Are you looking for a side business that can make money? Were you ever thought of trying to sell customised items to make a profit for yourself? Various customised products, such as rings, greeting cards, clothes, and more, are popular nowadays. The following section will teach you how to make money with laser engraver. At the end of the article, we will share a little about how our customers make a profit and a little story about how they make money, hopefully strengthening your resolve to start your own business.

Can I make money with a laser engraver?

Of course, you can profit by selling customised goods, for which there is currently a huge demand in the market. Choosing a laser engraver is an excellent investment if you want to start a business.
People are increasingly looking for creative, unique products, and buying a laser engraver is foolproof whether you use it for profit or for your hobby.
You can sell your product by looking at the following sales options.

Where to sell your laser engraving products?

You can sell your laser engraving products in many markets and options. Here are some of the best ways you can try.

1. Sell custom crafts online

This is the most straightforward way to start a small business and sell your creative products on Etsy, eBay, Amazon, or other platforms. This is the fastest way to get your products known. However, as the number of people starting their businesses grows, the number of sellers on various e-commerce sites is increasing. To stand out from the crowd, you need your product to be of good quality and unique.

2. Offline offer customised services

If you have a budget upfront, you can open a brick-and-mortar shop to provide a bespoke service to the people around you.

3. Share your laser design

You can upload videos of your products to social media, such as YouTube, to build up your following, which will increase not only the number of orders you receive but also the number of followers you have and the number of businesses that will approach you to advertise, for which you will receive advertising fees.

4. Design laser cut files

If you have a lot of unique design ideas, you can create many cut or engraved files and sell them through Etsy, eBay and other means. Of course, the designs must be original and not copied.

5. Attend trade shows

We all know that trade shows have many customers, so you can find out about them and bring your machine and work to sell on site. Of course, there are free and paid trade shows, so if you have a small budget upfront, you can look out for the following free shows.

6. Create a website to sell

You can create your own Google site and sell your goods on it. However, you must invest some money upfront to create a website. You can wait until you have made a profit before considering building a website to sell.

7 Profitable laser engraver projects

If you are new to laser engraving or don't have a good laser engraver project, take a look at some of the current laser projects that are selling well. Understand the market demand in order to be able to produce and sell your products better.

1. Wooden photos

We all like to take photos of our pets or on many meaningful anniversaries. Traditional photo printing may seem monotonous, but can engrave your photos on wood or acrylic.
The engraving on wood will last forever and the detail of the engraving is exquisite. If you have yet to get new laser engraver project ideas, start engraving a photo.

2. Acrylic glow photos

This is a very interesting laser engraver project. Engrave the pattern you want on the acrylic. Then place the acrylic on the glowing base, and you have a glowing photo. You can also engrave photos or other more interesting designs or even replace clear acrylic with colored acrylic so that there is a colorful glow when the light is switched on.

3. Engraved mugs

Mugs are everywhere we look, and making personalised mugs, glasses, etc., is becoming popular. Selling customised mugs can also be profitable, reaping huge rewards without much time and effort.
However, you must purchase a rotary attachment to mount on your engraving machine.

4. Jewellery

A cool laser engraving project is to engrave your ring, necklace, etc. You can personalise the ring with a date, name, etc., with a unique word or design. Giving your partner a bespoke ring for some anniversary or birthday would be lovely.

5. Bespoke tableware

For lovers of food preparation, bespoke tableware may be of more interest to them. Bespoke tableware is also a big seller in many nurseries or parties. You can engrave not only on wood but also on stainless steel, ceramic, or glass. If you choose this business as your profitable project, talking to Ceramic DIY or many educational puzzle institutions about cooperation is advisable. This way, you will expand your business a lot.
You can buy the raw material for wooden tableware and produce it afterward.

6. Coasters

You can work with cafes to design custom coasters, not only on wood but also on marble. Of course, you can also develop more materials to create more unique coasters.

7. Branding

Laser engraving is permanent and is used on many brand names or metal business cards. You may have seen many similar laser engraver projects, such as dog tags, bookmarks, or mobile phone cases. It would help if you used your imagination to create more unique designs.

How much does it cost to start a laser engraving business

After reading the laser engraver projects idea above, do you want to start your own laser engraving business immediately? The above only talks about projects that can be profitable, but the cost of starting a business is also something we need to calculate.

