MAKING INSTANT COFFEE POWDER BUSINESS.

Introduction:
Coffee is a household crop in Uganda and a major foreign exchange
earner. It is widely produced and many Ugandans take it as a
beverage, and world over it is a cherished drink. The demand for
coffee as a beverage is on the rise locally and any venture in its
production and distribution is viable as it involves adding value to
the coffee beans.
This project involves milling coffee beans into desired powder and
sold over the counter to a waiting customer. The project requires an
estimated fixed capital of US$ 5,300, operating costs of US$ 64,841
generating revenue of US$ 116,064 in the first year of operation.
The payback period is 5 months.

Production Process:
The process is simple .Coffee beans are roasted first using a coffee
roaster and then blended
Capital Investment Requirements:

1) Production costs assumed 312 days per year with daily capacity of producing 25kgs of instant coffee powder.
2) Depreciation (fixed asset write off) assumes 4-years life of assets written off at 25% per year for all assets.
3) Direct costs include: materials, supplies and other costs that directly go into production of the product.
4) Total monthly days assumed are 26-days.
5) The valuation currency used is United States Dollars.

Market Analysis:
The demand for instant coffee is on the rise especially among affluent people in society who are . urban based and from the middle class. Its potential is promising. The revival of coffee shops of the seventies would go a long way to tap the market and popularize the product.
Government Incentive
A kilo of this instant coffee powder would fetch a lot more than the
raw coffee beans. There are no taxes imposed on exports and any
Value Added Tax (VAT) input is claimed and reimbursed by the tax
body as a way of encouraging and facilitating exporters.

extract from The Compendium Of Investment & Business Opportunities. /The farmer ®

ESTABLISHING A GRAIN GROCERY BUSINESS.

Introduction:
Grains are agricultural products that have a very high demand in
the country. They usually include: Simsim, ground nuts, soy beans,
maize, popcorns, and cow peas.
The project idea is based on adding value by packaging good
quality grains and selling them at relatively low prices. The project
expects to package 72,000 kgs of assorted grains per annum. Initial
investment costs are estimated at US$20,370 generating revenue
of US$92,695 at a net profit margin of 43% and payback period of
approximately 2 years.

1) Production costs assumed 312 days per year with daily capacity of packing 231kgs of grains.
2) Depreciation (fixed asset write off) assumes 4-years life of assets written off at 25% per year for all assets.
3) Direct costs include: materials, supplies and other costs that directly go into packaging of the grain.
4) Total monthly days assumed are 26-days.
5) The valuation currency used is United States Dollars.

Market Analysis:
The market for grains readily exists and their demand continues to
grow mainly across borders to such places as Southern Sudan.

Government Facilities and Incentives
Generally, food products are VAT exempt and hence taxes are
minimized.
Risk:
The business risk involved is price fluctuation, which may affect
the targeted profits. However, this can be minimized by setting up
buffer stocks in times of low prices and resell later when they are
high.

MAKING CORNFLAKES BUSINESS.

Introduction:
Cornflakes are one of the most consumed breakfast cereals on
account of their taste and nutritional value. They have a high
market potential as they are consumed by adults, youth and
children. This business idea aims at the production of 700 kilograms
of cornflakes a day. The revenue potential is estimated at $ 436,800,
annually, at a sales margin of 75% with an initial capital investment
cost of $ 30,543. The payback period is about 7 months.

Manufacturing Process:
Maize grains are cleaned using air classifiers and after separated
(large and small grains) using a mesh screen separator. The grains
are then polished and milled to remove germs and bran. The milled
grains are cooked in a rotary steam cooker where flavor syrups of
sugar, malt, salt, and water are added. The grain pieces are then
washed and small grains are separated.

The grains are then carried to an agitator pump or lump breaker
then sent to a steamer where pre-heated air is blown into the grains
so as to reduce the moisture content to the desired level of about
20%. The dried material is then kept in a de-moisturizing tank for a
few hours for moisture to equally be distributed. The grits (cooked
material) are then washed again and passed through a heavy
flaking machine where they are turned into flakes by pressing. The
flakes are immediately transferred to a rotary oven for roasting.
After roasting, the flakes are inspected, screened and graded
to remove standard flakes. The flakes are then packed in water
resistant polythene containers of waxed paper.

Scale of Investment
Capital Investments Requirements:

Production is assumed for 312 days per year.
Depreciation assumes 5 year life of assets written off at 20% per year for all assets.
A production Month is assumed to have 26 work days.

Sources of Equipment:
Equipments can be got from Uganda at a cheaper price although
their quality may not be comparable to those imported from India or china.
Government facilities and incentives:
This is an industry in line with government policy of adding value to
local produce.
Risk:
The quality of the product may be compromised if proper production
processes are not followed, hence, there is need for strict process
and quality control measures providing checks at each production
stage.

What’s the Difference:- Entrepreneur Vs Business Owner Vs Business Manager

The terms “entrepreneur”, “business owner” and ” business manager” are sometimes used interchangeably because of the roles they play, but it is a fact that these three terms are totally different though they may look much alike. An entrepreneur plays a different role from a small business manager, but a business owner and entrepreneur differ in the reasons of objective. Not all business owners make great managers or entrepreneurs, and not all managers are cut out to be entrepreneurs or business owners.

Stick with us while we try to differentiate between an entrepreneur, a business owner and a business manager; but first, we would attempt to explain the three terms and isolate their characteristics.

What is an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is an individual who, rather than working as an employee, sets up and runs a business, assuming all the risks and rewards of the venture. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator, a source of new ideas, goods, services and business/or procedures. Entrepreneurship on the other hand is the act of creating a business or businesses while building and scaling it to generate a profit.

Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy. These are the people who have the skills and initiative necessary to anticipate current and future needs and bring good new ideas to the market. Entrepreneurs who prove to be successful in taking on the risks of a startup are rewarded with profits, fame and continued growth opportunities. Those who fail suffer losses and become less prevalent in the markets.

