Souvenir production as a business. How to sell souvenirs

Trading is almost always a profitable business. Entrepreneurs often choose this direction in order to start a business. The main problem is the choice of product range. Various souvenirs are quite popular among consumers. In addition, a business based on their sale does not require large initial costs.

Business options

There are several options for doing business selling souvenirs. So, you can open a store or your own department in a large shopping center. In order to purchase goods, you can contact both large firms that produce souvenirs from polymer clay, crystal, etc., and to "handicraftsmen" who want and offer handmade products. In the latter case, the product is likely to be more expensive, however, and the demand for exclusive hand-made work has been growing lately.

In addition, you can offer products through the online store. This kind of business is becoming more and more popular, as many netizens prefer to buy goods through websites without leaving their homes.

Another option for organizing a business is not only selling, but also making souvenirs on your own. To do this, you can do it, make wooden souvenirs with your own hands, etc.

Where to start?

The initial investment depends on the type of business. If you decide to open a small souvenir shop, then first you need to draw up documents for registering a legal entity.

After that, you should find a room to organize a store. It can be bought or rented. The amount you have to spend depends on the area in which you live. For a small store, an area of \u200b\u200b15-20 sq. meters.

In order to decorate the store, stands and counters are used. You will also need a cash register. If the initial capital is small, then you can buy used equipment, which will cost much less than new.

The goods are first purchased in small quantities. Next, you should determine what is in greatest demand, and from this choose the final assortment. Usually, souvenirs made of epoxy resin, wood, beads, etc. are popular. If you master any of the technologies, then you may well be able to produce products yourself.

Souvenirs for tourists are very popular. The products of this group can be products made by folk craftsmen. This includes wooden, crystal souvenirs, miniatures that depict the sights of your city or region.

It is better to purchase goods from wholesale suppliers, it will come out cheaper (this does not apply to cases if you decide to add exclusive handmade souvenirs to the assortment). You can reach them through advertisements in periodicals or on specialized sites.

Benefits of a business selling souvenirs

The main advantages of selling souvenirs is the ease of doing business. If you make products yourself, then you should note the low initial costs.

If you decide to start your own business, selling souvenirs can be quite a profitable venture. To do this, you should carefully consider which business option to choose, which assortment will be successful in your area, how you will attract customers.

If a business is organized taking into account all these nuances, then its payback is several months. After you start making a profit, you can think about expansion, for example, opening several more outlets.

The fashion for unusual gifts has returned again, thus the profit from the sale of souvenirs and gifts increased by 20-25%. Taking into account the statistical data, you can safely open a souvenir and gift shop, the profit of which will grow every year.

In this article, we will look at the business plan for a gift shop and find out how profitable this niche is now and whether the market is free.

But before relying on extras, let's look at what it takes to open such a store in more detail. So, in this review, we will together draw up a business plan for a gift and souvenir shop with estimates for 2018.

Competition

1. Analyze what products competitors offer, what is bought and how often, the price. The information will be taken into account in the business plan. This will allow purchasing a range of high-demand gift products.
2. Pay attention to online gift shops, you can also learn a lot from them: how they conduct a dialogue with the buyer, what they offer, and in what time frame the delivery is carried out. Later, you can focus on the fact that when you visit you, you can buy something right away, without waiting for delivery.
3. Explore the local market: if an exclusive gift shop already exists in an area, there will be no point in opening it. The proceeds, of course, will be, but still not large enough for you to be able to call the business successful. In addition, if a competing store is already producing small volumes of sales, this does not mean that they are doing something wrong. It is possible that this product is simply not in demand in a certain area or city.

There are always a lot of gift shops, so you definitely need to think about how your shop will differ from the rest. It will be appropriate to open a business with its own flavor. You can import products that no one else in the city has at all. For example, handmade Korean jewelry. Even if their assortment is not large, there is no need to specialize in this, but it would be good to mention the availability of such an opportunity.

Location

A very important point in opening a gift shop, of course, is its location. Consider in your business plan that the store should be in a place of high traffic, preferably in the city center or in large shopping centers.

