Not only socks, but also tights, and other hosiery products have always had and will be in good demand among consumers. But today, this market is almost seventy percent full of goods received from abroad. However, it is worth saying that every day the number of entrepreneurs who want to fill a niche in this profitable and sought-after area is growing.
Idea for business
If you decide to start your own business, which will bring good income, but do not have great financial opportunities, pay attention to the production of socks.
It seems that this product is just a trifle, which is difficult to make money on. However, for a modern person, socks are an item without which it is simply impossible to do.
Market analysis
Before you begin to draw up a business plan that should reflect all the necessary aspects of organizing business, you should study the consumer demand for hosiery. This product has always been popular among Russian consumers.
Back in the days of the USSR, the country was one of the first places among the states of the world in terms of sales of hosiery per capita. With regard to the current situation, currently the demand for this product is not reduced. It continues to grow, although the domestic market is mainly filled with goods from Chinese manufacturers.
Fortunately, this product began to arouse interest among Russian companies. This can be explained by the fact that sock production is highly profitable. Profitability of this business can reach one hundred percent.
Difficulties
It should be borne in mind that the implementation of a business project involving the production of socks is not so simple. On the path to success, any entrepreneur expects a lot of difficulties.
From the beginning of the organization of their own business until the moment when competitive products appear on the market, about ten years can pass. The first two or three years will be spent on the start of production, and the rest of the period it will need to be debugged.
The main factors that have a negative impact on accelerating the payback period of the project are the lack of the necessary domestic raw materials, as well as qualified specialists who should be involved in the technological process. This is especially true for the production of women's tights.
Many entrepreneurs fear huge competition from Chinese manufacturers. Despite all this, the production of socks in our country makes sense. Domestic businessmen have one very important advantage - proximity to the consumer, which will instantly respond to possible changes in demand.
The first steps
What is necessary to open own production of socks? First of all, you need to analyze the available financial opportunities. After this, you should decide on the market for finished products. After opening an organization or individual entrepreneur and registering with the tax authorities, it will be necessary to find the premises necessary for the production process, select the appropriate equipment, and also select the technological, technical and administrative personnel.
Assortment list
The developed business plan should have a description of the goods that will be produced by your organization. The choice of the necessary equipment depends on this.
Socks come in many forms. According to the manufacturing method, these products are divided into knitted and knitted. Different types of socks are distinguished, depending on the raw materials used in their production.
So, the material for the manufacture can be natural plant, animal or synthetic fiber, as well as combined fabrics. Socks are distinguished depending on the type of equipment that was used to create them. So, in the production process, round or flat-hobbing machines, as well as fang machines, could be involved.
When planning your own business, it should be borne in mind that in terms of demand, the optimal combination of quality and price, as well as assortment, men's knitted socks from cotton threads come first. At the same time, customers prefer to purchase products in dark colors. The most popular are sizes from twenty-fifth to thirty-first.
Manufacturing technology
The production of children's socks, as well as men's and women's, consists of several simple steps. First of all, a workpiece or the basis of the product is created. After that, the toe is sewn. The next steps in the process are forming the sock, as well as applying auxiliary elements and marking. At the last stage, the finished product is subject to packaging.
Necessary equipment
To organize the production process, you will need special devices. The machine for the production of socks, which runs the basis of the product, is a knitting machine. This equipment may vary in cylinder diameter and type of raw materials used. It is also classified by type of knitting.
Hosiery knitting machine for the production of socks is single or double cylinder. A different number of needles can be set in the clip of the apparatus. This factor affects the density of the knitted fabric. In the manufacture of the product needles can be used in various thicknesses. The thinner they are, the socks will be denser. The size of the product depends on the diameter installed on the equipment of the working cylinder.
Hosiery and knitting equipment for the production of socks carries out a number of operations. After installing the yarn on the creel, the machine creates elastic cuffs. At the next stage, the pagolenok appears, then the heel with the foot and toe. At the end of the work, the threads of the used yarn are trimmed. It produces automated equipment. At the last stage, the procurement of the future product enters through a special vacuum selector, falling into the storage basket.
Kettel semi-automatic machines - this is the equipment for the production of socks, which is used in the second stage of the process. With their help, suturing of toes is carried out. At the entrance of these machines, operators lay the workpiece. The rest of the process is carried out in an automated way, without human intervention. Sometimes in the manufacture of socks, a manual type kettling machine can be used. After sewing up the toe, the product again enters the storage basket.
Separate equipment is used to form socks. This process is pressing, after which the base of the product is steamed. Semi-automatic molding machines are capable of heat and moisture treatment of socks. In order to manage and maintain the pressing equipment, it is enough to have only one person on staff.
At the next stage, the finished product is marked. This can be a label sticker on a sock pair sewn together or a personal pair patch.The equipment for the first and second method of marking will require different.
The last stage of the process is the packaging of the finished product in bags, which are sometimes marked with a logo. If the manufactured socks are inexpensive, then they can not be packaged at all.
Equipment purchase
In order to organize the production of socks, as well as children's tights, you can purchase domestic machines. If this option is considered in your business plan, then the amount of necessary funding for these purposes will be from three to fifteen thousand dollars. To reduce costs, equipment does not have to be purchased new.
The option of installing serviceable but used machines may be considered. Their cost will be in the range of several hundred US dollars. The most significant drawback of such equipment is its inconsistency with the requirements for the assortment list of products, the demand for which exists in the modern market.
A business plan drawn up before organizing your own business may include other options. For example, the acquisition of equipment from a Chinese manufacturer.
A knitting sock machine in this case will cost in the amount of five to eleven thousand dollars. Chinese manufacturers will offer kettel machines for 3.5-4 thousand dollars, and molding machines for 5-10 thousand dollars.
Hosiery machines excluding transportation costs, payment for bank services, certification, etc. will cost about 33.5 thousand dollars. Additional costs will increase the cost of equipment by almost one and a half times.
However, this figure is not final. The equipment will need to be installed, adjusted, trained to work on it staff. Together with the purchase of raw materials it will take another 5-10 thousand dollars.
Receiving a profit
The profitability of the most expensive products that will go on sale in a chain of stores ranges from forty to one hundred percent. Cheap marketed socks are less profitable. The level of profitability of their production is from twenty-five to thirty percent.
If the whole process is organized correctly, then the payback period of the project will be from one and a half to two years. Such terms are calculated with production volumes of 50-60 thousand pairs of socks per month.