Attributes of Entrepreneurs

• Innovator: Moving to the skills and capabilities that an entrepreneur needs to have, first and foremost, he or she has to be an innovator who has a game changing idea or a potentially new concept that can succeed in the crowded marketplace.
• Risk Taker: An Entrepreneur bears any risk in starting up and sustaining his/her business. He or she assumes every responsibility that might come up in the course of the business which might be caused by either change in time or quality. He is always ready for emergencies and should competitors emerge, thinks of strategies to outshine them.
• Sales Person: An Entrepreneur must be a good sales man. If one cannot sell as an entrepreneur, one cannot succeed. He or she is responsible of marketing and advertising his products or services.
• Goal Getter : Entrepreneurs do not only set goals but also thrive so much to achieve their goals. Entrepreneurs set big goals, so exhilarating that it is scary to an ordinary man.
• A Leader: One challenge of being an entrepreneur is that you have to be in charge. You must be in the fore front of your business at least during startup. You should note that one cannot make it alone as an entrepreneur. Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must possess the ability to attract smart people and build great business team.
• Decision Maker: Entrepreneurs determine the objectives of their business and they should know what is suitable per time. He decides and maintains the potential investors or financiers of the enterprise and also manages the funds available. He makes sure that his business venture is in good relationship with pubic authorities and the society. He also decides the market for his product or services.

What is a Business Owner?

A business owner is an individual who owns and operates a business whether it be small or large. This individual also profits from the net gain of the company. Generally, he or she has decision making abilities and the first right to profit.

Small business owners often do not have the luxury of hiring people to perform all the tasks required to keep a business going. As the owner, your duties are as diverse as collecting sales tax, creating a computer network, setting up a filing system and marketing. You might be very good at what you do to make a product or provide a service, but running a small business brings a whole range of other responsibilities. A business owner amongest other things can double as a;

• Business Planner: As the owner, you are the one to prepare a business plan for your company. You can use marketing research to identify trends and potential markets for your products. If you have an on-staff salesperson or a manufacturer’s representative, you have to provide guidance and training. Introducing a new product and expanding into other markets are decisions you have to make.
• Human Resources: Owners of a small business often hire employees. As the owner, you have to determine whether the business can support new hires and, if it can, you have to conduct the interview process by asking key questions and avoiding ill-advised and illegal questions. The owner decides on benefits for employees, provides benefit information and forms, fields employee questions and complaints, and fires subordinates for any number of reasons.
• Customer Service: Unless the business can support CSRs (customer service representatives), the responsibility of servicing customers falls to the owner. Besides handling complaints and requests, customer service involves troubleshooting, installation, training and technical support, depending on the product or service provided by the company.
• Marketer: The owner of a small business must plan and implement marketing strategies. Effective marketing methods depend on the type of business you have. Some companies rely heavily on print marketing materials such as catalogs, brochures and booklets. Others advertise in magazines or set up booths at trade shows. As an owner, you could find that networking works wonders, and you might decide to join a business group or attend organizational meetings for your industry.
• Resident Technology Expert: Few businesses can survive without cutting-edge technology. As the small business owner, you have to keep up with innovative products on the market to remain competitive. You have to learn how to operate your computers and business software to keep track of orders and invoices, load new software and install upgrades. You might have to network multiple computers and link them to a single printer. It also helps to be able to make repairs if the copier, fax, printer or computers break down.

What is a Business Manager?

A business manager is the person that is responsible for overseeing and supervising a company’s activities and employees. Businesses rely on the business managers to keep workers aligned with the goals of the company. Business managers report to top executives in a larger organization, but in a small company, the manager might either own the company or report directly to the owner.

Responsibilities of a Business Manager.

The general responsibilities of business managers center on making certain that the firm’s day-to-day operations run smoothly. This does not mean that they should do the specific tasks themselves. Rather, they see to it that the departments or units that they are supervising are delivering results.

In order to carry this out, they don’t necessarily have to meet the company’s rank-and-file employees all the time. They do make their orders known to the section or department supervisors who will then relay what needs to be done to the workers. The business manager will simply make regular evaluations to ensure that milestones are being met and work proceeds efficiently.

One of the more common roles of business managers is ensuring that the company meets its sales and marketing goals. In this role, they help prepare the company budget and give their approval on the expenses requested by the various departments.

They also spend a lot of time scrutinizing sales statistics and making projections on sales of new or existing products. If they feel that the company needs to offer special discounts to products that aren’t selling well, business managers try to determine what the best price range would be and the strategy by which this can be carried out. They also come up with ways the company can draw more customers to patronize their products or services.

Difference Between an Entrepreneur and a Business Owner

We have noted that business owners and entrepreneurs are indeed different, though this difference can be subtle and the lines can be blurry. Here are the major ways entrepreneurs differ from business owners.

• The Satisfaction they derive from the business

Business owners get their satisfaction from happy customers and happy stakeholders, but entrepreneurs are more focused on thinking big, stepping into the unknown, and changing the world. They embrace risk, while a business owner seeks to reduce and manage risk to ensure that the business remains profitable.

• Stability and predictability

Good business owners like a predictable market where they can make calculated decisions to improve and grow. Entrepreneurs love to envision breakthroughs and disruptive technologies, with tough problems to overcome, which will allow them to create lasting change. In fact, entrepreneurs are always chasing after the adrenaline in business.

• Level of acceptable challenges

Most small business owners enjoy the completion of daily and weekly tasks, and cyclical processes, like inventory and receivables. True entrepreneurs are always thinking many months out, anticipating the next opportunity and the next recognition for innovation.

• Long-term attachment to the business versus the idea

If you see the business as the core of your worth, you will make a great business owner. Entrepreneurs see their value in the change they accomplish, and their impact on the future. True business owners dream of keeping the business in the family, and making it a long-term success.

