Business Idea No. 141: How profitable is it to produce stairs?

A novice entrepreneur can start manufacturing various structures that are used in interior decoration.

One of the pretty good undertakings is making stairs.

What is more profitable to produce?

A fairly promising area of ​​activity is the production of stairs made of metal and wood..

Such designs can be made either according to existing templates or to order.

The second option will allow you to get more profit, since any person wants his home to have a staircase that matches the style and design of the room.

Not only owners of private houses and cottages, but also office premises, production bases, etc. can act as potential customers in this business.

What do you need to get started?

Before you start, you must rent premises. For an average company, 150-200 square meters will be enough. Here will be the main workshop where the control assembly of products is carried out, as well as the office of your company. It is mandatory to register a private enterprise.

The OJSC form is best suited. The main nuance of this business is that it does not require large investments. To start, 300-400 thousand rubles will be enough. This includes renting premises, employees’ wages for the first working month, as well as advertising and purchasing materials for production.

Necessary equipment for making stairs

He also needs to purchase special equipment. The set of required tools should include a jigsaw, a screwdriver, a circular saw, a hammer drill, a hacksaw, a square, a pencil, and a carrier.

The production of stairs is impossible without format-cutting, band sawing and milling machines. To make shaped parts, you will need to purchase a turning unit. Special equipment will be required for polishing finished products.

Necessary investments

Making wooden stairs with your own hands requires a fairly significant initial investment.

The fleet of necessary machines will cost at least 500,000 rubles. You can try to reduce costs by renting machines or purchasing used equipment.

Another point of savings may be simplification of the production process by purchasing ready-made structural elements, such as steps and balusters.

The use of fairly complex equipment requires the participation of qualified and conscientious workers. The same applies to the installation of stairs.

To service the machines, you will need four workers and a technologist. The total monthly salary of which will cost at least 130,000 rubles.

The monthly salary of three workers who will be involved in delivery and installation will be 90,000 rubles.

To this we must add payment for the services of a designer and planner, about 50,000 rubles per month. There is also a certain reserve for savings here. The same workers can be engaged in both the manufacture of stairs and their installation. In addition, you can work with your own hands. But this is justified only at the initial stage, when the number of orders is small.

To accommodate the starting materials and equipment, a production facility with an area of ​​at least 150 m2 will be required. Its rent per month will cost approximately 40,000 rubles.

Plus 300,000 for electricity, preparation of production areas, purchase of work clothes, tools and unforeseen expenses.

The average cost of the material required for the manufacture of a not too complex interfloor staircase of three flights is about 30,000 rubles. Let's say that in your first month of making custom staircases, you expect to complete 20 orders. Therefore, you will need another 600,000 rubles to purchase materials.

Thus, in the first month of work you will need to invest 1,460,000 rubles. Of this amount, 500,000 relates to initial investments, and 960,000 rubles to current expenses.

Features of the business of manufacturing wooden stairs

To launch such a business, it is necessary to organize cooperation with experienced architects, carpenters, and designers who can bring to life any idea of ​​the customer.

If a businessman plans to limit his specialization to the production of only wooden stairs, then he needs to be extremely careful when selecting personnel.

To make some products, he will need expensive types of wood. Any errors in measurements can cause serious losses.

Business idea: How to open a ladder business?

A wooden staircase is an integral part of a private home. The staircase bears not only practical functions, but also interior loads. It’s not for nothing that most owners, when building a house, give preference to wooden stairs, so the “staircase” business has not lost its position for a long time...

Business organization and development. To begin with, you will need 1 - 2 people to help with manufacturing and installation, basic skills in construction or furniture, as well as the necessary tools; having this, you can get to work with confidence.

Even without starting capital, you can proceed with your first order by concluding an agreement and taking an advance payment of 50% of the total cost of the staircase.

For example, to make one straight staircase, you need to spend about 1,000 thousand dollars on consumables, taking into account the fact that the total cost of the finished product is 2,000 - 3,000 thousand dollars.

To calculate the material, it is necessary to take into account the customer’s wishes, the size, shape and features of the room in which the installation will be carried out in the future.

Tools and components. Manufacturing and installation are carried out using furniture and construction tools. Components of a one-piece structure can be made independently (steps, ends of openings, risers, etc.), or partially purchased (handrails, sides, etc.) at specialized construction markets and fairs, which significantly reduces the time spent on creating an object.

The range of services provided must be complete, from measurements and site visits to installation and further maintenance. The customer gives preference to convenience, quality and price, because performing all services is more convenient and profitable for the customer than partial work. Therefore, having only tools, knowledge and a few employees, you can safely start advertising.

Promotion and advertising of your own project. Advertising is the engine, not only of trade, but also of services. This means that in order to promote your services, it is necessary for as many potential customers as possible to know about you.

ladder business

First, decide on your pricing policy; the cost should be competitive. You should not overestimate or underestimate the cost of services; stick to the golden mean.

