Do you want to start a calligraphy company and need to write a plan? If YES, here is a sample calligraphy business plan template & FREE feasibility report.
If you intend starting your own calligraphy services business, then you must take out time to learn the trade because the truth is that it only takes someone who has the technical skills and one who is creative and can truly pay attention to details to be able to make it really big in this business.
Since the calligraphy services business is somewhat a unique one because of the kind of work they do, it must be located in a fine art cum printing hub, within court premises or around a school district.
Some people who want to start on a small scale still choose to start from their garage and grow into getting a facility within the areas listed. If you choose starting out from your garage, be sure to make sure it is safe and you are not breaking the law.
A Sample Calligraphy Services Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
Calligraphy services companies is grouped under the engraving services industry and players in this industry engrave designs, numbers or text on a broad range of surfaces (e.g. plaques, jerseys, trophies, invitations, firearms, electronics, laptops and industrial ID tags et al) for consumers and businesses.
Their services include laser engraving, reverse engraving and other engraving techniques that is applicable to the materials they want to work with. Basically, Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad-tipped instrument, brush, or other writing instrument.
It’s a set of skills and techniques for positioning and inscribing words so they show integrity, harmony, some sort of ancestry, rhythm and creative fire. Modern calligraphy ranges from functional inscriptions and designs to fine-art pieces where the letters may or may not be readable.
Essentially, there are three main types of calligraphy: Western, Arabic, and Oriental. Within each style, there may be several lettering sub-styles or hands. In recent time, the Engraving Services industry that calligraphy services business is a part of, experienced robust growth.
Calligraphy continues to flourish in the forms of wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents.
It is also used for props and moving images for film and television, and also for testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other written works. Going forward, revenue is expected to continue to increase. Manufacturing output will continue to increase, which will inspire demand from consumer product and material processing companies.
Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 4,332 registered engraving services cum calligraphy services companies responsible for employing about 12,236 people and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $2bn annually.
The industry is projected to experience 4.1 percent growth within 2013 and 2018. No company can boast of having a lion share of the available market in the industry. The industry is open for fair competition. A recent report published by IBISWorld shows that the Engraving Services industry exhibits low barriers to entry.
The report shows that the industry is highly fragmented, due to being comprised of small engraving companies that cater to a market niche of consumers, such as consumers that want to personalize their items with monograms or calligraphic writings.
As a result, new industry entrants face low barriers to entry, due to being able to cater to demand from a plethora of markets, such as medical device manufacturers that require engravings, such as bar codes and product serial numbers.
According to Epilog Laser, the capital outlay required to enter the Engraving Services industry is low, with new companies only requiring about $8,000 in capital expenditures. Basically, engraving service cum laser engraving companies only require a laser, computer and graphic software.
Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own calligraphy services company could be that the business is easy to set up and the startup capital is indeed affordable; you can actually start your own calligraphy services business from the comfort of your house. All you need to do is to create an office somewhere in your house.
If you get a calligraphy contract and you don’t have the capacity to carry out the services in your house, you can contract it out to a standard calligraphy company and you will still make some profit. The engraving services industry is very open to any aspiring entrepreneur who have acquired the required training, skills, tools and perhaps professional certifications to start the business.
2. Executive Summary
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is a U.S based calligraphy services company that will be based in Santa Fe – New Mexico. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned workshop facility in the center of the art cum printing hub in Santa Fe – New Mexico. We are set to compete in the highly competitive engraving services industry not only in New Mexico, but also throughout the United States.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC will offer our calligraphy services to individuals and businesses for wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents.
We will also offer our services for clients who want to use it for props and moving images for film and television, and also for testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other written works. Our business goal is to become one of the leading calligraphy services companies in the United States and we will make sure that we do all we can to compete favorably with leaders in the industry.
Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of creative and highly experienced calligraphers in and around Santa Fe and also from any part of the United States of America as the business grows. We will make sure that we take all the member of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company.
At Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC, our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is founded by Peter Greene, a calligrapher per excellence who graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology. He has over 7 years’ hands-on experience in the industry.
3. Our Products and Services
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the engraving services industry. We want to compete favorably with leading calligraphy companies in the United States which is why we have but in place a competent quality assurance team that will ensure that every job carried out or related services rendered meets and even surpass our customers’ expectations.
