How to make extra profits from a business selling anti-freeze products

Why do you need an antifreeze?

Liquids that retain their state of aggregation at low temperatures and are at the same time safe and harmless are necessary not only to ensure safe driving, but also for the functioning of various machines and mechanisms. The most obvious examples of the use of antifreeze compounds are:

• Engine cooling. To operate the engine at normal temperatures, you need antifreeze, which has a high boiling point and does not freeze in the cold;
• Glass cleaning. Cars are operated in any weather. To wash off dirt from the windshield at low temperatures, you need a non-freezing liquid;
• Heating. Adding antifreeze can prevent freezing and rupture of the heating system if the boiler is out of order or has not been used for a long time.

When planning to buy equipment for the production of antifreeze and start a business, you need to consider the main characteristics of such products.
The most important of these is the formulation: some types of liquids can be hazardous to health. For example, this is a methanol-based antifreeze: the concentration of its vapors in the air above 5 mg/m³ can already lead to poisoning. The smell of the product is no less important. The safest ethanol-based antifreezes have a pronounced alcohol aroma, more common isopropyl mixtures smell like acetone, and cheap and poisonous methanol liquids have no odor at all. Thus, the manufacturer has to choose between comfort and safety.

Finally, when starting a business, a businessman must determine in which price category he is going to work. Currently on the market there are:

• Handicraft liquids cost 25–40 rubles per liter;
• Antifreeze of good quality at a price of 50–90 rubles per liter;
• Detergents from well-known brands costing from 120 rubles per liter.

What to do?

A very strange situation is developing. It is impossible to produce and sell methanol-based windshield washer fluid in Russia. But in fact it can be bought everywhere, and the demand is huge. As a result, an entire shadow sector of the economy is occupied with its production and sales. The state turns a blind eye to the situation. Therefore, a liquid that is formally prohibited, but has better cleaning properties, still reaches drivers. It’s just not sold in a supermarket, but at a roadside vendor. “This ban is not supported by either the population or law enforcement agencies, and responsibility for the production of methanol liquid is administrative,” explained Alexander Kuzmin, adding that the authorities are often too lazy to deal with this situation, and the sympathies of inspectors are often on the side of illegal producers.

In such a situation, there are two options for solving the problem. The first is to once again allow the production and trade of methanol-based washer fluids in Russia. The second is to strengthen control over production, tighten responsibility for manufacturers and sellers, etc. In a word, “tighten the screws,” which, alas, has become a tradition for us. I really want to hope that the authorities will choose the first path.

Business relevance

Among other types of activities, the business idea of ​​producing antifreeze is considered one of the simplest and easiest to implement, including for novice entrepreneurs. The following advantages confirm this fact:

• Raw materials for the production of antifreeze liquid are widespread. You can find contact information for dozens of suppliers on the Internet;
• Thanks to the availability of technology, even a beginner can start an anti-freeze production in the garage: the business does not require special education;
• Of course, the market is saturated with various offers. However, apart from well-known brands, there are very few manufacturers of high-quality anti-freeze products.

As experience shows, you can start a business producing anti-freeze products in any suitable room - for example, in your garage. However, when planning a strategy for entering the market, you need to consider the list of requirements made by consumers for a quality product. Among the most important of them:

• No ingredients hazardous to human health or vehicle parts;
• Compliance with the declared temperature characteristics;
• Adequate cost of anti-freeze;
• No marks or streaks, good cleaning quality.

Obviously, a product with these qualities will be popular in the cold season. However, you should not think that the production of anti-freeze is a business that is relevant only in winter. In the summer, an entrepreneur may well reconfigure the equipment and start producing regular washer fluid, which is also in demand by car enthusiasts.

Manufacturing technology

If you decide to start producing anti-freeze, it is advisable to find a qualified specialist who will develop a high-quality composition of the liquid. Of course, you will have to pay a decent amount for this. Entrepreneurs who are limited in financial resources can independently study all the intricacies of this process and find the optimal balance of all components.

Scheme: how to choose an anti-freeze agent?

If the alcohol content does not exceed 9%, the entrepreneur may not pay excise duty. To reduce production costs, some replace the isopropyl alcohol included in the liquid with methyl alcohol. It emits toxic fumes, so such products are unsafe for human health. A consumer who has purchased such a liquid once is unlikely to want to use it again.

Any person can open a plant for the production of antifreeze, even if he is unfamiliar with this industry. Therefore, this line of activity attracts aspiring entrepreneurs who have decided to start their own business.

