Interview with Alexander Dmitriev
Chipboard plywood,
PVA glue,
Reproductions of popular pictures printed on an inkjet printer in 4 colors
be able to make as many as 4 styles of products (vintage, gold, stone, aging) and open your own souvenir business, giving from 55 thousand rubles of net income per month?
If all this is really interesting to you, read a unique interview with a businessman who knows how to work with his hands.
Interview with Alexander Dmitriev, owner of the Positiff Souvenir Production Studio
Tell us a little about your business?
Every person in his soul strives to do what he likes. Therefore, many people, in addition to work that brings material wealth, engage in various hobbies. It is great happiness for a person when his favorite hobby brings income.
I for a long time worked as a manager at a television production plant. But a crisis came, and the huge production slowly faded away. There was a choice of what to do next. We have a region (Kaliningrad region) with a tourist bias; there are several good resort towns where souvenir trade is brisk all year round. However, all the souvenirs from each seller are similar to each other, and amber pictures are produced in Lithuania at several enterprises, so they are not particularly different either. I decided to do something special, not like everyone else. I myself am not an artist at all (a purebred entrepreneur). Therefore, the production technology had to become low-cost, absolutely accessible, and the final product should delight and surprise the buyer. I wanted to make a picture that was completely monolithic. In order for the image to be inside the base, the frame and the picture were a single whole. And in the end I came up with something special. The picture turned out to be very interesting. To work, I needed a computer, an inkjet printer (I have the simplest 4-color one), a room for processing the product (I use my garage), and PVA glue itself (great glue! We do all our work on its basis). On my logos I make sure to indicate that the pictures are reproductions and the name of the artist, so that there are no questions about authorship.
I also started making portraits to order (wedding portraits are especially great).
The product itself is a monolithic picture, embedded deep into the base, with chopped edges, stylized as vintage, gold, or stone. Most popular size finished product 16X21 cm, 26X34 cm. The technology is called “IgAl”, paintings are based on chipboard
How did the idea for this business come about? Was it a sudden insight, or was this idea something you had been working towards for some time?
Left without work, I began to engage in business, selling amber souvenirs on a street stall in one of the resort towns. But everyone’s products are the same, because... It is produced at 2-3 enterprises, and competition is very high. I wanted to make something unique, different from competitors, and so that the cost would not be higher than the cheapest amber picture. I didn’t nurture the idea of the product for long; it took me the longest to come to the result. Pick up necessary tool and materials. After about 2 months of experimenting, I came to the result. I perfected the technique. Now, using my technology, I make 4 styles of products: vintage, gold, stone, aging.
Have you ever doubted the success of others? How did you deal with this?
Actually, I didn’t have to face any doubts; there was a very strong desire for results. When the first high-quality commercial products began to be produced and the first batch was sold in 5 days (30 pictures), then all the doubts of those who had them also disappeared.
How much time passed from the moment the idea was conceived to its final implementation?
In January 2011, I was laid off from a management position at a television manufacturing plant. In March, I registered as an entrepreneur and began to carry amber souvenirs from Lithuania (we have such a paradox, amber is mined in our region, but good products are made in Lithuania and Poland), in May I began to try to make my own products. In July I made the first commercial batch. Since then, I have been producing and distributing only my products.
What stages did the process of launching your business consist of?
The first thing I needed was a place to work. My own garage suited me for this. I prepared the tabletop for processing (to make it convenient to work alone). I made a small drying box (it is a closet with an ordinary electric heater). When I began to make the first commercial products, I began to organize sales (about him in paragraph 6)
What difficulties have you encountered in initial stage? How did you overcome them?
I didn’t encounter any particular difficulties, probably the most difficult thing in the work was choosing the materials with which the product would look high-quality, finished, quickly produced and not have a high cost. I did it.
How do you promote your services? Name the main promotion channel.
Because At that time I was already an entrepreneur, I placed my products on my tray, and also agreed to sell them through souvenir shops. Now I have 2 of my own points in resort towns, 2 display cases in supermarkets (I placed rotating display cases like for postcards) people here very well take pictures as a gift, even as a postcard, I also sell them in 4 souvenir shops in the city of Kaliningrad and one store at the airport.
What are the main expenses when starting your business?
Main expenses:
- A computer (I already had one), but you can use any one, even the cheapest one.
