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How to start a water selling business. Your own business: how to make money on water. Documents for opening a water pavilion

The market for clean drinking water is considered promising, and demand for it is constantly growing. Vending machines claim a significant share of this niche, as they reduce the cost of a liter by 4 times.

 

A vending machine for selling and purifying water has every chance of seriously competing with bottled water sales and home delivery companies. According to marketing research, every 10th supermarket customer purchases clean drinking water in winter, and every 5th in summer. The cheaper it is and the easier it is to make a purchase, the better for the consumer. Entrepreneurs are interested in the low threshold for entering a business - up to 150,000 rubles.

Brief overview of the market

Sales of bottled water in Russia are increasing, although the volume of this market is much smaller than in developed European countries. Thus, according to marketing research by Nielsen, in 2014 sales increased by 6%, with drinking table water accounting for 36%. It is produced by more than 200 domestic enterprises, 76% of them are concentrated in the Central part and the North Caucasus district (Fig. 1).

The cost of a 1.5 liter bottle in the middle price category is 30 - 40 rubles, in the economy class segment - up to 30 rubles. The share of expensive imported products occupies only 10% of the niche. This is a very attractive market for investors: production is cheap, risks are low, margins are high. Demand for products is growing - people are afraid of the consequences of drinking tap water; most utility networks have been in operation since the times of the Soviet Union.

A device for selling purified water is already part of Russian everyday life, and it is clear that this line of trade has good prospects. First of all, because the price is much lower - up to 5 rubles per liter, and you don’t have to go far - it can be placed anywhere.

Anti-bottle machine gun

Stores rarely sell water in packages larger than 5 liters. Buying 1.5 liter bottles is inconvenient and expensive. After all, it is used not only for drinking, but also for cooking - which, by the way, is being practiced more and more often. Therefore, services for delivering 19 liter bottles to your home are quite a profitable business. However, an automatic water purification machine is even more convenient for customers, because there is no need to place an order in advance, wait for delivery at a set time, or store empty containers for exchange. For an entrepreneur, this is doubly beneficial. Organizing and maintaining a transport service, a staff of dispatchers, and loaders is expensive.

The main thing to remember is that the income of a vending machine directly depends on its favorable location. Where are they usually installed:

  1. in courtyards, in the center of a residential block for 3 - 5 houses;
  2. at points of “exit” from the highway to the residential area;
  3. in places of mass passage from bus stops to residential areas;
  4. in actively visited stores, pharmacies, and markets.

Devices installed outdoors require anti-vandal protection; it is better if they are located under a canopy or kiosk roof. The most promising place for placement is new buildings in residential areas, for several reasons.

  1. in houses with an improved layout there are large halls, staircases, places for placing equipment and information;
  2. in new areas there are usually not enough shops, there are no supermarkets, they are far from the center - delivery there is expensive;
  3. the residents of such houses are usually active young and middle-aged people - they easily get used to new products, value time, and watch their diet;
  4. This is very convenient for buyers - they do not depend on time, at any time of the day or night you can buy the required amount of water without leaving your home.
  5. in houses being occupied, a homeowners association (HOA) is now always created - it is not difficult to come to an agreement with them, they are interested in income from renting out space.

At first glance, a product such as water does not require advertising. And yet, a certain number of bright booklets, leaflets in entrances, mailboxes will certainly be useful. Another thing is quality. It is advisable to hang an explanatory banner next to the machine, which will reflect the entire cleaning scheme in detail and beautifully. This will attract attention, arouse curiosity and the desire to try. Affordable price, ease of maintenance, cleanliness and taste of water will complete the matter - people quickly get used to good things. To increase customer confidence, it would not hurt to indicate a schedule for replacing filters.

According to the Civil Code (Part 2, Article 498), mandatory information must be placed near commercial equipment. This includes: indication of the seller’s details, his location, telephone number, operating hours. In addition, there must be instructions on the rules for using the device, the procedure for payment, and filing claims.

