How to earn money with a laser engraver?

Personalized and individualized products create significant added value for customers. This means that higher prices can be achieved than for items without a personal dedication. With a laser engraving machine, many products can be personalized with designs, logos and lettering. This creates unique pieces that increase the value of the product many times over the original product. Therefore, these items generate a very handsome profit.

End consumers are generally willing to pay higher prices for products with a personal touch. The price for items with an individual laser engraving is therefore often determined by the price per product achievable on the market. It is common for end customers to pay 5 to 10 times the standard product price for personalization.

Example: Surcharge for laser-engraved ballpoint pen 

Ballpoint pens of high-quality with unique engravings can be sold for $15. Depending on the amount purchased, these can be bought for as little as $1.50 per unit. "Laser cost" is typically caluculated at $1 per minute of laser use in the laser processing industry. Therefore, it is easy to determine costs based on various graphics and processing time. In the ballpoint pen example, if your engraving takes 15 seconds, the laser costs will equal to 25 cents per unit. Even when you consider labor costs, it is quite simple to see that laser engraving can make a large profit.

Products that include a personal dedication are gaining in popularity. The field of application is very wide. The offer for end customers is as varied as the materials. Whether you’re talking about picture frames, wine glasses, gifts or ballpoint pens – a personal dedication with names, text, logos or photos make these types of items very unique. But personalized signs, stamps, medals and trophies, data plates or various types of contract engraving of components can also be a lucrative business for companies, both as individual pieces or in mass production.

Unique, individual and personal - nowadays, customers are placing greater value on the qualitative and quantitative value of handicraft work and prefer creative individual items. For example, individually designed jewelery, creative artwork or decorative accessories for interior design are among the most popular customer requests. Practically any design can be implemented with the laser. With individuality and attention to detail, products or artwork can be easily and quickly created and upgraded with a laser. Whether you are working with wood, glass, acrylic, leather or paper, contactless material processing with a laser also saves time and money. The effort for these unique items is manageable. Due to the high prices that can be achieved for creative individual pieces, the profit is very handsome.

Basically, a variety of materials can be processed with a laser and thus many customer requests can be realized. To begin with, a wide range of laser-engraved products is certainly a great way to find out which items appeal to the market and which products can be used to earn good money. Whether a specialization in certain products and materials takes place over time or a deliberately broad portfolio is offered, is a strategic decision for every company. This decision is significantly influenced by the competitive situation in the region in which you operate: Are you the sole provider of laser services? Or is there already a specialist for e.g. glass engraving or wedding decorations around the corner?
As an entrepreneur, you should carefully consider your business model and weigh the advantages and disadvantages for yourself. In terms of specialization, the workload and output can be optimized as best as possible, as the applications are always similar and you develop into a true specialist. Thus, set-up times are minimized and profit maximized. From a broad product portfolio through to individual customer projects and individual pieces, however, although you’re not a specialist in a certain area, customers for custom-made items are willing to pay more, which in turn leads to higher margins.