Mini smokehouse - a rational solution for a small city


Smoked meats are a favorite delicacy for most of the population of our country. What countries are there! There are countless fans of smoked fish or lard all over the world.

A varied assortment and wide technological capabilities of the mini-smokehouse allow you to satisfy the most sophisticated preferences of customers. Moreover, each person, if desired, can organize a small production facility. What makes a mini smokehouse business so affordable?

  • simple, compact and inexpensive equipment;
  • no need for large production areas;
  • simple technological smoking process.

However, in order to develop your own mini-smokehouse and make a profit, you need to study a number of important points, which we will consider below.

How to open a mini smokehouse from scratch

It is not difficult to open your own smokehouse in almost any locality - from a village to a large city. Products can be sold both within this locality and beyond its borders. The option of placing a smoking shop on your own country plot is quite acceptable. However, an important factor here will be to find a compromise with your neighbors so that the smokehouse does not become a cause of their discontent.

In order not to depend on the mood of your neighbors, the best solution would be to rent a suitable room and arrange it in accordance with all the rules and regulations. However, no one forbids working at home, for example, after converting an old garage. SanPin requirements for the organization of premises are contained in this official document in this official document. Be sure to check them out before you start choosing a location for your mini smoker.

The smokehouse as an enterprise is classified as a small business and demonstrates quite high profitability - more than 30-40%. It makes sense to open a small workshop for smoking products from fresh raw materials and selling delicacies immediately after preparation.

The main competitors for your business will be enterprises that independently process meat and fish. Thanks to their own production, they can significantly reduce costs, but their disadvantage is the regular use of raw materials that are approaching their expiration date.

On the contrary, the quality of products from small smoke shops is usually much higher. That's why homemade aromatic delicacies with a golden brown crust always taste better. Accordingly, you will be able to achieve a high level of competitiveness solely due to product quality.

Despite the fact that at the initial stage you will not be able to work on large volumes of production, you will have a strong trump card in your hands. How does it manifest itself? And the fact is that on a small scale it is easier for you to control the quality of products, monitor the technical process, and promptly identify and fix problems.

In addition, you will better understand customer preferences by offering them a variety of products. It is much easier to prepare several types of smoked meats in small batches, and in this case it will be easier to change the assortment.

Advice: At first, focus all your attention and efforts on debugging the smoking technology. This will allow you to obtain consistently high taste and commercial quality of ready-made delicacies.

If you choose a competent pricing policy and set the optimal price for your products, the number of regular customers will grow rapidly and regular customers will appear. This will allow you to scale your smoking business. The main thing is patience.

When starting your production, remember that dumping (artificially lowering prices) can cause low profitability. On the contrary, an excessively high trade margin will scare away buyers and reduce demand. In order to find a middle ground, analyze the prices of competitors in the city and region. It is recommended to raise your prices no earlier than 3-6 months from the date you start selling your smoked products.

Staff

Smoking as a home business will most likely not require hiring staff.

Perhaps 1-2 people as assistants, but if you are setting up a workshop, you will need several people in the following areas:

  • For deboning meat.
  • For maintenance of smoking installations.
  • For cleaning the workshop.

You will also need an accountant, but at first you can handle these matters yourself if you understand, or outsource a specialist.

Description of the project, advantages and disadvantages of the business

Own mini-smokehouse

is a small private production enterprise that smokes meat, lard, fish or cheese. Such a business is considered highly profitable. It is attractive because at the initial stage it does not require large cash injections. A mini-smoking shop can easily be located at home: in a garage, in an outbuilding, or even in a separate

And yet, why bother opening this case at all? Those who managed to launch the production of smoked meats and create a profitable business from it talk about the following advantages:

  • The technological process of smoking is so simple that even a beginner can handle it;
  • A mini smokehouse is a great opportunity to work independently;
  • The ability to work from home without the need to rent premises;
  • Smoking equipment is compact and does not require a large amount of space;
  • Excellent opportunities for development and expansion of production (smoking Chechil cheese, for example);
  • High demand for products;
  • High rates of profitability and payback.

However, mini-smokehouses also have disadvantages. These include:

  • the need to obtain permits;
  • possible oversight by government agencies;
  • problems in finding a reliable supplier of raw materials;
  • short shelf life of finished products, based on which it will be necessary to sell them as quickly as possible.