Type, structure and maintenance

How does a water purification machine work, and what is required to service it? Let's consider the principle of operation using the example of the Russian model “Aquatic WA-400Y” (Fig. 1). It is very compact in size: only 0.7 × 0.8 m, and 1.85 m high. At the same time, it holds a tank with a volume of 100 liters and produces 1,700 - clean water per day. To operate, you only need to connect to a standard 220 W power supply and to a water supply. Produced by VendShop, a company specializing in the production of vending machines for almost all types of trade (one of the most popular is for the sale of carbonated drinks).

The filtration system includes 8 degrees of purification. It is based on the reverse osmosis principle: water under pressure successively passes through special membranes that free it from mineral impurities, salts, and rust, and enters a storage tank. Using a pump, it is supplied to the dispensing niche, which is designed to use containers of any volume: from a glass to a 19-liter bottle. During processing, harmful substances are removed from it: nitrites, cadmium, mercury, chlorine, and foreign odors are neutralized (Fig. 3).

Maintenance is minimal: in fact, it comes down to regular filter replacement. New generation vending machines are equipped with modern bill and coin acceptors; control over operation is facilitated by GSM technology. Using programmable functions, you can remotely receive information about the activation of sensors (clogging, impact), the need for collection, blocking of the machine, and analyze sales statistics. If you additionally use modern cloud technologies for accounting and bookkeeping, you can control your business with minimal time.

Get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the machine.

Approximate calculation of investments

Let's calculate the amount of investment in the business of selling drinking water and the payback period for the equipment (Table 1). For example, the cost of the Aquatic WA-400Y machine discussed above is 148,900 rubles. Input data for example:

  • according to statistics, the average family of 3 people buys about 270 liters of water per month - 9 l/d;
  • Every day, approximately 10 families use the services of one device - 270 l/d;
  • tariff for cold water in the region is 19 rubles/m3; sales price for 1 liter is 5 rubles.
  • Cost of 1 liter: 81,557 / 98,550 = 0.83 rubles, which is more than 5 times lower than the selling price.
  • Revenue for the year: 98,550 × 5 = 492,750 rubles.
  • Profit before taxes: RUB 411,193.

It turns out that one water vending machine pays for itself within 4 - 5 months.

A suitable type of activity is “Retail trade outside of stores”, for example, OKVED - 47.99. If you register as an individual entrepreneur, you can use the simplified tax system or UTII (if permitted by local law).

Business prospects in the periphery

Market analysts estimate that there are now about 165,000 vending machines installed in Russia, and by 2020 they predict a doubling of their number. Most of them are concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg (Fig. 4). According to the Allbiz trading platform (electronic), in the first 4 months of 2016, sales volume reached the six-month level of last year. At the same time, the number of buyers from the regions is growing: Krasnoyarsk Territory, Yekaterinburg, Kirov Region.

In medium and large cities this niche is practically free. Marketers believe that for a city with a population of 500 thousand people, the market capacity is about 250 machines of the same type. In places with developed tourism, the figure may be higher. Considering the relatively low cost of equipment and the ease of doing business, the vending business can be considered quite promising for development in small towns. In addition, many manufacturers sell equipment in installments.

Even in Moscow, which eagerly embraces everything new and modern, no more than a third of offices today use drinking water delivery services. Meanwhile, their average in the US and Europe is from 70 to 90%. This means that this segment of the service market in our country has significant potential. The deterioration of the quality of ordinary tap water and the increase in consumption culture also work for companies that organize timely delivery of H2O to those who are thirsty. Alexey SMOLYAKOV, director of the marketing department of the Selivanovskaya group of companies, talks about how to make a profit from ordinary clean water by giving drinks to workers in nearby offices.

Decide: download or deliver?

The “water” business is quite young, so it is still possible to enter this market, especially in the regions - if only there was the desire and the necessary investments. In this sense, our experience is very indicative. In 1995, we planned to launch brick production in the Selivanovsky district of the Vladimir region. We designed a plant, drilled a well, tasted the water and... were amazed at how tasty it turned out to be! After the examination, it turned out that this water, in all respects, falls into the premium segment of table drinking water. As a result, it was decided to also engage in the “water” business, within which a promising line of bottling and delivery of drinking water to offices then emerged.

