COMPUTER & PHOTOCOPYING BUSINESS

A computer/photocopying business center is a business outlet that handles all forms of typesetting, photocopying, laminating, spiral binding works, etc, brought by all and sundry.

It is a very profitable business, especially when managed by loyal, reliable, and dedicated hands coupled with good maintenance culture and conspicuous location.

Giving your customers top-notch and itch-free services will require a lot of time, attention, and proficiency from you. If it’s not your primary work, you will need competent and sociable staff to manage the business successfully for you.

Get a Name and Construct a Business Plan

Get a simple and catchy name for your business. Construct a business plan as well. A good business plan guides you through every step of starting and managing your business. It helps you to determine your business's future financial requirements and attracts investors and lenders as well. The importance of a good business plan cannot be over-emphasized. But if you don’t intend to start big or you’re just test-running to see if it’s going to pay off, this step may not be necessary.

Register Your Business

Registering your business with the state or local government makes it a legitimate business, helps to eliminate suspicion, establishes customers' trust, and extends your scope of operation business-wise and geographically. With your registered business legal documents, you are able to open a business account easily with your choice bank; as well apply for small loans, grants, and contracts from the government. Investors and lenders will not hesitate to come in. You stand to enjoy some supplier discounts and wholesale reserve rates that are strictly for legitimate business.

Source for Business Funds

You can decide to start either on a low or highkey level. The fund you intend to invest in your business determines the size and level of the business. I advise you to try your best to hook all your customers by meeting all their clerical, secretarial, and administrative needs accompanied by excellent customer experience. You can raise funds from your personal savings, friends and relatives, government loans, grants, subsidies, etc.

Rent A Store / Shop / Space For a Container

Look for a shop in a location that people can reach with ease. You can get a shop/space on campus, where there are clusters of schools or offices or factories, etc. Don’t cite your shop in a remote or isolated place where you can hardly find your target audience (majorly students or workers) to patronize you.

Renovate and Shelve the Store

At this stage, repainting, installing light fixtures, mounting PC cubicles, and cabinets, correct positioning of tables and chairs, etc in the store come into play. For a computer business center, the store should be well organized to make it spacious, attractive, and welcoming. It increases efficiency, promotes your business, and makes your customers comfortable whenever they come around.

Buy The Major Equipment

When you are buying your equipment, you need to carry out a lot of research to know the best and the latest gadgets with modern functionalities for your business. Go for renowned brands that have their names to protect, high customer ratings, and may even send or direct you to their well-trained technicians to service the equipment when there’s any hiccup.

I buy most of my equipment online with Jumia and Amazon. They have a good refund/return policy that have you covered.

List of Essential Equipment You Need To Start

• Computer System or Laptop
• LaserJet Printer
• 3-in-one DeskJet Printer
• Scanner
• Photocopying Machine
• Laminating Machine
• Spiral Binding Machine
• Paper Cutter Small/Big Size
• Stapling Machine
• Flash Drive/Blooth software
• Staple Pins of different sizes
• Laminating & Spiral binding materials
• Perforating machine
• File Cabinet
• File Jackets  

Pricing Your Services

For effective pricing, survey your environment, and get to know how your competitors are charging for similar services you offer.

Regular Record Keeping

This has to do with keeping accurate track of the incoming and outgoing cash or cash flow of your business. Take proper inventory records of all the acquired equipment before handing it over to the staff in charge. This is a crucial part of any business that must attain its height and it is useful for both legal and financial management purposes as well. It helps you to see at a glance the performance of your business and projects for the future. You can download accounting software for small businesses on your computer or bookkeeping apps on your phone for consistent recording. I advise you to select from the high-rated ones.

Lucrative Business with Lots of Areas to Explore

You can start as Computer & Photocopying Business center; as you grow, you can expand by adding other sections like stationeries & computer accessories section, Cyber Café or Diploma/Certificate Trainings Programs in Computer. Outside these, you can lease out your Computer Training Centre for CBT and professional examinations like general computer-based tests, JAMB & NOUN CBTs, and lots more as spelled out in your business plan.

Please, note that you must register your business with the Local or State Government before you can do a certification training program and have additional skillful and trained staff to meet up at this level.

If you have any questions about setting up your computer business center or concerning any of the steps discussed above, leave your comment below. I will be very glad to offer you advice from my well of experience.