In order to wisely organize your own production of homemade delicacies, you need to study smoking technologies, based on which you can select the necessary equipment and decide to whom you will sell the finished product.

One of the significant issues is the selection of suppliers. You can purchase raw materials from outside, or you can produce them yourself. For example, take a closer look at the idea of ​​raising poultry
for your business
.

Project Summary

The smoking shop will be popular in any city in Russia.
You can produce products in a remote village, the main thing is to quickly sell them to customers or retail outlets. You can open a smokehouse at home or rent a room for this. We will open a mini-production for smoking fish and meat on our territory in a separate room. To start a business and test period, our 30 sq.m. is enough. m. Thus, we will save significantly on costs. We produce the following categories of smoked meats:

  • Salted fish.
  • Dried fish.
  • Cold fish.
  • Smoked pork.
  • Smoked and boiled poultry.

Target Buyer:

  • Individuals (middle-aged people, from 30 to 60 years old).
  • Entrepreneurs, small store owners.
  • Purchasing specialists for large supermarkets.

Product sales options:

  • Independently, through the market.
  • Wholesale sales to stores.
  • Sale of finished products directly from home / production.

Main risks:

RiskSolution
Purchase of low-quality raw materialsCarefully accept the goods, at the slightest doubt, seek a return or change the supplier
Buyer poisoningStandardize the production process and control it at all stages, do not use expired raw materials and monitor the expiration dates of finished products
Equipment breakdownMonitor the condition of equipment and conduct regular checks
The emergence of a strong competitor, small or large production, in the area or cityWork on product quality, try to win people’s commitment to your brand, and focus on the impeccable quality of home-smoked products. Increase sales markets, establish cooperation with other regions
Ban on activities due to violations of SESInitially prepare the premises and recipe, technical maps for checking the SES and strictly adhere to the agreed instructions and requirements

Risk forecast will reduce unexpected financial losses and allow you to work with minimal disruptions in the process. A business plan for a smokehouse with calculations will allow you to calculate in advance the main costs and potential benefits, taking into account all the risks and expenses of organizing a business.

What to smoke and what not: choosing the optimal range of products

Modern smoking shops produce the following types of products. You can “peep” their ideas and choose one or more for yourself:

  • Fish, which can be smoked, salted or dried
  • Minced fish or fillet.
  • Smoked or dried pork, poultry, beef.
  • Smoked cheese.
  • Salo.

Cold and hot smoked smokehouses are available on the market. The finished products of these units vary in characteristics and are aimed at different target audiences.

When choosing a smoking method, you need to pay attention to the difference in the shelf life of the resulting delicacies. Compare: hot smoked fish cannot be kept in the refrigerator for more than 10 days. But a cold-processed product can easily lie for up to 60 days at a temperature of 0..-2 degrees.

Please take this into account before starting production. If you manage to establish wholesale distribution channels, for example, enter into cooperation with stores, you can start smoking products with a short shelf life.

At first, it is advisable to work on a pre-order basis in order to reduce costs. Initially, focus on a few popular items; later you can expand the range, focusing on the needs of your client.

Equipment selection

It is important for an entrepreneur to choose high-quality smoking equipment. There are many models on the industrial smokehouse market with different smoking modes, working volumes, and additional functions.

There are such general characteristics that you should focus on when choosing equipment:

  • material of manufacture – stainless steel;
  • the presence of a tray to collect draining fat;
  • The material of the grid on which the products are placed is stainless steel.

You can start working with more budget-friendly options for domestically produced smoking installations. Experts recommend choosing a multifunctional unit in which you can smoke food both cold and hot.

You will also need:

  • technological tables;
  • refrigeration chambers;
  • thermometers for the smokehouse (if the smokehouse does not have a built-in one);
  • containers for washing products and equipment;
  • knives;
  • cutting boards;
  • scales;
  • trolleys for transporting products.

Beginning entrepreneurs should not immediately purchase equipment from expensive brands: cheaper, but at the same time high-quality installations are also suitable for a start.

Smokehouse at home: where is the best place to place your production?

