Print Shop Business Plan Template
If you want to start a print shop or expand your current printing business, you need a business plan.
The following Print Shop business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning printing company business plan. In addition to this template, a solid plan will also include market research to help you better understand the printing industry, your competitive advantage and your specific target market. It will also help you prepare your marketing strategy and financial statements.
Print Shop Business Plan Example
I. Executive Summary
Business Overview
[Company Name] is a new print shop located in [Location]. We offer state of the art printing services to help our customers with all of their artistic projects or business needs. We offer several custom print products, including business cards, flyers, resumes, brochures, and posters. Each product can be custom made and designed to fit our customers’ needs. We aim to be the #1 print shop in the [Location] area by providing high quality products and excellent customer service.
[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name], who has considerable experience working at a print shop. For ten years, he has worked for a FedEx Print and Ship Center and thoroughly enjoyed creating custom print orders for his customers. He started out as an associate but worked his way into management, where he learned several aspects of running such a business. He has finally finished planning his own print shop business and is ready to launch [Company Name].
Products Served
Our mission is to help individuals and businesses in the area with all their printing needs. We offer numerous products to achieve this goal, including stationery, resumes, invitations, and business cards. All customers are welcome to order their print products with us. Whether an individual needs to print ten copies of their resume or a business needs 500 copies of a flyer, we can help them out.
Customer Focus
[Company Name] will primarily serve the residents who live within a ten mile radius of our store as well as small businesses located in the area. The demographics of these customers are as follows:
- 47,125 residents
- 400 small to medium-sized businesses
- Average income of $56,100
- 39.1% married
- 44.2% in Mgt./Professional occupations
- Median age: 38 years
Management Team
[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name] who has worked at a Fedex Print and Ship Center for ten years. While [Founder’s Name] has never run a store himself, he was a manager of the store and has considerable experience designing and printing custom print orders. As such [Founder’s Name] has an in-depth knowledge of the print shop business including the operations side (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business management side (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.). He will hire several other staff to help run the aspects of the business that he is unfamiliar with.
Success Factors
[Company Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed for the following reasons:
- There are currently very few businesses dedicated to offering high-quality print services. [Founder’s Name] surveyed the area and found that our services are in high demand.
- Our location is in a highly convenient location to significant numbers of passersby each day.
- The management team has a track record of success in the print shop business.
- The print shop business is a proven business and has succeeded in communities throughout the United States.
Financial Highlights
[Company Name] is currently seeking $550,000 to launch. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:
- Store design/build: $200,000
- Printers and other equipment: $100,000
- Supplies and inventory: $100,000
- Working capital: $150,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even
Top line projections over the next five years are as follows:
| Financial Summary | FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $560,401 | $782,152 | $1,069,331 | $1,379,434 | $1,699,644 |
| Total Expenses | $328,233 | $391,429 | $552,149 | $696,577 | $776,687 |
| EBITDA | $232,168 | $390,722 | $517,182 | $682,858 | $922,956 |
| Depreciation | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| EBIT | $225,168 | $383,722 | $510,182 | $675,858 | $915,956 |
| Interest | $6,016 | $5,264 | $4,512 | $3,760 | $3,008 |
| Pre Tax Income | $219,152 | $378,458 | $505,670 | $672,098 | $912,948 |
| Income Tax Expense | $76,703 | $132,460 | $176,985 | $235,234 | $319,532 |
| Net Income | $142,449 | $245,998 | $328,686 | $436,864 | $593,416 |
| Net Profit Margin | 25% | 31% | 31% | 32% | 35% |
II. Company Overview
Who is [Company Name]?
[Company Name] is a new print shop located in [Location]. We offer state of the art printing services to help our customers with all of their artistic projects or business needs. We offer several custom print products, including business cards, flyers, resumes, brochures, and posters. Each product can be custom made and designed to fit our customers’ needs. We aim to be the #1 print shop in the [Location] area by providing high quality products and excellent customer service.
Customers can order their prints either in store or on our website. Our website provides hundreds of templates so customers can quickly design their order. Our staff will be well-educated in designing and printing out our products, so they can easily help any customers who order their prints in person. We guarantee that each order will be perfect the first time and will offer free re-prints and discounts on future orders if customers aren’t immediately satisfied with the final product.
