Looking for a printing services broker business plan template? The Toolkit builds yours with your own numbers.
Consulting and marketing businesses are easy to start and hard to scale. When it is just you and a handful of clients, the revenue looks good. The moment you try to grow, the model that worked for one person stops working for a team.
This sample plan shows how a successful consulting or marketing firm structures itself for growth, including job margins, client concentration risk, and the systems that let you serve more clients without burning out.
See how Northfield Yard positions itself, prices its services, and plans for growth. Use our Business Plan Toolkit to map out your own firm.
Executive Summary
Northfield Yard is a total solution provider for printing related services and products such as office stationery, brochures, business forms, and marketing materials to Denver area businesses. It is a Colorado based, home business. Northfield Yard operated under the name of ePrint, Inc. for the past five years under the sole ownership of Adam Suson. In 1983 Adam joined his family owned Sir Speedy franchise which his father had founded in 1972. From 1983 to 1996 Adam managed scheduling, procurement, press operations, employees and customer service issues for Sir Speedy. When the family chose to sell the franchise several years ago, Adam became an independent printing consultant under the name of ePrint, Inc. The business adopted the name Northfield Yard last year because of a Colorado name registration conflict with ePrint, Inc. The name change does not affect the services offered or the clients served.
Financial highlights:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $468,000 | $547,000 | $629,000 |
| Gross margin | 27% | 28% | 28% |
| Net profit / (loss) | $51,700 | $38,300 | $55,100 |
Company Overview
Northfield Yard is a printing services broker operating in Denver, Colorado. The business has traded for five years, first as ePrint, Inc., and serves local businesses that want one reliable contact for all their printing rather than managing several print shops themselves.
Mission: To deliver consistent, high-quality service to every client, building long-term relationships based on trust and results.
Business objectives:
| Period | Target |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Establish the Northfield Yard name with existing clients, broaden the client base, stay profitable |
| Year 2 | Grow revenue by around 17 percent, expand service capacity, hire administrative support |
| Year 3 | Grow revenue to $629,000, target new customer segments, lift net profit to $55,100 |
Market & Customer Analysis
Industry context
Northfield Yard sources stationery, brochures and business forms from print suppliers and resells them to Denver businesses. Clients pay for one contact who picks the right supplier, checks proofs and chases delivery dates.
Most of the price goes to suppliers. Year-one direct costs of $341,600 are 73% of $468,000 revenue, a 27% gross margin. Because the business runs from home, rent and utilities are only $4,300 a year, so monthly fixed costs of $6,225 need about $23,000 of sales to break even. Average monthly sales of $39,000 sit about 69% above that.
Net profit falls from $51,700 (11% of revenue) in year one to $38,300 (7%) in year two. The reason is in the plan: salaries rise from $52,400 to $89,700 when administrative support is hired. A common rule of thumb is that no one client should provide more than about 30% of revenue; on year-one sales, that means keeping any single account under roughly $140,400.
Target customer profile
Northfield Yard's primary customers are businesses in the Denver, Colorado area that need office stationery, brochures, business forms and marketing materials from a single reliable source. These customers prioritise quality and reliability over lowest price and are willing to pay a moderate premium for consistent results.
Competitor analysis:
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Vistaprint | Established brand, wide market reach | Less personalised service, no local account management |
| FedEx Office | Strong national marketing presence | Self-service model, no dedicated account manager |
| Local quick-print shops | Competitive pricing on short runs | Limited range of print processes, limited specialist depth |
Northfield Yard's advantage: Specialist focus, personal service, and deep knowledge of the target customer segment are the primary competitive differentiators.
SWOT analysis:
| Positive | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Strengths: Founder with decades in commercial print; five years trading with existing clients; one contact for all print needs; low home-based overheads | Weaknesses: Limited recognition of the new name; thin 27% gross margin; reliance on the founder's capacity |
| External | Opportunities: Denver businesses wanting one print contact; new customer segments; referrals from existing clients | Threats: Online print services competing on price; rising supplier costs; economic conditions cutting print spend |
Sales & Marketing Plan
Northfield Yard reaches its target customers through a combination of digital marketing, referral programmes, and direct outreach. The primary acquisition channels are local search (Google Maps and organic SEO), word-of-mouth referral from satisfied clients, and targeted paid advertising on social media platforms where the target customer is active.
Pricing approach: Pricing is set at a modest premium to the local market average, reflecting the specialist quality and reliability of the service. All pricing is transparent and communicated clearly before work begins.
Sales process:
- Enquiry received by phone, email, or website contact form
- Initial consultation or discovery call completed within 24 hours
- Proposal or quote issued within 48 hours
- Contract or agreement signed; deposit collected where applicable
- Service delivered; follow-up contact made within one week of completion
Operating Plan
Northfield Yard operates from Denver, Colorado with a lean team focused on service delivery quality over volume. Standard operating procedures cover client onboarding, service delivery, quality review, and client communication.
Staffing plan:
| Role | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder / Print Broker | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Account managers / print estimators | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Administration / support | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Key suppliers and partnerships: Northfield Yard maintains relationships with a small number of trusted suppliers and subcontractors to ensure consistent service quality and the ability to manage periods of high demand.
Management Team
The founding team of Northfield Yard brings relevant industry experience and a clear understanding of the target market. The founder, Adam Suson, managed a family-owned Sir Speedy print franchise for 13 years before becoming an independent print broker and brings both technical expertise and commercial knowledge to the leadership of the organisation.
Hiring plan: As the business grows, the priority is to hire people who share the company's commitment to quality and client service. The business will promote from within where possible and invest in staff development to reduce turnover.
Financial Plan
3-year profit and loss projection:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $468,000 | $547,000 | $629,000 |
| Direct labour and contractor costs | $341,600 | $393,800 | $452,900 |
| Gross profit | $126,400 | $153,200 | $176,100 |
| Gross margin | 27% | 28% | 28% |
| Salaries and wages | $52,400 | $89,700 | $93,600 |
| Marketing and advertising | $6,800 | $7,900 | $8,600 |
| Rent and utilities | $4,300 | $4,500 | $4,700 |
| Other operating costs | $11,200 | $12,800 | $14,100 |
| Total operating expenses | $74,700 | $114,900 | $121,000 |
| Net profit / (loss) | $51,700 | $38,300 | $55,100 |
Break-even analysis:
- Estimated monthly fixed costs: $6,220
- Monthly revenue required to break even: $23,000
- Break-even is projected within the first year of trading.
Need your own printing services broker business plan? Click here for the printing services broker business plan template.