We're all used to traditional 2D printing, which means printing things like letters or memos on paper. The process of making three-dimensional objects from digital files is called "3D printing." Let's learn how to make money with a 3D printer in this post.
A Brief Look at 3D Printing
With the latest improvements to this technology, people can print anything from hearing aids to furniture and other design products. Best of all, it uses less material than traditional ways of making things.
Today, 3D printing is mostly a fun but expensive hobby or an important part of a company's industrial supply chain. But research companies say that in the next five years, this field will grow into an industry worth billions of dollars. Is this a chance you can take? If you want to start a business with 3D printing, this video will help you learn the basics and get your business going. Let's look at how you can make money with a 3D printer.
How to Use a 3D Printer to Start a Business and Make Money
Step 1: Learn the basics of running a business
No matter what your hobby or side business is, if you want to turn it into a business, you need to cover some of the basics. We have a full list of the 10 steps you need to take to start a business. Look at the end of the blog post to find the link. But I'll give you the advanced stuff right now.
You need to make a plan for your business.
This means doing market research, choosing a 3D printing niche (more on this in a second), figuring out how much money you need to get started, and planning for how you'll grow, where you'll find customers, etc. This is where you write the story of how your business started and how it turned out the way it did.
Choose the legal structure for your business.
Will you be a sole proprietor, an LLC, or an S-Corp? Each has benefits in terms of money and the law. Register your business. This includes getting a tax ID number, registering for state and local taxes, and registering a business name.
Obtain funding.
Some of the things you'll need for a 3D printing business, like the printer, aren't cheap. Do you have enough cash on hand to pay for your startup investments? If not, where are you going to get the money? Family and friends? A startup loan? Time to find out more about this.
Check out "Getting Loans for New Businesses in 2020" by NewMarketMaster. Read "Business Loans for Women in Plain English" if you are a woman who wants to start a business.
Get some money tools for your business.
Look for a business credit card and a business bank account so you can keep your business and personal finances separate and so the money your business makes has a place to live. There's more to this process, like maybe finding a storefront and hiring workers, but let's move on to the next steps, which will determine how big, broad, and specific your 3D printing business will be.
Now that we understand how business and the law work, let's look at some other ways that 3D printers can help us make money.
Step 2: Find your market.
A 3D printer can print many different things, but that doesn't mean you'll print everything. Automotive, aviation, and aerospace are all industries that use 3D printing. If you're a small business owner just getting started in this field, you probably won't 3D print that big (though that could be an option for the future as you grow).
Where to start
To get started, choose a field where you can help customers or other businesses. That could mean designing and printing things like glasses and jewellery for consumers or things like crowns and dentures for health care. If you need some ideas, the Fundera team put together a list of 3D printing business ideas that include everything from custom-made tools and rare parts to sustainable fashion and collectibles. Look at the end of the blog post to find the link.
Choosing where you fit in
Everything will depend on the type of 3D printing you choose, but the most important things will be the materials you need, the printer you use, and other important startup investments.
Step 3: Choose your programme
As you probably already know, building 3D models is a big part of 3D printing, but you can't do that with Microsoft Paint. You'll need 3D modelling software that can be used in a business setting. You can find open source and other free software with really simple tools and features to help you learn how to design 3D models when you are just starting out. Tinkercad, Blender, and Design Spark Mechanical are all well-known and popular choices. As soon as you start making money with your 3D printer using free tools, you should switch to professional tools so you can keep growing.
Pain vs. Free Software
At some point, you will want to upgrade to a professional version of some software or industrial-grade software, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year in licencing fees. The paid software will have amazing features and tools that will help you model, animate, and render professional-level products.
Step 4: Spend money on your tools and materials.
To 3D print, you'll need a 3D printer and the materials to make the things you want to print. You can do one of two things:
Use a printer that is not your own.
Spend money to buy your own.
In the first case, you become a kind of middleman for 3D printing. In the second, you do all the work yourself.
Getting a 3D printer for yourself
If you want to buy your own printer, you should think about things like how many things you usually need to print and how big they are (are they small, like eyeglass frames, or big, like whole houses?). How detailed your projects are and what you'll use to make them.
Different printers have different ways of doing things and need different materials. There are a few different ways to print something.
Vat photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, and others are some of them. Check out 3Dprinting.com's list of each printing process to help you decide which one you want to use.
Obviously, the process you use will depend on what you want to print.
Step 5: Start advertising and networking for your business.
You have your printer, your materials, your software, and your ideas. The last step in starting a 3D printing business is, well, actually doing business. You need to find people to whom you can sell your goods.
Marketing
Right now, there aren't a lot of places where you can sell things made with a 3D printer. When it comes to price, it will be hard to compete with products made and sold by bigger companies. You might be able to make a name for yourself by selling certain things, like earbuds that can be customised or art.
Ecommerce
To sell these items, you'll need to set up an ecommerce site and use a mix of traditional and digital marketing, like email and social media, to spread the word about your business.
Making contacts and connections
If you want to start a business that sells to other businesses, you can do things like attend trade shows, send direct mail, and make cold calls.
Conclusion
You might also use 3D printing as a part of a bigger business that you run to fill unique and custom orders. 3D printing is still getting better, so if you want to find profitable ways to use this new technology, you'll have to be patient. So, that's all we have to say about how to start a 3D printing business.
Helpful Resources:
https://www.fundera.com/blog/3d-printing-business-ideas
https://www.fundera.com/blog/how-to-start-a-business
https://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/
