People like Adeshigbin and Samuel Pearce having seen the huge opportunities in the business established printing press to cater for the public’s demand for various printing services. Adeshigbin established the popular Tika-Tore Press in 1910 while Samuel Pearce started Awoboh Press in 1920.
We also had Ajibade and Washington Osilaja who established Hope Rising Press and Ife Olu Press respectively in 1923. These printers and publishers provided cheap and satisfactory printing services to different clients. Though doing this business is simple but it is resource intensive in most cases. Professionals however said with proper planning and advice from established business advisory firms one could overcome the challenge.
1. What you need to have As it was said earlier, the business is resource intensive, especially when one intends to establish on a large scale. Whether you are starting on a large or small scale, you need to have lithographic offset printing machines of different kinds. Kord 64, Sord, and 201 are the most common for commercial printing in Nigeria. We equally have Heidelberg, Man Roland, Indigo (A3 size) and others meant for voluminous printing. Having both printing and finishing machines, however depend on the business model chosen by the owner. For someone who anticipates printing alone, such person did not need to buy finishing machines such as cutter and trimmer. These could be sourced from those who ventured into the finishing aspect of the business. Above all, aspiring entrepreneurs in this sector must always research on latest equipment in the industry both in pre-press, press and post-press. With the emergence of new technologies, the start-ups and professionals need to acquire new knowledge and skills vital to the successful running of printing business. A visit to Somolu, Mushin in Lagos and Oke-Ado in Ibadan revealed that the two categories of the business thrived collectively. In other words, one section of the business assists the other in the production of quality printing materials for individuals and corporate organisations.
2. The exposé Having a specific market by creating a niche has been described as the best way of generating millions of Naira. People’s request for printing materials are quite different and seasonal. Calendars, dairies or writing pads among others are highly demanded during festivities and traditional ceremonies such as wedding and funeral rites. Yearly, corporate establishments need to publicize their offerings to targeted customers not through electronic media alone but also print. For the established entrepreneurs in the industry, especially in Lagos and other commercial cities in the country, they do make a lot of profits from massive printing of calendar, billboards, letterhead and so on. During election period, printing business is mostly patronized by political parties, politicians and associates of politicians. It was reported recently that political parties, friends and well-wishers of those seeking elective offices during 2015 election spent N4.9 billion on publicity. Gaining and sustaining the large share of the industry demands a lot of strategies. Experts say good graphic design, quality papers and quality printing output remain crucial success factors. To capitalize on these factors, one needs to be advised professionally and guided properly during conception and establishment period. Mutiu is a research and communications professional. He has a special interest in qualitative and quantitative methods of finding solutions to social and communication issues. He currently works with Enterprations Limited, a management consulting company, which also provides a platform for working class professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs to own their business. Enterprations offers strategic tools such as business plan, growth plan and turnaround plan among others for established and aspiring businesses.
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