One question that all founders contemplate: What steps do I need to take to make my laser business work? 7 of our Trotec experts give you their personal tips for founders for a successful start to your laser business.
Tip 1: Plan the start of your business in small steps
Andreas Penz Managing Director Developed and built the first Trotec Laser in 1996. Visionary in the laser industry.
“Differentiate yourself! Implementing a business idea is an exciting, challenging journey. In my view, every founder should plan this journey well. Define your vision and at least your first two milestones. In my view, it’s extremely important to: Always differentiate yourself from your competitors. How do you do that? In the best case scenario, with an innovative product idea. Solve a “problem” in your customer group that nobody has solved well to date. Or by means of a very specific service portfolio. Communicate your “unique selling points” simply and clearly so that they become your company’s DNA. The key question is: Why should the customer buy from you and not your competitors? If you can clearly and simply answer this question, then you’re on the right track.”
Tip 2: In the laser business, just like all other industries, it’s all about the customer
Peter Kratky Managing Director Passionate sales professional with an eye for the essentials
“Listen to your customers! You won’t always hear positive things. But use the criticisms – learn from them and constructively transform them into something positive. Adjust your sales strategy and the associated measures and stay flexible. You can only get to know your requirements and wishes if you have an active dialog with your potential customers. Knowing exactly what your customers expect of you and meeting that expectation is the key to success. That’s how you create real customer benefits.”
Tip 3: Don’t be afraid of laser technology
Franz Gruber Head of Technical Services Solves customer problems on the phone, online or in person.
“Don’t be afraid of technology! The training given during installation means that you are well prepared to start your business, and then it’s “learning by doing!”. The better you know your laser and the application technology, the faster, more efficient and more cost-effective your production is. We support you in gaining this competitive advantage with various training courses and tutorials. Our lasers are robust, low-maintenance and easy to service. Take care of your laser and check mirrors, lenses, vents daily and clean them if necessary. With the TroCare service package, you don’t have to worry about maintenance costs and you can extend the warranty of your laser machine up to 10 years.”
Tip 4: Just start lasering and start your laser business with creativity
Denise Kaiserseder Laser Application Technician Develops and designs laser samples with lots of attention to detail.
“Laser away! You have an idea, you know which products you want to offer – then get to the laser. Be creative and don’t be afraid of doing something wrong. This often results in new concepts and new ways of working. Design ideas and graphic templates can be found in the Trotec DIY gallery (LINK: www.troteclaser.com/de/know-how/musterauswahl/) or on various online platforms, e.g. Thingivers, Pinterest or Facebook. Our Trotec JobControl® laser software offers you numerous practical functions: Thanks to the parameter values that are tested and supplied by us, you don’t have to search for a long time to find the right laser settings, the JobTimeCalculator calculates the laser time for you in advance. Incidentally, this is a real benefit in price calculation too.”
Tip 5: Make clever calculations and master your start-up
Petra Berger Product Marketing Manager Engraving Responsible for marketing the “Speedys” with a lot of style and creativity
“Make clever calculations! Especially at the beginning, many of our customers are unsure how to price the laser time. 1 euro per minute of laser processing time is a common calculation basis. Start with simple products. Personalize picture frames, glasses or wooden spoons. My visit to IKEA in 2017, when I was able to observe the effect of laser personalization on end customers: Individualization with the laser turns simple objects into something special – this increases the sales price by a factor of x.”
Tip 6: Use digital marketing opportunities for your business
Julia Weidinger Online Marketing Manager SEO, PPC & CRO – she masters every aspect of online marketing
“Invest in online marketing! A good web presence is a company’s business card nowadays. If you sell your products online, rely on a respectable shop solution. Make sure that your customers find you – search engine optimization, inbound marketing, paid advertising and content marketing are the key issues that you should cover. Ask yourself in which channels you can best reach your customers. Wherever your customers do their research, they should be able to find you quickly and easily.”
Tip 7: Gain regular customers with good service
Thomas Weber Sales Manager DACH Trotec Consumables. Entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in sales and the engraving industry.
“Take care of your customers! In my opinion, excellent customer service is the key to success. As banal as it sounds, it is the “supreme discipline”: Treat your customers well. I’m not talking about offering drinks and snacks. Give honest and fair advice, for the benefit of the customer. Excel with good reachability and boast an excellent response time. It will pay off; these customers will become your regular customers and recommend you in droves.”
Here’s a summary of our 7 tips for starting your laser business:
Plan the start of your business in small steps
In the laser business, just like all other industries, it’s all about the customer
Don’t be afraid of laser technology
Just start lasering and start your laser business with creativity
Make clever calculations and master your start-up
Use digital marketing opportunities for your business
