How to open a gas station? We open a gas station from scratch.

Statistics claim that the ratio between the cost of fuel and lubricants, sales volumes and profit in Russia is 20%.

The marginal income of Russian gas stations is higher than in Europe, because each gas station has significantly more customers than in the West.

Even though oil companies occupy part of the market, there is still room for independent players in cities and towns. So you can safely choose a place for construction and draw up a business plan for a gas station. A gas station will turn into if:

• correctly balance the costs required for its construction, opening and maintenance;
• correctly calculate the number of clients and the personnel required to service them;
• choose the right place to place the gas station.

What does it take to open your own gas station?

First, you need to decide which type of gas station is most profitable to build in a given locality.

1. Container gas station. In a container station, fuel and equipment for its distribution are located inside an above-ground container. This is convenient for mini-refueling in small towns or away from the main traffic.
2. A standard gas station where the storage tanks are located underground. The construction and opening of this will require more funds, so it can only be located in very convenient and busy places.

After choosing the type of gas station, you need to think about what will be more profitable: franchising or independent trading. The advantage of the first is constant assistance, the positive features of the second are the absolute freedom to choose suppliers and additional services.

Now we need to analyze the market and find a profitable place to build a gas station. Naturally, the more active the movement, the greater the profit. However, it is important to remember: a gas station cannot be located closer than 40-50 m to residential buildings.

Having decided on the construction site, you can draw up a business plan.

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At the very beginning, it is necessary to competently justify the need for the construction of another gas station. Do this only if the entrepreneur:

• has an excellent understanding of the economy of his locality;
• knows how to competently express thoughts on paper.

• based focus: trade in AI-92 and diesel fuel;
• additional services: sale of auxiliary products, buffet, car servicing.

One of the main subsections of the resume will be the goals that the entrepreneur sets for himself when starting the construction of a new station. Usually everyone has the same goal: obtaining maximum profit. But to achieve this goal you will have to solve various problems, for example:

• obtaining resources at competitive prices;
• meeting the needs of potential clients;
• provision of additional services, etc.

Further in the summary, you can indicate the relevance of the project not only for its compiler, but also for the locality (or section of the road). Reasons for relevance may be the lack of competitors, improved service for car owners, and saturation of the market with necessary goods.

The next subsection is the alleged problems and causes of possible losses. They are usually calculated during the analysis of the economic situation. Among them may be:

• economic and political instability;
• human factor leading to errors;
• emergency situations or natural disasters;
• short deliveries due to reasons beyond the control of the owner.

The approximate amount of possible damage is calculated and the conclusion is drawn: the construction and achievement of a gas station at full capacity will take 1 year. Taking into account possible difficulties, the project will pay off in 4 years.

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Information about personnel, taxes, profitability

This section indicates the number of planned employees. Remember that no enterprise can do without an accountant, director (manager), and worker. Another thing is that you can combine some responsibilities.

1. Tax information is best presented in list form.
2. Taxes on an enterprise depending on the form of ownership (13% or other amount established by law).
3. 5% sales tax.
4. Property taxes. Here it is best to list everything that the company owns.
5. Social tax or contribution.

Now it is easy to calculate what percentage the profitability of the enterprise will be. However, it is still better to confirm the resulting number with additional arguments: lack of competition, need for additional services, etc.

You can proceed to drawing up a marketing plan for the construction of a gas station.

Typically it contains the following items.

• external environment. Here we briefly analyze the economic and political situation and their possible impact on the progress of construction and operation of the gas station complex. Scientific, technical, environmental, and legal factors affecting the activities of the enterprise are taken into account and briefly described;
• a list of proposed suppliers and criteria for their selection is provided. It is especially important when choosing suppliers (fuels and lubricants or materials for construction) and work producers to take into account the financial terms of cooperation, the speed of delivery or completion of construction work, and the possibility of after-sales service;
• comparison with existing competitors, justification of the relevance of building a new gas station;
• a list of goods that are supposed to be sold at the gas station. This can be not only fuels and lubricants, but also related products. It is important to justify the profitability of their sales.

At the end of the section, the sources where information about the new gas station will be disseminated are indicated.

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Organizational plan

It begins with the legal basis for the project.

1. The legal form is indicated again, all documents that regulate the operation of enterprises of this type are listed. The documents themselves will need to be attached separately.
2. Next, it is indicated how many people will work at the gas station, the order of their subordination, responsibilities and wages. The annual salary fund is calculated.

• the requirements for each employee are listed: level of education, qualifications, skills, etc.;
• The project implementation schedule is provided.

Perhaps one of the main features of us Russians is the ability to take an ironic approach to the circumstances offered by life. As soon as a crisis was declared in the country, we ran to car dealerships to buy tons of cars (an item, if not a luxury, then not an essential necessity).
All this can only mean one thing: even in economically difficult times, opening a profitable business is quite possible. Gas stations are an interesting and, most importantly, promising investment option.

Before we begin

The famous formula “demand creates supply” is more relevant here than ever. Despite the seemingly tough competition, you can find your niche in this business and take a profitable place in the sun. Our country is riddled with large and small transport arteries. Endless streams of cars require timely maintenance. No one will stand in a long line at a gas station, knowing that in a couple of tens of kilometers there will be another gas station. What are we talking about? No matter how many such points there are on the roads, most likely they will be in demand.