- Epson inkjet color printer. I bought the simplest and most inexpensive one, model TX109. It cost me 2,500 rubles including refillable cartridges.
- Business card paper 8 rub. sheet A4
- Untreated cut chipboard size 16X21 – 10 rub. PC.
- PVA glue and other water-based woodworking compounds – up to 500 rubles. (this is about 40-50 pictures)
- Sandpaper - 2 rubles. (for 1 picture)
- Wood treatment compositions (water-based) - 4.6 rubles. PC.
TOTAL: 23.2 rub. PC. 16X21 format in vintage style
If it is gold or stone-like, the cost increases by another 2-5 rubles. PC.
All materials are available in any specialized store
We sell pictures for 200-220 rubles. ( average price in the store 300 rub.)
On average, about 300 pictures are sold per month.
The net yield from one sold picture is 180 rubles. (this includes production costs, transportation costs and taxes).
If you were starting this business now, what mistakes would you try to avoid?
I believe that I have not made any mistakes in this business. The only difficulty is working with supermarkets, they have their own settlement system which you need to get used to (but these are not mistakes). Two points in supermarkets make half a turn.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just thinking about starting their own business?
The most important thing is to find that thin thread of business, to find something that will allow you to differ from your competitors. It is not justified not to risk a lot of money. And the most important thing is, as entrepreneurs say, to “incubate” your business. Give him a few months to build up. Many can’t stand it and close after a couple of months; we need to wait out this moment.
I have several organized sales points: 2 of my own in resort towns, 2 points in supermarkets in the gift department, and we also sell in 4 more souvenir shops.
To my surprise, the main buyers were not tourists, but ours local residents. Now the production of paintings based on chipboard is my business. I am very interested in working with and developing it.
Create something unique, different and you will enjoy SUCCESS!!!
Alexander Dmitriev
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01.11.2012 10:38:20
Collections best ideas business 2018
Most of us go to work and most of of us force ourselves to do it. Very few people get a kick out of doing what they do for most of their lives. I also worked as a manager at a company for a long time, and this was not what I wanted to do all my life. My hands were always itching to do something of my own. I once visited a friend of mine at a furniture factory, and I was very surprised at how much leftover material they throw into a landfill. These are the remains of chipboard, plywood, MDF. I have always had a desire to start producing souvenirs, because... There are a lot of them in our region all year round. I took it from him a large number of leftover chipboard and began experimenting with them. I wanted to create something unique, unlike other souvenirs sold by our entrepreneurs. And I succeeded. I made souvenir paintings where the image goes into a frame, stylized different types: stone, vintage, gold, etc. The imagination here can be limitless. I myself am not an artist at all, so I print all the images on a printer.
- Technology for manufacturing unique souvenir paintings
- How much can you earn by producing unique souvenir paintings?
- How much can you earn by making souvenir paintings?
- Technology for making souvenir paintings
The crisis struck and the company where I worked was closed, and I had to turn my hobby into income. I found several points of sale through entrepreneurs, and opened my own point in a resort town. Things went slowly, but there was stable demand, because... the products were truly unique. To expand turnover, I found more sales points not only aimed at tourists, but also at local buyers. To my surprise, the turnover from such points was on par with tourist ones. They started ordering pictures from me in the form of postcards to flower salons, because... They go very well with flowers. I also made 20 custom paintings for a Japanese restaurant and began collaborating with photographers who now constantly place orders. By the end of the season, I calculated the average profit, it was about 50,000 rubles. per month.
Technology for making unique souvenir paintings
The painting is a monolithic product with chopped edges, chipboard base, Plywood, MDF, board. I print the images on a printer and process them so that they fit into a frame. I choose the style relative to the image. The most popular ones are vintage, stone, ivory. All tools and materials for processing are available at any hardware store; I do not use anything specific or expensive. the main objective– simplicity and low cost of production and aesthetic appeal of products.
How much can you earn by producing unique souvenir paintings?
The cost of the product does not exceed 25 rubles. Despite the fact that I pick up waste for free furniture production and I give them life. I sell them for no less than 250 rubles. I make about 15-18 pictures a day. During the season, sales are about 15 paintings per day from all points. This is about 2200 rubles. per day net, taking into account overhead costs. In the off-season I sell about 8 pieces. in a day. This is about 1200 rubles. in a day.