Smokehouse

in the
small business
requires special conditions for placement. It is desirable that the production area be at least 15-20 square meters. This parameter will depend on the expected production volumes. The following points need to be taken care of:

  • stable functioning of sewerage and electrical wiring. ventilation and water supply systems;
  • presence of bactericidal lamps;
  • finishing the walls with tiles up to 1.5 meters in height, then you can paint them with oil paint;
  • presence of a fire safety panel. It should be placed no further than 5 m from the smoking chamber. According to fire safety requirements, it is also necessary to purchase powder or foam fire extinguishers.

The purchase of equipment should be made at the stage of renovation of the premises. This will allow you to think through the layout of production units and correctly position the outlets to electricity. However, installation should only be carried out after the premises are completely ready.

The optimal solution for a mini-smokehouse would be to rent space. However, in some cases it is possible to re-equip outbuildings, for example, on a summer cottage or in a country house. Keeping a smokehouse in an apartment is extremely problematic.

What documents are needed to open a mini-smokehouse?

In order to implement the business idea of
​​a mini-smokehouse,
you must register with the tax office.
First, choose a form of ownership - individual entrepreneur or LLC. Please note that registering a limited liability company is not necessary. This procedure is labor-intensive and requires higher costs. It’s better to learn how to register your business in the form of an individual entrepreneur
so as not to encounter paperwork and save on taxes.

For normal operation of the enterprise, permitting documentation from the fire inspection and submission of a notification of the start of activity to the territorial body of Rospotrebnadzor will be required. Otherwise, you may face fines for illegal activities and selling low-quality goods.

Work in compliance with sanitary standards, and then your business will be in good standing with the supervisory authorities!

Paperwork

Permits will only be needed when your business reaches a new level, when you delve into all the intricacies and put the production of smoked meats on stream. They will have to be handed over to shops, restaurants, shopping pavilions - and without a license this is impossible.

You must also register as an individual entrepreneur, choosing a simplified taxation system. This way you will register much faster, managing to avoid (as an individual entrepreneur) most of the taxes.

Opening an official business will require permits from a number of authorities - SES, Rostekhnadzor, Rosprirodnadzor, fire service. Don't forget about certification of finished products by requiring supporting certificates from suppliers.

Algorithm of actions for opening a mini-smokehouse

Let’s take a look at the front of the tasks that a novice businessman has to solve:

  1. Analysis of demand and selection of the type of smoking, as well as the type of raw materials.
  2. Registration with the tax office and notification of supervisory authorities about the start of activity.
  3. Selection of areas for rent or conversion of domestic buildings for production.
  4. Purchase of necessary smoking units.
  5. Search for suppliers of raw materials.
  6. Registration of permits from government authorities.
  7. Purchase of initial raw materials, formation of assortment.
  8. Drawing up technical maps and keeping a log of sanitary inspections.
  9. Launch of an advertising campaign.
  10. Production and further sale of finished products.

Don’t be intimidated by the amount of work, in fact, building a business is a very exciting thing, and in such a format as a mini-smokehouse it’s even tasty and aromatic!

Stages of building a business

In order to quickly achieve a high income after opening an enterprise, it is necessary to draw up a business plan for a smokehouse, which should include the following points:

  • registering a company and obtaining permission to operate from government agencies;
  • selection of product range and search for suppliers;
  • purchase of the first batch of goods;
  • purchasing an installation for smoking products;
  • searching for suitable premises;
  • personnel selection;
  • production of products;
  • searching for buyers and selling goods.

We decide on smoking technology: what is the best way to smoke meat, poultry, fish?

Depending on the temperature used, there are two types of smoking: hot and cold. In the first case, a temperature range from 50 to 120 degrees is used; in the second option, the products are dried at temperatures up to 22 degrees.

The duration of product processing methods also differs. So, in the case of hot smoking, bringing the product to readiness is carried out within several hours, in the case of cold smoking - several days. At the same time, the shelf life of hot smoked products is no more than 72 hours, and cold smoked products can reach up to two months.

Smoking meat, poultry and fish can be done by any of the above methods.

It is important to realize that for every product there is a buyer. However, practice shows that hot smoking technology is simpler and faster. If you prefer this option, take care of distribution channels, produce products in small batches and to order.

Cold smoking technology will take a long time, but will allow the product to be stored longer. This option is optimal if production areas are located far from distribution channels.