[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name], who has considerable experience working at a print shop. For ten years, he has worked for a FedEx Print and Ship Center and thoroughly enjoyed creating custom print orders for his customers. He started out as an associate but worked his way into management, where he learned several aspects of running such a business. He has finally finished planning his own print shop business and is ready to launch [Company Name].
[Company Name]’s History
After conducting a market analysis and surveying the local customer base, [Founder’s Name] incorporated [Company Name] as an S-Corporation on [Date of Incorporation].
[Founder’s Name] has found a potential location and is currently doing due diligence to assess if it is a good location to launch the print shop.
Since incorporation, the company has achieved the following milestones:
- Developed the company’s name, logo and website located at [website]
- Determined the list of print services to be offered
- Determined equipment and inventory requirements
- Began recruiting key employees
[Company Name]’s Products/Services
We offer a long list of customer print products for the residents and businesses of [Location]. Some of these services include:
- Business cards
- Resumes
- Catalogs
- Stationery
- Flyers
- Envelopes
- Letterhead
- Postcards
- Invitations
- Training materials
- Marketing materials
Customers can order their prints online or in our store. Depending on the service, we can complete their order in mere minutes or in a few days. Pricing will be dependent on what our customers need printed and how many copies they need.
III. Industry Analysis
Even in a digital age, custom print projects are still in high demand. Individuals may request custom printings for artistic projects, to create invitations to special events, or to help their career (such as ordering resumes or business cards). Businesses often need hundreds of copies of flyers, brochures, marketing materials, and other products to achieve their organization’s goals. If an individual or business does not have the equipment to create their prints, they seek the help of custom print shops.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the global commercial printing market was valued at $433.79 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate of 1.74% from now until 2027. This growth is due to increasing advertising needs of enterprises all around the world. Therefore, now is a great time to start a new print shop, as these services are in demand all over the world.
IV. Customer Analysis
Demographic Profile of Target Market
[Company Name] will serve the community residents and businesses of [Location] and its surrounding areas. The demographics of the area are as follows:
| Riverdale | Santa Cruz | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 26,097 | 10,725 |
| Square Miles | 6.89 | 3.96 |
| Population Density | 3,789.20 | 2,710.80 |
| Population Male | 48.04% | 48.84% |
| Population Female | 51.96% | 51.16% |
| Target Population by Age Group | ||
| Age 54-60 | 3.68% | 3.52% |
| Age 60-69 | 5.22% | 4.50% |
| Age 70-80 | 13.80% | 13.91% |
| Age 81 and older | 18.09% | 18.22% |
| Target Population by Income | ||
| Income $50,000 to $74,999 | 11.16% | 6.00% |
| Income $75,000 to $99,999 | 10.91% | 4.41% |
| Income $100,000 to $124,999 | 9.07% | 6.40% |
| Income $125,000 to $149,999 | 9.95% | 8.02% |
| Income $150,000 to $199,999 | 12.20% | 11.11% |
| Income $200,000 and Over | 32.48% | 54.99% |
Customer Segmentation
We will primarily target the following three customer segments:
- Individuals: Individuals have many custom print needs. For example, they may need to print copies of their resume, business cards, or posters for artistic projects. Whatever our local customers need, we can make their visions a reality.
- Small businesses: Local small businesses have extensive printing needs but don’t always have the equipment to get the job done. Therefore, we expect much of our sales to come from local small businesses.
- Marketing teams: Marketing departments create a lot of custom prints and products. We expect that marketing departments that don’t have the equipment to print out their marketing materials will need our services.
V. Competitive Analysis
Direct & Indirect Competitors
The following establishments are located within a ten mile radius of [Company Name], thus providing either direct or indirect competition for customers:
Fedex Print & Ship Centers
Though Fedex is primarily known for its shipping service, the company has many print and ship centers that customers can send custom print jobs to. Customers can print out their projects at the self-serve computers or send an order online through Fedex’s website.
While Fedex will continue to be a successful business, it does not specialize in offering custom print orders. It is also not a very popular service, as most people just utilize Fedex to ship their packages. Therefore, we expect many people will be more inclined to hire our services over Fedex.
