Conceiving an idea is always the easy part of any business. Making the idea of starting a handbag line practical is the hurdle you have to ponder about. In this industry, many brands have come up only to last a few months in the business. Distinguishing the dos and don’t in a handbag line is what separates successful businesses from failing ones GUANGZHOU ZHONGDING BAG CO., LTD info@beanbing.com Web: https://www.beanbing.com

1. How Much Money to Start a Handbag Line？
Conceiving an idea is always the easy part of any business. Making the idea of
starting a handbag line practical is the hurdle you have to ponder about. In this
industry many brands have come up only to last a few months in the business.
Distinguishing the dos and don’t in a handbag line is what separates
successful businesses from failing ones.
When starting a handbag line you should brace yourself for a competitive
market and posses a brave spirit. Every facet of its growth has to work in unity
in order to produce perfection.
The structure of your business will determine the amount of cash you are to
invest when starting a handbag line. You may invest a few thousand dollars or
go big and invest six figures in your business.
Kicking off as a home based business and making your own bags is the most
affordable option. You can also hire help with producing single bags at a time
as this is moderately affordable too.
Manufacturing handbags is the most costly way to go when starting a handbag
line. This is a decision that requires critical thinking before choosing this path.
When starting this business labor and material is significantly expensive.
Below are some of the expenses you will incur when venturing in to the
handbag business both as home based entrepreneur and also as a
manufacturer.
Bag Manufacturer
Mortgage/Rent $3,600
This the the standard amount you will have to spent on mortgage/ rent for the
first six months. This include the working space as well as the office area. The
amount may vary according to locality of your company and also the quality of
the structure. It’s advisable to select a facility that’s easily accessible, that is
close to the road for easy transportation of materials as well as products.
Urban centers are more favorable as compared to rural ones.
Leasehold Improvements ( $10 - $15 / square foot;750 square feet) $7500
Leasing a piece of property for your company is necessary. Do a thorough
research before making this move. This will enable you determine the
availability of both manual and skilled labor in the area. Many people do not
favor working miles from home. You might also incur some added costs
acquiring labor from far. It’s also cautious to consider the surrounding of the

2. property, is it suitable for an industry? Are the conditions conducive for working?
Office Apparatus, Furniture, Supplies $7,102
An office, being the center of in information, should be up to standards and
fully equipped. This is where your planning , organisation, directing, staffing
and also controlling of your business takes place. The setting should provide a
working environment that invokes professionalism. This basically means
everything needed in a standard office should be available and conveniently
placed.
Reserves, Cut and Sew Equipment, Textiles and Packaging $1,200
Producing multiple bags at time will require more tools as well as materials due
to a larger workforce. It’s also advisable to pile stocks for a continuous flow of
the production process. Your packaging should be appealing to the target
customers .
Factory Sewing Machine $1000
To achieve the industrial rate of production, you will need an industrial sewing
machine. This will facilitate the production of multiple products at a time.
Serger $1,400
Since the production rate is high,overcasting will require a serger to prevent
fraying. This will also reduce the amount of labor needed.
Production Expenses ( 1st 6 months ) $24,000
This is the total cost needed for manufacturing in the first six months. This
costs will include the expenses of immediate labor, direct material as well as
the costs of production overhead. Notice all costs are consistent for the first six
months because then is when you can rate the progress of your business.
Business Licenses (approximated) $100
This will vary according to the locality of your premises. Conducting a research
on the area of choice will get you a precise figure. Seeking advice from local
authorities is the best option.
Line Installation Fee ( phone ) $150
In order to figure out the best phone line Installation for your company, your
first step should be to examine your company’s needs. The needs of your
clientele will determine the features required to leverage the services you offer.
Multi-line landline is suitable in this case as it allows clients to get through to
another line if the one being called is unavailable at the moment.
P.O. Box ( 1st 6 months ) $54
This is necessary to protect your precise location. You wouldn’t want clients
showing up unannounced.

