Ready-made business plan for opening a confectionery shop: how much it costs and what is needed for it

03/27/2020 865 Business plans

Author: Emin

A confectionery is a production of sweets and baked goods, which does not require large capital investments, special knowledge, etc. from the entrepreneur. But, in order to understand which business format is more suitable in specific market conditions, you should draw up a detailed business plan for the confectionery. A systematic and systematic approach to organizing a business will prevent a businessman from developing risks and will ensure high profitability and profitability of his own business.

[Hide]

Pros and cons

Before you draw up a business plan for confectionery products, you should study the pros and cons of the direction. Below is a list of its main advantages:

• even with strong competition, demand for products will remain at a consistently high level;
• the business will always generate income, and not in specific seasons;
• you can choose a direction that is free from competitors (for example, in the Russian market there are almost no online stores with something delicious, for example, oriental sweets);
• wide demand, allowing you to find a consumer for any type of product;
• prospects: almost all Russians eat sweets, so the number of customers can constantly grow;
• it is not necessary to choose a specific price segment - there is a consumer for both the simplest cheap products and expensive exclusives;
• profitability: in most cases the markup is from 90%, but can be significantly higher.

If you decide to draw up a business plan for a confectionery shop, then, in addition to the advantages of this direction, take into account its disadvantages. The main ones:

• high competition;
• Products have a very short shelf life, so it is necessary to constantly take into account changes in demand.

There may also be problems in recruiting staff with the required level of professionalism. The entrepreneur will not only have to recruit employees, but also try to unite them into a single and friendly team that will be satisfied with their work.

Advantages and disadvantages

Any area of ​​business is attractive for work from the point of view of some aspects and not very profitable from the point of view of others. Your own confectionery is no exception. Among the disadvantages, the first thing that stands out is the fact that this is a difficult business (like any related to the food industry) for a beginning entrepreneur.

Among the main difficulties are:

• Expensive rental or purchase of premises and equipment.
• Lack of qualified workers.
• A large number of restrictions exist in the food industry.
• High demands on the quality and taste of the final product.
• High probability of becoming dependent on suppliers.

However, the number of advantages is much higher:

• Independence from other people's decisions.
• High profit level.
• Ability for creative realization.
• Having constant communication with people.
• The ability to uniqueize a product and make it different from what competitors sell.
• The ability to quickly win loyal and regular customers.
• Relatively quick return on investment.
• A large number of work formats.
• High demand at any time of the year (complete absence of seasonality).
• Opportunity to develop a large number of sales channels.

You can watch an interesting story about opening such a business in the following video:

Competitor assessment

When developing a business plan for a confectionery shop, one should not underestimate competitors, of whom there are always many in this area. There are several categories of manufacturers to pay attention to:

• large factories selling products throughout the country;
• medium and small factories aimed specifically at your region;
• private small confectionery shops already selling their products in your city;
• restaurants and cafes that produce their own flour products (they pose the least danger because they rarely sell goods outside the establishment).

Therefore, developing a business plan for a confectionery from scratch also requires preparing competitive advantages with which you can capture the attention of consumers. These could be:

• Variety of assortment. It is better not to concentrate on a couple of specific types of products, but, on the contrary, to produce as many different types of cupcakes, rolls, etc. as possible.
• The use of non-traditional recipes. A large number of manufacturers work with classic recipes that are already boring to customers. Surprise them with something new, and popularity will follow.
• "Purity" of the composition. More and more people are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. You can play on this by making the composition of the products as natural as possible. The main thing is to be able to tell customers about this, for example, by adding the prefix “eco” to the names.

A little trick: often to attract attention you need to change the name to a foreign one. For example, people are more interested in buying muffins than cupcakes, although if you look at the composition of these products, it turns out that in most cases they are identical.

Combined with high quality and reasonable prices for sweets, this will quickly attract customers.

First steps: market analytics

Before taking any action to organize a business, it is very important to conduct an accurate market analysis. This will help you understand:

• whether the manufactured products will be in demand in your city or region;
• how much your potential client is willing to spend on baking and confectionery products;
• what types of products are most in demand for your consumer;
• how competitive your company will be and what factor will set you apart from them.

Important: according to statistical data, even in conditions of economic crises and social unrest in the country, the confectionery business remains afloat. This is explained by the wide range of price categories of the products offered - even consumers with a small budget can afford the products.

However, you also need to understand the risks. In the modern market there are enough both large and small enterprises involved in the production and sale of confectionery products - the direction demonstrates a very high level of competition and it will be extremely difficult for a newcomer with little capital investment and without an idea or zest to stay afloat. Analytical data demonstrates that since 2000 there has been very little growth in this niche - this indicates its oversaturation. What conclusions should be drawn knowing this fact?

1. Due to high competition, the requirements for the quality of goods are increasing. To become a full-fledged market participant, you will need to control both product quality and service quality.
2. To attract buyers, you will need to offer the client an exclusive. Large factories and stores offer the buyer one assortment; your line should be different from it.

A good idea would be to sell confectionery products that are made individually for clients - personalized or corporate cakes, baked goods with photographs, figurines, and memorable inscriptions. An excellent option would be to use a rare recipe. Exclusive offers - for example, baking cakes and pastries only from natural materials or dietary sweets.

One of the significant advantages that should be included in the business plan of a private confectionery is complete customer focus. The level and volume of production will depend on the number of orders. Despite the fact that the segment for the production of cakes and pastries accounts for the smallest demand (about 10%), the competition here is lower, in addition, you can set a high price for the products. The greatest demand is demonstrated by the biscuit and candy production segment, however, the level of competition here is the highest - it is very difficult to compete with factories and factories.

Types of pastry shops

1. Home mini pastry shop. This format is for people who do not have sufficient capital for a more serious business. Setting up a business at home does not require large investments. The main problem here is developing a client base. You can sell your sweets to friends, acquaintances, their acquaintances, or to small retail stores.
2. Manufacturing enterprise. This is a confectionery shop (full/part-time), which will require serious investments in equipment, personnel, inventory, and marketing. A larger scale of production opens up the opportunity to create a large distribution network and increase revenue and profit.
3. Cafe-patisserie. It combines both production and sales. In this case, the business will be built more on local retail sales, although it is possible to create sweets for sale in other places.

You can sell sweets online.