You may also be interested in a poultry farm business plan

. The “your own supplier” format will allow you to create a super-combination of two businesses.


Construction of a professional smokehouse

For hot smoking, uniform heating modes are used due to heating elements located along the perimeter of the working space. The structure of a professional smokehouse includes auxiliary elements:

  • grates and gastronorm containers for placing food;
  • temperature control system - electromechanical or electronic;
  • a grease collector tray, which allows you to avoid fat getting on the smoldering wood, ignition and distortion of taste;
  • built-in temperature and humidity sensors (optional);
  • in rare cases, a smokehouse oven can be equipped with a built-in fan for forced air convection - it expands the capabilities of the equipment, although it is not used directly for smoking.

The walls of the smokehouse oven for restaurants and cafes are made of stainless steel, which is safe in contact with food. Personnel are protected from burns by reliably thermal insulation in the walls of the device. For the convenience of working with the smokehouse, the door can be equipped with heat-resistant glass, and the controls are located on the front top or side panel.

There are separate units of smoke generators and portable smokehouses that can be built into kitchen equipment, for example, into a combi oven. As a rule, for the volume of service of a restaurant and cafe, the use of a smokehouse oven is sufficient, and for larger-scale production of finished products, thermal smoke chambers are intended.

What are the best raw materials for a mini-smokehouse: choosing reliable suppliers

The selection of suppliers, as well as further purchases of raw materials, must be treated with special responsibility. The taste of the finished product, and, accordingly, your reputation will largely depend on the quality of the product. It is recommended to purchase raw materials directly from manufacturers, bypassing resellers. This will not only save on purchases, but also be confident in the freshness of the products.

Therefore, enter into agreements with fisheries and livestock farms. An important factor that you will need to pay attention to is the legality of the companies.

Choosing hypermarkets, stores, and other retail chains as suppliers is a bad decision, since the cost of such raw materials will be much higher.

Remember that any retail chain includes an allowance for taxes, rent, and staff salaries in the product price. A direct supplier always offers a lower cost of raw materials.

After the smoking process is completed, meat, lard and fish lose up to 20% in weight. Therefore, in order to avoid unjustified increases in the cost of your products, prices for raw materials should be low.

Give preference to suppliers who are located in your region - this will significantly reduce logistics costs and also reduce the likelihood of receiving products with expired expiration dates.

In order to work effectively with suppliers of raw materials, be sure to enter into contracts. When receiving the goods, check the availability of veterinary certificates and a quality certificate, check the compliance of the raw materials with the information specified in the documentation. If you work with legal suppliers, no problems should arise. Also, if you want to significantly reduce the possible costs of raw materials, and are planning to expand your business, study the fish processing business

.

Sales of products

The basis of a successful business is promoting your own brand. You can develop a logo for your smokehouse and sell the finished products in packages decorated with your branding. In addition, it is much more convenient to develop a marketing strategy for a specific brand name.

You can sell goods in your own store, at retail outlets on the market, and also sell them wholesale to grocery supermarkets. Additional profit can be made by making smoked products to order, for example, for birthdays or weddings.

What equipment is best for a mini smokehouse?

After the premises have been brought to the desired condition, you can purchase equipment. As a rule, this is the main expense item. It is not advisable to save money here, since the quality of the finished product, as well as the speed of its preparation, will directly depend on the reliability of the units.

Many novice entrepreneurs are confident that they can purchase used equipment. You should not give preference to such a solution if you are planning intensive production with large sales volumes. With such a load, your equipment will quickly fail. Besides, used equipment is already outdated, but don’t you want to keep up with the times and use advanced technologies?

Here is a list of the basic equipment and tools that you will need to equip a mini-smoking shop:

  • Washing baths for raw materials;
  • Racks and tables for defrosting and storing raw materials;
  • Specialized refrigeration equipment;
  • Table for cutting and cutting;
  • Smoking installations, which can be presented in several variants according to the type of technology;
  • Baths for preparing brine and soaking raw materials;
  • Equipment for preparing minced meat;
  • Specialized knives;
  • Wood chips for smoking;
  • Vacuum packaging equipment.