3. Employee Salaries, Duties and Benefits ( 1st 6 months ) $9,025
The salary you pay shouldn’t be more than the job's worth. A salary just like
any business cost, is an investment with expected returns. When planning how
to pay salaries, start by deciding the highest amount you’ll be willing to pay.
The salary per person should be relevant to their value in the company. The
lowest amount of salary should be in accordance to the market rate as this is
what sets employees expectations. Budgeting for taxes should also be your
priority.
Start-up Marketing ( 1st 6 months ) $1,440
It’s important to note that having a great team of professionals and a great
product does not necessarily mean you product will be known. The scaling of
your company will depend on a constructive and well planned marketing
strategy. Your marketing budget should be founded on the hopes of your
achievement. Your specific short as well as long term goals dictate your
advertising costs. Having a plan is the safest route to take in order to examine
your results when checking the performance of each marketing activity. Select
different channels and test them to determine what produces paying users and
qualified leads. Test these channels with a small portion of your marketing
budget.
Legal Services $900
Legal services are of course very crucial when setting up your company.
Through legal services you will be able to make out legal boundaries and the
risks related to crossing them. Counsel have a professional duty to identify
possible problems and handle them effectively. Therefore, it’s cautious to
budget for this fee to be on the safe side.
Accounting Services $500
Management of all your financial information is a crucial part of your business.
The income statements, balance sheet and financial statements are the major
financial statements that need recording. This services are crucial to the
smooth working of the company. Accounting services should be a compulsory
part of your budget.
Sales Call Transportation Expenses ( 1st 6 months ) $1,200
This is basically the costs for delivery of the ordered products. The locations
will definitely vary. Delivery services when out sourced can be quite costly.
Using company vehicle is the best option.
Travel Costs ( 1st 6 months) $ 1,500
As a company you should definitely anticipate business trips. This expenses
include airline costs, hotel accommodation fees and other expenses like
renting a car for easy movement. Business trips are part of a company’s

4. operations thus a necessary budget.
Insurance ( yearly cost) $500
Insurance is vital for the protection of your assets in case of a catastrophe .
Insurance also provides protection when customers are harmed at the
company’s disposal. Insurance cover should also be compulsory in your
budget.
Market Research Cost $500
Through market research you will be able to determine the feasibility of your
business. This basically means you will be able to know demand of your
product whether as leather bag manufacturer or custom bag manufacturer.
You will also be able to monitor industry trends when venturing into your
handbag business and know how to fit in. Understanding your market will
enable your company determine optimal product placement, that is,
time ,place and the manner of product distribution. Research is also important
for monitoring your competitors.
Membership Fees $510
The benefits of your business being a member of an organisation are
important in the successful operations of your company. Company's concerns
about certain policies are voiced by organisations and can eventually lead to
reforms. For example leather bag manufacturers face certain tough policies
which might inhibit their productivity to some extent. The organisation
advocates for more economic environment. Membership will also show the
professionalism of your company as a bag manufacturer. Organisations
sponsor industry awards therefore providing an avenue for your handbag line
to gain recognition.
Publications and Books $100
Publications and books maintain communication both internally and externally
in a company. Publications are also important for boosting public relations of
your company. Books and publications are an important motivational tool for
employees. They help improve the performance of the workforce of your
handbag line by keeping employees informed on the company’s policies,
social events, activities and also services.
Online Services ( broadband)$99
Fast internet will definitely boost productivity of your handbag line. There is no
frustration of buffering thus boosting staff morale. Data storage and backup will
be improved therefore leading to reduction of computer hardware. Interaction
with customers is more efficient as well as increase in capacity due to the use
of broadband services. This will also enable your company to save costs by
cutting down energy use brought about by servers at every office.