Where to begin

First of all, you are faced with the question: open your own business from scratch or purchase a franchise.
Keep in mind: this business is very specific. Organizing a gas station requires the involvement of many specialists, compliance with various standards and safety rules. A competent approach is needed to this universally hated bureaucracy. Will you risk dealing with this on your own? Perhaps, for this reason alone, the option of choosing a franchise will be the most optimal. The franchisor will help with organizing the work process, preparing the necessary package of documents, and also advise on emerging issues. If you want to open a gas station as a franchise, then pay attention to the Lukoil company

Don’t forget about the important advantage of a franchise – the reputation of a well-known brand. In some regions, this will be the only way to withstand competition.

Main risks in this business are due to the fact that there is quite tough competition in this area. In addition, opening a gas station is a very expensive business. Approximately, you will have to invest 12-15 million rubles in it. To withstand the competition, recoup expenses and stay in the black, you will have to keep your finger on the pulse all the time.

“Step-by-step instructions on how to open your own gas station”

Location

The ideal location of a gas station that brings real profit would be on a popular highway with busy traffic. The return on costs on a large highway will be much higher and faster than on rural roads, where the site will cost less, but there will be many times fewer customers. An additional privilege will be provided by the proximity of a road junction and/or populated areas.

The choice of location for a station should be considered not only from the point of view of demand, but also taking into account the necessary technical characteristics. The refueling area must be level. This is necessary for the correct and safe location of equipment, as well as for optimal organization of entry and exit of vehicles.

Equipment

The construction of a gas station complex begins with the construction of a building for staff and cash registers. Fuel tanks (main and reserve), depending on the type of station, are located underground or on the surface. The canisters are equipped with a fuel supply system to the dispensers, an opening for contact with the fuel tanker and devices to protect the fuel from weathering.

A priori, the station must be equipped with a full-fledged fire shield, since the gas station is an object of increased fire hazard.

No gas station would be complete without information boards. Boards indicating the fuel brand will be located above the columns, and the price board will be oriented towards the route.
Additionally, you will need to equip sections of road surface that provide comfortable entry and exit for cars. Appropriate markings are applied to the entrances, agreed upon with the traffic police and road services.

The “brain” of your station is special software that automates all work: from controlling the fuel supply to providing reports.

Personnel

Any gas station must have a manager who controls the entire work process. In the first few days, it would be most logical for you to take on this responsibility.

Minimum staff:

1. Cash register operators fluent in software
2. Maintenance engineer responsible for the operation of station equipment
3. Refueling operators (not necessary, self-service option is possible)

Documents and license

Be prepared for the fact that the approval of all necessary documentation will take, on average, about six months.

Start by registering a trademark to establish your status as a gas station owner. Individual Entrepreneurs in this business will face many problems and obstacles, so it is preferable to open a gas station as a Limited Liability Company. Fuel suppliers will primarily cooperate with LLCs, since such relationships guarantee a deeper level of responsibility.

As for taxation, gas station owners most often choose a system that involves paying VAT.

In total, you will need to prepare a package of documents for the registration of the land plot, the design and construction of the station, the structures and equipment of the gas station. You will also have to obtain permits to operate from the sanitary, hygienic and environmental authorities.

Marketing

How to attract clients?

It is important to constantly take care of your reputation. There are no small details in creating a positive image. Everything, from the politeness of the service staff to the cleanliness of the bathroom, works for you.

At the point, you can organize the sale of essential goods that the driver may need on the road. First of all, these are drinks and food, as well as auto parts and tools.

Summary

When opening your own gas station, you need to have the courage and patience to invest a round sum of money in an enterprise that will become self-sustaining in 3-5 years. However, we can say with confidence that this market will be in demand until the fuel resources of our planet are depleted. Let's hope that there will be enough of them for our humble age.

You probably have long noticed the fact that every year the number of cars on the roads and highways is growing exponentially.

On the one hand, this is a serious disadvantage for large and small cities. After all, the environment is noticeably deteriorating.

But if you look at this development of events from the business side, then everything is going as well as possible. The best option for those with sufficient capital is to open a gas station. The business plan, calculation of average costs, business payback and other details will be described below.

Where to start

The first point will not be the purchase of equipment, fuel or recruitment of service personnel. Don't know how to open a gas station? Start by renting or purchasing a plot of land. A very important point is to position yourself well. The number of clients, as well as the profit of your business, directly depends on this.

The site with a gas station should be located in close proximity to busy sections of roads, highways and highways along which a large number of cars pass daily. Such land, of course, will be quite expensive. But the profitability of gas stations in this case increases significantly.

Renting or purchasing land

Here everything directly depends on the available amount of initial investment. The purchase of a land plot for the subsequent construction of a gas station takes quite a long time to process. In addition, you will have to immediately shell out a significant amount of money, which will put an impressive burden on the initial investment.

There is an option to take out a loan. But in this case, be sure to take into account additional costs in the form of interest, which must be regularly paid to the bank. In this case, the risk of falling into a serious debt trap increases greatly. After all, at first, the business may not generate enough profit (and, most likely, this will be the case).

The main advantage of renting a plot is that you do not have to pay a large amount of money right away. But in the end, you will pay much more for the use of the land than if you purchased it. But all the main expenses will be reflected in the business gradually, which does not feel so painful during the payback period of the project.

Paperwork

It is always worth considering that the question of how to open a gas station is complex not only from the financial side. A real paperwork test awaits you. We will talk about issuing a lot of permits and obtaining a license for the storage of fuels and lubricants.