Summary of the project "Confectionery"

The essence of the project is to open your own confectionery shop in a city with a population of more than 500 thousand people. The purpose of this business plan is to justify the effectiveness and profitability of the project for investment. The confectionery will be located in a rented premises of 100 sq. m. meters, where there will be a confectionery shop and a hall to accommodate 20 visitors. The integral indicators of the project are given in Table. 1.

The starting capital of the confectionery project is RUB 1,903,000. Own savings will be used as a source of funds. The estimated period of the business plan is 3 years. The expected turnover of the confectionery will be 800 thousand rubles, net profit - 175 thousand rubles. Return on sales will be 21%. The investment is expected to recoup within 12 months of operation.

Table 1. Integral performance indicators

Description of goods and services

You need to attract visitors both with high quality and a unique assortment.

CIs are divided into several groups: flour, sugar confectionery, chocolate, cocoa. At the same time, chocolate traditionally ranks first in demand.

There are fewer flour products being made, but the demand for them has been growing recently; these are cakes, pastries, croissants, etc.

The assortment of the confectionery-bakery can include the following items:

• cakes and pastries of several types;
• cupcakes (muffins), croissants and donuts;
• pancakes and pancakes;
• cookies and waffles;
• gingerbread;
• candies;
• own chocolate of original recipe.

The specific offer depends on the capabilities of the enterprise and the size of the initial capital.

About the confectionery business

Both beginners and experienced confectioners are thinking about opening their own sweets production, rightly considering this niche to be profitable. Sweets and baked goods are really in demand among consumers. But you should take into account a couple of points: the level of competition and the size of the initial investment in such a business. The latter depends on the scale of production - on whether it is a home confectionery or a workshop. But competition in both cases will be high.

When drawing up a business plan, this factor should be considered especially carefully. In some regions, own production of baked goods and sweets may be unprofitable due to the abundance of well-known and beloved outlets for similar products among consumers.

If you do not have experience in this field, then it is better to open a confectionery shop at home, a mini workshop. This format requires less investment, and the business will pay off faster if it is properly organized.

Business Plan Summary

For information about what a resume should contain, read the article Structure of a Business Plan Summary.

Project name: “Creation of a cafe-confectionery”

The goal of the project: to create a successful profitable café-pastry shop for middle-income visitors.

Initiator of the project

The initiator of the project is an already existing network of cafes and restaurants. This cafe-patisserie is a way to diversify your business. The project will be implemented by one initiator.

Investment costs

As part of the project, it is planned to conclude a lease for premises in the city center. Its renovation according to the company's design project, purchase and installation of equipment, design of the cafe. The total cost of investment expenses will be 2,300 thousand rubles. including the cost of equipment, repairs, costs of purchasing raw materials and maintaining the enterprise until it reaches the breakeven point.

Construction work will be carried out by a company that has been working in the construction services market for a long time and has proven itself well when opening previous cafes.

The equipment will be supplied by an enterprise that is a dealer of one of the domestic manufacturers of equipment for the production of confectionery products and commercial equipment. The company is fully responsible for the supply and installation of equipment, and also provides a warranty on the equipment for 3 years.

Project financing

The project will be financed from own funds (30% of the total investment amount) and from loan funds (70% of the total investment amount). As part of the project, a loan in the amount of 1,610 thousand rubles will be received. at a rate of 15% per annum with an annuity repayment schedule for 5 years. As part of the loan, a pledge will be issued for the premises of one of the cafes owned by the project initiator.

Project payback indicators

Based on the estimated income and expenses, a project payback model was built, on the basis of which the following performance indicators were obtained:

• The period for constructing the model is 10 years;
• Inflation – 10%;
• Discount rate – 13.5%;
• Simple payback period – 4.75 years;
• Discounted payback period – 5.67 years;
• NPV – 3,063 thousand rubles.
• IRR – 34.3%

These indicators indicate that the project is interesting in terms of payback and may be attractive to investors.

Suppliers of raw materials and materials

Suppliers of raw materials will be large raw materials companies in the city, with which the cafe chain has already established long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. Cafes take some types of raw materials directly from manufacturers. All raw materials and materials are delivered directly to the cafe, so there is no need to distract staff and there is no need to spend money on delivery.

Products

As part of the project, products will be manufactured and sold, which we have divided into the following product groups:

• Cakes
• Pies and pie
• Cakes
• Macarons
• Cookie
• Marmalade and marshmallows
• Kishi
• Tea, coffee, water
• Alcohol products

General description of the project

First of all, it should be noted that a confectionery shop (hereinafter referred to as the Confectionery Shop) is not only a store that retails and manufactures confectionery products to order, but also produces these same products. Lovers of sweet products can belong to any social category, which makes this business as profitable as, say, opening a bakery.

The main stages of implementing a business plan for organizing a Confectionery Shop are:

• Determining the location of production and trade
• Determining the future target audience of visitors
• Assortment of confectionery produced
• Cafe design at the Confectionery

One of the primary important issues facing the future owner (owners) of the Confectionery is the official registration of their business. Among several possible forms of entrepreneurial activity, the most suitable for small private production is due to simpler accounting, which is one of the most difficult tasks for a novice entrepreneur. It is better if the business plan of the Confectionery Shop, in addition to the description of the project, contains a package of documents necessary for registration.

To carry out the work of collecting the package of necessary documents and submitting them to the relevant business registration authorities, it is planned to attract a company providing such services. This will reduce the time for the implementation of this project, while simultaneously preparing for the opening of the Confectionery.

Location and design of the room

As in any other business, the location of the confectionery premises depends on other factors, first of all, on the assortment, which determines the need for this or that equipment, based on which the required area of ​​​​the production and retail premises should be calculated. The assortment itself depends on the preferences of people living in the locality in which it is planned to open the Confectionery.

To organize a “large-scale” business with large volumes of production and sale of confectionery products, it can be very difficult to find a premises that meets all the necessary parameters, so in this case there are two options:

1. Construction of a confectionery factory building
2. Or expensive rent

Small production that meets the needs of 1-2 urban areas or a small settlement (village, town, small town) is usually located on rented premises. As a rule, this is a room of 150 sq. meters, but if necessary, you can use a smaller room, abandoning your own preparation of fillings, various mixtures and fillers, and using ready-made ones.

To determine the favorable location of the Confectionery, it is necessary to conduct preliminary marketing research to study the demand for confectionery products in a particular area, conduct an analysis of potential consumers, and find out their purchasing power. As a rule, higher demand for confectionery products is observed in the central part of the city, where the greatest activity of residents is concentrated during the day. In residential areas, there are significantly fewer purchases, but the price of renting premises for a confectionery shop there is also lower.