I would also like to say a few words about the staff. You can start your own production yourself, without the participation of other people, but as demand grows, you will need help in your business. For a good workload and efficient flow of product production, it is recommended to hire at least two employees. They can work in shifts.

Business combination


As one of the options for business development, you can open a smokehouse cafe, where visitors will be served hot smoked meats.

Download for free a short business plan for a smokehouse (.rar file):

Example 1

Advertising and marketing: how to promote the sale of homemade smoked meats?

At the initial stage of product sales, it is recommended to focus on residents of the city or region. You can use the following marketing tools:

  1. Development of an exclusive trade offer, creation of competitive products.
  2. Creating your own website, pages on social networks, promotion on the Internet.
  3. Posting advertisements on online bulletin boards and in urban virtual communities.
  4. Product branding, packaging development, creation of specialized thermal stickers that will increase the recognition of your delicacies.
  5. Cooperation with large stores, search for new distribution channels in the form of retail chains.

An important stage of marketing is value creation. In order to set the right prices for your assortment items, you need to focus on competitors’ offers. Start with a minimum cost to attract an audience and gain consumer trust. But after 3-6 months the markup can be set higher by 10-15%.

Financial business plan for a mini-smokehouse: cost analysis and income forecast

It is necessary to carry out financial calculations for a business plan for a mini-smokehouse at the stage of forming the idea. This way you can understand how much money you will need, as well as how much revenue you can earn. You will need to calculate the financial plan yourself, based on the characteristics of your smokehouse, room area, region and other factors.

The approximate costs for opening a mini-smokehouse in a small town are presented in the table:

Initial costs
Repair and rental of premises100,000 rubles
Registration with government agencies800 rubles
Equipment purchase80,000 rubles
Advertising and Marketing5,000 rubles
Initial purchase of raw materials (300 kg)45,000 rubles
Total: 230,800 rubles
Fixed expenses
Rent of premises (together with utility bills)25,000 rubles
Raw material costs (300 kg)42,000 rubles
Advertising (including branded packaging) and marketing5,000 rubles
Overhead costs (logistics, communications, etc.)5,000 rubles
Total: 77,000 rubles

Analysis of the competitive environment

Before starting a business for smoking fish, meat, lard, or poultry, you should know exactly how tough the competition is in this segment. The more producers of similar products, the lower the level of selling prices.

But even with an extensive offer of industrial products, home-smoked products are always more in demand among buyers, since they are prepared according to the original recipe.

A new market participant needs to accurately evaluate the offered range, as well as collect as much information from buyers as possible about what they think about the taste characteristics of the smoked products sold. The main thing is to identify weak market niches and occupy them with your high quality products.

Determining the sales location is the second criterion. When launching hot/cold smoking, you should focus not only on the recommendations of your first customers and acquaintances, but also approach sales in a comprehensive manner. Analyze trading platforms in your region, and agree on the wholesale purchase of products of your own production with distributors in markets, small grocery stores, etc.

Compliance with 2 rules will help you become better than your competitors and attract regular customers:

  1. Perfect cooking . Smoking must have excellent taste and look presentable.
  2. Freshness comes first . Products sold must always be fresh, made from first-class raw materials.

By following these rules, you can not only take a top position in the smoking business, but also set a higher price for your product due to its exclusivity in the market.

How much can you earn from selling mini-smokehouse products?

Let's consider an approximate calculation of income for 1 month for the three most popular items - smoked meat, poultry and fish.

PositionRaw material costs/volumesVolume of finished products after smoking (on average minus 15% of the original weight)Selling price (per kilogram)Total (finished product weight*selling price)
Meat - 250 rub. per kg RUB 18,750 – 75 kg 63.75 kg470 rub.RUB 29,962
Fish - 120 rub. per kg 12,000 rub. – 100 kg 85 kg295 rub.RUB 25,075
Bird - 90 rub. per kg RUB 11,250 – 125 kg 106.25 kg280 rub.RUB 29,750
Total costs:42,000 rub.
RevenueRUB 84,787
Profit (revenue minus raw material costs)RUB 42,787

So, in a month of operating a home smokehouse you can earn almost 85,000 rubles, that is, 42,000 rubles. net profit. This amount will increase as production volumes increase.

In just 3 months, the mini-smokehouse fully pays for the initial costs.

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