Without timely receipt of all necessary documents, you simply will not be able to start working. Otherwise, such commercial activity will be considered illegal. Of course, paperwork costs money.

You don’t have to waste your own free time on paperwork, but entrust this to a specialized company, having previously concluded an agreement with its employees for the provision of relevant services. However, in this case there will be additional costs. After all, such companies do not engage in charity and do not provide services for free.

You will have to include an additional line in the points of the gas station business plan, which will certainly significantly hit your pocket. Meanwhile, independently completing all the necessary papers through the Ministry of Fuel and Energy will not take much more time. But you can save a nice amount.

We are hiring staff

It is unlikely that you will find enough free time to independently serve all the customers at your gas station. Remember that the profit of a gas station directly depends on the level and quality of service. Therefore, you need to hire competent, polite and certainly efficient staff. Cars need to be refueled as quickly as possible to avoid creating a queue of dissatisfied drivers. As soon as the level of service begins to decline, the so-called word of mouth kicks in. radio broadcasting negative reviews at an astonishing rate.

At the same time, the mentality of the people is such that it is much more difficult to earn a positive reputation. People share rave reviews extremely sparingly, leaving all the most interesting and useful information exclusively for themselves.

To answer the question of how to open a gas station that will generate a stable income, it is necessary to develop a competent strategy for working with personnel. Remember that the main thing in your business is the right motivation. Offer your employees a small salary and a percentage of the work completed. This will be a great motivation for fast customer service.

Another option is to set a fuel sales plan. You can also take into account a specific brand (for example, the most expensive). For fulfilling the plan, the employee will receive a cash bonus. The main thing is not to set impossible tasks for the staff.

We purchase equipment

What largely determines the characteristics of gas stations among customers? High-quality and high-tech equipment plays an important role in this matter. You will need several filling machines, as well as a computer to control the process (the equipment is controlled by staff).

In order for your gas station, the business plan of which will help set the necessary price limits for the purchased equipment, to operate without downtime and queues, you need to install an average of 8 gasoline pumps.

What about franchising?

There are two options for starting a gas station business. The first involves starting a business almost from scratch. In this case, we are talking about the autonomous existence of the station. The second option involves concluding a franchise agreement. And it is precisely this development of events, as practice shows, that is considered more profitable. What is hidden behind the term “franchising”?

In essence, this is just concluding an agreement for the construction of a gas station under a certain brand. The thing is that sometimes a popular and vibrant brand is much more important than the highest quality service and products. People already know it, so you don’t even have to spend money on advertising. The cost of concluding such
contracts can vary greatly depending on the brand.

The average price is about 1000 US dollars. The peculiarities of doing business in this way are that you will have to very strictly adhere to the requirements of the corporate style. Therefore, it will not be enough to wonder how to build a gas station.

You will also have to think about at what level the company flags should be placed, how many centimeters of space should be left between ballot boxes with symbols, etc. However, experts say that franchising is the easiest way to attract the attention of the largest number of people at minimal cost in the shortest possible time consumers.

Choosing a partner

In order to profitably conclude a franchise agreement and start making a profit from the very first days, it is necessary, first of all, to decide on the trademark with which the commercial relationship will be formalized. This must be done based on the principles of one’s own benefit. If you don’t know how to open a gas station while reducing all possible costs to a minimum, then first try to find a fuel supplier whose base is located not far from the gas station.

This way you will reduce transport costs. Be sure to agree on the possibility of receiving the goods from another base if delivery from the selected location is impossible for any reason. Remember that there should always be gasoline at your gas station. Otherwise, your reputation will suffer greatly.

Let's say you have resolved the issue with the land plot. The time has come to calculate the costs of building a gas station building. And in this case everything will depend on the project. In addition, you need to decide whether you will build only a gas station building, or whether you will also build a car wash, cafe, store and other additional pleasures for your customers nearby.

The more objects, the more significant the financial investments will be. So, how much does it cost to build a turnkey gas station? Let's look at a specific example. Let's start from the ground. If you purchase it as property, its price will be approximately 200 thousand US dollars. However, the figure may vary greatly depending on the location chosen. The more attractive it is, the more expensive the plot will be. Also consider the size of the land. Construction of a gas station along with the purchase of all necessary equipment will cost approximately 0.8-1 million US dollars.

We calculate the profitability of refueling

So, we answered the question of how much it costs to build a gas station. As you can see, the costs are considerable. Now you need to calculate how profitable this business is. Let's say the initial financial investment was 1.2 million US dollars. Now you need to consider the expenses for each month. On average, a small car gas station sells about 2000 liters of gasoline per day.

The cost of 1 liter is within 1 US dollar. The price depends on the foreign currency exchange rate. Consequently, $60,000 is added to the monthly expenses for fuel. This figure may be slightly lower if you receive a discount from your supplier. Here you also need to add the salary of gas station employees, as well as the purchase of goods for the store, if it is provided for in your business plan.

The higher the final figure, the higher the price of gasoline, as well as everything that is sold at the gas station, should be. At the same time, you need to remember your competitors. People simply won’t buy fuel that is too expensive. On average, this type of business pays for itself in 5 years and is generally considered to be very profitable, provided that there is a competent approach to entrepreneurial activity.

