet. Today it is very popular and effective to promote your business through social networks, specialized sites and forums.

Also, in the process, you can create your own website. So people can get all up-to-date information about services and their cost via the Internet at any convenient time.

Investments, costs and profitability

To know how much it will cost to open a copy center, you need to determine the prices for the services provided. They should not be higher than those of competitors, as potential customers can simply make a choice in their favor.

If 1 employee works in a copy center, then he must carry out his work with the following intensity:

• printing and copying in black and white format - 800-900 sheets per day;
• printing and copying in color format - 170-200 sheets per day;
• printing photos - 200-220 pieces per day;
• scanning - 80-90 sheets.

You will not be able to start working until you have a business plan with calculations for your copy center. If the norm is met, in 20-22 working days, the monthly revenue should be from 240,000 to 270,000 rubles in Moscow, 180,000 - 200,000 rubles in other regions.

In addition to revenue, it is imperative to take into account the costs that the copy center will incur in the first year of operation. These must include:

• rent;
• staff salaries;
• cost of equipment.

Based on this, total amount expenses per year in Moscow will be from 2.5 to 2.7 million rubles, in the regions - 1.8-2 million rubles.

Comparing all the figures, we can conclude that the profitability in the first year of operation will be from 15 to 16%. After the payback period has passed, a copy center in Moscow will increase this figure by 1-2%, a regional firm - by 3-4%.

To achieve such results, it is necessary to have not only the most expensive and modern equipment, but also to properly serve each client. Without exception, all employees must be polite and attentive, try to provide any type of service with the highest quality so that the client is completely satisfied with the work done.

Copycenter will be a great opportunity to get high level income. In order for it to bring maximum profit, you need to take care of Right organized work, quality materials and equipment, as well as to hire friendly and honest employees to work.

In order to attract a large number of new customers who may become permanent in the future, it is necessary to responsibly approach the advertising of your enterprise. If you draw up a business plan correctly, then in the shortest possible time your business will begin to make a profit.

Use Rubitime's online booking CRM system: the service will help you analyze the performance of your business and interact productively with your customers.

Near various government agencies, hospitals, educational institutions and just in crowded places, copy services are quite in demand. Near universities there is a high demand for scanning, photocopying, printing, page laminating and graduation papers (binding).

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

Necessary equipment

You must purchase computer and copy equipment, without which it is impossible to open a copy center. Such equipment includes computers, copiers, printers, scanners, binders. 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. So you will significantly save the budget and, importantly, the area. Over time, when the flow of customers 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 can not spend much on it, if possible - it is better to purchase used furniture, this will save you money.

In total, the opening of a copy center will have to spend about $4,000.

Center location

The next step is to choose the area for your copy center. As mentioned above, it is better that it is located in a university, a large store or in an area with a lot of public institutions.

It is most convenient to place a copy center on the first floor of a building, since the 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 Above, and after some time, competitors settle on the first floor of the same building or a building nearby, then it is likely that you will have to urgently look for a room with a better location, as a result you You will lose customers and a significant part of the 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 a copy center provide?

• Printout of documents.
• Photocopy.
• Document lamination.
• Color print (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 do not even know how to pull out a flash card from a camera, so you can offer customers the selection of photos they need for printing right on the spot. In addition, discounts are popular for a large number of printed photos, for example, when printing 50 photos, the price is lower.
• Making business cards, for this you need to stock up on thick paper and have the skills to work in Photoshop and CorelDraw.
• Production of books and booklets. Such orders are not very often, but with some frequency they will appear on the horizon, since publishing houses usually print only in large numbers.
• Binding of diplomas. This service, as a rule, is seasonal, as students take their diplomas at about the same time. However, it brings good earnings - 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 in your copy center, as well as flash cards, disks, paper - in bundles or by the piece. It is also possible to 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 selected by customers. Many centers conclude an agreement with wedding organizers and on the day of the wedding they print, for example, calendar cards with photos of guests received from the wedding. Such services are becoming more and more popular.

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 the enterprise, you need to know the approximate number of customers per day, as well as the prices for the services of copy centers in your city. Of course, you will not always have large orders - there are periods of downtime. However, when competent organization business, you can expect a profit of 2-3 thousand dollars per month. With such results, you will pay back your investment in two months.

It will be interesting for a budding entrepreneur to learn 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 expected income. Although initially it will be necessary to carefully assess the market and the relevance of the issue.

With a targeted approach in this area, you can achieve stable and constantly growing profits. The profitability of the project is about 30%, and sometimes even 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.

The relevance of the idea

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

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 service and affordable cost, a copy center as a business will become popular among customers and bring tangible profits to the owner.

