Own business: the production of church clothing

Today in the world dozens, if not hundreds, of different religions confess. Among them are the largest, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, to which a total of at least 70% of the total population of the planet belongs; there are also less common – from African and Indian beliefs to various cults and sects.

Christianity is considered a relatively young religion and belongs to the group of Abrahamic religions, along with Judaism and Islam. Christianity itself is also divided into a number of more or less common denominations – Orthodoxy, Catholicism. Protestantism and others.

Perhaps the most common due to a very large number of branches can be considered precisely Orthodoxy. And it is precisely Orthodoxy that differs from other confessions, both Christian and other world religions, by the special richness of its manifestations – the decoration of churches, the painting of icons, the clothes of clergy.

As you know, demand creates supply. In the post-Soviet space, the popularity of the church is growing from year to year, churches and churches are being restored, and new ones are being built. Requires new decoration, clothing, icons. According to official data of the Russian Orthodox Church, over the past 25 years, the number of churches in Russia has more than quadrupled, and the number of monasteries almost 40. As early as 2006, there were 27,000 and 680 respectively in the country. In addition, the number of “small forms” is growing – chapels and rooms at hospitals, train stations and other public places under the auspices of the official church.

As for the solvency of the ROC, this issue is also not in doubt. According to RBC, in 2012, the Moscow Patriarchate alone owned some 50 companies in one form or another, including financial institutions, a premium hotel, manufacturing companies and public catering, enterprises providing funeral services, stone mining and processing, and agricultural enterprises. and many others. This information allows us to conclude that the church as an institution is a very promising buyer.

Well, do not forget about individuals who buy icons and equipment for the home. With the growing popularity of the church, such people also become more and more. And the ingenuity of manufacturers offering them their range is admirable. What is just an electric car cooler, working from a regular cigarette lighter.

Analysis of the search engines for queries related to the production of church utensils suggests that there are many such manufacturers in our country, and many of them boldly enter the world wide web, including their own online stores. Some have a narrow specialization – for example, icons or candles. Others offer the widest range – from prefabricated churches (for 1.6 million rubles) to magazines and reference books. Of course, there are also numerous different-sized workshops that did not want to master new technologies due to sufficient workload or lack of necessary skills. And yet, given the total number of temples and the growing popularity of religion mentioned above, on the verge of fashion, it is safe to say that the market for church utensils is still not fully covered. Consequently, there is reason to think about starting a business fully or partially oriented toward the satisfaction of the material needs of the church.

Actually, church utensils (here, as utensils, we understand everything that can be used to decorate a church, hold worship services, etc.) can be classified according to several criteria. For example, according to the degree of turnover:
– with a high degree of turnover: candles, incense, oils and other consumables;
– with an average degree of turnover: ecclesiastical clothes, vestments;
– with a low degree of turnover: furniture, icons, iconostases, etc.

According to the method – respectively, and complexity, – production:
– furniture manufacturing;
– casting;
– mechanical metalworking;
– sewing manufacture, etc.

From the point of view of creating an industrial enterprise of small or medium size with minimal investment costs, one of the most acceptable options is the production of church clothing (and headdresses, if technologically they are close). Its important advantage is that, if necessary, it can be reoriented – partially or completely – to other markets with little or no cost.