The ideal location for a confectionery shop would be a building that previously housed a catering establishment - a cafe, canteen, or restaurant. The cost of rent largely depends not only on the location of the premises, but also on its condition, the presence of the necessary utilities, among which one of the main conditions is good ventilation.

Other requirements to pay attention to include:

• Availability of running water
• Supplied gas supply
• Availability of heating and sewerage outlets
• Sufficient power of the supplied electrical networks

In order to avoid errors in connecting and checking all communications, it is planned to involve design and architectural bureaus with the appropriate license in this work. In the future, you can conclude a contract with this company for servicing all networks.

Particular attention should be paid to compliance with the requirements of state fire supervision and Rospotrebnadzor. It is on these organizations that the signing of premises acceptance certificates and obtaining permits depends.

A separate point should be the design of a cafe at the production workshop, where visitors can try fresh confectionery products with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of juice. This source will help you properly organize a cafe at the Confectionery.

An important factor in the success of the establishment will be the design of the premises. In general, it should be noted that any establishment of this type must have its own concept, which will allow it to differ from other similar ones. It is the concept that determines what furniture will be in the room, what utensils will be used when serving visitors, and much more. For example, decorating a cafe “under wood” involves the use of furniture made of wood, dishes made of natural materials in the appropriate color scheme.

When designing a space, you can use some marketing techniques to attract the interest of visitors. Some establishments of this type bring into the hall the final stages of preparation of some part of the range of confectionery products. This could be the process of decorating cakes or pastries, baking in ovens “behind glass”, or something like that. In addition to attracting attention to the process, the pleasant aroma of fresh baked goods will spread throughout the hall, stimulating the appetite.

Range

The approximate range of products produced in the Confectionery is presented in Table No. 2:

The listed list can always be expanded to include other popular, in-demand dishes, or by surprising guests with some new offer, for example, pizza in cups, or a dish of your own recipe.

In the cafe at the Confectionery, visitors will be offered a choice of several types of aromatic tea, coffee, and several types of freshly squeezed juice. Using the same focus on originality, you can offer, for example, mate, a South American tea, using traditional accessories for drinking it - calabashes (special vessels made of pumpkin) and bombigi (tubes with a strainer for drinking mate).

Such new products will attract a lot of visitors to the establishment; only offering high-quality products will allow them to be retained and turned into regular customers. The business plan for a café-patisserie should also contain a ready-made menu that will be offered to guests.

Production of confectionery products to order

Profit from retail trade of confectionery products in production in most cases is approximately 50% of total revenue. The remaining percentage comes from working with wholesale customers, which are shops, cafes, street kiosks, etc.

As a rule, an agreement is concluded for the regular provision to the buyer of a wholesale batch of freshly baked confectionery products with or without delivery to the point of sale.

At the moment, there is not much competition in the confectionery market, as there was a few years ago. There are many more small producers of confectionery products, which benefit precisely due to the freshness and quality of their products. Large manufacturers work mainly with retail chains, where baked goods are often left behind. In addition, large chain stores have recently adopted a policy of developing their own confectionery brands, and large-scale production of confectionery products is becoming unprofitable.

The implementation of a project to organize a Confectionery requires large investments, therefore, to implement it, you simply need a detailed business plan for the Confectionery with calculations, only by following which you can achieve your goals.

Investment plan

To learn how to create an investment section, read the article on the structure of the investment plan of a business plan.

Investment size

The volume of investment in the project is 2,300 thousand rubles. and consists of the following costs:

The opening of the cafe-confectionery is planned to take place six months after the start of construction work. The work schedule is presented in the diagram below:

Marketing plan

To learn about what the marketing section of a business plan should contain, read the article Structure of the marketing plan of a business plan.

Competition

Today there are about 100 cafes and pastry shops in the city, which is a fairly low figure for a city with a population of one million, so the market is quite free and is just beginning to develop. The main competition for the enterprise can be coffee shops, but interest in them from consumers has faded to a sufficient extent, very few new coffee shops are appearing, and the old ones practically do not invest in their further development.

Location

A location in the city center was chosen for the location of the café-pastry shop. Near this place there are large shopping and office centers, whose employees will be potential clients of the establishment. It is planned that these workers will be able to both eat inside the cafe and take confectionery products with them to the office.

Range

In order to provide the highest quality products in the café-confectionery, it was decided not to greatly inflate the range of products, but to take only the most popular and best-selling products. It was also decided not to expand product groups due to the limited capabilities of the kitchen. The assortment in quantity will be presented below. We will not name specific products, since over time it can change both within the group and the groups themselves, depending on fashion trends and customer tastes.

• Cakes – 6 items;
• Pies and pie – 10 items;
• Cakes – 4 items;
• Pasta – 7 items;
• Cookies – 5 items;
• Marmalade and marshmallows – 7 items;
• Kishi -3 items;
• Tea, coffee, water – 10 items;
• Alcohol products – 20 items.

Price policy

The establishment will target customers with an average income level, therefore prices will be set based on the average prices of establishments of this level. In addition, the selected product range will help maximize the marginal profit from the sale of products.

Product prices, cost and marginal profit are presented in the table below:

Below is a sales chart:

Volume of sales

We will calculate the sales plan based on the average check for such establishments and the possible throughput of the enterprise, taking into account hours when there are few customers and peak hours. At the same time, the received monthly volume is the revenue when the enterprise reaches full capacity of its work (there will be sufficient fame and promotion of the establishment). Until this time, this sales volume will be subject to coefficients for the cafe to reach full capacity, as well as seasonality coefficients.

The average bill for an enterprise is planned to be 400 rubles;

The average planned number of checks per day is 100;

The calculation of the average monthly revenue of a café-patisserie is presented below:

“Revenue” = “average receipt” x “number of receipts” x “number of days” = 400 x 100 x 30 = 1,200,000 rubles.

The table below shows seasonality coefficients for sales of similar enterprises:

The table below shows the coefficients for the cafe reaching full capacity:

As we can see from the graph, the company will spend the first 8 months preparing for launch, and after opening it will gradually increase its revenue. Reaching the planned sales volume will occur 21 months after the start of the project.

