The smoking business is a fairly profitable type of commercial activity. Smoked red fish or meat will always be in good demand. The costs at the initial stage are minimal, and the income with the right approach can be quite significant. The sale of smoked products does not depend on the season and is in constant demand in catering establishments. To start your own business, it is not necessary to open a large-scale production; it is enough to organize a smokehouse in your private home or garage, without attracting additional personnel. But the business of organizing your own smokehouse, like any other, has its own characteristics.

Any business requires a well-written business plan. Smoked products are always in demand and a newly minted entrepreneur has every chance to succeed in his endeavors. The main thing is to adhere to a certain algorithm of actions.

Stages of a private smokehouse business plan:

1. Registration of individual entrepreneurs and obtaining appropriate permits from the competent authorities;
2. It is necessary to decide on the types of products produced;
3. Find suppliers of raw materials;
4. Purchase of the initial batch of raw materials;
5. Purchase of equipment;
6. It is necessary to decide on the premises;
7. Hiring employees;
8. Actually, the production of smoked meats;
9. Sales of goods (selection of point of sale and customer base).

Calculation of costs and profits

Smoking as a business is a fairly profitable enterprise with the right approach to business. Although the products have a relatively high cost, they will always be in demand. The costs will be fully recouped within a few months from the start of production.

To open a large smokehouse, you need to consider the following starting investments:

• Purchase of initial raw materials – 200,000 rubles;
• Purchase of equipment – ​​from 300,000 rubles;
• Related equipment – ​​100,000 rubles.

Total, six hundred thousand rubles, the total amount of starting capital.

Costs that will occur each month:

• Workshop rental – from 100,000 rubles;
• Payment for electricity and other production costs - 100,000 rubles;
• Expenses associated with the transportation of products – 250,000 rubles;
• Staff salary – 300,000 rubles.

The cost is approximate; it varies depending on the volume you are committing to and the region of residence.

The average price of meat is 300 rubles. per kg. Finished smoked products are sold at one and a half to two times more expensive, the price per kg is at least 500 rubles. Fish costs about 200 rubles. per kg, after smoking the price doubles and reaches 400 rubles. per kg. The net profit received every month will be 150,000 rubles in total. This is assuming that monthly sales are equal to four tons of goods.

Thus, spending 600,000 rubles. for business development at the very beginning, the payback period for the project will be from 4 to 8 months, depending on sales volumes.

Business documentation

In order to open your own mini-smokehouse, you need to take care of the formal part of the matter. Small production is registered as individual entrepreneurship. Registration of this organizational and legal form takes place in a fairly quick time and protects the owner of the production from part of the taxes. It is better to choose a simplified tax system for your small business.

A smokehouse as a business requires permits from the following authorities:

• Sanitary and Epidemiological Service;
• Fire Department;
• Rostechnadzor;
• Rosprirodnadzor.

Quality certificates for supplied raw materials and finished products will also be required.

Choosing a smoking method

Smoking is a type of heat treatment of fish, meat or lard, which changes the taste of the latter. Such products have a longer shelf life. There is both hot and cold smoking. During production, the temperature inside the smokehouse is in the range of 55 - 120 degrees. It only takes a few hours for the product to be ready. This type of smoking is considered the most optimal for home installation, as it is faster. However, the disadvantage of this technology is the short shelf life - no more than 15 - 20 days.

Pros and cons of a commercial smokehouse

As in any business, the smoking industry has its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know about them at the stage of business planning.

Pros of a home smokehouse:

• There is no need to work “for your uncle.” The entrepreneur plans his own working hours.
• Smoking food is a fairly simple activity that does not require specific skills, and experience is gained quickly.
• Electric smokehouses for small businesses are compact and will not take up much space in a home.
• You can install small smoking units at home; there are devices that allow this.
• The profit received from the sale of smoked products is several times higher than the average salary in the country.
• Profitability. If the business is set up correctly, it completely pays for itself in a few months;
• The ability to expand production at any time by purchasing additional equipment and increasing sales volumes.

• Possibility of “burning out”. In many areas of business there is competition and there is a chance of failure.
• Formal red tape. To officially register your business, you need to stand in many lines for the necessary permits;
• The shelf life of smoked meats requires quick sale of the goods. The freshness of the products is maintained for the first few days, then the taste is lost and their value decreases.
• It is important to choose the right supplier. Intermediaries charge high prices for raw materials; it is worth looking for direct sellers. It is necessary to monitor the certificates provided for the supplied goods.

