Envelopes have always been a part of stationery across various types of businesses. Vibrantly colourful paper envelopes have always held a charm of their own. They are used to make cash gifts, send greeting cards or slip notes of friendship. They come in all shapes and sizes. With the booming e-commerce industry, this business has become more flourishing as all envelopes are required to package big and small products. Creative designers create customised stationery as well. Some come with dainty, fancy threads encircling the flap, while others come with printed corners or designs.
Big or small, plain or fancy, envelopes are present in all commercial places and households. The quality of envelopes is dependent on the raw material used. There are innumerable varieties of paper that are used in making envelopes. Paper that does not smudge, has a good finish and has the least amount of feathering (condition when ink smears on the edges of the writing on the paper) is considered a good quality paper. Many individuals choose to pursue designer envelope making, i.e. a wide variety used for gifting at occasions like weddings and festivities. Paper envelope making requires low amounts of investments and you can set up this business on a part-time basis.
Did you know?
The Chinese are the inventors of paper envelopes and those envelopes were used from the beginning of the second century BC.
The First Steps Towards Envelope Manufacturing
An Effective Research-Based Business Plan
At the onset, you must understand the wide range of envelopes. There are about 19 different varieties of envelopes. Some of the more popular ones include:
- Commercial
- The formal variety, known as Baronial, comes with a large flap that is pointed.
- Regular square
- Gift
- The catalogue variety
- Festive-based decorative
- Decorative
- Colourful Printed
You need to be focused on the type of envelopes you wish to create and the demand in the region. You will have to decide whether you want to restrict your sales to e-commerce platforms or offline. You can ally with commercial outlets to understand the demographics of the residents and their preferences. Based on your research, you will have to formulate a business plan to cater to the various needs accordingly.
Also Read: Start a profitable Paper Plate Business
Licences and Permissions
- You will have to obtain a trade licence
- Register your company as a proprietor or partnership
- VAT registration
- GST registration
Monetary Requirements
It depends on the scale of your envelope making business. You could start the business on a small scale, in your garage or a large room in your house, until you get a pulse of the response. If you choose to start a small manufacturing unit and lack finance, you can always apply for a loan. A financial lending institute may ask for collateral security. It could involve hypothecating your residential property, vehicles, shares in the stock market or even your jewellery. If you choose to operate from the comfort of your home, a space of 200-250 square feet will be sufficient. In addition to this, you will require a stable electrical connection and have a good delivery facility.
Machinery Requirements
There are various machines which are used in paper envelope making. You can find automatic ones and semi-automatic models. There are specific machines that are used for making small-sized envelopes. Once you have decided on your niche, you can invest in that type of machine. Some of the machines required include cutting, glueing, laminating, and a machine for envelope punching.
Materials
The primary requirement for envelope manufacturing is good quality craft paper. The volume required will be dependent on the number of envelopes you plan to craft in a day. Some of the other important materials required include:
- Colours
- Measuring scale
- Ink for printing
- Resin
Labour Requirements
A small scale or a home-grown paper envelope making business will require labour. You will need at least two employees to help you with the glueing and cutting activities and two to manage the various equipment, machines, finished products, storage, and deliveries, among other things. Some of your employees will have to be well acquainted with the business in advance, and you can provide additional training wherever deemed fit.
Marketing and Promotions
You can start by forging alliances with commercial malls and other outlets. You can agree to offer them some discount on the sale of a specific volume of envelopes.Build a website and start promotions, offers, discounts at least for the first two weeks. Share a business email and contact number. You can also share your postal address for bulk orders.Promotion across social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. Upload images of your products and give them creative headings.
Also Read: How to Start A Business Of Jute Bag Making
View Competition in the Market Consistently
Keep a sharp eye on the offline and online competition to understand what types of envelopes are in demand, the prices at which they are being sold and the promotional activity. It will help you to strategise your business plan with new changes accordingly.
Targeted Clientele
Academic Institutes – These have a never-ending requirement of all types of envelopes.
Religious Places – Many individuals prefer to make cash donations in envelopes. You can make an arrangement with such places and offer a fixed stock to them.
Book Shops – Most book stores sell small curiosities, greeting cards, stationery items, miniature décor items, and other items. You can build a relationship with them as envelopes would serve as a very attractive item in such outlets.
Courier Outlets – These commercial businesses are always in need of a large volume of envelopes at all times. Such contacts will assure you of a steady flow of income.
Commercial Offices – Personal contacts and friends working in different offices could spread the word around. You could connect with the Human Resources person and mail them your details. You can make a presentation of all your products at corporate offices, and this will also assure you of regular revenues. You can also make customised envelopes for them whenever the situation arises.
Conclusion
Envelope making is a creative art and if you are full of envelope ideas, this is the industry to set your foot in. The details of this article clearly outline the wonderful prospects of setting up an envelope manufacturing company. Data analogy (DA) focused and well-planned strategy will help you smoothly set the wheels of manufacturing. Focused data analogy and well-planned strategy will help you smoothly set the wheels of manufacturing.
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