Production of children's toys from plastic. Raw materials for plastic toys: the main selection criteria. Production of plastic toys

In the sector of plastic toys in the domestic market, a "redistribution" is slowly but surely taking place. Recognized leader - China in recent years has greatly weakened its position. It was pressed by manufacturers of the post-Soviet space. Next in line is the struggle of our enterprises with Western players, whose market share remains unchanged so far.

Easy division

In the last two or three years, there has been a steady increase Russian market plastic toys. Its capacity, according to experts in the gaming industry, annually increases by about 20-25%. At the same time, experts state that the plastic sector is still very, very far from saturation, and they predict no less growth over the next five years. If we talk about the division of the plastic toy market, today the share of post-Soviet manufacturers on it is about 20%. Approximately 40% are occupied by Chinese enterprises, and the same (40%) by manufacturers European countries.

According to experts, two years ago, Chinese plastic products occupied almost 70% of the Russian market. So, taking into account today's figure (40%), we can talk about a serious weakening of the position of the Celestial Empire. And the market share of post-Soviet manufacturers is growing every year due to the displacement of goods from China. The main reason is the interest of consumers in high-quality and original toys and the increased well-being of Russians, which allows them not to save on children's goods. “Two or three years ago, buyers purchased mostly inexpensive products: the cheaper the better,” confirms Andrei Marchuk, head of the marketing department at Polesye. - First of all, they were interested in the price. And now they pay more attention to the quality and functionality of the toy.”

“In the next three to five years, the assortment of plastic toys produced in Russia will expand,” says Rustam Kashaev, deputy director of the Sovtekhstrom enterprise. – Domestic goods will become better, their design and packaging will improve. Some toys will be produced under the brands of retail chains. Nevertheless, even all Russian manufacturers taken together will not be able to fully meet the needs of the market in plastic products for games.”

If we take exclusively the post-Soviet production segment of the plastic toy market, then here the alignment of forces is approximately as follows: about 70% were "captured" by three large plants - Nordplast (Russia), Polesye (Belarus) and Stellar (Russia), and the remaining 30% are accounted for by smaller enterprises. Opening a factory for the production of plastic toys is a very expensive business (high cost of equipment and molds, huge development costs). new products and so on.). Therefore, experts do not predict the emergence of a new major player in this manufacturing sector in Russia and the CIS countries. “In addition, today all foreign companies are trying to open production in China - it's much cheaper,” Andrey Marchuk notes.

"The main competitor of all Russian manufacturers“This is China,” Rustam Kashaev supports his colleague. - It is necessary to develop and produce a product that, in terms of quality, price, properties, outperforms the Chinese one. And to pursue such a policy that it would be more profitable for Russian trading enterprises to purchase plastic toys from domestic manufacturers. Today, on the shelves of stores, for example, sand sets, mosaics, medium-sized transport toys without mechanisms are mainly represented by Russian brands. Our task is to make sure that this list expands.”

However, representatives manufacturing sector The Russian gaming industry will sooner or later have to think about competition not only with Chinese, but also with European enterprises. It is much more difficult - after all, the share of European players has been steadily holding at the level of 40% in recent years. On their side are well-known trademarks, high quality, a well-developed system of promotion and sales. And they are clearly not going to give up their positions without a fight.

Unsatisfied demand

The Nordplast plant is the largest Russian manufacturer of plastic toys for children, one of the leading domestic manufacturers. Over the past two years, the assortment of the enterprise has grown three times: from 50 to 150 items. The main product groups are cars, tractors, sand sets, educational toys, sporting goods and construction sets. The company produces products of various price categories: from inexpensive sand sets to elite garages-constructors.

If we talk about the plant's sales leaders, then it is worth noting the Nordica series (6 variants of cars). It appeared in the assortment of Nordplast three years ago and during this time has become a bestseller among other products of the enterprise. According to the specialists of the plant, the main advantages of this series, which helped it to take the first place, are beautiful design, bright colors, high-quality workmanship and affordable price. Nordics are toys for every day, they are miniature and compact, do not take up much space, the average size of one item from the series is 7x12 cm.

Among the latest innovations of the enterprise are constructors, developing games, new sand sets. For example, in the near future will go on sale New episode educational games "TITLE". It helps children learn to recognize colors and shapes of geometric shapes, and also forms elementary mathematical concepts in them. Games will also help develop fine motor skills and creative imagination child.

“Today, the demand for our products exceeds supply: incoming orders are larger than the volumes that we produce,” says Oksana Kondaurova, commercial director of the Nordplast plant. – Therefore, in 2007 the plant plans to increase the production of toys by at least 20%.

Unfortunately, Stellar specialists declined to comment and did not provide information about the assortment. Therefore, we do not have the opportunity to acquaint readers with the point of view of the market processes of the plant management, as well as with its products.

Indirect competition

Another largest plant for the production of plastic toys - "Polesie" is located in Belarus, it produces more than 350 items. The demand for its products in Russia is also growing every year, which entails an increase in production volumes: for example, in the last quarter of 2006, the average monthly processing volume was 270 tons. Polesie products are divided into 4 main areas: transport toys, educational toys (including construction sets), play and sand sets.

The assortment of the plant also includes eight options for different buckets and four watering cans, plus a variety of shovels, rakes, etc. - thus, due to the different configuration, you can make more than 150 sets for playing in the sandbox. In this group, new items become bestsellers every year. For example, in 2006, the undisputed leader was the original "flower-bucket". This year, the championship, according to the specialists of the plant, will surely go to an unparalleled bucket created using AML technology (the so-called in-mould labeling). The product is very beautiful thanks to full color printing. And high-quality due to the peculiarities of production: the image on it does not deteriorate from water, does not fade or scratch - that is, it is completely protected from exposure external factors. The factory has already produced 16 different designs of this miracle bucket.

In the transport series, a “super giant car” of 80 cm length stands out, which can withstand quite a lot of weight. The product is available in two versions: with a body or with a seat. In the second case, the child can get into the car - and this is no longer just a car, but a "wheelchair" for children from 3 to 6 years old. Game sets manufactured by the plant are expensive goods, so it is difficult to single out sales leaders here, everything is sold fairly evenly. Although the set with the "Nanny" doll (changing table, bath for bathing, doll, clothes, bottles, etc.) can still be put in the first place.