We increase profits

In order for business in the sales of automobile fuel to generate a sufficient level of income, many entrepreneurs use a small trick. As a rule, they also open a cafe, store or car wash at the gas station. Sometimes this type of business becomes the main one in terms of profit. And refueling cars only attracts more customers.

Important little things

Don't forget about site security. How to open your own gas station with minimal risks? Provide her with a safe existence. Recently, there have been frequent cases of attack and robbery in order to seize the daily proceeds at a gas station. Therefore, it is very important to equip the facility with security cameras, as well as a panic button.

In the event of a force majeure situation, the gas station employee must be able to quietly call security. Fire safety is a separate issue. Don't forget to have all the special fire extinguishing equipment available. In addition, it is necessary to strictly ensure that no one smokes on the territory of the gas station. This applies to both staff and clients.

Possible problems

In any business, specific obstacles arise from time to time. In the case of your own gas station, this may be theft of products by staff. To prevent such an incident, it is necessary to install security cameras, as well as introduce a system of mandatory fines.

In addition, the wage rate should eliminate the need for theft. Always keep in mind that the supplier may supply low quality fuel. This is also a significant disadvantage in business, as it can ruin the reputation of the gas station. You also need to take into account the markup on gasoline. Most often it does not exceed 5%.

How to register your business

So, you have calculated everything and come to the conclusion that this type of entrepreneurial activity will bear fruit. Next, you need to register as a legal entity or individual entrepreneur, providing all the necessary documents.

Open a bank account. It is through him that you will have to make payments for products to suppliers. The proceeds are also deposited in the bank. Choose very carefully a credit institution in which you will store all the funds of your business.

If you wish, you can open several current accounts at once. But remember that for each of them you will have to pay a commission according to bank tariffs. This also somewhat complicates the system of settlements with counterparties. But there is also an advantage and a very significant one. The fact is that if a bank is declared bankrupt, legal entities that had accounts opened with it may not have much hope for compensation. As a rule, all the money is lost. And if you have several current accounts, there is a chance to save at least part of your finances.

Opening a gas station is a rather risky decision, since competition in the fuel retail market is very strong, but with a successful combination of circumstances and skillful management, even one small retail outlet can well become a source of impressive profit. To achieve it, the future owner of the gas station will have to go through a difficult path.

First steps

The very first issue that needs to be resolved is the choice of method of work. There are only two of them and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. A gas station can be completely independent and offer products under its own brand, or you can take the second route - turn to a large supplier and start operating as a franchise.

In the first case, the main advantage will be independence: absolutely all proceeds can be used for the benefit of your business. But do not forget that in order to achieve profit, you will first have to resolve the issue of brand promotion and advertising, as well as find a reliable fuel supplier, with whom there will be no problems with product quality and regularity of supplies.

When starting to work as a franchise, you can immediately count on help from the franchisor company’s employees in all organizational matters and even the construction of a building and installation of a fuel dispenser. But it’s worth noting right away that this will be just help in the organization - you will still have to work on solving the main issues on your own.

An additional and very important advantage is a guaranteed solution to the supply problem. The franchisor company will supply fuel to the new gas station either on its own, if it is a major market player, or organize shipment with the help of one of its existing partners.

And finally, from the first day of operation, the gas station will attract motorists with a sign of a well-known brand, that is, there will be no need to spend on additional advertising. In addition, statistics show that sales points of well-known, large companies are more trustworthy and are more popular among car owners than young single gas stations.

Not without its drawbacks:

• The franchisor always has a set of internal rules regarding the operating procedure. They will need to be strictly followed.
• Part of the profit (fixed percentage) necessarily goes to the main company. However, if you worked independently, the same or even larger amount would still be spent on advertising and other expenses that can be avoided when working as a franchise.

Company registration

This issue can be solved in parallel with the previous one. Since the gas station will operate officially, you will need to open a legal entity. In this area, it is best to choose an LLC as the legal form, since large suppliers work exclusively with legal entities (remember that an individual entrepreneur is an individual). The form of taxation is OSNO with VAT. No additional licenses or permits are required.

Selecting a site for construction

The paperwork does not end with business registration, but it will need to be interrupted to select the optimal site for subsequent development.

The search is complicated by strict fire safety regulations and mandatory distance from residential buildings and public facilities. In addition, it is worth taking into account the advantage of the location of the selected site - it is extremely important that drivers can see the future gas station and the path to it is convenient.

Another aspect is the possibility of further expansion. It is advisable to have a reserve area so that you can not only accommodate the main facilities, but also expand in the future by increasing the number of fuel dispensers and offering additional services, for example, organizing a service point and a cafe.

You can buy a plot for construction, but if you lack funds, of which you will need a lot at first, you can choose another option - renting. After this, several more bureaucratic issues will need to be resolved:

• An application for the placement of gas station facilities is required to be submitted to the City Council. If the decision is positive, it will be transferred to the fire inspectorate, SES and other government agencies. Approval by all authorities usually takes about 3-4 months, after which a building permit will be issued.
• Next, you need to approve the technical specifications for the design from the companies responsible for communications: state traffic inspectorate, city gas, city water utility, city energy, telecom, city council, fire inspection.
• Receive a town planning feasibility study from the Department for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments.
• The collected documents and permits will be required to create a project for construction. The finished project requires repeated approvals from city services, on the basis of which permits will be issued.
• Another permit (for digging) is obtained from the Main Department of Improvement and External Design.
• All collected documents, supplemented by a certificate of ownership or lease of the selected site, must be submitted to the Head of Architecture. The department must issue the final construction permit within 30 days.

