With the right approach, a greenhouse business can provide a stable income. However, in order to organize it correctly, you need to be aware of all the nuances - otherwise you will burn out. In this article, we’ll look at how to open a greenhouse business from scratch with minimal investment and look at an example of a business plan with calculations.

Introduction to the greenhouse business. What's best to grow?

First of all, you need to decide what kind of greenhouse you want to organize, since they differ in the type of assembly. This partly depends on what vegetables you grow. Once you've done this, it's time to start solving organizational issues.

In short, you need to contact buyers or find other outlets for selling products. Only after this can you begin building a greenhouse, organizing a workplace and purchasing the necessary equipment.

Please note: if you are good at working with your hands and do not plan to start with large volumes right away, then you can build your first greenhouse yourself. In this case, you will save significant money.

There are 3 main branches of the greenhouse business: vegetable, flower and herb growing. It is worth noting that the latter is the most profitable at the moment. The greatest profits are received by those businessmen whose greenhouses are located in the southern regions of the country. Why? Firstly, because the costs of transporting products are significantly reduced. And, secondly, in the southern regions you will not have to deal with the cold, which can cause great losses.

The figure below shows the main legal forms for running a greenhouse business: private household plots, individual entrepreneurs and peasant farms.

How to open a greenhouse business: preparation

Greenhouse farming is developing and improving very quickly. In addition, there is a lot of competition in this area, which leads to a decrease in profit margins. Despite this, technology is still changing rapidly, and equipment costs are also rising.

Thus, to keep your business afloat, you need to be aware of all developments, expand on time and use the latest technologies. A business plan will help you cope with all these tasks. It consists of the following steps:

1. assessment of the situation in the field;
2. division into seasonal or permanent business (for seasonal business, ordinary greenhouses are sufficient, while for permanent business, only special industrial greenhouses with year-round heating are suitable);
3. creating relationships with wholesalers and assessing sales opportunities;
4. creating a business plan and calculating profits and expenses;
5. comprehensive development of a business plan;
6. financing.

The first thing you need to do when creating a business plan is to outline an investment plan.

The first cost will be associated with obtaining design documentation for the greenhouse and external networks. It must include specifications for all equipment. Please note: you must know the exact price of each piece of equipment.

Hydroponics is the most popular type of growing. Typically this technology is used for different types of vegetables. If you organize everything correctly, the cycle will take a couple of weeks, that is, 5-10 times faster than the usual vegetable cycle. At the same time, from one hectare you will receive 2-3 tons of harvest every day. You can also indicate 7 workers per 1 hectare in expenses.

Video lesson: “How to create a greenhouse business?”

How to open a greenhouse business: creating a business plan

First of all, you will need to determine the location of the land plot itself, its area. After which you will need to make a decision about what vegetables (greens, flowers) you will grow, and how much area will be allocated for each type. Then you need to specify the growing method you will use.

After this, approximately calculate how much harvest you plan to receive per square meter per year (for each type of product separately). With this short plan, you can determine what you already have and what you need to buy or do.

Project goals and total cost

Think about which communities are located near your greenhouses. If you manage to deliver products there, you will significantly reduce transportation costs.

The next goal is to sign an agreement with a large corporation (supermarket chain, food preparation factories, etc.). However, this depends on how large your greenhouse operation is.

The last goal is to determine the maximum profit for the year from the available resources and the minimum profit at which you can develop in the next year. It is desirable that these 2 numbers are very different from each other and are much above the loss line.

To calculate the total cost of greenhouse farming, you need to determine what expenses you will incur. First, find out the initial capital. This amount of funds should ensure the direct construction of greenhouses, their connection to various networks (water, electricity, etc.), the purchase of equipment and planting material. You should also not forget about the ongoing expenses that will occur before you receive your first profit.

Project preparation time

To determine not only the volume, but also the time of profit, it is necessary to make several calculations:

1. preparation of the territory, construction of greenhouses and their connection to networks must be carried out in T-time (you can find out this figure if you take into account the number of workers, the type of greenhouse and its size);
2. acquisition of equipment and its installation;
3. purchasing and planting planting materials;
4. Based on your work strategy, determine the timing of crop ripening;
5. terms of sale of goods.