5. Website Design $2,000
Your website influences the perception of your audience towards your brand.
The impression created will either invoke interest or make people leave your
page and favor a competitor. A good web design will boost your search engine
optimization strategy. This is because web design elements affect content
publishing on your website. Your web design will also manifest an impression
of your customer service. Your website represents your customer service thus
a good web design will give customers confidence in your services. Web
design is necessary in order to be competitive in the handbag manufacturing
business as your competitors have invested in it.
Web Hosting ( 1st year ) $100
Web hosting will ensure increase in website load time thus facilitating better
user experience which is critical for your handbag line. Good web hosting also
improves the security of your website and prevents website downtime which
might result to the lose of customers as well as revenue. Select a highly
reliable and uptime web host. This will ensure that your website is always
available online unless there is a server maintenance. Bandwidth of a web
host should also be considered for the amount of traffic your website can
manage monthly. Solid customer support is important for efficient
communication when your website has technical issues.
Considering all the costs, the total you will require to be an established
manufacturer in the handbag business is $ 69,680
COSTS OF A HOME BASED HANDBAG LINE
The costs of starting a home based handbag line is significantly cheaper as
compared to manufacturers whether custom bag manufacturer or leather bag
manufacturer. Below are some of the expenses incurred when setting up this
business.
Office Tools and Furniture $ 2, 895
You will need a small up to standard office with suitable equipment. This where
your planning, organisation as well as communication will take place.
Recording and analyzing of information will also be done here. Basically all
paper work will be done in the office and also handling of clients. This means
the setting should create a good working condition.
Cut and Sew Equipment, Textile, Stock and Packaging $600
You will need tools for crafting your handbags. Tools available should be
proportional to your workforce. Keeping stocks is important so that you don’t
run out of materials when in the middle of work.
Business Licenses $100 ( approximate)
Registering your handbag business with local authorities is compulsory. This is

6. necessary for taxation purposes. A business without a permit is an illegal
business. The fee will vary according to the local city government.
Line Installation Fee $ 40
Phone system cost will differ according to the business needs. In this case, a
single analogue landline will be perfect for your handbag line as you will not be
accustomed to many calls and faxes. This type of phone line installation is cost
effective and ideal for broadband as well. Acquiring a single analogue landline
will also prevent you from wasting money on extra features that are
unnecessary for your small business. When selecting your business phone
installation, it’s also cautious to consider the maintenance services of the
phone line provider. Good customer service will ensure the smooth running of
your handbag business. The phone model should not be ignored as well.
Costs of different models differ depending on whether you choose a generic
phone, medium range brand model or a top of the line brand model. Some of
the models ,depending on the quality, may have additional features like: 3-
way calling, automatic call-back, call waiting, call forwarding.
P O Box ( 1st 6 months ) $ 54
You home based handbag line will definitely need P O Box address for several
unavoidable reasons.
A post office box address will ensure privacy as well as professionalism for
your business. You actual location is hidden from the public therefore
preventing uninvited visitors from turning up to your home.
Start-up Marketing ( 3% projected revenue 1st 6 months) $200
This should be mandatory in your budget. Through start-up advertising you
brand establishes its individual identity which is quite significant to the
development of handbag line. Through marketing, your company’s
fundamental values as well as business techniques are expressed. Your brand
will also be differentiated from the competition therefore establish a unique
selling point and attracting customers who seek your specified product.
Marketing gives a promise of longevity to customers by coming up with an
identity tally's with its goals, values and beliefs.
Sales Calls Transportation Costs ( 1st 6 months ) $1,200
Budgeting for transportation of deliveries is very important. Sales calls are
usually prearranged otherwise it’s a cold call. This basically means the delivery
will be made to a homes which can be very expensive. A vehicle would be
conducive for this task
Insurance ( yearly ) $500
Having business insurance is crucial for the protection of your assets.
Incidents such as fires are non predictable and your assets could be wiped out.
Insurance also protects your customers in case of any harm at the disposal of

7. your company. Insurance is a government requirement that should not miss in
your budget to make your business legal.
Market Research $250
Through market research you will be able to know your customers better.
Research will enable you figure out your ideals customer’s full profile. This will
enable you determine the market size and what moves the customers to make
purchases. By doing market research you are able to examine the market and
identify your competitors. Additionally, you will be able to market test your
product before full exposure to your target customer base.
Publications $50
Publications offer a regular and credible resource for learning about industry
trends as well as events planned for the year. It’s an efficient way to connect
your business with the public . Most people trust the information from a
magazine rather than social media.
Broadband $99
High speed internet increases productivity. It also boosts efficiency by
reducing the necessity of travelling through video conferencing and also
remote office access. It’s definitely worth investing in.
Web Design $1,000
Web design is all about first impression. An attractive website will invoke

8. positive impression of your business. This will create a great perception of your
product to your customers.
Web Hosting ( 1st year ) $100
Web hosting influences the success of your website. Through web hosting,
your website will always be accessible on the web.
It’s crucial to consider the bandwidth and storage of a web host, customer
support and also clear pricing terms.