Having decided to start smoking products at home for the purpose of their further sale, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons of this enterprise. If you are not afraid of the first difficulties that arise in every business, develop a competent concept, and decide on the product range, there is every chance of covering expenses in six months and making a decent profit. A good incentive in this matter is the opportunity to expand your production.

In this material:

Why not bring joy to people and make a business out of smoking products? After all, few people are indifferent to smoked meats. Almost everyone loves them, and not a single holiday would be complete without them.

Key points when organizing this business

The main feature, if not the complexity, of this business is the room for smoking meat or fish. His choice, rent and related details. Of course, if you conceived it not only for your friends, but plan to seriously engage in it. For example, selling at the local market. What is special about the room as such? It must meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. According to them, it should not be just a room. This should be a whole workshop for processing meat products. Only then will the smoking business bring results.

The standards that the state imposes on premises of this type are as follows:

1. The workshop in which the smoking process takes place must be located no closer than 300 m from residential premises and educational institutions.
2. Cold and hot water, ventilation, sewerage are mandatory conditions for starting a business.
3. The area of ​​the room should not be less than 100 m².
4. There must be office space, bathrooms, and locker rooms.

In addition, state standards regulate the number and height of windows, the quality of masonry on the walls and a number of other requirements. So it’s not so easy to open your own food smoking business. Rebuilding existing sites and those that suit your price will not work. Yes, building such a business from scratch is not easy. But there is one way out: renting or completely purchasing the premises, which were previously used as a dining room. Such premises were built in full compliance with state regulations.

But here a second difficulty emerges. Do not forget about the state requirements published at the beginning of the paragraph. It should not just be a dining room that is suitable for the price, but one whose compliance with all other requirements does not raise questions. For example, do not underestimate the canteen of the former factory. If it is slightly re-equipped, this workshop can produce up to 10 tons of smoked fish or meat. So this business as a business is quite possible.

Main danger

What do you need to do before starting this business? First of all, you need to find those to whom you can supply these products. It is worth remembering that business owners suffer the greatest losses not when people come to them with inspections. Not at all. They suffer the biggest losses when the warehouse is overstocked and the products begin to deteriorate. Plus, there is a risk in the form of non-returns from stores. That is, no profit from sales. But there is a way out, and it is quite possible to make it so that it also brings income, like a business, and at the same time gives pleasure.

Why is this happening? The majority of stores, especially supermarkets, make the price for the consumer too high. As a result, the product is not sold out due to its high cost. What's the way out of this? Has the idea of ​​smoking fish as a business failed? No, the solution is to cooperate with small grocery stores.

There is still a danger of opening such a business in the so-called “non-fishing areas”. As a rule, many men there are fishermen, and there is a body of water that is famous for its “fishing spots.” It’s not even worth opening such a business in such areas and spending a lot of money on advertising.

Coordination is also an important aspect

Every entrepreneur who has opened a business selling smoked products should first register as an individual entrepreneur. Then you will have to deal with a large number of departments to coordinate their actions. These are the following organizations:

1. Fire Department;
2. Rosprirodnadzor;
3. Rostechnadzor;
4. Veterinary service.

Don’t forget about obtaining a product quality certificate. A smoked product, like others, requires confirmation by a certificate. In order for an entrepreneur to be allowed to trade, it is necessary to pass a special test.

What equipment is needed to open and operate a smokehouse?

It depends on the size of the business being opened, in which the main product can be called the sale of smoked meat or fish. If this is a mini-business, then you will need a smokehouse, which you can buy relatively cheaply or make yourself.

A smokehouse can be bought on average from 5,000 to 35,000 rubles. The exact price depends on many factors. In particular, from the region in which it is planned to open the smokehouse. For large-scale production you will need additional equipment:

1. Baths for washing products.
2. Refrigerators.
3. Cages with skewers in which smoking is carried out.

It is not necessary to have all the equipment. At each production, its set differs, and this is permissible.