As a result, you will be able to determine the approximate time of profit. Please note: if your contract with the customer does not provide for immediate payment upon receipt, and you receive money based on the quantity of products sold, then the average period of damage to the crop must be added to the above formula.

You need to start your business by searching for wholesale buyers who will be ready to purchase your products: wholesale centers, stores, markets.

Competition in the greenhouse segment

There's no point in knowing about how to open a greenhouse business, unless you are competitive. It is necessary to determine the specifics of greenhouse farms that operate in this region. Pay special attention to the type, quantity and quality of the products they offer.

To be competitive, it is necessary to determine how full the sales market is and what the demand is among the population. Even if you have found one or more wholesale buyers, you need to take into account the fact that after some time they may go bankrupt, and you will have nowhere to sell your products. Therefore, it is best to have backup options for selling products.

Technical and financial nuances

Having understood all the above issues, it’s time to get acquainted with the intricacies of production:

1. Remoteness of communications from your greenhouses. The fact is that the connection will be carried out entirely at your expense. Therefore, you need to consider these additional costs.
2. Size of territory. It should be such that you can easily organize access roads for transporting your goods.
3. If you do not have enough funds to purchase a plot of land, you can rent it. But in this case, it would be inappropriate to build greenhouses - it is best to purchase prefabricated greenhouses.
4. Heating of greenhouses. Allows you to clearly regulate the temperature inside the greenhouse and control the growth of vegetables.
5. Free finance. The availability of free funds will allow you to invest in new technologies, marketing or scale existing business processes.

Example of greenhouse business calculations

Let's take a look at the approximate calculation how to open a greenhouse business:

1. one greenhouse with all equipment and an area of ​​0.5 hectares will cost $15,000;
2. to service it you need to hire 5 people: 3 workers, a manager and a technologist (salary $25-30,000 per year);
3. 90% of costs are heating and electricity, so it is necessary to find the cheapest, but at the same time effective way (it is best to choose species for which the growing temperature does not differ much from the temperatures in the region - this will reduce variable costs);
4. business profitability is 15-40%, that is, your expenses will pay off in a couple of years (depending on competition and demand in a particular region).

Here we will look at greenhouse farming as a home business.

Not yet in the distant past, most of the population of our country lived in the countryside and its main activity was somehow connected with agriculture. During the 90s, collective farms in the country were almost completely destroyed, as a result of which some people began to degrade, and those who were quicker moved to the city to earn money or opened their own business. Now the situation is gradually becoming positive, although not obvious, but gradually the entire rural business is beginning to gain strength, including the greenhouse business, the plan of which is presented below

Risks of greenhouse business

They mainly relate specifically to the process of growing at home and industrially. In general, many farmers involved in the greenhouse business do not use greenhouses all year round, but from February to November, because... the rest of the time, more significant heating costs are required. Even with prolonged frosts, you can generally lose the entire harvest.

As for pests. You should not forget about them either, because... various mites and microorganisms can also destroy everything.

You also need to remember that many plants like completely different levels of humidity and temperature, even tomatoes and cucumbers.

What can you grow for trade?

In general, the most profitable thing is to grow greens, especially dill, because... it is the most unpretentious of all, but you can also add parsley, basil, green onions, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, salads. These are the main crops.

You can also, of course, grow flowers.

Video for an example of a simple tomato harvest at home:

Let us note right away that these are just approximate data, because expenses and income may vary, especially expenses, because in some places you can rent land for literally pennies, etc.

Business plan

So, let’s look at a free, ready-made example of a greenhouse business plan.

Summary

It is planned to create a farm that will consist of six greenhouses. It is assumed that the greenhouse will be engaged in growing herbs and vegetables for their subsequent sale to wholesale and retail customers.

Market analysis

Here you will need to independently analyze the demand for these products in your locality. You will also need to indicate possible wholesale buyers of your greenhouse business's products, as well as maximum sales volumes. Potential buyers could be agricultural farms, shops, food markets, medical institutions.

Sales planning should be carried out taking into account the frequency of harvesting.

Organizational plan

It would be best to choose an individual entrepreneur as an organizational and legal form, because Thanks to this, you can take advantage of tax benefits. In addition, in this case the process of conducting mutual settlements with customers will be simpler.