The antifreeze production line includes the following steps:

• Water purification and filtration;
• Mixing of raw materials;
• Heat treatment of liquid;
• Pouring liquid into containers;
• Sticking labels;
• Packaging and warehousing.

The production technology remains the same, regardless of the composition of the liquid. If you are interested in the production of anti-freeze, you can watch the video on the Internet.

Raw materials for the production of anti-freeze

Anti-freeze can hardly be called an innovative or high-tech product: it contains simple and widespread ingredients: Alcohol. It is the main component that prevents washer fluid from freezing. The recipe for producing anti-freeze in the garage may involve the use of one of three chemical compounds:

1. Ethanol. It is considered the safest reagent for health, but some car enthusiasts complain about damage to rubber seals. However, thanks to high excise taxes and licensing, ethyl alcohol is found only in expensive anti-freeze products. Price of raw materials: 110–150 rub./l;
2. Methyl alcohol. It is odorless, freezes at -97°C and is very cheap. That’s why it is often used by businessmen who think about how to make production profitable. But methyl alcohol is extremely poisonous, and therefore its use in Russia is prohibited. Price of raw materials: 25–30 rub./l;
3. Isopropyl alcohol. It is safe for human health and vehicle parts. However, isopropyl alcohol has a characteristic pungent odor of acetone, to mask which manufacturers add fragrances and flavors to the antifreeze composition. Price of raw materials: 55–75 rub./l;
4. Plasticizer. This ingredient uses ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, which dissolves well in water. They are added to the concentrate to produce antifreeze to prevent the formation of an alcohol gel when the temperature drops. Price of raw materials: 125–140 rub./l;
5. Surfactants. Sulfonol or neonol in anti-freeze helps effectively remove dust, dirt, oil and soot from the windshield. With the correct selection of proportions, the liquid does not leave any marks or streaks after application. Price of raw materials: 100–110 rub./kg;
6. Denaturing additive. It is a necessary component for the production of anti-freeze in Russia when ethyl alcohol is used in the recipe. For example, bitrex (denatonium benzoate) is considered a very bitter substance, as a result of which the product containing it cannot be eaten. Price of raw materials: 4500 rub./kg;
7. Flavoring. Allows you to get rid of the unpleasant smell of alcohol when spraying anti-freeze. For these purposes, any water-soluble fragrance is used, including those intended for the food industry. A pleasant aroma may well become a competitive advantage of a product. Price of raw materials: 300–600 rub./l;
8. Dye. It is used to paint anti-freeze products in bright colors: yellow, green, red and blue shades help the buyer to quickly select a product based on its temperature properties. Excess dye causes streaks and marks to form on the hood and glass. Price of raw materials: 1450 rub./l;
9. Water. The antifreeze production technology involves dissolving the remaining ingredients only in thoroughly purified or even distilled water. The presence of any impurities can lead to loss of product resistance to freezing or cause clogging and breakdown of washing equipment.

Non-freezing liquid production technology

To launch a profitable business, you first need to understand the technology for producing non-freezing liquid.

It consists of water, which is mixed with organic substances:

• isopropyl alcohol;
• glycol;
• glycerin.

This reduces the freezing point of the liquid. Flavorings and other necessary additives are also added to the mixture. Each manufacturer has its own “anti-freeze” recipe. The properties of the resulting product will depend on the proportions and quality of the components.

The characteristics of the liquid are indicated on the label. The lower the freezing threshold of a liquid, the more expensive it is.

Antifreeze production technology

Large manufacturers keep the composition of their antifreeze secret: sometimes it can be obtained along with the purchase of a franchise. However, the standard recipe is quite suitable for a garage enterprise:

• Methyl, ethyl or isopropyl alcohol - from 25 to 75%;
• Ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or glycerin - 1%;
• Surfactants - 1%;
• Denaturing additives - 0.0015%;
• Flavoring - 0.8%;
• Dye - 0.01%;
• Purified water - from 22 to 72%.

The technology for producing anti-freeze for cars is based on lowering the freezing point of the mixture with increasing alcohol concentration:

Freezing point

To obtain the finished product, complex chemical reactions or other procedures are not required: the components are combined with each other by simple mixing. What does the anti-freeze production process look like step by step:

• The water is thoroughly purified from impurities using a filter unit;
• In accordance with the recipe for the production of antifreeze, the main chemical components are mixed in the installation tank;
• Add water to the prepared mixture until the required proportions are obtained;
• The antifreeze semi-finished product is heated in a reactor to 25–30°C and stirred to completely dissolve all powdered ingredients;
• The finished product is poured into containers using a semi-automatic machine. Most often, PET bottles with a capacity of 4–5 liters are used for packaging;
• The bottles are sealed using another semi-automatic machine and labels are applied to them;
• The goods are sorted according to characteristics and sent to the warehouse.

