Login

u/rocketboss

r/3DPrintFarms r/3dprinter r/3DprintEntrepreneurs
▲ 0 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

5 Things that Every 3D Printing Business Forgets to Price

  • 15-25% in income taxes
  • 5-10% in Returns
  • The rent for the space. (Yes, even if you are using spare room in the house)
  • Your salary plus the salary of employees (If you don't have this priced in from the start then you can't grow)
  • The time you spend on customer support that has nothing to do with the making of the part.

There are tons of other things too. But these are the sneakier ones that nearly no one ever puts into the price of their products. You cost is not $0.50 of PLA

reddit.com
u/rocketboss — 6 hours ago
▲ 0 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

The Goal of Portals is to Get Good Products a Sale in 7 Days

We have been working really hard on our Portals marketplace. The main metric that we are working toward is a sale for good products within 7 days of the item being listed for sale on Portals.

https://preview.redd.it/7py5hnkwnmbh1.png?width=696&format=png&auto=webp&s=775763d87777e849c8b5b21d6078c5cbe9e58489

A good item is

  • Printable
  • Has product photos
  • Ideally has a clear use in the description

These are the main things you need.

Obviously the part has to be a printable file to be fulfilled by Portals.

The product photos are necessary in order to run ads and content for your listing to drive interested sellers to it. (You can also embed a youtube video which is even better)

The description again helps with search and understanding how to market your product.

Already we are sitting at about 50% of new portals getting their first sale in that time.

If you have used portals and see more ways to optimize them let us know.

For folks that are new, Portals a is a project we started to be an alternative to Etsy for 3D Printing businesses. You can upload a file and start selling 3D Prints in 30 seconds. When an order comes in Slant 3D will print the item and ship it to your customer (Flat rate shipping across portals for all orders $5)

3D printed products have so much more market that people realize and we are trying to get them the distribution they need without dooming designers to having to run a print farm on the weekends

reddit.com
u/rocketboss — 6 hours ago
▲ 28 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

3D Printed Clicker Business Earns $428K Per Year with 93K in Profit

She started with 3D Printed polymer earring cutters (2018). Expanded to laser cutting. And then refocused to 3D Printed Clickers.

  • 1500 order per month
  • $5-$30 dollars per item
  • 2 People working full time.
youtube.com
u/rocketboss — 20 hours ago
▲ 0 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

How to Start a 3D Printing Business For <$100

This is something really useful to run through even if you have more money to get started. It stretches you to see what you really need rather that just jumping in without any prep.

  • $100 dollars will not buy a printer?

That is wrong. You can find used printers on a Facebook marketplace and if you are cash strapped they can be great starter machines. If you are interested in really understanding how 3D Printing works, fixing a really old machine can be a great start. It might not print well but you can get some spare parts made for a landscaping company so you can prove out the business.

  • Do you need to print parts?

Why pay for a printer at all. Are you a designer? Why do you need to sell the prints. You can setup a patreon, thangs, makerworld, or portals store where all you need is the file in order to start earning. The trick with file sharing is committing to it for a long time as you build up subscribers. Selling prints of the files on Portals can get money faster.

  • Preorders are Fine?

If you are want to know if a project is good. Print one at a library on a free machine or have a buddy do it. And then take photos and create a site with a preorder from (You can build this free on lovable with no skills). Say you are backordered 3 weeks and if you get enough preorders then go ahead and buy a printer and use it to fulfill or use a service. Sell the thing honestly, but preorders are totally fine if you are "proving out an idea."

  • Go Drive Uber

If you have no money there are lots of ways to make money to buy a printer. Go drive uber. Mow the neighborhood lawns for $20 a pop. Save for a couple of months. If you want to start a business the first test is if you can find the simple stuff to start a business.

Just do it.

There are a million excuses not to start but most of them are BS. You can get around all of them. Printer are not expensive and services like Portals give you 1000 machines for free. Services like lovable, etsy, ebay, portals, and marketplace get you selling in seconds. And if you want to be in business you need to learn business to learn methods like preselling. And since 3D Printing is digital you don't even have to actually print the parts. Just make something good that other people want to print.

u/rocketboss — 5 days ago
▲ 0 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

How much have you Earned Selling 3D Prints on Portals

Hey All,

We are working hard to expand the Portals marketplace as fast as possible. Some sellers have been doing absolutely fantastic building 3D Printing businesses.

But I want to hear what people are trying to get going over there. And how it is going. How much have you earned in total on Portals.

Are you working to use licensed files or original? How are your driving customers to your Portals store. Why do you use Portals rather than Etsy?

Let me know. We will be pushing a lot of updates to Portals in the coming weeks.

u/rocketboss — 7 days ago
▲ 36 r/3DPrintFarms

Why Did You Create a Print Farm

For real curious how all of us came to this. What in your life happened that had you go full hog into building out a 3D Print Farm.

  • Grow your Business?
  • Expanding your Hobby?
  • Forced to?
  • Had no other options?
  • Molding was Expensive?
  • Wife said it was OK?
u/rocketboss — 19 days ago
▲ 1 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs+1 crossposts

What material do you use the most often

https://preview.redd.it/51tby7tsfg7h1.png?width=1348&format=png&auto=webp&s=80057afbdfb83f8f5f2c3bb17d54165691700090

Hey Guys

We run a 3D marketplace that handles fulfillment and shipping for printing designers. We currently offer nearly two dozen materials but are looking to continue adding more. What colors/materials do you use the most often?

Would love to hear what you need the most of.

reddit.com
u/rocketboss — 21 days ago
▲ 0 r/3DprintEntrepreneurs

LAUNCH!

If you are in the mode of constantly prototyping before starting your store. Stop it, And Launch!

Your product will not be perfect. And it probably won't sell. And what you customers think will not be what you think.

The only way to a successful product is through all of that. But the product has to exist. 80% good is infinitely better than not existing.

Launch your product today. The worst that can happen, people won't buy it. But then you have the feedback. Sitting in a hole and "preparing" is just an excuse to not engage with the actual customer.

"But I want the customers to have a good result." Show them what it is and present it honestly and the grown adults can make their own decision. Stop making the decision for them.

Go launch you product. Right now.

reddit.com
u/rocketboss — 2 months ago