Every year, the assortment of the Polesie company increases by 15% due to new products - the company does not replace old products with new ones, but increases the number of positions. “We are trying to develop and produce products that other companies do not have,” says Andrey Marchuk. - This allows you to occupy your niche and avoid direct competition. Our policy is an emphasis on original novelties, we try to produce products that do not intersect with the range of other factories. Today there are about 40 molds in development, in 2007 it is planned to release a large number of new toys in all product groups.

younger brothers

As already mentioned, in the Russian market, in addition to largest factories, there are also a number of smaller-scale manufacturers, including the companies Abriko, Kasson, Sovtekhstrom, Plastmaster, Technolog, etc.

The product range of the Technolog company can be divided into Board games-constructors and prefabricated models. The company's products are unique in their kind and practically have no analogues both in the domestic and world markets: this is an assembly without glue, the mobility of the assembled models and the possibility of real shooting. The games produced by Technolog are educational in nature, they teach children logic and the basics of strategic thinking. They also stimulate the imagination and provide communication skills.

The Sovtekhstrom enterprise produces more than 300 types of plastic toys: sand sets, kitchen sets, constructors, mosaics, pyramids, game items, sports and outdoor games, goods for children's creativity etc. Kitchen sets are very popular among buyers. They include more than 50 large items, made with excellent quality and in interesting colors.

The leaders of sales are also products of the sports group and goods for children's creativity. “We are trying to produce products that have no analogues among Russian-made goods, or there is an obvious shortage of them,” says Rustam Kashaev. “Whenever we launch a new product, we strive not to repeat the size and appearance of existing toys so that we can’t directly compare our prices with the prices of other companies – price wars are not for us.”

Overseas curiosities

Many domestic dealers and distributors working with well-known products foreign companies, bring high-quality European plastic toys to Russia, which creates healthy competition on the market and gives post-Soviet enterprises an incentive for further growth and development.

The Orion Group company, for example, started its activity six years ago and during this short time has grown into a powerful trading operator. It operates in the market with a wide range of plastic toys, which is divided into 10 different categories and includes more than 350 items. These are educational games, construction sets, cars, goods for girls, summer assortment, bicycles, board games, rocking chairs, children's sports equipment, as well as electronic microdolls. The company is the exclusive distributor in Russia of the products of the Orion (Ukraine), Technok (Ukraine), Maximus (Ukraine), Dolu (Turkey) factories. Orion Group also acts as a distributor soft toys The Wolt Disney Company and Tomy's exclusive electronic microtoy (the world's smallest interactive dolls - micro-babies and micro-dancers).

"On this moment the company has four branches,” says Andrey Nazarov, development director of Orion Group. – The central office is located in St. Petersburg, and branches are in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar Territory. Own vehicle fleet in each of the branches allows the delivery of products to retail outlets and warehouses in as soon as possible».

The brightest and most original novelties presented by Orion Group, micro-babies and micro-dancers, toys of the Microworld line from Tomy. This series of electronic toys has already won the hearts of buyers all over the world, and now it has reached Russia. Micro toys are the smallest interactive dolls in the world. For the minimum size (3.5 cm) and great functionality, these products even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Micro-babies can respond to voices, claps, crawl, talk, sing, drink milk from a bottle, and even change their mood. Each character in the series (there are six in total) has its own character and habits. Micro-dancers are small dancing dolls. The style of their dance depends on the melody. The toy can choose the rhythm itself, or it can dance to a given melody.

“I didn’t notice the elephant ...”

Still, there is a sector on the plastics market in which the probability of a new production player appearing is quite high.

“In Russia today, no one produces a large-sized plastic toy,” says Andrey Marchuk. – This segment will develop, it is practically not filled. Bringing large toys from China is not very profitable, their weight leads to high transport costs. Of course, there are Western manufacturers producing large-sized plastic. But they are located in Europe, where everything is becoming more expensive, and the cost of such goods is quite high. An enterprise that starts producing large toys in Russia will have a much lower production cost. In addition, shipping costs are deducted. So oversized plastic toys domestic production will be very, very attractively priced." But until such a new player has appeared, the Polesie company is trying to make the most of all available opportunities - it introduces a large toy into its assortment: cars, sets, etc. The company's specialists note that these products are in great demand today.

Mastering an unoccupied niche and the company "Sovtekhstrom". “In 2006, we made molds and started manufacturing large-sized toys: Zubr dump trucks and wheelchairs,” says Rustam Kashaev. – Introduced products to our customers and received positive feedback. Already in the first months, it became clear that the sales of new products would go very well.”

Wholesalers are not far behind. For example, Respekt, the exclusive distributor of the South Korean brands Oxford and Haenim Toys, is actively importing large plastic toys to Russia. “Demand for these products began to grow in the last two or three years,” says Irina Semicheva, executive director of Respect. – And in 2006, our sales of large plastic doubled compared to 2005. The niche of large-sized toys is not filled, there is very little gaming equipment on the market. Cottage and suburban construction will grow every year, therefore, demand will increase, but there is practically no supply.”

The advantages of Korean brands represented by the company "Respect" - a wide range of products, high quality plastic and packaging. This product is especially suitable for Russian frosty winters: Korean plastic has passed the so-called "Arctic test" - it can withstand frosts down to minus 20 degrees Celsius. In addition, toys from Korea are distinguished by excellent thoughtfulness of every detail and safety. For example, their slides are curved or wavy - they dampen speed, and the steps are corrugated so that the baby's legs do not slip. Of the novelties, it is worth noting the play areas - sets of several items, for example, a house, a slide and a swing.

“The main buyers of large-sized plastic toys are kindergartens, game centers and various entertainment complexes,” says Irina Semicheva. - On the second place - online stores. On the third - retail chains who have large retail space("Mega", "Hobby Center", etc.). Then there are buyers from the regions who work "on order" for clients from cottages and country houses. In Moscow, products are also bought by Sport and Leisure, Everything for Home and Garden stores and retail outlets on the highway. There are many customers - consumers of large plastic today. It's up to the manufacturers.

