How to start the Pickle making business?

​Pickle making is a global culinary art; you can find variety of pickles around the world. It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Traditionally, people used to make pickles at home and use to preserve it in ceramic jars or earthen pots, but with due course of time its popularity and demand increased which made people to use it commercially.

One can say that the Indian meal is incomplete without a pickle on the plate.This is low investment home based business idea especially for ladies who are home makers and want to be become financially independent.

Introduction

Pickle is a vegetable or fruit which is preserved in the vinegar. Pickling is a process of preserving the fruit or vegetable through fermentation or using vinegar. This helps in expanding the life of the pickle hence prevents the spoilage.
There are two basic categories of pickles, first is soaked in salt brine to facilitate the process of fermentation and in another category, the pickle is soaked in vinegar, it is kind of strong acid which prevents the growth of bacteria that can spoil food.
Benefits of Pickle:

• It helps in improving the digestion of the body
• It reduces ulcers
• A good source of antioxidants
• Enhances taste of the food

Who can start it?

• Anyone who has taste in food making especially for ladies

Diversification within Pickle making:

• Gooseberry or amla pickle
• Mango pickle
• Lemon pickle
• Unripe tamarinds pickle
• Ginger and garlic pickle
• Cauliflower pickle
• Bitter gourds pickle
• Carrots pickle
• Chilli pickle
• Apple pickle and many more........

One can start making pickle based on her/his expertise, market demand and cost involvedThe preparationAnyone who has a taste in this category can start preparing pickle at home during spare time. She/he can add flavor as per her/his choice and creativity.

The basic steps include:

It is generally a time consuming process but its demand in the market and ease of making at home is enough to compensate for the time spent in making.

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The manpower and the investment required

You can start this business on the very first day in your kitchen itself. The investment required is less; it can be started under Rs. 10,000 initially to purchase jars and other utensils, vegetables or fruits, vinegar, salt &spices and stickers (for labeling and mentioning expiry date) and other packaging material. As this is a fast consuming product, therefore, you can expect a fast payback say within two or three months. The payback period depends on your efforts in marketing the product and completing the orders.
Get your business registered with the local governing authority by choosing a suitable name of it (Please read "How to decide your start-up name ?")

Important points and precautions

• Protection against light, moisture and oxygen
• Good aesthetic appearance
• Aroma retention
• Expiry date should be mentioned clearly
• Weight and type of pickle should be mentioned on the jar

Marketing and Research

• Look for stable and trendy name for your business which customers find attractive
• Meet the local shop owners and place your sample there
• Inquire about the taste trend like which type of pickle is in demand
• Visit local hotels and introduce your product
• You can talk to your friends about your new business venture and tell them to let you know if anybody asks for homemade pickle
• Research about the type of packaging customer prefers, whether a glass or plastic jar
• You can also visit super markets, clubs and hostels to market your product
• Inquire about the pricing, packaging, and target customers of your competitors
• Meet housewives of your locality and promote your product
• Look for nearest local vegetable or fruit market where you can buy raw material at cheaper rates.
• Market your product through e-mails by sending pictures of your products. Today, internet has crossed all boundaries and it has made possible to do business around the world without much initial investment.

The market potential

You can find pickle in almost every household in India. On an average, an Indian family consumes around 2 kilograms of pickle per year. As life is becoming fast and hectic, people want ready made quality products that can provide them a homemade taste. Now, almost every segment of the society middle class, upper middle class and rich class are looking for ready made food options with good services. So, the market potential is like that you can talk to almost anyone about your product. The better is your service and taste; the better will be your growth prospects.

Pricing of the product

You have to keep your pricing low as compared to the established competitors. This will give you a pricing edge. The customer will be attracted to try your product at least once and if he likes the taste of your product, then he can become your long term customer. Initially, you can also offer a scheme like buy two get one packet of mango pickle free or something like that.
Keep in mind the following cost before pricing the product:

• Cost of raw material (cost of fruits, vegetables, spices, vinegar etc )
• Fixed cost (cost of utensils etc)
• Cost of packaging (cost of jar, stickers etc)
• Cost of transportation (You are going to purchase the vegetables and fruits from Mandi)
• Cost of labor (labor hours or efforts put by you in making the product)
• Profit margin (Your actual profit)

Therefore, the sale price of your product = cost or raw material + fixed cost + cost of packaging  + transportation cost + labor cost + profit margin

Conclusion

You can initially start from your own home and when the demand starts picking up, then reinvest the profit in hiring labor or purchasing a machine which can accelerate the pickle making process. A homemaker already has the hidden potential, the only need is to explore it and convert it into an viable opportunity through a home based business idea.

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