Refrigerators for the industrial production of such products can cost 100,000 rubles or so. There are many requirements for equipment. For example, raw materials that are being prepared for manufacturing and finished products must be stored separately. And sanitary treatment of tables, knives, etc. is mandatory. after every shift.

What else is important to pay attention to? Check the expiration date and conditions in which the raw materials were stored. It is better to choose products that do not raise doubts. If a store suddenly ends up with a product of inadequate quality, it will not be easy to regain consumer trust.

You should not purchase products directly from shopping centers. This is not economically viable. It is better to purchase goods from the manufacturer. For example, these could be pig farms, fish factories, etc. Manufacturers usually have the necessary quality certificates. Fish, all stages of smoking of which took place at home, is considered to be of higher quality. That is, a small business, if properly promoted, can bring considerable income.

When will the costs be recouped?

If you approach each point of starting a business correctly, then the costs can pay off in just six months. But this will happen only if there are no failures and if the entrepreneur went through all the stages as clearly as possible. In particular, if he managed to select the right employees.

Hiring smokehouse employees is an important step. It will be better if they have work experience, because producing food is a very responsible business. And the quality of products directly depends on the experience of employees.

The number of employees depends on the size of the enterprise and the experience of the entrepreneur. If a businessman is young, and not so much in age as in terms of experience, he can hire 1-3 assistants.

A large enterprise requires more people. For example, it wouldn’t hurt to hire an accountant and a meat deboner. You can open a store of finished products if there are conditions for this and there is a demand for it. In any case, then you will also need a seller.

What fish is suitable for salting and smoking?

It is more correct and profitable to carry out these manipulations with the fish that swim in your local reservoirs. Or with meat that is found in a given region. The consumer likes this and it suits the concept of restaurants and cafes, because... they usually rely on local “gifts of nature.”

Many people believe that it is better to purchase raw materials in distant areas. They are wrong. This is not profitable for small businesses. The freight transport infrastructure in our country is too unreliable. This significantly hinders the development of a business such as the production of smoked meats.

If an entrepreneur nevertheless chooses this path, then he must have a food technologist on his staff, and he must be highly qualified and with extensive work experience.

He must be able to determine the condition based on one type of frozen meat or fish. This person is an important condition for a business like smoking to develop.

By the way, according to the rules, frozen fish cannot be smoked. Anyone who follows this rule will have a business - smoking will probably be successful.

The smoking shop is a business whose profitability is more than 50%. Small workshops producing products from fresh raw materials are especially popular. Their main competitors are meat processing companies, which often use products that expire quite quickly. Taste qualities, as well as demand for products, depend on this. Before opening an enterprise, it is necessary to carefully consider the business plan for the smoking shop.

Products

The following types of products are manufactured in the smoking shops:

• salted, dried and smoked fish;
• minced fish and deep-frozen fillets;
• smoked and boiled-smoked pork, beef, poultry and lard;
• smoked cheese.

Often, a workshop begins its activities with poultry meat, which is easy to process. It is with this meat that all the subtleties of production technology are mastered.

Today smoked fish is very popular and therefore your own fish smoking workshop can become quite profitable. There is also always a demand for smoked meat products.

Market analysis

When planning to open your own smoking shop, it is imperative to analyze the market of the city and region and select for production exactly the type of product that is in demand. Or you should choose the type of product that will be cheaper thanks to local fishing.

Using such an in-depth analysis, a businessman will understand how to choose competitive behavior and what niche to occupy. It is important that your products are not inferior to competitors in quality and also have a lower cost. Also, the resulting product must be officially recognized after testing in testing laboratories.

Registering your business

First of all, to open your own workshop, you must be registered as a legal entity or individual - an entrepreneur. The choice of form directly depends on the scale for which the enterprise is designed.

If the production is small and you are going to sell products in small batches in small stores, then you can register as an individual entrepreneur. This procedure takes up to 5-7 days and the state duty for it is only 800 rubles.

If you plan to make large deliveries, it would be best to register as a legal entity. Do not forget that for the legal operation of a business you will need permits from the SES, fire department management and other authorities. Also, when making wholesale purchases of raw materials from a supplier, it is necessary to take a veterinary certificate and a certificate for each batch. In addition, finished products are also subject to certification. The overall organization of your business will take approximately two weeks.

Workshop room

Starting your business from scratch is always risky, and that is why you should not immediately spend money on buying premises, but rather rent it.

