Business plan: how to open a business for smoking meat and fish. How to make a profit from a meat and fish smokehouse Business smoking products at home

Smoked products sell well, but at the same time there are only a few small producers of such products on the market, and the assortment is not very diverse. The problem with this type of business is the complexity of obtaining permits.

For those who want to start production at home and make money at the same time, smoking and selling smoked products would be a good alternative. Despite the high demand for these products, there are only a small number of companies and individuals on the market that sell them.

As a rule, the assortment is limited to lard, chicken and sometimes fish, although, roughly speaking, much more products can be smoked. In addition, existing smoked products are not of the highest quality. Fans of smoked meats note the lack of a characteristic smell and rich taste in such products. This state of affairs can be corrected by establishing home production.

To organize smoking of fish, sausage, meat, lard, you will need to buy an electrostatic smoking unit (ESK). If you buy a new one, it will cost 7,500 rubles. A used car can be purchased for three thousand.

Due to the fact that it is small, it can be placed at home. Detailed instructions for use are sold along with the installation, after studying which you can begin the smoking process. This process should take no more than an hour.

It is clear that you will need it for production, however, in addition to it, you need to purchase a lot of other things. First of all, it’s worth considering how and where you will get firewood. They are necessary for the operation of the smoking installation.

If you live near a forest where trees can be cut down, then this is the best option. Only dry trees need to be cut, branches can be cut without signs of rotting. Another solution would be to purchase ready-made firewood from collective farms or stores. It is not recommended to use spruce, pine and birch, but firewood from fruit trees will give the meat a special taste and smell.

Of course, you will also need spices to prepare smoked products. They are not always used and not by everyone, however, they are necessary for the production of bacon and many other beef products.

To obtain a rich red and attractive color of meat, you will have to purchase sodium nitride. Despite the fact that the media is conducting propaganda against this product, it is impossible to do without it, otherwise all products will look unattractive to the buyer. In addition, nitride is only dangerous in large quantities. To produce smoked meats you will need 0.05 grams per 1 liter of brine.

You will also need to add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to the brine. Thanks to it, the meat becomes uniform in color. In addition, it is an excellent preservative. The main thing is to add ascorbic acid without taste. The proportions are the same as for sodium nitride.

The production of smoked products is an energy-intensive business. Therefore, be prepared for impressive amounts for utility bills. This must be taken into account when setting the price at which the final product will be sold.

Another expense item will be transportation. Not only will its cost also have to be included in the cost of selling the product, it will have to be organized. That is, you will need transport for purchases and for transporting products subsequently to the market.

The next expense item will be the seller, who will need to pay wages. As a rule, those who produce at home sell their products independently, or involve their relatives.

An important element of your business will be the refrigerator in which you will store smoked meats. A simple domestic refrigerator (single-door and with a freezer on top) can fit 50 kg of products, and its cost on the second-hand market will be only 200-300 rubles in the regions. Such refrigerators have one drawback: due to old age, their compressor can easily fail in summer, in hot conditions. Another option would be to rent a professional refrigerator from the market.

Why can't you install such a refrigerator at home? The fact is that professional refrigerators consume a lot of electricity, and if several refrigerators are operating in a room at once, this can damage the entire system. In addition, such units make a lot of noise, which will make life unbearable.

Beware of the meat spoiling. The fact is that in factory conditions this can be resolved with the help of disinfecting chemicals. But at home, this is not possible.

In order to legally produce and sell smoked products, you will have to collect many documents, permits and certificates. First of all, you will have to fill out forms at the executive committee, draw up a health book, obtain a business license, draw up documents with the pension fund, and register with the bank.

Bearing in mind that it is incredibly difficult, or rather almost impossible, to obtain a certificate for the production of smoked meats at a home enterprise, you can go the other way. Many of the representatives of this business do their examination in the laboratories of the market administration. Most often, such a document will be sufficient.

After all the paperwork has been overcome, you will need to start looking for a place to sell your smoked products. The rental cost (on average several thousand per month) of a retail outlet will need to be included in the market value of the product. There you will need to install test scales, which will not require large expenses.

The retail outlet will also need to be equipped with a refrigerator counter, if one was not provided initially. By purchasing such a counter secondhand, you will spend about 1000 rubles.

