Shrunk 3D Franchise

Co-founders Zak Petersen and Micah Smith brought complementary technology backgrounds to Shrunk 3D. In an Eye on Franchising interview, Petersen described his work with IT hardware and virtualization, while Smith explained his software-development background. The college friends developed their early scanning booth in Petersen’s garage and tested it at events in Charleston, South Carolina.

Smith recalled that their first events preceded pandemic shutdowns. The founders continued developing the concept during that disruption, with the idea of taking the scanning equipment to customers rather than relying on a fixed photography studio. Shrunk 3D’s franchise listing on BizBuySell dates the business to 2019 and franchising to 2021.

Today, the official website presents a trailer-based studio that photographs a subject from multiple angles. Customers preview their image and select a figurine size; the images are processed into a model for printing. The brand promotes uses including weddings, sports events, military keepsakes, corporate gatherings and pet portraits.

Shrunk 3D’s published franchise listing on BizBuySell describes online learning, a marketing launch plan, CRM instruction and in-person training in Charleston. Topics include the scanning software, customer checkout, file uploads, troubleshooting and a walkthrough of the equipment. The founders’ interview also describes online preparation covering booth maintenance, hitching and introductory sales and marketing before collecting the studio.

The listing describes a franchisee support team, monthly coaching calls, quarterly town halls, newsletters and an online owner community. It also advertises social-media content assistance. Corporate printing, shipping and website development are presented as continuing services, allowing the local operator to concentrate on customer interactions and events. These are published program descriptions rather than a statement of contractual guarantees.

Shrunk 3D offers a way to combine event work with personalized photography products. A uniform, wedding outfit or family pose becomes part of a three-dimensional keepsake, giving the operator a concrete product to demonstrate when speaking with event organizers and prospective customers.

The opportunity may suit someone who likes meeting people, presenting a visual product and building local relationships. Mobility allows the scanning experience to travel to different gatherings, while the centralized production process separates capturing the customer’s image from manufacturing the finished figurine. A buyer’s interest in customer service and organizing events is therefore as relevant as an interest in the technology itself.

To distinguish local production from customization, sourcing and supplier fulfillment, read our production, customization and supply model comparison. Confirm the work and responsibilities included in the specific offering.