Our services are listed below;
- Calligraphic services for wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents.
- Calligraphic services for clients who want to use it for props and moving images for film and television, and also for testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other written works
- Other related calligraphy and engraving services
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to establish a standard and world class calligraphy services company whose services and brand will not only be accepted in Santa Fe – New Mexico but also in other cities in the United States of America.
- Our mission is to provide professional calligraphy services and other related services that will assist businesses, individuals, households and organizations in ensuring that their needs are met and surpassed.
- We want to build a calligraphy company that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the industry.
Our Business Structure
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC, intends starting small in Santa Fe – New Mexico, but hopes to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading calligraphy companies in the industry. We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hire the best hands within our area of operation.
At Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC, we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
- Chief Executive Officer
- Head, Technical Services (Universal Calligrapher / Expert)
- Accountant
- Calligraphers (5)
- Front Desk Officer (Client Service Executive)
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer – CEO:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creates, interconnects, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Assesses the success of the organization
Head, Technical Services (Universal Calligrapher):
- Serves as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
- Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
- Achieves subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
- Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
- Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
- Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
- Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
- Makes certain that the technical department perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and technicians
- Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices as it relates to calligraphy services.
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
- Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carrying out staff induction for new team members and responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Accountant/Cashier:
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC
- Serves as internal auditor for Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC.
Calligraphers (5)
- Responsible for carrying out electronic metal engraving services, excluding metal name plates
- Handles etching and engraving metal name plates
- Handles etching and engraving nonprecious metal hollow/flatware/cutlery and precious metals
- Handles other engraving services.
Client Service Executive
- Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
- Manages administrative duties assigned by the creative director in an effective and timely manner
- Steadily stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ services, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries
6. SWOT Analysis
We are quite conscious that there are several calligraphy services companies scattered all across the United States, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business. We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is done for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, influence on the opportunities that will be available to us, alleviate our risks and be equipped to confront our threats.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC engaged the services of a core professional in the area of small business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured calligraphy services business that can positively compete in the highly competitive laser engraving services industry in the United States and the world at large.
Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis for Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC;
- Strength:
The power of our team; our workforce is of course our major strong point. We have a team of certified and highly trained and experienced calligraphers, a team with excellent qualifications and experience in various niche areas in the laser engraving service industry.
Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected workforce, we have state of the art workshop with highly efficient tools and machines plus the fact that our services will be guided by international best practices in the laser engraving services industry.
- Weakness:
As a new calligraphy services company in Santa Fe – New Mexico, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive laser engraving services industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business the way we would want to.
- Opportunities:
Prior to this time, laser engraving was once thought of as a process only used by well – structured corporate organizations, big religious organizations and government registry et al that could personalize items for official purpose.
However, today – with numerous small businesses cropping up and the rise in the maker movement- calligraphic has moved from just a small number of companies offering services to a growing industry that takes only a small investment to give home businesses or small vendors a little something special to offer customers. As a calligraphy services company, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.
- Threat:
Contemporary typefaces used by computers, from word processors like Microsoft Word or Apple Pages to professional design software packages like Adobe InDesign, owe a considerable debt to the past and to a small number of professional typeface designers today but they have over time become a threat to calligraphy services companies.
Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new calligraphy services company in same location where our target market exists and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
With the trend in small scale businesses becoming increasingly popular, laser engraving has become a way for those producing handmade crafts, wedding invitation cards, greeting cards and numerous other items to differentiate from the competition. Loads of players in this industry even offer blanket calligraphy services, meaning you send the item you want calligraphed to them and they send it back with whatever logo, name or graphic you want on it.
In recent time, calligraphy continues to flourish in the forms of wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents. It is also used for props and moving images for film and television, and also for testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other written works.
8. Our Target Market
Before starting our calligraphy services business in Santa Fe – New Mexico, we conducted a market survey and feasibility studies and we are certain that there is a wide range of both corporate and individual clients who would need our services.
In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various corporate organizations, households and individual clients who we know can’t afford to do without our services. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our products and services to;
- Woodworking companies
- Metalworking companies
- Digital and retail signage companies
- Court registries
- Schools and certificate issuing institutions
- Religious organizations
- Wedding Planners
- Branding companies
- Religious organizations
Our competitive advantage
Surviving in the business world as a calligraphy services company requires more than your expertise, knowing how to deliver standard calligraphed materials but also how to network with key people that matters. Without a shadow of doubt, there are loads of investors that have stakes in the calligraphy services business; but one thing is certain, there is room big enough to accommodate both big and smaller calligraphy services companies.