Even if your price is 10-15% higher than that of stores located in another part of the city, they will still buy from you, since more is in the field of view of potential buyers. In addition, based on the psychology of people, they will always go to the center, a crowded place, to buy a good gift, and not buy it somewhere "on the outskirts".

At the initial stage, it is not necessary to immediately open a large outlet with 5,000 items of gifts and a large square. Start small, for example 20 m². We will consider opening such a store in a shopping center with high traffic. The price of such premises will, of course, vary from Moscow to other regions. In the list of expenses of the business plan, we take the average cost - 15,000 rubles per month.

If the room has already been renovated, there is no need to redo it - just decorate it to your taste. Usually, gift shops use their products as decorations, which the customer can buy right there. You do not need a designer, you can arrange everything yourself - focus on the layout and design of existing competitors, personally inspect similar points in your city, view photos in Russia and abroad.

Equipment for work

To operate a gift and souvenir shop, you must purchase the following equipment:

1. Accounting computer - 15,000 rubles. With the help of it, you can also upload updates, new supplies that come to the store, their photos on social networks;
2. Cash register - 15,000;
3. Bar-coding equipment - 7,000;
4. Various stationery and small necessities - 10,000;
5. Display stands, cabinets, racks - from 50,000;
6. Other unaccounted for expenses - 50,000.

Total, in the business plan, the cost of purchasing equipment will amount to about 150,000 rubles.

Of course, for any business it is necessary to draw up official papers and register with the tax office. You can open as a sole proprietor or LLC. It will cost between 5,000 and 11,000 inclusive.

Shop assortment

Before you open your own business, you need to sort out the assortment, thoughtless buying of gifts and souvenirs will not give positive results. Maybe it will be goods for everyone or exclusive handmade products that will be slightly higher in price? Depends, first of all, on what competitors are trading

If you are aware of trends and know what kind of purchase customers need, and there is no such store in this area, then feel free to open, as such a business will already be successful due to its individuality, and therefore demand.

Gifts should be for any occasion and for any client: wedding, birthday, graduation, anniversary and more. Some people like to buy original and unusual gifts for themselves, just like that.

Gift products of a wide profile (postcards, balloons, confetti) are purchased from wholesalers, and exclusive ones - in online stores. When considering costs in a business plan for the purchase of an assortment, do not give preference to the cheapest product names, being tempted by the price. Having bought a gift that immediately breaks in their hands, customers will be disappointed and will tell their friends about you. A bad reputation is absolutely useless for business, it will affect demand in the shortest possible time.

Hand-made crafts are always welcome, it is wise to open a separate line of products in the store: handmade soap, jewelry, postcards, embroidery and much more. Hand-made goods can be bought directly from manufacturers at a negotiated price, and then sold with a markup in the store. You can work with several local manufacturers at once to find out which range is the best buy.

For a traditional shop of souvenirs and gifts, there should be at least a 200% markup on products.

The assortment of goods is assumed to be the following:

Assortment purchase costs are - 76,000 rubles.

Sales income - 1,520,000 rubles.

Staff

If you plan to open a small store, then you can hire a minimum number of employees. Director and two salespeople (shift work).

The director should deal with such tasks as finding a product, communicating with suppliers, concluding contracts, controlling deliveries, hiring employees, and much more.

Business plan expenses for monthly salary of employees:

1. Director - 30,000 rubles
2. Seller (2 pcs.) - 40,000 rubles.

Total monthly expenses for payment of wages to employees will amount to 70,000 rubles.

Tax deductions - 21,000 rubles.

Carefully monitor the quality of your employees' work, the success of the gift shop directly depends on them. Especially from salespeople who must be as courteous as possible and be good at selling. The buyer comes not only for a gift, but also for the right mood, it is important for him to make sure that he is giving a really useful and unusual gift.

Shop advertisement

Any advertising method can be used as advertising, both traditional - leaflets, banners, promotions at the opening, and promotion on the Internet. In the business plan of the project, you need to make a list of at least 50-100 advertising tools that you will master in the first months.

Take advantage of the most basic, which do not require any costs - advertising on social networks and among friends. Create groups, upload product photos. It is not necessary to hire a professional photographer, you can borrow a good camera from friends and take pictures yourself.