As in other cases that require the preparation of documents and appeals to government agencies, all work can be entrusted to a third-party law firm. This will require additional investment, but will significantly save time.

The received permit is transferred to the construction company. After completion of construction and connection of communications, you will need to obtain documents certifying ownership and register with the BTI.

The above procedure is only a guideline and in fact may differ significantly depending on the region and city where the gas station is planned to open.

Equipment purchase

Since the process of preparing documents is quite lengthy and does not require constant direct participation, while waiting you can start searching for and purchasing the necessary equipment. This stage should not be postponed, since the size of the tanks and fuel dispensers directly determines their location on the construction plan and the total required area.

In order to open a medium-sized gas station you will need:

• 2-4 fuel dispensers with a complete connection kit,
• twice the number of tanks for gasoline and diesel fuel (one for each sleeve),
• empty (emergency) tank,
• container for organizing “storm drainage”,
• a set of furniture and a cash register for equipping the workplace.

When calculating the optimal number of fuel dispensers, you should take into account the fact that in Russia, cars with diesel engines are much less common, so for every 3 hoses for supplying gasoline there should be only 1 diesel engine. Approximately the same ratio is true for cars fueled with gas.

If you wish, you can purchase used equipment, but it is better to give preference to new one. The main reason is that modern fuel dispensers and many other components are full-fledged software and hardware systems that allow you to remotely monitor the quantity of sold and remaining product and draw up relevant documentation in a semi-automatic mode. This will significantly simplify the task of fuel accounting (you can find out more about manual and more modern automated accounting methods).

The equipment is produced by both foreign and domestic companies. At first glance, it may seem that the second option is preferable, since its prices are 4-5 times lower, but during operation, Russian developments will require significantly more frequent repairs, which will lead to downtime and, accordingly, loss of profit.

You will only be able to save money on purchasing a container for installing a stormwater system. It is required to collect oil products washed away by rain and melted snow. To do this, you can purchase a used tank.

And the last thing you should take care of is fire extinguishing equipment: containers with sand, proven fire extinguishers and a hydrant.

Recruitment

After the paperwork and completion of construction, the gas station can begin to accept its first customers, but without staff it will not be possible to serve them. The minimum possible team should consist of:

• Cashiers. They are required to have computer knowledge and the ability to work with a cash register, since they will be responsible for accepting payments and dispensing fuel.
• A senior manager or manager who will monitor the work process and take on organizational issues. Immediately after opening, this position can be filled by the gas station owner himself. This will allow you to save on employee salaries and identify and eliminate problems in the organization.

It is not necessary to hire gas station attendants from the very first days.

If the “gas station” initially offers additional services, for example, has a store with essential goods or a cafe on site, workers with appropriate qualifications will be required.

Separately, it is worth emphasizing the fact that stations with additional services attract much more customers, while within the city limits gas stations with a car wash are more popular, and outside the city - with a store.

When will the gas station open?

Once the new gas station begins serving customers and generating at least a small but stable profit, you should pay attention to at least two important points:

1. Safety precautions. Inspections at gas stations occur extremely frequently, and fines for failure to comply with strict safety requirements are quite high, especially for a business that is just gaining momentum. This also includes the need to have a janitor on staff, since the cleanliness of the area also directly relates to safety.
2. Equipping the facility with a video surveillance system and a security call button. They will help not only protect personnel in the event of a robbery, but also prevent the theft of fuel by unscrupulous employees.

Even despite serious financial investments, gas stations can be considered a very promising business. Especially if they are located in regions where competition is not yet as strong as in Moscow.

Investing your savings in the gasoline business is like buying a thoroughbred stallion. First, you will have to invest a fairly large sum: “blue” blood is not cheap, and in order for the stallion to grow up smooth, playful and agile, you also need to try. However, you will soon realize that your money was not wasted. The new business will not only return the money spent in full, but will also bring significant profit. If, of course, you follow all the rules for maintaining and caring for your source of income. And, of course, you will learn a number of necessary subtleties, and our gas station business plan will help you with this.

Map of gasoline influences

First, let's take a look around and determine on the ground how much this sector of the economy has been developed. There is no doubt that activity in this area is increasing noticeably every day. Gas stations appear like mushrooms after rain. Today there are about 1.5 thousand of them in the Moscow region alone. Naturally, the gas station owners are different.

At the moment, several major players have emerged. Among them are LUKOIL, YUKOS, Rosneft, Slavneft, Sibneft, TNK, Tatneft. However, it is too early to consider this market to be permanently divided. Because its active restructuring is currently underway.

Back in the mid-90s. the state distributed the regions among different large oil companies. Rosneft got the center of Russia, in particular Moscow, Smolensk and some other regions. TNK received the Ryazan region, YUKOS - Buryatia. Each company developed a business strictly in the territory allotted to it, built its own infrastructure there - oil refineries, oil depots, a network of gas stations, and did not try to penetrate the neighbor’s fence.

Until 2001, all major oil companies strictly adhered to the established rules of the game. And then the picture began to change dramatically - the main players stopped complying with territorial obligations and began to penetrate into areas of interest to them, becoming competitors of the structures already deployed there. Thus, Sibneft was actually the last to enter the Central Russian market. Therefore, she had to seize territories that already belonged to someone. Now the company is poorly represented in the Moscow region, but has already “set its eye” on part of this market. And LUKOIL, which had not previously sought to enter the capital, set itself the task of owning more than a hundred gas stations in Moscow and the Moscow region. It is planned that the company's share in this market will be 10%. In fact, such tactics of diversifying investments are now very popular among large players: in each region, giant companies are trying to cover approximately this market segment.