Today I have my own souvenir pavilion where 80% of the products are produced using my technologies and about 15 points of sale through other entrepreneurs.
What I want to say with this article. A crisis is still an engine of progress and a reason to move in every sense of the word. The main thing is to correctly come up with what you will do and how to sell it.
How much can you earn by making souvenir paintings?
You can make good money from furniture production waste. Making souvenir paintings is quite a profitable business. The cost of producing one picture is from 30 to 50 rubles. The price includes: the base of the painting (plywood, chipboard, MDF) - about 15 rubles; photographic paper – from 3 to 5 rubles per sheet; decoration elements – 5 – 10 rubles; as well as abrasive paper, glue, varnish, paint and impregnation products - 20 rubles per item.
The average market price of a souvenir painting is 200 – 250 rubles. We can conclude that it is quite possible to earn 180-200 rubles from one product. You can sell from 200 to 500 paintings per month. The business is not seasonal, but holidays sales are always higher than on weekdays. As a result, the monthly income ranges from 36 to 90 thousand rubles - it all depends on the quantity of goods sold. It is best sold in souvenir and gift shops or art lodges. It would also be a good idea to organize trade via the Internet, place ads on several sites, in social networks or on the forums.
Technology for making souvenir paintings
The technology for making souvenir paintings consists of preparing small pieces of wood board (giving them various sizes and shapes, impregnating them with varnish or painting). The next step is to print a picture of the required size and content on photo paper using an inkjet color printer. After that, it is given the desired shape, unnecessary remains are cut off, the corners are made rounded, and the like. Next, you need to use glue (PVA is possible) to glue the printed picture to a wooden blank. The almost finished product is decorated with straw, fabric, even grain crops. In this case big role Fantasy, uniqueness and accuracy of the craftsman’s work play a role in attracting buyers.
Decorating your home yourself is a matter of honor for craftsmen and craftswomen who prefer original and unique interior. Modern tendencies room decoration dictates the use of relatively modest and laconic objects.
Do-it-yourself modular paintings are just such minimalist types of decorations. Their simple geometric shape, the absence of frames, glass and other unnecessary parts allows you to create them yourself.
What are modular paintings?
As the name suggests, these decorative elements consist of several individual parts(modules) that are united by a common artistic idea and are placed on the wall in a certain order. 
As a rule, do-it-yourself modular paintings made from photo wallpaper or other materials, just like factory-made products, have a certain thickness. That is, they form a three-dimensional composition. The depth of individual modules can be the same (most often) or different. In the second case, the difference in volume allows you to create the effect of a three-dimensional image.
DIY modular paintings: types
The main material for creating such decor can be used:
- wallpaper (regular or photo wallpaper);
- photos;
- colored paper;
- textile;
- canvas.
Products drawn by hand on paper or canvas become truly original. However, the ease of making modular paintings opens up wide opportunities even for those who are far from the world of creativity. When using ready-made painted materials, the main skill required is the accuracy of a home craftsman.
The arrangement of elements can be linear, diagonal or abstract. The modules are given completely different shapes: square, round, arbitrary. True, the simplest one for making a house is still rectangular.
How to place finished products
When thinking about how to make a modular picture with your own hands, you should think about its placement in advance. As a rule, empty areas of walls above sofas, along stairs or between doorways need to be decorated and filled.
The diagram below suggests various options arrangement of elements of modular paintings, which will also be useful to those who are planning the placement large quantity photographs or panels. 
Paintings on canvas
Do-it-yourself modular paintings, created as an alternative to original canvases, imply the use of high-quality materials and specific technology. The basis for applying the decorative layer is canvas.
Available in art stores wide choose various blanks, including a durable wooden subframe with a canvas stretched over it. The assortment of such stores often depends on the demand for similar products, so find materials in provincial cities may be problematic. The solution is to search and buy everything you need in online stores.
The selected pattern is applied to the finished base using any available technique (oil, pastel). Such modular paintings, made with your own hands, are a real work of art.
In cases where the image cannot be drawn, it can be applied to the canvas using a special printer. A ready-made base with a subframe will not be suitable for this task. You will need to purchase the canvas and mounting for it separately. Canvas printing is a fairly common service offered by many printing houses.
