Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2010. It describes the 2010 market, saturated in Spain with growing demand as more people bought computers and printers; the cartridge market and printing habits may have changed considerably since.
When it comes to businesses built around printer ink cartridges, the market is saturated, at least in Spain, even though 50% of used printer ink cartridges still end up in the rubbish bin.
If you run a company, you’ll have noticed a few years ago how many people offered you a little cardboard box to drop your used ink cartridges into, promising to come and collect them at the end of the month. Well, that little box sometimes holds more than €500–1,000 worth of cartridges, because there’s a market for recycled ink cartridges, which are cheaper and also have less of a negative impact on the environment.
Today there are franchises that collect cartridges to sell them on, although you don’t have to go with a franchise (even if it isn’t a bad option). Here are some ways to launch your business and ideas for making money with ink cartridges.
Collecting and selling cartridges
This lets you start your business with practically no investment, and your customers would be both small companies and private individuals. Individuals are probably the most untapped part of this market.
One way to win private customers is to print advertising leaflets, or to do the sales legwork and visit them one by one, door to door. Clearly, with individuals you’ll sometimes have to offer something in return.
You can offer to sell them recycled ink cartridges later at a lower price. On the one hand, you’ll profit from selling the used cartridge to the factory, and on the other, you’ll earn a margin on selling the refilled cartridge to the customer.
See also: Mistakes when starting a business aren’t failures, they’re lessons
It’s the same with companies. Depending on their size, you can offer them the chance to save hundreds or even thousands of euros a year on something as essential as a printer’s fuel.
This is the simple business, one that requires no investment and that, once it’s up and running, can deliver an astonishing return.
Refilling and selling cartridges
Here you do need to invest in a cartridge refill kit. Some are simpler and cheaper, and others are more complex and, naturally, more expensive.
The business would be the same, except that you would have your own workshop and shop for recycled ink cartridges, and could also stock the full range of new cartridges. The real business, though, is in recycled cartridges, for the simple reason that the raw material costs you nothing. The customer gives it to you and, if you reach an agreement, you then sell the cartridge back to them for less than a new one would cost.
Either way, this business depends heavily on both advertising and raising awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.
Remember that there’s plenty of competition in this business, so you’ll need good ideas to win market share, whether by offering discounts or financial benefits to individuals and companies alike.
Did you know that some companies spend more than €150,000 a year on ink cartridges? Imagine a client like that. More and more people own a computer and a printer, and demand will keep growing, since computers are now an everyday necessity.
Further reading
- Business ideas in leisure and tourism
- Businesses offering home services
- Business ideas in services for companies
- How to overcome the fear of starting a business
- Common mistakes Hispanic businesspeople make
Featured image: eFilm, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
