You can drown in tactics these days—funnels, CRMs, AI widgets, growth hacks… But when you strip away the fluff, there are really just four ways to grow a print business.
Master these four levers, and you’ll keep your presses humming, your team busy, and—most importantly—your profits climbing. Ignore them, and you’ll find yourself patching holes while the boat takes on water.
Let’s break them down in plain English.
1. Win New Customers (The Attrition Antidote)
Every print business leaks customers. Some close shop. Some merge. Others just quietly drift away after a budget cut or a new buyer takes over.
Most shops lose 10–20% of their client base annually through no fault of their own. That’s why having a steady lead-generation system isn’t a luxury—it’s life support.
Here’s what works:
- Build one solid lead magnet (e.g., a print-ready file checklist, pricing guide, or event signage planner).
- Promote it through social ads and organic posts.
- Follow up with real conversations. Email’s great, but phone calls still close deals.
- Track weekly: How many fresh leads replace the natural churn?
A predictable pipeline gives you breathing room, bargaining power, and long-term stability.
2. Sell More to the Customers You Already Have
Most print businesses are sitting on a gold mine of underutilized accounts.
Maybe you printed business cards for a client last year, but they had no idea you also do vehicle wraps or branded merch. That disconnect is costing you.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Send a monthly “Did You Know?” email featuring one service customers may not know about.
- Train CSRs and sales reps to mention related services during every touchpoint.
- Run a quarterly survey asking customers about their marketing headaches—then build solutions around what they tell you.
It’s always easier (and cheaper) to upsell someone who already trusts you than to land someone brand new.
3. Charge What You’re Worth (And Stay Profitable)
Costs keep creeping—materials, freight, rent, wages. If your prices stay flat, your margins shrink quietly until you’re working twice as hard for half the return.
You need a pricing strategy that keeps your print business profitable and predictable:
- Review your costs monthly. Know your true break-even point.
- Set a non-negotiable margin floor and stick to it.
- Announce price increases 30–60 days in advance and position them as part of your quality commitment.
- Add value in ways clients notice—like automatic preflighting or custom color management reports.
You don’t have to be the cheapest print business to win. You have to be the most trusted.
4. Acquire to Grow (But Do It Right)
One acquisition done well can give you five years of growth—instantly. But one done poorly can torch your team, your culture, and your balance sheet.
Thinking about buying a competitor or absorbing a niche shop? Smart. Just go in with eyes open:
- Dig deep during due diligence—don’t just look at sales, but also culture, systems, and staff dynamics.
- Offer stay bonuses to keep top talent from jumping ship.
- Lead with clarity: one voice, one vision, no surprises.
Acquisitions are jet fuel, but only if your engine is ready for takeoff.
Don’t Fly Blind: Know Your Numbers
Close your books fast—within three weeks of month-end at most.
If you don’t have timely financials, you’re steering the ship with a fogged-up windshield. That’s when fear sets in and bad decisions follow. When you know your net, you can reinvest wisely and fix leaks in your print business before they sink you.
And Don’t Forget Your People
None of this growth happens without your crew—the press operators, designers, installers, drivers, and account reps who turn chaos into clean, finished jobs every day.
Celebrate team wins publicly. Ask for feedback behind the scenes. Involve them in planning and growth goals. When the team feels the upside, they’ll push with you—not just for you.
Final Thought
These four levers aren’t theory. They’re the real-world plays successful print businesses are running every day:
- Consistently attract new customers
- Deepen relationships with existing ones
- Protect and increase your margins
- Acquire strategically when the timing is right
Do those four things well, and your print business won’t just survive—it’ll scale.
To learn more, check out our other blogs.