However, the aggressive policy also has its advantage - it benefits the consumer, because the giants are doing their best to promote their brands in the country. How can you surprise a buyer who is unaccustomed to commodity shortages these days? Only the level of service and the quality of the product.

However, despite the active changes, there are still uninhabited areas in the oil business, i.e. free places. And if you are excited about the idea of ​​​​entering this market, then it is better to immediately choose your path. You can do everything yourself: build your own gas station and run your business completely independently. That is, to become a so-called “jobber”. Another option is to organize a company under the trademark of a well-known oil company, entering into a franchising relationship with it.

Today, both direct subsidiaries of LUKOIL, YUKOS, Rosneft and other large players, as well as private owners, are appearing in large numbers. Moreover, many oil companies are rapidly revising plans for the construction of new gas stations towards intensification, trying to have time to acquire their own distribution network before the general fall in prices for export oil. Experts believe that by 2005 the gasoline retail market will be saturated and new pumps will not be needed.

Gas station construction cost

First, you will have to rent land and acquire special licenses for storing oil, gas and their products. Licenses are issued by the Ministry of Fuel and Energy. However, you should not be afraid of difficulties. There is a very small fee for processing documents at the ministry.

But you will have to pay for the right to build a gas station on a specific site. Land, for example, in the Moscow region, with the preparation of all the necessary documents, will cost $100,000. There are companies that, for this money, will take care of all the paperwork and organizational red tape and bring ready-made documents to your office. The high cost is explained by the fact that in Russia there are quite strict construction standards, and hence the need to coordinate construction documents with various authorities.

It is for this reason that mini-gas stations are not yet possible in our country, as is customary in many Western countries. But a small gasoline tank and just one pump on the sidewalk in Paris, for example, bring huge profits. Alas, our SNiPs and rules do not allow business to be conducted in this way. Therefore, there is not a single gas station inside the boulevard ring in Moscow. They say it’s close to home – less than 30 m. Although such trade would be extremely profitable. Any aspiring gasoline seller, when choosing a potential location for his gas station, should keep this figure in mind.

Naturally, you cannot do without special equipment. The cheapest minimum set of 2 columns and a computer costs $40,000. But two columns are too small a gas station, although they are capable of dispensing several types of fuel at once. Usually there are at least four pumps at a gas station. Of course, there are differences between columns: there are cheaper models, and there are more expensive ones. Typically, savvy businessmen spend from $100,000 to $200,000 on equipment.

And everything else: access roads, a building for the operator, gasoline tanks - at a minimum - from $50,000. This is if you decide to do without a store, car wash and auto repair shop. But at first they are not necessary. In general, a turnkey gas station costs $500,000. This includes all permits, land and other associated costs.

The most important thing is not to get too carried away with bank loans in pursuit of future profits. Now gas stations of many companies are mortgaged for debts. Their owners took out a loan and built a gas station with the money they received. However, they were in no hurry to repay the debt, and they took out a new loan as collateral for the finished gas station in order to build another gas station. The result was a pyramid. Moreover, it is quite shaky. Such a business can disappear in an instant. Well, if the margin received from the gas station is high, then perhaps there will be enough money for everything. It will also be possible to repay the debt. What if there is a crisis? Or will wholesale fuel prices skyrocket? In such situations, gasoline sales volumes at gas stations fall, and gas stations built on the word of honor are threatened with bankruptcy.

Franchising

Many gasoline sellers believe that the favorable location of a gas station and its technical equipment do not guarantee sustainable profits. That's why so-called franchising is popular today. A small gas station owner, using the brand of one of the well-known oil companies, increases sales. As the experience of the Smolensk region has shown, only moving under the wing of LUKOIL doubles the sale of gasoline at an ordinary private gas station.

A franchise agreement costs a gas station owner only $700 per year. In fact, this is a rental fee for a well-known trademark. At first, nothing else will be required from you. But in exchange you can receive gasoline of proven quality. If, of course, this is geographically possible. When choosing a patron company, first find out if there is an oil depot or oil refinery that it owns near you. Otherwise, there may be interruptions in the supply of quality fuel. After all, you can’t carry gasoline from afar: the capacity of the most common ZIL fuel tanker is 12 cubic meters. m, and more powerful cars are able to transport up to 40 cubic meters. m.

Keep in mind that when concluding a franchising agreement with you, after some time the company will require detailed compliance with its corporate identity. According to large companies, this increases the competitiveness of gas stations. For example, LUKOIL has released an entire brochure with recommendations on the use of corporate identity for gas stations cooperating with it. This brochure covers every detail: what size and color signs should be, what uniforms staff should wear, at what height flags should be hung, and even how to place trash cans. So, you will have to rebuild the gas station according to a certain standard. Remodeling can be very expensive - up to $150,000. In order not to waste money in vain, it is better to build a gas station for “someone” from the very beginning.

Where and how much to buy gasoline

An important element of the gasoline business is a close relationship with the tank farm or refinery. Here you can negotiate better wholesale prices and arrange the most convenient mode for receiving goods. For example, on consignment terms. However, no matter how much you flirt directly with the oil depot, experience still shows that it is most profitable to establish relations with a large oil company that has both its own oil depot and the rest of the infrastructure. This guarantees the quality of gasoline.