Production part

For a greenhouse business, it will be possible to either buy a plot of land for agricultural purposes or rent it. We can’t tell you anything about prices here, because... they vary greatly depending on the region and area - somewhere 1 hectare costs 10 thousand rubles, somewhere 1 hectare costs the same (or even cheaper), and somewhere a hectare costs 90 thousand rubles. Somewhere you can generally get it almost for free.

Expenses

It is practically impossible to count them, because... in each example they will be individual, because heating methods, like the greenhouses themselves, are different, and this very significantly affects the price. Here are some points and equipment that you will need for your greenhouse business:

1. Registration of individual entrepreneurs - if not independently, then 3000-4000 rubles; if you do it yourself, then only 800 rubles for paying the state duty.
2. Purchase of a prefabricated greenhouse. An industrial one made of polycarbonate, 6 m wide, 3.3 m high, 4 m long, costs at least 110 thousand rubles. With the same dimensions, but 6 meters long, it costs 140 thousand rubles, i.e. every additional 2 meters in length costs 30 thousand. A cheaper option would be polyethylene, but, of course, it is not so durable, and it holds heat much worse.
3. Heating equipment. The most productive option is, as a rule, air heating. Its meaning is that an air duct with holes is installed along the perimeter of the greenhouse, through which heated air will be supplied by supplying air from heat generators. Some produce additional heating of the soil.
4. Irrigation systems. If you take drip irrigation, it is very cheap - a system with a 20-meter hose costs about 1,000 rubles.
5. Seeds.
6. Fertilizers.
7. Lighting systems.
8. Chemicals. Not necessary for pest control. All vegetables and herbs spoil very quickly and lose their presentation. It is for this purpose that they are coated with special substances, thanks to which their life can be significantly extended. This is not only your interest, but also that of the store that will buy your product, because if it quickly deteriorates, it will suffer financial losses.
9. Employee salaries, if any.
10. Warehouse and inventory.

Growing vegetables, fruits and herbs is not a new activity. Today, many people prefer to buy vegetables rather than grow them, but they want to buy high-quality and environmentally friendly products, so it’s worth taking a closer look at the idea of ​​greenhouse farming, drawing up a business plan, calculating the start-up investment and expected profit. This activity has its own characteristics, disadvantages and advantages.

Business specifics

First you need to decide on the product to be manufactured, because there are many options. For example, it is advisable to grow greens - they grow quickly and are in demand, and do not take up much space in the greenhouse. You can also grow tomatoes or cucumbers, prices for which are high in winter.

Greenhouse planning

When drawing up a business plan, a greenhouse and a plot of land are the main points that will require careful study. The cost of one hectare of land will average 90,000 rubles. Therefore, it is more advisable to buy a plot of land so as not to pay monthly rent. If the start-up capital is not enough, you can attract investors.

The site must be able to carry out all necessary communications: electricity and water supply. On one hectare of land you can build 6 greenhouses with an area of ​​150 square meters. m.

Workers are needed to maintain greenhouses. Since caring for plants is not that difficult, two people in each greenhouse can do the job.

Calculation of deadlines

This is very important for growing vegetables. When drafting a greenhouse business plan, you need to calculate the time from the start of the project to the time when the business begins to make a profit. After all, regardless of the amount of revenue, you will have to pay wages to employees, pay for electricity and water supply - these costs are also included in the start-up capital.

So, what should time calculations include:

• construction and equipment of greenhouses;
• purchase of seeds, soil, additional materials and equipment;
• planting seeds;
• ripening period of vegetables;
• harvesting;
• sales of products.

The timing of a greenhouse business plan will depend on many factors, including the varieties of vegetables and greenhouse building materials. By the way, greenhouses can be rented or purchased ready-made - this will help save a lot of time on construction.

Financial plan

It is difficult to imagine a complete business plan for growing vegetables in a greenhouse without calculating investments.

What will people buy in any crisis? The answer is simple - food. And if almost everyone sooner or later begins to save on delicacies, then vegetables, fruits and herbs sell well all year round. That is why greenhouse farming as a business — profitable and promising undertaking. Absolutely anyone can do it, including those far from agriculture. The main thing is the ability to effectively build a business, solve emerging problems and not be lazy.