Even without money, you can do effective self-promotion on free bulletin boards on the Internet, on thematic websites and forums of the city, print and post advertisements yourself at bus stops and houses, which will attract the first customers.

As a conclusion, I want to give a little advice:

When preparing and organizing a “staircase” business, do not be lazy to collect as much information as possible about competitors, construction markets, prices, etc. The more you know at the beginning, the easier it will be in the future. And before meeting your first client, take care of the price list with photos, descriptions and prices.

Having taken into account all the nuances and made the necessary calculations, a novice entrepreneur will be able to develop his business from scratch and become the owner of a profitable and cost-effective production that consistently brings in decent capital.

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Features of the metal staircase manufacturing business

Compared to the production of wooden stairs, the production of metal stairs is less expensive.

To start such a business you will need a minimum of additional equipment. A businessman can limit himself to purchasing an angle grinder, a cutter, a welding machine, a milling and drilling machine.

The success of such an undertaking largely depends on the quality of work of designers, carpenters and other employees of the company.

If all orders are carried out at a professional level, the businessman will be able to win the trust of clients.

Sales Features

Another important aspect that you need to have a clear understanding of is the features of product sales. That is, you should have a clear idea of ​​where and what types of stairs may be in demand. Knowing this will allow you to manufacture stairs from the material that is in greatest demand. For example, concrete stairs are installed during the construction of a house, and this is always done by the same organization that carries out the construction. Therefore, this market segment is practically closed to small companies whose specialization is the manufacture of stairs and their installation with their own hands. All they can count on is to receive one-time orders related to the repair and replacement of staircase structures.

However, the option cannot be ruled out when it will be possible to come to an agreement with a contractor carrying out mass low-rise construction and receive an order specifically for the production and installation of staircase structures. But to do this, your company must have an established reputation and good connections in the construction business. It is clear that it is difficult for an entrepreneur who is just starting his own business to count on such a favorable turn of events. Making metal stairs with your own hands seems to be a more promising direction for small businesses. But we must take into account the fact that in residential construction only the manufacture of fire escapes with one’s own hands is in demand. Basically, metal stairs are installed in industrial and warehouse premises, as well as in agricultural facilities. Therefore, without well-established connections with enterprises and organizations where there is a need for installation and replacement of metal stairs, it is difficult for small businesses to count on success.

Requirements for manufactured wooden stairs

Regardless of whether you make the same type of stairs according to a specific project or develop your own models, combining them with each other, in any case, the products you produce must meet certain technical requirements.

• Thus, the optimal angle of inclination of the stairs is less than 45°. For safe operation of the stairs, the width of its steps must be at least 30 cm (this corresponds to shoe size 45). This limitation is due to the physiological characteristics of a person: if the width of the step is more than 30 cm, he begins to lose his step, and if the width is less than the set one, it will be difficult for him to descend.
• The height of the riser (the actual height of the step) should be no more than 20 cm, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for a person to go up and down, and there is a danger of tripping.

Pay attention to the stair railing:

• they must be strong and withstand heavy weight. Balusters are installed with a maximum step of 15 cm (this is the distance between their central points). If, according to the project, the thickness of the baluster is less than 5 cm, it is better to place two elements on a step so that a small child cannot slip or crawl between them. If the width of the stairs exceeds 110-120 cm (the optimal size is 90-115 cm), then experts recommend installing a wall handrail.
• Also take into account the fact that the ladder is also used for transporting furniture, that is, it must withstand a lot of weight. In order for the staircase to comply with all fire safety standards, landings and flights of stairs are often lined with thin boards and plastered.

When developing a project, the designer and architect are asked to provide a floor plan that indicates the intended location of the staircase, and all the necessary measurements: the height and area of ​​the room, its layout, interior style, etc. This is necessary to determine the number of steps, the angle of inclination of the stairs, and the size of the ceiling hole. The designer, depending on the style of the room, its area and layout, determines the type of staircase that will be used, its design, decor, shape - straight, with a landing, with turns of 1/4 and 2/3. Stairs with a 90° turn are most in demand, since their installation does not require a large area.

Relevance of carpentry business

Services for processing wood and making interior items and furniture from it remain in demand, even despite the unstable market demand and economy. To open a successful business, it is desirable to have experience in this field; you also need start-up capital for the purchase of equipment and materials.

The demand for products, although remains unstable, is constantly growing. A carpentry workshop as a business has a number of advantages, which include:

• Growing demand for products.
• The ability to produce exclusive items.
• Low initial costs.