Key Differences Between Entrepreneurs and Business managers

• Entrepreneurs Start Companies, Managers Run Them: As an entrepreneur, you are the dynamic force behind the planning and launching of new business enterprises. You may be involved in all aspects of your company throughout its life span, beginning with the raw startup stage, when the venture is little more than an idea.

You handle issues ranging from the company’s product design to determining the most efficient production methods and even finding the company’s first customers. In contrast, a small-business manager is someone you hire to handle the day-to-day management of your startup. The manager’s goal is to keep your company growing and operating efficiently.

In some cases, you may bring in a skilled business manager to build your company into a larger entity. This typically happens after you realize that your creative vision only take your company so far, and having an experienced manager on board to direct day-to-day operations will allow the business to continue to grow.

• Duties: An entrepreneur focuses on business startup whereas the main focus of a manager is to manage ongoing operations of a business.
• Motivation: Achievements work as a motivation for entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the primary motivation of business managers is the power and maybe the remuneration.
• Ownership: An entrepreneur is the owner of the enterprise while a manager is just an employee of the company.
• Remuneration: A manager gets salary as remuneration for the work performed by him. Conversely, profit is the reward of the entrepreneur.
• Decision making: An entrepreneur’s decisions are driven by inductive logic, courage, and determination; that is why the decision making is intuitive. On the contrary, the decision making of a manager is calculative, as they are driven by deductive logic, the collection of information and advice.
• Creativity: The major driving force of an entrepreneur is creativity and innovation. As against this, a manager maintains the existing state of affairs.
• Risk: While entrepreneur is a risk taker, the manager is risk averse.

Conclusion

In other words, the entrepreneur is the risk taker and an innovator in addition to being a creator of new enterprises whereas the professional manager is simply the executor.

Business owners on the other hand comfortably run their businesses and do not aspire to do more. Many business owners focus on putting out fires, and in that sense tend to be more reactive. They envision a world where employees would do their jobs, customers would pay on time, and software or equipment would function as it was designed.

True entrepreneurs question the status quo and envision a world where common industry or customer pain points no longer exist.

Many business owners make decisions unintentionally that lead to them buying a full-time job. For example, naming the business after themselves. “Evans Electric Services” holds little to no brand equity or value for a potential buyer with Thomas for a last name. They may also build their business through their own skills.

Highly skilled personal trainers who try to scale their business by hiring someone else to train their clients often face a rude awakening when their clients refuse to train with someone else, or complain about a discrepancy in the quality of service or care. The glass ceiling firmly atop their heads results in trading time for money as a business model

Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, often have an exit strategy built into their business plan before they’ve even made their first sale. They might choose a more neutral or operational name that anyone could call their own, and they might hire more skilled employees for certain aspects of the service delivery so that they can more easily escape the operational aspects of the company and work “on the business” instead of working “in the business”.

True entrepreneurs, through their mindset of iterating solutions to common problems, often build businesses that can one day run without them. That is, the business can be run by a team, through effective systems such as automated recurring billing and timely deliveries or regular upgrades. In effect, entrepreneurs escape the trap of “time for money” and create residual income streams we can term as “entrepreneurial revenue.”

ProfitableVenture® 

PIGGERY BUSINESS

This business idea is for rearing pigs. aimed at production and
sale of 360 pigs annually. The revenue potential is estimated at US
$ 86,850 per year with a profit margin of 75%. The total capital
investment for the project is US $ 11,900 and the payback period
is almost 5 months. The business risk involved in this idea is the
high rate of infection, which spreads quickly among the animals.
However, this can be mitigated by increasing the animal’s resistance
e.g. by improving the quality of feeds.

Technology and processes description:
The items needed include shelter, feeds, piglets, water, feeding
troughs and animal drugs. The pig rearing process involves feeding
them very well, cleaning the pen, monitoring the health of the
animals and have them grow to the weight of 80Kgs and above to
be ready for sell. Pigs also reproduce so you don’t have to buy more
piglets.

Production is assumed for 365 days per year.
Depreciation assumes 2 year life of assets written off at 50% per year for all assets.

Sources of supply of equipment’s:
All equipment’s and raw materials can be got in Uganda.

Market Analysis:
The structure of the pig market is wide throughout the year in
butcheries as pork is popular among the public. There are several
pork joints in the city and upcountry making demand for pork high.

Risk:
The animals are prone to diseases such as swine fever that need
close monitoring by a Veterinary expert.

BEE KEEPING (APICULTURE)

This business idea is for keeping bees for production of honey and
bee wax. The Revenue potential is estimated at US$ 10,400 per year
with the project cost of US$ 7,345 and a profit margin of 73%. The
expected payback period is 7 month.

Process Description:
Bee hives are opened after the bees have been smoked out using a
smoke pump, honeycombs are pressed by hand. Honey is separated
from the wax using pressing machines to produce better quality
honey. Honey from a honeycomb is extracted, warmed, strained and
bottled.

Production assumed 4 quarters per year
Direct costs include: materials, supplies and other costs that
directly go into production of the product.

Market Demand
There is high demand for honey for home consumption, pharmaceutical use in making drugs and in most instances it has replaced the sugar intake among people with health complications.
Some beekeepers salvage the combs to extract wax for making candles or at times it is mixed with maize flour to make ice-cream cones. In addition, wax is demanded by cobblers, makers of household textiles and garments.

Government Incentives Available:
Government is supporting bee farmers through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) Programme funding the activities and finding a market for products.

Source of Information:
Ugandan Beekeepers Association
Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation (Makerere University)
and National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO)

Risk involved in the Business:
The risk involved in this business is that there is never a “superhive”,
which could potentially disrupt the bees if there is an
interruption. However, this can be mitigated through making
diverse bee hives.

