Here is How to Start Pen Making Business – Profitable Business Plan
If you’re looking to start a lucrative business making custom pens, you’re in the right place. Crafting and selling unique, high-quality pens can be a profitable way to add a little extra money to your pocket and build a successful business in the process. In this blog, we’ll be outlining what you need to consider when creating a business plan for your pen-making venture. We’ll look at different approaches to selling, tips for branding your own pens, and methods to market your business.
Also, we’ll discuss the financials of running a pen-making business and provide a few helpful resources to help get you started. With the right plan in place, your custom pen-making business could be up and running in no time!
Pen Manufacturing as a Business
You may have only viewed pen as a medium of writing but it can also be a good source of revenue if you start to manufacture them and sell them in market. With a very small investment and little space you can start your own pen manufacturing business and earn a decent return from it.
If you are interested and want to give it a try. We suggest you start with a small investment. Order custom pens at wholesale prices from pen manufacturers and earn money by reselling them at higher unit prices. You can expand your business once you are familiar with it.
The below mentioned steps would guide you in starting your own business. But before that it is also important to look into the merits and demerits of pen manufacturing business. It is always wise to be well aware of all the aspects of a business before putting your hand in to it.
Merits of Pen Manufacturing Business
- Pen manufacturing business does not requires large capital investment. You will only require few thousand dollars or even less to start your business. This indicates that it would not put financial pressures on you
- You don’t require a separate space for starting your manufacturing business. Even a decent sized room in your house would suffice.
- Since the requirement of pen remains active in the market it would be obvious that you will get a market for your product
- The whole business operates at low cost and is also much simpler than any other business and it also doesn’t require much manpower
Demerits of Pen Manufacturing Business
- Pen market is quite huge and is already very crowded. Everyone now seems to be investing in this business but the market is growing with a steady speed
- Since the manufacturing is at huge volumes, the production of pens are high and consumption is moderate, this decreases the market value of product
- There is very small profit margin in selling pens. It is obvious that a local brand cannot sell costlier pens and therefore it has to sell cheap pens that give very small profit margin, especially to the manufacturer.
- With many pen manufacturers in the market, brand value of local market becomes irrelevant and it can easily be replaced by other competitive brand thus your profit would not always be the same.
With the pros and cons of pen business let’s understand how a pen manufacturing business works and what it takes to start it.
Knowing what would be the end result
New interesting business ideas always attracts new entrepreneurs and often they act without knowing the end results. Before you venture out in pen manufacturing business it is important to know what would be the end result.
The end result chiefly means the return on investment that you make. Is it worth the effort you make for the business? If yes then you should proceed and if not then you must not. To know the end result you obviously need to research on the business and it’s every minute details. Here are some ways to analyze your market.
- Research well about the pen industry in your country, your state and your city.
- Know how much of worth your industry is
- Know about the potential competition you have if you choose to enter the market
- Know about the resources that will be required to start your business and whether you can afford it or not
- Know about the estimated capital investment
- Lastly, how much return will you get by investing in the business
The above method is also known as feasibility analysis which you can do it by yourself by researching the market, meeting people involved in the business or by hiring a firm that does feasibility analysis for its clients.
Create a Detailed Business Plan
A business plan depicts what steps will you take to incorporate your business, the investment details, expense required, resources required, man power, return on investment, risks and failures, etc. A business plan is also helpful to attract investors and to secure loan for your business. It also guides you while starting your business and keeps you on track.
How to Start?
Let us quickly get to know how to start your business. To start your pen manufacturing business you will need the following things.
- Raw materials to manufacture pen
- Machines to manufacture pen
- Space to setup your manufacturing unit
- Capital Investment to purchase such products and lease space for business
- Manpower and pen manufacturing specialists
- Networking in order to create a market to sell your products
- Managing the business and return on investment
Raw Materials to Manufacture Pen
There are certain raw materials that are required in order to manufacture a pen. Here are some of them:
Barrel: A barrel is the main body of a pen and it is where the ink is generally filled. Present day pens mostly have refills in it therefore the barrel part remains empty in order to accommodate the refill.
Metal Tip: A metal tip is the main end of a pen from where the ink flows and which is put on the paper in order to write something. A metal tip should be of quality standard to ensure its smoothness. The metal tip is connected with refill or the barrel to facilitate the flow of ink.
Plastic Adapter: It connects the metal tip and the barrel together. This is made of plastic.
The Cap: A pen cap is the most common part of any pen. It covers the metal tip in order to ensure non-leakage of ink and to secure the metal tip.
Ink: Ink is the fluid which is used in the pen to make the scribes on the metal sheet visible. Ink is very important part of any pen and it is important that it has standards. Ink can be of any color like blue, black, green or red.
One can purchase these items in bulk or can manufacture few of them on their own. You can purchase pen ink in bulk that is in liters and can use it to fill the refills of pen. Barrel, plastic cap and adapter can be manufactured using standard plastic. For this you need plastic or recycled plastic. You can purchase the required machines which are necessary to manufacture these products.
Machines Required for the Process
Apart from the raw materials you also require some machines that will be used for manufacturing. They are:
Punching Machine: This machine is used to punch the plastic adapter into the barrel from one end.