The name of the store should be memorable so that people who don't even know about it will not pass by. At the end of the shopping center, you can place a sign or banner, which will cost 10,000.

Cost and return on investment

Initial investments for opening a souvenir and gift shop:

1. Premises rental - RUB 15,000;
2. Shop equipment - RUB 150,000
3. Assortment of goods RUB 76,000
4. Advertising - RUB 10,000
5. IP opening - RUB 10,000

Total: 261,000 rubles.

The monthly expenses in the business plan include:

1. Rent for the premises - RUB 15,000;
2. Staff salaries - RUB 70,000;
3. Tax and social security contributions - RUB 21,000;
4. Assortment of goods - RUB 5,000;
5. Advertising and promotion - RUB 5,000
6. Income tax - RUB 228,000

Total: 415,000 rubles.

According to statistics, 20% of the sold goods remain on the store shelves, so the real income will be 1,216,000 rubles for 1 calendar month.

Net income: 1 216 000 - 415,000 \u003d 801,000 rubles.

Payback:261 000 /801 000 \u003d 0.3 months.

Risks

Even in a difficult economic situation, people do not spare money for gifts to relatives and friends. During numerous Russian holidays, souvenirs are especially relevant. It's inexpensive, will suit everyone, and you don't have to rack your brains. More and more often, private companies order gifts for partners, customers and employees. Before the production of souvenir products, it is necessary to develop a business plan for the production of souvenirs. It will help assess the profitability and prospects of this business.

Project summary

The gift market in Russia began to form more than 20 years ago, when it became possible to import goods from abroad. At first, everything was quite spontaneous, and various goods of poor quality were imported. Now the souvenir market has a civilized look, more and more domestically produced goods appear. The demand for high-quality, designer goods, business souvenirs with logos, goods made from natural materials is growing.

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe business is the production of souvenirs made of wood (plywood) using laser cutting, engraving and full-color printing. Wooden items attract consumers with their naturalness, elegance, they look more presentable than plastic ones. Laser technologies make it possible to make exclusive badges, magnets, key rings, wall and table calendars and clocks, photo frames, boxes, pencil cases and other promotional souvenirs by individual design.

The project pursues the following goals: making a profit through the development of highly profitable production, developing the production of souvenirs, improving the consumer quality of products, their design, increasing employment in the real sector of production.

Project objectives: production of products, introduction of modern technologies to reduce the cost of products and increase their quality, organize the planned production and marketing of products in Russia, return on investment.

At the initial stage, the project will require an initial investment of 604 thousand rubles. These will be the personal funds of the business organizer. The funds will be used to register a company, purchase equipment, test development and advertising. A business plan for the production of souvenirs with calculations shows that the project is profitable and brings in an annual profit of 673.6 thousand rubles. The payback period for the project will be 12 months.

Since the company plans to work not only with private clients, but also with other legal entities, consumers of advertising and souvenir products, it is necessary to register an LLC. No license required. There is no concept of “souvenir products” in the all-Russian classifier, therefore the OKVED code will be selected based on the product category: 16.29 “Manufacture of other wooden products”.

Stages of project implementation

1. Business registration.
2. Search for premises, registration of lease.
3. Repair of the premises.
4. Equipment purchase, installation.
5. Purchase of raw materials.
6. Search and recruitment of personnel, training.
7. Start of production.

Concept

Souvenirs are highly demanded products among private clients and company owners. For the first, it is an opportunity to show attention to friends, colleagues and distant relatives. There is no way to spend money on expensive gifts, but presenting a souvenir for the New Year, a women's or men's holiday is affordable for anyone. In the business world, a souvenir is a demonstration of attention, respect, loyalty, expression of gratitude to partners and customers, encouragement of employees, and a reminder of oneself.

Plywood was chosen as the main material for souvenirs. It is a malleable material that is commonly used in the furniture industry, but has become popular with merchandise manufacturers in recent years. Plywood is a natural, eco-friendly material, products from it look original, as if made by hand, they are lightweight and inexpensive.

The project involves the production of custom designed and branded badges, magnets, key rings, postcards, personalized or with a logo calendars, clocks and frames on a table or wall. The assortment of the company will include decorative elements and useful accessories: caskets, pencil cases, notepads with a wooden cover, stationery stands, business cards and tea. Wooden toys for the holidays, prefabricated souvenirs for holidays and thematic events, requisites for the holidays: photo booth, letters and numbers made of wood, blanks for creativity and decoupage.

The engraving business does not make high demands on the premises, but since the products will be sold not only via the Internet, but also through offline trade, it is planned to rent a premise in a large residential area in a shopping center. For the production and storage of products, a room of 20 sq. meters and a platform for selling products and communicating with customers. Total area: 25 sq. meters. The premises must comply with sanitary and fire regulations, good lighting.

Market analysis

Hundreds of years ago, engraved products were popular: family watches, personalized spoons or antique jewelry. Thanks to technological progress, engraving has become more functional, more sophisticated in performance and easier to use. Laser engraving stands out for its decorative appeal, high-quality and durable image that does not wear off over the years and does not wash off with water.

Such properties of laser engraving make it very popular among craftsmen, and products made using the technique of laser cutting and engraving make it very popular among customers. Currently, wood products are gaining popularity; this material attracts consumers with its naturalness, environmental friendliness, and pliability. Craftsmen can make products of any complexity according to individual design. At the same time, such a souvenir will cost the client at a reasonable price, since wood is cheaper than metal or glass.

The souvenir business is subject to seasonality, the main peak in consumer demand is observed on the eve of the New Year, from about mid-November. Then there is a slight decline, but by February the demand is increasing again. Consumers buy souvenirs by February 23 and March 8. In the summer, demand drops by 50% compared to pre-New Year sales. For this reason, the launch of the company is scheduled for October.

There are many companies on the market that offer engraving and cutting of products from various materials, including wood. They try to attract clients with a low price, original design and speed of work execution. However, the demand for such goods exceeds the supply, while a small percentage of the population of Russia and city residents still know about such products. There is also a growing demand for wooden souvenirs from companies that want to surprise partners, employees and customers with an original corporate present.

Target audience of the project:

• Corporate clients: companies with their own image, brand, staff of 20 people, companies with thousands and millions of turnover.
• Young people from 20 to 35 years old who want to surprise their friends with original gifts, decorate their interior, present an unusual souvenir for a wedding, birthday, or the appearance of a child.
• Wedding salons, event agencies, photo studios, creative workshops, decorators, designers.

Organizational plan

Laser engraving technology allows you to work without special blanks, clichés, printing plates, therefore, does not require additional equipment and maintenance personnel. To organize the production of souvenir products, an operator is required who can work with graphic programs. His responsibilities include drawing up cutting programs, cutting plywood on assignment, developing new products, completing orders, and maintaining a laser machine. Requirements: knowledge and experience in Adobe Illustrator, Coreldraw or Autodesk AutoCAD, experience in equipment and production from a year, ability to learn, responsibility.

For the work of the company, you will need to hire a designer, whose tasks include the development of souvenir products, the creation of layouts, the development of the website design and the company's social networks. He must be proficient in graphic editors Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, understand modern design trends, be independent, proactive, be able to work in multitasking mode and in a team.

The key employee of the company will be a sales manager for production services. His responsibilities: active sales of products using cold calls, attracting new customers, preparing commercial offers in accordance with customer needs, conducting negotiations, presentations by phone and at meetings, building a customer base, accompanying and advising customers, preparing documentation, fulfilling a sales plan. Requirements: experience in sales from a year, communication skills, independence, the ability to organize your time, knowledge of techniques of cold calls, negotiation and active sales. The salary will be small, motivated by a high premium with no upper limit.

Staff members:

Outsourced accountant and cleaner.

Production plan

The process of making plywood souvenirs begins with the preparation of the original layout in vector format. It is developed by a designer, while the complexity of the pattern does not matter, since the laser copes with any pattern. Next, the operator cuts a workpiece of a certain shape along the contour, and then engraves the required depth with a laser.

Necessary equipment: laser engraver, honeycomb table for cutting, computer with software, scanner, computer table, office chair. Consumable material - a laser needle, which is enough for 30 images (one piece - 600 rubles).

One laser is usually enough for 20 thousand hours. When working for 8 hours daily, the device will last for 7 years, when working for 12 hours - for 4.5 years. Usually one square centimeter of finished work costs 15 rubles.

Monthly expenses:

• Laser needles: 12 thousand rubles.
• Rent: 25 thousand rubles.
• Wage fund: 160 thousand rubles + insurance premiums 33% \u003d 52.8 thousand rubles.
• Accountant and cleaning services: 10 thousand rubles.
• Website operation, promotion in search engines and social networks, advertising: 30 thousand rubles.
• Other expenses: 14 thousand rubles.

Total monthly costs project: 303.8 thousand rubles (3,645 million rubles per year).

Tax payments: (income - expense) x 15% \u003d (360 - 303.8) x 15% \u003d 8.43 thousand rubles.

Costs for the first year of operation: 604 thousand rubles + 3.645 million rubles + 8.43 x 12 \u003d 4.35 million rubles.

Marketing plan

No business can flourish without effective promotion. It is necessary to demonstrate to potential clients samples of your work. A bright signboard, mobile advertising structures that can be installed next to a shopping center or other points of a large crowd of people will help in promotion. Other opportunities: participation in trade shows and city festivals.

Expanding the client base will require the development of online trading. This requires a website, search engine optimization, setting up contextual advertising, advertising in social networks: "VKontakte", "Instagram".

To increase customer loyalty, you should organize contests and promotions with prizes, develop a system of discounts for regular customers, conduct an audience survey to identify needs and topics of interest.

Financial plan

The payback of the project will depend on many factors: the popularity of the selected services, the flow of customers, the advertising campaign, the work of the sales manager. Typically, laser engraving has a high return on investment due to its wide range of applications, and the cost of equipment is offset by the low cost of renting the premises. The quality of the equipment affects the profit: the more expensive, the more productive the work.

Variable project costs: 604 thousand rubles.

Fixed costs of the project: 312.2 thousand rubles / month, or 3.75 million rubles / year.

Average customer check: 700 rubles. Number of clients per month: 515, per day - 17.

Monthly revenue: 360 thousand rubles.

Annual revenue while saving the indicators: 360 x 12 \u003d 4.32 million rubles.

Break-even point for the first year \u003d (revenue x fixed costs) / (revenue - variable costs) \u003d (4.32 million x 3.75 million) / (4.32 million - 0.604 million) \u003d 4.36 million rubles.

Profit for the month:360 thousand rubles - 312.2 thousand rubles \u003d 47.8 thousand rubles.

Profit for the year: 57.7 thousand rubles x 12 \u003d 573.6 thousand rubles.

Profitability \u003d profit / revenue x 100% \u003d 573.6 thousand / 4 320 thousand x 100% \u003d 13,2% .

Payback \u003d initial investment / profit for the year \u003d 604 thousand rubles / 573.6 thousand rubles \u003d 1 year.

Eventually

The business of producing souvenirs from plywood looks quite promising, it does not require large investments and rental costs. Object engraving was popular with consumers for decades, and now the fashion for engraved objects is returning. In addition, buyers prefer to decorate their home or give gifts to loved ones from natural materials, in an original and high-quality design.

The developed example of a business plan for the production of souvenirs from plywood showed that the project will require 604 thousand rubles at the start, and the payback will come in a year. To implement a business, you will need to rent a space of 25 sq. m in a shopping center in a large residential area, purchase of equipment and raw materials, hiring qualified personnel. Expenses per month: 312.2 thousand rubles, monthly profit will be 47.8 thousand rubles. The plans are to increase the company's income by increasing the average check, the number of customers.

Every year Russians buy small gifts for family and friends, during the year there are several all-Russian holidays, as well as personal reasons for congratulations. Companies are paying more and more attention to corporate gifts and souvenirs, this is an opportunity to express loyalty, respect and gratitude to partners, employees and customers.

I tried to trade in different groups of goods and I want to note that the souvenir assortment has a number of clear advantages. Unlike products and, for example, cosmetics, cute knick-knacks do not deteriorate and do not have a delivery time.

Souvenirs do not need to be certified, there is no need to obtain special permits for the sale of these products, the seller does not have to issue a health book. And although souvenirs do not belong to basic necessities or goods of high demand, they are selling well, and the relatively small turnover can be more than compensated for by high profitability.

Souvenirs "tourist" and "gift"

In my opinion, it is into these two categories that souvenir products are subdivided in the first place. There are, however, also promotional souvenirs, but they are usually not sold at retail. However, some products are equally well bought by guests of the city as a keepsake and as gifts - by the natives. An example is souvenir circles depicting architectural monuments or views of the pearls of local nature. And, for example, Gzhel porcelain in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region will be a "dual-use" product, and in other places - primarily a gift.

Of course, sometimes tourists also willingly buy souvenirs that have nothing to do with local attractions, just as a gift to loved ones. And nevertheless, IMHO, the conditional division of the assortment into the two above-mentioned categories remains relevant.

Taking a foothold is the basis of business success

In retail, a good location is one of the main prerequisites for profitable operations. Of course, there are exceptions: if you sell something exclusive and at the same time desperately needed by people, they are ready to come to you at the other end of the city with two transfers. Nobody will chase after souvenirs like that, they are sold at every step. For selling "tourist" assortment, you should choose sites near local attractions. It is advisable to preliminarily observe whether excursions stop at this place for a time sufficient to make purchases, or whether tourists are quickly and quickly "driven" further along the route.

Gifts sell well in large shopping malls, large grocery stores, pedestrian streets, and major traffic intersections. The only trouble is that all "grain" places are usually long and firmly occupied by competitors, and if they are suddenly free, astronomical sums are requested for rent (this fully applies to the approaches to tourist sites). Instead of a souvenir kiosk or department, you can try to open a trade from a portable tray or using a collapsible tent. It's just that it is sometimes very difficult to obtain permission from the local authorities to operate such a retail outlet (which, however, does not mean it is impossible).

There is another option: not to look for a permanent place for yourself, but to take part in various exhibitions, fairs and festivities on the occasion of large and small holidays. Here you need to closely follow the calendar of events and contact the organizers of the events in advance to coordinate your participation.

Where to buy or order souvenirs for sale

It is easier with souvenirs of a “gift” nature. You can make a wide assortment on the wholesale market or in the warehouse of almost any specialized company, something can be purchased from individual artisans (one does not interfere with the other and the third). An independent trip to China for cheaper souvenirs is too expensive for a novice trader.

It is more difficult with the "tourist" assortment. The sights of some (especially small) settlements may be very poorly reflected or not indicated at all in the souvenir products offered in bulk. Then you have to turn to the services of manufacturing firms engaged in the manufacture of custom-made souvenirs. And here the price of the product VERY STRONGLY depends on the size of the batch, the gap can exceed 100%. The most favorable prices are sometimes offered not by manufacturers, but by intermediaries who place customer orders with their Chinese partners, but in this case, usually we are talking about a thousand or even several thousand units, and the production time is several months. However, you can invest a decent amount in one or two items of goods only when ordering the most popular souvenirs.

A good solution may be to purchase components for souvenirs with a printed insert. The design of pictures with minimal skills can be developed independently, and printed even on a home color printer (although, most likely, professional design and printing will give better results).

What souvenirs to choose

Which direction is better to choose - tourist or purely gift - depends primarily on the "place in the sun", which you manage to stake out. Although, if trading space and working capital allow, it makes sense to cover both in some reasonable ratio. To begin with, you should try to include a variety of souvenirs in your assortment, in order to then decide on the most relevant ones. A variety of fridge magnets, key chains, souvenir plates and mugs, lighters, flasks, products made from natural materials (wood, clay, straw, leather) are selling well.

Should I buy mostly cheap goods or more expensive ones? Practice shows that the best demand is usually for a product of the middle price category. Expensive products will definitely not sell well from a street stall - the buyer goes to more respectable retail outlets for solid gifts.

It should be remembered that souvenirs most often do not have a utilitarian value, and therefore a significant part of buyers may not appreciate the especially high quality of a product, and people will regret the extra money. The same applies to the artistic level of souvenir design - alas, few have a developed aesthetic taste, and sometimes tasteless handicrafts are sold much better than high-quality design developments. And at the same time, there is a certain stable demand for original handmade products.