Therefore, my first advice is this: “Dance from the stove!” That is, from the very beginning, decide which direction you will develop. You can invest in “long-term” production - which means launching your own well and installing a bottling line. Or you can focus solely on delivery, essentially providing intermediary services, buying water on the side.

“Pumping” water, pouring it and delivering it is, of course, a troublesome and costly task. You need to invest in such a project no less than 100 thousand dollars. But 10 - 20 thousand is enough to organize delivery. Just don’t forget that the water producer (the one who extracts it and bottles it at the well) today has a much better chance of surviving in a competitive environment and becoming a monopolist in the growing regional market!

Predict!

Water is a natural resource. Its extraction is somewhat similar to oil extraction. No research institute will give you exact data on the potential of a particular well, but at the filling stage it is possible to predict certain indicators. At least it will be clear how long the water will last.

Based on expert assessments, the development strategy, water sales volume, equipment capacity and planned sales volume are predicted. It doesn’t matter whether you extract water yourself or take it from a supplier, dealing only with sales and delivery. In both cases, it is necessary to take into account the shelf life of water. After all, the buyer wants to receive it fresh and only fresh. This is why companies that deliver water to offices typically limit the shelf life to three months. This means that you will have to plan sales volumes in advance and as accurately as possible!

Fight for purity.

Whatever path you choose - extract water from a well or buy a finished product, quality is the cornerstone of the entire enterprise. Commercial success ultimately depends on the composition of water. For example, our well is located 350 km away. from Moscow, in an ecologically clean area, where within a radius of 35 km. there is no industrial production

The water you are going to serve to your clients must be certified in all respects and allowed for use as a table drink, and also meet the hygienic requirements of the Ministry of Health. By the way, the unique natural composition is not everything. The quality of the final product is affected by filtration and disinfection equipment. Depending on the source and composition of the water, different intensities of purification are required.

To reduce the influence of the human factor to a minimum, it is preferable to use automated lines for bottling water into “classic” 19-liter bottles. Since the containers in our business are constantly being turned around, the task of workers on automatic lines comes down to placing a used bottle on the conveyor and receiving a processed, so-called, sealed product at the output. Such equipment, of course, requires considerable investment (the leading manufacturers here are American and German companies). At the same time, equipment can be assembled gradually, as the young company develops. The main thing is not to skimp on investments in development. And there is enough water for our lifetime!

Promote the service.

Note to beginner participants in this market: the client is still not very experienced and not as spoiled as in other segments of business-to-business relationships. Therefore, only the largest and wealthiest consumer companies require a complete package of documents on the composition of water and its origin. The majority, as a rule, are interested primarily in the price and delivery time. In this sense, our client has not yet matured, and the corporate culture of water consumption itself is not high enough.

And yet, with every passing day, she grows. People are learning more and more about water, it is becoming easier to explain how high-quality water differs from low-quality water, and to justify the not-so-low price of a 19-liter bottle of seemingly “ordinary” water. This is not so difficult to do: I always give an analogy with ground and greenhouse vegetables, freshly squeezed and packaged juices, illustrating the difference between natural water and prepared water. You can prepare any water. Meanwhile, the quantity of natural food is limited, and the quality is checked. Hence the price.

Give it a try!

In order for a potential customer (and you need to contact management directly) to feel the difference and turn from a possible customer into a permanent one, we arrange a tasting of our water. To begin with, we bring a bottle. If the client likes the taste of the water, a cooler (a special device for 19-liter bottles) can be installed for the period necessary for him to try not only the water, but also the “service” itself and its convenience for employees. Such promotional tastings greatly help expand the customer base.

Day to day, or Punctuality.

Despite the fact that the quality and taste of water play a huge role in our business, we must not forget: water delivery is a service, and not an ordinary one, but a corporate one. Remember: we do not sell water, but rather a water delivery service. After all, anyone can easily buy bottled water in a store.