The lease agreement must necessarily provide for the following parameters:

• the duration of the proposed lease;
• your rights and responsibilities as a tenant;
• your landlord's responsibilities;
• the amount and timing of the exact payment of the lease;
• the amount and timing of settlement of various operational payments;
• conditions for termination in the event of various unforeseen (which still need to be foreseen) circumstances and the end of the lease agreement.

Read also: Tire recycling as a business

The rental cost is approximately $10 per sq. m. meter. For a start, a former dining room with an area of ​​50 sq. m. is perfect for a smoking workshop. m. depending on the scale of production.

Room zoning

Any premises must be divided into separate rooms in which each individual production stage will take place. The floor plan should include areas for the following activities:

• defrosting raw materials;
• its cutting;
• production;
• product packaging;
• storage of products (refrigerated warehouse);
• container processing;
• storage and drying of containers;
• contents of consumables;
• storage of packaging materials, etc.

Equipment

Special equipment will be required for the smoking shop. Need to purchase:

1. Washing tubs, on which it must be written what they are used for washing.
2. Defrosting racks.
3. Refrigeration equipment.
4. Cutting table.
5. Installations for various types of smoking.
6. Brine containers.
7. Injector for minced meat.
8. Knives that must be in a special sheath.
9. Wood chips for smoking.
10. Vacuum packaging equipment.
11. Changeable clothing for workers, which must be changed every day.

Today on the market you can see equipment, both domestic and foreign. All of them differ in their technological characteristics.

Foreign-made equipment is worth choosing if the workshop plans to process about ten tons of raw materials into knocks. Domestic smokehouses are suitable for smaller enterprises. When loading up to 300 kg of raw materials per day, domestic smokehouses are able to ensure proper profitability. In the future, it is possible to assemble an entire line from such installations, which will allow processing 8-10 tons of raw materials. Such a line will cost much less than an imported one, but at the same time, as some entrepreneurs note, it is less convenient to use.

Equipment processing

A prerequisite is the presence of a hood and good ventilation in the smoking room. Doors and hatches must close tightly.

If possible, slats and skewers should be purchased in double quantities at once, since they need to be processed daily. They are cleaned, washed in a 1% soda solution and scalded with boiling water. Once a week it is necessary to treat the smoking chambers.

It is also worth purchasing thermometers and moisture meters to measure indicators in the chambers where the products are prepared for sale. All readings from measuring instruments are recorded in a special journal.

Disinfection should not be neglected. After each change, the cutting boards are soaked in a solution of soda ash (5%) and then dried well. Cutting tables must be disinfected twice a day.

Staff

To work in your smoking shop, you will need to attract additional labor. To increase the profitability of the project, in the first year and a half you can ask your relatives and family members to work in the workshop. Thanks to this step, you can reduce the cost of paying salaries.

For a small workshop, two or three people will be enough. It will also be necessary to hire an accountant who will compile statistical reports, deal with tax deductions, and analyze the financial condition. An entrepreneur can take on such functions as managing the process, purchasing raw materials, and marketing products.

The main thing in this business is to choose a convenient place for trading. With the right approach and knowledge of your business, you will soon have regular customers, and perhaps you will be able to negotiate with restaurants and supply your products in bulk.

The business idea of ​​smoking fish, meat, lard is very relevant. There are two ways to implement this. The first is wholesale purchasing. You can find wholesalers, buy smoked meats from them and start selling. But since everyone’s quality is not very good, it’s better not to do this. Moreover, working for someone, or being dependent on someone, is not our option. We are developing a business plan for independent smoking and subsequent implementation.

First you need to find the room in which your smokehouse will be located. If you live in a private house, then almost any building will do. If you are an “inhabitant” of an apartment, you will have to rent the premises. What can I say, if you wish, you can set up a smokehouse right in your apartment.

Next, you need to purchase smoking equipment. The most successful and convenient option is an electric smokehouse. Its cost ranges from 10-50 thousand rubles. Although, of course, there are more expensive options. But “budget” ones are quite enough for the first time. Your task is to try, and you will always have time to expand the boundaries of your business.

