Although print will always be an important part of any business’s daily requirements, changing technology, compounded by a largely stagnant economy and poor consumer spending, has seen a decline in demand for more traditional forms of print – including the printing of newspapers and magazines, letterheads, business cards, invoice books, and business forms.

Cutting of marketing budgets has also resulted in the printing of fewer brochures and fliers. This has led to the decline in the number of smaller lithographic commercial printers, with many smaller companies being bought up by, or merging with, larger printing companies.

At the same time, however, there has been an increased demand for digital printing that can supply much smaller orders. Printing SA chambers across the country have seen growth in the number of digital printing start-ups.

This is evident in both the number of digital printing businesses and in the volumes that are passing through these businesses. This growth is largely due to their flexibility and the advantages that digital printing has when it comes to short print runs. It can accommodate both narrow and wide format printing requirements and meets many of today’s print demands.

In addition to new businesses, more traditional, small commercial printers (sheet fed lithography) that have seen business decline have begun to invest in digital equipment. This addresses one of the biggest perceived barriers to entry into the printing sector for small business – the cost of equipment.

Many of the analogue presses (such as litho or flexo presses) are extremely expensive. Thus the sector – and the packaging industry in particular – is very capital intensive and largely the ambit of large corporates. Machinery, of which a large portion is imported and subject to currency fluctuations, can cost anything from a million Rand to R120-million.

However, the cost of digital equipment is far less, starting at around R10 000. When it comes to starting a small digital print business, the barriers to entry are pretty low. Anyone starting out needs to have basic business skills and needs to be able to understand the legislation applicable to the areas in which they operate – and, of course, they also need technical knowledge.

To fill these gaps, Printing SA provides entrepreneurship training and has also recently introduced a digital commercial printing training programme. It can also provide a wide range of assistance to start-up businesses when it comes to compliance and labour issues.

With the help of digital communication systems and social media, a small printing business can start relatively easy. It does not need a litho capacity but can get along with a decent digital printer and basic bindery equipment.

Apart from having business flair and the courage to start up a business in the first place, a small business owner in the printing sector needs to have strong financial skills for managing cash flow on a day-to-day basis and developing profitable, but competitive pricing structures, marketing skills, and management skills that enable one to select the right staff, manage output, and regulate quality.

Believe in your decision to start a small printing enterprise and work very hard to realise your dream of owning a successful business. This is a job with long hours and the stress of very tight deadlines. Build your business step-by-step and get advice from business advisers and your business bank.

For more information, visit www.printingsa.org. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook.