Although it is difficult to say today when stained glass windows appeared, they lead their history from glass mosaics.
She in I thousand. e. decorated the walls or floor, and then began to fill with colored glass window openings in ancient Rome and ancient Egypt. However, the production of stained-glass windows was most widespread in the Middle Ages.
The main application of this technology was the filling with colored glass of window openings in castles and Christian churches. Since the manufacturing process was long, laborious, and required certain skills, the use of stained-glass glazing was refused over time.
Today, fashion has returned. Stained glass as the art of glazing received a second life. In addition, modern technology allows you to create not only windows, but also doors - earlier, due to the characteristics of the production process, this was impossible.
Starting a business: what you need to know
Before starting production, it is necessary to draw up a business plan for the stained glass workshop. Settlements and a business case, as well as marketing activities, are not difficult to complete. To do this, it is necessary to clearly understand what type of stained-glass windows will be produced.
Based on this, data are taken to calculate the necessary expenses, as well as in order to purchase everything necessary. In addition, you need to understand how to make a stained glass window yourself - this will allow you to more clearly identify the target audience for product sales and determine the payback period of production. Thus, there is a chance to survive among competitors.
Stained-glass windows should be distinguished by type: imitation, classic and modern. And although any of them makes it possible to create a wide variety of images, it is better to get acquainted with each of them. The simplest variety is imitation: contour, film and painted works. Using these technologies, it is possible to organize the production of stained-glass windows at home.
Classic and modern stained glass - the best solution for the workshop
The most popular will be products made according to classical and modern technology. Stained-glass windows made in a modern style include sandblasting, facet, cast, fusing. The simplest is sandblasting - grinding transparent or frosted glass in certain areas allows you to create unique products.
Classic stained-glass windows are made of small pieces of colored glass that are inserted into a metal braid. However, this type has its drawbacks - they can not be used in doors or opening window sashes. Therefore, soldered stained glass or film stained glass is used for such products. The business plan of the stained glass workshop is drawn up taking into account the type of manufactured products.
We begin to draw up a plan: we will determine the target audience
Before the stained glass workshop is opened, it is necessary to decide which market segment will be emphasized and how many customers can be obtained. The main customers of products, as a rule, are wealthy people. However, most of them order stained-glass windows for decoration of houses or public places with limited access, for example, private clubs.
This part of potential customers makes up about 60% of customers. The rest are owners of hotels, mini-hotels, private pensions, restaurants, bars or cafes.Moreover, the smaller part may soon become larger - the number of corporate customers is increasing. Therefore, when drawing up a business plan for a stained glass workshop, it is necessary to take this trend into account in order to properly promote your services.
Business promotion
Before you start production, you need to think through an advertising company. It does not make much sense to print flyers or leaflets and distribute them to people on the street or distribute them to mailboxes. It is not effective for several reasons. Many do not pay attention to the printed information.
And those who are interested, do not always understand how to make a stained-glass window qualitatively, and, accordingly, cannot estimate the necessary costs. Even if a potential customer appears, the cost will immediately scare him away. Wealthy people for the most part do not move on foot.
To attract customers, it is necessary to establish relations with companies that design residential and public buildings, architectural bureaus and window and door manufacturing companies. It is there that they can offer to use your services and create an interior design for the client with stained-glass windows.
Preliminary costs for starting a business: stained glass equipment and materials
Any production involves the premises and the presence in it of certain equipment. You can find instructions and descriptions of how to make a stained glass window in the absence of the necessary tools, but without materials and raw materials the product will not work. So, first of all, it is necessary to purchase equipment for production and place it in the workshop. Then purchase the necessary minimum materials for creating stained-glass windows. Here is just a small list with approximate prices.
1. Table for cutting glass - 6500 dollars.
2. Grinder - $ 2,000.
3. A sandblasting machine or laser milling machine - $ 10,000.
4. Stained glass films - $ 300
5. Stained glass - $ 500
6. Drilling apparatus - 1000 dollars.
7. Muffle furnace - $ 1,000
8. Additional materials - 500 dollars.
The result is 21,800 dollars. Since the starting amount is quite large, not everyone will be able to start their own stained glass window manufacturing business. However, making them at home is possible with the smallest initial capital. You can, for example, start working only with film products. In this case, the equipment for stained glass will cost a much smaller amount.
Productive capacity
It is rather difficult to answer the question “how many stained-glass windows are produced per shift”. Depends on the size, complexity of the picture, the number of colors, technique.
An average of 1 hour is spent per 1 square meter of film stained glass. Classic and modern products of the same size from colored glass take up to 6 hours. That is, in a month the workshop can produce an average of 200 square meters of products that simulate stained-glass windows, and 35 square meters of classic and modern panels.
Employees for a stained glass workshop
Not a single production can do without the corresponding workers. It will take at least 3 people: a stained glass collector, a glass cutter, a film sticker. You must also have a sales manager who will be engaged in the search and customer service, and a production manager who coordinates the work of the entire workshop. Ideally, a designer is also required, but it is not necessary to have him in a permanent state. As a result, we get 5 people.
Salary costs will be:
1) a stained glass collector - $ 800;
2) a glass cutter - 300 dollars;
3) a stickman - $ 800;
4) production manager - $ 400;
5) sales manager - 400 dollars.
As a result, for the month you will need to pay employees $ 2700.
The cost of 1 square meter of stained glass
In order for the business plan of the stained glass workshop to be complete, you need to calculate the cost and payback period.
The prime cost of a film product will be: 1.7 (manager’s salary) + 1.7 (production manager’s salary) + 4 (stickman’s salary) + 1.27 (carver’s salary) + 7 (stained-glass film costs) + 2.12 (additional materials ) + 17.79 (rent, electricity, transportation costs and others) = $ 35.58.
The cost of classic and modern stained-glass windows will be: 1.7 (manager’s salary) + 1.7 (production manager’s salary) + 22.85 (collector’s salary) + 1.27 (carver’s salary) + 35 (stained glass window expenses) + 2, 12 (additional materials) + 65.00 (rental of premises, electricity, depreciation of equipment, transportation costs, etc.) = 129.64 dollars.
Stained glass production should have at least 15% profitability, otherwise opening it is not economically feasible. As a result, we get product prices: $ 41 and $ 150, respectively.
Payback period
With the appropriate workshop power, you can calculate payback period production.
The income received from the sale of film stained-glass windows for the month will be:
200 sq. m. * 41 dollars * 22 working days = 180,400 dollars.
The income received from the sale of classic stained-glass windows for the month will be:
35 sq. m. * 150 dollars * 22 working days = 115,500 dollars
Estimated profit from the sale of stained glass
(180,400 + 115,500) * 0.15 = $ 44,385.
As can be seen from the calculations, the payback period is 1 month - the profit far exceeds the costs. In reality, the payback period may be longer for several reasons.
First of all, because in the first month the workshop for the production of stained-glass windows will not work at full capacity. The second factor that affects the payback period is taxes. They depend on the chosen form of ownership and form of taxation.
Documents for starting a business
If you decide to start the production of stained glass at home, it is enough to arrange an individual business. Of the opening documents you will need: a copy of your passport, TIN, a statement of intent to open an IP and a receipt for the payment of state duty. The amount of payment will be about 800 rubles.
