The refrigerator is a rather convenient thing, used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a reminder of very important matters. You just have to write on a small piece of paper what needs to be done in the near future and attach it to the device using simple magnets.
As soon as the appetite is worked up, a piece of paper with a reminder will involuntarily come into view. In this review, we decided to look in more detail at how refrigerator magnets are made. This business idea can become successful for entrepreneurs.
What is the reason for the popularity of magnets?
Perhaps this idea played a significant role in the appearance of decorative souvenirs. This happened back in 1971. Over the entire period of its existence, this product has undergone a fairly large number of changes. From factory conveyors, their production abruptly turned into small businesses with a fairly small initial contribution. And if earlier the production of magnets primarily required a press and an enameling device, then in the modern world it is quite easy to make a decorative product for a refrigerator with a computer and a printer at hand.
But it cannot be said that due to this transition the need for souvenirs has decreased, and the production of refrigerator magnets has become less promising. The thing is that the symbols of the era are constantly changing. This entails a demand for certain products in which new symbolic images will be embodied. Accordingly, old products will be thrown away or hidden, and new ones will take their place on the refrigerator door.
Implementation methods
In order for a business (refrigerator magnets) to be truly profitable, you need to be able to sell your products. In the case of souvenir magnets, this is quite simple. There are several ways to do this:
- open your own point or even just a place on the market in resort towns so that tourists can buy your product. As practice shows, this method of implementation is quite good;
- seasonal trade is also good, because souvenirs are excellent for all kinds of holidays;
- Selling through retail chains , but it is difficult to break into such an industry;
- Your own online store of magnetic products will be an excellent way to sell such souvenirs.
Magnets to order
But if you want to start manufacturing custom magnets, then we are ready to offer the following development option:
- create a group on social networks where you can post your souvenirs and talk about the services. This is necessary to attract customers so that they can learn more about you;
- We advise you to come up with an original name for your mini-company to make it even more attractive to customers;
- wait for calls and orders , after which you produce the refrigerator magnets that the customer requires.
The most difficult thing in this matter is attracting a customer, so all your efforts need to be focused on this. Good advertising means are groups on social networks and small signs in retail places where magnets are sold.
As for costs , for any of the models of running a souvenir business with magnets, except for the manufacture of wooden products, you will need approximately 2 thousand dollars. This should be enough for equipment and advertising.
Depending on the success of trading, profits can range from $400 to $1,000 per month. As a rule, over time, the number of orders, and with it the profit, increases.
The business will pay off in 2-6 months, after which you will receive a good profit, especially if you manage to expand your network in resort towns. Over time, the number of customers will only grow, which also plays into your hands.
The production of wooden magnets to order is very expensive, so at the initial stage it is better not to try this option. It will come in handy only when you have a decent customer base and there is a demand for this particular type of souvenir.
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Magnet production technologies are constantly being simplified
The time when refrigerator magnets were made using magnetized metal is long gone. Modern equipment has made it possible to apply a very thin layer of ferromagnetic materials to almost any polymer product.
They are capable of maintaining magnetic induction for a fairly long period of time. The backing is usually vinyl. A special coating is applied to another part of this material, onto which a specific image is subsequently glued.
Crucible press
It is the crucible press that can provide high-quality cutting or notching of the future magnet, as well as perform blind embossing or perforation. In addition, the crucible press can be effectively used to perform high-quality stamping of magnetic rubber, as it is quite capable of providing high-quality stamping of sheet magnetic rubber of almost any thickness, thereby producing magnets of a wide variety of shapes. In addition, both roll and flatbed plotters can be used to cut a flexible magnet. But on roll plotters it is possible to cut magnetic rubber only with the thinnest structure, since thick vinyl is not suitable for this equipment.
Vinyl is not an expensive material
Based on everything described above, we can say: there is nothing strange in the fact that over time, making refrigerator magnets has become possible at home. Vinyl for making magnets is a material that is magnetized rubber of various thicknesses. It can be produced not only in rolls, but also in sheets. The cost of one roll reaches 4.3 thousand rubles. According to many experts, vinyl is an ideal material used for making a variety of magnetic calendars, leaflets, souvenirs and notebooks.
Marketing, sales and advertising
The most important task for a businessman is to produce products that will be in demand. According to surveys, the most popular magnets are those with the alphabet, business cards, calendars, and zodiac signs.