What is usually meant by service? Timeliness of delivery, appearance of forwarders (requirements for delivery personnel must be high), voice of the dispatcher accepting the order. Ultimately, the quality of service depends on a lot of factors.

The number of requests is usually high, and customers demand same-day delivery. But achieving this is not so easy. Firstly, clients have returnable packaging, which must be provided with an appropriate equivalent from the company. And secondly, the entire fleet of cars is almost always on order from early morning. And yet, it is imperative to strive for same-day delivery, because this is exactly what the client wants! Delivery must be coordinated with him in order to avoid idle trips and, especially, if the car is delayed for some reason. What upsets customers the most is when they are not informed that delivery is delayed.

By the way, the service is not limited to timely delivery and installation of the cooler. His condition must be monitored. After all, the cooler needs sanitary treatment and sometimes minor repairs (faucets break).

Route map.

Companies operating in this market use different delivery organization schemes. Some take the path of creating their own fleet of vehicles. Expensive and troublesome, but stable. We do this too, using the bodies of our trucks as an additional advertising medium. There is another way - hired drivers with their own vehicles. For start-up companies, this is a completely reasonable option.

The main thing to pay attention to is logistics. Therefore, to avoid problems with delivery, I highly recommend developing a route map. Each crew is assigned a specific area, and the logistics department, based on the order situation, builds an optimal route map.

Individual approach.

The formula “each client is unique” also applies to the segment of delivering bottled water to offices. After all, all transactions are completely individual! Not every company can afford to provide its employees with fairly expensive water - it’s easier to install filters. Therefore, often - as the situation with customers worsens - we observe some outflow of “trusted” clients. However, due to the annual growth of the market, there is much more inflow than outflow - no less than 15% of the total number of service users. But an individual approach is still necessary.

Negotiate delivery terms with each specific client separately. The price may depend on the volume of the transaction and on other factors - for example, on the degree of reliability of the client. And finally, since coolers cost $100-150, it is better not to install them to completely “unverified” companies.

Fulfill any whim.

Finding consumers of bottled drinking water in the regions is sometimes difficult. Therefore, in order to create a client base, use your imagination. Look for unusual drinking water needs and uses. For example, one day our client ordered several bottles of water to sample. When the team brought the goods to the site, it turned out that the water was needed for... watering the plants and trees in the garden! He discovered that his “pets” reacted differently to the composition of the water, but they definitely liked “Selivanovskaya”.

Think about who else could benefit from clean and high-quality water - expectant mothers (why not!), families with a recent addition... People often cook food with our water and wash dishes with it. Such clients need both a high-quality product and service, and financial difficulties do not frighten them.

Many decisions have long been implemented. This means, observe, search and adopt ready-made experience!

Drank - pass it on to someone else.

The undoubted advantage of this business is its non-seasonal nature. There are no winter recessions (in cold times people brew tea and coffee from the same cooler), consumption is “even” almost all year round. However, this does not mean that you can relax. So, I highly recommend expanding your range and offering related products - for example, coffee and sugar bags.

As in any other segment of the corporate services industry, “creeping” or “viral” works best when information about you is passed on by word of mouth from satisfied clients. If you spend about 10% of turnover on this, advertising in the press also gives a good return.

Well, recently the Internet has become an excellent marketing tool. However, having your own website is not enough - I would advise filling it with useful, fascinating information about the benefits of “living” water. Often it is high-quality and interesting website content that brings new customers.

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Today there are a lot of relevant ideas for a profitable business with and without investments. People usually choose the area of ​​entrepreneurship that is most popular among the population. What does a person constantly need? The first thing that comes to mind is water. It is precisely with this popular product that you can open your own business. Many people believe that its cost is not high enough to make good money. On the one hand, this is correct, but on the other hand, water is always in demand.

Is it possible to make money selling bottled drinking water? Yes it is possible. Every year people's need for drinking water is growing, from this we can conclude that business in it is profitable and profitable. But in order for the sale to bring the desired result, and not losses and disappointment, you need a clear, well-drafted business plan.

Important points

What does it take to open a bottling plant? First you need to decide on the source of water, there can be several of them: natural, from the tap, purified with special filters using your own well.