Business registration

If you consider the production of antifreeze with your own hands as a business, then you will inevitably have to think about legalizing the enterprise. In most cases, an individual entrepreneur is enough for an entrepreneur: registration of an LLC is only necessary for working with ethyl alcohol. The following OKVED codes correspond to this type of activity:

OKVED codes for anti-freeze production

As a taxation system, it is better to choose the simplified tax system at a rate of 15%, since the activities of the enterprise will be accompanied by significant costs for the purchase of raw materials and payroll.
If the recipe for producing anti-freeze in the garage does not include the use of ethyl alcohol, then the entrepreneur will not need any licenses or permits. However, the law requires the manufacturer to obtain a Certificate of State Registration of the product. Finally, for successful promotion and sale to retail chains, a voluntary certificate of conformity must be issued for the product.

A mixture with an ethyl alcohol concentration of 1.5% or more is considered an alcohol-containing non-food product, the production and circulation of which is subject to licensing. To obtain a license, you need to submit a package of documents to the tax service and pay a state fee in the amount of 800,000 rubles. The validity period of the permit is five years.

Step-by-step plan for starting a business producing anti-freeze products

Like any business, the production of “anti-freeze” should begin with an analysis of the market situation and drawing up a business plan for the enterprise. Develop organizational, production, financial plans. This will help to understand the prospects of the idea, calculate the necessary investments and profitability of the business, assess the risks and think through ways to reduce them.

The business startup plan will consist of several steps:

1. Selecting the legal form of the enterprise and registering with the tax authority.
2. Selection of premises.
3. Purchase and installation of equipment.
4. Purchase of raw materials.
5. Obtaining permits (SES, fire inspection, environmental control authorities).
6. Product certification.
7. Hiring.
8. Marketing events.

Let's look at some points in more detail.

Business registration

For the legal production of non-freezing liquid, it is better to register a legal entity - LLC.

To do this, submit an application to the tax office and attach a package of documents:

• minutes of the meeting of founders or the decision to create an LLC (in the case of a single founder);
• LLC charter;
• letter of guarantee confirming the provision of a legal address;
• receipt for payment of state duty.

Select a taxation system, for example, the simplified tax system Income with a rate of 6%, indicate OKVED codes. For your activity – 20.59. It is suitable for the production of a chemical product not covered in other groups.

Premises for making antifreeze

To make anti-freeze products, choose a room of sufficient size to provide enough space for production, storage and administrative areas - at least 200 m². The workshop must be equipped with a ventilation system, have sufficient electrical power, water supply, and sewerage.

Please note that production is classified as hazardous and must therefore be located further than 500 meters from residential buildings. Optimally - in an industrial zone outside the city.

Staff

To develop a recipe for your antifreeze liquid, it is worth choosing a qualified technologist with experience in this field. The success of the entire enterprise will depend on his work.

You will also need to hire several machine operators/automated line operators, a customer service manager, an accountant (can work remotely), and a warehouse worker. Administrative functions are usually assumed by the project initiator.

Preparing the premises

To produce antifreeze with your own hands, you don’t need a huge area - a low-power production line takes up no more than 10 m². But the entrepreneur will also need a place to store raw materials, containers and finished products, and therefore a standard-sized garage can hardly be used as a workshop: for these purposes it is recommended to equip at least a double building with an area of ​​36–40 m². When preparing a room for work, several requirements must be met:

• The garage must be connected to water supply and sewerage. If there is no water supply nearby, you should think about installing a well;
• Connecting equipment for the production of antifreeze to electrical networks must comply with its characteristics. Sometimes a three-phase line is needed;
• When decorating an industrial premises, you must use only fire-resistant materials;
• The antifreeze production workshop must be equipped with a supply and exhaust ventilation system to avoid poisoning by vapors of toxic liquids;
• Due to the high flammability of some ingredients, primary fire extinguishing means should be installed in the room;
• You need to make sure there are paved access roads. Otherwise, problems may arise during the delivery of raw materials or finished products.