However, it is not recommended to save on it, since the latest cameras have better technological performance, are smaller in size and more attractive in appearance. If you start a business in winter, then you can save on a refrigerator, but by summer you will still have to buy it, otherwise the product will not withstand even an hour on the counter under the rays of the scorching sun.

Lard is a delicacy, a cold appetizer, a product that will not leave anyone indifferent. Suffice it to remember that already in the 7th century there are references to the use of lard as food. And in the 16th century, lard was an export product and was sold to foreign countries. And currently there is very high interest in lard as a means of earning money.

Lard is eaten fresh, boiled, salted, smoked, stewed and even fried. With spices or vegetables. There are no carbohydrates in lard, which makes it the main basis of most no-carb diets, which are one of the most comfortable and easiest diet plans (I wouldn't give up a lard diet either). There are many legends, stories and anecdotes about pork lard. But today we will tell only the facts.

The classic thickness of “correct” lard is 4...5 cm. Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of this product choose only those pieces whose thickness is close to the ideal 4 cm. Less thin lard indicates that the pig was young (lard is considered poor), and thicker lard is a sign old pigs, the lard from such pigs is of low quality and is chewed like chewing gum.

Signs of good lard are a delicate and soft fatty structure, almost transparent pieces of the finished product that melt in your hands. Long-term studies of this product and various breeds of pigs have shown that the most stable and high-quality products are produced from the meat-fat breed " Mirgorodskaya salaya“—no other breed can compare with it. It is the fat of Mirgorod pigs that falls into the “quality standard” - the fat layer in this breed is from 4 to 5 cm.

Raising pigs for lard

One of the fundamental types of lard business is the breeding of meat-fat breeds of pigs whose main weight is lard. For example, the above-mentioned Mirgorodskaya was bred more than 80 years ago specifically for lard and is still very popular. Of course, now there are other breeds of meat and greasy pigs, but experienced breeders try to use Mirgorod pigs. This breed is most widespread in Ukraine. And Ukrainians know a lot about lard.

Mirgorod pigs, like most other pig breeds, are unpretentious in feed and maintenance. From early spring to late autumn, animals can be kept in an open pen. But they do not tolerate open sun and frost well. In this case, a summer shed and a winter insulated pigsty are needed. Mirgorod breed pigs gain the first 100 kg by 6 months of fattening. An adult weighs up to 300 kg. The slaughter yield reaches up to 60%.

In addition to this meat and greasy breed, the following are widespread: Duroc, Large White (the main breed for breeding), Lithuanian White, Landrace, Urzhum, Latvian White, Estonian Bacon, North Caucasian, Belarusian Black and White, Kalinin, Lapshinskaya, Livenskaya, Breytovskaya .

Lard (finished lard is called lard) and lard products are regulated GOST R 52427-2005 and GOST R 55485-2013.

We will not write about the lard resale business; it is no different from any resale business.

Business in the production of lard and lard products

In Slavic countries, lard is traditionally consumed in large quantities. Therefore, the lard production business is profitable. Thus, the cost of raw lard in a wholesale batch starts from 100 rubles per kg. And finished products - from 200 rubles/kg. The benefit is obvious. If not, then just remember that the traditional recipe uses lard, salt, pepper, and garlic. Nothing extra or expensive. Any housewife can prepare lard, but because they don’t want to fuss and wait (the average time until it’s ready is 2 months), they prefer to buy it ready-made.

The main demand is for lard prepared according to the following recipes: salted lard, lard marinated in brine, smoked lard and stewed lard.

Sales plan for the finished product - can be mass produced for subsequent resale to wholesalers (nameless or under your own brand), or sold independently through your own sales points. The business is very capacious and there is demand for both homemade products and those produced on an industrial scale. In the case of homemade products, sales can be organized without additional bureaucracy and the organization of a legal entity; veterinary compliance of the products is sufficient. We have repeatedly written how to do this in various articles, for example. However, if you want to engage in commercial consignment, it is better to register legally.

Lard smoking business

Due to the fact that smoked lard is very popular due to its dietary qualities and is quick to prepare (no need to wait several months before it is ready), this type of product can be distinguished separately as a business.

Despite the difference in preparation technology, the production of smoked lard is as cheap as traditional one. A lard smoking installation costs no more than 20 thousand rubles, its cost will be recouped for 2 prepared batches. Raw materials and spices for smoking are cheap.