Water from central water supply

  • You need to find a suitable premises; you can buy or rent it. Be sure to make repairs in accordance with all SES requirements.
  • Prepare the place where the production of such water will be located for the installation of equipment.
  • The next step will be permission from the CJEU to use this premises for the manufacture of this product.
  • Obtain a CES water testing report. Based on the results of the analysis, purchase equipment for filtration and purification of liquids. It is better not to skimp on equipment; even small production must be modern and meet all requirements.
  • After installation of the equipment, another CEC certification for manufacturing is required.

As a result, in order for the bottling and sale of this water to begin functioning, a package of ready-made documents must be present:

  • quality statement;
  • an agreement with the water utility on connection to the central network and installation of water consumption metering;
  • test report;
  • equipment certificate;
  • premises permit;
  • production certificate.

Own well

An expensive option, since additional costs will be required for drilling and equipment of the well. But the advantage of the source is that the water in it is natural and environmentally friendly. Consequently, its cost will be higher than that of purified water flowing from a tap. This water also needs to be analyzed.

If there are abandoned premises near the well, they can be rented or purchased. If there is no such building, you will have to build a workshop yourself. After water analysis, equipment is purchased. The package of documents is the same as for a regular one. The only thing you need to add from the papers:

  • lease agreement for the land on which the well is located;
  • permission to carry out drilling operations;
  • permission to use the well;
  • permission to sell water from the source.

Staff

To open a small production facility, you will need at least eight employees.

  • Two people will be needed to operate the water bottling equipment. Since the equipment is automatic, employees do not require special education. Suppliers of this equipment must provide the company with free training after installation of the line. If it is planned that the production will operate in two shifts, then four people will be required for the position of line operator.
  • An accountant can be hired part-time or for a few days a month.
  • To make production more active, a sales manager will be required.
  • Driver with his own personal truck.
  • Manager.

If you compare water from a well and purified water from a tap, the former has an advantage. It is more useful, and the price is much higher, since it is natural.

Sales of finished products

When the premises have been found and equipped, the necessary documents have been received, employees have been hired, you can look for clients to sell your products. It all depends on which method of entering the market is chosen.

  • Our own bottled water delivery service and brand promotion.
  • Sales of products through well-known organizations with a name.

Business expenses and income

  • Premises: rent from approximately 350,000 rubles per year.
  • Equipment from 300,000 rubles.
  • Well drilling and permitting documents from 550,000 rubles.
  • Salaries for eight employees start from 1,440,000 rubles per year.

On average, the cost of opening a water business is 2,700,000 rubles.

Sales income:

  • Finished products wholesale about 200,000 rubles per month.
  • Delivery of water bottles to offices is about 50,000 per month.

In some cases, expenses and income may be more or less, it all depends on many human factors and the region in which the business is organized. In any case, the payback period for the water business is at least 1–2 years.

Water delivery business

If in the business of producing and bottling water, the emphasis is on the quality of the product, then in the delivery business the main thing is the number of customers and timely provision of products. Investments in business are minimal when you have your own freight transport. Presumably, the payback will come from the first trial delivery.

What is the best way to register a business?

If you want to limit yourself to home delivery of water, then registering as an individual entrepreneur is sufficient. If the clients are large companies, it makes more sense to form an LLC, since not all companies are ready to cooperate with individual entrepreneurs.

Startup costs

  • Purchasing the required amount of containers. It’s very easy to calculate: multiply the number of clients by three, the approximate price per bottle is about 120 rubles.
  • Fare. They will be minimal if you have your own transport.
  • Rent of premises for storage. Its area must be at least 20 square meters.

For this business, two people are enough, one is responsible for delivery, the other is involved in documentation, searching and communicating with clients.

Kiosk with drinking water in a big city

In our country, since 1998, the federal program “Providing the Russian population with drinking water” has been in effect. The advantage of this program is that the administration of the city in which water kiosks are opened gives not only permission to organize, but also material support.