Equipment for the production of anti-freeze

Some businessmen are trying to assemble a production line with their own hands from scrap materials. However, such a solution often leads to a violation of the technology and deterioration in the quality of the finished product, and therefore it is better to buy factory-made equipment for the production of anti-freeze: similar offers can be easily found on the Internet. For example, the ready-made KhimKompleks-1 kit, supplied by KhimStroy Plus, has the following characteristics:

• Reactor capacity - 0.5 m²;
• Pressure tank capacity - 1 m²;
• Number of laminar pumps - 2 pcs.;
• Power consumption - 4 kW;
• Power of heating elements - 9 kW;
• Service personnel - 3 people;
• The installation capacity is 500 l/hour.

This line is designed to use pre-purified water. If an enterprise receives water from a water supply or a well, then to prepare it it is necessary to install a special industrial filtration system. Thus, the list of equipment necessary for the production of anti-freeze in the garage may look like this:

Production equipment

In addition to the equipment used for the production of antifreeze, the price of which exceeds a million rubles, the entrepreneur will have to purchase various office equipment and furniture. The list of auxiliary equipment includes:

Non-production equipment

Recruitment

As a business, making anti-freeze products requires hiring a team of specialists to perform production, support and administrative functions. This:

1. Sales Manager. Looks for wholesale buyers of anti-freeze products, enters into contracts with them, and monitors the timely receipt of payment. Since there is little space in the garage, such a specialist can work remotely;
2. Accountant. Maintains accounting records, submits declarations to the tax service and pension fund. To save space and resources, you should hire such an employee part-time or outsource responsibilities;
3. Installation maintenance workers. They are directly involved in ensuring the operation of the anti-freeze production line - mixing components, monitoring temperature conditions, pouring finished products into containers;
4. Support workers. They bring ingredients from the warehouse, collect products on pallets and load them into a vehicle for delivery to the client, and perform other auxiliary work;
5. Delivery driver. Receives from suppliers' warehouses and brings components for the production of antifreeze, delivers finished products along with accompanying documentation to wholesale buyers.

Due to the small scale of production, the enterprise will operate in one shift, with a standard working month of 22 days. Accordingly, the business plan for the production of anti-freeze products needs to include a staffing table:

Enterprise employees

How to sell antifreeze liquid?

It is assumed that before launching the enterprise, the businessman found out which products are in greatest demand in Russia in 2021, and therefore the product range includes the most popular types of antifreeze.
Now you need to develop an effective sales strategy, since there is not much space for warehousing and storing finished products in the garage. The most accessible way of sales for beginners is to sell products on the sides of busy highways: for example, in Moscow, one such point brings in up to 10,000 rubles in revenue per day. Obviously, selling antifreeze on the road is an extremely profitable business, but when producing several tens of tons of liquid per month, the entrepreneur will need a huge network of distributors.

Therefore, you should involve a sales manager who will look for wholesale buyers among retail chains and enterprises with a large fleet of their own vehicles.

Interested in supplies of antifreeze:

• Gas stations selling related products;
• Private craftsmen, car services and service stations;
• Hypermarkets selling goods for car enthusiasts;
• Car markets and car shops;
• Transport companies, ATP and taxi services.

An alternative to a business selling antifreeze on the road can also be the sale of auto chemicals through special vending machines. Such devices are placed in places frequently visited by motorists - in the parking lots of entertainment and shopping centers, gas stations.

Finally, don't ignore the power of the Internet. To attract customers, you should develop a company website, where it is useful to provide the possibility of not only wholesale, but also retail ordering of products with delivery throughout the city.

How much does it cost to produce anti-freeze?

For novice entrepreneurs, information about how much money needs to be invested in the production of anti-freeze in the garage is very important: the price of equipment in this matter is not the only significant factor. Another almost half a million rubles will have to be paid for a truck used to deliver raw materials and finished products. The workshop also needs to be provided with raw materials and containers: in order not to waste money, you can limit yourself to purchasing ingredients for a week of work, and then replenish supplies with the proceeds. Don't forget about advertising:

Investments in anti-freeze production

Now we can say how much it costs to produce antifreeze: as calculations show, the volume of initial investment starts at 2.17 million rubles. However, this amount can be much higher if the entrepreneur wants to immediately purchase raw materials for a whole month of work. The scale of such costs can be seen from the calculation of the monthly expenses of the enterprise:

Enterprise expenses

Making anti-freeze products as a profitable business idea: investments and earnings

As an example, consider a company operating in a city with a population of 300,000 people. The premises are rented. Staff – 8 people. Production volume is 3,000 liters per day.

Costs to start a business:

Approximate monthly expenses in rubles:

Taking into account seasonality, investments in business pay off in the first year of operation.

Profitability – 15-20%.