So, today the Russian market of plastic toys is in the stage of "redistribution". Here, as in all other segments of children's goods, consumer interest in Chinese products is declining. And the Celestial Empire literally lost about 30% of the Russian market over the past three years. This is a very significant share, which was immediately captured by manufacturers in Russia and the CIS countries. They offer quality products at affordable prices, a wide range, constantly introducing interesting new items. Today, they practically do not have to "crowd out" Chinese products - buyers do it for them. In addition, they avoid direct competition among themselves - after all, each has found its niche in the huge domestic market. And the demand for their products still exceeds the supply. But this will not always be the case. Therefore, even now it makes sense for manufacturers in Russia and Belarus to direct their free forces to the fight against Western brands. After all, the next large piece of the pie can be snatched off only at their expense.

Igroprom magazine

IN modern world there is probably no such person who would not dream of doing own business bringing in a stable income. The most important thing is to choose a suitable niche for yourself, study competitors, discard all fears and start working.

If you look at the materials from which toys for children are made, then these are, as a rule, polymers and plastic. Of course, they have high strength and low weight. However, such materials are artificially obtained and can harm the health of the child. That is why mothers today quite often prefer toys made from natural ingredients, such as wood. Currently, the production of children's wooden toys as a business is developing quite actively.

At first glance, it may seem that the release of wooden toys is boring. However, if you approach the issue with imagination, then it is quite possible to come up with unusual and interesting models. Such toys will please even the most capricious little buyers.

We evaluate the investments required to start a business

How much money will it take to start making wooden toys? The production of such products requires start-up capital approximately 450,000 rubles. Doing business in this area is quite difficult.

Product range

What toys can be made from wood?

Here are just a few of the more common types:

cars and other transport: buses, cars, trucks and so on;
railway: sets with rails and wooden trains are very popular;
educational wooden toys: puzzles and pyramids for the development of fine motor skills, puzzles and constructors for older children.

How to start a business?

What to do if you are interested in wooden toys? Production can be successfully established in your own home. To do this, it is enough to equip a small workshop and register as individual entrepreneur. After that, you can start the process of making toys that you can then sell. At the initial stage of development client base It is enough to offer your products to acquaintances and friends.

Be sure to include a detailed description of the marketing mechanisms in the business plan for the production of wooden toys. In the future, this will allow you to choose the most effective ones based on a thorough analysis of the main channels.

hand made

Often the manufacturing process takes a lot of time. But at the same time, the finished product can be safely called hand made. Those who want to get something original and unique will be happy to buy such a toy. In addition, serial equipment for the production of wooden toys does not allow manufacturing them according to individual parameters. And manual work allows you to make products of any shape to order. A skilled craftsman will be able to cut both Smeshariki and Transformers.

Setting up production

Suppose you set yourself the goal of setting up the production of a wooden toy. What are the companies in modern market carrying out such activities? What does it take to start a business?

Here are just a few points to pay special attention to:

Production room. Ideally, it should be divided into several workshops or rooms in which various operations are carried out: assembly, painting, processing, and so on.
Equipment and machines for the manufacture of wooden toys. The minimum set includes: drilling, milling, facing and you will also need chisels, hacksaws and planers.
Materials and equipment for painting. In production, in no case should you save on the quality of paints and varnishes, since the manufactured products are intended for children.
Consider in advance how you will package the finished products. For this purpose, both a cardboard box and plastic are suitable. Cardboard packaging meets all environmental requirements.

We select personnel

What else do you need to make wooden toys? Production is not only materials and equipment, but also skilled workers. The manufacturing process itself must necessarily be divided into several technological operations. It is advisable not to organize the work in such a way that one person is both an artist and a sawing master at the same time.

In order to produce high-quality and diverse products, it is recommended to buy programs for computer simulation. With their help, you can develop original and unusual models of toys. The manufacturing technology itself is not particularly difficult. The manufacturing process consists of cutting out parts of a certain shape, painting them and assembling them. Despite the fact that this process is quite simple, it is still better to involve specialists for the work. At first, one master will be enough for each workshop. Subsequently, with the expansion of the business, it will be possible to attract additional people.

Competitors

In Russia, the business of manufacturing wooden toys is a fairly popular destination. Currently, there are several companies that are engaged in the production of such toys.

Here are just a few of them:

"The world of wooden toys".
"Tomic".
"Krasnokamskaya toy".
"Vintik and Shpuntik".
"Pinocchio".

What else do you need to know for those who decide to produce wooden toys? Production should be started only after a detailed study of the product range from competing companies. Your organization may specialize in one thing. In addition, you can produce toys for children of a certain age category.

How to set up sales

Various methods can be used to sell finished products. First, you should try to sell products in bulk in toy stores. However, this method is not always effective, especially when you consider that the windows of modern stores are lined with colorful plush and plastic toys. There is another way: you can open your small shop based on production. The third and easiest in reality modern life option - sale through an online store. It is enough just to develop a website and think over its content. It may contain information about toys, as well as photos of finished products. If you plan to use this method, then be sure to lay in an additional approximately 50 thousand rubles in the starting capital.

Conclusion

What is needed to launch the production of wooden toys and become such a major market player as the Krasnokamskaya Toy company? Any business requires investment. And in this area you will find a lot of additional costs.

Here are just a few of them:

buying or renting premises;
wages to employees;
purchase of special software products;
purchase of equipment;
purchase of consumables.

All of these points need to be considered if you want to produce wooden toys. It will not be possible to establish production without high-quality equipment. Otherwise, you risk getting defective goods. To avoid extra costs A well-written business plan will help you to optimize the budget of the enterprise.

The quality and cost of a toy directly depend on what raw materials were used in the production process. The more expensive the raw materials, the higher the cost of the final product. However, Russian manufacturers have found ways not to save on raw materials and at the same time not to raise the price of goods.