An important point: before you make a modular picture with your own hands, you should carefully plan the location and boundaries of each of its elements. The canvas with the printed design must be stretched on a stretcher, which means that each element of the composition must be printed separately with a sufficient supply of clean canvas around the edges.
Using scrap materials
Unlike the previous method, it is much easier to make modular paintings from wallpaper with your own hands. As a decorative material, you can use any wallpaper you like, a drawing printed in a printing house, family photos, portraits of your favorite film artists or decoupage cards. 
For such paintings you will also need a stretcher with chipboard or plywood. You can buy it or make it yourself. Color image lined, cut out and attached to the flat base of the stretcher. For fixation, use special glue, double sided tape or a construction stapler. The disadvantage of using liquid glue is that the paper softens and deforms, so you should experiment in advance on an unnecessary fragment and select a suitable material.
Before you make a modular picture with your own hands from photo wallpaper, you need to make sure that the finished elements are correctly matched on the wall and create a single plot. Therefore, wallpaper cutting should be carried out taking into account hem allowances. An alternative would be to cover the end of the subframe with another material. In this case, the area of the picture coincides with the surface area of the subframe.
DIY modular painting: master class
Fabric is a fairly popular material for making modular paintings. 
Its color can be any, at the discretion of the owner of the house. For work you will need the following tools and materials:
- stretcher;
- decorative fabric;
- scissors;
- meter or tape measure;
- glue or construction stapler;
- additional elements (fasteners for hanging, tape for finishing the end, decor).
To cut fabric, it is better to make a pattern according to the size of each fragment. Parts with hem allowances should be cut out carefully, especially if we're talking about about the material with geometric pattern. If you allow a distortion, it will be very noticeable and will have to be redone.
The beauty of using fabric is that you don't have to try to match the edges of the future modular picture. This greatly simplifies the work.
The subframe can be wooden or foam. When choosing the second option, you should refuse to use glue, since it will be almost impossible to achieve uniform sizing of the fabric.
Sequence of work
The cut out fragments are placed on the surface of the subframe and fixed with temporary fasteners at several points (pins or thin nails). Then the workpiece should be turned over, allowances should be placed on the wrong side and sequentially attached to the stretcher. You should start with the long sides, then move to the short ones. IN last resort fold and fix the corners.
It is necessary to avoid excessive tension of the canvas, as this will lead to deformation of the pattern. If desired, the ends can be treated with tape, and decorative elements can be attached to the front surface of the painting. 
Lastly, the hinges are nailed from the inside out and then the pictures are hung on the wall.
Today we will talk about an idea that our reader sent us. Sometimes, in order to secure a place in the market, it is necessary to create something unique, special, not like others, something capable of attracting the attention of the consumer and arousing his interest.
For a long time I was in the position of head of the personnel development department in one of the large manufacturing enterprises. I can say that I liked the work, and wage was high. But meanwhile, the desire to do my own thing never left me. own business. In 2009, the crisis came and the plant closed, leaving all the staff without work.
That’s when the question arose: “What should we do next?” I live in the Kaliningrad region and there are many people here who make souvenirs (usually made from amber). So I decided to move in this direction. I opened a sales point in a small resort town and purchased a batch of souvenirs. But since all the products are the same due to the purchase of goods from one supplier, my business is stuck. And then I realized that it was necessary to create something that others would not have. Something special and unique.
I am far from being an artist by nature, so production had to be simple for me, and the materials and technologies low-cost and accessible. I decided on making souvenir pictures. I wanted the picture and the frame to be one whole, and the image itself was located inside. I have tried a lot of materials and different ways processing and brought out something special, my own. I began to use this technique and initially produced three types of products (gold, stone and vintage). Now there are already five of them.
In my production, I used the so-called product processing room (simply a garage), a computer, a printer (I used the simplest four-color one) and the most ordinary PVA glue.
For my work I take pictures famous artists, views of the sights of your area and views of the sea, interesting pictures Japanese style. There was a large order for the latter theme from a Japanese restaurant. Portraits are in quite good demand. I partnered with photographers working for various events, and they are the same and offer my services.
On this moment I have several sales points - two of my own in resort towns, six points in souvenir shops in Kaliningrad itself (we now want to sell them) and two points in hypermarkets in the gift department. In February, we planned to open a souvenir shop with a personal brand “Positiff”, which will be located at the railway station in Kaliningrad.
