You had a successful business, but how do you survive when the world returns to what we used to call normal?

It looks like it’s going to take months.

Maybe years, until the customers come back.

You have employees, they are the backbone of your business.

While they are surviving at the moment, they are workers. They want to work, they trust you, you have spent years working side by side with them they are just like family.

Years of sweat and effort was finally paying off, regular customers who trust you and your business. But now, you don’t have a choice other than to find some alternative business.

Sounds like a plan, the only problem is there are thousands of people and businesses in the same position. Looking for the same options.

Here are  7 possible business options !

Find a business that will thrive over the next several months and even into the future.

There are a few businesses that there is immediate demand,

• Virtual reality tours (both for real estate, and vacation destinations)
• Cleaning and sanitation services as people place a greater emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness
• New tools for remote working
• Food delivery services
• Online educational courses (especially in the “health, nutrition, fitness or childcare realms”)
• Online tech support
• Making face masks

Most of these are either already crowded or too specialized.

While there are other options, let’s look at the Face mask option!

How viable is the face mask opportunity?

Coronavirus will change the way we interact with people for a long time after business resumes.

With everything from the interaction between people to supply chain issues. The interdependence of items made in or shipped from other countries.

In manufacturing, some countries have had an advantage due to lower labor cost’s but the cost gap has narrowed due to automation to the level that the cost difference is minimal.

Face mask automation:

Face mask machines are a great example of this, the labor cost is less than 15% of the wholesale product price. When you consider there are systems that generate 150 masks a minute or 9000 masks per hour the higher labor cost difference is minuscule.

Supply chain problems for importing face masks:

There will be an ongoing issue with travel between countries for probably the next few years. Especially by air, this is an issue that will not be resolved in the near future.

Over the past several years face masks have generally been imported and shipped on demand by air.
This will be a bottleneck that will not easily be overcome.

Easy to learn how to use the machines and ease of use:

With the automation of many face mask machines, using the machines is relatively simple.

It generally requires one person to understand the operation of the machine and to feed the materials into the machine.

The machine can perform the rest of the tasks automatically, apart from the quality check and packing, Even the packing can be automated if required. The QA is easy to learn for most people. 

Demand for Masks:

Even before the Corona virus the demand for masks was increasing every year due to Pollution.
Below is a table of the growth of face mask use and projected growth of the business in the United States, it is similar in other countries.

The global anti-pollution mask market size was valued at USD 2.7 billion in 2019. Rising demand for pollution filtering products such as anti-pollution masks for maintaining health and well-being will boost the market growth. The product’s demand is fueled by rising prevalence of health ailments such as asthma and lung cancer due to rising pollution level. Furthermore, the recent Coronavirus epidemic since the beginning of 2020 has spurred the demand for both disposable and reusable anti-pollution masks worldwide.

Information from Grandview research

There is a strong demand for business use, such as dust and hazardous materials. This demand will be immediate as any supply of masks has been seriously depleted.

Now add the massive increase for the future with the focus on people with the Virus or even with a cold or with the Flu.

Easy to run the business even when your current business resumes.

With the automation of many face mask machines, using the machines is relatively simple.

It generally requires you to teach one person to manage the operation of the machine and to feed the materials into the machine.

The machine can perform the rest of the tasks automatically, apart from the quality check and packing, which is easy to learn.
Easy to train new employees to operate the machines for packing and Quality assurance.

Easy to brand masks locally:

 Since any imported materials would make up a low percentage of the wholesale price. Based on this percentage most countries allow businesses to brand the masks as locally made. This will increase both the brand value and the selling price of the masks.

Our machines include the ability to put logos on the masks. This opens up additional marketing opportunities to market direct to companies using their brand.
Masks could also be merchandising opportunities for large companies to give customers.

Good ROI:

The material and labor cost is about 15%-20% of the wholesale cost in normal times. With the current demand and the estimated future demand, the ROI is high compared to many businesses 

Even a single mask machine and 1 ear-loop machine set, can be operated by one to two people. It can produce 35-40 masks per minute or around 2000 mask per hour. Considering the historical minimum wholesale price was about $0.20 each this equates to about $400/ hr. Even with an extra ear-loop machine, you can increase this to $800/hr with very little extra labor.

What would you need to start a Face mask business?

Face mask making machine sets:

There are two main different types of masks, with three main types of machine sets.
Here is the main options, it is based mainly on masks for personal or business use rather than Hospital style surgical masks.

The main mask types:

The masks are usually divided between.

Medical and protective use masks

Personal and business use is the rectangular style we are most used to seeing.

While they are also used for medical it is generally for non-contagious environments.   

Medical and protective use nows is generally using the N95 style which contours and seals around the face

The main mask machine types are:

The masks types are usually divided between.

Fully Automatic mask machine sets are preferred for high labor cost countries or regions. Although the speeds are a little slower, the entire process is automated, with just a requirement for the loading of the raw materials.

Then checking quality and packing.

Semi-Automatic mask machine sets are preferred for lower-cost countries or regions. The speeds can be higher, but the process requires operators on each ear-loop machine. Although they can check the quality as they operate the machines.

Only packing is required after the process.

 Medical and protective now uses the N95 style. This style of mask is a much more involved process hence the much higher price for the mask.

The mask machine will perform every task other than the quality heck and the packing.

Area to operate the face mask machine set:

The area required will depend on the volume of masks and the type of mask you want to manufacture.

To get some idea a single mask machine and two Auto ear-loop machines take up the same space as a single car garage.

It does require a flat surface and be able to support weight between 2-6 ton depending on the machines.

Ability to market the masks:

This is much less difficult than previously but it is still a requirement as there is more competition. Over the next several months there will still be shortfalls in supply due to both restrictions from exporting countries and logistics problems for imports.

There may be an encouragement for these types of products to be produced locally. It is highly possible people will be incentivized to buy local products in future. 

Conclusion!

There is an opportunity:

Only you can answer the question “are face mask machines worth it as an alternative business”

There is an opportunity, it is one that is currently not crowded in most markets.

The investment and the operation of the business depend on the person willing to try the mask business.

It can be done from a husband and wife small business with limited capital and working normal hours per week. To a business with a few employees involved in a business that will take some considerable time to return to normal operation.