Strictly control the quality

Today, Russian toy manufacturers are fighting for decent quality reasonable price under rather unfavorable raw material conditions. If we take, for example, such initial material for the production of toys as artificial fur, then on the entire territory of the post-Soviet space you can find only three plants for its production. One is in Russia, the second is in Ukraine and the third is in Belarus.

Polypropylene, the second material widely consumed by the gaming industry, is produced in a country with a population of one and a half billion by only 4 plants. Three of them have existed for a long time, since Soviet times, when production was at a qualitatively different level and was constantly fed by the state. Whereas the fourth - Nizhnekamsk - is a purely opportunistic phenomenon, justified by an acute shortage of raw materials on the market. Polypropylene-based manufacturers highly appreciate the quality of the more expensive Korean and Finnish polymer, while the level of affordable Russian polymer still leaves much to be desired. But even if we do not take into account the quality of domestic raw materials, four plants for a huge country, according to expert economists, are very few.

One of the largest Russian factories, Nordplast, uses six types of raw materials in the production of plastic toys, but about 80% of the entire raw material base is polypropylene. The enterprise relied on inexpensive Russian materials, but with the condition of quality stability from batch to batch. Oksana Kondaurova, commercial director of the Nordplast plant, says: “We process about 200 tons of polypropylene every month. Most of it is domestic production. We are serious about the quality of raw materials, the company has an input control of all incoming materials and components. We buy polypropylene in Kapotnya and Ufa. We usually pay for raw materials with a deferred payment from a week to a month.” “We buy imported raw materials, but not more than 10% of the total volume of consumables,” says Oksana Kondaurova. - This is due to the constant change in prices for imported and domestic raw materials. For example, we had experience in purchasing imported polypropylene made in Korea and Finland: they have material good quality. Accordingly, working with such material allows to reduce losses and accelerate manufacturing process. Purchases began, but after a while, raw materials became much more expensive. The volume of purchases has decreased - we cannot sharply increase the cost of production and increase the price for the end consumer in the face of fierce competition. However, in order to improve quality and develop new, more complex toy parts, we increasingly use materials from imported manufacturers. Among other things, the choice of raw materials of domestic brands is small. So, last year we started using imported grades of polypropylene, polystyrene and ABS to produce a new type of product.”

Minimize losses

However, far from all enterprises can buy Russian raw materials. According to Sergey Oreshin, director of the Alanger company, domestic raw materials are well suited for enterprises with a large number of castings, producing standard products. “They usually have a special workshop for crushing low-quality products - after all, according to the technology, 20% of secondary raw materials can be used in the production of final products,” he explains. – We have a different approach: defective products do not exceed 4% and are not reused. This allows saving on its storage, processing and optimizing production costs.”

The Alanger company has developed its own method of reducing the cost of production when purchasing expensive imported raw materials. Sergey Oreshin shares the secrets of “optimization”: “We use polystyrene for the production of toys, our company purchases exclusively imported raw materials. We tried to work with Chinese, it is quite cheap, but its quality is unstable. It contains many additives, the so-called inclusions, due to which the product ceases to stick. And this directly affects the final product. The same situation with Indian raw materials. Therefore, today we settled on the German brand BASF: stable quality, clear deliveries. German polystyrene costs about 20% more than domestic polystyrene. However, when working on Russian materials, manufacturing defects are the same 20-22%. Even low price polystyrene cannot compensate for such losses. In addition, German raw materials are delivered in convenient packaging, absolutely sealed, not letting moisture in. And from domestic polystyrene, as experts say, "water just oozes." We also buy imported, Austrian dyes that are approved for use in the food industry. This is a very important point: after all, the consumers of our products are children, so we do everything to ensure that toys are absolutely safe for their health.”

Alanger buys German polystyrene and other materials from a Moscow supplier specializing in the sale of imported raw materials in Russia. This removes all problems with delivery and customs. In addition, the company can purchase the right amount of products at any time. The supplier was chosen carefully, based on the analysis of several similar firms.

Prepare for crises ahead of time

According to igroprom experts, commodity crises of varying degrees of severity happen all the time. The main thing in this case is to make sure in advance. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a situation where production simply stops. Oksana Kondaurova says: “We face commodity crises about twice a year. spring Russian factories stop for prevention, and in winter there is a problem with the transportation of raw materials during the New Year holidays. Therefore, every year by May and December we create the necessary stock. Of course, it is not very convenient to store large volumes, but this is our main raw material, and interruptions in its supply can lead to a stop in production.”

Chinese commodity dominance

If you try to sketch a map of the raw materials of the world, using even relative data, Russia will not be among the leaders in terms of the level of domestic raw material turnover. Which in itself is quite paradoxical. We have vast territories, oil and other natural resources, constant complaints about unemployment and an urgent need for gaming enterprises in high-quality inexpensive raw materials. However - and most experts in the toy industry recognize this - the title of raw material leader is still firmly held by the countries of Southeast Asia. Thus, according to the RBC magazine, China is currently increasing its consumption of resources at a frantic pace. In many positions, he is already No. 1 in the world. Being the largest importer of ore, aluminum, zinc, and the second largest importer of oil, the Celestial Empire becomes a full member of international market relations. By producing huge quantities of various raw materials domestically, China is able to dictate prices for it to the world market. And the thesis “Chinese means cheap” is already untenable.

The fashion for toys is subject to no less frequent changes than the fashion for clothes. Trends, materials, details, colors, styles are changing. Not a single country, except China, is capable of producing such a quantity of raw materials necessary for the gaming industry (including Russian) in a short time. This is due to the fact that China, like no other country in the world, has learned to minimize energy costs. Combined with cheap labor force and the status of the world's second oil importer, this ability allows the country to maintain its position as the No. 1 supplier of raw materials for the toy industry. A huge number of world-famous toys have already taken the path of 100% transfer of production to China. Most Russian manufacturers place orders at factories in China. The dynamics of the outflow of orders to China today significantly exceeds the dynamics of the development of the Russian raw materials industry. Assessing this state of affairs, experts find it difficult to make predictions. Some tipped Asian countries (China, India, Taiwan) further raw materials "absorption" and the transfer of production there Russian companies. Others leave Russia a chance to turn on its full potential and become a competitive country producing raw materials. However, both of them make an amendment both to the current Russian legislation (to open any production in the fatherland, one will have to face a huge number of financial and bureaucratic difficulties), and to the Russian mentality. “We haven’t even really learned how to make gasoline,” the head of a large production company game industry, who wished to remain anonymous. - Despite great amount extracted oil, we still sell it in its pure form, instead of refining it on the territory of the country, using processed products for another production and making the same polymers at home, and not buying plastic made from our own oil from the Chinese at overpriced prices. prices."