SETTING UP A CHICKEN HATCHERY

This business idea is aimed at setting up a Chicken Hatchery. It is
premised on hatching eggs for layers and broilers for both local
and hybrid birds. The business will be hatching 38,000 chicks per
month, which translates into 456,000 chicks per year.

The revenue potential is estimated at US$ 45,805 per month, which
translates into US $ 549,657 per year. The business has a good
market demand throughout the year and can provide employment
to youth and women. The production capacity of the hatchery is
38,000 eggs per month. The project initial total cost is US$ 19,500
with a net profit margin of 88% with a payback period 3 years and
5 months.

Process Description
Selected good eggs are collected and inserted into an incubator
for 18 days. They are then transferred into a Hatchery for 3 days to
hatch.

 

General costs (Overheads)

Production assumed 21 days in a month with a capacity of 38,000 eggs per press.
Depreciation (fixed assets write off) assumes 4 years life of assets write off of 25% per year.

Market Demand:
The supply of one day chicks has a high demand both in rural and
urban areas throughout the year. Market for the one day chicks
from good breeders can be produced anywhere in the country
to reduce transportation and sold within the country and to the
neighboring countries.

Equipment Suppliers:
Some of the equipments can be purchased from the local market;
some are just imported from Europe, India, South Africa and China.

Risk:
The risk involved in this kind of business is poultry diseases like
coccidiosis which can be mitigated by vaccination of the birds
either weekly or monthly.

50 Best Clothing Business ideas & Opportunities for 2019

1. Create trendy T-Shirts

T-shirts are on clothing item that is always in fashion. The only modifier is that they keep getting stylish and trendy. This in fact is the truth because you would notice that celebrities do wear t-shirts but they would most probably rock ripped or distressed tees as against the normal ones.

T-shirts can go with anything from denim to smart evening blazers. Because of their versatility, they are almost a staple. If you have great ideas for t-shirt designs, you can sell them online for a fee, and they are websites that enable you to that. If you do not have the ideas, you can start retailing t-shirts of a particular brand or a mixture of brands. You can even go wholesale at it.

2. Create Your Own Clothing Line

If you love fashion, and you are very knowledgeable about it, one business you can create out of this love is your own clothing line. Most of the popular clothing brands we are used to started out of interest, not even profit per-se; and today they are multi-million dollar businesses. Though this industry might be very competitive, but you can create an appreciable market for yourself by making your own unique designs.

You can start by showing yourself and your creations in your community fashion shows, and make sure you take advantage of any route that can give you publicity. Once you are true to your brand and stand on the side of quality and uniqueness, you would make a mark in the industry.

3. Start a maternity wear line

Women would always get pregnant, that’s a law of life. This makes starting a maternity wear line lucrative. You can latch onto the fact that most maternity wears in the market are boring to start making very trendy maternity wears that would have mothers snatching them off the lines.

You can start by going bespoke and letting your creations speak for you. You can charge quite less as you continue to build your brand. Once you established reasonable skills and publicity, endeavor to get a pregnant celebrity to wear your maternity clothing and they sky would be your limit from there. If you cannot get a TV diva, you could try reaching an instagram or YouTube sensation to wear your dress.

4. Be a Fashion Designer

Fashion designing is one of the trendiest, if not profitable clothing related businesses. You get to create your own design and bring them to the market. A lot of fashion designers have made names and fame for themselves by doing what they love. If you have any training as a fashion designer, you could start this business on whatever scale and start growing it from there. This job can take you places in the shortest time; just ensure you have great ideas.

5. Be a lingerie designer

Quite a lot of people are trying to become fashion designers because it provides a very easy publicity route, but there seem to be very few lingerie designers. People seem to shy away from designing lingerie and as such, there are very few such designers in any geographical area.

This may probably be because lingerie is worn under the clothes, and they are very awkward items to sell because of societal leanings. If you are a great designer, then this is a clothing niche that is just waiting to be grabbed. You can start creating and selling your own panties, bras, gathers, babydolls, bodice, you name it.

6. Be a swimsuit designer

Swimsuit is another clothing related business that is guaranteed to fetch a tidy sum if well handled. Depending on your forte, you can draw up great swimsuit images, you could sell your designs if you are not able to develop them yourself, but if you are a fashion designer, you would do well to develop your ideas yourself.

After sewing them, get models to model the articles for you and then proceed to market them. Because local swimsuit brands are not plentiful, you can make good profits by marketing your brand in your locality before you venture outside it. This would enable you build your brand. Also endeavor to use your social media handles to your advantage while doing this business.

7. Become a model

Modeling is a clothing related business idea that does not directly involve clothe making but it is a necessity in the clothing business. Models wear clothes so that people can see their fittings in real time before deciding whether or not to purchase the clothing. If you have the right height and a knockout figure, you can decide to be a model for designers. You get to walk runways at fashion and other shows.

You have to decide whether you would model clothes, nightwear, lingerie etc., or you can do all of them. To start off and build your portfolio, you can decide to pose for local designers who are looking for people to wear their clothing for a shot. This business may not pay you well, but it is only your building block to the future.

8. Start a Garment Wholesale Business

Another clothing related business an entrepreneur can start is a garment wholesale business. Because of how marketable clothes are, it is easy to sell them off. One of the advantages of this business is that you can do it in your spare time as a side business.

You just have to source the garments from manufacturing hubs and distribute them to shops in your area. As you purchase goods in bulk quantity and from manufacturing hubs, you will be given a lot of discounts which will give you good margin in this business.

9. Start a clothing export business

Fashion trends reach the world in a matter of minutes all thanks to technology and social media. With people all over the world seeing new fashion trends on their favorite celebrities, they too want to mimic them, thus they would be looking for similar fashion to wear.

