Going Green: Running an Ink Cartridge Refill Business

Business Overview:

For a unique business idea, consider starting an ink cartridge refill business—it’s not only environmentally friendly, it’s also lucrative and scalable. The premise of the trade is simple and inexpensive to begin. You collect empty ink cartridges for printers and refill the spent ink with the appropriate type ink that you buy in bulk. When you sell it to your customers, you have the luxury of telling them that they are getting just as fine an ink cartridge as if it were new and they’re helping to save our landfills from more tech-trash. What’s also great about this business idea is that you essentially become an expert at the craft—you will be able to guide your customers to buying the right product for their needs and you’ll be saving them money to boot. With printers as ubiquitous as they are these days, this is an invaluable trade to learn and you can do it in your spare time or you can do it full time. You might also decide to teach others the craft and have them refilling and delivering cartridges while you work on marketing your business and building it to include online and even brick-and-mortar sales. No matter if you’re just skimming the surface or diving in well-deep, the ink cartridge refilling business is a sound and promising online business idea to explore.

A Day in the Life of an Ink Cartridge Refilling Business Owner:

Many owners of this type of business choose to dedicate a set time to refilling cartridges each day so that they free up the rest of their day for marketing, deliveries, or perhaps nothing at all. To follow suit, you will want to ensure you fill enough cartridges each day to build a solid inventory and you will want to fill any customer orders you might already have. If you choose to deliver your sold cartridges, you will want to set aside time to make your daily deliveries. At the end of your day, you will want to take stock of your inventory, review your finances, and prepare for any new orders that come in. Depending on the size of your business, these activities will take a few short hours or they might be a multi-person, day-long event.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be inkjet printer owners who are looking for replacement cartridges for their machines. Perhaps they will use your business because they appreciate the environmentally sound approach, or perhaps they just want to save money over the retail cost of cartridges. Either way, you can ensure lifelong customers by filling their orders promptly and providing excellent customer service.

What You Need to Start:

• A primer on how to refill printer cartridges
• A supply of wholesale printer cartridge ink of varying types
• A business license (if required in your area)
• Receipts and a return policy for your customers
• Marketing techniques and/or a website or storefront
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• This business can be run exclusively from your home or it can be run from a retail store.
• You can work as little or as much as you desire.
• You can easily and quickly employ others to work for you.
• It’s a trade you can feel proud of knowing.
• It is doing a small part to help the environment.

The Bad:

• You’ll have to advertise your service otherwise customers might just buy from their usual retail store.
• You might have to convince your customers that the products you sell are just as good as their brand-new counterparts.

Resources:

• National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers
• United Kingdom Cartridge Recyclers Association
• Wikipedia on Ink Cartridges

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