The main types of raw materials for the production of plastic toys.

The interest of entrepreneurs in this direction commercial activities, as the production of toys, can be explained not only by the conclusions of analysts about the good prospects for this business, but also by the fact that they have their own small children. But, regardless of the reasons that made you pay attention to this direction entrepreneurial activity, for the successful organization and development of your enterprise, it is necessary to study in detail all the nuances of the business, including production technology and promotional activities.

In this regard, the presented article is an indispensable assistant, both for experienced small and medium-sized businesses, and for aspiring entrepreneurs who have firmly decided to please the kids with beautiful and high-quality toys. own production. This information will be of interest not only to business representatives (entrepreneurs, investors and bankers), but also theorists of economic disciplines, university students who plan, after receiving a diploma, to organize their own business, as well as young mothers and fathers who want to know how and what toys are made for their babies.

Toy production - a general plan for organizing your business

Despite the optimistic forecasts of experienced analysts regarding the production of toys in Russia, you should be guided by the market situation in this segment, which has developed in your region.

This means that the initial stage of this commercial project includes detailed marketing research:

level of demand for children's toys;

the most popular types of these products;

how many firms are engaged in the production and sale of toys;

whether there are companies from other regions on the market (what they offer, what prices they set, etc.);

study of representatives target audience(income level, average number of children in the family, what part of the family budget is spent on buying toys).

Based on the data obtained, you can plan your future business: draw up an approximate range of products for children, calculate the optimal volume of production of toys, make a list of the necessary raw materials and consumables, and also determine what specialists are needed for the effective operation of the company. We can say that at this stage your task is to draw up a general “picture” of the future enterprise.

Starting from the assortment range compiled by you, you need to think about the production technology. A big plus for the organizer of the presented direction of entrepreneurial activity is the presence of experience in this industry. In extreme cases, you will have to invite a specialist to work, who will begin to perform his duties even before the start of production activities.

He must choose the optimal technology for manufacturing products for children, find high-quality equipment for the production of toys from different types of raw materials: soft, wooden, plastic, etc., and also help with the selection of personnel.

In addition to purchasing the necessary equipment, you need to find a room in which the production of products for children will be carried out. Be prepared for decent expenses for repairs and compliance with the requirements of fire inspectors and representatives of Rospotrebnadzor. Without them, you will not receive all the necessary permits.

One of the most important points is the creation of a real business plan, which should take into account all the costs associated with the organization and development of your commercial project. Main financial document it is necessary to record not only one-time costs and monthly production costs, but also the risks that exist even in cases where the most reliable project is planned. Be sure to think about advertising your company and products, which you want to do even before the start of toy production.

If you decide to do business, but you are not a full-fledged businessman, then you need to register with tax office, statistical bodies and relevant funds. Many novice businessmen are most afraid of this procedure, but such fears are completely unfounded these days. It will take no more than ten days to complete the documents, and, unlike the situation in the 90s, you will not have to visit many offices in state institutions every day. Registration, both IP and legal entity carried out in one place, quickly and without additional costs.

Selection of priority types of products and technologies for their production

In order to cover all segments of the children's toys market, large financial injections are needed.

As a rule, at the "start" each entrepreneur begins his activity, focusing on one direction:

wooden Toys;

plastic products;

Stuffed Toys;

production of goods for children from different materials.

The main criteria that novice manufacturers need to consider are the safety of products and the interest of little “experts” in them. Experienced business entities who have been working in this industry for more than one year recommend developing toy designs using the advice of child psychologists. They will help to create not just a bright and beautiful toy, but also make sure that the product contributes to the development of the child. The result is safe, beautiful, attention-grabbing and educational toys for children.

In the process of creating a new product, the following factors must be taken into account:

the age of the children for whom the toys are intended;

offers of similar (or very similar) products of competing firms;

the cost of production of this product;

its competitiveness.

Many in this line of business test their products with the help of their children and their friends. Large companies first produce a trial batch to test the reaction of children, and then make changes (if necessary) and launch full-scale production.

After choosing a priority direction and forming a product range, you need to choose the optimal production technology. In this case, the size of the starting capital plays a decisive role. Some entrepreneurs start their activities by organizing the production of wooden toys, which are made 50-80% by hand. Naturally, the cost of these products will be high, and the volume of production will be small. Such workshops often work to order, and the mechanism for generating profit in this case differs from traditional ones; many craftsmen work not to increase production, but to improve the toy itself. They will make 5-10 unique items that will bring him more money than a hundred toys made by an assembly line.

For the production of children's goods in large volumes, it is necessary:

find a room;

purchase equipment;

get all permissions;

hire staff;

start the process of making toys.

Legal Issues

To organize a new direction of business activity, it is necessary to have all permits, first of all, you must register with the tax office, statistics authorities and special funds. But, before that, you need to choose the legal form for your future business. If you plan to work in a small workshop, using the labor of 2-5 employees, then it is quite enough to draw up IP documents and write an application for choosing a simplified taxation regime.

Entrepreneurs who decide to produce large volumes of children's toys in order to cover not only the local market, but also please children from other regions of Russia, it is best to register an LLC. This legal form may be the only possible option for registering a business if you have partners participating in the case on equal terms; if you plan to expand your activities and conquer foreign markets; when you need to get a business loan. In addition, there are individual factors that influence your choice in this matter. But do not forget that the cost of registering a toy business should be recorded in your business plan.

Given the fact that the products in question are intended for children different ages it needs to be certified. The received document will be one hundred percent confirmation that this toy is of high quality and safe for children's health.