To better navigate the wholesale fuel prices, it is useful to use the Internet. The most complete and up-to-date information is on the website www.kortes.ru. Daily information costs about $50. However, there is also a free way - through the Internet exchange for the sale and purchase of petroleum products (www.nge.ru). True, analytical information about market trends is still provided for money.

Prices today in the European part of Russia.

The highest selling prices for gasoline grades A-76/80, A-92 and AI-95/96 are from the Kinef plant (Surgutneftegaz Oil Company) - 9015.6; 11763.6 and 12813.6 rubles/t, respectively.

Lowest selling price:

for gasoline grade A-76/80 from the Salavat NOS plant - 6612.0 rubles/t;

for gasoline grade A-92/93 at the Moscow Refinery (NK Sibneft) - 8500.0 rubles/t;

for AI-95/96 gasoline from the NK Slavneft plant (Yaroslav NOS) - 10,000.0 rubles/t.

Highest price:

for winter diesel fuel at the Ukhtaneftepererabotka plant (LUKOIL Oil Company) - 8500.0 rubles/t;

for summer diesel fuel at LUKOIL plants (Nizhny Novgorod NOS and Volgogradneftepererabotka) - 7450.0 rubles/t.

The lowest price:

for winter diesel fuel at the Nizhnekamsk Oil Refinery (NK Tatneft) - 6,700.0 rubles/t;

for summer diesel fuel from the Salavat NOS plant - 5800.0 rubles/t.

Prices today outside the Urals.

The highest selling prices for gasoline of the A-76/80, A-92/93 and Ai-95/96 brands are at the Angarsk Petrochemical Company (NK YUKOS) - 8200.1; 10200.0 and 11600.2 rubles/t, respectively.

The lowest price:

for gasoline grade A-76/80 - Surgut ZSK - 6832.0 rubles/t;

for gasoline grades A-92/93 and AI-95/96 - Omsk Oil Refinery (NK Sibneft) - 8900.0 and 10300.0 rubles/t, respectively.

The highest selling prices for summer and winter diesel fuel are at the Angarsk Petrochemical Company (NK YUKOS) - 6600.0 and 9400.1 rubles/t, respectively.

The cheapest summer and winter diesel fuel is from the Omsk Refinery (NK Sibneft) - 6200.0 and 8500.0 rubles/t, respectively.

Selling prices include all indirect taxes: excise duty, value added tax (VAT), tax on the sale of fuels and lubricants (NDF).

We must remember that this does not always happen. The Tax Code allows excise taxes to be collected both from oil refineries and tank farms, and from gas stations. Therefore, when buying gasoline, you need to pay attention to what exactly is included in the selling price of fuel. Indeed, depending on this, the price gap can be significant. The excise tax in Russia for A-76(80) gasoline is 2190 rubles/t, for A-92 and A-95 - 3000 rubles/t, for diesel fuel - 890 rubles/t.

Safety

There is an opinion that the gasoline business is criminal. However, the level of its criminalization is no higher than throughout the country. Local authorities are not interested in the death of an enterprise that lays “golden eggs.” True, in response they force owners to take maximum precautions. A modern gas station should resemble a banking institution, and not an ordinary minimarket. Doors and windows should certainly be made armored, and the cashier and his equipment should not be visible. Plus, under no circumstances does the cashier have the right to open the door and go outside during working hours.

Every gas station must have a panic button. According to the agreement, a police team will urgently arrive at the gas station if something happens. The contract costs little: on the highway - 1000 rubles. per month, in the city - 7,000 rubles. per month. If there is a store, then it should still have its own paramilitary security. Salaries of security guards can vary greatly - from 3,000 rubles. up to $3000

Opinion Now the market is gradually becoming saturated, and it is not so much the supply of gasoline that is coming to the fore, but the desire to provide the buyer with a quality product. Today this is the basis of competition. And high quality can only be achieved if the company has a vertically integrated structure. That is, everything: refineries, oil depots, and gas stations.

It may not be profitable to transport gasoline directly from refineries, because... it may be very far from the gas station. Then supply disruptions cannot be ruled out. You never know what will happen along the way, and the fuel truck will not arrive on time. At this time, gas at the gas station will run out. We'll have to contact the nearest oil depots. What you will get from them is not known in advance. Typically, companies deliver approximately 100 tons of fuel to the oil depot and place it in storage. And then, as needed, they take the same amount. As a rule, what they get back is not their own gasoline: either brought by another company, or completely mixed. After all, other enterprises can deposit gasoline of their production. And who will guarantee that their products are of the same good level as yours? As a result, the quality of the goods received may decline.

Until now, almost all major sellers are content with socialized gasoline. There is nowhere else to get another one. So gas station employees have to acquire so-called samples: small bottles that are sealed immediately after the gasoline is delivered to the gas station. Even the driver autographs them, saying that he delivered gasoline of normal quality under personal responsibility. This will be required in case of litigation, if you have to make claims against the oil depot.