Resident of Kirov, V.V. Zotov was the first to pay attention to this program and use it. He opened the company "Key of Health" in 2001. Now this company willingly cooperates with interregional partners, selling patented kiosks and helping with the necessary documentation. But not everything is so simple; the businessman chooses his partners very carefully. A business ally must be solvent, because considerable expenses will be spent on opening a business, have a sense of duty and value their reputation.

Investments in the business are significant: from 400–500,000 dollars, a very short payback period of 1–1.5 years. You need to be prepared for SES inspections and have the entire package of necessary documents.

The advantage of selling water on tap is its price. The buyer does not pay extra, the approximate price per liter is 1–1.5 rubles, personal containers are used. When installing vending machines, approximately 1 per 3.5 thousand residents, instead of salespeople, you will need several experienced technicians. They will monitor the equipment and make repairs if necessary.

The drinking water market is undergoing more and more changes every year. People are increasingly refusing to drink tap water, preferring water purification through special filters or buying bottled water. But neither one nor the other solves the problem of clean water. Therefore, there is a demand on the market for a new type of service: the sale of bottled water. Why is this happening? Is the new type of activity profitable? Beginning entrepreneurs need to find answers to these and many other questions. After all, perhaps this service sector can become an important and profitable business.

Analysis of the water market today

Before you start planning a bottled water business, you need to carefully study the existing market. And the situation here is like this. The choice of drinking water is represented by only two sources: you can buy a special filter and purify the water at home, or you can buy bottled drinking water from drinking water production plants. There are more than enough disadvantages of such services.

A conventionally cheap method of purifying water is using a filter. Conditional, because the filter itself requires constant replacement and has a fairly short service life, otherwise the water will not be purified, but rather the reverse process will occur. In addition, the best home filters do not cope with 100% water purification and do not reach the same quality level.

When it comes to buying bottled water, price comes first. Such water becomes more expensive due to the fact that 90 percent of the cost of a bottle of water is the cost of packaging. Because of such overpayments, not every family can afford to buy water for drinking, much less for cooking or washing dishes. And again, the quality is questionable, which depends not on the water itself, which may be excellent, but on storage conditions, compliance with all necessary standards and deadlines for sale. Under the wrong conditions, high temperature, direct sunlight, or exceeding the expiration date, a plastic bottle begins to release toxins that poison the water, rendering it unusable.

As you can see, there is an acute shortage of high-quality, inexpensive water on the market, which can be an excellent start to a profitable business.

How to set up a business selling bottled water?

There are two schemes by which you can organize the sale of bottled water:

  1. Sell ​​water through specialized kiosks, bringing water from artesian wells. Suitable for small towns with a short distance from a source of clean water.
  2. Sell ​​water through vending machines that are connected to the city water supply with water purification using reverse osmosis. Suitable for all populated areas, including millionaire cities such as Moscow.

The second option with vending trade is more universal and can bring greater profitability with less money and time spent on organizing a business, so a novice entrepreneur should pay attention to it.

What is vending and how does it work?

A water vending machine is similar to a familiar coffee machine. It is installed in the most crowded places and connected to the city water supply system. The functionality it is equipped with allows you to achieve water purification up to category 1, premium class. The buyer comes with his container, inserts it into a special hole, puts in money and receives clean water. The cost of such water is 10 kopecks. But the retail price is 2 rubles per liter and above. It is not difficult to calculate that the profitability of the business is more than high.

Advantages of a vending machine compared to selling water through kiosks:

  • Minimum space requirement.

To install a vending machine you only need 1 sq. m. area, so it is convenient to place it absolutely anywhere, and rental costs will be minimal.

Important. The best places to place water vending machines include grocery stores, supermarkets, parking lots, gas stations, and in the courtyards of residential areas.

  • There is no expense item to pay the salary of the water seller.

The machine accepts money and dispenses water itself.

  • 24/7 work.

The device does not need interruptions in operation, there is no need to close or open it.

  • To service 15 machines, only one engineer is needed, which significantly reduces the cost of water.

