Cotton candy was first produced in Italy in the 16th century, but it was only available to the most influential people. And only several centuries later, with the advent of machines for the production of cotton candy, in 1897 it began to be produced and sold everywhere. Today, cotton candy is a favorite treat for children and adults. Mint, cherry, orange, banana - it’s simply impossible to resist such a taste. If the outlet is well located, selling cotton candy is a profitable and profitable business.
Summary of a business selling cotton candy
One of the main advantages of a cotton candy business, in addition to low starting investments, is high profitability. The calculation is extremely simple. The wholesale price of 1 kg of sugar averages 25-30 rubles. From 1 kg of sugar you can get 70 small portions of cotton candy at a price of 50 rubles per piece. Yes, you also need to take into account the costs of flavoring additives, but they are very insignificant (150 rubles per 1 kg of sugar). As a result, having spent an average of 30 rubles on raw materials (sugar and additives), we can produce and sell cotton candy worth 3,500 rubles.
- Minimum investment to start a business. The main starting costs are the purchase of a machine for making cotton candy (20-30 thousand rubles).
- Minimum requirements for a retail space. To place the equipment you will need an area of no more than 3 m2 with a connection to a 220V network.
- Mobility of the point of sale. The lightness and compactness of the equipment for making cotton candy allows you to quickly change a less profitable place to a more profitable one.
- High return on business. According to players, if the location is successful, the equipment will pay for itself already in the 3rd week.
What equipment is needed to make cotton candy?
The basis of the design of the machine for making cotton candy is a metal box. A special bowl is placed on top of it, where thin threads are wound around a stick, forming an appetizing lump. The ideal bowl material is stainless steel, as it does not oxidize the product. The bowl of the device is equipped with a special mesh, preventing the cotton wool from being scattered in different directions.
There are a lot of offers on the market for equipment for making cotton candy. Hence the different prices for the devices. The price, by the way, largely depends on the performance of the equipment. Conventional semi-professional machines with a productivity of 1-3 kg of cotton candy per hour cost 10-20 thousand rubles. More powerful professional devices with a productivity of over 8 kg/hour cost no less than 60-80 thousand rubles, but the purchase of such equipment is justified only if the retail outlet is highly trafficked.
Cotton candy production technology
The technology for producing cotton candy is extremely simple and does not require special preparation. The process of preparing cotton candy directly at the point of sale is as follows: A portion of sugar is poured into the cavity of the head of the device and after turning on the equipment, the sugar begins to melt. Airborne sugar fibers begin to form under the influence of centrifugal force. The operator can only move the stick inside the bowl of the device to form a delicious lump of cotton candy.
To add color, color filler is added to the device container. With the help of dyes, cotton candy acquires a bright and attractive color for the buyer. Due to these “penny” ingredients, sales of cotton candy increase several times. The color filler gives cotton candy the taste and smell of various fruits: apple, banana, raspberry, melon, cherry, etc.
Manufacturing technology
For the production of cotton candy, various types of sugar can be used: beet, cane, refined. You can give the product a certain taste and color using various food additives and natural dyes.
The process of making cotton wool is quite simple. The sugar is melted in a special drum, and then sprayed and turned into fibers, which are collected at the exit by sticks made of wood or plastic. If necessary, finished products can be packaged in any container for subsequent retail sale.
A convenient solution is to install automatic sweets making machines, in which case the entire production process will be fully automated. Modern machines do not require the presence of sellers; they are serviced by operators whose responsibilities include timely filling of the bins with water and sugar.
Location of the point for installing the cotton candy machine
The best places to install a cotton candy machine are places with high traffic of children: children's institutions, zoos, circuses, amusement parks, entertainment centers. Installation of one device does not require large areas. The small dimensions of the equipment allow you to open a full-fledged point of sale on 2-3 m2. Rent often does not exceed 5-10 thousand rubles per month. Renting a municipal (state) plot will cost even less (1-3 thousand rubles).
The low weight of the equipment (8-12 kg) allows it to be easily transported, which solves the issue of protecting the equipment and allows you to organize trade at festive events.
The issue of business seasonality is resolved by installing the device in shopping and shopping and entertainment centers. Although the cost of rent in such places is higher, the business generates income in the autumn and winter.
Which taxation system to choose for a retail outlet selling cotton candy?
