Around 1 in 4 Americans use a side hustle to build more savings, take a vacation, or build a budget for a big purchase like a car or down payment. When you think about it, many large-scale businesses start from a simple hobby.
Laser engraving is much the same. You might start out trying to engrave a cutting board that says “Welcome Home” as a wedding gift for a friend, it can, over time, develop into a small side business, especially during seasonal gifting periods.
There’s a lot of demand for personalization. The trouble is, how do you get started with running a laser engraving machine side hustle? Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect, as well as what devices from Mecpow will help you build a solid business foundation.
Why Laser Engraving Is a Low-Barrier Side Hustle
The difference between laser engraving as a side hustle and drop shipping or running a resale project is that you don’t need massive inventories in your garage or expensive molds to get started.
As long as you have access to easy-to-source blank materials and a little space at your kitchen table, you can customize products whenever an order is received.
What Types of Personalized Products Sell Well?
A laser engraver helps you personalize over 300 different types of materials. The growth potential is pretty expansive when you think about:
- Party favors and place settings for weddings
- Family name signs gifted to people during the holidays
- Cutting boards with family initials and “established” dates
- Drink coasters with 4th of July or New Year’s themes
- Leather keychains, pet tags, and mobile device accessories
Everything from Christmas ornaments to custom tumblers and awards are possible. You can base your business around a niche or provide a general personalization service. That versatility is great when you’re just starting and trying to find your audience.
Who Is This Business Model Best Suited For?
Using a Mecpow laser engraver is extremely beginner-friendly. You can build a side hustle with nothing more than a machine and a decent social media profile. That opens the doors to new income from stay-at-home parents, teachers needing summer income, students, retirees, makers and crafters, Etsy shop owners, and so much more.
How Much Can You Really Earn with a Laser Engraving Side Hustle?
The truth is that there isn’t a single universal income expectation for a laser engraver side hustle. You might find greater success creating custom baby memory boxes one year, then flip to personalized photo albums the next.
You’ll need to balance what you create with the marketing and distribution channels that target certain buyers. The more you practice, the more refined and repeatable your design becomes. That will help lower material waste and generate new referral business.
Document your progress on a new TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat account, may help you build visibility and early audience interest over time. People love watching the process as much as getting the product.
Stage 1: Getting Started with Equipment and Workspace Setup
The first step you’ll need to take is to have the right equipment and setting in your home.
Choosing Your First Laser Engraver: Why the Mecpow M1 Is a Great Starting Point
The Mecpow laser engraver M1 is designed for beginners and accessibility. It offers a versatile setting with a 3.5W or 5W diode laser as well as the option to use a 1.2W infrared laser. The device has an enclosed design to create a safer side-hustle environment, and simplified instructions that will allow you to test new designs across over 300 different materials.
The M1 is also easy to carry and portable. That way, if you want to attend a craft fair and increase exposure for your business, you won't need a truck trailer to carry all your goods.
Essential Home Workshop Setup and Workspace Requirements
The Mecpow M1 is pretty much ready to use out of the box. Your dedicated side hustle workshop doesn’t need a massive footprint. Start with a solid, flat surface like a kitchen table or living room workbench. Make sure there is good lighting and ventilation. You will need an outlet, but otherwise, you should be all set with a smaller work area as you get those first orders.
Software and Essential Accessories to Prepare
MKSLaser is the proprietary app for Mecpow that will cover most of your design needs, but you can always play around with LightBurn and LaserGRBL to see what suits you best. The M1 is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux and can be used offline or through Wi-Fi.
As for accessories, you don’t need much to start, but start to think longer term in your business budget for items like:
- Honeycomb work surface
- Air assist (if compatible)
- Material clamps
- Measuring tools
- Digital calipers
- Masking materials
- Cleaning supplies
- Quality blanks for testing
Stage 2: Turning Projects into Sellable Products
Start small and experiment often. Go to your friends and family and ask them what they’d like. Not only will that help you figure out what you want to explore in terms of materials and products, but you’ll also have someone walking around talking about what you gave them for word-of-mouth marketing.