As an entrepreneur that is in a fashion hub, you would make great profits by sourcing out these latest trends and exporting them to other countries, especially African countries. You can visit garment factories and negotiate with them to export their surplus wears, especially wears other retailers have rejected due to shipment delays or other issues.

10. Become a sportswear/fitness wear designer

Because of the current fitness rave, majority of people now take up one form of fitness exercise or the other, and they all need sports or fitness wear for their workouts. If you are a designer, you can start designing, making and selling workout wear.

This is indeed a very big industry and that is why many clothing designers are keying into it. Just ensure that your wears are very comfortable for sports and workout and you would be profitable. Another tip here is not to make your wears very expensive so it can appeal to most of the population; leave the expensive fitness line to Beyoncé.

11. Start a Textile Screen Printing business

Textile screen printing is the process of applying color to the fabric in definite patterns or designs. In properly printed fabrics the color bonds with the fiber so as to resist washing and friction. Textile screen printing produces designs of any kind that cannot be made by normal weaving/knitting techniques.

You can do textile screen printing on finished fabrics, curtain, clothes, ladies dress materials, bed sheets, bed covers, fabric for children’s garments, gents shirts etc. to improve its attractiveness, marketability etc. This is clothing related business you can start.

12. Socks Making

Socks are one very popular clothing item and it is used by men, women, kids and even infants for various purposes. Sometimes specialty socks are used by athletics and sportsman. You can start designing and producing unique socks that can be used by various people, for different occasions.

13. Lace Making

Lace is one very versatile fashion item. Laces can be used on different articles of clothing like lingerie, dresses, pants, table cloths etc. It is also increasingly used in fashion garments especially for people of African and Indian descent. Lace making business can be initiated as a home based business with comparatively low startup capital and its market is wide. If you are knowledgeable about lace making, you can start this business and aim to export your products to the countries that value them.

14. Start a wool knitting business

Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile or fabric that is used in many types of garments. Wool is the hair derived from animals including sheep, goats, and rabbits just to name some of the more popular types.

A wool knit is formulated when the hair is spun into yarn and then interlooped with other yarns creating a breathable and often lightweight fabric suitable for sweaters or cardigans. You can find several technically upgraded knitting machines in the market you can use to make your business more efficient. You can start using wool to knit various items like scarves, wraps and hats, sweaters etc.

15. Start a soft toy making business

A soft toy which is variously referred to as plush toy, stuffed animals, plushies, snuggies, stuffies, or snuggled animals, is a toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and then stuffed with a soft flexible material. These toys are made mostly for babies as they cannot hurt themselves with it. Making soft toys is comparably easy and the raw materials are also easily available.

Ensure that your fabric and stuffing materials are safe for children, then you won’t have problems marketing your product. Soft toys have a huge market globally and its sales increases hugely during the festive season. Having the proper skill about soft toys making, any individual can initiate this business as a home based business.

16. Sell safety clothing

Safety clothing can be said to be items of that are intended to keep the wearer safe from needless risk and damage. They are part of the general personal protective equipment (PPE). Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection.

Safety clothing encompasses everything from high visibility clothing, disposable clothing, disposable boot covers, aprons, lab coats, smocks, vests, boots, spats, and sleeves to flame resistant and Arc-resistant apparel. Safety clothing is an essential item for several industries and companies. You can start stocking and supplying these items to these companies.

17. Sell organic clothing

Organic clothing is a clothing made from materials raised in or grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards. Organic clothing may be composed of Cotton, Jute, Silk, Ramie, or Wool. These materials, because they are free from pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals, are suitable for babies, children and those who suffer allergies or skin diseases. You can start selling organic clothing, but you have to scope out your market so you know what to stock.

18. Start an online lingerie shop

Because most people do not have the time to visit brick and mortar shops for their lingerie needs, an online lingerie shop has become the most popular destination for women who want to purchase lingerie from the online marketplace and get them delivered at their doorsteps. Having proper knowledge about the product, any individual can initiate this business with proper planning and marketing strategies.

19. Manufacture and sell Denim

Denim is a very popular apparel that serves as casual or informal dress among men, women and kids. To be successful in the denim manufacturing business, you have to always look out for current trends, or you can create the trends yourself.

People are most likely to buy what is new in the market and your uniqueness would give you that marketing edge. Same goes for a person that wants to distribute denim clothing items. If your stock is not trendy, you would be stuck with them. With proper planning and substantial capital investment, denim manufacturing project can be initiated on a small-scale basis, though you ought to have the requisite experience.

20. Sell hand printed clothing

Hand printed fabric garments have a demand globally. People like to have dresses with hand printed fabric art. If you have skills in fabric art and drawing, you can initiate this business at home with low startup capital. You can also sell the items from an online marketplace directly by registering your business.

21. Start a fashion design institute

Fashion design institute business is perfect for entrepreneurs who have sufficient knowledge in the subject, an artistic mind and adequate experience in the various courses involved in fashion designing. As people are becoming increasingly fashion conscious, apparel and accessory companies are taking it a notch higher by hiring people with various fashion and designing portfolio. If you want to make a mark in the fashion business, you can start an institute where you train up-comers on fashion and related courses.

22. Start an embroidery business

Embroidery is a value-added process and service in the garment decorating industry. It is a process of decorating fabric or other materials using a special sewing machine with multiple needles and thread or yarn. If you have the special skills and embroidery making machines, you can start offering embroidery services to tailors and fashion designers. Ensure that you have a catalogue of unique and intricate designs that would be hard for others in the business to copy, and you would make a name for your business.

23. Open a Laundromat

Opening a Laundromat is another clothing related business an entrepreneur can go into and make profits from. A Laundromat is a self-service laundry facility with coin-operated washing machines, dryers, and sometimes ironing or pressing machines, open to the public for washing clothing and household cloth items. If you may not prefer a Laundromat, you can start a dry cleaning business because all of them involve the cleaning of clothing.

