- The 3D printing market is predicted to grow 30% per year to 2026<\/span><\/a>.<\/li>
- There are over 422,000 working 3D printers in the USA<\/span><\/a>.<\/li>
- The USA, UK, France, Germany & China are all heavily adopting 3D printing.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Continuing to explode in popularity for both hobbyists and industrial uses, budding entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities to start a 3D printing business. But what opportunities are there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honestly, there are so many industries being shaken up by 3D printing \u2014 medical<\/a>, hearing aids<\/a>, dental<\/a>, metal part production, spacecraft<\/a>, even food<\/a> \u2014 that listing every potential use would take too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some have already taken areas of 3D printing and made themselves synonymous with the sector. Wiivv and 3D printed custom sandals, Relativity Space and 3D printed rockets<\/a>, and Sonova and 3D printed hearing aids. What will your 3D printing business be known for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article focuses on how to start a 3D printing business, which 3D printing businesses you could start, and what you need to be able to start and be successful in the 3D printing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to start a 3D printing business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Naturally, to start a 3D printing business you need to know everything there is to know about 3D printing. You\u2019ll need to know your 3D printer<\/a> \u2014 and the technology that powers it \u2014 in and out. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- You can view all our 3D printing technologies guides here<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Write your 3D printing business plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now you need to create a business plan. Though you feel you already know exactly what you need to do, it\u2019s always best to get your thoughts down in writing, as well as any predictions around revenues, sales, and the amount you\u2019re prepared to invest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When writing this, think of what you will need to spend money on: potentially renting a location, buying new equipment, hiring or training people — and do you have any guaranteed income you can factor in, or are you starting from zero?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"3d](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/3D-printing-business-plan.jpg\")
A bulletproof business plan solidifies your vision and makes it easier to get bank loans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s very likely your 3D printing business plan will change dramatically as your business adapts and changes \u2014 and that\u2019s fine! \u2014 but a business plan will get your future and present ideas down on paper. If you\u2019re planning on lending money from a bank or other institution, a business plan is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buying your equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t chosen which 3D printer (or 3D printers if you\u2019re planning on multiple), you\u2019ll need to choose carefully based on what you plan to print, or what services you plan on offering. Prototypes are often made using SLS 3D printers<\/a>, as well as MJF, PolyJet, FDM, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Buying-a-3D-printer-for-your-business.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor deciding which to buy, you can check out our guide to every type of 3D printer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you know what type of 3D printer you\u2019re planning on using, but aren\u2019t sure on which printer, you can check out our buyer\u2019s guides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Our buyer\u2019s guide for the best FDM 3D printers<\/a><\/li>
- Buyer\u2019s guide for the best resin 3D printers<\/a><\/li>
- The best SLS 3D printers<\/a><\/li>
- Our metal 3D printer buyer\u2019s guide<\/a><\/li>
- The best 3D printers for small businesses<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3D printers don\u2019t run themselves, so you\u2019ll need to make sure you have the right software, including a 3D slicer such as Cura<\/a>, and if you\u2019re designing your own models, a 3D modeling software tool<\/a>. If you\u2019re managing multiple 3D printers, you may want to invest in software to manage them more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For FDM 3D printing<\/a> you\u2019ll need a steady supply of filament in every material and color range you plan to offer. For more industrial printing you may want to offer Polycarbonate<\/a>, HIPS<\/a>, PEEK<\/a>, Nylon<\/a> and ASA<\/a>, but for more standard jobs you may just need PETG<\/a>, ABS<\/a> and PLA<\/a>. The same goes for resins for resin 3D printing for any planned uses, including castable for jewelry molds, and any powders for SLS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"running](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Running-a-3D-printing-business-with-multiple-printers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRunning costs & marketing costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As well as this, you\u2019ll need to factor in costs for replacing any parts of your 3D printer<\/a> that wear out, such as nozzles<\/a>, resin vats and so on. Electricity isn\u2019t free<\/a>, but shouldn\u2019t be a major cost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re planning on launching your own website or webstore, you\u2019ll need to decide how you\u2019ll accept payments, which cart software to use such as Shopify, or Woocommerce on WordPress, and which hosting provider to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For marketing, you can opt for social media ads across Facebook, Instagram, or PPC ads on Google for a quick buzz. You can also try to capture people\u2019s attention through generally interesting social media content, such as showing your factory in action, some of the cool things you\u2019ve 3D printed<\/a>, or vlogging yourself at work. For industrial B2B clients, LinkedIn and direct outreach may be better options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where to sell your products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re planning to sell your models on existing platforms like Etsy, Amazon or eBay, you\u2019ll need to decide your plans for those. Or, you may decide to niche down and sell on specialized 3D model platforms. If you\u2019re planning on acting as a service, signing up to Treatstock or Makexyz can save you marketing time and pair you directly with clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"treatstock](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Treatstock-3d-printing-marketplace.jpg\")
