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If you are a dog aficionado, you would know how important dog toys are. They are not only a great way to help ease your dog’s teething pain, but it is also an effective tool for training your dog. So if you are looking for a great business opportunity, you should establish your very own dog toy company. This will not only give you a chance to design custom-made toys for a man’s best friend, but you also get to earn a profit as well. Here are some great tips to get you started.
1. Do Research on Your Competition
Before you start on any type of business endeavor, it is imperative that you do research on your competition. Remember that there are existing dog toy companies out there, and if your products are too similar to that of your competition, you might get accused of copying their products.
2. Experiment on Various Types of Dog Toys
Before you release any of your dog toy products, it is important that you experiment first. Remember that if you release a line of dog toys, you will have to invest money, time, and effort to mass-produce them. So before you start mass producing them, you should make a prototype first, and have them tested by dogs and their owners.
When you make your dog toys, there should be as much variety as possible. In general, there are at least four types. These toys are the chew toy, ball, stuffed toys, and puzzle toys.
The chew toy is predominantly made to help young dogs with their teething problems. They are usually made up of tough materials such as rubber or plastic. Most chew toys are shaped like a bone or steak. This makes the chew toy more enticing to chew. Some chew toys are even specially flavored to taste like meat or dog food.
The ball toy is very self-explanatory. It is a round and light object that is used to teach the dog obedience, and have them exercise at the same time. Balls are predominantly made of rubber for easy chewing.
Most dogs love to rag-doll pieces of cloth. They just love the sensation, so if you are going to make a dog toy, you should try making a stuffed toy designed for dogs. The stuffed toy should be made of tougher stuff though because dogs could be very vicious when they play with stuffed toys. Instead of the usual cotton and cloth combination, you should use tougher materials such as leather or burlap. They will not only last longer, but they will also be more pleasurable for the dog to bite through.
Yet another type of dog toy that you could manufacture are puzzle toys. They are more complicated compared to other types of dog toys and are specially designed to help dogs develop their problem-solving abilities. Puzzle toys usually have more components and require more effort to set up. However, they could usually be sold at a much higher price.
3. Make Sure Your Products Are Non-Toxic
If you are going to manufacture and sell your dog toys, you should make sure that they are non-toxic. Nothing is worse than releasing a line of dog toys, and finding out later that it is toxic, and it leads to the deaths of many beloved pets.
This is not only a traumatic feeling, that will haunt you with guilt, there is also a very big chance that you will get sued. So if you are going to choose what type of material to use on your dog toys, you should double-check your suppliers first. Make sure that the plastics you use are non-toxic, and can be played with by a dog for hours on end, without any danger of poisoning them.
4. Follow a Set Budget
Like any other business, it is imperative that you follow a set budget. Although mass-producing dog toys may not seem like a pricey business venture, you’ll be surprised at how much money you’ll be spending if you’re not careful. So you should make sure that you list down all your expenses and set a limit for all your spending.
Establishing a business for the very first time might be an exciting prospect, and it could be tempting to invest as much money as you can in the business. However, if you want your business to last long, you should make sure that you follow your budget to the letter.
5. Invest in Quality Molds
When it comes to mass-producing dog toys, it is important that you invest in quality molds. Remember that most dog toys are shaped in a specific way, and in order to standardize the production process, you should use specialized molds. By using molds, you will be able to speed up the production process and lessen the ratio of error.
Luckily, there are companies such as Immould that offer injection mold manufacturing solutions. They have over 40 years of experience in the industry and offer good quality molds at affordable prices. If you are interested in purchasing customized molds for your dog toys you could contact Immould through their website. Here you will get all the information you need about molds and what’s more, you can easily place an order and have it shipped to you conveniently.
6. Start Marketing as Early as Possible
If you want to create interest in your product, you should start your marketing as early as possible. You have a lot of competition, and if you don’t take the initiative, you might get left in their dust. So before you even get your company established, or have your products rolled out, you should already do some marketing. One of the most effective ways to market your products is to post ads through social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. They are very cost-efficient and have a very wide marketing range.
Conclusion
If you are a dog lover, you would know how much dogs love toys. So if you are looking for a great business opportunity, you should try manufacturing dog toys. With these tips, you’ll be able to establish a toy dog company of your very own