“Guest Posts: Contributed Content for the Printosynthesis Group.”
5 Ways You Can Use 3D Printing Technology For Your Small Business
“Guest Posts: Contributed Content for the Printosynthesis Group.”
Guest Post by, Madeline Dudziak
Also a huge fan of reading – perhaps a natural result of being named after the famous children’s book – Madeline’s Kindle is always crammed with more books than leisure time allows. Among other ways, she spends her free time are fun activities with her husband and young children, volunteering, and participating in two book clubs.
5 Ways You Can Use 3D Printing Technology For Your Small Business
At one point in time, a 3D printer was something only large scale manufacturing businesses really benefitted from. 3D printers were bulky, and just not easily accessible for someone not in a large factory-type setting. It was helpful in those environments but there didn’t seem to be a clear path to getting 3D printing technology into smaller settings.
3D printers being for large businesses is no longer the reality, however. Many small businesses have been able to start using 3D printers for their benefit. There are a lot of ways you can use a 3D printer that you may not have considered yet. 3D printing technology is everywhere now. Printers are smaller, more affordable, and easier than ever to use.
If you’ve been thinking about buying a 3D printer for your small business but you haven’t made the leap yet, it’s time to start considering what a 3D printer can really do for you. 3D printing technology could change how you’re doing things now in a big way. If you’re still not convinced, here are five ways you can use 3D printing technology for your small business.
1. Easy, Quick Prototypes
When you’re developing a new product for your business, getting a prototype in your hands can be a bit of a hassle. If you don’t have an in-house production team (and most small businesses don’t) then you’ll likely have to place an order with a large production company. Depending on where the company is located costs and production time can be huge obstacles.
As you’re creating your new product you may hold off on ordering extra prototypes for every small change due to the aforementioned costs. This can result in you not being able to see and hold every design iteration. It can leave you wondering what a small change will do to the look and functionality of your product because you don’t have a concrete example to look at.
With 3D printing, you’ll have the chance to print out your own prototype. Adjusting a small part (or even a large part) of your product’s design to fix a flaw just means you have to print a new prototype. It’s easy to do and design changes are as easy as adjusting the printer plans you’ve already created.
Being able to print your own prototypes gives you a whole host of new possibilities. In addition to being able to see each design iteration, you’ll also be able to print prototypes for customers or investors to look at or take with them. You’re the one in control of the prototyping process when you use a 3D printer because you have the power to create whatever you need. That’s a big deal.
2. Use Your Printer To Drum Up Interest
Customers love freebies, it’s a fact. Whether it’s a free gift with purchase or a token of appreciation when you give your customers something their loyalty for your business will increase. So offer them something they actually can’t get somewhere else and 3D print your logo onto something.
When you can offer a unique freebie, even something fairly minor like a coaster or business card that you have 3D printed in-house you will not only save money on incidental free gifts but you will have created something buzzworthy. When the word gets out that you’re offering something no one else can people are going to want to hop on that bandwagon!
If you create demand for your freebie, you can create demand for your business. Consider printing your token in multiple colors. That way your regular customers can collect them. (Perhaps when they have a full set they could earn a special discount?)
By rewarding loyal customers giving them something you have 3D printed yourself, you could see a big boost in your business. Show your customers a little appreciation in the form of a freebie and it’s a safe bet they will appreciate you right back.
3. Offer Up Your Printer
It may seem strange to think about purchasing a 3D printer for your business especially if 3D printing doesn’t make much sense with your mission. But while 3D printing has a serious fan base in the general public a majority of people have never 3D printed before.
Therefore it could be fun to offer your customers a chance to print something of their own with purchase. Let’s say you’re in the food or hospitality industry, you could have a promotion where if someone buys lunch they can also print something in 3D.
There are many things you can 3D print in as little as 10 minutes which really isn’t that much time if you’re sitting down for a cup of coffee in a cafe. While this might seem a little gimmicky at first that 3D printer investment could pay off in a big way in drumming up customers and building interest in your business.
4. Small Batch Manufacturing
Even if you aren’t a manufacturing company, a 3D printer can be helpful to print a small inventory of what is needed. While of course there are large companies you can order pieces from it could be incredibly handy for your business to be able to print things you need on your own printer.
Why would you keep paying for someone else to 3D print your stuff for you when you can do it yourself and save money? Think about whether having a printer can benefit your bottom line and save you time running around looking for things you can quickly print on your own.
Especially if you find yourself in need of replacement parts frequently, you stand to benefit from printing your own. When you control the quality of the parts you need you can quickly get back to work instead of waiting for a replacement to arrive.