The organizational and legal form of a business selling cotton candy can be an ordinary individual entrepreneurship opened at the local tax office. This is perhaps the best option for such a small business, as it requires minimal paperwork and financial costs for registering activities. OKVED code for trade in cotton candy: 52.24.22 – “Retail trade in sugary confectionery products, including chocolate.”
The optimal system for taxing a retail outlet selling cotton candy is a single tax on imputed income (UTI). In this case, the entrepreneur pays tax based on the size of the retail space, which is only 2-3 m2. The tax turns out to be quite insignificant. Plus, this special. The tax regime exempts from payment of income tax, property tax and VAT. The transition to UTII is carried out at the request of the entrepreneur within 5 days from the date of registration of the business.
Stages of building a business
If you are planning to organize the sale of cotton candy, a business plan must be drawn up very carefully, only in this case can you hope for a quick payback for the project. It should include the following items:
- registration of a company in the form of an individual entrepreneur and registration of permits;
- choosing an OKVED code ( 52.24.22 – Retail trade in sugary confectionery products, including chocolate) for commercial activities;
- purchase of equipment;
- purchasing raw materials (dyes, sugar, sticks and various improvised materials;
- choosing a suitable place for trading;
- cotton wool production;
- development of advertising strategy;
- sales of products.
Recruitment
To organize one outlet selling cotton candy, you will need to employ at least 2 sellers. Work schedule – 2 through 2. It is recommended to set wages as salary plus a percentage of sales. The work of sellers is subject to strict control - theft of proceeds in this matter is not uncommon.
Since the business is related to the production and sale of food, sellers are required to carry medical records confirming the completion of a medical examination. In order to avoid problems in the event of an inspection of a retail outlet by police officers or representatives of the SES.
Staff
The simplest, most reliable and economical way to run a business is for the entrepreneur to do everything on his own, including selling products. At first, this is exactly what you should do, until the investment pays off and net profit begins to flow.
Then you can hire a salesperson for a small rate, but pay a bonus or a percentage of sales for the additional revenue received. This encourages the employee not to just stand and wait for customers, but to take a creative approach to attracting customers.
To make cotton candy, no special knowledge or skills are required, so cheerful, sociable teenagers and students can handle this work.
How much can you earn selling cotton candy?
Let's present an approximate calculation of the profitability of one outlet selling cotton candy.
Monthly fixed expenses:
- Rent of land – 5 thousand rubles;
- Salary (2 people) – 40 thousand rubles;
- Insurance deductions – 13 thousand rubles;
- Tax (UTII) – 4 thousand rubles;
- Transportation costs (delivery of equipment) – 10 thousand rubles.
- Other expenses – 10 thousand rubles.
- TOTAL ~ 82 thousand rubles.
Now let's calculate the monthly revenue of the outlet. The average number of cotton candy sales in high-traffic areas (parks, circuses, shopping malls) is at least 200 servings per day. In a month, taking into account rainy and stormy days, the outlet will operate on average 20 days. Accordingly, the average number of portions sold during this time will be 4,000 pieces. The price of one serving is 50 rubles, hence the monthly revenue is 200,000 rubles. To increase the turnover of a retail outlet, in addition to cotton candy, you can sell popcorn, ice cream, and cold drinks.
Taking into account the costs of raw materials (~ 4 thousand rubles), the monthly profit of one retail outlet will be about 100 - 110 thousand rubles. For some, this amount may seem too high, but you need to take into account the fact that the cotton candy trade is an exclusively seasonal business. In central Russia, an entrepreneur receives his main income from May to September, which is about 4 months of work. A business owner receives significant income when opening at least 3 retail outlets.
The specialist tells
Anton, cotton candy seller:
“The costs are cheap, the payback is quick. One serving takes 2 tablespoons of sugar, there’s no point in even counting the gas, in general, by selling 3-4 servings, you will recoup all the costs for a day’s work. It was almost impossible to register according to the rules, since this is catering and it takes a lot of time and money to organize everything. But, having a “roof”, you can stand in good places without problems with the police. So that you understand, everyone who is simply standing with a stand and a device is most likely not standing completely legally.
There is no point in talking about the number of sales; it all depends on the location. You can sell 300 pieces a day, or you can sell 10... I had a bad place, I stood without any documents in a seaside village, no one ever touched me, but there were few sales. 20-30 servings a day was considered normal for me.
