Printivo is a do-it-yourself web-to-print solution that helps to deliver printed materials such as business cards, letterheads, handbills, greeting cards, envelopes and invitation cards, marketing and promotional items right to the doorsteps of customers.Printivo was founded by Oluyomi Ojo, Ayodeji Adeogun: and Ibukun Oloyede. Ojo started his journey in business with 300 Naira (Less that $2 in today’s money) hand made card business before college, moved into T-shirt design and printing, poster and handbills printing, branding and design services as a student and by the time he finished college, founded Urbanbaze, an advert agency he runs in Lagos, with client’s like Etisalat Nigeria, Honda, Pfizer, FirstBank Nigeria, Pension Alliance, etc. before founding Printivo.com with Ibukun Oloyede and Ayodeji Adeogun.
Ibukun Oloyede:
Ibukun joined Urbanbaze in 2009 as a graphic design intern and quickly rose to the position of an art director within 4 years before moving on to Printivo.com as co-founder. A skilled designer, print expert and photographer.
Ayodeji Adeogun:
Ayodeji Adeogun is a practising Geographer, trainer and a GIS analyst, the founding partner of KITS Nigeria, a foremost GIS specialist company based in Lagos, Nigeria.
During his under graduate days Deji has always run a one man printing outfit which sustained him though out his days on campus. This passion for printing lead him to join force with Oluwayomi Ojo and the Urbanbaze team. He was also instrumental to the success of the Campus Navigator Project, a University mapping project fashioned by Urbanbaze Media, Lagos.
He presently focus all his time rendering managerial services to a successful business outfits, Printivo.com.
What inspired you?
We discovered that SMEs and individuals find it hard to handle their print needs, mostly because of their budgets and need for short runs, we also noticed how printers disappoint in areas of quality and on-time delivery, a day to day experience for us dealing with printer vendors at the advert agency. So we decided to find a way to fix it. We started asking questions and discovered Nigerians where already ordering online via non-Nigerian web-2-print stores, not minding the 3 weeks of shipping and delivery. So we said to our selves, if we can fix this problem, deliver good quality and have orders shipped to customers within 3-5 days. We sure have a market. Printivo was born that day, the next week, we got the name registered and the journey started. There was no time to wait.
Why launch a web-to print platform when everything is going web (Including print)?Everything is going web. Trends has shown that the web is not here to kill what we do but rather change how we do it and print is not an exception, the web will not stop individuals from printing, it would rather change what we print and how we print. The Nigerian print market is huge, a budding economy with about 170 million people. If there’s any time to take everyday brick and mortal services online in Nigeria, this is the time and that’s what we are doing with prints. No one can wear a t shirt design on an iPad screen,You’ve got to print. You wouldn’t to tell me to start searching for you on LinkedIn if you got just 1 minute with me in the elevator, you’ve got to hand me a business card. (and even if i don’t call you, you have given me your brand)
What is your business model?
We are helping business and individuals run their print services without having to step out of their houses and offices using the internet. We building a 1 stop online shop for all print needs. One that gives the customer 100% control of his orders.
What are your challenges?
Printing is made of moving parts, and building an online print store makes it more complex, our work does not end online unlike most other startups. For us, logistics and production is the key factor in our business and running that in a city with less power supply and not to good transport system makes it complex. We had to create our own delivery model for Lagos while other are done via courier companies. Putting all that in place is a challenge for startup that was launched without funding.
Do you have any affiliations or partnerships?
Affiliations and partnerships are already on the way, since we launched we have been contacted by many potential affiliations and partners and talks are already in place. We will be revealing this in the coming weeks and months.
Who is your local competition?
Printmagic and Duduprints.
How unique are you from the competition?
Fast delivery, better templates, more user friendly platform. (Please compare the competitors site with ours for a proof)
Where do you expect your business to be in 2 years?
We are gunning to build West Africa’s biggest online printing company, starting with Nigeria,West Africa’s economic giants. We believe in 2 years, we should have opened for business in other West African markets
Have you received any funding yet?
No. The startup is running on bootstrapped funding model and it’s own revenue. However, when we receive funding it would be to expand the business, acquire more talents, expand our category of products, and improve on our logistics.
How is the startup environment in Lagos?
The startup environment in Lagos is amazing, it’s where answers to Nigerians everyday challenges are built. Dreams are made here. Anyone who wants to start out here should start small but think BIG
What could you be doing had you not founded Printivo?
Advertising (from which we still cannot remove printing)