To advertise your magnetic products, the best solution would be to create a website or landing page on the Internet. The cost of creating a website is 5,000-10,000 rubles. With the help of advertising on the Internet you can find a sufficient number of buyers. In addition, to find customers, it is advisable to send commercial proposals to companies and organizations with a proposal to produce corporate products - business cards, calendars with logos, or enter into a contract agreement with an advertising company.
Profitability, profit and costs
Now, let's calculate the cost of expenses for this business. For the calculation, we will assume that we will be engaged in the production of advertising products based on magnetic vinyl.
1. Registration of an individual entrepreneur will cost us 2,300 rubles.
2. We plan to purchase equipment for 150,000 rubles.
3. We will place production on a rented area of 20 m2, the cost of rent is 800 rubles/m2, taking into account utility costs. Let's take electricity consumption as 1 kW/hour, so electricity costs for an 8-hour working day will be 8*1*22*5=880 rubles. It turns out that the cost of the premises will be 20*800+880=16880 rubles. At first, such production can be done at home or in a garage, if you have one.
4. From an A4 sheet you will get from 8 to 9 magnets. For work we will use magnetic vinyl with an adhesive base with a thickness of 0.7 mm. If you buy vinyl in a roll, then from a roll of 30.5 m * 620 you will get 2044 magnets and the cost of material per product in this case will be 3.32 rubles.
5. Add the cost of paper, matte lamination film 30 microns and other materials and get the cost of one product equal to 5 rubles.
6. We plan to produce 20,000 pieces of magnets per month. The materials will be 20,000 * 5 + rental cost 16,880 and we get 116,880 rubles.
7. We plan to sell magnets for 12 rubles. Then the revenue will be 240,000 rubles and, accordingly, the profit will be 123 thousand rubles. Thus, with such an order we will recoup our investment in 1.5 months.
A magnet business will become profitable and successful only if you find good sales managers and an artist-designer. Thus, making magnets at home will require the involvement of outside specialists. For example, you can use freelance designers to create creative images. The cost of remote assistant services can cost 2000-5000 rubles, depending on the tasks, complexity, etc. You can handle the role of an accountant yourself or outsource financial transactions. The costs of promotion, designer and accountant were not taken into account in our calculations above.
Finding a customer will be easy
Manufacturing magnets as a business has certain requirements. First of all, they relate to the sale of products. But finding customers who can purchase a wholesale batch of magnets is not very difficult. The entire complexity of this process lies in the need to predict this or that corporate event.
Magnets have always been popular at various exhibitions, as they are capable of carrying a certain logo. But even if there is no customer for a wholesale batch, you can always produce single products.
What is needed to produce a magnet?
In order to organize a business, you do not need any specialized equipment for making magnets. You just need a computer. As for software, you need to purchase and install any graphic editor. You will also need an inkjet printer, die cutter and batch laminator. The procedure for manufacturing magnetic products takes place in six steps.
- You will need to print an image on transparent plastic with hot-melt adhesive, having first mirrored it in the editor.
- The transparent plastic on which the design is applied must be separated from the substrate and turned over.
- The resulting material must be passed through a laminator.
- The backing that protects the adhesive layer should be separated from the sheet.
- The sheet with the design printed on it will need to be glued onto vinyl.
- The resulting products must be cut down.
There is nothing complicated in the manufacturing procedure. The images can be absolutely anything. You just have to take into account the fact that instead of paper you need to use a transparent material - plastic.
Based on all of the above, it can be noted that the entire procedure will not require too much free time. But at the same time, you can get magnets with any picture and various shapes. The thickness of such products can reach only one and a half millimeters, but the magnets will be quite strong.
How to choose equipment for making refrigerator magnets
Completely different equipment is intended for different manufacturing methods and materials used. For vinyl magnets, an inkjet printer is purchased, and the resulting image is glued to a magnetic base, like a regular photograph. You will also need a computer and equipment (tools) for cutting the workpiece. To reduce labor costs, you can purchase a cutting plotter. For volumetric magnets, you need to buy special molds in which the impressions will be made.
High business profitability
An entrepreneurial idea, the essence of which is the production of magnets, has a profitability of 100 percent. And this is even taking into account the minimum prices that will be set for products. You can make about 8 magnets on one A4 sheet. The cost of such souvenirs will vary from 50 to 100 rubles. The cost of the manufactured magnet will not exceed 40 rubles.