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

Registration questions

It is not difficult to issue documents for conducting activities in the field of copying services. We list what you need to run a legitimate business:

1. Register with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur). Please indicate all OKVED codes, covering the proposed range of services - 74.85, 74.83, 52.47.
2. Choose the appropriate taxation system - UTII or STS.
3. With this kind of activity cash machine is not required for settlements with customers. It is enough to keep simple bookkeeping and use sales receipts. If you decide to purchase a cash register, then it will need to be registered with the tax office.
4. Since complex and powerful electronic equipment will work in the room, you will definitely have to pass an inspection by the SES and the fire inspectorate, which will issue the appropriate permits. But for this, it will be necessary to initially prepare everything in accordance with the norms and standards. Particular attention is paid to fire safety.
5. 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.
6. In the case of renting a room, follow a well-drafted contract. It is desirable that it dealt with a long term (at least a year) and indicated the amount of the monthly fee.

The target audience

It is very important when planning this business to consider which customers will come to you. Basically, in your calculations, you need to build on this fact. So, the following groups of people are distinguished who periodically require the services of a copy center:

• students - the most extensive and permanent audience, is considered a "gold mine" for this direction;
• 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 engage in printing photographs, then the customer base will expand to the entire age audience of 35-55 years. In order for the flow of visitors to be as rich as possible, you need to focus on the needs of people and offer more various services for which there is a constant demand.

Room selection

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

After you have estimated your target audience and its size, you need to determine the main areas of their accumulation. For example, the most good decision closeness becomes:

1. educational institutions.
2. State and municipal institutions.
3. Offices.
4. Polyclinics and hospitals.
5. Various financial enterprises.
6. City center.

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

The size of the room depends on how much equipment you need to work. Sometimes 10-15 sq. m. to install one copier and a laptop. With a wider range of services, more space is needed, so sometimes it makes sense to immediately rent an office for 30-45 sq. 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, as the owners of such a business are looking for a premise that is already ready for work, which is very convenient and saves start-up investments.

For a solid copy center, it is desirable to correctly divide the room into zones. Segregate the reception area from the area where the equipment is refueled, as this process is associated with increased pollution. You also need to take care of the availability of a bathroom and a utility room for staff, a warehouse for storing additional equipment, spare parts, consumables, etc.

What services to offer?

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

So, you can focus on the most popular queries:

• photocopying of various formats of documents;
• printing files from digital media;
• cutting disks;
• typing;
• lamination;
• binding of scientific papers;
• printing photos;
• scanning;
• census of information on removable media;
• printing of leaflets, booklets, brochures of small circulations, which are not taken;
• creation of promotional materials, business cards, posters, postcards, calendars, etc.

You can also sell related products. For example, when entering a copy center, students often remember that their pen has stopped writing, their notebook 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 finished copies. Sometimes it makes sense to set up a camera and take ID photos.

Purchase of equipment

It is very important to choose successful model machine to perform its main function. Your income depends on its power and speed of work. If the equipment is used or produces poor print quality, often breaks down or turns out to be expensive to maintain, then do not expect benefits 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 they are much more expensive, but their maintenance is many times easier and cheaper than that of inkjet models.

It is also important to decide on the list of necessary equipment. Here you should carefully consider the range of services offered, the number of expected customers and other factors. For example, sometimes one copy machine or a 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:

1. MFP - can make photocopies, scan documents and print information.
2. Computer or laptop.
3. Xerox.
4. Scanner.
5. Printer for black and white and color printing.
6. A similar technique for working with non-standard document sizes, for example, A3.
7. Camera.
8. Laminator.
9. Risograph.
10. Bookbinder.

Also take care of trade showcases and racks for sale. related product. 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 customers and a limited amount of equipment, you can cope with the work yourself. But as the center's activities expand, assistants will have to be hired. The staff may include:

• secretary;
• copier;
• designer to perform various character assignments;
• accountant - optional, since when registering an IP, the business owner independently fills out all the reports;
• a master for cleaning, refueling and repairing equipment - may only come to perform certain functions.

With a good location of the copy center, a special advertising campaign not required. It is enough just to install a signboard, put up posters, you can put up a pillar or draw arrows leading to the kiosk.

In order for potential customers 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, not far from office buildings and government agencies.

Depending on the presence of competition, it will be necessary to regulate very competently pricing policy and range of services. So, if there are many other copy stalls around, it is better to attract visitors with lower prices. With a limited set 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 and using the Internet. To do this, create a business card website, where all the services offered and tariffs will be listed. Let's advertise in in social networks, participate in discussions on local forums and groups used by your potential customers.

Here you can download for free as a sample.

Financial questions

Starting investments can be very different. It depends on how much the chosen model of equipment costs, what list of equipment is needed for work, the number of employed personnel, the size and price of renting a room, etc. You can enter this business with a minimum amount.

If we talk about a more solid copy center, then the following costs are assumed.

Also remember always 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 are hiring employees, then fixed costs increase in size wages and social payments for each person in the state. But at first, in order to save money, it is better to perform all the functions yourself.

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

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 how much was initially spent. To organize a solid business you need large investments which will return to the owner only after a year. If we limit ourselves to one device, then the investment will pay off in 1-2 months.

Video: how to open a copy center?