You need to learn so as not to miss the moment, otherwise you will slightly overheat the sugar and the product will be spoiled. After you have made a portion, it is better not to turn it off immediately, otherwise the syrup will harden and you will have to rinse it out. Having made 10-20 servings, any beginner will understand what’s what in this business.
The device is better than a regular one, don’t take a completely electric one, the heating elements burn there and it overheats more. And the cotton wool does not fly up, but it needs to be collected from the side - this is inconvenient.
And in this interesting video, ordinary guys decided to try themselves as cotton candy sellers.
They throw up some interesting numbers:
- maximum daily revenue - 16 thousand rubles;
- set of equipment - 70 thousand rubles;
- The payback period for a cotton candy business is up to 10 days!
Step-by-step plan for opening a retail outlet selling cotton candy
The implementation of a business project for the sale of cotton candy must begin with a study of the market situation in this area of commercial activity. You must know exactly where the trays will be located, how many potential buyers pass through this location on regular/holiday days, whether you can compete with similar outlets, etc. If you are convinced that this idea “has the right to life,” then you can begin to address the following issues:
- Drawing up a business plan.
- Preparation of documents (including permits from local authorities).
- Purchasing equipment.
- Searching for sellers.
If you are planning to organize the activities of an entire network of retail outlets selling cotton candy, then it makes sense to think about creating external paraphernalia and organizing advertising events. A bright sign, beautiful seller uniforms and high-quality products will help you create a decent customer base and a positive image of the company, which is the main guarantee of a successful business.
What documents are needed to open a retail outlet selling cotton candy?
First of all, the organizer of a business selling cotton candy must have the standard individual entrepreneur papers drawn up. In addition, for legal commercial activity you must obtain:
- permission from the local administration;
- coordination with the SES;
- rental agreement for retail space;
- labor contracts with sellers;
- quality certificates;
- documents for dyes/food additives.
Another task of a business organizer related to documents is to control the availability of health certificates for his employees.
Step-by-step plan for organizing a cotton candy trading business
In order to receive a stable and high income by selling cotton candy, at the initial stage of creating a business you need to choose good locations for your outlets. The main criteria are a large number of potential buyers and the absence of competitors. If you have decided on the location of your trays, then you need to draw up a preliminary business plan for this project, which will show how much money you need to start, what profit you can expect, etc.
Then you can begin to implement the practical part of your business idea. Go through the procedure of registering a company, buy equipment, find decent sellers, and also enter into agreements with the owners of the territories for trays and develop a plan for advertising events.
Where to put a point of sale of cotton candy
The sale of cotton candy traditionally starts with the May holidays, when amusement parks open the summer season. In order not to miss additional opportunities, take an interest in the schedule of fairs, Sabantui and other outdoor events, as they usually take place from April to September, and participation in them brings good income.
Is it possible to make money selling cotton candy during the winter season ? Certainly! Don't hide your equipment in a far corner. Offer your services to organizers of children's events and holidays. Typically, such entertainment is organized on weekends, so you can make money from selling cotton candy even without interrupting your main job. And don’t forget about children’s holidays and New Year trees, because there are especially many festive events on these days.
What documents are needed to open a retail outlet selling cotton candy?
First of all, the organizer of a business selling cotton candy must have the standard individual entrepreneur papers drawn up. In addition, for legal commercial activity you must obtain:
- permission from the local administration;
- coordination with the SES;
- rental agreement for retail space;
- labor contracts with sellers;
- quality certificates;
- documents for dyes/food additives.
Another task of a business organizer related to documents is to control the availability of health certificates for his employees.
Which machine to choose for making cotton candy?
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the purpose of purchasing the unit. In addition, equipment for cotton candy is selected based on the following criteria:
- power;
- noise level;
- ease of care;
- the presence of a removable bowl;
- manufacturer;
- customer reviews.
Which OKVED code must be indicated?
For the production and sale of cotton candy in the all-Russian classifier (after the latest changes), the code used is OKVED 54.24.22.
Which tax system to choose
The optimal tax regime, both in economic terms and in terms of the complexity of preparing reports to the Federal Tax Service, for a business selling cotton candy is the simplified tax system. But in some regions of the country, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to work on UTII, which may be more profitable than the simplified taxation system.
Do I need permission?
Entrepreneurs who manufacture and sell cotton candy do not need to obtain special permits or licenses.
What should cotton candy sticks be like?