If you are not sure whether you can start a business on your own, you can buy a franchise of an existing enterprise. This will help you avoid mistakes, get a working business model, recommendations for selecting equipment and a base of raw material suppliers.

In addition, you will reduce advertising costs, since you will work under an already well-known brand.

Is it profitable to open an anti-freeze production facility?

Is the production and sale of anti-freeze products profitable as a business? In fact, the profitability of an enterprise is determined by two factors - the capacity of the production line and the efficiency of the distribution system. If the entrepreneur does not have time to sell all the finished products, the workshop will be idle. For example:

• Maximum line productivity - 500 l/hour;
• Workshop utilization - 60%;
• Monthly production volume - 52800 l;
• The volume of packaged products is 10,560 five-liter bottles.

To calculate the profitability of producing antifreeze at home in your own garage, you need to calculate the material cost of the product:

Cost of antifreeze

Not all types of liquid sell equally successfully. The most popular among drivers are inexpensive anti-freeze devices with operating temperatures down to –20°C. Therefore, the company’s sales structure will look like this:

Monthly sales of antifreeze

Now that the volumes of revenue and expenses of the enterprise are known, we can calculate the main economic parameters of the business project:

Calculation of the payback of anti-freeze production

The short payback period leaves no doubt about which production facility is profitable to open in 2021. However, it should be taken into account that the peak sales of anti-freeze products occur from November to April, while during the warm period the plant operates at best at a quarter of its capacity. Accordingly, in the event of a complete shutdown of the workshop in the summer, return on investment should be expected 13.8 months after the start of the business.

How much does antifreeze cost?

It would be a good idea to ask how much the “anti-freeze” costs in order to correctly calculate the cost of your products. The cost of one liter of liquid is about 10 rubles. It is most convenient to sell it in 5 liter canisters. In a city with a population of over a million, the cost is 125 rubles per canister. Thus, the profit will be 15 rubles per liter. When selling 100,000 liters per month – 1,500,000 rubles.

A small enterprise can produce 4-5 thousand liters per day.

Considering the seasonality of the business, in the warm season it is possible to repurpose production to produce coolant: the same ingredients are used, only in different proportions.

Antifreeze production franchises

Despite the accessibility and simplicity of a non-freezing business, beginners do not always feel the confidence necessary to start an enterprise. In this case, it is better for them to use one of the ready-made solutions and purchase a franchise. The package usually includes not only a list of equipment and anti-freeze recipes, but also additional recommendations for organizing production and sales processes. Here are a few options for aspiring entrepreneurs: NPK AtomHim. Offers a ready-made model of a mini-factory that produces a wide range of products - car cosmetics, antifreeze liquids, antifreeze and antifreeze. The franchise is sold in three versions:

• Starter package for the production of auto chemicals - 550,000 rubles%;
• Basic package - 800,000 rubles;
• Antifreeze production plant - 1,090,000 rubles;
• The royalty amount for any package is 10,000 rubles per month;
• The payback period for a business is from 3 to 6 months.

GC "Imperial" For 2,500,000 rubles, it supplies everything you need for the production of anti-freeze and other auto chemicals. The franchisee must register an LLC and find premises with an area of ​​300 m² or more. Terms of cooperation:

• When purchasing equipment, the starter package is provided free of charge;
• There are no monthly deductions;
• There are no marketing fees;
• The payback period for the non-freeze bottling business is from 3 months.

Coolant "Synthesis". Sells various models of enterprises with investments from 700,000 to 13,500,000 rubles. The minimum requirements for franchisees are a premises of 100 m² with ceilings 3 m high, the presence of utility networks. Terms of cooperation:

• The cost of a franchise for the production of anti-freeze products is up to 350,000 rubles;
• Royalty - 15,000 rubles per month;
• There are no marketing fees;
• The payback period of the project is from 3 to 12 months.

Why do you need an antifreeze?

Antifreeze liquid is used in the engine cooling system, as well as in windshield washers. Previously, water was poured into the radiator, which had to be constantly drained so that the system did not defrost. When anti-freeze liquid appeared, everything became much simpler. It is changed only after a certain period of time. Experts recommend doing this once every two years.

You can make your own antifreeze liquid. To do this, mix water and vodka in a certain proportion. But this is not the most profitable option, since finished products are much cheaper. Recently, such a product has begun to be used in heating systems of residential and public buildings. Its composition is slightly different from automotive antifreeze fluid.

How can you make money in winter? This is a question many aspiring entrepreneurs ask. The simplest and most promising option is an enterprise for the production of anti-freeze. This is a fairly profitable business that, with the right approach, can generate decent income.