I MAKE HUNDREDS - FROM CANS - WITHOUT RECYCLING

Phillip Wei-Chung's attitude to a new business concept belies his Oriental ancestry. He is known as a person who 'can'.You'll see why in his story!

I saw a schools television programme early last year, part of which showed some children with a vice like article which put a lid on a tin - or a can as they call them. They
were putting presents inside for, I believe, a party.I wondered where such machines were available from, and after a bit of hunting around in WH Smiths, I came across a
couple of food industry magazines, whose staff were able to put me in touch with a small Leicestershire company.

I obtained from them their 'Canner Splendide II', which cost less than a hundred pounds, although I have since come across similar models for about half that price, so shop
around if you wish to do this business!

I now both devise and purchase articles which amuse party-goers, and then seal them in the tins to be used as party prizes or as novelty gifts. I had some cheap, colourful wrappers made for the tins, using an illustration of a cancan (think about it!) dancer for the adult novelties and cartoon type pictures of animals for the childrens' novelties.

These give added appeal to this unusual novelty item.One never knows that may emerge once the tin is opened, but that is part of the fun. Maybe it will be a plastic penguin
or possibly an article of bright red underwear, but, at any rate, I guarantee a humorous surprise with every tin.

I easily sell them in gift shops, toy departments and in stores that specialise in party supplies. Already I have tinned such articles as jokes, poems, cartoons, greeting
cards and even silk ties, socks and handkerchiefs, and am currently planning for Fathers Day.However, I did far better this last Xmas.

I was allowed to set up a table in the local department store for free, provided I only tinned items bought within the store! The store's display department produced the
banners around my stand and even arranged a small article in the local evening paper, to go along with a mention in their regular advertisements in the run up to Xmas.

Some of the labels read: "Open On Christmas Day" "Open New Years Eve""Do Not Open Till Christmas" "Do No Open In Public", etc. An address label was also attached so that by paying less than a pound in postage, my customers can send it on to friends anywhere.

The tins cost less than 10p each, when bought a hundred at a time, including postage to me, and I sell them for 1.99 - in case you were wondering, incidentally, they are NOT sharp without the lids! This is an idea that will no doubt really "catch fire" nationwide and could surely form the basis for a highly profitable mail order business.