Small business opening a photocopying point. How to open your own copy center? Detailed business plan and calculations. Where is the best place to open a business

It will be interesting for a novice entrepreneur to learn how to open 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.

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 target audience. With a well-chosen range of services and additional goods, 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:

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.
Choose the appropriate taxation system - UTII or STS.
With this kind of activity cash machine is not required for settlements with clients. 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.
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.
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.
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 public 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 that are available. 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 best solution would be proximity:

educational institutions.
State and municipal institutions.
Offices.
Polyclinics 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 inhabitants, 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 similar business looking for a premise ready for work, which is very convenient and saves initial investment.

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, Supplies 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 scientific works;
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 a successful model of the device to perform the main function. Your income depends on its power and speed of work. If the equipment is second-hand or issues low quality print, often breaks or is 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 are much more expensive, but their maintenance is many times easier and cheaper than 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 copier 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 sizes documents, for example, A3.
Camera.
Laminator.
Risograph.
Bookbinder.

Also take care of shop windows and racks for the sale of related products. Purchase at least the minimum amount of office furniture for staff - tables, chairs, cabinets. Do not 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 complete various tasks character;
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 institutions.

Depending on the presence of competition, it will be necessary to very competently regulate the pricing policy and the 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. Post ads on social networks, participate in discussions on local forums and groups that your potential customers use.

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 staff employed, the size and price of renting the premises, etc. this business possible 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 business plan of the copy center with calculations, since this largely determines what will be net profit.

If you are hiring employees, then fixed costs will increase by the amount of wages and social benefits 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 near the 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 very a good indicator. But a lot depends on how much was initially spent. To organize a solid business, large investments are needed, 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?

The services of copy centers are still in good demand. Among the clients are students, employees of engineering and construction enterprises, citizens who draw up some documents, and so on. An entrepreneur who decides to open a copy center will not be mistaken, especially if the center is located near an educational institution, a market, a bus station, that is, where it is always crowded, and the people passing there really need such services.

Nowadays, the demand for photocopy services is growing, people have to make copies of various information materials, documents, print documentation in in electronic format, or vice versa - to make electronic copies of documents, business documentation. In this case, electronic copies are stored on memory cards, laser disks.

People visit copy centers many times, especially if the nature of their work, study, requires it. We are talking about printing term papers, school essays, document forms, in addition to this, such an office often provides services such as laminating documents, refilling cartridges, printing color photographs. It should be noted that the demand for photocopying services is always high, regardless of the season, weather conditions. The main thing is that the mine center is located in a busy place, in the center, as they say, of the city, not far from some university, business center, administrative office, school, and so on.

To equip a copy center, an entrepreneur will have to buy certain equipment, the type and quantity of which determines the list of services that his company will provide. In any case, you will have to buy a copier, personal computer, printer, scanner. Today it is not easy to buy this office equipment, in any electronics store there are several models of any of the above copiers. And we are talking about electronics from various manufacturers, cost, quality, performance level, functionality.

With after-sales service, repairs of the above equipment should also not be problems, service centers have been operating for several years, there is no shortage of consumables (paint, paper), components. In the event of a breakdown, the failed equipment is quickly repaired, set up in the near future. service center, or even in general, you can call the master to the office.

The price of services that implement copy prices initially depends on demand and the level of competition. The most popular services are photocopying, printing of electronic documentation, which is why it is advisable to stop competitive prices here, that is, the lowest. Less in demand are services such as writing data to a disk, an external storage medium, compiling forms, so their cost should be a little higher. Refilling cartridges requires special skills, because the cost of this service is quite high. Nevertheless, people willingly use this service, because buying branded consumables is much more expensive.

The photocopy center is an enterprise that is subject to registration with the tax service. Registration is what an entrepreneur has to start with, that is, the first stage in the process of organizing a business. As soon as the "paper issue" is resolved, you can start buying the necessary equipment, which will "earn" money for the organizer of the copy center. It is necessary to choose high-quality, multifunctional, reliable equipment that will work for more than one year without a break for repairs. Cartridges must be designed for at least 1500 copies, no less. It is advisable to purchase a new standard computer, a high-quality scanner, a reliable color laser printer.