The plan for selling finished products is no different from selling salted lard; start-up capital can be earned from a home business. In the future, the commercial consignment will require legal registration.

Smoked meat and fish products are quite widely represented on the market today. At the same time, it is in quite high demand. Consumers especially like the so-called home (or village) smoked meat and fish. Factory-made products traditionally cause mistrust among our people.

The sale of smoked meats does not depend on the season or weather conditions. In addition, setting up a meat and fish smoking business does not require large start-up costs. Competition in this market is growing and the one who offers the best quality products will be able to win it. Below we will look at how profitable this business is and what documents are needed to sell smoked products.

Smoking fish as a business (video)

Market research is one of the main tasks before starting a business. Here we will provide a short video describing the business of smoking fish, since this is the most popular direction in this business.

Any business, including smoking fish and meat, requires a preliminary market analysis. First, you need to figure out who your main competitors are. And these are not large factory producers. The competitors of a small home smokehouse will be small entrepreneurs engaged in a similar type of activity. It is their range and pricing policy that should be carefully studied.

You also need to determine the tastes and preferences of potential customers. As we have already said, smoked products that are positioned as homemade, prepared using traditional technology, are in demand. In addition, you need to find out which type of meat and fish consumers like most.

Then you should find out exactly where, in what volume and at what price you will purchase raw materials for your smokehouse. It is best if the supplier is not a middleman, but a manufacturer. For meat it is a livestock complex, for fish it is a fish farm.

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).

Feeding people is one of the oldest activities. And also a reliable theme for business. This is not subject to any fashion or market conditions - you always want to eat. And smoked delicacies have always been in demand, and will continue to be bought. If everything is done correctly, then a food smoking business can become a reliable, long-term income.

To open a smoking shop, even a small one, you should approach it like any other full-fledged business. You need to start a smoking business, as in any other business, by studying the market.

Walk through the grocery stores in your city. From small specialized ones selling meat or fish to large supermarkets. Study the assortment of smoked meats on the shelves - what types of delicacies are offered there, what are the prices. By comparing the current date and production date, you can roughly estimate the demand for the product among customers. By marking the place of production, you can understand how many competitors there will be near you. Buy your competitors' products yourself and try them - this way you can get an idea of the quality. And so on. Planning any business begins with studying demand.

You can be more active. For example, ask sellers and store administrators what exactly sells best and what people don’t buy.

Product sales routes

This is an important topic, and it is worth thinking about it at the market research stage. Consider these three options:

You can sell your products yourself at your local food market,
You can become a small wholesale supplier of a retail chain operating in the city,
You can open your own store.

First option for a novice entrepreneur, perhaps the most obvious. Especially if you are planning semi-handicraft production with small volumes. You should find out what is needed in order to get a place in the trading rows at the city bazaar; what documents the SES or market quality control department will require from you; what are the working conditions, and so on. Talk to the traders - maybe the owner of an already operating trade stall will agree to buy products from you. If not, how much will it cost to hire a salesperson so that you don’t have to stand behind the counter yourself.

Second option may be more difficult than the first one. The rules for large retail chains working with local suppliers depend on the specific region and are constantly changing. The fee for a supermarket to stock your products on their shelves can be quite high and come with varying conditions. There are nuances associated with the transportation and storage of goods that you may not be aware of.

Third option the most expensive. Opening your own store is essentially a separate, independent business. Even if we are talking about a small trade tent. You will have to resolve issues with local authorities about the location of the retail outlet, connection to the electrical network, water supply and sewerage, negotiate with the fire department, and so on.

Well, it’s clear that thinking about your own store only makes sense if you plan to produce fairly large volumes of products.

Estimated production volumes

By doing this general research, you can get an idea of how much of your product the market around you is willing to accept. And on the other hand, what volumes can you produce yourself with your expected investments?

Homemade smokehouses

Homemade devices, made with your own hands from available materials, are quite suitable for starting a simple business of smoking products. It is clear that it will not be possible to produce large volumes here - this is, rather, home smoking for your own family. But if you just want to try selling smoked fish at the market, then this is just for you.

Most often, an old barrel, an old refrigerator, a gun cabinet, or some kind of box is used for smoking. It is possible to build such a smokehouse on a summer cottage. This is the fastest way to get started - you can make such a smokehouse in literally an hour! The costs will be minimal, practically none! Almost every owner has an old barrel, a shovel, and a minimal set of tools.

