It seems obvious that if the choice of confectionery products on the market in Russia is diverse and wide, then it is practically impossible for developing companies to compete in this area. However, the potential for development exists among beginners. The main thing is to skillfully position the product.
One of the areas requiring relatively small initial investments may be the production of caramel on a stick. Probably all adults still remember childhood candies in the form of colorful squirrels, cockerels and other animals. Despite the fact that at present there is a huge selection of various confectionery products, including sweets from Western suppliers, the “cockerel on a stick”, known from Soviet times, still does not lose its relevance.
General description of the market situation
The history of the manufacture of candy in our country lasts more than a century. Despite this, not so long ago this product was not taken seriously by the domestic manufacturer. The situation changed dramatically after Western companies (Wrigley, Mars, Dirol Cadbury) entered the Russian market and began to promote their products.
The competition among domestic producers of candy is not very high at the moment, but in our country there are already a number of factories producing this type of candy. Despite this fact, the market, according to analysts, is still very far from saturation and its growth will continue.
The advantage of our product over foreign is quite obvious. As a rule, adults buy sweets for children. And they remember the candies they enjoyed as a child. Therefore, preference is given to products of domestic production, the high quality of which has been tested for years.
Your business: where to start
If you are ready to start a business such as the production of caramel on a stick, you will definitely need a permit, the necessary equipment, raw materials, a typical recipe, as well as an area intended for production and storage. The smallest set of forms should consist of twenty five to thirty species. You can either make them yourself (the cost will depend on the material used), or buy ready-made ones (for a batch you will give at least twenty-five thousand rubles).
Which molds should I prefer?
At this stage, the choice is quite obvious. Most manufacturers recommend the use of aluminum molds. When pouring caramel syrup has a high temperature. Aluminum, unlike plastic and silicone, cools in a very short time, which makes the manufacturing process faster. In addition, these forms will last you a long time.
If you still decide to use silicone molds, then they must be purchased from manufacturers specializing in this type of product. When purchasing them, you must pay attention to density. Soft molds for making candy are not suitable for pouring liquid hot caramel. Cheap plastic and silicone products have one thing in common - they wear out in a very short time.
Candy base
If you intend to build a business on candies, then exclusively natural ingredients should be used as raw materials, because this characteristic of sweets is the main advantage of Russian manufacturers. A caramel mass consisting of water and sugar is used as a base. Juice, fruit essence, seasonings and spices are added to it. Then the mixture is poured into molds, where cooked sticks (wooden or plastic) are put in advance.
Work with documents
When manufacturing products, it is necessary to focus on GOST. Candy caramel can be made and sold if you received:
1) permission of the sanitary and epidemiological station to production facilities (the preparation of these documents is the most difficult process);
2) a sanitary and epidemiological opinion on the product, which, as a rule, is issued for five years (its registration will take a week and will cost about twenty thousand);
3) test report (the cost is up to three thousand five hundred rubles);
4) certificate of conformity, which will be valid for one year (registration takes place within two business days, the cost is ten thousand rubles).
However, renting a room, buying equipment, obtaining all permits, finding suppliers of raw materials, hiring a responsible and hardworking employee (or several) is only half the battle.
Product Promotion
The production of candy caramel will bring you income if you establish channels for marketing the finished product. If the initial investment and production volumes are not too large, you should concentrate on your region. Promote products to grocery stores, wholesalers, or retail chains.
It is preferable to forget about selling caramel on the market from the tray. But offering products to specialized stores is a great option for a novice manufacturer. However, in this case, it is recommended to make sure that your caramels are both tasty and attractive.
Do not save money when it comes to packaging. Creating your logo is best left to a creative designer. It is also worth resorting to creating your own site.
In addition to the catalog with your assortment, you can write on the Internet about various offers, upload videos and reports from production, information about the composition of candies.
How soon will the business pay off?
As we mentioned above, the demand for these goodies is quite high. However, due to the fact that the production of caramel on a stick in small enterprises is carried out manually, the production volumes of one factory are initially very small.
Therefore, from the first months of work, it is necessary to invest the income received in the expansion of production in your own, as well as in neighboring regions.
The cost of producing one candy is approximately five rubles. Manufacturers sell the finished product to wholesale companies at a price of ten to fifteen rubles apiece.
The payback period of such a business as the production of candy in the manufacture of 500-800 units per day is approximately six months. Experts argue that this is a fairly short time, and therefore this case is cost-effective.
Opening of a large production
If you are going to seriously engage in the manufacture of caramel, you will need an automated line. It is computer-controlled and can easily replace up to twenty workers. If you have such a line, the volume of your production will be from 150 to 600 kilograms of sweets every hour.
In accordance with sanitary standards, the main parts of such an installation should consist of stainless steel. Thanks to the automated line, the production of caramel on a stick will not only become more efficient, but will also allow the production of sweets of any shape.
In addition, you will need to take care of the purchase of equipment for packaging finished products and conveyors. In this case, the size of the initial investment will be over one and a half to two million rubles, not taking into account the cost of renting warehouse and industrial premises. The payback period under such conditions will increase to one year.