Novice businessmen need to know that the production of toys that copy cartoon characters, TV shows, etc. not possible without a special license that confirms your right to manufacture these products.

Another set of documents is required for production premises. All fire safety requirements must be observed in your workshop (availability of fire extinguishers and fire shields, emergency exits, etc. is mandatory). All these issues are controlled by the fire inspector and provide the appropriate permission. In addition, the room must have a working plumbing, sewerage and electricity, and you must also take care of ventilation and maintaining a normal temperature.

Personnel, advertising and sales of toys

The issue of forming the staff of the company directly depends on the scale of production and the availability of sophisticated equipment.

In addition to ordinary workers who will be directly involved in the production of toys for children, it is necessary:

equipment adjuster;

Shift Supervisor;

technologist;

Foreman.

The next category of employees of the enterprise consists of: the head of the entire company, the chief accountant, the designer, the sales manager, the office manager, as well as other employees who contribute to effective work firms. But do not forget that in each individual case there are certain points that can affect the formation of the state.

Considering the production of toys as a business, it must be remembered that any line of commercial activity will not be profitable if you do not engage in advertising. In this situation, it is possible to carry out promotional activities even before the production workshop starts working. It is best to simultaneously engage in advertising in the media, distribute leaflets and create a company website, develop pages in in social networks, as well as the placement of relevant ads on all available resources.

The effectiveness of promotional activities will show the process of selling the first batches of products. By this time, young mothers and fathers living in your area should already know the name of the company and the range of toys offered.

The sale of goods for children can be organized as follows:

with help world wide web, focusing on small wholesale parties;

sell toys to specialized stores, supermarkets and other outlets small wholesale parties;

sign agreements with private kindergartens and other childcare facilities;

open your store right next to the production hall.

Economic indicators

As you may have guessed, it is impossible to give some general example to demonstrate this area of commercial activity (a workshop where thousands of toys are produced per month cannot be compared with a small workshop). But if we take the average statistical data based on the information provided by real entrepreneurs, then we can say that about 1,500 thousand rubles are needed to open a workshop (one-time costs). Such a business should pay off in a year or two of normal operation. That is, your average monthly profit will be at the level of 100 thousand rubles, which is a good indicator even for a steadily developing economy, and in this case we are talking about unsatisfactory macroeconomic indicators.

If organize this business at home, then you need a lot less money, the main items of expenditure:

purchase of raw materials;

salaries of employees.

Profitability, gross income and net profit in this case depend on your skill and ability to sell. But today you can find a lot of examples when home business for the production of unique toys allows you to make a decent profit.

A detailed study of all aspects of the production and sale of toys shows that this is a promising and interesting area of commercial activity that can be organized without huge capital and other resources to “start”.

The production and sale of children's goods for entrepreneurs has long been considered promising activities. The situation has not changed in our time. A vivid confirmation of this is the huge selection on the market of toys intended for children of various age categories.

On the other hand, the quantity is not the main indicator, since modern people prefer to buy useful and high-quality things for their child. In this regard, we can safely say that the production of wooden toys is a promising type of entrepreneurial activity.

Market Review

As the analysis of the domestic market of children's goods shows, its lion's share belongs to cheap products of Chinese origin. If a few decades ago, goods from the Middle Kingdom were considered a real curiosity, now in the vast majority of cases they are nothing more than consumer goods, from which our consumer is frankly tired. As a rule, these products are made of poor quality materials.

Now the situation has developed on the market, when domestic consumers increasingly prefer more expensive, but high-quality and environmentally friendly goods. This is especially true for parents. In this regard, the business plan for the production of wooden toys looks very relevant now.

Advantages

Toys that are made of wood have a number of advantages over plastic counterparts. First of all, in this case we are talking about the environmental safety of such products for the child. In addition, they are more durable and have an original design.

As a business, the production of wooden toys looks very attractive due to the need to invest a not very large amount of financial resources at the initial stage.

As practice shows, usually about 50 thousand rubles are enough to purchase equipment and organize this kind of activity.

The entire manufacturing process in this case is quite simple and consists in the preparation of blanks, their processing, coloring and packaging.

Wooden toys are not inferior to their competitors in such an aspect as modernity. The fact is that, in addition to the usual classic models (pyramids, cubes, cars), a wide range of modern varieties is now on the market. Among them in Lately the most popular were toys with electronic elements, as well as educational models.

Necessary equipment and personnel

A factory for the production of wooden toys should consist of several rooms. Each of them will specialize in certain types works, which were discussed earlier - processing, assembly and coloring. As for tools, at the initial stage it will be enough to acquire a milling machine with program digital control, as well as drilling, edge banding and grinding devices, a chisel, a hacksaw and a planer.

Knowing the main characteristics of future products, as well as the potential scale of production, one can draw conclusions about the need for certain tools. Among the consumables, in addition to the wood itself, packaging means (bags, boxes) are needed, as well as varnishes and paints, which must be chosen for reasons of their environmental friendliness.

The production of wooden toys cannot be organized without hiring appropriate specialists. At the initial stage of business development, part of the work can be done independently, but two or three more people will still have to be called for help.

It is desirable that they have some experience in this field. In the future, subject to the achievement of certain success, it will be possible to additionally hire artists, designers or other specialists. In order to save money and the delivery of goods at first, it is better to do it yourself.

Sales of finished products

Having organized such a type of entrepreneurial activity as the production of wooden toys, it is necessary to first consider ways to sell finished products. As practice shows, the best option is to open a website.

In addition, you can try to establish cooperation with specialized stores. Such products are quite highly valued abroad. On the other hand, one cannot fail to note the fact that the production of wooden products is properly established there as well. In this regard, in order to interest foreign consumers, it is necessary to create exclusive author's handmade models.

conclusions

In order to successfully establish the production of wooden toys, a novice entrepreneur needs to master a number of professions, starting with a sales manager and ending with a company director. It is recommended to hire additional staff only after the appearance of a stable number of orders and an increase in sales revenue. Based on the experience of many similar companies, this occupation has every chance of becoming the main business of life and bringing a stable profit.

