Entrepreneurial Action and Uncertainty

Desktop Publishing

Entrepreneurial Action and Uncertainty

Business ideas and actions: Desktop publishing

Home-based desktop publishing software is increasingly popular as a way for individuals and small businesses to market themselves, create banners and advertisements, or send professional-looking greetings. My proposed desktop publishing software business is designed to satisfy this need. "Desktop publishing software can help you create a multitude of beautiful print projects, ranging from colorful and dazzling to serious and formal…if you are a small business owner, you can prepare and customize your own professional-looking business cards, company brochures, posters, letterhead stationery and much more" (Why desktop publishing software, 2012, Top Ten Reviews). By creating my own independent business, I could empower other independent organizations not to rely on expensive print shops and would offer a lower-cost, downloadable alternative to the costly software already on the market. For owners who wished to outsource their printing, I would offer customized design services as well, as a price lower than brick-and-mortar print shops.

It is far more effective, cost-wise and often time-wise, to use a desktop publisher. "Desktop publishing is simply creating WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) page layouts on the computer. Frequently, this business is started by one person as a freelance part-time profession. As word spreads around and a client base is built up, the artist has the option of making this a full time occupation and hiring others to assist" (Desktop publishing, 2012, Art Jobs). Purchasing desktop software enables individuals to have a consistent product on hand for all their immediate printing needs.

Desktop software can be offered on a website via downloads, reducing the cost both to myself as an entrepreneur setting up shop and to my clients. Initial expenses would involve the setup of the website and the expense of designing a site that was both secure and professional. A clear, easily-navigated website would be a must: "Does your Web site describe your product or service in a succinct, compelling and visual fashion? Does it answer potential customers' needs in, say, less than 10 seconds?" (Hauser 2007). A good website, particularly a website designed to market an 'aesthetically pleasing' product like desktop software is particularly essential. Customers want an idea of the final, visual display of the products they produce will resemble.

In terms of the receptivity of the market, not all of the available data is promising for my business option. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does note that "employment of desktop publishers is projected to decline by 15% from 2010 to 2020. Employment will decline rapidly as other types of workers increasingly do desktop publishing tasks and as fewer print publications are developed" (Desktop publishing, 2012, Art Jobs). But I believe that is only because current publishers are not meeting consumer needs in terms of prices and services offered. By employing a purely downloadable model I can keep costs low for consumers. As well as offering my own services as a designer, I will also offer programs for users to DIY.

Beginning as a small entrepreneur in the field will allow me to offer customized services to my clients, designing software packages that will meet their needs in a unique fashion. I will be able to offer customers services and advice based upon their particular business or personal needs, rather than generic, cookie-cutter packages. This will allow them to save money by only selecting what they really need.

I also think that the need for good desktop publishing programs is unlikely to decline, given that the 'visual' component of modern business and personal life is growing increasingly important. Because of the Internet, people are more visually than verbally stimulated. There is a demand for the appearance of quality and beauty with all printed and online products, fostered by the popularity of website like Pinterest, which showcases creative crafts, photographs, and other visuals. Whether they are designing a Christmas card or a graphic design that will be the flagship image of their business, people want their products to look professional and stand out.

Another component of my service would be the fact that customers would have access to a 'help line' if they needed assistance in assembling anything from a booklet to a flyer to a complex project. In today's competitive marketplace, it is essential to offer something special and very often people are daunted by the seemingly overwhelming options out there: they wish to create something personalized themselves, but need to know where to begin. My services will be more personalized than the generic 'help' offered by large companies like Adobe. In addition to free assistance in using the software and generating ideas, I would also offer more extensive support packages for pay that would involve everything from editing the customer's work to actually designing the materials myself.

An entrepreneur in any field must be careful not to expand faster than is warranted, which can result in exorbitant costs, overshooting demand, and an overall decline in quality of the core product. In general, three markets exist for desktop publishing in terms of content: "general publications and graphics (newsletters, magazines, brochures, small booklets, posters, and flyers)…long, multi-chapter documents (books, journals, academic publications, and manuals);…publications with tabular material (scientific publications, technical and statistical publications, and data- intensive publications)" (Changon 2002). After doing market research to discover what was the most in-demand type of software, either because of popularity or an unfulfilled market niche, I would begin with a focus in one of these areas, gradually expanding if my initial success warranted it.

A clear advantage of my entrepreneurial endeavor in desktop publishing is that it would be relatively low-risk. Unlike a restaurant, it does not require a large investment in renting or owning a building. Although the ups and downs of the economy will affect any business, it will not be impacted to a great extent by weather, perishable inventory, labor strikes or other problems that beset some new businesses. The need to hire employees will be minimal: at the beginning, I can do the work myself, then gradually expanding to hire more workers to take and process order and engage in customer assistance. To create software may require hiring people with whom I need to collaborate to realize my vision, but I could hire independent contractors rather than fulltime workers whom I would have to pay benefits. A virtual storefront, versus a brick-and-mortar store, is relatively easy to maintain, even if I do employ someone from the outside to 'maintain' my website.