My work and the work of my two partners engaged in the production of individual works will be sold there.
Let's talk a little about the product itself. It is a monolithic picture, which is embedded deep into the base. I am now styling it with stone, gold and vintage. The most frequently purchased product sizes are 16x21 and 26x34 cm.
Product cost
Chipboard, cut into pieces 16 by 21 cm - 10 rubles per piece
Business paper or photo paper – 8 rubles per A4 sheet
Printing a picture – 1 ruble
PVA – (consumption for 50 pictures – one bucket) – 1.6 rubles per piece
Sandpaper – 2 rubles for 1 picture
Composition used to process wood - 4.6 rubles per piece
As a result, it turns out that the cost of a vintage-style product in the size 16x21 is 23.2 rubles.
If you make it under stone or gold, then the cost will increase by 3-6 rubles.
You can find all the materials I listed above in any of the specialized stores.
Now let's calculate the income:
I sell pictures at a price of 200-220 rubles (in stores their average cost is 300 rubles). On average, they manage to sell about 300 pictures per month. Taking into account production costs, taxes and transportation costs, the net income is 180 rubles per picture. From here you can find out how much I have per month. If we take the average over several months, it turns out that my net income starts at 55,000 rubles.
As surprising as it may seem to you and to me, my main clients are not tourists at all, but local residents. Currently I am running a business producing paintings from chipboard. And this activity brings me joy and a desire to develop in it.
I advise you to create your own, unique and different from the others. Then you will definitely be doomed to success!
Good luck!
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I worked in 2009 at a TV factory as a personnel manager, but the crisis destroyed the factory, and it was time to make decisions about further earnings. We are in the Kaliningrad region with a tourist bias and I decided to engage in the souvenir business. All the souvenirs are basically the same from the manufacturers and I wanted to make something of my own. I have a friend who makes furniture, and I was always surprised by how much waste he throws away. I especially felt sorry for the waste of chipboard, plywood, and MDF. I decided to experiment. I cut the remaining chipboard from him to specific sizes and tried various processing options. As a result, I developed my own technology for souvenir paintings made from chipboard, plywood, and MDF. The picture represents a monolithic product. The image smoothly transitions into the frame. Design options depend on your imagination: imitation stone, ivory, vintage, gold, etc. I print the image on a simple Epson inkjet printer, I installed a continuous ink supply system, printing images costs pennies. I use my garage as a production base.
I opened my own stall, where I started selling my products, started handing over my pictures to entrepreneurs for sale, and opened several rotating display cases in supermarkets. To my surprise, my products began to be bought not only by tourists, but also by our local residents, spoiled by various souvenirs.
A little about the product
The product “souvenir painting” is a monolithic painting, with an image embedded deep into the base, with chopped edges, stylized as vintage, or gold, ivory, or stone. The most popular sizes of the finished product are 16×21 cm and 26×34 cm.
Product cost
— Chipboard (chipboard) — 10-15 rubles. board (this is if you buy a sheet and cut it), if there is any small furniture production, then they will gladly give away chipboard, MDF, plywood waste for many months to produce pictures, for example, for a bottle of cognac.
— Photo paper — 3 rub. sheet A4
— “Sandpaper” — 5 rubles. for one picture.
— PVA glue and various tinting compounds 10-rub. to the picture.
As a result, the cost of one 16×21 picture comes out to me no more than 30 rubles.
It’s possible for one person to make 15 pictures in a day without overexerting himself.
I sell pictures for 150-200 rubles. wholesale entrepreneurs.
I sell 450-500 images per month (during the season and holiday months).
The profitability of my individual entrepreneur only from the sale of paintings from furniture production waste is about 60,000 rubles. per month.
Now I have this family business. Together we can master such production and distribution point by point. Plus, we have developed several more unique technologies, and we successfully sell products from them.
In general, the theme and idea of my article is that how many interesting and surprising things can be made from what sometimes seems unnecessary to us. You just need to come up with a final form for this waste, and then it will start bringing in money.
Anyone who is interested in communication on the topic of souvenir production and exchange of experience, write to my email [email protected](with a note that you are writing from the website KHOBIZ.RU).
Sincerely,
Dmitriev Alexander
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