Laser Business Earning Potential

What is your laser business earning potential? Can you possibly earn $100K/year in your own laser cutting and engraving business? This video will walk you through a couple of thought experiments to determine your own ability to hit the big time in your laser business. Join me to find out the three key concepts you need to understand to maximize your earnings as a laser cutting and engraving specialty.
►►►► SOCIAL MEDIA
• Channel Membership ➭ / @stevemakeseverything
• Instagram ➭ @slicedpidesign
• Facebook ➭ / slicedpidesign
• my business site ➭ www.slicedpi.design
• my Etsy store ➭ www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SlicedPi...
• email ➭ [e-mail] (business inquiries)
►►►► SAVE MONEY NOW! (I may earn commissions)
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►►►► VIDEO CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction
1:06 What are you selling?
5:26 Who is your customer?
9:09 Where will you sell?
10:53 Final Tips
FTC Legal Disclaimer - Some links found in the description box of my videos may be affiliate links, meaning I will make a commission on sales you make through my link. This is at no extra cost to you to use my links/codes, it's just one more way to support me and my channel.
►►►► MY MAKER SPACE
Laser/Vinyl Cutters
Full Spectrum Laser Muse 3D
Circuit Maker 3: amzn.to/3hEsjC5
3D Printers
Sliced-Pi ]|[ CoreXY (self-designed)
Sliced-Pi ][ CoreXY - self-designed
Prusa I3Mk3 with MMU 2
Creality CR-10 (massively upgraded)
Creality Ender 3 V2 (New!) amzn.to/34wuUeg
AnyCubic Photon S SLA Resin Printer amzn.to/3wtSVvo
CNC Router
Genmitsu 3018 Pro amzn.to/3vgAeLb
►►►► SOFTWARE I USE
DaVinci Resolve 17 www.blackmagicdesign.com
Autocad Fusion 360 www.autodesk.com/products/fus...
Inkscape inkscape.org
Gimp gimp.org
All Music and Sound Effects provide under license from AudioHero www.audiohero.com
#stevemakeseverything #laserengraver #laserengraving #laserengravingmachine #laserbusiness #lasercutting #laserprojects #fullspectrumlaser #muse3d

[@jeffmorgan4857]

Steve, I’d like to offer you a heartfelt thank you for your tips. You have helped me so much. Awesome content!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I’m just happy to help

[@duckmcnutty]

Excellent! You have made a wonder series of videos on starting a small business (not just a laser business). Very organized and easy to follow. Thanks so much for your efforts!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Most of this things in this video will apply to any small business regardless of the product(s)

[@Bakerfamilyvideos]

Thanks for the video! I don't understand how making a couple dollars from something is worth someone's time when they have to engrave ,pack ,and ship it.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Exactly!

[@jeffspencer6974]

Valuable information that should be mandatory viewing for anybody trying to make money with their laser. Over the last couple of years I've seen hundreds, maybe thousands of hobbyists trying to break into the business, and their business plan is to survey Etsy and undercut the prices they see. No focus on costs whatsoever. As a result this industry, with exception of a very few, examples has become a race to the bottom in terms of profit.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Well if you’ve seen my Etsy store it is pretty scant. Custom work is more gainful for me than trying to complete with hundreds of people selling coasters

[@aprilbell7848]

I'm just starting and find your videos very helpful. Acquiring more knowledge

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Hopefully these are useful. As always, if there are subjects/projects that would be helpful for you, just let me know either in a video comment or email. I'd rather focus on videos (like this one) where viewers have asked for information.

[@olafb.2929]

You explained really well the basics of doing business!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

May it help you in your own business😁

[@aaronanthonymoat]

Thanks for the video, much appreciated. Thanks

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Glad it was helpful!

[@VINAYVS1991]

That was a real good video 👌👏. Many thanks for this one. 🙇

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Happy it was useful

[@shoot2killfilms]

Thanks for the great videos and for sharing your knowledge

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Happy to help

[@jessieferriol]

Very clear explanation, thanks

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Glad it was helpful

[@grim789]

Thanks for being real with this no hype straight business. I'm going to be making things and trying to start my business really helps me out.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Glad you’re finding helpful

[@stuartwalsh4974]

Hi Steve, love the channel, many thanks... can you show some examples of the signs you make, please

[@SteveMakesEverything]

I’ve posted a few both in videos and on my instagram account, though I don’t take photos of most of them. I try to avoid cross-pollinating my own business with my KZbin channel though as a general rule.

[@retrogazele]

Go for the businesses.. they have the cash and need alot of orders . Make alot of sample. Even free samples with their logo on and show them to them . Hotels . Restaurants . Souvenir shops . Real estate .

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Yep, I encourage people to do this because the margins are higher.

[@davidgruty]

Nice content and nice idea with the cutting board and the realtors Looking for cutting boards i found 100 pieces for less than 400 euros... With laser engraving... Tough competition

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Yes, if you just want a cutting board that there is no way to to compete these on price, so you need to compete on materials, quality, and other aspects.

[@whynotcnc8828]

thanks

[@SteveMakesEverything]

You're welcome!

