A printer and several CDs: this is all one needs to start a business with presentation CDs for firms. Though in Romania this activity is considered just a related service provided by web-design firms, people creating presentation CDs are confident their popularity will increase in the following years.
"The idea of starting this business came to me when I discovered, on the Internet, foreign firms that provided this type of service, firms that also explained the need to have presentation CDs and their benefits compared with other promotion methods," recalls Sorin Murar, manager of Impact Design, Alba Iulia, who was 35 when he decided to start this business.
Initial investments amounted to 800 euros and were used to acquire the necessary software for the creation of CDs and an office printer able to print on the surface of CDs. "The respective printer can only fulfil orders of 100-200 pieces; it is not competitive for bigger orders. We tried to limit initial investments until we could be certain this type of business would have a future on the Romanian market, as well (...)," explains Murar.
Impact Design is mainly a provider of advertising graphic design and photography services, and also offers presentation CDs.
Tariffs for the creation of a presentation CD largely depend on complexity, customer requirements or the volume of data. The company receives around 305 orders per month for presentation CDs, but generally from customers asking for other services, as well.
For the time being, Romanian customers prefer the classical promotion methods, and are still reluctant to using presentation CDs. Murar believes this type of business is profitable provided that one should also offer additional advertising services and have a highly-skilled marketing employee able to explain the advantages of this promotion method.
Dan Teodorescu from Digital Image thought of opening such a business in his second year in college. Thus, he conducted a market survey to gauge competition on this market, set a budget for the acquisition of equipment and to sustain the business for some time, until it turned profitable.
Initial investments stood at 5,000 euros, entirely used for the acquisition of equipment allowing the business to operate in line with the quality standards it had set for itself.
Digital Image analyses each customer's multimedia promotion needs and draws up an integrated presentation it registers on CDs, mini-CDs or business cards. Estimated 2006 turnover stood at 30,000 euros, higher than in 2005. Teodorescu projects 30-40% turnover growth for this year.
He says he is confident in the future of this type of services, given the upward trend of demand he has noticed on this segment lately.
Presentation CDs
A printer and several CDs, this is all one needs to start such a business
Though the activity is still regarded as a related service provided by web-design firms, people creating presentation CDs are confident their popularity will increase in the next years
Initial investments range between 800 and 5,000 euros, needed for the acquisition of necessary equipment
Romanian customers still prefer classical promotion methods to presentation CDs
Pentru alte știri, analize, articole și informații din business în timp real urmărește Ziarul Financiar pe WhatsApp Channels
