In this article we will discuss the procedure of starting a chalk business, raw materials required, and types of machinery, manufacturing process, profit, and cost analysis.
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Introduction
Chalks are used in various sectors like education, construction, clothing, furniture, and many more. It is essential for writing on boards in schools. It has been used since ancient times. You will be thinking about the school days that many used to enjoy playing with the chalks and throwing chalk small pieces at each other.
Chalks are round shapes that are available in various shapes (round, square, and hexagon) and colors (white, red, green, pink, and yellow). The general length of chalks is 75 mm and roundness 9 mm.
Business Scope
As near about 60 percent in education institutions, chalks are used for teaching purposes on blackboards. Whether it is Urban or rural sectors everywhere chalks are used. It is used in the textile industry for marking clothes, furniture plywood, tiles marking, and the education sector.
As the cost of chalks is less, it is used in many developing countries for education teaching. Therefore the demand will be steady throughout the year. It is a profitable small scale business ideas that can be easily started at your home.
Business procedure
The business can be started easily at your home for less than Rs 50,000. You can start anywhere in India. The investment is depending upon location and production quantity.
Starting a chalk business requires various procedure such as
-Business registration and Trade license
-GST registration and Trademark registration
-Factory license and NOC are also required for setting large scale manufacturing units.
-Local Authority permission
-Current bank account
-You may also be required to set up your firm as an SSI unit.
For starting this business, you may need proper training and guidance. Basic facilities like electricity, water supply, and proper space for raw materials are also required for the starting of this business.
The space required will be around 200 to 500 SQ FT. It includes the machinery and storage space. The location should be near the target market such as schools and colleges.
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Raw Materials required for making Chalks
Now if you have decided to start this chalk business, then the main thing to know is the types of materials you may need to start. Don't worry you do not need to search every time regarding the price and other details, I have provided the details below -
- Plaster of Paris - POP scientific name calcium carbonate is the main raw material you may need to start chalk making. It is easily available in the local market and online websites. The plaster of Paris when mixed with water forms a hard paste. POP is also used in hospitals for fractured bones on hands and legs. The price starts from Rs8.5 per kilogram when purchased in bulk quantity. It is available in 20 and 25 Kg sack bags.
- China Clay - it is also called as Kaolinite which is a clay mineral with the chemical composition Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄.
- Lubricant - Groundnut oil is used as a lubricant. It is mixed with kerosene to prevent the chalk from sticking to the chalk mold.
- Water - clean water is used for mixing POP.
- Colour- Various colors are required to make colorful chalks. You can purchase the colors according to the requirement.
- Dustless powder- The cost for dustless powder starts from Rs 12 to 15 per kg.
- Molds - the molds are the main component in making chalks. It is available in plastic, rubber, and metal according to the production and budget. Different types of molds have holes that start from 200 to 300 holes per one mold. You may use a wooden edge around the mold. Mold cost - Rs 1500 to 4500.
- Paints brush - it is used to apply lubricants in the mold. iCraft Professional Ultimate 3-in-1 Round Chalk Paint Brush
- Scrapper - A flat metal or scraper is used for scraping the surface of the chalk mold.
- Dryer - It is used for drying the chalk mixture after it is removed from the mold. It is done with the help of electric heating.
- Hand Gloves - It is used for the protection of hands while mixing the water with POP.
- Box - the boxes are required for packaging the chalks. 50 or 100 chalks are packed into a single box. The price of the box is Rs 1 to 1.5 depending upon the size and quality.
Machinery required
If you are planning for a small scale unit at your home, then no machine is required. Large scale machinery is required.
For starting chalk making you require various molds and machines. There are two main types of machines: one is manual and the other is automatic machineries.
In today's market, there are many different types of machine available, you need to select the right machinery according to the production and budget.
Manual Chalk Making machine types
1 - Aluminum chalk making machine
2 - Gunmetal chalk making machine
The manual machine produces 4000 to 64000 chalk pieces per hour. A single batch produces 1000 pieces. The price starts from Rs 50000 to 180000 depending upon production capacity and features. One type of calk can be manufactured using a single machine. There are various parts in chalk machines such as Mold positioning switch, bearing block, frame, and tray round steel, tray bar.