[@yesic2288]

Where do you recommend buying acrylic from?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

It really depends where you live. In Canada I use www.engraving-supplies.ca (Trotec) or PlasticWorld since both have great service and prices. If you are in the US then there should be many more options (other than Amazon I mean). I usually buy 2x4' sheets since that's the best price break and then I cut it in my shop

[@jeremywilliams8892]

I have a machine literally heading into port. I can’t wait to start. 100W.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Nice! You'll enjoy the extra power. I'm currently working on a second 90W laser of my own design.

[@lylebrown6132]

Besides online sales and word of mouth how would someone make other sales if they don't have a KZbin channel? Also how do you get companies to let you try their lasers?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Word of mouth is a powerful tool and is most of my business, but I’ve also done google ad campaigns that have returned sales. As far as companies providing lasers for testing, once you have a KZbin channel with a couple thousand subscribers, companies start reaching out. I turn down a lot of them because their lasers aren’t great quality or are just a bit boring. I only review things that I think viewers will value because I don’t want to turn into a permanent review channel.

[@jakecivis7402]

The more makers in a market the less earning potential.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Arguably true, though there is so much business both local and global that saturating this market would be tough. Most of my customers enjoy the to attention to detail and the feeling of a partnership in their goal rather than a large company whose real product is revenue. In the end success is driven by your desire to be successful. If you buy a laser and wait for people to arrive, you will fail, but for those who make the effort and find business, success follows.

[@betobeto7903]

Great vedio! Thanks! Question, looing for a good quailty laser, a little on the higher end. What wouldyou rocommend?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Well I of course love my Muse, and the Glowforge is a great entry level machine. But if you want something larger then look at the FSL pro series, Boss, Thunder etc. There are many lasers in the >$6K range. If you have a larger budget look at Trotec or Epilog

[@ToddMoore1]

Get a Chinese laser from Alibaba. Get what you want!

[@SteveMakesEverything]

@@ToddMoore1 Chinese lasers can be fine if you buy on the higher end. The cheap K40s tend to use very cheap parts and will inevitably need maintenance.

[@ToddMoore1]

@@SteveMakesEverything yeah gotta get something good, not a k40

[@SteveMakesEverything]

@@ToddMoore1 Agreed, there definitely great lasers coming out of China, but the $400 eBay specials are not them 😀

[@Oldmonstrosityshop]

I’d sell on Etsy for the hand made market and on eBay purely for the marketplace audience. It’s the largest marketplace in the world

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Anywhere you can sell and make money is the best place to sell 😁

[@3DJapan]

I had an idea, that I haven't tested out yet. Make a coaster, tile, slate, cork, whatever, with the logo of a local restaurant or bar. Give it to them for free and say "if you want more here's my contact info and what they will cost." I actually have one I just made and plan to bring it to a bar tomorrow.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Yes, this is how you need to think. It hurts to give things away, but you’re trying to capture a market and that requires a bit of overhead and good will. This is how I won a contract to make lamacoid signs for a solar company. I just created a handful of them and handed them over saying “there’s more where these came from”

[@3DJapan]

@@SteveMakesEverything Doesn't hurt too bad. The tile is like, less than 50 cents with the cork bottom and maybe half an hour of my time.

[@weilam03]

Man I only need to make 6k a month to quit my job and do this full time. All I have is a k40 that I haven't even fired up yet. Hoping I can make a few extra bucks right now to see if this could work for me long term When you're talking signs for 100$ how big of a sign are you talking about?

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Note that I chose $100K/year only because it's a lofty goal and a nice round number. Choose your own realistic goal and strive to achieve, but just realize that money doesn't fall from the sky. This takes work.😀 Certainly the signs you can make on even a small K40 can make this kind of money. Keep in mind that a Muse laser or Glowforge have only about 12x22" workspaces, so signs are no bigger than that. Honestly though I'm currently building a 24x36" laser (more details coming) because I'm being asked more often to make bigger things and I hate to turn business away. Custom work is a different environment the volume business. It's hard to get the business but once you build relationships, customers will keep coming back for other things.

[@weilam03]

@@SteveMakesEverything awesome, can't wait to see your Godzilla laser once it's built your videos are great and gives others inspiration. Thanks for sharing your experience

[@SteveMakesEverything]

@@weilam03 I'd have my laser running already but UPS appears to have lost my laser tube so I'm waiting for a replacement

[@Sam11747]

@@weilam03 Any update on quitting your job?

[@weilam03]

@@Sam11747 im averaging about 2k a month doing it part time. i made a lot of mistakes and at the moment cant put all of my time into(i look after my nephew from tues-thurs after work)it but as a side gig its decent money. definitely made my life better. i got a sculpfun s6pro to go with my k40 since my last post here. i also got into 3d printing. goodluck on your journey 🙏👍

[@3DJapan]

37,000 Keychains means making roughly 100 per day.

[@SteveMakesEverything]

Indeed. You can certainly make a 100 pretty quickly though. Still it’s a terrible way to try to make a living

[@3DJapan]

@@SteveMakesEverything Yeah, you'd be doing nothing but making Keychains all day, every day.