5. Build A Little Farm
Slowly we are going to start seeing 3D printing farms popping up the way of old school copy centers. As consumers start to see the benefits of 3D printing they are going to want in on the fun and see the technology for themselves. So it isn’t so far fetched to think you may want to offer customer’s the chance to print as needed by the public.
It would be an easy addition to many small businesses. Obviously, you can use the printers when needed as well, but when they aren’t in use for your prototypes you can set a pricing scale for those who would like to print. It’s a good way to earn some extra income and spread the love of 3D printing around.
Conclusion:
Having a 3D printer for your business can be incredibly beneficial for both your own bottom line and your relationship with customers. No longer are 3D printers only for big businesses and factories. Make sure your small business doesn’t fall behind, consider how much 3D printing technology can help you succeed.
Madeline Dudziak’s Bio:
Madeline Dudziak loves words. As a web content creator, she crafts messages that help clients inform, educate, persuade, or connect. Madeline’s also a freelance theater reviewer for the River Cities’ Reader, which combines her passion for writing with her passion for theatre.
Is an All In One Laser Printer The Best Printer To Buy?
“Guest Posts: Contributed Content for the Printosynthesis Group.”
Guest Post by Daniel Calvin.
Guest Post by Daniel Calvin
Is an All In One Laser Printer The Best Printer To Buy?
When it comes to printers, you’re spoiled for choice. There are numerous types of printers available from Laser printers, LED printers to Dot matrix printers and more. The choice of what printer is right for you really boils down to what you need it for. If it’s high end photo quality you are after, inkjets are probably going to offer you more for creative use, but in the office, laser printers are king. But it’s the all-in-one laser printers that offer the most in the office.
Advantages of an All In One Laser Printer
Since all-in-one laser printers offer so much, they make the best home printers and are perfectly suitable for a busy office environment where a machine that can cope with their high volume printing needs is needed. But they are not only the best choice for offices requiring high volume printing, since all in one printers offer the full package of features, they also work well in the home, or for whoever, or whatever organisation requires a printer packed with the features of an all in one laser printer.
So what do they have to offer?
Versatility
An all-in-one laser printer has all the bases covered. Each machine acts as a printer, scanner, fax machine and copier, all in this swiss army knife of a printing machine. They are also equipped to quickly and easily connect to a secure network, allowing you to effortlessly share work documents.
Wireless Network Connectivity
Within companies or organisations, wireless network connectivity is a game changer and one of the most important aspects of the all-in-one laser printer. This built in wireless network acts as its own network and does not require a PC or an external modem to function.
Users are able to easily print documents through the Google cloud, Apple Air Print, USB sticks, mobile devices and more.
Efficiency
With everything conveniently grouped together in one machine, an all-in-one laser printer offers unmatched efficiency. With everything in one place, the process is streamlined, saving you time and energy. Whatever task you require, whether it’s printing from your phone, making a photocopy, scanning a document, or whatever else, you can rest easy knowing it can all be done without fuss from the same machine.
Affordability
Even though the upfront cost of a multifunction laser printer is more, in the long run you save money. As it’s multiple machines all in one. If you were to buy each machine separately, you would be paying much more than you would for a single all-in-one printer.
What Do You Need It For… Home or Office?
While all-in-one laser printers are suitable for both home and office settings, specs can vary between machines. So it’s good to know beforehand what environment the machine will be used in, in order to choose the best machine for the job.
If your looking for a multifunctional printer to be used in the home, than you generally want to find one that can provide excellent image quality. If you are looking for an all-in-one laser printer for the office, than you generally want to focus more on text quality than image quality.
What Else Do All In One Printers Offer
While we have mentioned the main features of a multifunctional printer, there are a lot of other quality features boasted by todays all-in-one laser printers. Some of those include:
Colour
The laser printers of today offer excellent colour quality, with bright, bold colours, well balanced contrast and accurate text. With the incredible resolution and colour technology offered by todays laser printers, not only do they offer high volume capabilities in office settings, but can be used in more creative or personal projects.
Compact Size
This is one of the more attractive features of a multifunctional printer, it’s size. While freestanding office photocopy machines are very big and bulky in size, all-in-one printers are not, they are compact in size and perfect for smaller offices, or when needed in close proximity (eg kept on top of a desk).
BIO
Daniel Calvin is on a mission to help businesses increase productivity and do so in a way that benefits everyone in the organization. He is a specialist of office printers at Number1 Office Machines.