We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the laser engraving services industry means that you are not only expected to be able to deliver consistent and highly reliable calligraphed materials, but you must be able to meet set targets. No one would want to continue to hire your services if don’t always meet up with the target date of completion of projects.
We can boast of our ability to manage external (outsourcing) contracts, ability to pass on cost increases and access to low cost inputs. So also, our workforce. We have a team of certified and highly trained and experienced calligraphers (technicians), a team with excellent qualifications and experience in various niche areas in the calligraphy line of business.
Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected workforce, we have a state-of-the-art workshop with highly efficient tools and machines plus the fact that our services will be guided by international best practices.
Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the laser engraving services industry and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes and all that is permitted by the law in the United States to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC will generate income by offering the following services;
- Calligraphic services for wedding invitations and event invitations, font design and typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements, graphic design and commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions, and memorial documents.
- Calligraphic services for clients who want to use it for props and moving images for film and television, and also for testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other written works
- Other related calligraphy and engraving services
10. Sales Forecast
One thing is certain; there would always be woodworking companies, court registries, digital and retail signage companies, schools, wedding planners, corporate organizations and individual who would need our services.
We are well positioned to take on the available market in the industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow our company to profitability and enviable heights.
We have been able to examine the calligraphy services market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of our calligraphy services and target market;
- First Fiscal Year (FY1): $150,000
- Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $200,000
- Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $300,000
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same calligraphy services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
We are mindful of the fact that there are competitions in the laser engraving services industry cum calligraphy services business, hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.
Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the laser engraving services industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Introduce our calligraphy services company by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to individuals, woodworking companies, court registries, digital and retail signage companies, schools, wedding planners, corporate organizations, and key stake holders in the United States of America.
- Promptness in bidding for calligraphy contracts from the big – time court registries, religious organizations and schools
- Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
- List our business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
- Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver excellent services
- Leverage on the internet to promote our business
- Engage direct marketing approach
- Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients
- Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services.
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
Despite the fact that our calligraphy services company is well located, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for the business
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC has a long – term plan of welcoming clients from all over the United States which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Santa Fe – New Mexico before venturing out. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC;
- Place adverts on community – based newspapers, radio and TV stations.
- Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Google+ and other platforms to promote our business.
- Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Santa Fe – New Mexico
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
- Advertise our calligraphy services business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
- Brand all our official cars and vans and ensure that all our staff wear our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
At Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC we will keep the prices of our calligraphy services below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC will make available to her clients;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment with cash
- Payment via POS
- Payment via mobile money platform
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our calligraphy services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.
The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.
As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a standard calligraphy services company; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to set up Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC in the United of America;
- Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
- The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
- Acquiring a workshop facility that will accommodate the number of employees for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $30,000.
- The amount required to purchase the needed calligraphy pens and brushes (Quill, Dip pen, Ink brush, Qalam and Fountain pen et al) – $2,000
- Equipping the office (computers, printers, markers, internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $4,000
- The amount required to purchase the needed software applications to run our business – $ 3,500
- The amount needed in launching an official Website will cost – $500
- Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $30,000
- Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $2,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about seventy – six thousand dollars (76,000) U.S. dollars to successfully set up a medium scale but standard calligraphy services company in the United States of America.
Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is owned and managed by Peter Greene and his immediate family members. They are the sole financier of the business which is why they have decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources.
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
- Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
- Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).
N.B: We have been able to generate about $26,000 (Personal savings $20,000 and soft loan from family members $6,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $50,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.
One of our major goals of starting Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.
We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our calligraphy services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and also to ensures that our finished jobs can favorably compete with the best in any part of the world and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.
Peter Greene® Calligraphy Services, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Securing a standard workshop facility for our business: Completed
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of Logo for the business: Completed
- Purchase of the needed calligraphy pens and brushes (Quill, Dip pen, Ink brush, Qalam and Fountain pen et al): Completed
- Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of office furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries that would need calligraphy services on a regular basis: In Progress