Advertising strategy

It is planned to use the following channels to advertise the establishment:

• advertising in specialized magazines for cafes and establishments – 10,000 rubles/month;
• distribution of leaflets and business cards in the first month – 10,000 rubles/month;
• conducting price promotions in the first month of operation – 40,000 rubles;
• installation of a large sign and decoration of a storefront with a facade - 120,000 rubles;
• decoration with balloons inside and outside the premises at the time of opening - 10,000 rubles;
• placement of banners for the first 3 months of opening the establishment - 30,000 rubles. production, 15,000 rub./mess for placement;
• placement of advertising leaflets in existing cafe chain establishments – 1,000 rubles. for production.

Organizational plan

The most expensive expense item when opening a cafe is the purchase of all necessary equipment. The calculation increased the share of expenses allocated to marketing. In a highly competitive environment, your business needs to be actively promoted to gain a foothold in the market.

Table 2. Initial costs for opening a flower shop.

Work and sales are expected in a city with a population of 1.5-2 million people. Additional expenses include the costs of utility bills, premises preparation, marketing, etc. The amount of tax deductions is not taken into account in the calculation.

What documents should I submit?

You can start a business in the form of an individual or legal entity. The first case - working as an individual entrepreneur - is more suitable when opening a cafe-confectionery, it will reduce costs, simplify matters with the Tax Service, the cash register, etc.

When registering, the OKVED codes are indicated:

• 10.7 “Production of bakery and flour confectionery products”;
• 10.82.2 “Production of chocolate and sugary confectionery products”;
• 52.24.2 “Retail trade in confectionery products.”

To open a company, you do not need mandatory permission from the SES or Rospotrebnadzor. These services must be notified of the new confectionery; when opening it, all requirements are taken into account.

Agreements are concluded for waste removal with disinsection and deratization stations. All issues must be resolved with the Fire Service.

Requirements for premises and production

A businessman who decides to open a cafe needs to study various regulatory acts. Organizing a business requires compliance with requirements, violation of which can result in significant fines.

You are required to thoroughly study the following documents.

1. SanPiN 2.3.4.545-96. “Production of bread, bakery and confectionery products. Sanitary rules and regulations".

2. SanPiN 2.3.6.1079-01 “Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for public catering organizations, the production and circulation of food products and food raw materials in them.”

3. NTP-APK 1.20.02.001-04 “Standards for technological design of low-capacity enterprises for the production of confectionery products”

The standards adopted during the preparation, repair, finishing of the workshop, during ventilation, water supply, and sewerage are studied. Germicidal lamps are installed in the workshop.

Patisserie location

The area and location of the establishment depends on its type and status. For example, for a premium cafe you need to choose a location in the city center or in expensive shopping centers. Confectionery-bakeries aimed at the masses can be located in other areas of the locality, including bedrooms; the most important thing is that these are places with a good flow of people.

The object can be located on the first floor of a residential building. Rospotrebnadzor gives permission for this if production volumes do not exceed 1 ton per day.

For a cafe you will need a room with an area of ​​100-120 square meters. m, divided into zones:

• a production workshop with access to warehouses for storing semi-finished and finished products;
• washing;
• waste storage room;
• staff room;
• sales area for customer service.

Required Personnel

When opening a cafe-confectionery, you will need a professional confectionery technologist who can create recipes for delicious desserts and manage the technological process. He must have proven education, skills and experience. The confectioner must know the recipes and production technologies of CI. A creative approach to creating unique recipes and original proposals is encouraged.

Bakers and pastry chefs needed. They must be able to work with professional confectionery equipment, be able to decorate confectionery products, etc. All preparatory work will be done by a couple of assistants in the kitchen.

Waiters and cashiers will serve customers in the hall. At first, the businessman himself will become the administrator of the staff and establishment. Maintaining accounting reporting is the responsibility of the accountant. You will need a couple of cleaners and an agreement with a security company.

List of necessary confectionery equipment

The set of equipment in the workshop depends on the direction of production and its volume, however, certain units are necessary at all stages. The list of minimum equipment includes:

• flour sifter;
• dough mixer;
• baking oven;
• beater;
• stove for making fillings;
• scales;
• freezer;
• refrigerated cabinet.

Hood

The main problem of confectionery shops is air pollution with dust particles. Flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder leave small dust particles in the air, so you need to take the ventilation system seriously. It is necessary to purchase a powerful hood, since the volumes of products produced will be large. In accordance with the standard, a certain level of humidity and degree of concentration of harmful substances must be maintained in the kitchen space. For example, the content of food dust should not exceed 6 mg/m3, and the humidity level varies from 55 to 70% depending on the area of ​​the room.

To comply with these indicators, ventilation in the confectionery must be installed according to the project. The basis of ventilation - the supply and exhaust unit - must change the air in the room at least once every 3 hours.

When purchasing a hood, businessmen should pay attention to the following facts:

• the hood body must be covered with anti-corrosion material;
• the most reliable hoods are made of steel; they are resistant to the negative effects of hot temperatures and humidity;
• the hood must clean the supply air flow;
• fresh purified air from the ventilation must be supplied to the work area.

The cost of hoods for confectionery shops and bakeries starts from 10,000 rubles. It is better to choose European manufacturers.

Ventilation system with hood

Hoods over hobs and pastry ovens

Convection oven

They are the easiest to use, therefore they are used both in specialized confectionery shops and in fast and public catering establishments. They are designed with circulation fans that distribute heat throughout the furnace chamber. Also, some models are equipped with steam humidification systems, which allows you to get a crispy crust on the surface of the products while maintaining the internal softness.

The average cost of such a stove is 50,000 rubles.

Hearth oven

Multi-tier ovens are a modern analogue of the Russian oven. Allows for mass baking on tiers - hearths. Some units allow you to work without baking trays. Each unit has its own heater for uniform heat distribution; some devices additionally have microclimate control. Each section can be controlled separately, which allows you to bake different confectionery products at the same time.

The average price is 120,000 rubles.

Bakery oven

Bakery and confectionery ovens differ in heating method - electric, gas, steam, diesel, solid fuel and combined. The most common are electric and gas ovens. According to the principle of operation, they are divided into hearth, convection and rotary.

Rotary oven

Rotary ovens combine the advantages of hearth and convection ovens - they can install several multi-tier trolleys blown with heated air from heat fans. The rotation of the trolleys is ensured by hooks or a platform. This design allows you to evenly maintain the set temperature and microclimate, ensuring baking and golden brown crust. A significant disadvantage is the high price (from 600,000 rubles), however, one such oven can replace several hearth and convection units at once.

