How to Sell Your Commercial Printing Business Successfully
Despite the fact that many things are being published online, the commercial printing business is alive and well, and if you want to sell your commercial printing business, you can do so successfully. The key is understanding some things about the industry currently and make those clear to your buyer.
What might be obvious to you may not be as apparent to someone who is new to the printing industry, and you need to understand how to market your particular take on the industry and showcase some of the great things, and the positive outlook for the printing industry as a whole.
Of course, enlisting the help of a business broker when you sell your printing business will ensure that you find the right buyer at the right time for the right price, but being prepared with the answers to commonly asked questions will make this process smoother and increase the buyer’s trust in you.
Industry Limitations and Advantages
Due to shipping costs and other factors, commercial printing is primarily a local business. This means there are limitations with the local market, but that can also be a big advantage. When it comes to inbound marketing and other efforts, your primary target is local. This narrows the keywords you need to rank for, such as “commercial printers in Sacramento, California instead of a larger national audience.
Your business may not be able to keyword compete with Vista Print and Moo, but you can offer superior local service and faster turnaround times with a higher quality product. The limitations of the commercial printing field can often be turned to advantages, and it is essential for your buyer to understand where you fit into the overall market.
Industry Innovation
Industry InnovationThe innovations in printing technology are moving quickly. Better and less expensive ink, better printing processes and more affordable advanced equipment all make the industry more efficient and reduce long term production costs. Just as with other emerging technology, printing equipment takes up less space, uses less energy, and is more environmentally friendly with a leaner use of resources.
To a buyer, a clear understanding of this innovation is key to realizing the potential profit of a commercial printing business, and the further on the edge of innovation you are, the easier it will be to illustrate this value.
Industry Labor Costs
If you are in the printing industry, you know that labor costs have been declining for the last number of years. The reason is, processes are increasingly automated, and most jobs are now on the pre-printing side in design and layout preparation. Many of the “front of the house” customer facing jobs are less skilled customer service positions.
This means that overall, the cost of operations between labor and innovation is decreasing, meaning profitability is higher. This enables a printing business to be competitive on pricing while still producing a quality product, a potentially vital selling point.
Tailor Your Marketing
All of the above points may be important to any potential buyer, but it is up to you to tailor your marketing and sales to reflect those things. You may need to recast your balance sheets and cashflow statements to show the true earnings of your business. Be sure that you can share the industry outlook and what that means to your business specifically.
Show your buyer why you stand out from the competition. Give them a thorough understanding of the commercial printing industry, profitability, outlooks, and innovative advantages, and can successfully sell your printing business.
If you need help and are looking for business brokers in Sacramento, contact Rogerson Business Servicesfor more information. We’re here to help you make the process of selling your business the least stressful and most successful it can be.