Pay particular attention to packaging. Competently packaged goods look and buy much better, spoil less during transportation. Gift wrapping can sell well on its own, some build their business just on gift wrapping.

Competitors, let's live together!

Competition in the souvenir trade is quite big - you can sometimes count dozens of stalls and stalls near the same tourist sites. Sometimes the struggle for the buyer takes the form of dumping wars, and as a result, all traders lose their profits. Isn't it better to pursue a coordinated pricing policy ?! After all, tourists, and in the pre-holiday running for gifts - and our fellow countrymen, for the most part, are ready to fork out in full. And it is not known whether it will be possible to sell so much more goods at lower prices to compensate for the loss in profitability.

From personal experience I can give you an example of successful cooperation with a competitor. Together we purchase larger quantities of goods and receive discounts. Each works with several of their suppliers, and as a result, we both have twice the wide range. One person would not be able to organize all these deliveries purely physically, and finding a suitable assistant is not easy, and there is a great risk of raising a new competitor.

Souvenir calendar

It should be borne in mind that the souvenir trade is seasonal. The main flow of tourists falls on the period from May to August and during the Christmas holidays, and the peak in demand for gifts occurs on the eve of the most popular holidays. It is advisable to stock up souvenirs in advance, otherwise you can stay without goods on hot days. As for purely thematic gifts, such as a symbol of the coming year, there is a great risk of getting large leftovers of illiquid assets, which you then have to sell at a loss.

Development of your gift business

The logic of any business involves development, the alternative to which is decline. And here you have several ways. You can constantly expand and improve the assortment, find new suppliers, develop an exclusive design of souvenirs. You can - open additional retail outlets and / or expand the geography of the offsite trade. Or you can try to become a wholesaler, for a start - at least a small wholesaler. But this is already a topic for a separate conversation.

As practice shows, a souvenir business can bring in up to $ 2,000 a month. But it largely depends on how to organize it, on what to concentrate your business.

Business features

First of all, let's see how attractive a souvenir business is. According to studies, people spend about 30% of their income annually on souvenirs. Moreover, the niche is huge, variable, and in each of its variations there is always a buyer. So, you can implement your ideas in the following directions:

• souvenirs for football and hockey fans;
• for tourists;
• corporate, private orders;
• works of authorship and so on.

Depending on what audience your business will target, its seasonal fluctuations also depend. For example, most of the corporate orders will be on public holidays: New Year, March 8, etc. Tourists buy most of the products in the summer, when there is a maximum influx of tourists into the city. Football and hockey fans are more likely to buy scarves, figurines and badges ahead of the next match. Works of authorship are usually bought all year round without noticeable spikes in sales.

Knowing when the excitement for products is approximately expected, you can activate the business in advance and saturate the market with the necessary products.

Types of business

Despite the fact that the business is considered a home business, ideas for its implementation will help to organize both a small additional income and significant profits. The implementation of the idea can be online or offline. You can make souvenirs with your own hands and sell them, or you can act as an intermediary, selling products made by other craftsmen.

Mediation ideas

In this format, ideas can be implemented in two ways.

1. Purchase goods in bulk from companies that are engaged in the industrial production of souvenirs. You can find them through the Internet, and not only within your state.
2. Work with craftsmen who make souvenirs with their own hands. Many women who stay at home make various souvenirs with their own hands at their leisure. You can find them on thematic or women's communities or forums.

The advantage of this business implementation technology is that souvenir products can be charged a 200% mark-up from the purchase price. This compensates for the low cost of one unit of goods.

DIY making

If you are not yet ripe for a big business, you can spot-sell hand-made crafts. True, in this case, you yourself will have to generate ideas for souvenirs - unique things are most in demand. Moreover, you can make anything at home with your own hands. It all depends on what audience your ideas are for.

If souvenirs for sports fans are mainly bought in bulk from suppliers, then copyright things for tourists, corporate clients need original ideas, implemented by their own hands. It can be:

• wooden crafts;
• crystal figurines;
• miniatures depicting landmarks;
• memorable cards and so on.