The advantages of such a smokehouse are clear, but the disadvantages are also clear. It is unlikely that you will be able to maintain consistent product quality from batch to batch. There may certainly be difficulties with the sanitary documents of the SES. Large volumes are unattainable for such a smokehouse, and so on.

At this point, you need to decide what type of smoking you want to do - hot or cold.

The fact is that the shelf life of hot smoked products is much shorter than that of cold smoked products! This will impose strict limits on your entire technological chain. Hot smoked goods will need to be sold as quickly as possible before they spoil.

In addition to a simple barrel in the yard of the cottage, you can consider the possibility of a capital construction.

Such a smokehouse for food is built of brick, on a prepared foundation, according to all the rules of the stove craft. This will already look like semi-industrial production. You can expect to receive a stable quality of smoked meats, and you can plan the smoking chamber of the volume that you need.

Industrial smokehouses

This is already an application for a real, serious business. A factory-produced smokehouse for small businesses will allow you to produce a stable flow of finished products, and of controlled quality.

A review of all such units is beyond the scope of this article. However, it is clear that purchasing such equipment only makes sense if you are ready to invest large sums in the smoking business.

Raw material supplies

This is as important a point in your plan as the sales route for finished products.

Main Components

It is clear that it makes no sense to buy raw meat or live fish in supermarkets - the prices there are already retail, high, and all percentages and markups are taken into account. You will need to find a small wholesale supplier to be able to buy raw materials at low prices.

Find out if there are relevant farms in your area. If you live far from large cities, these will almost always be found. Farmers are constantly interested in selling their products, and you can certainly negotiate. Products from the farm also have the advantage that people trust them more: it is believed that products prepared at home are of higher quality than those that have passed through factory conveyors.

In your city there may be a large poultry farm, or a meat processing plant with its own breeding farm, or a fish factory. It is worth visiting all such enterprises. Write down and compare everything you learn - price levels, conditions and regularity of deliveries, possible volumes, and so on.

Pay attention to the certificates that suppliers accompany their products. Everything must comply with state requirements. Listen in the city to what people are saying about this or that enterprise. You cannot allow your own business reputation to be damaged by an unscrupulous supplier.

Wood, spices, etc.

Keep in mind that in addition to food raw materials, you will need other types of supplies. Namely, wood chips for smoking and components for various marinades. If you are not ready to procure wood chips and sawdust for yourself, then you need to choose a supplier. Pay attention to quality - the chips should not be made from rotten or dead wood, or contain debris and dust.

The recipe for marinades, in which it will be necessary to soak the raw materials before smoking, must be prepared in advance in order to understand exactly what will need to be purchased and in what quantities.

Well, if you are building a semi-industrial smoking shop, then you also need to think about other, essentially consumables: overalls for employees, gloves, detergents, and so on.

Business plan for a smokehouse

Having gone through all the previous stages, it is necessary to formalize all the collected information and record it in a business plan. By putting everything together, you can calculate the profitability of your smoking business venture. A business plan is an absolutely necessary document for any business if you take the matter seriously.

You need to record on paper both the main provisions of your business and as many subtleties as possible that may await you in your business:

What scale of production do you plan to build?
What kind of premises will you need to open a smoking shop, what requirements will be placed on it?
What equipment will you have to purchase?
How will you register your business?
What raw materials will you purchase and what suppliers will you collaborate with?
How will you sell the finished products?
What is the required investment?
And so on - everything that may relate to the opening of a business and its management.

There are many detailed instructions for drawing up business plans on the Internet; it won’t be difficult to find. Of course, if you doubt your own legal literacy, you can always hire a specialist who will do this work for you.

Room

Once you have decided on the volume of production and the necessary equipment, start looking for premises for your workshop.

You will need a room equipped to meet all the requirements of food production:

refrigerators for storing raw materials,
tables for cutting and primary processing,
containers for salting and marinating foods,
various scales, loaders, packaging equipment,
hot and cold water supply, sewerage, connection to electricity and gas communications,
tools and clothing for employees, and so on.