Setting up a magnet manufacturing business is not too difficult. The entrepreneur will not be required to purchase too expensive equipment and invest too much money at the initial stage. Even with the help of a simple computer and printer in modern conditions, you can print a high-quality drawing.
For children and more
The success of this business depends on the ingenuity of the entrepreneur - on how much he can guess the public’s predilection for certain symbols. “The easiest way is to start with magnetic numbers and the alphabet,” advises Eldar Kusinsky. – Mothers are happy to buy such souvenirs, especially if they have shapes that the child can guess. The baby plays with them and learns.”
Whatever the image, it must be in demand by the public, so the entrepreneur who has taken up this business needs to engage in marketing. These can be fashionable cars, luxurious beauties, characters from computer games, and even views of famous cities. Magnets with pictures corresponding to holiday dates are selling quite well: New Year, March 8, Airborne Forces Day, St. Valentine, and so on.
At the same time, you don’t have to sell it yourself; it’s enough to take it to a souvenir shop. “A roll worth 4 thousand rubles can make about seven thousand magnets,” explains Eduard Maksimov. – By handing them over for at least 15 rubles, you can easily earn 50-70 thousand without leaving home. Why not business?” Moreover, to get started you only need a home computer and an inkjet printer!
Of course, this business cannot claim a million-dollar income, but for a person left, for example, without a job, it may well become a good source of income, especially since this does not require large investments.
Alexander Sitnikov, specially for Equipnet.ru
Absence of any competition
It is also worth noting that this entrepreneurial idea will be successful because there is no competition in this field of activity. The market is not saturated with souvenirs of this kind, and in some cities an entrepreneur is even capable of becoming a monopolist. The not very high cost of all products will allow you to make a profit that will significantly exceed all initial costs. That is why this business is considered highly profitable.
To summarize all of the above, it can be noted that for the first time the entrepreneur will need approximately 50 thousand rubles. But this entire amount will be fully paid off in two months, or even earlier.
What documents are needed to open
It is necessary to register the subject of business activity: most often it is an individual entrepreneur. Prepared documents (passport, code, applications for registration and taxation system) are submitted to local government authorities or to specially designed multifunctional public service centers (MFCs). After this, you also need to register with the Pension Fund and Social Insurance Fund. For settlements and payments with legal entities, you will need to open a bank account.
What is special about acrylic magnets?
Every day you can increasingly see acrylic magnets on many people's refrigerators. They are quite beautiful and original. Therefore, their popularity is understandable. In addition, making acrylic magnets is not too difficult. They consist of only two parts:
- A body that serves as a blank. The material used is transparent plastic – acrylic.
- Printing insert.
When creating a magnet, the image is simply inserted into a previously made housing and snaps into place. With the help of prefabricated housings already available, the production of acrylic magnets occurs at a rapid pace.
Master class 4. Magnets from plastic mini-toys
The most stylish magnets can be easily made from plastic toys, namely animal figurines.
Materials and tools:
- Scissors or sharp knife;
- Thermal glue in a gun;
- Paint and brush if necessary;
- Small magnets;
- Plastic animal figurines.
Instructions:
Cut the toy in half or lengthwise.
Pour hot glue into the inside of the resulting workpiece to the very edges and leave to dry.
When the glue has hardened, start painting the craft (including the “filling”) in 1-3 layers. At the end it can be additionally varnished.
Now just glue the magnet to the figure and enjoy the result!
Production of sunset magnets
The main difference that sunset magnets have is the iron base. The manufacturing technology for magnets of this sample is as follows:
- Purchase of a specialized machine. It is a not very large press with which you can roll the edges of iron blanks.
- Printing elements must be available - images, bases, magnetic vinyl and inner insert.
Making sunset magnets also has its downsides. The disadvantages include the high cost and the not very wide range of types and shapes of the magnets that were manufactured.
Positive features include the ability to produce fairly large quantities of goods in a very short period of time and the ease of organizing a business idea. In addition, using the machine you can make not only magnets, but also badges.
Advertising activity
In order to attract potential customers and interest them in your products, it is best to create a business card website. In addition, advertisements can be placed on other portals of similar topics. Advertising activities on a large scale are not advisable, since the company will be engaged in wholesale sales. You can also advertise your activities through supermarkets, selling some of the magnets with their help.
Selling magnets can bring quite high profits. Therefore, it makes sense to try hard to ensure that your income is very high.