Flour sifter

A flour sifter is necessary to loosen flour, enrich it with oxygen and remove foreign impurities from it. During long-term storage, flour is compressed and caked, which deteriorates the quality of the dough. Sifted flour is devoid of foreign impurities (both large and small fractions), the dough from it is more fluffy and soft, which affects the final quality of confectionery products.

The average price for flour sifters ranges from 25,000 to 35,000 rubles, depending on the manufacturer and volume.

Plate for making fillings

Filling plates allow you to form uniform fillings according to weight. They also automate labor and increase the speed of the production process. Cost – about 40,000 rubles.

Beaters

In addition to mixers, confectionery shops use industrial beaters for whipping cream, eggs, and creams. Their use makes it possible to saturate the mixtures with oxygen, distribute their components evenly in the total mass and dissolve individual parts, imparting fluffiness. For whipping, units with different locations of the beater and its nature of movement are used - around its axis or planetary.

The average price starts from 10,000 rubles and depends on the volume of the tank, power, location of the beater and the type of its movement. Machines for large confectionery shops can cost from 35,000 rubles.

Dough mixer

A dough mixer is used for kneading dough. The units differ in the volume of the dough container, working body and power. The blade can be S- or Z-shaped. The first type (also called spiral) is suitable for making puff pastry and regular unleavened or yeast dough, which is optimal for baking and confectionery. The second type is more suitable for making dough for dumplings, noodles, pasties.

Depending on the volume, blade and mechanisms, dough mixers start their pricing policy from 27,000 rubles. More advanced options will cost an average of 50,000 rubles.

Proofing cabinet

Proofing is the process of fermenting yeast dough before baking. For it to occur, certain conditions are required: temperature up to +38 ° C and humidity 75–85%. During fermentation, the dough is saturated with carbon dioxide, becomes looser, airier and increases in size. Proofing is one of the most important stages in the preparation of baked goods. Proofing cabinets are used for this purpose. All of them, regardless of size, are equipped with temperature and humidity control systems.

Proofing is a mandatory intermediate procedure when baking bread.

Mixer

Another convenient tool for the pastry shop is a planetary mixer. It received this name due to the similarity of the nature of the movement of its working body and the planets in star systems. It is known that planets simultaneously rotate around a star and its own axis. By analogy with this, the mixer attachment also participates in two movements simultaneously: around the axis of the bowl and its own. The bowl itself remains motionless.

The main advantage of a planetary mixer is its versatility. The device is suitable not only for kneading dough, but also for preparing mousses, sauces, mayonnaise, creams, cream, meringues, soufflés and more. It is equipped with several types of attachments (whisk, spatula and hook) and can work with mixtures of different viscosities. Tabletop and floor-standing models of mixers with different capacities are available.

This is what a Miratek MG-15 floor-standing planetary mixer with a bowl volume of 15 l looks like

Cooking kettle for cooking creams

Digesters are not cheap equipment; the cost of simple models starts at 100,000 rubles. But they are universal and make it possible to diversify the range of products.

In modern cooking kettles you can prepare not only creams, but also jams, confitures, syrups, compotes and broths.

The lid on the digester can be ordinary, or it can be closed hermetically.

Cooking kettles with sealed lid

Digester

Dough sheeter

The dough sheeter allows you to produce layers of dough of a given thickness. Such equipment can be desktop or floor-standing. Both options are suitable for use in bakeries, pizzerias, dumpling shops, cafes, restaurants and confectionery shops. The type of dough sheeter you choose depends on the room in which you will be placing it. Currently produced dough sheeters are designed to work with different types of dough. So, to make dumplings or pasties you will need equipment with a powerful engine that can handle tough dough. Some car models are equipped with reversible engines. They are optimal for working with puff pastry. In addition, dough sheeters differ in the control system (mechanical, electromechanical or sensor), the degree of automation (mechanical, semi-automatic or automatic) and the maximum dimensions of the resulting layers.

Dough sheeter for puff pastry Danler KDF-520

Flour sifter

Sifters clean flour, starch, milk powder, cocoa and even breadcrumbs from small particles of debris that get into the raw materials from bags and during transportation. The sifter also removes unnecessary lumps and saturates the flour with oxygen, making the baked goods airy and very tasty.

Modern professional sifters are a hopper in which the sifters, cleaning mechanisms and air circulation systems are built directly.

The price of flour sifters starts from 30,000 rubles.

Flour sifter

Sifter at work

Syringe dispenser

The dispenser syringe is used in the preparation of croissants, muffins, custard cakes, eclairs and other confectionery products. It is used to dispense and extrude jams, fillings and creams. Various models of such equipment can operate in manual or automatic mode. Dispenser syringes are piston, gear or screw.

Trolleys

Carts have a multi-level structure and are often called bakery racks or studs. They are used for moving and storing trays with semi-finished or finished confectionery products. Carts are very convenient in terms of saving work space.

Baking trays

Baking trays are another necessary accessory for a pastry shop. They differ in size, depth and shape of the side, material of manufacture, and may have a non-stick coating and perforation. Thick-bottomed baking sheets ensure more even temperature distribution. Some models are equipped with handles for easy movement. Most often, such products are made of stainless steel or food grade aluminum. These materials are resistant to aggressive environments, corrosion and temperature changes.

Input data

To calculate the project's payback, we proceeded from the following prerequisites and macroeconomic indicators:

• inflation rate – 10%;
• discount rate – 11%;

Tax environment:

• income tax – 15%;
• contributions to social funds – 34.2%;
• Personal income tax – 13%;
• VAT – 0% due to the fact that the cafes will operate on a simplified taxation system.

