Soft Toys making business is a very simple business to start. In addition to this, starting this business requires a very low investment. Soft toy manufacturing is primarily dominated by women. Although men are also making inroads into this business activity nowadays.
Here in this article, we will show you how to start soft toys making business along with the market potential, business plan, and machinery required.
Why You Should Consider Starting Soft Toys Making Business?
Soft toys are one of the few items which will never lose their relevance. The kids are the biggest market for this product.
You won’t find in this world a single kid who does not have soft toys in their kitty. The style, taste, and trends may change with time but soft ways will remain in kids’ hearts in any part of the world.
The product variants are unlimited ranging from wildlife, extinct animals, bears, pets, rural animals, sea creatures, chimps, exotic creatures, puppet horses to bird creatures.
The soft toys making business is an attractive business proposition for many reasons. Firstly, it is a simple business to start. The manufacturing process is rather easy provided you enjoy the job.
Secondly, you can start this business from home. As your profit increases, you might think of shifting your workspace to commercial zones.
Thirdly, the investment to start this business is extremely low unless you want to start in a big way. Fourthly, the soft toy market is not controlled by brands. New entrepreneurs can easily compete in this business.
Here are the 6 Steps to Start Soft Toys Making Business
1. Understand the Local Market
The first step is to know more about the local demand and trends of the toy market in your immediate locality. Do exhaustive market research and collect information regarding the types of soft toys that are selling most, competition from other players, and the pricing band. This feedback will help you in planning your toy-selling business more effectively and explore the gaps that exist.
Also, if you are planning to sell online, explore marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, etc, and find out the soft toy items that customers are buying online the most.
2. Create a Business Plan
Based on the information collected from the market research, start writing your soft toy business plan document. Some of the topics that your business plan must include are the following:
- Initial and recurring costs
- Target customers
- Pricing plan
- How do you plan to sell your soft toy items?
3. Name your Soft Toy Business
It is essential to select a catchy name for your soft toys-making and selling business. An attractive and relatable business name not only enhances brand equity but also fetches more and more customers who can relate your products with your company. You can learn more about how to name a business to learn more.
Furthermore, register your website domain name as it is almost mandatory to have a presence in the online space.
4. Tools & Equipment to Start Soft Toys Making Business
If you are starting this business from home with a small investment, the following materials are enough:
- Raw materials like clothes, acrylic furs, ornamentation items you like.
- Sewing Machines
- Basic equipment like scissors, tapes, needles, threads, etc.
- Packing Materials
A space of 250 Sq ft or more is enough to start soft toy manufacturing from home.
If you want to start with a bigger investment looking for bigger returns, you must look for semi-automatic or automatic machines that are readily available in the market. China happens to be the major machinery supplier in this sector.
The cost of buying a good quality soft toy-making machine will be around $5000.
Also, Read Top Small Business Ideas for Kids
5. Learn Soft Toys Basic Manufacturing Process
The process of manufacturing soft toys is easy. Basic steps include pattern, paper cutting,
The general basic steps include pattern, paper cutting, mold making, fabric cutting, sewing, inversion, eyes and nose pinching, stuffing, back closing, and finishing.
Firstly, the cloth is cut according to the requirement and stitched accordingly. Secondly, you need to fill the inside of the toys with materials like a sponge. Thirdly, tune the toy according to your imagination. Finally, go for quality checking and packing.
6. Promote your Soft Toys Business
Having a well-planned marketing plan is central to the overall success of the soft toys business. You need to promote both online and offline. It is essential to reach out to local wholesalers and retailers and have ties with them.
Creating a logo is the very first step towards creating your promotional assets. The logo must be included in your brochures, pamphlets, and visiting cards. Social media marketing is another low-cost way of promoting your soft toys business.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.