24. Start a button making business

Button making is one good business in the clothing industry. It is a fact that many articles of clothing are not complete without buttons. This business can be initiated as a home-based business with low startup capital. People with creative minds can initiate this business as part time also.

Custom buttons made of colorful materials and modern art have a huge demand in the apparel industry. This is almost a silent but very profitable part of the clothing industry. You would have to learn the skill, acquire the equipment before you can start this business.

25. Crochet Knitting

Crochet knitting business opportunity is ideal for passionate crochet knitters who want to turn their hobby into a profitable venture. Also, one can consider starting this business when he or she has other knitting businesses already. As aspiring crochet knitter having creative mind can start this business from a home location with low capital.

26. Start renting out costumes

Costume rental business is a self-rewarding profitable business that can be initiated on a small-scale basis. This business can be started from the home and can be operated on the part-time basis also. Many organizations like schools, colleges, theater groups, dance groups, acting groups look for costume rental services for their stage performances. You can equally rent out Christmas and Halloween costumes to suit the seasons.

27. Open a fabric shop

Are you a cynosure of fabrics? Then maybe you should start thinking of making a business out of it. A fabric shop that retails numerous styles and types of fabrics can be opened in a fixed storefront location and with little capital. Fabric shops have traditionally been very profitable specialty retail operations as the markups applied to fabrics for retail sales can exceed 100 percent or more. You can also consider starting a supply business to cater to fashion designers and garment manufacturers as they need fabrics to make clothes.

28. Start an alteration and fabric restoration business

Sometimes people lose weight and their clothes loose fitting and vice versa, and sometimes you buy a dress and you feel like it is almost perfect but for one little reservation. This is what alteration services are for. They help to fix garment problems so you don’t have to throw out that very expensive dress you bought last month because it no longer fits your body.

29. Recycle used clothing

People clean out their closets all the time and you can certainly make money from collecting or buying unwanted clothes and processing them to be sold as second hand clothing or to be processed into other things like blankets and mats. This is a very good business that can yield you profits if you know the ropes. You should be able to know how to acquire used clothing for your business.

You can choose to go around to houses or clothing stores and ask to be given their unwanted clothing. Thereafter, you should sort the clothing to those going as second hand and those going to be recycled. You need to have people you would supply the second hand clothing to, or you can export them to African countries where they are needed.

30. Sell secondhand clothing

A lot of people patronize secondhand clothes dealers. These people testify to the durability of secondhand clothing products, and sometimes value them better than unused clothing. If you live in an area where great emphasis is placed on secondhand clothing, you can start a secondhand clothing business and make your profits. Note that this business would only thrive in certain areas, so make sure you locate it in the right location.

31. Start a clothing boutique.

Boutiques are stores that stock fashion clothing and accessories. You can rent a physical store and fill it with all kinds of weird and wonderful accessories and fashion items and enjoy selling your creations and having fashion banter with your customers. This business would certainly be fun for someone who loves to meet and interact with people. Ensure you have the right marketing strategies that would bring customers your way.

32. Embark on a Clothing Franchise Opportunity.

There’s a whole host of retail clothing business franchise opportunities to explore, offering business openings fashionistas can walk into and start earning money from straight away. You need to search them out and see how you can profit from the industry.

33. Start an Online Boutique.

Retail has gone online big time and one way to start a profitable business is to launch it online. E commerce websites aren’t difficult to set up and are much cheaper to run than brick and mortar stores. If you have an eye for fashion, sell some goods on your own online store. Ensure that you have your site SEO optimized so that you would get ample visibility on Google. Do not forget to use your social media handles to market your goods.

34. Host Fashion Talk shows on Radio and Television

One way fashion gurus get to put their names out in public is to participate in fashion talk shows. If you fancy yourself as outgoing and witty, you can start hosting talk shows about fashion on radio and television. You have to first of all get a slot in your local radio or television station, and then you invite your guests who you would interview on the shows.

You can talk about different aspects of fashion and even about who wore it right or wrong. If your show becomes popular, you would make a lot of money through advert placements, and not to talk about the publicity factor.

35. Start a Fashion Podcast

Similar to hosting fashion shows on radio and television, is hosting a fashion podcast. A podcast is just an online radio where you have your own private channel where you can talk about anything you like. Running a podcast can equally give you good publicity but within a different societal niche. If you are unable to get slots on radio or TV or if they prove to be too expensive, you can start a fashion-focused podcast.

36. Make Baby Clothes

Babies as a niche is one very versatile market as far as clothing and fashion is concerned. Women would never stop being prolific, and as such there would always be babies that need new clothes in the various stages of growing up. This market is hardly saturated and can use more baby cloth manufacturers and retailers.

37. Start a Casual Wear Line

Casual clothing is a description for clothes that make a person look relaxed and at ease. Hello casual Fridays! You can actually start a clothing line where you stock casual wears. You can actually target workplaces and stock things that would be appropriate for casual Fridays, then you send them flyers to visit your offline or online store. College students are one other people to market this clothing store to. People always want to wear problem free clothing from time to time, so you would no lack patronage.

38. Host Fashion Expos

Another fashion related business would be to organize and run fashion expos. A fashion expo is a unique event that explores and develops business opportunities for youth designers by introducing them to the latest developments in the fashion industry. This event is perfect for fashionistas with great organizational skills who would have no problems gathering different fashion labels together to showcase their products and as well inspire upcoming designers.

39. Open a Fashion Flea Market Stall

Many successful entrepreneurs began their business from a flea stall. Enjoy the benefits of a low-cost selling platform by opening your own fashion stall at the local flea market. You can sell vintage clothing, secondhand clothing, and any clothing material that is considered rare or precious. You can source your products from other flea markets or from garage sales (you never know what rubies lie in the rubble).

40. Upcycle Fashion Items

Upcycling involves using pre-existing clothing, accessories or other items and restructuring them into new garments. Upcycling reduces clothing and textile waste by reusing deadstock or gently used fabric to create new garments and products.