Who can start this kind of business?

There are no restrictions - it can be anyone. But the agricultural and greenhouse business has its own nuances. You must understand that you will have to devote a lot of time to the plants or hire specially trained people.

A small greenhouse can be built even in the yard

In the case of equipping a “home” greenhouse, you must:

1. Ventilate your greenhouse at least once a day to avoid overheating and effectively remove excess moisture.
2. Regularly measure temperature and humidity to adjust fertilization and watering.
3. Make sure that the structure is not damaged by wind, hail, or snow in winter.
4. Regularly spray plants against pests and diseases.
5. Weed the ground to remove weeds and thin out the plants.
6. Engaged in harvesting and marketing.

Note: The ideal option is to locate the greenhouse near the house. The business of growing vegetables and herbs is more suitable for residents of the private sector than for residents of a metropolis.

Where is it profitable to start greenhouse farming?

The answer is simple - where the costs of its maintenance will be minimal. In the southern and western regions of Russia, the temperature is quite high - this makes it possible to grow vegetables and fruits without creating a full-fledged heating system. Long southern daylight hours will allow you to save on lighting and speed up the growth process of plants.

It has been proven that it is easier to bring vegetables from the south than to create the necessary conditions for growing and waste resources on heating greenhouses. You can grow vegetables in Siberia, but their cost will be significantly higher than imported ones. But the composition of the soil has virtually no effect on the greenhouse business.

Keep in mind that you cannot choose a plot of land in an open field for a greenhouse - you will need to supply electricity to it and provide high-quality entrances.

Organization of heating and drip irrigation in a greenhouse

A greenhouse as a business pays for itself well on your own summer cottage or residential plot. Why? There are several reasons:

1. You won't have to pay rent.
2. You will be constantly present near the greenhouse.
3. You will be able to connect the greenhouse to the electrical network.
4. The entrances to your home are probably already established.
5. It is easier to run a home business than an industrial one.

Another important reason is the possibility of breaking the contract with the landlord. Situations often arise when the owner of the land, seeing that a new business is successfully operating on his site, begins to demand an increase in the amount of rent or refuses to rent out the land altogether, deciding to “take over” the business for himself. This issue is regulated by Article No. 46 of the Land Code of the Russian Federation. The tenant can legally terminate or change the terms of the contract due to:

1. Decrease (actual or apparent) level of soil fertility.
2. Damage to land, its irrational use.
3. Ecological deterioration.
4. Lack of reclamation or actions aimed at protecting the soil.

That is, in fact, the lessor can almost always easily terminate the contract. Therefore, either create a greenhouse on your land, or work with those who are guaranteed not to take your land away after a couple of years of successful work.

How to build a greenhouse correctly

There are two options here:

1. Order a ready-made greenhouse according to the specified dimensions. This option is the fastest and simplest - a trained team will assemble even a large structure in 3-4 days and you can start growing.
2. Assemble the greenhouse yourself. This option will cost you less, but you will need to spend time on calculations, studying information and the work itself.

Note: You do not need any permits to build a greenhouse on your site. It is not recognized as real estate because it does not have a permanent foundation.

High-quality seedlings are the key to a successful business

What are such structures made of? Typically used:

1. Glass 6-8 mm thick.
2. Polycarbonate.
3. Reinforced film.
4. Polyethylene.
5. Polypropylene.

Read also: How to start a business selling potatoes

The frame is usually made of metal or wood. Winter greenhouses are additionally well reinforced on the ground and designed in such a way that they can withstand a layer of snow and ice.

In late spring and summer, heating for the greenhouse is actually not needed - it warms up well due to the sun. But year-round greenhouses are usually heated with hot air or heaters emitting infrared radiation. For irrigation, it is most advisable to use drip irrigation technology (it can also be used for fertilizer).

What exactly to grow

So, you have decided to enter the greenhouse business: what is profitable to grow and what is the most profitable thing to do? We list the main options:

1. Various decorative flowers for cutting and seedlings.
2. All kinds of greens.
3. Classic vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini).
4. Strawberries, wild strawberries and other berries.

We recommend that you do one thing at a time, rather than being scattered in several directions at once. It would be more correct to first master one direction, and only then take on the next, understanding the ways of its development and promotion. You should also take into account local characteristics and the level of competition so as not to end up with unsold goods.