Automatic chalk making machine
In this machine water supply, mixing of materials, filing, and removal of chalks is automatically done with the help of various machines. Electric clutch is provided for water supply. The automatic machine produces 120000 to 150000 pieces per day. It saves labor and time, therefore, lower the production cost. The price starts from Rs 3 to 5 Lakh per machine.
How to Buy Raw materials and Machinery
You can buy raw material and machinery from the local market or online websites such as Indiamart and Trade India. You can compare the different machines and then buy the right according to your Power consumption, production capacity, and usage application. Also, check for warranty service and spare parts availability.
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Chalk Manufacturing Process
There are various steps for making chalk described below.
In the manual process the mixing, lubricating, filling, removing, and collection of chalks is done by manual means whereas in automatic machines it is done with the help of machines.
Steps for making chalks
Mixture Making - The process starts with a mixture of Plaster of Paris, china clay, and water. The uniform paste is formed according to the required quantity. 2 Kg POP requires 3 liters of water. Various colors are added if you want to manufacture colored chalks in the mixing process.
Cleaning of Mold - Before pouring the mixture, lubricants are used for preparing the mold. A mixture of groundnut oil and kerosene in the ratios of 1:4 is used for preventing the mixture inside molds. The lubricants protect the mold surface from sticking the mixture to the mold and also helps to remove the chalks easily.
Pouring the Mixture - The mixture is poured into various molds according to arrangement. The scraper or metal piece is used for removing the excess material from molds. Various wooden borders are kept around the mold.
Drying Process- The mixture is then left to solidify in the mold for 15 to 20 minutes. After the chalks become solidified it is removed from mold using manual means or machinery. The chalks are collected at the bottom of the mold. After removing the chalks it is left into sunlight for 1 to 2 days for removing the excess moisture and making chalk hard.
Testing - After completing the above process it is tested for strength and smoothness in writing. It is done with the help of various machines to check whether the chalks are according to the required features.
Packaging- The chalks are then packed into boxes according to the number of pieces. The box may contain 50 to 100 chalks. Also, the other packaging and branding details are mentioned in the box outer layer.
The proper composition of the mixture is required every time for even chalk making. You can make various colors chalks and pack them in a single box. You can produce 1000 chalk pieces at a time using different molds. There is a 20 minutes break between various batch making for cleaning and filling.
Profit and Costing analysis
The Profit margins are around 20 to 40 percent depending upon the quality of chalks. The weight of 1 chalk is around 5 grams. From 1 kg of POP, you can make 250 to 300 chalks.
The making cost is Rs 90 per 1000 chalks for normal chalks. The cost may be higher for dustless chalk. Average the production cost is Rs 8 to 15 per kg for chalk. The profit is Rs 100 per 1000 pieces. The chalks are sold between Rs 1 to 3 per piece.
You can earn Rs 15000 to 30000 per month depending on the sales and quality you are making.
Selling analysis
The packaging of chalks also plays an important role in selling your product. You need to provide better chalks and packaging to start selling your chalks easily in the market. The selling of chalks can be started using a direct door to door marketing.
You can start marketing and promotion activities on various social media to reach customers across different parts of the world. Register on various online platforms B2B, B2C such as Amazon, Flipcart, Trade India, and Indiamart.
The selling of chalks can be started with the local market such as stationary, colleges, offices, hardware shops, and wholesaler agents. Also, you can visit nearby cities, villages, and towns for increasing the sales of chalks. The delivery person can be hired to manage the supply and order collection. Proper marketing and promotion have to be done regarding the new product in cello tape.
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Tips
As chalk businesses are having tough competition you need to make proper planning. Before starting any business you need to research and analyze the potential of your products in the market.
The main thing is marketing you need to focus on the selling of chalks to differentiate among others in the market.
You need to make good quality chalk smooth as it is used for writing on blackboards and also to prevent the breaking of chalks.
Conclusion
Starting a small-scale business of chalk is a very profitable business. You can earn high profits with low investment. New schools and colleges are coming every year. The demand for school chalk is strong and growing. It does not require more space in making. The raw materials are easily available.
For large scale business, you need to consider the capital required before starting this business as the investment is the main part of any business. You need to have complete information on making chalks by doing proper research of raw materials, manufacturing process, and target market before starting this business. Research and analysis have to be done before starting any business.
Hope this article was useful to you. If you have any questions please comment in the box below.
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