Start A Packaging Design Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Start A Packaging Design Business

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Packaging design is an integral aspect of the manufacturing and supply chain industries. Manufacturers and those in the supply chain want to ensure they get the product packaging right, or else poor packaging might affect their business.

Take advantage of the high demand for innovative packaging designers and start your own packaging design business. Your target customers will be brands seeking an innovative and interesting way to stand out and create an amazing customer experience through unique packaging.

Starting a packaging design business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell packaging design services, or selling packaging design services online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$917B
starting costs
$11.7K
gross margin
90%
time to build
210 days
growth
Word of mouth

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Employee & Freelancer Expenses

$150

$250

Website Costs

$223

$7,015

Business Formation Fees

$600

$4,700

Software Expenses

$162

$2,894

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$1,400

Total Startup Costs

$1,135

$23,259

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Packaging of the World

packagingoftheworld.com

45,609

Packhelp

packhelp.com

71,088

PACKAGING DIGEST

packagingdigest.com

129,505

Flexible Packaging Products & Services and Supply Chain Services

industrialpackaging.com

161,182

Packaging Solutions to Drive Your Business Growth

westrock.com

163,124

Landor and Fitch

landor.com

177,463

Buyboxes

buyboxes.com

200,753

Custom Boxes, Create your own Packaging

packwire.com

213,128

Sttark

sttark.com

215,060

ThePackagingCompany

thepackagingcompany.us

280,497

Refine Packaging

refinepackaging.com

280,842

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a packaging design business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 62 to 23,259.

Rewarding work

Starting a packaging design business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

No overhead costs

To get your packaging design business started, there are no costs associated with overhead, storage, packaging, etc. This will save you a lot of time and money!

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your packaging design business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Longer Sales Process

A packaging design business can be a big time and money investment for your customer, so it's important you plan and predict a longer conversion funnel and stay in communication with potential customers.

Work can be inconsistent

As a packaging design business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have.

Lack of benefits

With a packaging design business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Isolation

Often times, as a packaging design business, you typically work alone and do not have much face-to-face interaction with other team members.

Taxes

As a packaging design business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

Marketing Ideas

  • 1

    Affiliate Program

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream, especially when you don't sell products or services.

    Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

    The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

    Learn more about affiliate program ➜

  • 2

    Direct Sales

    Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

    For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

    Learn more about direct sales ➜

  • 3

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

    Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

    According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

    Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

    Learn more about word of mouth ➜