Flowers

Flowers in greenhouse farming are considered the most promising option - they bring maximum profit and pay for themselves very quickly. But caring for flowers is quite complicated, and competition in the market is great. Think about what people will buy in your region and what you can sell in large quantities. There are the following gardening options:

1. Cut flowers for bouquets.
2. Fresh flowers (houseplants).
3. Seedlings and roots.

Shortcut trading is seasonal and difficult to predict, but it brings very good profits. Typically, the peak cutting season occurs in the spring - February 14, February 23, March 8. During these holidays, it is quite possible to recoup all costs if everything is organized correctly.

Fresh flowers are in fairly uniform demand - they are bought in spring, autumn, winter, and summer. But their sales volumes are significantly less than those of the cut.

Flowers are an excellent option for growing in a greenhouse

Seedlings and roots are usually purchased in the fall and spring, but are easy to grow and store. Investments in this type of business are minimal, and the returns are quite noticeable.

How exactly to sell flowers? Large sales volumes are important here. Therefore, at first it is best to work with wholesalers who purchase large quantities of goods at low prices. Then, when you already understand the market, you can open your own store, or even an entire chain, while continuing to sell off surplus.

Greenery

Despite the apparent cheapness of greenery, it is very profitable to practice it. This is generally an ideal option for beginners, since greenery grows quickly and does not require large investments or special care. The most popular greens are:

1. Green onions.
2. Wheatgrass.
3. Parsley.
4. Dill.
5. Basil.

People buy these products all year round, even in summer, when they can be grown in the garden. This greenery can even be grown in racks, arranged in 3-4 tiers. The average amount of harvest varies as follows - up to 1.5 kg is cut from 1 square meter of surface. high-quality greens for 1 harvest. You can grow 10 crops per year in a high-quality greenhouse, that is, 1 m2 will bring you 15 kg of greenery per year.

Note: In one greenhouse you can grow various greens - they combine well with each other and grow quickly. A large assortment of greens will allow you to sell more according to the Pareto principle.

Vegetables

The third most profitable option for making money in a greenhouse is growing various vegetables. What is the most profitable thing to do? In the middle zone, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers and radishes are usually grown. Tomato grows well in more southern areas. The classic cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse as a business brings very good income to the farmer. The natural season for cucumbers is very short - in gardens they ripen in July, and in August they already leave. But there is always a demand for them, and especially in the spring.

Tomatoes can be sold all year round

Ripe cucumbers can be stored for quite a long time, they are convenient to store and transport - this is an excellent product for mass trade. Tomatoes usually ripen a little later than cucumbers, and their storage conditions are somewhat more complicated. Tomatoes also require better lighting and heating. But radishes and cabbage are very easy to grow - they practically do not get sick, do not require special conditions and grow easily even in an unheated greenhouse practically from April to October.

Probably, many enterprising people have come up with the idea of ​​starting to grow vegetables or flowers in greenhouses, in other words, a greenhouse business. But not everyone knows where to start, how much it will cost and how to draw up a greenhouse business plan. We will talk about the features of the greenhouse business in our article.

Features of the greenhouse business: pros and cons

If you seriously decide to start a greenhouse business, then you should know all its pros and cons.

What are the advantages of the greenhouse business:

A greenhouse business does not require a large area of ​​land. It can be organized on 2 - 3 acres far from the city, that is, you will not have to pay a lot for renting land;

The construction of greenhouses does not take much time; you can create a greenhouse business from scratch within 1-2 months;

If everything is organized correctly, then such a business will pay for itself in 1.5-2 years.

What are the disadvantages of the greenhouse business:

A significant disadvantage of the greenhouse business is the high energy consumption, and growing in greenhouses requires a large amount of water;

Prices for greenhouse products are seasonal, so before starting your own business, you need to thoroughly study the local market conditions.

Download greenhouse business plan for free

To make it easier for you to start your own greenhouse business, we offer you a detailed business plan for a greenhouse business, which you can download for free by simply following the link below. It includes a description of greenhouse facilities, building structures and engineering and technological systems with illustrations, calculation of the need for water, gas and heat, financial and organizational plan, features of tax accounting and much more.