In general, the requirements for food production are regulated in detail by state regulations. There are a lot of little things included there. For example (these are quotes):

“Floor surfaces must be made of waterproof, washable and non-toxic materials, accessible for cleaning and, if necessary, disinfection, as well as their proper drainage...”;

“Industrial premises in which the production (manufacturing) of food products is carried out must be equipped with toilets, the doors of which should not open into the production premises...”

“Opening external windows (transoms) must be equipped with insect screens that can be easily removed for cleaning...”

(Technical regulations approved on December 9, 2011 N 880 “ON THE ADOPTION OF TECHNICAL REGULATIONS OF THE CUSTOMS UNION “ON FOOD SAFETY”)

At the same time, do not forget the subtlety that smoking production is a constant source of smoke. And you will have to do something about it - install some filters, or immediately look for a building away from residential areas.

State regulatory authorities are paying increased attention to food production. The topic of preparing premises for food production is voluminous, it is definitely not for this article. You can easily find all the required documents on the Internet, but it is better to contact lawyers who will tell you which documents and from which departments you will need to obtain.

Approximate Investment

Now, having an idea of the upcoming costs, you can accurately calculate how much money you will have to invest in starting a business.

Your main costs will most likely be the purchase of smoking and related equipment, and the preparation of premises for it. The purchased smoking chambers will need to be delivered and installed. Conscientious large suppliers can provide transport themselves, as well as send their specialists to you for commissioning work.

Prices for commercial smokers can vary greatly. A simple smoking cabinet with a volume of up to a cubic meter can cost 20-40 thousand rubles (mid-2017 and depending on the supplier), and a large line can cost from half a million and above. You have to carefully select a device depending on the volume of production you are investing in.

Don’t forget about everything else - containers for marinating, tables for preparing raw materials, dishes, tools, and so on.

The cost of renting or even building your own building can greatly depend on your region, local conditions, accessibility of communications, and so on. Therefore, it is not possible to give a fixed amount here.

After this, you need to calculate the cost of paying your employees. Keep in mind that to work in food production they must have medical books, and in addition, regulatory documents stipulate the need for regular medical examinations of all personnel.

The next cost item will be the purchase of the first batches of raw materials. There may also be costs for contributions to retail chains in order to be able to sell products through their stores. You may also need to pay government fees to register your business and obtain all required permits and approvals. Consider current costs for electricity or gas, gasoline for cars, and the like.

In total, to start your own business you will need to pay:

registration of all documents;
rental or construction of premises, along with preparing it for work;
purchase, delivery and installation of equipment;
first purchase of raw materials;
possible other expenses.

Ongoing costs during follow-up work will include:

rental of premises / land tax + real estate tax;
employee salaries;
regular purchase of raw materials;
electricity, gas and water supply, sewerage;
taxes;
fare;
possible other costs.

The exact figures for these costs, again, cannot be stated definitively; they depend on your region of residence, local real estate prices, local salary levels, and so on. And in general, smoking as a business, its profitability and level of payback also depends on your location.

Chip production business

It is impossible not to mention another business related to smoking, but not directly related to it. This is the production of wood chips and sawdust for smokehouses. After all, consumers can be not only businessmen with industrial smokehouses, but also ordinary citizens who have small home smokehouses that can be used in the kitchen of a city apartment, or handicraft barrel smokers in the country...

The fact is that not all tree species are used for smoking. For example, it is strictly not recommended to use coniferous species (because they are too resinous), and they also do not recommend using birch wood. The best results are obtained on chips of alder, oak, willow and fruit trees - apple, pear, apricot and others. Some argue that it is a good idea to use juniper. You have to study all these subtleties.

It is clear that it is most convenient to start such a business if you already have a working sawmill. You also need to clearly understand how and where you will receive your raw materials - unprocessed round timber of the required types of wood. The bark will need to be removed from the trees, since its presence in smoke chips is also undesirable. The trees must not be dead or rotten, which means you will have to organize their culling. You will need a small sawmill along with conveyors, loaders and everything else. You will need equipment for sorting wood chips into fractions, for drying and moisture control, transport and packaging materials...

At the same time, you will have to maintain cleanliness in your sawmill, which does not happen at ordinary sawmills - after all, your sawdust should not contain any machine oil stains, dust, or any foreign matter. Sawdust is not a waste for you, but a product!

A description of such a business is not the topic for this article. But it was still impossible not to mention him.