Stamping Machine: Stamping Machine is used to print the name of your company on the body of the plate in order to advertise. You can avoid this if you are not interested to brand your pen. You will not need this in case you are supplying pens in bulk for some other company who will use their stamp on the pen for various purposes.
Ink Filling Machine: The machine is used to fill ink in the refill or the barrel. Ink should be filled with precision while making the other end closed. There should also be no air in the barrel and between the inks as it will impact the flow of ink.
Centrifuging Machine: This machine is used to remove the air gaps between the metal nip and the barrel. It remove the air in between the inks in order to ensure smooth flow of ink and thus better writing experience.
Drilled Nozzle Plate: It is used to fix the metal nip into the barrel or the refill.
You may also need machines to manufacture the body of pen like the barrel, the metal tip, the cap, etc. if you want. You may directly purchase such items in bulk for better convenience.
Space to Setup your Manufacturing Unit
It is obvious that in order to manufacture pens you will require a decent space where you will do the manufacturing work. The good thing here is that you don’t need much space to start your job. A decent sized room is enough to start your work.
If you are operating at small scale then one room is enough for you which can be manage in your own house. If you find it necessary then you can lease a space for the same. If you are already the owner then you will save much money which may be wasted while renting space.
Capital Investment to Start your Business
Based on the feasibility analysis report and your business plan it is obvious that you would have got the estimate of the capital investment that is required to start your business. The cost of labor, specialists, skilled technicians, rented space, registering as tax entity, employees in office, raw material cost, machine cost and some extra expenditure.
To sum it up you will not be required to spend a whooping capital for your business but just few thousand dollars. You can reduce it by taking necessary steps like starting your business at a space owned by you. Doing the management and accounting work for yourself. Hiring men who are multitalented.
Manpower for your Business
You may need help of one or two men to assist you for your small sized business. Hire those who are multitalented and can do different jobs. You can get them trained in the field of operating machines and manufacturing the pens. If your budget allows then you can hire an advisor for your business who can also manage the accounts.
Market for your Business
You need to create or discover a market in order to sell your manufactured product. You have to meet those numerous shopkeepers and distributors who deal with stationary business. Create a network of them all to sell your products.
You can also choose to setup your own retail shop to sell pens in order to increase the profit margin. You may also contact some businesses or companies who purchase pens and then brand it with their company’s name to distribute it within their company or to clients. Pharmaceutical companies are best example of the same.
Managing your Business and Return on Investment
Managing your business is an important aspect in order to get best results. From arranging every item to setting up your business and to hiring your employees. All requires lots of efforts. Managing your business with efficiency will increase the profit margin and will give you good returns.
First few month of your earnings would be spent on the investment you made and only after that you will start to get any returns. Profit margin which is low in this business can be increased by increasing the product value or by doing value addition. You can also sell other items or manufacture them like text books, tennis balls, etc.
Lastly, in order to ensure success in your business, planning is very essential followed by execution. Always remain on your toes as a small mistake may cause big damage to your business. In this competitive market your smartness will matter the most.
FAQS
To start a pen making business, you will need a workspace, tools, raw materials such as pen blanks, inks, clips, mandrels and drill bits, specialized knowledge, and a customer base. This business is best suited to those with a background in carpentry, woodworking, and/or mechanical engineering.
Promoting your pen making business can be done through a variety of avenues. You can join online pen forums, create a website for your business, participate in trade shows, and/or advertise through print and online mediums. Social media is an excellent way to get the word out about your products and business.
As a pen maker, you can make various types of pens including ballpoint pens, fountain pens, rollerball pens, and mechanical pencils. You can also offer custom options such as personalized engravings and unique details to customize your product.
The cost of setting up a pen making business will depend on your budget and the type of business you want to create. Expenses to consider include materials, tools and machinery, marketing, and legal costs.
The cost of your products will depend on both the materials used to create them and the complexity of design. Generally, it’s best to price your pens according to the supply and demand of the market; if the demand for your product is low, you’ll need to lower the prices in order to compete.
Pen making requires the use of sharp tools, so it is important to be aware of these potential hazards and take all necessary safety precautions. Be sure to wear eye protection, gloves, and other protective clothing while operating machinery and use caution when handling and working with sharp materials.
Common issues faced when making pens include uneven drilling, irregular cutting and shaping, split wood blanks, messy finishes, and loose components. In order to reduce the risk of these problems, it is important to use the right tools and follow proper processes at each step of the pen making process.
To ensure quality production of your pens, it is important to invest in high-grade materials and use proper build techniques at each step of the pen-making process. In addition, it is important to test your pens for performance before shipping them off to your customers.
Creating a professional brand for your pen making business involves more than just your logo. It is important to build an engaging website that contains comprehensive product descriptions and images, provide exceptional customer service and develop a consistent brand image across all online platforms.
To increase the profitability of your pen making business, consider expanding your product line to offer a wider selection of style and design options, look into selling through ecommerce stores or other online retailers, and create a loyalty program to encourage customers to make repeat purchases. Additionally, you can look into offering gift sets or bundled packages to further differentiate your business.