Footwear Manufacturing Business Plan that will Thrive

Everyone wears shoes, and it is a part of the fashion industry. If you are into fashion and feel that you can find fewer fashionable shoes in the market, you can come up with your brand. You can surely tie up with a reputed brand, but if you are ready to experiment with creative ideas, the footwear manufacturing business is a feasible business idea. 

You won’t believe that those associated with the shoe business earn loads of money and have regular customers buying from them. You can skip all the myths and stigma attached to the shoemaking business and get started on it. We know when someone calls a person ‘shoemaker,’ that really hurts. But you have to get rid of all these naysayers who do not have anything concrete to do and make sarcastic remarks on others. Build a strong mindset and be ready to explore this business venture with your exquisite ideas. 

One of the important things to do while starting a shoe manufacturing business is to write a complete business plan. Following is the business plan template. 

Industry Overview 

Maybe the footwear design and material are different, but every person in this world wears some kind of shoe while stepping outside the house. Footwear could be of several materials such as leather, fabric, rubber, plastic, etc. They could be shoes, sandals, slip-on, and various designs as per the comfort level of the customer and the respective occasion. 

Men, women, and children all use footwear. The footwear manufacturing industry in the United States is concentrated. The top 50 companies are responsible for 95% of footwear sales in the country. The New Balance and Allen Edmonds is the topmost footwear manufacturing company and accounts for 35.3 percent of the total revenue generated in the footwear industry. The footwear industry in the United States earns more than $billion annually and employs more than 10,000 people. 

The above observations portray that the footwear manufacturing industry is lucrative, and any business entrepreneur can be ambitious to start a venture in this industry. You can start a small footwear manufacturing enterprise or a huge company, depending upon your goals and mission in life. You can even outsource the manufacturing tasks to other countries or seek raw materials from other cheaper places and start a business in the United States. Nike and Adidas have been practicing these years, and they have been doing really good. 

Executive Summary 

Remember that since it is not a footwear selling but a footwear manufacturing business, you will have to take care of the production aspects and include them in the business plan too. 

  • Name of the footwear manufacturing company, location, whether the place is on lease or owned by the business partners. 
  • The main objective of the business is to manufacture footwear for everyone, adults and children, and supply them to clients located in the United States and other parts of the world. 
  • Market surveys and feasibility studies conducted if any. 
  • Incorporation of CRM software to manage the customer base. 
  • Implementation and integration of sustainable business practices. 
  • High work standards for clients. 
  • Better working conditions for employees. 
  • Type of business – Is it a family-owned business or a start-up by friends, or a sole proprietorship? 
  • Information about owner and business partners – their qualifications, expertise in the footwear manufacturing industry, work experience, kind of experience one can expect from him or them. 

Products and Services 

The primary range of your products is footwear and shoes for men, women, and children for different occasions and preference levels. Footwear of different materials is also your specialty. 

The clientele is based in the US and other parts of the world. In short, you will be catering to orders across the world. 

The product range can be listed as follows: 

  1. Production of house slippers, athletic shoes, plastic sandals and footwear, ballet footwear, and other footwear. 
  2. Mission and Vision Statement 
  3. The organization’s mission is to manufacture excellent-quality footwear and shoes to supply to the retail shop in the United States and the other parts of the globe for profits. 
  4. The organization’s vision is to become the world-class leading brand in the footwear manufacturing business and to create an impact in the world for being the best. 

Business Structure 

Even if the organization seems to be in its baby phases, it does not mean it is a usual footwear production shop that you can find in every nook and corner of the city. It is supposed to be the leading brand and a standard footwear manufacturing solution for customers’ requirements. 

We will try to utilize the right business structure to lead the footwear industry and create a worthy impression. An honest and dedicated workforce will be hired to create good quality products and communicate well with the customers. 

Following job positions are essential in a footwear manufacturing organization: 

  1. Owner or CEO (Chief Executive Officer). 
  2. Factory Staff and Manager. 
  3. HR Manager. 
  4. Merchandise Manager. 
  5. Sales and Marketing Team. 
  6. Designers and Making experts (to create footwear designs). 
  7. Accounting staff. 
  8. Customer Service Executives. 

SWOT Analysis 

To achieve the said mission and vision, it is essential to utilize the proper business concepts, functioning style, organization, and management principles. There is tough competition in the industry due to the small and big scale businesses coming up and thriving already. However, if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our proposed organization, we can leverage all the opportunities, capitalize on our strengths and eliminate our weaknesses. 

HR expertise can be sought to conduct this analysis in detail. We have given a short overview of this process: 

  • Strengths – The high-quality, well-finished shoes and footwear is our strength. Moreover, our designers and staff are the ones we are immensely proud of. Due to the well-positioning of the organization online and offline, we can seek orders right from the first day of establishing this enterprise. 
  • Weaknesses – Lack of financial strength to compete with giants in this industry. Hence, pricing is an issue as customers prefer to buy expensive products from reputed brands but tend to hesitate to buy the same-priced goods from a new brand. Similarly, promoting the business is a huge concern due to financial issues. 
  • Opportunities – We can target a large base of customers, individuals, and corporations in the United States and to other countries as well. Hence, the opportunities seem to be plenty if the business entrepreneur has a positive mindset. As market surveys are rigorously conducted, and positioning is done accordingly, we are ready to tap the upcoming opportunities. 
  • Threats – Economic crisis is a major threat that is uncertain and can knock on the doorstep at any time. New businesses coming up in the same locality and having a similar type of mantra is the biggest threat as we have to gear up again to beat the rising competition. 