If you look closely at modern toys, these are mainly plastic and polymers. Yes, these are light and durable materials, but their chemical components harm the child. For this reason, mothers began to give preference to toys made from natural materials, in particular, from wood. And the production of wooden toys has become a very popular niche in the business.

Assortment of toys

It only at first glance seems that toys carved from wood are boring and uninteresting. But if you approach the matter with enthusiasm and creativity, you can come up with original models that will interest the most capricious young buyer.

Video from the factory World of Wooden Toys (MDI)

Our business valuation:

Starting investment - 450,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The complexity of starting a business is 9/10.

So, what kind of toys can be made from wood?

Transport (car, tractor, etc.).
Railway with wooden rails and a train (it sounds strange, but such sets are very popular today).
Educational toys made of wood (for the smallest - pyramids, and for older children - puzzles, puzzles, constructor).

DIY

If you know how to make unpretentious toys with your own hands right at home, or you have a small workshop, then you can register an individual entrepreneur and start selling your work. You can start with friends and acquaintances who will pass on information about your mini-business through word of mouth.

Making wooden toys with your own hands often takes a lot of time, but the finished product can be safely called the proud and fashionable word hand-made today. Such products will be willingly bought up by those who want their children to have everything unique. Also, such a business makes it possible to make some specific toys to order, because a real craftsman can cut even Smesharikov, even Transformers, out of wood.

Universal woodworking machine Enkor Corvette-320

large production

If your goal is a real mini factory for the production of wooden toys, then you will need:

Production room. It is good if it has several rooms (workshops) in which various technological processes: woodworking, painting, assembly, etc.
Machine tools for the production of wooden toys (at least milling, drilling, grinding, facing) and other tools (planers, chisels, hacksaws, etc.).
Equipment and consumables for painting works. It will be impossible to save on the quality of paints and varnishes, because. products are intended for children.
Package. Wood will do better in plastic than in cardboard box. Although the latter is more environmentally friendly.

Staff

The production and sale of wooden toys is not only equipment and materials, but also personnel. There must be a division of labor, i.e. it is undesirable for one person to be both a sawing master and an artist at the same time.

To produce better and more diverse products, you can purchase special computer programs that make it easier to develop original toy models. The technology for the production of wooden toys is not difficult. The process consists in cutting out parts, painting them and assembling them. But no matter how simple the process, you can not do without specialists. At the initial stage, one person for each workshop is enough. Subsequently, the business can be expanded and attract additional employees.

Potential competitors

The manufacture of children's wooden toys as a business in Russia interested many enterprising people who opened the following companies:

"MDI" - World of wooden toys (manufactured in China).
"Tomik" (Tomsk).
"Cog and Shpuntik" (manufactured in China).
"Pinocchio" (manufactured in China).
"Krasnokamsk toy" (Perm).

Before starting your own wooden toy business from scratch, take a look at the product range of the listed companies and take note of some ideas. You can choose a specific type of wooden toys and make it your thing. Or produce a variety of products for children of all ages.

Marketing methods

Implement finished products possible in different ways. The first option: sell in bulk to toy stores. It's simple, but often the wooden toys in the windows are overshadowed by soft "singing" cats or colorful transformers. Therefore, there is a second option: to open your own small store based on production. It can be located near the workshop.

Third option: online store. To do this, you just need to develop a website and fill it with content containing information about toys and their photos. The development of an online store is another plus of 50 thousand rubles towards the initial capital.

The best home business ideas for women.

Business idea: production of toothpicks with a logo.

How to write a business plan for the production of socks?

Initial investment

Small expenses are not enough here, because there are a lot of cost items:

rent (purchase) of large premises;
hiring specialists;
purchase of a computer program and training of employees to work with it;
rent (purchase) of equipment;
purchase of consumables.

Buying equipment for the production of wooden toys is not cheap. Machines must be new to exclude marriage. Hooks, bumps - all this threatens with microtrauma for the child, which is unacceptable.

If we take the approximate amount, then the starting capital will be 400-500 thousand rubles. If you draw up a competent business plan for the production of wooden toys and how to protect it, you can get a grand or just a bank loan. The payback of the project begins after the sales of the first batches, because the price tag for wooden toys is usually quite high. It will be possible to fully "recapture" the invested funds in a year and a half, depending on the success of the enterprise.

Benefits of wooden toys

Many entrepreneurs, choosing a direction in business, start not only from financial, but also from ethical considerations. They want to receive from the enterprise not only profit, but also moral satisfaction. Wooden toys for kids are perfect for this, because you create safe, natural products that bring joy.

It should be immediately taken into account that toys made of wood are products for a narrow circle of consumers. Parents whose children are used to playing modern Transformers and tablets will not buy a wooden train or car for their child. It will just be pointless.

Your customers will be modern mothers who understand the benefits of wooden toys:

environmentally friendly products;
strength in contrast to analogues made of plastic;
domestic production (today it has a high prestige among Russians);
unusual design, original models;
a return to childhood, because modern parents mainly played with wooden cars and trains.

Practice shows that love for wooden toys is instilled literally after one model that falls into the hands of a child. Therefore, your efforts will not go in vain. Sooner or later, the attention of most children and parents will be riveted to wooden toys, and your enterprise will receive maximum fame and, therefore, profit.

The high interest in such a line of business as the production of wooden toys can be explained not only by the desire of many entrepreneurs to organize a profitable and promising business but also taking care of our children. Modern materials for the production of toys can be compared to a time bomb.

Of course, plastics and polymers belong to the category of strong and reliable chemical compounds, but some of them can harm children, despite the constant control of SES and institutions that issue quality certificates for products for babies. The horrific picture of infant mortality and the general health of babies makes us look for the causes of such negative phenomena. And toys play an important role in this list.

This article discusses the main points of the organization and development of the production of products for children from environmentally friendly wooden materials. Readers will learn what it takes to create your own company, how you can organize the commercial production of toys from natural raw materials with minimum size start-up capital, as well as receive information about the main problems that await start-up entrepreneurs on the way to the implementation of this commercial project.