The composition of the water, which is obtained as a result of purification in a vending machine using the reverse osmosis method, is practically no different in its characteristics from the melt water of ancient glaciers and is considered the most environmentally friendly and beneficial for the human body.

Business financial indicators

The cost of one vending machine, which is used to sell water for bottling, is about 250 thousand rubles.

Costs of setting up a business:

  • purchase and installation of 10 vending machines – 2.5 million rubles.
  • Monthly expenses:
  • rent of space for machines – 20 thousand rubles;
  • engineer's salary - 30 thousand rubles;
  • payment of utility bills (water supply, electricity) - 2 thousand rubles;
  • taxes and other unforeseen expenses - 2 thousand rubles.

Total expenses: 54 thousand rubles.

Revenue from the sale of water (400 liters per day, 12,000 liters per month, at a price of 2 rubles per 1 liter) – 24 thousand per month * 10 machines = 240 thousand rubles.

Business payback period: 1 -1.5 years.

Business profitability: 200 percent.

As we can see, the business of selling water to the population is more than profitable, not only for the entrepreneur because of the high profitability, but also for the people themselves, who get an alternative opportunity to buy high-quality water at a very low price. This business has excellent prospects for development in the very coming years. Therefore, entrepreneurs who are still looking for their niche in business should quickly occupy it in the field of drinking water trading.

In search of a business that would bring a good and at the same time stable income, many entrepreneurs pay attention to the production of mineral and drinking water. According to statistics, the number of bottled water buyers is increasing every year. This is due to the poor environmental situation and concern for one’s own health. Delivery of 19-liter bottles is carried out both to offices and enterprises, and to private clients, so there are no difficulties in finding the target audience. On the other hand, equipment costs (especially when drilling a well) can be impressive, so to organize a successful business, you need a competent plan.

Important! You can only gain the trust of customers if your water is thoroughly purified and safe. Ideally, you should use liquid from a well - it contains more useful microelements, requires less processing, and is more expensive.

The first thing to start with is to decide how you will make money:

  • by organizing a full production and delivery cycle, you can open a plant that will extract water, fill it into 19-liter containers and transport it to end consumers. Such a plan involves significant investments (costs of drilling your own source, purchasing equipment, etc.);
  • acting as an intermediary between the producer and clients - if there is no financial opportunity to organize the operation of a water treatment plant, then you can start selling and delivering someone else’s products.

Such a business pays off most quickly in large and rapidly developing cities, where the demand for purified water will grow exponentially and there is a chance of expanding the customer base.

Reasons to start selling water

Any entrepreneurial activity, one way or another, involves risk, but in the case of the bottling and delivery business of bottled water it is minimal. The fact is that every year this market increases by 40-45 percent, and interest in products from different categories of the population is growing. If previously the main customers were offices, which consume about 10-15 liters per month, now many Russians buy bottled water for home use. Considering that not a single person can do without this product, the profitability of the business of selling it is obvious. Moreover, the profitability is quite high, and the payback period with a successful plan will vary from 8 months to a year.

How feasible is it to drill a well?

Due to the growing interest in spring water, a significant part of entrepreneurs decide to search for a natural source. Of course, opening a plant with its own well will cost much more than purifying liquid from a water supply, but the potential profit will be much higher.

Before drilling begins, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate permit and license for use. As for costs, they will depend on the depth of the well and the degree of urgency of drilling (on average from 50 to 1,700 rubles per meter). There are also requirements for source processing, in particular, it is necessary to casing it using a steel column. After gaining access to the raw material, the stage of its analysis begins - it can be ordered from a specialized laboratory. The test is carried out according to 30 or more criteria, and its results allow you to select the optimal equipment for cleaning. The approximate cost of such a service is $50-60.

Registration and taxation

There are different ways to start your own business of bottling, selling and delivering water in 19-liter containers. For small volumes and budgets, it is wiser to register as an individual entrepreneur. If there is a desire to open a plant and organize large-scale production, then it makes sense to immediately register an open or closed joint stock company.