If you have an excellent creativity gene, you can become an expert upcycler. You can upcycle articles of clothing and post your results on instagram or Facebook. You may soon be noted as a fashion icon and then you would start getting endorsement deals.

41. Become a Fashion Marketer

Fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry, but it takes more than avant-garde designers and chic models to make it so. This is where fashion marketers come in. Fashion marketers are professionals who work in fashion marketing and merchandising to examine fashion trends, help retailers stock fashion lines, coordinate sales, and promote goods.

Although a fashion marketer is not a fashion designer, fashion marketers still influence the products and designs of a fashion brand. Fashion marketing isn’t only about promoting the work of fashion designers, it can also influence design based on business performance and market trends. If you have a superb knowledge of the fashion industry, you can become a fashion marketer.

42. Rent out Designer outfits

Take a leaf out of ‘Rent the Runway’, a New York startup that rents expensive designer clothes to fashionistas, and start your own designer attire rental business. Rent the Runway and other stores just like it have been making profits just by stocking and renting out designer outfits to people who need them for very special occasions. You can follow in their footsteps, you can start an online as well as offline store and you would sure build a sustainable business.

43. Rent out wedding gowns and reception dresses

It is a fact that a lot of brides now prefer to rent their wedding gowns, because, let’s face it, it is only going to be used for one day. You can start renting out wedding and reception dresses to brides and their maids. The wedding dress rental business is a relatively simple rental business to start.

You stock up on wedding dresses, and brides come to rent the dress for a certain period of time and pay a fee (often a daily fee). This can be both a full time business and a side business where you can see clients after work. Once a fee has been agreed upon, it is standard practice to ask for a returnable deposit to cover any damage to the dress.

Not only that but when someone has paid a deposit on something, they tend to look after it better. Also make up a basic contract document that would contain the name of person hiring the dress, time to return the dress (and if there is a late fee) as well as wording to make the person hiring responsible for any damage to the dress.

44. Be a personal/fashion stylist

A fashion stylist is one of the most popular emerging professions in the fashion world globally and is the job title of someone who selects the clothing and accessories for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities. If you know how to combine fashion and its accessories to make something fabulous, then you should consider becoming a fashion stylist.

45. Become a fashion writer

A fashion writer is someone who writes journalism or copy relating to all aspects of fashion and style. Top professional fashion editors, as well as powerful freelance bloggers and writers, attend major fashion shows to identify and feature new trends each season. Fashion magazine columnists write for both major and local periodicals, updating readers on new fashion trends and styles. If you are journalist, you can decide to specialize in fashion writing.

46. Sell vintage clothing

Fashion is something that revolves. There are some people who just love vintage pieces because they are unique and of good quality and apart from that, movie producers also use them as costumes for their movies. You would definitely make money from starting a vintage clothing shop, especially if you take it online.

47. Uniform Making

A uniform is an essential item for educational institutions and other organizations also. However, you must have the right network in the industry. Uniform making is a very good home business opportunity. Additionally, the business demands very small startup investment initially. Many organizations, schools, business houses regularly purchase uniform from uniform manufacturers. Any individual can initiate this business with moderate capital investment from his or her home location also.

48. Set up a garment factory

You can set up a small garment factory with your own tailoring or manufacturing experience. You have to hire few tailors, make garments and sale finished garments to retailers or wholesalers in your city. You may select products such as school uniforms, ladies wear, men’s shirt or make ladies blouses. This business may be capital intensive, but you would recoup your startup capital if you are passionate about what you do.

49. Become a garment subcontractor

Subcontracting can be defined as doing the partial work of a contract that is originally received by another. The companies that do subcontracting jobs are called subcontractors. They are also known as job-workers. In the garment industry, a subcontracting unit is a factory that mainly does garment stitching work.

You can set up a small factory and do sub-contracting work for export houses and domestic brands. In this business you don’t need to handle buyers, and you don’t need to purchase materials. You have to just collect cuttings from exporters and stitch the garments.

50. Launch a Fashion Magazine

A fashion magazine is a magazine devoted to fashion, especially the latest styles of clothes, accessories, etc. Fashion magazines are an essential component of the fashion industry. They are the medium that conveys and promotes the design’s vision to the eventual purchaser.

Fashion magazines are the most popular publications; everyone loves them because they are usually the most subscribed magazine. With ladies and some gents always desiring to stay on top of the latest fashion trends, they usually grab each issue off the shelf. If you are a fashion writer, editor, or someone who knows fashion in debt, you can start your own fashion magazine and make profits from adverts of the various clothing designers.

Profitable Venture Magazine®

10 Best Ways on How to Make Money Selling Crotchet Items.

Crochet making is usually a fun and enjoyable hobby that a lot of people engage in, but it is still possible to be able to make good money from this craft. And with the right amount of dedication to the craft, you can be able to make a decent living from it.

Starting a crochet business is not in any way capital intensive. Depending on how you want to make the money, you might already have everything you need to get started. Here are some ways you can make money from selling crotchet items.

 

1. Sell your finished crochet items:

 Irrespective of whether you make scarves, blankets or hats, there is money to be made by selling crochet items. This is a great option also because you can work on items to sell part time, full time, or just every once in a while. There are a lot of people you can sell your crochet items to and there are a lot of places you can sell your crochet items (both online and offline).

Some places you may sell your finished crochet items include; Local craft fairs, Farmer’s markets, Consigned through retail boutiques & local businesses, Create a shop on Etsy, Through a business page on Facebook (share with your friends!), Collaborate with local businesses to host a crochet pop-up shop among many other ways.

There is a market for everything you can think of from baby things to coffee cozies and much more. Even if you are still a novice in crocheting and can only make hats and scarves, you can still make them in different colors and list them on Esty.