UPS
Like Fedex, UPS is known for its popular shipping services. However, UPS also offers printing services. Customers can order prints for brochures, menus, posters, forms, letterhead, and more. UPS offers consultations at over 3,900 stores and provides thousands of templates online for those who want to order everything through the website.
Though UPS will continue to thrive, we will price our services more moderately than UPS. We expect many people will be more enticed to work with us because of our affordable pricing.
Joe’s Custom Prints
Joe’s Custom Prints is one of the most popular printing shops in the [Location] area. Joe’s offers all the custom print jobs you can imagine, including flyers, posters, postcards, forms, and more. Once an order comes through, Joe’s guarantees that it will be finished within 48 hours or less.
While Joe’s Custom Prints will continue to be popular, it is located on the other side of town. Therefore, we don’t expect it to be a major competitor with us.
Competitive Advantage
[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. These advantages include:
- Management: Our management team has years of print shop experience that allows us to serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than our competitors.
- Relationships: Having lived in the community for 25 years, [Founder’s Name] knows all of the local leaders and newspapers. As such, it will be relatively easy for us to build branding and awareness of our store.
- High Quality Prints: Unlike most of our competitors, we specialize in providing high quality customer print jobs. The quality of our work will keep customers coming back with more projects.
VI. Marketing Plan
The [Company Name] Brand
The [Company Name] brand will focus on the company’s unique value proposition:
- High-quality printing services and products
- Fast completion and delivery of final print products
- Excellent customer service
Promotions Strategy
[Company Name] expects its target market to be residents living within a ten-mile radius. [Company Name]’s promotion strategy to reach these potential customers includes:
Website/SEO
[Company Name] will develop a professional website that displays samples of the print products we can make. It will also invest in SEO so that the company’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.
Social Media
[Founder’s Name] will create the company’s social media accounts and invest in ads on all social media platforms. The company will use targeted marketing to appeal to our target demographics.
Direct Mail
[Company Name] will blanket neighborhoods surrounding its locations with direct mail pieces. These pieces will offer discounts and/or provide other inducements for people to visit the store.
Advertising
[Company Name] will initially advertise in local newspapers and sponsor community events in order to gain awareness.
Ongoing Customer Communications
[Company Name] will maintain a website and publish a monthly email newsletter to tell customers about new events, products, and more.
Pre-Opening Events
Before opening the store, [Company Name] will organize pre-opening events designed for local merchants and press contacts to create buzz and awareness for [Company Name].
Pricing Strategy
[Company Name] pricing will be moderate, so customers feel they receive great value when utilizing our printing services.
VII. Operations Plan
Functional Roles
In order to execute [Company Name]’s business model, the company needs to perform many functions, including the following:
Administrative Functions
- Bookkeeping
- Marketing
- Website maintenance
- Hiring and training staff
Service Functions
- Custom print order fulfillment
- Customer service
- Payment processing/cashiering
- Maintenance functions
Milestones
The following are a series of steps that lead to our vision of long-term success. [Company Name] expects to achieve the following milestones in the following [xyz] months:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| [Date 1] | Finalize lease agreement |
| [Date 2] | Design and build out [Company Name] |
| [Date 3] | Hire and train initial staff |
| [Date 4] | Kickoff of promotional campaign |
| [Date 5] | Launch [Company Name] |
| [Date 6] | Reach break-even |
VIII. Management Team
Management Team Members
[Company Name] is led by [Founder’s Name], who has considerable experience working at a print shop. For ten years, he has worked for a FedEx Print and Ship Center and thoroughly enjoyed creating custom print orders for his customers. He started out as an associate but worked his way into management, where he learned several aspects of running such a business. As such [Founder’s Name] has an in-depth knowledge of the print shop business including the operations side (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business management side (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.). He will hire several other staff to help run the aspects of the business that he is unfamiliar with.
Hiring Plan
[Founder’s Name] will serve as the Store Manager. In order to launch the store, we need to hire the following personnel:
- Assistant Managers (2 to start)
- Store Associates (4 to start)
- Part-Time Bookkeeper (1 to start)
- Part-Time Administrative Assistant (1 to start)
IX. Financial Plan
Revenue and Cost Drivers
The key revenues for [Company Name] will come from the fees we charge for our printing services.
The major cost drivers for the company will include equipment maintenance and purchasing, inventory costs, salaries, the lease, and marketing expenses.