Treatstock is a site where 3D printer owners can offer their services.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n 3D Printing Business Ideas: Which 3D printing business should I start?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A true visionary may want to create an entirely new category, like 3D printed rockets, pizza or hearing aids. Nevertheless, here are some tried and tested existing 3D printing business models:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Printing on demand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"3d](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/3D-printed-model.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDo you already own a 3D printer? This is the easiest way to make money from 3D printing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The business model is simple: you offer to print someone else\u2019s 3D file. The only problem with this 3D printing business plan is that it\u2019s already getting quite competitive, and your service is easily seen as a commodity. Fortunately, we’ve listed some tips for making it in printing on demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sign up on one of the major 3D printing service marketplaces<\/a>, or sell your service to individual companies outside of a marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Establish yourself in a niche market – B2C<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Instead of trying to please everyone, you need to find a tribe of loyal customers who see you as their trusted vendor. To find your ideal niche, do some market research by Googling your market, checking sites like Quora and Reddit, and reading blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start on a marketplace and then expand beyond it when you have some experience and know which customers you want to attract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many creatives, nerds and designers just want their design, such as favorite D&D model or character, in front of them, right now \u2014 and they don\u2019t want to buy an entire 3D printer just to print it. Instead, they\u2019ll find someone to do the odd job for them here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting a 3D printing business printing consumer models requires less start-up investment, less expensive filaments or resins, and perhaps slightly lower accuracy and precision requirements. More affordable desktop 3D printers will work here, so you could potentially get started as a 3D printing business for just a few hundred dollars with an Ender 3<\/a> or Prusa 3D printer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That isn\u2019t to say there aren\u2019t jobs for individuals that require more industrial 3D printers<\/a>. Classic car fans looking to get a car part 3D printed<\/a> will require perfect accuracy and a tough material used, with the crisp surface finish only accessible on higher end machines. But for most consumer jobs, less professional 3D printers should suffice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are even marketplaces for local 3D printer service<\/a> businesses that\u2019ll help you find customers. Treatstock, for example, puts you in contact instantly with thousands of local 3D printer businesses to have your parts printed for you in a variety of different materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By becoming a vendor, you potentially skip the expensive marketing costs associated with drumming up business at the beginning of your 3D printing business journey. There are other similar sites to Treatstock like makexyz, but 3D Hubs no longer allow individuals to sign up and offer their printing services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Offer your service to B2B customers<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, you can offer your services directly to B2B customers. Typically, these customers tend to have deeper pockets, a more consistent need for 3D printing services, and they tend to place larger orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start on a marketplace and as you grow, transition to your own brand or site. A successful business that uses this business model is Stratasys<\/a>, a company that\u2019s active in the engineering, manufacturing, production, and prototyping industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again you’ll want to establish a niche, I see far too many home-based 3D printing businesses try to appeal to everyone doing everything just to make money 3D printing. To really get penetration in the market in a sea of ‘me too’ businesses and franchises -you’ve got to target, accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In B2B \u2014 business to business \u2014 3D printing businesses make prototypes<\/a> and other parts for companies that want to test them. This could be for shape and aesthetics, or functional testing based on how it holds up in certain situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Common client needs include architectural and interior design models (a huge advantage if you can print multiple colors, such as by using a Palette<\/a>), sunglasses and other fashion prototypes, engineering prototypes, resin, ceramic<\/a> or metal prototypes for various industries, and medical parts, including orthotics, prosthetics<\/a> and medical implants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"3d](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/3D-printing-industrial-B2B-parts.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYour ability to run this kind of 3D printing business really depends on the 3D printers you have. With massively growing demand for metal 3D printing \u2014 predicted to grow to a $11 billion industry by 2024 \u2014 metal additive manufacturing for automotive<\/a>, space, medical and other uses is a great area to launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, metal 3D printers<\/a> cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in most cases, so this is not a venture for anyone looking to get in cheap and make some beer money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standard affordable 3D printers<\/a> may not offer the level of precision companies expect when they hire your 3D printing business to print parts and prototypes for them. And many companies may be looking for more expensive types of 3D printing for their parts, such as SLS 3D printers or even PolyJet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, if you\u2019re planning on starting a B2B 3D printing business acting as a 3D printing services for industrial clients, you\u2019ll probably need a large investment to start with. For marketing, social media and more hobbyist forms of marketing won\u2019t work as well, so you\u2019ll need to either harness PPC ads or grow your network within the industry to find contacts looking to get manufacturing done. But, with this big risk comes the potential for big reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open up your own 3D printing e-commerce store<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/IMG4_large.png?13316785959290886164\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n[Source: <\/em>AudioQuest<\/em><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3D printing is already disrupting the manufacturing industry. That\u2019s why now is the time to set up an e-commerce shop where you sell products that you design and print. 