All this electronic equipment will pay off very quickly, in just one or two hard sessions, when there are more than enough student clients near such copy centers, and they often print up to fifty or more pages at a time. At such times, the load on the equipment is especially high. An entrepreneur can purchase the aforementioned copiers on a lease with the right to repurchase, if he can convince the supplier of the prospects and profitability of his business project.

Before opening a copy center, it is recommended to carry out a small advertising company, that is, place announcements in nearby crowded places, disseminate information in nearby student hostels, educational institutions, to make a sign. It is desirable that the range of services of the photocopying center be listed there, their cost, discount conditions, if, of course, the business owner accepts this.

Modern photocopying centers are usually crammed with a mass of all kinds of digital equipment that allows you to design, correct documents in electronic format. To work with all this electronic equipment, qualified specialists are needed, although in principle this equipment is not difficult to handle, configure, and service.

An entrepreneur will have to spend certain funds to advertise his copy center. On a computer, you can type and print advertising flyers for posting, distribution in nearby educational institutions, government agencies. It is recommended to make a bright informative sign, hang it at the entrance to the room where the mining center is located. Near the building where the enterprise is located, you can put up an attention-grabbing billboard.

In our time, an incredibly large number of people regularly use the resources of the Internet, roam various sites, forums, weigh in social networks. The Internet, as a resource for disseminating information about a copy center and the services it provides, is incredibly effective, especially if the business is organized in a large city. In the online network, on your website, other people's online resources, you can publish a list of services, price lists, current discounts, some interesting information in order to attract the attention of an online audience.

Now a little about the costs and income of the photocopying center. Renting a room for a mining center will cost about $300, it all depends on the location of the building, the office of the enterprise. It is desirable that this be the first floor, the entrance from the front side of the building, so that people can find the mine center without problems, and its sign is visible from the street. For the purchase of copiers, PCs, and other office equipment, you will have to raise at least $2,000. About 100 dollars a month will be spent on the purchase of paper and other consumables. The salary of a photocopying center operator is about $200-300, that is, an entrepreneur will need at least $3,000 as an initial investment, plus something for advertising, making a sign.

On average, a copy center located in a good, crowded place, implementing a standard range of services, brings its owner an income of 1-2 thousand dollars (per month). The level of competition affects the size of the income of a copy center, that is, the farther from it the same copy center, the better. The payback period for a copy center is about 2-4 months. Good luck!

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Near various government agencies, hospitals, educational institutions and just in crowded places, copy services are quite in demand. Near the universities high demand for scanning, photocopying, printing, page lamination and design theses(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 large number of government institutions.

It is most convenient to place a copy center on the first floor of the 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 must 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(it is 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.
Manufacturing business cards , for this you need to stock up thick paper and be proficient 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 large number 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, with a competent business organization, you can count on a profit of 2-3 thousand dollars per month. With such results, you will pay back your investment in two months.

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 kind 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 media, but also scanning, copying, binding of term papers and theses.

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

Copying of all types, sizes and formats.
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.
Printing documents. Moreover, it can be black and white documents or papers with color inserts. That is, various diagrams, tables that may be needed for the correct design of term papers, theses, as well as laboratory assignments.
Making 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.
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.
Printing of booklets, books and manuals. 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.
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 a choice right place for activity. 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 plan, 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, it is necessary to purchase additional equipment for the copy center. 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 special licensed programs for design and graphics on a personal computer or laptop.

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 start work, you need to obtain a certificate from the Federal Tax Service and conduct business as an 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 efficient advertising consists of the following activities:

Signage 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.
Leaflets 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.
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, because potential clients 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. They must include:

rent;
staff salaries;
cost of equipment.

Based on this, the total amount of 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 a period will pass payback period, a copy center in Moscow will increase this figure by 1-2%, a regional firm - by 3-4%.

To achieve such results, you need to have not only the most expensive and modern equipment, but also to properly serve each customer. 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 earn a high level of 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 write a business plan correctly, then in as soon as possible your business will begin to make a profit.

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