Market description and analysis

Description of the Russian confectionery market:

1. The market is characterized by high competition.
2. The market capacity in 2014 was 3.5 million tons of products. In 2020, 3.68 million tons of confectionery products were produced. This figure is 3 percent higher than the same for 2020.
3. Large confectionery factories sell their products primarily through online retail outlets. Small companies most often sell sweets themselves through their retail outlets and cafes.
4. Low barriers to entry into the market. This circumstance is due to the fact that the market is not saturated, and 500 thousand rubles is enough to open a mini-confectionery.
5. Weak market participants are automatically eliminated. Only responsible entrepreneurs who control demand, know their competitors, organize competent marketing and management, as well as the production process, survive.
6. The most profitable market segment is the production of confectionery products for consumers with average incomes.
7. A third of sweets consumers easily switch from the products of one manufacturer to the products of another.
8. Today, cakes covered with culinary mastic, with drawings, photos, figurines, toys, etc., are very popular.
9. Maximum demand is observed in the segment of sweets and cookies.
10. During the year, the maximum level of demand is recorded in December.
11. The most popular categories of confectionery products in 2020: cookies (22 percent), candies (16 percent), chocolate (10 percent).
12. The most famous Russian confectioneries are “Rot Front”, “Babaevsky”, “Russian Chocolate”, “Yasnaya Polyana”.
13. Regions leading in the production of sweets: Krasnodar region (11 percent), Moscow (9 percent), Chelyabinsk region (8 percent), Moscow region (8 percent).
14. The leader in the production of confectionery products in 2020 was the Central Federal District (41.2 percent).

Photo gallery

Shares of different categories of confectionery products

Production of confectionery products in the period from 2010 to 2014

Market of flour confectionery products in Russia

Structure of imports of confectionery products in 2014-2015

The target audience

Description of the target audience of the confectionery market:

If the company itself does not intend to sell finished products, then its target audience may be:

• chain and private stores;
• cafes, restaurants, coffee shops;
• canteens in schools, universities, sanatoriums and other organizations.

Competitive advantages

The strengths of the confectionery shop should be the following points:

• brand recognition;
• batch identity (different batches of manufactured products must be identical in appearance and taste);
• use of high-quality natural ingredients (without preservatives, dyes and replacements of expensive components with cheap analogues);
• hiring high-level professionals;
• thoughtful assortment, with a twist;
• attractive appearance of sweets;
• use of original recipes;
• sale of only fresh finished products;
• availability of agreements with reliable and responsible suppliers;
• use of modern equipment and technologies;
• constant monitoring of the preferences and wishes of the target audience;
• constant monitoring of the actions of direct and indirect competitors.

Advertising campaign

Marketing tools to attract the target audience:

1. Website and/or online store. On the website you can post information about the benefits of the products produced, describe them, and also provide contact information for partners and customers. It is convenient to accept orders through the online store.
2. Leaflets, flyers, business cards, etc. They can be distributed near the confectionery shop. This tool is relevant for enterprises that independently distribute products through their own cafes or retail outlets.
3. Social media. For a company, you can create communities on popular Internet resources among the target audience. Through social networks, the entrepreneur organizes feedback with clients. Here you can place banners and contextual advertising.
4. Promotions. By organizing tastings that involve the distribution of finished products, you can attract the attention of new customers.
5. Discount cards. This is one of the tools to increase customer loyalty when establishing a mechanism for your own sales of confectionery products. For example, in the evening you can offer discounts on products that were not sold during the day.
6. Festive opening. After the launch of production, you should organize a bright advertising campaign with a free tasting of the confectionery products. With the help of local media, you can post information about the opening date of a new sweets production.

Retail store equipment

Such equipment is necessary for high-quality sales and the internal appearance of the confectionery. After all, it is meant not only to produce, but also to sell sweet products. Place it on the counter and issue receipts to customers. This group includes:

1. CCP (cash register equipment). Depending on the functionality, the device costs from 15,000 to 80,000 rubles. If the enterprise is not large, a cash register with a minimum of main functions will be sufficient.
2. POS terminal (for non-cash payments). The terminal is needed for non-cash payments. Its cost varies from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles.
3. Counter. In a small retail space, one counter will be enough. This is the place where the salesperson/cashier works. On the counter there should be a cash register and other items for the convenience of the employee: pen, notebook, calculator, scales. Handy documentation is placed in the internal cabinet of the counter, a safe is placed, etc. Average prices for counters range from 10,000 to 50,000 rubles. Depending on size and type (glazed, open).
4. Scales. This is a necessary attribute for running a confectionery shop, since almost all products must be weighed. Electronic devices are more convenient and functional. Their price ranges from 3,000 to 15,000 rubles.
5. Showcases. Their number also depends on the size of the retail space. You can install one or two display cases, or maybe five or ten. Refrigerated display cases would be an ideal option for a pastry shop. They are glazed on top, and the required temperature for storing baked goods is maintained inside. It is prohibited to place confectionery products in regular display cases! Since the shelf life of desserts is only a few hours. The cost of one such display case is 20,000-60,000 rubles.
6. Refrigerators. Installed for storing both products and finished products. Most often, refrigerators are located in utility rooms. Sometimes in the sales area. Prices depend on size, on average 20,000-50,000 rubles.

Choosing a location for a pastry shop

The premises are selected taking into account upcoming plans: for a confectionery shop, an area of ​​30–40 m2 is sufficient; for a workshop, 80–100 m2 will be required.

For a retail outlet or cafe with confectionery products, it is important to find a room with high traffic. For example , near a shopping center, market, in remote areas where there are no competitors in the niche.

The rented area includes a sales area, a production facility, separate warehouses with a refrigerator for raw materials and finished products, an administrative office, and two separate restrooms for employees and clients. Two separate entrances, fire corners and other nuances will be required. Repairs in production premises must be carried out in accordance with current regulations.

Office equipment

The administration of the confectionery performs work in the office space. The office department must have a computer with a special program, a printer for printing documents, and a landline telephone. In addition, office supplies are needed there: a calculator, pens, paper, glue, etc. A table, shelves, cabinets for working and storing documents are also necessary in the workroom.

When choosing equipment for a confectionery, it is important to take into account several indicators: the size of the kitchen and sales area, planned production volumes, variety of products, etc. The full success of the enterprise depends on this.

Raw materials

Specific types of raw materials and mixtures depend on the status of the cafe. Premium confectioneries often use more expensive, exclusive ingredients supplied from abroad. Other cafes use simpler raw materials, often made in Russia.

A businessman should find reliable suppliers who sell quality products with fast delivery. Finding them is not difficult, just enter the desired search query on the Internet, but you need to choose your partners wisely. For example, start working with several partners, buying the necessary raw materials in small quantities, assessing the quality of the product and the responsibility of specific suppliers; So choose the companies that suit you.

All production products must comply with GOSTs, have certificates and permits.