Before opening production, you need to conduct a market analysis that will help identify the need for this type of product. If you have a large budget, you can contact a special company. But the best option still remains - a personal visit by the entrepreneur to competitors’ stores, inspection of their products and prices. Thus, you can understand how to develop your business, what products are in demand in the market.

Market analysis, business target audience

Fifteen years ago, the Russian building materials market was filled with plastic windows and stamped PVC doors, ruining most carpentry industries. But the current situation on the market suggests that the demand for wood products is steadily increasing, and not only in our country, but also abroad.

You need to conduct a market analysis in the city you have chosen to open a workshop. You can always involve third-party companies for analysis or conduct it yourself. To carry out this work you will need:

• Find all carpentry shops in the area.
• Request a price list for all their products.
• Study in detail the pricing policy, choice of location, types of products.

It is also worth studying real reviews on workshop websites, identifying the weaknesses of competitors, and understanding what customers may be dissatisfied with. Woodworking, as a business, requires a responsible approach to assessing the market and choosing the target audience.

The target audience

In order to determine how great people’s need for a product is, you can use a simple method - go to the Yandex search system. Wordstat”, we enter requests for furniture that come to mind (example – “buy a wooden cabinet”). In this way, you can determine the level of demand of the population in a particular city.

Another good way is to talk to an employee of a furniture company. There is no need to say that in the future you will become their competitor; it is better to try to find out useful information as a buyer, asking leading questions as if by chance.

You can conduct a sociological question on the streets of your city - this way you will understand whether people need wooden furniture, what types and how much they are willing to pay for it.

As an entrepreneur, you must answer questions about your future client:

• His age.
• Where does he live - an apartment or a private house?
• How much does he earn?
• What goods will he need?
• What influences the purchase?
• What customer problems can be solved by purchasing your product?

Such questions will help in choosing the target audience, and will answer the question of which circle of consumers needs to be reached when creating an advertising campaign.

Consumables and assortment

Before planning what and how many consumables you will need, you need to decide on the range of products.

There are five main categories of wooden stairs:

• straight marches;
• stairs with a 90 degree turn; 180; 270 and 360 degrees, with platforms or winder steps;
• twisted staircases made of wood, or as they are also called: screw, spiral;
• modular - that is, collapsible;
• console

Each option has its own design, and for many it is quite complex. To ensure the safety of people moving along the stairs, it is very important to design it correctly and comply with all standards.

Therefore, the primary task for a business owner can be considered the selection of specialists, on whom the success of the enterprise will largely depend.

What wood is best to work with?

When making stairs, they often deal not with solid wood, but with furniture panels. It is a slab glued together from bars under high pressure.

The shield has higher strength, so it is from it that the load-bearing elements of the staircase are made: bowstrings and steps with risers. But fencing elements that do not experience special loads during operation are made from planed timber.

Winder steps made from furniture board

• Shields, with a width of up to 60 cm, have a length of up to 5 m. The thickness varies, but in the production of stairs the 40 mm version is used. There are two types of shield:

1. Glued from solid lamellas;
2. Spliced ​​from small elements.

Naturally, the first option is more expensive, but it is also more durable. However, it is better not to skimp on the quality of materials.

• As for the types of wood, most often - at least for the manufacture of not the most expensive stairs - they use panels made of pine, larch, and oak. Beech, although it has a fairly high density, is rarely used in staircase production, since this species is not as resistant to decay as larch, and the board made from it can be deformed.
• In this regard, oak is much more reliable: it has a luxurious texture, is strong and durable, and it is easier to make bent elements from it. In the budget price segment, spruce (this is the least durable option), pine. On average - larch, alder, birch, ash.

• The most expensive species that grow in our latitudes are oak, walnut, cherry, hornbeam, and cedar, which are most often used to fulfill individual orders. The choice of the size of the shield is carried out during the design process of the staircase, based on its design.

Note: Before cutting, it is better to treat the panels with fire-bioprotective impregnations. However, it should be remembered that the humidity of the purchased material should be no more than 12% - otherwise no impregnation will help to obtain a high-quality product. It is the material with high humidity that is most often offered by sellers at reduced prices.

What kind of glue is needed

The creation of wooden structures - and sometimes even the manufacture of stainless steel stairs - requires the use of various adhesives. They are used both for joining similar and for gluing dissimilar materials, achieving the highest strength and durability.

And here are the types of adhesives that may be needed in production:

1. Mastics that are usually used to glue thin sheet materials - for example, it can be veneer.

Mastic is used for gluing sheet materials

1. On wood they work mainly with animal-based glues: casein, bone, and hide. The last two are called carpentry, as they are suitable for any connections of wooden parts, and do not become limp from moisture.

Granular wood glue

1. Today, a wide range of adhesives of synthetic origin are produced that can be used for working with wood. These are most often used when wood needs to be glued to metal, concrete or plastic.

Polyvinyl acetate wood glue