3D printing makes the whole process flexible and cheap. If you’re wanting to know how to make money with a 3D printer, this is one of our favorite 3D printing startup ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before actually going all-in starting a 3d printer business, you could validate your idea by using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter<\/a> and Indiegogo<\/a>. You can sell your products by building a shop on Shopify<\/a> and on Amazon<\/a>, NotOnTheHighStreet.com and Etsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Jewelry, home furnishing, decorations and fashion<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The design industry is the perfect industry if you want to open an e-commerce shop. There are lots of options here; jewelry, home furnishing, decorations and fashion. If you want to start small, Etsy is the perfect platform, because its customers crave individualized design. NomaniFOLD<\/a> sells 3D printed jewelry and is a pioneer in this industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Monthly subscription box<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Monthly subscription boxes are insanely popular. Some of them are something of a trend, but others are a convenient way for people to get products delivered to them. But what if you could use this idea to 3D print monthly items that people need and want as a recurring service? For example, deliver toys or pet or baby products on a monthly basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Events <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The event industry is massive. There\u2019s everything from weddings, birthdays, graduation parties to company events and conferences. Tap into this market by printing event decorations and other products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Other products<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
With the ideas above, we\u2019re just scratching the surface. There are so many 3D printing business opportunities you can explore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Customized products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/IMG5_large.png?13316785959290886164\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n[Source: <\/em>Open Bionics<\/em><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3D printing is changing the way we do business. No wonder; one of the main advantages of 3D printing is that it enables us to mass-customize products. Why not start a shop that\u2019s all about customization? The possibilities for making money with 3D printing business opportunities are endless and this is an area with significant growth potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Etsy, Amazon, Ebay and Shopify to sell items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll need to price your models based on the amount of filament or resin they use, as well as the time value of your 3D printer\u2019s time. In addition, since you\u2019ve created real tangible models, posting them to your customers will cost money, too. This can vary wildly depending on whether your customer is in your city, or if they\u2019re half way across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s safest to use your own files, as many models from free STL file sites<\/a> may not authorize you to commercialize them. If you want to add even more value, you could even paint your models, making them stand out and letting you charge higher prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll need to think about marketing for this type of 3D printing business. People are unlikely to just find your 3D printing shop unless you\u2019re savvy about getting your name out there: either on social media, or by paid ads such as PPC on Google or Facebook ads. You\u2019ll need to continually optimize any paid ads to make sure you\u2019re selling enough products to make the ads profitable, and keep a beady eye on the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If successful however, it\u2019s one of the most rewarding and independent ways to make it as a 3D printing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Customized products <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
There are no limitations here\u2026 mobile cases and covers, special parts that enable you to use items in different ways (e.g. toys), jewelry and so forth. For example, check out Lantos Technologies<\/a>, a company that prints customized in-ear products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These 3D printed toys<\/a> and similar models are always popular, and there will always be a demand for 3D character prints of peoples\u2019 favorite video game or movie characters, musicians, actors and more. Cosplayers are always looking for new elements to use, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"selling](\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Selling-your-3D-printed-designs-and-characters.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re a good 3D designer \u2014 and if you want to learn, check out our ranking of the best free 3D modeling software tools for beginners<\/a> \u2014 you can design your own creations harnessing your boundless creativity and signature style, or just create 3D models based on real people or things. You can then either sell these models and send them fully printed, or sell the STL file and let them print their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Customized collectibles and figures<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Fans LOVE customized collectibles and figures of their favorite athletes, artists and gamer avatars. Just make sure to check all licenses if you want to use this for your business. On the other hand, there\u2019s a market for customized figures of people themselves, e.g. a figure of someone posing in his or her sports gear or their own gamer avatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, CoKreeate<\/a> is a company that has successfully established itself in this market. Want to learn more about how to set up your own shop? Here\u2019s a story<\/a> that might inspire you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selling small items like this could be much easier if you’re wanting to set up a home-based 3D printing business. Lower storage and shipping costs for your home-factory business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Customized collectibles and figures<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Customized products <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Other products<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Events <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Monthly subscription box<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Jewelry, home furnishing, decorations and fashion<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Offer your service to B2B customers<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Buyer\u2019s guide for the best resin 3D printers<\/a><\/li>
- Our buyer\u2019s guide for the best FDM 3D printers<\/a><\/li>
- There are over 422,000 working 3D printers in the USA<\/span><\/a>.<\/li>