Finding Profitable Niches
Be open to anything. A good way to figure out what sells well in your area is to browse Facebook Marketplace or attend local community events with booths. A long line at a pet food display or around an outdoor company will tell you if you should focus on camping accessories and pet tags to start.
Holidays, realtor gifts, wedding coasters, and so much more. Just have fun with it first until you find traction in one niche or another.
Pricing Your Products Realistically
While you’re exploring which products to make, consider the price points at which they’ll be sold. Compare that value to the cost of your:
- Materials
- Machine wear
- Electricity
- Packaging
- Shipping supplies
- Design time
- Customer communication
- Marketing expenses
- Equipment maintenance
You’re trying to find an income level that supports the time you have. That will help support long-term growth with every new sale.
Building a Repeatable Production Workflow
As more orders come in, create a logo and business name. You don’t need a website at first, but a decent social media account is a good idea. The goal is to create a repeatable workflow where orders come in, materials are selected, designs are made and shipped, and you get paid.
Stage 3: Scaling Your Business as Orders Grow
There will be a point where the order volume is too much to handle on your own. You can hire an assistant and purchase a second laser engraving machine, or learn to batch orders. This means grouping certain orders together so you reduce material changes, machine adjustments, and packaging time.
Mecpow P50: Building a Cleaner and Safer Production Environment
When you start working with diverse materials or larger quantities of items, you’ll want to maintain a safe workspace. Clearing all debris and materials between jobs helps, as does a well-ventilated space, but upgrading to the Mecpow P50 should be on your business horizon.
The Mecpow P50 Fume Extractor uses 50W of suction power and a 3-layer filtration system to eliminate 99.97% of smoke and airborne particles. It has a low noise rating of under 55dB, meaning you can start your side hustle early, when the kids are still sleeping, or late at night, when the neighborhood is cooling down.
Maintaining Consistent Output Quality Over Time
The most important thing to remember with your laser engraving side hustle is quality over quantity. Customers will want personalization for items that last, so be sure to keep your output as good as possible by using well-inspected materials and easy-to-confirm designs that etch and engrave clearly into your products.
Common Mistakes New Laser Engraving Businesses Should Avoid
Building a business of any size is a trial-and-error situation. You can read as much advice as possible, but you will only truly get the hang of it when you start making new products. Some easy errors to avoid include:
- Don’t purchase too much inventory when you’re starting out. You want to keep a balanced budget.
- Be aware of any local rules about running a business out of your home, including tax implications after you make $500 to $1,000 a year.
- Try to compete on quality, brand, and memory-inspired nostalgia. Not just price.
- Always keep your laser engraving machine well-maintained and clean.
- You don’t have to accept every custom request just because it’s profitable. It’s your business after all.
- Never skip quality control or underestimate the pricing of shipping and packaging.
Try to get a smooth workflow as soon as possible. Having a system is how you scale. That way, when the bigger orders come in, you’ll have the infrastructure in place to reduce stress and keep your side hustle fun.
Build One Laser Engraving Project into Something Bigger
Everyone could use a little extra income now and then. Building a side hustle from a hobby is easier with an accessible, portable, and safe laser engraver like the Mecpow M1. Take your time to experiment with different designs and pay attention to what sells well to stay profitable. Over time, you may be able to turn this hobby into a repeatable business.
FAQs
Do I need graphic design experience before starting a laser engraving business?
No, many beginner sellers use text-based designs with custom family names, dates, map coordinates, city names, destinations, holidays, and more.
Which materials are usually the most beginner-friendly to engrave?
Natural woods, leather, cork, cardboard, and slate are all easy to find near most locations and cost-effective to source.
Should I create products before opening an online shop?
Yes. Have a small collection of options focused on 2-3 niches to see which draws the most interest. You can make it a fun social media experiment by asking even a small follower base of 50-100 people what they'd like you to design next.
How important are customer reviews for a new engraving business?
Customer reviews are the lifeblood of any online-oriented business. The more your customers appreciate your product and service, the faster you’ll scale.
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