There is no doubt that 3D printing has been revolutionary in many areas of life. One of the biggest of these has undoubtedly been the world of business. A whole world of possibilities have now been opened that could never have existed in the past. And people are able to see the ideas in their minds coming to life much faster than they ever expected before.
Turning 3D printing technology into a business is something that more and more entrepreneurs are looking to do. But before you rush headfirst down this particular path, you need to think more closely about the ways in which you can capitalise on it. So, here are the three most common tried and tested ways that you can make money from 3D printing.
Create and Sell Designs
The most affordable and simple way to get started in this particular industry is to create and sell your own designs. Obviously, it will provide you with a major helping hand if you have a naturally design-orientated brain to start off with, and it actually doesn’t have to be all the complicated to learn in the first place. There are all kinds of online tutorials and communities which can provide you with a major helping hand. The beauty of 3D printing is that you can create complex shapes easily and customise designs in a very affordable way. Of course, you will need to make sure that your design is entirely printable after you have created it. There are also free tools which you can use that will help to correct any errors which you have accidentally made. Once you have ready-to-print files, you can then go about the process of finding outlets on which you can sell them to potential clients.
Offer a 3D Printing Service
The concept of this idea seems simple enough, but there is the hidden pressure of needing a great deal of capital to buy a 3D printer in the first place. With so many different options out there, you need to balance the cost against the ease of use and overall quality of the product. Taking the time to experiment and master the ins and outs of the printer once you have bought it is essential. Just some of the factors that impact the overall quality of the print include layer height, extrusion temperature and travel speed. And then, there are the other individual parts produced by the likes of MOONS Industries that it is worth knowing more about as you may need to replace them in the future. Once you are confident that you have the necessary expertise to provide 3D printing services, you can start to list your business and accept orders from people who have designed that they need to be brought to life.
Create an Online Product or Service
Though this option requires the most creativity, it also has the highest potential to provide a good return on investment. You will need to come up with a particular product or service that utilises 3D printing. Once you have done this, you can then start marketing it online. Of course, this again requires a big initial cost as you will need the printing equipment, though another potential option is to partner with an outside firm which already has the technology ready and waiting to be used. It is then a matter of coming up with an operational process that works well and also looking into the admin side of things with regards to packaging and shipping.
Getting on Board with this Trend
There is no doubt that the world of 3D printers will continue to develop long into the future so now is the perfect idea to get on board with this trend and create a business that utilises this technology. The above three methods are three of the most common ways in which you can get started. The first requires the least initial cost investment, but you do need to be able to come up with good design ideas that you are able to sell onto clients. The other two require the actual investment in a 3D printer, as well as the knowledge and experience to be able to operate it successfully. However, once you have this initial foundation, you will be in a much stronger position to start offering our your own 3D printing service or another bespoke idea which you have come up with.