Production of wooden toys - prospects for this business

Despite the fact that our country has all the prerequisites for the production of wooden toys, this business does not belong to the category of popular commercial activities. In all of Russia, there are less than a hundred factories, factories, workshops and workshops that produce wooden products for kids. At the same time, in Europe this figure is at the level of several hundred, excluding small workshops and individual specialists in the manufacture of wooden toys. So, the first reason why you should pay attention to this line of business is the lack of manufacturers of high-quality toys from natural raw materials.

The main competitors in the domestic market of wooden products are Chinese factories and factories. But they cannot make real competition to domestic producers. Chinese toys are no different high quality, it is difficult to attribute them to the category of developing products, and the unstable situation in the foreign exchange market had a negative impact on their value. The absence of real competitors confirms the fact that the manufacture of wooden toys in our country can be considered as a promising business.

The unstable situation in the economy and the deterioration of the financial situation of many citizens of our country have a negative impact on the purchasing power of the population. But even in these difficult conditions, loving parents will not spare money to buy a quality product made from natural raw materials for their child.

That is, this industry will develop even during the period of a general decline in production. And the most important argument in favor of the development of this field of activity is that wooden toys are absolutely safe for the health of your children.

Considering all the above facts, we can conclude that the production of children's toys in Russia is a promising area of commercial activity, which is of interest to both experienced businessmen and investors, and beginners. But do not think that everyone who organizes an enterprise for the production of products from natural raw materials will immediately begin to earn huge sums of money. To do this, you need to work hard and be ready to solve a large number of issues related to the search for talented craftsmen, obtaining permits, renting premises, purchasing equipment, etc.

We'd love to hear from you!

The factory "Spring" - at that time still the artel "Toy" - appeared in 1942. Since then, the production of toys has never stopped. The factory produces 1,200 different kinds of children's play products, of which about 500 are dolls. Production shops and plots are located in Kirov and beyond - in Slobodsky, Lyangasovo and Batashy. The goods are sold through a dealer network in 70 regions of Russia, as well as to the CIS countries. Branches of the company are opened in Orel and Nizhny Novgorod. The Village visited the factory and found out what and how the dolls are made of.

Toy Factory "Spring"

One of the oldest manufacturers of children's toys in Russia

Location: Kirov

The number of employees: 530

Foundation date: 1942

The process of developing a new doll model before it appears on the store shelf takes about nine to ten months. According to the factory's business plan, there should be about a hundred such new products a year. Every day, the production produces about three thousand dolls. Models change every day, usually there are 30-50 types.

First, artists, fashion designers and designers develop an image new toy, make sketches of appearance and accessories. Then the sculptor-former makes the shape of the future parts of the doll from plasticine - the head, arms, legs and torso. On their basis, a plaster mold is created, then a wax mold and, finally, a metal galvanic mold. It is she who is used for the next stage of production - rotational molding.

On the rotation section from the dispenser, the galvanic molds are filled with PVC-plastisol (polyvinyl chloride-plastisol) and hermetically sealed. Then the discs, complete with galvanic molds, are placed in a rotary oven, where they are rotated in three parallel planes and simultaneously heated. This procedure does not allow the plastisol to sinter, but evenly distributes it along the walls of the mold. As a result, the substance "gelatinizes" - turns into a dense solid material. All furnaces are computerized, and, depending on the program and product, on average, galvanic molds are inside from 8 to 16 minutes at a temperature of 140–270 degrees. After that, in order to easily remove the semi-finished toys, they are cooled in a special chamber.

Details of plastic dolls - torso and legs - are made by extrusion blowing. In an extruder - a recycling machine - the plastic is melted and falls into the open mold of the torso or legs of the doll. After filling, its edges are closed, and compressed air is supplied inside, which accelerates the molten material through the mold cavity. From open form the finished product is removed and sent to the plastics processing area.

In this area, holes are drilled in the torsos of the dolls so that the doll can be assembled and inserted, if the doll is voiced, a sound device. All the texts spoken by the dolls undergo a psychological and pedagogical examination. The expert gives a conclusion that listening will not harm the child and will not cause aggressive actions, but, on the contrary, will develop the necessary skills. It also determines from what age a child can play with this doll. In addition, each toy has a certificate of conformity.

Next, the products go to the art site. Here, the designers give the workpiece the look of a doll. First, hair is sewn on to the toy on a special sewing machine. Before performing this procedure, the heads are heated in special heating drums at a temperature of about 65 degrees: when the plastisol is soft, it is easier to flash it. For hair use Italian nylon fiber. Straight hair of dolls is sewn immediately from the bobbins, and for wavy ones, steamed nylon is used, which comes from the manufacturer folded in rings.

After that, the designers make the dolls “make-up”: they blush their cheeks with an airbrush, paint eyebrows and lips with a brush. Then the semi-finished product goes to a specialist who inserts the eyes. Some of them are produced right there at the factory, but the main share is from a Spanish manufacturer.

The next stage of doll production is assembly. The factory produces soft stuffed dolls (the head, arms and legs are made of plastisol, the body is made of non-woven material and is filled with a hypoallergenic mixture of synthetic fiber and foam rubber) and plastic (the body and legs are made of plastic, the rest is made of plastisol). At the same stage, the dolls are dressed and combed. For each toy, fashion designers have developed their own clothes and hairstyle.

One of the popular doll models is Anastasia. She has 11 collections, including, for example, "Sport" (Anastasia the figure skater), " Folk motives"(Anastasia is a Russian beauty) or" Professions "(Anastasia is a teacher).

The factory has several sewing shops for the production of clothes. One of them has a knitting area where knitwear is made for dolls. For each doll, there are usually several outfits - the one in which it is sold, and additional ones that can be purchased separately. Dressing up toys has a positive effect on children's fine motor skills. Self-adhesive Velcro is most often used as fasteners so that a child of any age can handle them.

And, finally, the final stage - the dolls are packed in boxes, which are put into corrugated boxes. In this form, toys are sent to the warehouse, and then end up on store shelves.

photos: Evgeny Ananiev