How to start an exercise notebook manufacturing company? 

Overview

India has around 24 crores of students and they would all require notebooks for studying and writing. Indian Stationery market has tremendous potential for growth. Indian Stationery Market is estimated to grow at 10.5% CAGR during 2018-24. Stationery industry in India is fragmented and dominated majorly by unorganised business units. It largely comprises of office and educational products. School books are an important and major market component in the school stationery category.

The important factors in driving the market of stationery products globally are:

• Increasing literacy levels
•  Increasing access of education to the population
• Better birth rate
• Increasing number of schools and offices
•  Improved standards of living
• Focus on inexpensive products
• Increased expenditure on education
• Government initiatives like the National Policy on Education and Education for all (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan)
• Urbanisation of rural areas

The demand for book bindings and note books is more in urban, semi-urban and rural areas as Government is emphasising on education for all and has increased the number of colleges and schools in remote villages.

Types of Books:-

With syllabus and curriculum of students getting diversified, students require different books for different purposes. Some of the popular and widely–used books are:

• notebooks
• record books
• note pads
• exercise books
• graph book
• drawing book
• laboratory book
• scrapbook

Notebooks and exercise books are the most popular stationery items for schools. Every student requires them throughout their entire schooling and higher education. The demand for note books exits throughout the year although its demand peaks in June and August when the schools re-open. Record books and exercise books are also in demand throughout the year as they are used in institutions, offices and government organisations. Exercise book is known popularly as Khata in India.

The note books and exercise books available these days are aesthetically and functionally well improved with 3D covers.

Before you start a notebook manufacturing business, approach all local stationers and find the quantity of books sold in a month, popular brands and the selling prices. Select a location to launch your exercise and notebooks. Choose an area that has many schools and colleges.

Write a business plan for the notebook manufacturing business. It helps in planning, starting and running the production smoothly. Business plan can help you get financial aid from banks. Start manufacturing the most selling books, that is, 100-150 pages of exercise and notebooks. 

Make money from the notebook cover. Use the outer and back cover to print funny and creative content and use the inner side to print for marketing local businesses such as coaching classes, restaurants, hostels, etc. Contact the local entrepreneurs who are willing to advertise their products and services.  

Find a manufacturing company to outsource printing of covers and labels. Buy the paper after considering the cost and quality of the paper used by your potential competitor. Select a brand name and design a nice logo that is easy to identify and remember. Supply small quantity of books, around 20 to 25, to the dealers who have good sale record.

Collect feedback from the customers and incorporate their inputs in your next production batch.  

Manufacturing Process of Note Books

Manufacturing a note book or exercise book is pretty easy. Gather the amount of paper required and get started as follows:-

• Print rules on a white paper using a ruling machine
• Fold the ruled paper sheets to the required size and arranged the papers in order
•  Perforate the  paper
• Bind or stitch it with covers, labels etc.
• Cut the pages uniformly and pack them

License and Permissions:-

For starting an exercise or notebook manufacturing business, the following licenses and registrations will be required.

• Registration of business as per the management and size of the business
• Trade License
•  Registration for Udyog Aadhar MSME
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State’s Pollution Control Board
•  VAT registration
• Registering for a trademark
• Tax registration

Raw Materials Required for Exercise Book Manufacturing:-

You would need the following raw material for manufacturing exercise books and notebooks:

• 40-50 gsm white sheet – the main raw material
•  grey board sheet
•  printing ink
• cover sheet
• gum
• stitching wire

To start on a small scale, do not buy the printing setup. Get the cover pages printed from other printing companies.

Exercise Book and Note Book Making Machines 

Exercise book and notebooks making business can be started with simple machinery that is semi-automated but to meet specific requirements and the production output, you would have to increase your machinery. The basic machines required for notebook making are as follows:

• Discruling machine to rule the paper on both sides
• Paper cutting machine (semi-automatic) to cut around 28 pieces in a minute
• Book stitching machine
• Book pressing machine
•  Three Knife/Three Edge Trimming  Machine
•  Perforating machine
• Manual press ‘

What minimum capital is required to start up a small home base notebook manufacturing business?

Notebook making business is not capital intensive if you plan to start at home. You will obviously be producing smaller quantities of books and working manually. An investment of 10 to 12 Lakhs would be required.

Although internet and digitalisation has changed the way of learning and studying, the demand for notebooks among the businesses and students still exits.

Promotional Strategies for Selling the Notebook

The word promotion is one of the marketing strategies in the marketing plan. StartupYo has suggesting few amazing promotional strategies for selling your manufactured notebooks in the market and they are of the following:

• Firstly, personal selling
•  Secondary, advertising
• Thirdly, sales promotion
•  Also, direct marketing
• Lastly, publicity

The above amazing promotional strategies for selling your manufactured notebooks in the market can explain briefly in the following:

Personal selling: You should sell personally directly to the following: customers, retailers, wholesalers, dealers etc

Advertising: You can also advertise your notebooks by describing their properties of the following: quality, pages, colour, and many more

Sales promotion: Sales promotion is one of the promotional strategies where StartupYo will suggest doing by hiring the sales executives.

Direct marketing:  Direct marketing is also one of the promotional strategies you can follow for notebook manufacturing business

Publicity: Ensure publicity for your company by distributing the pamphlets, putting flexies on the roadside at the huge public area

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