Nowadays, meat processing plants offer consumers a fairly wide range of smoked meats, but among potential buyers there are many lovers of home-smoked meat. I can't complain about the lack of buyers. Home-made smoked fish is in even greater demand.

A smoking installation at home takes up little space, the smoking technology is well thought out and proven. Obtaining products from smoked meat and fish does not require significant effort. The smoking process cycle itself is no more than fifty minutes. The UEC delivery set includes detailed and understandable instructions, the smoking technology and the process of preparing raw materials for smoking are clearly described, everything is quite simple and convenient. But production of products is the first and simplest stage in this matter, as, perhaps, in any business of product production; implementation is much more difficult.

Sales of products. There are two options here. You can rent a spot at the market or somewhere else. Then you will sell your products yourself and control their demand. You can also learn a lot about the market and its products. Or become a supplier. You can offer your products to private entrepreneurs, cafes, supermarkets, cafes or restaurants. Smoked meats are in demand everywhere. The main thing is to monitor the quality and pricing policy of your products. Still, for example, stores will also want to earn something by selling your products. Therefore, the cheaper your products are, the more likely you are to sell them.

Smokehouse diagram:

Smokehouse diagram

1. Smokehouse walls.
2. Top cover.
3. Smoke outlet.
4. Grate or tray.
5. Fat tray.
6.Chips or sawdust.
7. Fastenings for pallets.
8. Smoked product.
9. Sleeve for removing smoke.
10. Fireplace (firewood).

Typically, from 7 to 20 types of finished products are selected for one smoking shop, which allows you to bring the recipe and quality of the finished product to a high level. Each type of finished product can be sold in different packaging. For example, cold-smoked mackerel can be sold by weight, in vacuum packaging, one fish at a time, in vacuum-packed pieces of 200 grams. etc.

* Loss coefficient is the number by which you need to multiply 1 kg of raw materials in order to obtain all the raw materials from which 1 kg of finished products is obtained (1 kg of raw materials * Loss coefficient = Weight of raw materials that is required to obtain 1 kg of finished products)

** The cost of raw materials varies depending on the region and time of year, its cost needs to be clarified

*** Raw material cost - the cost of raw materials per 1 kg of finished products

2. An example of the assortment of a fish smoking shop.

Output and gross profit per day (profit excluding overhead costs for rent, wages, electricity and supplies). As an example, we took the production of cold and hot smoked fish, as well as dried fish. If you are focusing on minimal investments at the first stage, then you can take a set for cold smoking and drying fish - Izhitsa-1200 + Izhitsa-SV. If you have the opportunity to create a smokehouse with a wide range of products, then this kit can be supplemented with Izhitsa-GK.

Comments:

1. We expect to work in one shift, so the productivity of the smoking shop in 8 hours will be 240 kg. When organizing work in two shifts, the workshop productivity can be increased to 500 kg per day.
2. On average, a workshop earns 77 rubles per kilogram of finished product
3. A refrigeration chamber is required for storing finished products measuring 3x3 meters, height 2.2 meters (9 square meters, 19.8 cubic meters) with a temperature range of 0 - -4 degrees C.

3. Procurement plan. We proceed from the frequency of supply of raw materials once every three days

Comments:

1. The required amount of working capital for the purchase of raw materials is RUB 142,235
2. Refrigerated storage required for 916 kg
3. The size of the refrigeration chamber for storing raw materials is 12 m2, the temperature is -18 degrees C.

4. Specification for equipment for a fish smoking shop

5. Consumables (production cost)

Production costs per 1 KG of finished products 10.81 ₽

The cost of consumables at the first stage is RUB 78,500.00

6. Overhead

Overhead costs per month. 171,000 ₽

7. Amount of investment in the smoking shop

*Repair of premises - The cost of repairs may vary up or down. It depends on the degree of readiness of the rented premises. To begin with, it is enough to lay the walls with white Belarusian tiles (150 rubles/m2) for one and a half meters, make a drain in the floor in the salting room, conduct electricity to electrical installations, and make ventilation umbrellas over the smokehouses.

8. Ensuring the projected sales volume

The products of a private smoking shop are positioned as a product of higher quality compared to the factory one. Therefore, you should count on sales to farmer and private stores, directly from the workshop, at local markets and fairs. It makes sense to sell online only if there is no entry bonus and payment is deferred for no more than 2 weeks.