Laser engraver costs

Buying a laser engraver is the first step in starting a laser engraving project. Typically, we have three of the most common types of laser engravers:

1. CO2 laser engraver
2. Fiber laser engraver
3. Diode laser engraver

The CO2 laser engraver costs between $2000 and $6000 and is the most popular machine small businesses use. You can use it not only for wood engraving but also for all non-metallic materials. The laser tube is a consumable part of the CO2 laser engraver and needs to be replaced after about 8,000 hours for $200-$600 per replacement.

Many in the sheet metal cutting industry choose to purchase the Fiber laser engraver. It is large and has high power and cutting speed. Fiber laser engravers are more expensive, costing over $15,000.

The Diode laser engraver is a portable machine generally priced between $200 and $1000. It is mainly used in the engraving business. The diode laser engraver is the best choice for many beginners or small businesses.
You can choose the right laser engraver according to your needs and budget.

Accessories

1. Swivel: For engraving cylinders such as baseball bats, wine glasses, rolling pins, etc., you must also purchase a swivel attachment. This will cost approximately $80-$300, so be sure to purchase the same brand of swivel attachment as possible and ask if your machine supports it.
2. Honeycomb board: A honeycomb board or a bed of knife strips effectively dissipates heat and reduces the burn marks on the back of the wood when cutting. Price $50-$200
3. Air Assist: Air Assist can greatly improve the engraving results of the laser engraver. Some brands come with standard air assist, meaning you don't need to spend extra money to buy it. If not, you will need to spend $100-200.

Raw materials

Whether you want to engrave a photograph or a mug, you will need to buy raw materials. Of course, if you need to do some puzzles, murals, etc., you may also need a glue gun, various decorations, etc.

Electricity

The electricity the laser engraver consumes while working is also a part of the production cost. The lower the wattage of the machine you buy, the less electricity it will consume. Of course, suppose the calculation is too complicated. In that case, you can directly compare the electricity bill with the previous one to roughly calculate the approximate cost of electricity to run the machine.

Shipping costs

If you need to send the product by post, you also have to consider the cost of shipping or returning the product if the customer does not like it.

Laser engraver recommends

Gweike G1

Price: $439

Pros

1. Suitable for all non-metal engraving
2. Low price
3. Air assist included as standard, no need to buy extra
4. Fast engraving speed, saving engraving time
5. Lightweight and easy to move

Gweike G2

Pros

1. Suitable for all metal engraving
2. Low price
3. Air assist as standard
4. Multi-Angle Engraving
5. Handheld Engraving support

Gweike Cloud Pro II

Price: $3,399.00

Pros

1. Suitable for cutting all non-metals and some metals
2. Fully functional
3. Air assist, rotary shaft, honeycomb plate as standard
4. Complimentary fan
5. High power and high productivity

Is laser engraving a profitable business?

Yes, let's work out if laser engraving is a profitable business and share the stories of 5 Gweike users who have shared their profit stories with you.

Laser engraved wood photos

1. Price of wood boards: 15 sheets of 150*100*2mm Basswood boards - $10.99 (Amazon)
2. Engraving time: 10-20min
3. Marketing cost: FREE
4. Asking price: $38.7 (Etsy)
5. Profit per photo: $35 (remove electricity)

Next, we would like to share with you a short story that Gweike's customers have shared with us about their business ventures in the hope that it will inspire and help you in your venture:

1. Roman Burian

Synopsis: Always trying different industries
Dreaming start a bigger laser business
Story:

I run a lot of businesses on my own. Photo Studio, Marketing Studio, building houses, etc. But I think Engraving is a holiday for me. I started to get my hands on laser engraving in July last year. Before that, I didn't have much experience. I needed a machine that was easy to operate, so I did a lot of market research. Finally, I chose Gweikecloud. I think, working with Gweikecloud is very simple, you must understand the "layers" and you need experience whit materials, I am trying 2 weeks everything to cut en Engraving, actually, I made note of my Settings. Gweikecloud also has many settings for people, it's very helpful. Then I started customization, I have a wedding photobooks work, that received a lot of fans, I like it very much myself too. This fingerprint heart is wonderful. Recently I received another order, the customer gave me a simple sketch, it’s a grapevine, I believe they will like this!
I enjoying when I’m making projects for people. And many people ask me if I can cut metal. This is a great market in Europe! And I want to invest in a bigger laser cutting machine from Gweike and open a bigger cutting company.