1. Creation of image attributes - logo, brand name, colors - by which people will recognize the company and product.
2. Bright external advertising of a cafe in order to attract attention (lighting, panoramic windows, aroma marketing, etc.).
3. BTL promotion: distribution of leaflets, tastings, unusual promotions on holidays, etc.
4. Develop a system of discounts and regular promotions for products.
5. Promotion of a café-patisserie on the Internet (group on social networks, website, contextual advertising).
6. Home delivery services, purchase of sweets and baked goods to go, pre-order.

When selling your confectionery in retail stores, you can hold promotions and place advertising materials there too.

Requirements for premises for a confectionery shop

How to open a pastry shop from scratch? – start with the room. If you want to open a small combined establishment, which will include a production workshop, a store and a mini-cafe, then you will need an area of ​​about 80 square meters. m . It is important to plan the location of each of these areas before signing a lease.

There should be an entrance to the kitchen, and there should also be no difficulties in transporting food from the entrance to the refrigeration chambers.

Don't forget about waste disposal . To do this, you will need to install garbage cans at the rear entrance and negotiate with a specialized company for timely garbage removal.

The premises must meet a number of requirements, which include both ease of use and compliance with the standards established by regulatory authorities and services.

Fire safety requirements for the premises of a confectionery shop

To comply with fire safety standards, it is necessary to have fire extinguishers in each room, an evacuation plan, a fire safety briefing log, and an emergency exit.

The finishing of walls and ceilings should not be made of flammable materials.

SES requirements for the premises of a confectionery shop

In order for the production workshop to meet the standards of the sanitary and epidemiological station, it is necessary to have separate sinks for washing hands and washing dishes with a centralized cold and hot water supply .

Hand washing sinks must be provided in each room of the production facility.

Also, the room must have a drain into the sewer, natural ventilation and forced ventilation hoods. The floor and walls should be made of washable material, and the lamps should be covered with shades.

Areas of the confectionery production workshop

Your kitchen should include the following departments : a dishwasher, a food sink (as well as a separate place for washing chicken eggs), an area for kneading dough, a department for cutting dough, a department for baking and an area for finishing and decorating products. .

Proper storage requires a food pantry with shelving, temperature controllable down to -5 degrees , scales and a tight sealed door. You will need another similar warehouse for finished products.

Financial plan

To learn how to create a financial section, read the article on the structure of the financial plan of a business plan.

Project financing

In order to finance the project, it is planned to obtain a bank loan. The loan amount will be 70% of the required investment amount, which is equal to 1,610 thousand rubles. The cost of funds will be calculated at a rate of 15% per annum with an annuity repayment schedule for 5 years. As part of the loan, a pledge will be issued for the premises of one of the cafes owned by the project initiator.

Project payback indicators

The calculation of the model produced the following indicators of the effectiveness of the investment project:

• The period for constructing the model is 10 years;
• Inflation – 10%;
• Discount rate – 13.5%;
• Simple payback period – 4.75 years;
• Discounted payback period – 5.67 years;
• NPV – 3,063 thousand rubles.
• IRR – 34.3%

This means that the project is interesting from an investment point of view and has an interesting return on investment for the project initiator.

Break-even point calculation

For the current structure and today's prices for selling products and purchasing raw materials, a calculation was made of the break-even point of the project, which showed that the cafe-confectionery will be able to turn a profit if its revenue is more than 783 thousand rubles. per month. With an average monthly planned revenue of 1,200 thousand rubles. This is a completely achievable indicator and will be achieved within the 7th month of the enterprise’s operation.

Production plan

To learn about what the production section of a business plan should contain, read the article Structure of the production plan of a business plan.

Room

For the operation of the café-confectionery, a premises was chosen in the city center, which meets all the norms and requirements of the SES and state supervision. A long-term lease agreement has been concluded with the owner of the premises. The contract implies a rental holiday for 6 months - the period of repairs. Subsequently, the rent will be 100,000 rubles. VAT included.

The premises have the following rooms:

• Production room and kitchen;
• Room for changing clothes and rest for staff;
• Director and management staff room;
• Hall for visitors;
• Wardrobe;
• Bar counter;
• Warehouse of raw materials and supplies.

The layout of the room is shown in the figure below:

Also below is a diagram of the placement of equipment and a diagram of the placement of tables in the hall for visitors:

The cafe's opening hours will be limited from 10-00 to 22-00 due to the fact that this is the time when the flow of customers provides the revenue necessary for the operation of the enterprise.

Manufacturing process

In the production and sale of products, the following process will be used and the following employees of the enterprise will participate:

1. Raw materials for the manufacture of products arrive at the enterprise's warehouse, the storekeeper accepts the products and prepares the relevant documents.
2. The chef gives instructions to the cooks about what products need to be produced today and in what volume.
3. The cooks take the order to work, take the required amount of raw materials and bake the products, handing them over to the bartender.
4. The bartender puts products on display.
5. The waiter approaches the visitor, takes the order and passes it to the bartender.
6. The bartender passes the finished order to the waiter, who takes it to the visitor.
7. After eating, the visitor orders the bill and pays for it.

Product cost

Based on technological maps and product calculations, the cost price was calculated for product groups (the cost price was calculated on average for the product group per unit of measurement of the product in proportion to the planned volume of its sales):

• Cakes – 324 RUR/kg
• Pies and pie – 176 RUR/kg
• Cakes – 298 RUR/kg
• Macarons – 452 RUR/kg
• Cookies – 189 RUR/kg
• Marmalade and marshmallows – 345 RUR/kg
• Kishi -267 RUR/kg
• Tea, coffee, water – 30 rub./l
• Alcohol products – 1000 rub./l

Cons of business

Firstly, there is high competition. There are many confectionery factories in Russia that produce high-quality products; This will have to be taken into account when organizing work.

Several factors will help you gain a foothold in the market: marketing, patience and a unique product. You will have to invest more in advertising and promotion, offer customers something new and accept in advance that development will take a lot of time. In connection with all this, you need to have sufficient financial capital.

Secondly, the confectionery has a short shelf life. Production volumes should be clearly correlated with the level of demand in order to reduce the number of delays, that is, unnecessary costs.

Thirdly, the success of the entire business is directly dependent on the professionalism of confectioners and cooks.

An entrepreneur will have to make efforts, both in finding qualified personnel and in the issue of team building (team building) to create a cohesive and effective team of workers.

Bakery staff

The staff of a small organization for the production of pastries and cakes may consist of 2 pastry chefs, two salespeople and a cleaning lady .