The legislation imposes a number of requirements both on manufacturing technology and on the characteristics of bottled water. Therefore, you will need to obtain a conclusion from the sanitary and epidemiological station for both production and the final product. Additionally, you will need a license for retail and wholesale trade - it is issued for a period of 3 years. If finances allow, you can contact an intermediary organization - for $250-300 they will help you quickly resolve most formalities.

Technical equipment

The list and parameters of equipment are influenced by the scale of the business and the specifics of the selected cleaning technology, which can be:

  • biological;
  • mechanical;
  • chemical

If we talk about selling water as an idea for a small business, then the plan needs to provide for the purchase of special tanks, filters, containers (19-liter bottles) and bottling installations themselves. It is fundamentally more profitable to purchase equipment in a complex, that is, in the form of a ready-made production line (this will cost between 50-100 thousand rubles). Such systems are multifunctional, allowing:

  • rinse bottles;
  • fill a 19-liter container with purified water;
  • seal the lid;
  • stick the label and do the packaging.

An important advantage of using such a complex is the ease of management and the minimum required personnel (3 people are enough).

In the case of organizing a plant, the business plan will include much more equipment costs, which is due to the complexity of the technology. Only for a pump to pump out water you will need about 400-4000 dollars, and in addition to it, you need:

  • disinfection devices;
  • storage tanks;
  • automatic devices for filling 19 liter bottles.

It must be remembered that the efficiency of the enterprise will largely depend on the correct installation - about 10 percent of the amount of equipment will have to be spent on it. It is also important to use the equipment in strict accordance with the instructions. The total cost of arranging the premises and the well, according to rough estimates, can be 26-27 thousand dollars.

To open a business selling and delivering bottled water, you additionally need to take care of purchasing a vehicle. When choosing the optimal model, we advise you to follow the following instructions:

  • the weight and size characteristics of the car should not be too large, otherwise difficulties may arise with driving through narrow streets;
  • price plays a large, but not a fundamental role - it is much more important that the car meets functional requirements and has no faults (both a new car and a used one will do);
  • Preference should be given to modifications with a side door - it is more convenient to unload 19-liter bottles from them. A car with this configuration will significantly speed up delivery.

Access to the market

As already mentioned, there are two options for organizing activities - independent transportation, or cooperation with intermediary companies. Moreover, you can occupy different niches, namely:

  • become a direct producer - then you will have to draw up a plan, including choosing an area for production, purchasing expensive equipment and establishing distribution channels;
  • doing filtration and delivery is an excellent option if you don’t have a large budget and want to develop your business as soon as possible;
  • organizing a full-cycle enterprise is more difficult in terms of finances and legal formalities, but more profitable in the long term.

Any competent business plan should include a clause regarding market analysis and advertising campaign planning. As practice shows, even if an enterprise acts in strict accordance with technological instructions, without a high-quality marketing strategy it will not be possible to make a profit. Accordingly, it is necessary to monitor the market and develop ways to conquer your niche. Depending on production volumes, you can focus on corporate clients or private customers. There are other important conditions for rapid advancement:

  • maintaining high product quality;
  • provision of operational services;
  • use of different means of advertising (newspaper advertisements, television commercials, promotions, discounts, etc.);
  • exact adherence to the route sheet - a vehicle movement plan must be drawn up in advance, and it is more convenient to deliver water to areas.

Investment volume and approximate income

Minimal investments will be required when organizing the exclusive delivery of purified water in 19-liter bottles - approximately 10-30 thousand dollars.
Such a plan includes material costs for registering a business, renting office space, purchasing office equipment and forming a vehicle fleet. In addition, containers will be needed, and keep in mind that containers are made using different technologies. The best option is 19 liter polycarbonate bottles. You can purchase them for 150-180 rubles, or rent them.

Regional characteristics of the market play an important role, affecting the cost of production. Thus, in Russian megacities like Moscow, bottled water is sold for 6-8 dollars, but in small cities this figure is much less. If you decide to engage exclusively in delivery, then in order for the business to pay off, you need to deliver at least 50 bottles. As for manufacturing companies, they need about a year to return their investment, provided they produce 2 thousand bottles monthly.