Market Analysis 

The footwear industry is driven by several parameters such as fashion, demographics, customer behavior, and disposable income. When a footwear manufacturing organization evaluates the tastes and likes of customers and designs relevant products, they can definitely earn more revenue. It is seen that large-scale businesses can achieve economies of scale, and small-scale businesses can specialize in providing customized shoes and footwear to the customers. 

Hence, for a new business, it is necessary to seek future insights into customer’s disposable income and buying patterns. It is predicted that by 2030, the majority of the population of the United States will belong to the middle-class category. Hence, it is better to manufacture shoes for middle-class people but keeping fashion sense in mind. 

Target Market 

Of course, it is easy to determine the target market for a footwear manufacturing business. Men, women, and children are the target audience. But we can go deeper and check the disposable incomes to craft better shoe designs for each of these categories. 

Sales and Marketing Strategy 

It is estimated that the company can generate enough sales and revenue within six months of operation because of the well-positioning and other strengths. Market surveys will be done continuously to analyze marketing strategies adopted by big players as well as start-ups in similar or other industries. It is imperative to study the operational tactics of each business, and we can learn something new from them. 

Following are some of the standard sales and marketing strategies: 

  1. Grand opening of the shoe showroom and sending invitations to the target audience to attend the function. 
  2. Creating, manufacturing, and stocking the showroom with the latest designs. 
  3. Positioning of signage and other offline methods of advertising. 
  4. Creating awareness of the brand in the entire city. 
  5. Developing a loyalty plan and discounts for the first hundred customers. 
  6. Listing of the business in yellow pages, online directories, and Google Business. 
  7. Utilizing the internet for business promotion. 
  8. Using referrals and direct marketing tactics. 

Publicity and Advertising Strategy 

It doesn’t matter how well you position your store and showroom; you ought to work on your advertising strategies. It is not about advertising; it is creating a brand image and identity in the customers’ minds. 

Following are the basic advertising plans for the business: 

  1. Advertising in the local newspapers, radio, and TV stations. Though radio seems to be a bit outdated for a few, you can find a remarkable number of listeners who might come across your business while listening. 
  2. Utilizing social media channels and the overall internet for business expansion purposes. 
  3. Positioning the offline methods of adverts to attract the attention of onlookers and passers-by. 
  4. Contacting target audience and informing them about products and services. 
  5. Branding strategies such as instructing staff to wear brand T-shirts and redesigning the cars and other vehicles. 

Pricing Strategy 

Some customers prefer specific branded shoes, while some go for lower prices. You need to maintain a balance while pricing the products to attract individual customers and corporate clients. 

Even if we don’t have the ability to compete with the industry giants, we can at least set competitive prices for our shoes and footwear. The payment policy needs to be inclusive as customers might go for varying payment modes. For instance, POS, checks, and UPI are popular methods of payment. We cannot forget the magic of debit and credit cards as well. 

As we intend to build an online presence as well, we need to ensure that we are associated with relevant banking platforms. When a customer deposits cash in our business account and makes a purchase, the same needs to be immediately processed and intimidated. 

Expenditure to Start the Footwear Manufacturing Business 

It depends on your ambitions, how far you want to spread your wings. Accordingly, the expenses will vary. Remember that you will need funds to buy tools and equipment, design fees, expertise charges, salaries and you cannot avoid all these expenses. 

Estimates inform us that we will need around $950,000 to start a footwear manufacturing business and register it and call ourselves a brand. You can surely pull savings from your personal account, borrow from your loved ones or seek a loan from the bank. But you should keep in mind all the facts and figures before you get into the business. 

Sustainability and Expansion Strategy 

Several factors determine the future of a company. Sufficient earnings, less dependency on borrowings, talented and dedicated staff, investment plans, business structure – all these help you determine the success of a company. If there is a discrepancy in any of these aspects, it can lead to total business failure. 

Our first goal in this category is to earn sufficient revenue and thrive at an optimal level. The next aspect is to win over the customers and create a brand image in their minds. They should associate our organization with good quality shoes and customer service. 

A revenue generation and profit-sharing model need to be built up as soon as the business surpasses the survival phase. 

We hope this template of the footwear manufacturing business plan is helpful for all of you. 

FAQs

1. What key components should be included in a successful manufacturing business plan?

Key components of successful manufacturing business plans include a mission statement, market research and analysis, pricing and sales strategies, product design and development, operational plan, financial projections, and human resources strategy.

2. How can I create a manufacturing plan that will thrive?

To create a manufacturing plan that will thrive, you should conduct thorough market research, design a comprehensive pricing and sales strategy, plan out efficient logistical operations, set realistic financial goals, and develop an effective human resources strategy.

3. What should I consider when creating a manufacturing business plan?

When creating a manufacturing business plan, you should consider existing market conditions, the needs and preferences of your target customers, the cost of manufacturing and distributing the product, the estimated sales volume, and the competition within the industry.

4. How important is market research for creating a successful manufacturing business plan?

Market research is critical for creating a successful manufacturing business plan. It helps you identify target customers, determine market trends, and gain a better understanding of the competition in the industry.

5. What role does pricing strategy play in a successful manufacturing business plan?

Pricing strategy is an important part of a successful manufacturing business plan as it allows you to determine the most effective pricing structure to ensure maximum profits while meeting the needs of your target customers.

6. How important are operational plans in the success of a manufacturing business?

Operational plans are essential for the success of a manufacturing business as they determine the efficiency of production and distribution processes and ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

7. What should I consider when estimating financial goals for my manufacturing business plan?

When estimating financial goals for your manufacturing business plan, you should consider the cost of raw materials, the cost of labor, necessary investments, projected sales, and estimated profits.

8. How can I create an effective human resources strategy for my manufacturing business plan?

An effective human resources strategy for manufacturing business plans should include recruitment practices, employee training and development, remuneration policies, and performance and reward systems.