• handmade soap;
• original candles;
• decoupage items;
• carving and so on.

As a rule, the implementation of such works is also the privilege of women who do them at home with their own hands.

Printing on T-shirts and mugs

Men prefer to implement ideas more thoroughly. For example, open a point for printing pictures and inscriptions on T-shirts and mugs. Of course, this is a bit of a home business, but it fits well with the concept of a do-it-yourself business. Such a case involves scanning a photo ordered for printing or creating a unique picture, printing it on thermal film and applying it to the desired surface. The implementation of any idea will take no more than 15 minutes. The simplicity of the technology allows printing even at home, if the volume of orders is relatively small.

For this you need to have:

• scanner - 3,500 rubles;
• printer 4-5 thousand rubles;
• computer - 15 thousand rubles;
• printing press (an ordinary iron is enough at first, if you organize production at home).

From raw materials you need to purchase

• t-shirts - 80 rubles / piece;
• mugs - 25-50 rubles / piece;
• thermal paper - 5 sheets (A4) 300 rubles.

If the business is not home, you will need funds to rent the premises. It is most reasonable to take it in a large shopping center, where there will be high traffic per day. In this case, the cost per square meter per month can reach 30 thousand rubles.

Profit calculation

It is difficult to accurately calculate the profit and cost of a business. It all depends on whether you will be running your business at home or from the office, what kind of souvenir products you will be engaged in, making them yourself, or acting as an intermediary.

But even with the most costly option, it may well be a lucrative business for women. The project will require relatively small investments - no more than 30-35 thousand rubles. If we talk about souvenir printing, then you can sell mugs for 300 rubles, T-shirts for 350 rubles. Such a home business will pay off in about a year. But this is still a very conditional period, since a lot depends on the number of orders, the theme of souvenirs and other things.

Sale of goods

Another important issue that needs to be resolved when organizing a souvenir business is the sale of goods. You can open a small souvenir shop. Its location is chosen depending on the theme of the souvenirs. For example, it makes sense to sell sports paraphernalia at stadiums and sports grounds. Items for tourists are on the main street of the city, where their flow is maximal. Products for women sell well in malls.

If you are making products at home, you can search for work points and sell them there. In this case, large stores and supermarkets are also suitable.

You can create an online store. This is the best way to organize a business for women. In this case, they can, without interrupting their household chores, take orders, advise and send them by mail. If there are no funds for the development of an appropriate site, you can sell the made souvenirs through social networks and free bulletin boards on the Internet.

Start your business

Whether to register your business officially depends on its format and the volume of products sold. For example, for women who sometimes make something to order, it makes no sense to waste time and money on paperwork. But if the sale of souvenirs brings a constant income, it is better to arrange this business in the manner prescribed by law.

If you are engaged in mediation, selling products of other craftsmen or your own, it is best to register an individual entrepreneur - you are unlikely to have to deal with large consignments of supplies. If you sell goods, buying them in bulk from large manufacturers, or your company has several founders, it makes sense to register an LLC.

Then we look for a room. For a small shop, you can rent a room with an area of \u200b\u200b15-20 sq. m. To buy counters, stands and a cash register. The latter must be registered with the tax office.

First you need to buy the goods in small wholesale lots. Then, after finding out what sells best, focus on purchasing that product.

Business rules

Whether you are selling souvenirs for women or for tourists, your business should be organized according to certain rules. Then his chances of success are significantly increased. The main rules are:

1. Do not conduct your business in secrecy. Tell all your friends and acquaintances about it.
2. Take part in specialized exhibitions. This will help not only to tell about yourself, but also to study the market, get acquainted with new products, and communicate directly with the target audience.
3. Even if you have an offline business, don't ignore the Internet. Look for suppliers and customers there, advertise yourself through it.
4. Remember that only exclusive products will bring success.
5. The presentation of the product must be appropriate, especially when you are selling products for women. And this applies not only to souvenir shops, but also to online stores.
6. Even when implementing hand-maid, avoid uniformity.
7. If you are a master yourself and sell your products, team up with other craftsmen.