The salary of cooks and bakers will be about $420/month. each, sellers receive approximately $330 per month. The salary of the employee responsible for cleaning is $200/month.

All personnel must have valid health certificates , as well as undergo fire safety training.

Books and a log with notes on the completion of instruction should always be ready for presentation upon request.

Risk factors

• Equipment breakdown. Buy new equipment that is under warranty.
• Low level of service . Develop your own service standards, train staff, conduct certifications. Control using secret shoppers. Understand every conflict situation.
• Increase in rent. Conclude a long-term lease agreement, taking into account investments in repairs.
• Poor quality work of the cooks. Develop technological maps and demand their compliance.
• Late delivery of products. Conduct a selection of suppliers, choose reliable ones, and have options for suppliers in case of force majeure.
• Does not meet the taste preferences of the audience. Collect feedback, conduct in-depth interviews, focus groups and tastings, rework the menu.

Equipment for the production of confectionery products

In addition to equipment, your cooks will need a number of equipment and tools : knives, various molds, rolling pins, spatulas, sheets and brushes, kitchen tongs, whisks, sieves and a surface for rolling out and processing the dough.

Staff will also need gloves, aprons and hats. To decorate and serve the products, you will need to purchase tartlets, stands and boxes with bags for taking away cakes.

The cost of the entire inventory will be approximately $1,000 .

Competitive advantages

It is necessary to think in advance about your competitive advantages, how the cafe will differ from other confectioners, how it will encourage people to buy sweets from you.

Firstly, favorable price-quality ratio. On the one hand, the majority wants good quality sweets at an adequate price, but at the same time they are even willing to overpay a little for a quality product. For example, for so-called eco-products.

Secondly, unusual recipes. Most confectionery shops sell traditional sweets, which in many respects are already boring to customers. It is useful to look for new recipes with unfamiliar tastes, test them and offer people something new.

Thirdly, additional services. Deliver to home, sell confectionery online, etc. You can study the experience of Russian and foreign confectionery shops in this regard.

SWOT analysis

Such an analysis is carried out in order to assess one’s own capabilities to open a confectionery shop, study the area and market situation, and take into account factors that cannot be controlled in business. In general, external and internal factors should be distinguished.

External factors

The external possibilities of a novice entrepreneur who is thinking about how to open a café, confectionery shop or workshop come down to the following points:

• the activity of competing businesses is low (everyone is busy developing their own business, and not intra-class struggle);
• the ability to purchase raw materials from various suppliers;
• independent management of income and expenses;
• increase in the solvency of the population;
• relatively high demand in this niche, consumer interest in exclusive products;
• development of new recipes, varieties, products;
• the novelty of the idea, the originality of its presentation.

You should also consider external threats to a starting confectionery business:

• due to the complexity of paperwork, the procedure for entering the market is delayed;
• the presence of masters with similar ideas on the confectionery market;
• raising standards, the emergence of new requirements for products;
• the emergence of new laws and Sanitary Regulations, which tightens production in this industry;
• external conditions significantly influence the conduct of business.

While the owner of a confectionery shop often cannot regulate external factors, internal factors can be adjusted. Among them are the strengths:

• the level of qualification of the confectioner, experience and skill, which affects the quality of the products;
• motivation and productivity, exclusivity;
• finding and using effective advertising methods in a given business niche;
• cooperation with trusted suppliers;
• work on high-quality modern equipment;
• elaboration of a specific consumer segment.

It is equally important to analyze the weaknesses before opening a bakery from scratch:

• lack of a clear business strategy at the start;
• there are no established sales channels for products;
• You can’t do without starting investments;
• lack of experience in entrepreneurial activity, organization of workshop work.

Before you open your candy store, be sure to conduct a SWOT analysis. It allows you to give clear answers to some questions and determine priority goals for the confectionery shop:

1. Development of assortment. The right thing to do is to work on your portfolio. It should include a price list with detailed photos and descriptions (composition, weight), a menu, a description of its additional capabilities and personal qualities important for the business. A portfolio based on analysis of the confectionery business will increase the involvement of potential customers.
2. Development of the technological process. It is very important that the activities of the confectionery shop comply with legislation and sanitary and hygienic standards. At the start, you can involve a technologist in cooperation if there is no understanding of the basic technological processes of a given business.
3. Find reliable suppliers. The success of the confectionery business depends on the quality of the raw materials used. You shouldn’t skimp on ingredients for your culinary masterpieces when starting out. A reliable supplier with certified products should be found immediately.

conclusions

This calculation of an example of a business plan for a café-patisserie shows good payback rates, so this project is interesting from an investment point of view and may be of interest to both private investors and credit institutions.

Sources

• https://E-sweets.ru/blog/biznes-plan-konditerskoy/
• https://www.equipnet.ru/org-biz/obschestvennoe-pitanie/obschestvennoe-pitanie_465.html
• https://BiznesPlan-primer.ru/obrazec/kafe-konditerskaja
• https://fabricators.ru/article/oborudovanie-dlya-konditerskogo-biznesa
• https://DeloSmelo.ru/oborudovanie/konditerskaya
• https://www.golfstream.org/info/articles/kakoe_oborudovanie_neobkhodimo_dlya_konditerskogo_tsekha/
• https://www.beboss.ru/bplans/304-coffee-and-pastry-bar

[collapse]

Risks of the confectionery business

It is important to understand the possible risks in advance. For this purpose, a business plan for a confectionery store, workshop or cafe is drawn up. Let's look at the most common ones:

1. Increase in production costs, which is associated with rising prices for raw materials and rent. You can protect yourself by concluding long-term contracts for the rental and supply of raw materials.
2. Rapid development of competitive business. It is important to constantly work with clients, offer flexible systems of discounts, bonuses, and carry out promotions.
3. Changes at the legislative level. It is almost impossible to protect yourself from such a risk. The right thing to do is to work with an experienced lawyer.
4. Technical level problems – equipment failure. All kitchen appliances should be serviced regularly to prolong their life. It is better not to fix some breakdowns, but simply replace the device.
5. Delayed deliveries. It is necessary to provide a clause on sanctions for a supplier who delays raw materials. In such a case, trade reserves should be formed.

How to open a confectionery shop? You should take into account the key features of the business and small nuances: from the skill of the confectioner, the quality of equipment, the ability to work with clients to the purchase or custom production of special molds for decoration. The payback for the workshop is quite fast; it will take up to six months in the worst case scenarios to recoup the invested funds.