To collect the finished product, you also need sticks, on which the tasty threads are actually wound. Typically, several of these sticks for preparing test portions are included with the machine. Cotton candy sticks have certain parameters:
- They must be raw so that the sugar fiber does not stick along its entire length.
- Length is 25 – 35 cm (depending on the expected size of the treat)
- The sticks must be smooth, designed specifically for making cotton wool.
Before the process of preparing cotton candy, the sticks are taken out of the packaging in advance and placed in a container at least 35 cm high filled with water. Then, taking the stick by the remaining dry end, they vigorously begin to move it in a circle along the casing, while simultaneously rotating it in their hand. This way the sugar fiber will be wound around the stick, and the stick will collect the newly flying fiber.
Equipment
To effectively and profitably organize a business selling cotton candy, you will need to purchase the following equipment:
- machine for making cotton candy;
- raw materials from which cotton candy will be created;
- a tent or dome to protect the device from dust and “leakage” of a light product.
If the business will be organized primarily outdoors, you will need a mobile cart for the cotton candy making machine. A machine for producing cotton candy can be purchased for a price ranging from eight to thirty-five thousand rubles.
Raw materials
You might be surprised (I was personally surprised) to learn that you only need one and a half to two teaspoons of granulated sugar to make one serving of cotton candy. However, sand is not all that is needed in order to bring joy to people and profit. You will need to purchase FLOSSINE food coloring and flavorings, without which your cotton wool will just be a sweet piece of snow on a stick. With FLOSSINE you can give your products a variety of flavors: orange, mint, banana, apple, peach, if I'm not mistaken, the number of different flavors reaches twenty names. FLOSSINE will also dye cotton wool any color.
But that's not all. You will also need sticks for wrapping cotton wool. Design ideas are also in full swing here, and you can buy any kind of sticks: wooden, plastic, paper. Children especially like sticks with funny designs.
There are little things left: a canopy for a point selling cotton candy, which will protect not only you from the scorching sun, but also your product from street dust.
Making cotton candy
Cotton candy is produced from ordinary refined granulated sugar.
Both beetroot and cane are perfect. To create one serving of cotton wool, two teaspoons of granulated sugar (about twenty grams of sugar) are required.
Spoons of sugar are poured deep into the drum into a special small recess.
After this, the apparatus starts up, and the granulated sugar begins to melt, forming at this time a small web that collects next to the sides of the recess.
While the “web” obtained from granulated sugar is sprayed, it must be collected on a wooden or plastic stick.
To remove the remaining cotton candy, the device should be periodically warmed up.
It is worth noting that cotton candy can be produced not only “at the buyer’s request,” but also in reserve, selling it through small retail stores.
To attract more customers, you can use various color dyes or flavoring additives approved by sanitary services.
Making cotton candy using a special machine: step-by-step instructions
To get a sweet cloud of airy, delicate sweet delicacy, it is not enough to purchase a device, study the instructions and strictly follow them. You need to know the nuances of preparation, which are not mentioned in the instructions.
It’s easy to learn how to make cotton candy by reading the step-by-step instructions for preparing the delicacy:
- Wash the new device thoroughly using special detergent and hot water.
- Dry all components
- Warm up the device for 10 minutes
- Pour 3 tsp onto the disc. Sahara.
- When the melted product turns into thin threads, they are transferred to a special bamboo stick:
- the stick is lowered vertically into the bowl, in which threads begin to wrap around it due to rotation, forming a fluffy ball
- The fibers remaining on the sides of the container are picked up using a stick
Inexpensive devices heat up quickly, so if you use them for a long time, you need to turn them off from time to time.
The secret of colored cotton candy
You can get colored cotton candy in several ways:
- By adding food coloring
- Using special sugar syrups to make treats. Several companies are involved in their production. Each syrup has its own taste and color. All syrups are thoroughly tested for safety and the absence of chemical dyes and flavor enhancers, so even children with allergies can consume it without fear.
- Making your own dyes based on natural products:
- Beet juice concentrate can give a color from bright red to blue-violet
- paprika extract gives all shades of yellow, up to red-orange, and also has a persistent antiseptic effect, has a positive effect on digestion
- Turmeric root extract and saffron can also be used to obtain yellow color
- spinach will give a rich green
- purple can be obtained through the use of black currants, as well as dark grape skins
Using dyes made from healthy natural products, the housewife will not only please her family with a delicious dessert, but will also take care of their health.