So far, 90% of gasoline on the market is, alas, low-octane A-80. It is not suitable for a normal car. Therefore, with the help of special additives it is brought to the level of 92 or 95. However, this does not mean that gasoline becomes excellent. We must remember that quality attracts buyers. People are ready, if anything, to wait even a day and not refuel, just to get good fuel. Quality is the main thing now! Companies are making extraordinary decisions. For example, LUKOIL tints its gasoline so that car owners know: this fuel came directly from the proprietary LUKOIL oil depot, and a car filled with it will not suddenly stop.

Personnel

The main problem for gas stations is staffing. Especially if the station is located far from a large populated area. Qualified personnel are difficult to find. A gas station employee must, at a minimum, be proficient in using a personal computer. However, often people who offer themselves cannot even find “enter” on the keyboard.

According to the rules, each gas station employee must have a special certificate confirming his professional training. Therefore, it is necessary to either outbid specialists or teach them. However, a whole training system has been established. As part of oil inspection, there are mandatory courses. If you want to sell gasoline, send your employees there for training. The cost of the courses is about 2000 rubles. per person. Moreover, everyone must complete them: drivers, cashiers, and gas station attendants. The oil inspectorate then certifies the workers.

Control

The quality of gas station work is monitored by a number of inspection organizations. And you must always be prepared for this. For example, oil inspection representatives often visit gas stations completely unexpectedly.

However, in addition to them, there are other inspectors: the trade inspectorate, the tax service, firefighters. However, you shouldn’t be afraid of the latter. Compliance with fire safety rules is primarily beneficial to the owner of a gas station, because it is better to sit “on a powder keg” with insurance. As for the tax authorities, experience shows that it is not profitable to run away from taxes at gas stations. It is better to trade conscientiously and stay in this market longer, because the profit is already quite sufficient.

Sales norms

If we talk about the provinces, then usually a gas station sells an average of 3-5 cubic meters. m of gasoline per day. However, if you clearly care about the quality of your product, you can increase these indicators. Today, when there is no shortage of gasoline to speak of, it is quality that enters the battle for the buyer. Thus, the experience of the Smolensk branch of LUKOIL showed that it is possible to sell 10-15 cubic meters. m of gasoline per day and even higher. Average sales data for gasoline in Smolensk and the Smolensk region are presented in table. 1, 2. In general, the sales record belongs to the gas station located at 99 km of the Moscow-Minsk highway - 100 cubic meters. m per day.

Table 1. Average daily sales of fuel and lubricants at gas stations in Smolensk (44 gas stations)

Brand Volume, cubic meters m

Table 2. Average daily sales of fuels and lubricants at gas stations in the Smolensk region. (194 gas stations)

Brand Volume, cubic meters m

The turnover and profitability of gas stations largely depend on the location of the station. If you work on a franchising basis, then the choice of the company under whose flag the fuel is sold also plays a significant role. The quality of the roads on which the gas station is located is of great importance. A simple example. In 1998 After the crisis, the flow of transport decreased by 4-5 times. They started buying less gasoline. Only now the sales level has recovered. Now other criteria are important. The flow of traffic is affected by the road surface. People don't want to drive on bad roads, killing their car. And if there are potholes and potholes around the gas station, it means they won’t come there for gasoline. It is obvious that in the near future, gasoline competition in the domestic market will force entrepreneurs to take up roads.

There are other ways to attract clients. Increasingly, gas station owners are starting to build gas station complexes. There you can buy gasoline, wash and repair your car, and at the same time eat and even spend the night. The pioneers were British Petroleum gas stations. There are McDonald's restaurants next to some of their gas stations.

Now everyone wants to do this. LUKOIL has entered into contracts with Rostix, and the sale of fried chicken will be organized at its gas stations. YUKOS took the Kopeyka chain of stores as its partners.

Professional tricks

In this business there are some small, but quite expensive tricks. And the owner of a gas station must constantly remember this. Thus, it is known that gasoline greatly increases in volume at high temperatures. Employees of oil depots and gas stations often play on this, stealing goods. For example, a fuel truck driver on a summer day can stock up on canisters so that on the way he can drain the fuel that has increased in volume from a tank hot in the sun. When the tank is large, the volume of “extra” gasoline becomes substantial. As a result, your losses increase. Let's say 1 liter of 92 gasoline costs 10 rubles. The canister contains 20 liters. And there may be a dozen of these canisters! So at one point, 100 of your dollars disappeared into the driver’s pockets.

Gasoline receivers are also cunning: during acceptance, they forcefully “stick the measuring stick” into the gasoline storage container. This causes the liquid to splash and form a wave. This is where the amount of gasoline is measured. True, the volume is determined by the lower risk, in the place where the wave just left.

As a result, the drained liquid remains unaccounted for. Pennies, at first glance. But when we are talking about a capacity of 100 tons, then one division is equal to several thousand rubles. And this can happen day after day.

In order not to burn out on gasoline, you again need to take into account a number of subtleties related to the specifics of this substance. For example, it is known that gasoline evaporates quickly, especially in the summer. Moreover, the higher its octane number, the faster the evaporation process occurs. Therefore, if your gas station is located on the highway, you should not stock up on expensive 98-grade gasoline on a hot day. Limousines rarely drive there, and waiting for all the gasoline to evaporate is, to say the least, stupid. Every day the losses are estimated at thousands of rubles.

Of course, in this business, as in many others, there is always a rate of attrition. It is included in the tonnage when purchasing flammable substances. This rate is not high, about the same as in the alcoholic beverage industry - 0.01%. But with large volumes, the loss can result in a very significant figure. So it's best to always try to cut your losses.