2. Kyle Zhao

Synopsis: Making projects for friends and families,
10 years experience in laser industry
Story:

I have been doing laser cutting since 2011. I think there are no real big difficulties with using lasers in general. Lasers are easy to use once you get the general hang of things (but note there are alot of intricacies that are optional that can improve outcomes) and safe as long as you follow precautions. Before using Gweikecloud, I've used simple laser engravers and more higher end lasers like the Epilog Legend. Compared to the 10w diode laser I used to have, Gweikecloud is much faster and more powerful. A job that took me 45 minutes to cut with the diode laser at 80% power takes me 2 minutes with the C02 gweike at 50%. And, of course, the pricepoint of the Gweikecloud is sweet too and the fact that it is Lightburn compatible. There is no other desktop-class laser out there that combines price and Lightburn functionality as well as Gweikecloud.
My machine is mostly for rapid prototyping of things I want to make for the house and family. Sometimes I’ll make stuff for friends but the those projects are like $10-$30. So success for me isn’t measured in money, it is measured in the ability to complete projects for home and family. Maybe in the future, I’ll make this more of a business.

3. David Miniatures

Synopsis: Making miniatures for over 15 years
Using a laser cutter saves more time for me
Story:

Being a graphic designer and art director for the past 20+ years has given me a great visual eye on things and I always try to combine all my skills into my miniatures. In my teens I started with building model kits but was quickly bored just following the instructions, I wanted to make my own pieces. I later made miniatures for architects, small films and as custom gifts as a hobby. In 2013 I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer and had to stop my day job. During my recovery, I decided to reignite an old childhood passion, miniatures! I began a series of dioramas based on my love of 80’s classic movies, and being a child of the 1980’s, Back To The Future was one of my favorite films.
Now，I have a lot of orders and up until I got my laser cutter all my cuts were done by hand or with hand tools.
The laser helps me do that quickly. For me，I also use other wood. Metal, plastic etc. My works can’t be created with just a laser cutter, it is a tool for me and it helps me to improve the efficiency. And if you want to make more detailed projects, this is very important.
If you want to start your business. I would say to find a niche that has a market. And know your market. Is it other creators? Is it collectors? Is it businesses? Once you know that, become an Expert in that style and start to make a name for yourself.At beginning, my suggestion is do it on the side until the side money is steady. You will have to basically work 2 jobs for about a year to be sure it will work. But it’s worth it. Making miniatures is my main job， I do very well for myself Including my commercial projects I make over the average income for my area.

4. Charlie O’Donovan

Synopsis: Newbie for laser cutter
Brings in an additional700€ per month
Story:

This is my first time using a laser cutter,I bought my gweikecloud 8 months ago, and started my business 2 months ago. We now make about 700€ a month. It is not my main job, but as a sideline, I am very happy that I bought the machine being as it helps me make extra money .
We support customization, engraving your photos on wood, and wooden decoration. Being as people are often confused about what to buy for birthday presents, they are very happy to use our help to gift their loved ones something special. We also provide special customized newborn gifts, which people love .
In the very beginning, choosing an affordable machine that can fit your demands is very important and I am very happy that I found the Gweikecloud.Starting a buisness It can be overwhelming at times and a bit stressful just in case anything was to go wrong, but Gweike’s team is amazing for any little issues they are there to help me they are there to resolve any problems 24/7.
We also share our work on social media, people love it, business is really picking up.
I would like to say to people who want to start a business with Gweikecloud “If you are planning to start a business go for it. If you don’t try you will never know.”

5. Jason

Synopsis: Family making crafts together
You can make many thing in your kitchen
Story:

Hey there! It's Jason - the "guy" behind One Crafty Guy! I'd like to take all the credit for the items I make, but I do have an amazing wife, Amanda, and 3 wonderful crafty kids that help me to fulfill the orders that come in!Amanda helps with the creation of many of the designs. And, let's be real, keep me in line!The kids help with gathering wood scraps, painting, staining, and coming up with some great ideas for products.
We are based out of Cincinnati, OH and create everything in our home.Gweikecloud is suitable to using at home, The cloud software is great for beginners but I’m using Lightburn.Better when working with layers. Many home use laser cutters can only support their online software.We use it to make some cutting boards, Charcuterie Boards,Flight Boards,and now we expand to make some keychains , bottle Openers&Wine stoppers. Welcome to visit our website!

Conclusion

We hope that this article has helped you in your business venture. The laser engraver is undoubtedly a profitable business that requires only a small investment for a lasting profit. You can consult our online customer service if you still have questions about the machines you need to start a laser engraving business.