Capital Requirements and Use of Funds
[Company Name] is currently seeking $550,000 to launch. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:
- Store design/build: $200,000
- Printers and other equipment: $100,000
- Supplies and inventory: $100,000
- Working capital: $150,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even
Key Assumptions
The following table reflects the key revenue and cost assumptions made in the financial model:
| Number of clients per day | Per location |
|---|---|
| FY 1 | 10 |
| FY 2 | 15 |
| FY 3 | 20 |
| FY 4 | 25 |
| FY 5 | 30 |
5 Year Annual Income Statement
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | ||||||
| Product/Service A | $151,200 | $333,396 | $367,569 | $405,245 | $446,783 | |
| Product/Service B | $100,800 | $222,264 | $245,046 | $270,163 | $297,855 | |
| Total Revenues | $252,000 | $555,660 | $612,615 | $675,408 | $744,638 | |
| Expenses & Costs | ||||||
| Cost of goods sold | $57,960 | $122,245 | $122,523 | $128,328 | $134,035 | |
| Lease | $60,000 | $61,500 | $63,038 | $64,613 | $66,229 | |
| Marketing | $20,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| Salaries | $133,890 | $204,030 | $224,943 | $236,190 | $248,000 | |
| Other Expenses | $3,500 | $4,000 | $4,500 | $5,000 | $5,500 | |
| Total Expenses & Costs | $271,850 | $412,775 | $435,504 | $454,131 | $473,263 | |
| EBITDA | ($19,850) | $142,885 | $177,112 | $221,277 | $271,374 | |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | |
| EBIT | ($56,810) | $105,925 | $140,152 | $184,317 | $234,414 | |
| Interest | $23,621 | $20,668 | $17,716 | $14,763 | $11,810 | |
| PRE-TAX INCOME | ($80,431) | $85,257 | $122,436 | $169,554 | $222,604 | |
| Net Operating Loss | ($80,431) | ($80,431) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Income Tax Expense | $0 | $1,689 | $42,853 | $59,344 | $77,911 | |
| NET INCOME | ($80,431) | $83,568 | $79,583 | $110,210 | $144,693 | |
| Net Profit Margin (%) | - | 15.00% | 13.00% | 16.30% | 19.40% |
5 Year Annual Balance Sheet
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 | $392,389 | |
| Accounts receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Inventory | $21,000 | $23,153 | $25,526 | $28,142 | $31,027 | |
| Total Current Assets | $37,710 | $113,340 | $184,482 | $286,712 | $423,416 | |
| Fixed assets | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $73,920 | $110,880 | $147,840 | $184,800 | |
| Net fixed assets | $209,490 | $172,530 | $135,570 | $98,610 | $61,650 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $247,200 | $285,870 | $320,052 | $385,322 | $485,066 | |
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | ||||||
| Debt | $317,971 | $272,546 | $227,122 | $181,698 | $136,273 | |
| Accounts payable | $9,660 | $10,187 | $10,210 | $10,694 | $11,170 | |
| Total Liabilities | $327,631 | $282,733 | $237,332 | $192,391 | $147,443 | |
| Share Capital | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Retained earnings | ($80,431) | $3,137 | $82,720 | $192,930 | $337,623 | |
| Total Equity | ($80,431) | $3,137 | $82,720 | $192,930 | $337,623 | |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $247,200 | $285,870 | $320,052 | $385,322 | $485,066 |
5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS | |||||
| Net Income (Loss) | ($80,431) | $83,568 | $79,583 | $110,210 | $144,693 |
| Change in working capital | ($11,340) | ($1,625) | ($2,350) | ($2,133) | ($2,409) |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 |
| Net Cash Flow from Operations | ($54,811) | $118,902 | $114,193 | $145,037 | $179,244 |
| CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS | |||||
| Investment | ($246,450) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net Cash Flow from Investments | ($246,450) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING | |||||
| Cash from equity | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cash from debt | $317,971 | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) |
| Net Cash Flow from Financing | $317,971 | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) |
| SUMMARY | |||||
| Net Cash Flow | $16,710 | $73,478 | $68,769 | $99,613 | $133,819 |
| Cash at Beginning of Period | $0 | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 |
| Cash at End of Period | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 | $392,389 |
