08-07-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
L A Ink printing named best printing company in Wales
A former childminder from Powys who was looking for jobs after the children she cared for left for school is now running one of the best printing businesses in Wales.
Lucy Humphreys founded Adfa-based L A Ink Printing Studio in 2013 after she noticed a request on Facebook for someone local to create business cards.
The printing business has since gone on to win a string of national accolades including from the Corporate LiveWire Global Awards and The Perfect Gift Awards.
The female-run company has also received recognition from Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis after it was selected to join his exclusive 'Small Business Saturday' network.
L A Ink Printing Studio was recently named the best of its kind in Wales after winning Printing Company of the Year at the Welsh Prestige Awards.
'We have worked hard to promote our small business and have a unique selling point from other printing companies,' Mrs Humphreys said.
"I set up the business in 2013 when all the children I childminded left for school and due to our house being on the market I was unable to fill spaces.
"I applied for lots of jobs but never got picked. I was looking online when I noticed a request on Facebook for someone local to create some business cards. As I had always made my own business cards, I answered the request and that's how I got started.
"I soon realised that many small companies couldn't afford to pay for logos and custom stationery to brand themselves and seem more professional and often struggled with businesses requiring minimum order quantities.
"I grasped this niche in the market and answered all the requests for printed items, by offering a free design service and no minimum order requirements.
"My business grew from there and within a few months I had to move out of the house and convert our garden shed into a workshop/office and took on a bigger lorry trailer in our new home. I outgrew that and so moved into a shed that had been my son's man cave until he moved away for university. It's also now been added onto and we may even need to expand further.
"My daughter and my son's girlfriend have both worked with me and I put them both through an apprenticeship with NPTC and have also since gained my Green Growth Pledge and Equality pledge with Business Wales. Training and learning is at the forefront of my business ethic."
