Start a mobile printer and copier supply and service business

Small offices, schools, surgeries, estate agents, solicitors and other local businesses that rely on printing but have no IT team.

Call-out and repair charges, machine sales or rentals, toner and parts sales, and monthly service contracts that give repeat income.

• Practical, comfortable with taking machines apart
• Basic networking and printer set-up
• Customer service and quick response
• Quoting and invoicing

• Public liability insurance, and check whether you need cover for the equipment you sell or fit
• Rules on disposing of old electrical machines and used toner cartridges (WEEE and waste rules), check with your council or the Environment Agency equivalent
• Copiers can store client documents on hard drives, so check your data protection (UK GDPR) duties
• Heavy lifting, plan how you will move large machines safely
• Some brands restrict who can service or sell their machines, check dealer agreements

Estimated startup costs are typically around £2,000 to £9,000, depending on your tools, parts and toner stock, transport, and whether you buy machines to resell. Treat this as an estimate and build your own budget before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £1,200 to £5,500, depending on how many clients you win, whether you hold service contracts, and how much toner and machine selling you add. This is revenue before your costs, not profit.

Check public liability insurance and whether you need cover for equipment you sell or fit. Also check WEEE and waste rules for old machines and toner cartridges, UK GDPR duties because copiers can store documents, and any brand dealer agreements.