A bookbinding business (or bookbindery) binds books together. Rates are generally based on the size of the book. Even though physical book sales have been a little uneven for the past several years, there’s no reason to fear they’re going away anytime soon. Bookbinders have a unique opportunity to create more book buyers by using their creative visions to keep the public interested in having books on more than just their phone or e-reader.
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Start a bookbinding business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Bookbinding Business
- Form your Bookbinding Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Bookbinding Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Bookbinding Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Bookbinding Business
- Get Bookbinding Business Insurance
- Define your Bookbinding Business Brand
- Create your Bookbinding Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your bookbinding business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Bookbinding Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a bookbinding business?
If you’re starting this as a hobby, you won’t need many supplies. Glue, leather, paper, and quality cardboard may cost you less than $200 just to get started. However, if you want to expand your business, then bookbinding equipment can get expensive. An industrial paper folder may cost up to $5,000 while a professional binder can cost up to $10,000. These products can certainly help you tackle the larger jobs, but they may limit the personality and character you can inject into binding.
If you choose to have your own shop, you’ll need to pay for the rental costs, and any employees you may hire. You’ll also need a Certificate of Occupancy with a brick-and-mortar store, with rates fluctuating depending on the neighborhood in which you open.
What are the ongoing expenses for a bookbinding business?
Ongoing expenses can be low for the smart business owner:
- Equipment maintenance
- Rental costs
- Permit costs
- Ongoing supplies (paper, glue, etc.)
Who is the target market?
The best client is a publisher who will contract you for all their new projects. Beyond this, you’re looking for someone who loves the concepts and designs you’ve already made. Normally customers will tell bookbinders specifically what they want their covers to look like, but some may treat the experience as a collaboration rather than a one-sided exchange. You want people who value what you do, and who care their book’s aesthetic value.
How does a bookbinding business make money?
Bookbinders make money by setting a price for their services that covers the cost of equipment, rental space, and materials used to make the book. Generally, bookbinders will charge more for color photos than they will for standard black-and-white print.
How much can you charge customers?
Ultimately, this depends on the materials you use, but authors and publishers will generally invest to make sure their books appeal to their customers. One major bookbinder charges about $14 for a 200-page, black-and-white book with 5 color pages. You will need to set your own prices based on your own process.
How much profit can a bookbinding business make?
Profit is based on the margins you set. If you sell 100 journals in a month at $30 with a $21 profit margin, you’d make about $2,000 a month. If you’re able to bind all of the books for even one mass printing in a year, you could make profits well into the 6 figures.
How can you make your business more profitable?
There are plenty of other services you can consider offering, such as book refurbishing or repairs. Once you understand the nature of binding, glue, and materials the book is made of, you can restore practically anything. This can ultimately expand your services to more people who want to preserve family heirlooms or who collect old books for fun.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your bookbinding business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your bookbinding business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a bookbinding business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
For more information about local licenses and permits:
- Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Service Agreement
Bookbinding businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.
Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your bookbinding business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.
Certificate of Occupancy
A bookbinding business is generally run out of a workshop. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a location:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a bookbinding business.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a location:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your bookbinding business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Bookbinding Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Bookbinding Business.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a bookbinding business
Bookbinders of the past would generally apprentice under an expert before using that experience to branch out on their own. Today though, people often sell their creations through art sites like Etsy to get started. You may also want to use social media to advertise, since what you’re is highly visual. Set up Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages to show off your latest designs. Ask your customers to share what they’ve done with your books, and start a conversation about the stories and memories you’re helping to preserve.
How to keep customers coming back
Most bookbinders attract people by doing something different, especially considering the established bookbinders already have many of the mass-produced books. Instead of standard bookbinding, put your own vision into whatever you happen to be making. Stay as flexible as possible and experiment whenever you can to see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll expand the number of people who want to use your services based on your ability to get the job done.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
This business is good for someone who has connections in the publishing world, and who has experience in what it takes to provide quality bookbinding services. Anyone thinking of trying bookbinding should be good with their hands, as it can end up being a very manual process.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a bookbinding business?
Bookbinding owners may have the following to-do list on an average day:
- Buying materials
- Creating designs
- Networking/finding new clients
- Selling blank books
- Binding books
- Teaching employees the process
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful bookbinding business?
Those getting into this business should be a mix of both creative and logical thinkers. For bindings to be uniform in quality, you’ll need a certain amount of precision and accuracy. But it also takes a free thinker to come up with new designs that will entice a buyer to want to buy the object in their hands. You need to be known as both reliable and helpful before you start to make it is bookbinding.
What is the growth potential for a bookbinding business?
In 2014, the physical book sales of Brazil doubled, even while other countries were struggling. The book world can be volatile, but it often only takes one book that can’t be put on a Kindle (think: a complicated cookbook or a photography coffee table book) to spark interest in the public. Plus, some people will always want a hard copy of a book, so they don’t have to worry about their machinery failing to provide a satisfying reading experience. The growth potential is definitely there for those devoted to the field.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a bookbinding business?
Trends will teach a lot about where your business is headed. Customers are always looking for something new and different to catch their eyes. Whether it’s a book cover that’s covered in fur, says hello to the reader when they pick it up, or just made of incredibly soft leather, there are ways to make physical books stand out to people. When possible, recommend ways for your customers to stand out on shelves based on your own experience. Whether you have people making books for a million people or just one loved one, it never hurts to go the extra mile.
You may also want to start your business with blank books, like journals or sketchbooks. This not only ensures you have plenty of samples to show potential clients, but also gives you a chance to entice other kinds of clients (e.g., authors) while still making money. Or you can market yourself in a specialized area, such as turning people’s Facebook history into a custom book.
How and when to build a team
You should probably start off your business without any employees, potentially even on a part-time basis. Once you know you have a steady base of clients, you can start building a team.