With Esty you can are guaranteed of instant payment for your products. If you’re selling made-to-order items on Etsy, the cash is in hand before any time is spent crocheting. You don’t need to have previous experience in order to sell what you make.

 

2. Teaching others how to crochet: 

There is money to be made in not only selling crochets but in also teaching other people how to make the crochets themselves. Some things to consider are the ages you’d like to teach, your curriculum, your prices and where you will teach. Some of your options are to teach:

• At Home: teaching people how to make crochet from the comfort of your home is a great work from home job and is also good for stay at home moms or the elderly who can’t travel. Some other things that should be considered when teaching people this skill from home include: neighborhood, insurance liability, home security, parking and handicap accessibility.
• At the Library: a lot of local libraries have spaces that can be used as classes. In some cases, these classes must be open to the public and must also be free of charge. Be that as it may, the library provides a great place for gaining trust in the community, building your teaching skills and becoming comfortable with your curriculum and students. The time you spend here may open doors to other opportunities so it is a path worth exploring.
• At a Local Shop: if you have a favorite store where you purchase your yarn from, (irrespective of if it’s a small local shop or a large franchise) you can make use of them to teach people this skill. Most at times, they will help you to advertise your classes and even provide you a space where you can teach your students. You have to bear in mind that though smaller crochet shop may be less stringent in their requirements, most large chain stores will require you to have a form of relevant certification.
• On Your own YouTube Channel: If you are tech savvy, then you can make use of YouTube to teach people how to make crochets. If you are consistent with your posts and your content is relevant and interesting, you can go ahead to monetize it and make some money from your videos.
• Online Classes: there are several online platforms that you can make use of to teach people this skill by making a video course and then uploading it to the platform. Examples of these online platforms include Udemy, Craftsy, CreativeLive, SkillShare et al.
• Write Crochet Books: Another awesome way to teach crochet is to write crochet books. You could do photo tutorials that show step-by-step how a stitch or technique is crocheted. Your best publishing options are online in digital form. But if you have the funds to go with hard copy you might do good with that as well.

3. Blogging:

A blog is an individual website that is updated on a regular basis. If you love to write and you also love to share new and exciting things about crochet making to the public, then blogging may just be for you. There are different ways by which a blog can be monetized so you should not stick to just one.

You can make money through blogging by putting up adverts on your blog, selling your own courses and books, affiliate marketing and of course Google AdSense. The more traffic you have, the more money you’ll make. Even if you post to your blog every day but only have ten people looking at it, you won’t make much money.

Blogging has been known to make some tenacious and hardworking people millionaires. It takes a lot of work, but with great content and consistent writing and reader engagement, you can build a blog that provides income through product sales, course sales, advertising income and affiliate links.

4. Pattern Testing:

A lot of quality designer usually need pattern testers. Some of them may offer the pattern or the pattern plus supplies as payment for testing, however there is such a thing as a professional pattern tester whom designers pay to have their patterns tested.

This is awesome if you love to just sit back and crochet and not have to worry about the design or anything. All you do is keep your eyes open for problem areas and report them back to the designer.

The pay can actually be quite lucrative if you can get in with someone who pays well. You can check out the Crochet Guild of America and apply to become a contract crocheter and pattern tester. This is great for those who are detail oriented, patient and have good communication skills.

 

5. Design and sell your own patterns:

This idea is best suited for people who are creative in nature. Instead of going the traditional route of making use of already existing patterns, you can create your own pattern from your mind. Here are a couple of ways by which you can sell your patterns;

• Sell the pdf pattern file on Etsy
• Sell the pdf pattern file on Ravelry
• Sell the pdf pattern file on Patternfish
• Submit your pattern to a crochet magazine – most pay designers for featured patterns
• Sell your patterns at craft fairs – many who attend these fairs are crafters too
• Sell your patterns at yarn stores

No matter where you sell your patterns, there is great reward in knowing that there are people out there replicating something you brought into existence by yourself.

6. Free Patterns and Sell Advertisements:

Another creative idea for making money from crochets is by offering your crochets up for free and then make your money by selling advertising space. Google Adsense, Chitika, Info Links and many other advertising companies have advertisers willing to buy your space. It should be noted that it takes a long time to get enough traffic to make this type of advertising worth your while.

7. Crafts Shows:

Craft shows are yet another option that you use to make money from crochets. If this is what you’re planning on doing, then you will need to crochet up a nice inventory as you don’t want to run out of items. That means you will have a small start-up cost.

8. Design for Magazines:

This involves designing crochets for magazines. Magazines are a great way to get your name out there as most of them usually have wide circulation.

9. Crochet shop:

This idea is a lot more cost intensive than other ideas on this list. It will require you to have start-up funds that will enable you to set things up. This is also very risky as you could end up losing it all if your business doesn’t pick up.

Establishing an online presence, doing craft shows and then opening up a brick and mortar shop might be the best way to go. That way, you can use the other two to kind of hold yourself up when things don’t do so well in your shop.

You can sell a lot of things in your shop such as yarn, pattern books, crochet hooks and other crochet supplies. You can also sell your finished items as well as allow other crocheters to bring in their items and you would then keep a small percentage of the profit.

The good thing about owning your own brick and mortar shop is that you can purchase your yarn at wholesale prices and as such, you can enjoy cheaper prices.

10. Crochet Pattern Directory:

This involves collecting crochet links and linking up with them from your directory. You then make your money by selling advertisements and driving traffic.

In conclusion, even though you may find it easy to make your first buck from crochet, it does take a long time to make consistent income from crocheting. Just like every other business, it takes hard work, persistence and dedication in order to make it work. But if you stick with it, the hard work will pay off.

If you think that starting a crochet business is saturated with everyone doing the same thing, you have to think again. There are so many ways to make money with crochet that you can choose the one that is just right for you, your lifestyle and your financial goals.

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