Business idea for opening a carpentry workshop
Small business experts note a growing interest in businesses that can be started at home or in a garage with a small start-up investment. There are entrepreneurs who would like to make products for sale with their own hands or with a small number of faithful assistants. This is explained by the bad experience of hiring unscrupulous workers.
An effective way to make money on "golden hands" is to open "carpentry". But before you start starting a business, you should definitely draw up a competent business plan for a carpentry workshop. This is already a big step towards financial success.
Market and target audience analysis
15 years ago, plastic windows and doors stamped from PVC and rolled steel "poured" into the Russian market of building materials, ruining numerous carpenters. However, in recent years, the index of production of wood products has been steadily increasing, not only in our country, but also abroad.
Wooden window blocks are in demand today. According to this indicator, the level of 700 thousand square meters has been exceeded in the Russian Federation. meters. For other joinery products, more than 1 million cubic meters were produced and sold. meters. Consumers are striving for environmental standards and less and less confidence in plastic products. If in 2021, 87% of residents called metal-plastic windows a good choice, then in 2021 this figure dropped to 74%. That is, now the aura of potential customers for joinery products is a quarter of the adult population and continues to grow.
What products does the carpentry shop produce?
The carpentry workshop deeply processes wood, turning it into a product ready for installation. Frequently ordered items include:
- window blocks for double-glazed windows;
- entrance / interior doors and decks to them;
- flights of stairs;
- verandas and gazebos (disassembled);
- antique furniture and for baths;
- architectural and decorative wood products;
- boats, carts , sleigh.
Large wood-processing industries can afford to produce low-value-added wooden products (such as boards, lining, timber, block houses, decking). A small carpentry workshop will not stand up to competition with them.
Professional skills and production technology
Whether the owner of the private carpentry will work on his own or will hire carpenters, in any case he needs to know his business. And although those who are well versed in wood processing open their workshops, specialized books will help to deepen their knowledge, for example, "An Illustrated Manual for the Production of Joinery and Furniture Products" by S. Shumeg and "Joinery" by G. Kulebakin. L. Hayrapetyan's reference book will help with joinery adhesives and methods of their application.
The owner of a carpentry shop should also be able to read complex drawings and learn PowerShape and CorelDRAW programs for 3D modeling of products and control of woodworking CNC machines, respectively. With regard to professional skills, special knowledge and skills are required. Even something as simple as cutting with a circular saw requires good preparation. You also need to be able to join the edges for gluing and mill the grooves with high precision.
Andrey Sivov, the owner of the carpentry, told the EquipNet portal. u that, in addition to windows, he had to make sophisticated furniture for the restaurant, a real carriage, an “onion” for a village church, and much more. That is, he was dealing with a fairly wide range of orders.
Wooden products are in high demand, and there are many reasons for that.
Firstly, carpentry masterpieces can transform the space of both home and office beyond recognition (be it tables, chairs, headsets, wardrobes or even ordinary doorknobs).
Secondly, the fashion for products made from environmentally friendly materials in a metropolis is growing every day, and therefore starting a carpentry business is a promising idea, especially if you live in a large city.
Advantages of the carpentry business
Unlike intermediaries who suffer from the highest competition and a drop in the number of buyers, doing the carpentry business, you are primarily a manufacturer of a unique and authentic product.
It should be noted that private and small businesses are least affected by the crisis, since they do not need to take out loans, cut staff and carry out a general reorganization of production.
Start
To open a carpentry shop, conduct a competition analysis in your region by examining the supply and potential demand for wood products. You can visit thematic business exhibitions, construction supermarkets and find out which group of goods is especially popular.
You need to open a woodworking business in a suitable room. A basement, basement or even a garage with an area of 50 square meters and above is perfect for a workshop. The main thing is that there is a possibility of processing boards up to 5 meters long and a stable voltage from 220 to 380 V. Heating of the carpentry room must be implemented at a safe level that meets all fire inspection standards.
An important point: electricity must be three-phase, otherwise there is a great risk of accidentally burning the wiring and electric carpentry tools.
Equipment and tools
Moving on to the selection of equipment for the carpentry business at home. You will need the following required minimum of devices and tools for a successful start:
- Workbench. You can buy a new, used one or order it from "craftsmen", which, in fact, will be several times cheaper for your carpentry business. Drawings are really easy to find on the Internet, so it all depends on the size of your capital for starting a carpentry business.
- Vise. You can't do without this tool, so it's better not to skimp on this device and get it in good condition.
- Plane. Electric or ordinary.
- Saws. Disk, circular and end. The result of your work and the profitability of the carpentry business directly depend on the quality of the saws, so it is better not to spare cash and purchase good and reliable copies.
- Electric jigsaw and a set of ordinary.
- Drill, screwdriver and a set of attachments for them.
- Milling machine.
- Hand tools: hammers, tape measures, files, needle files, chisels, planers and others.
- Consumables: varnishes, paints, solvents, oils and sanding belts.
Woodworking is a popular type of activity in Russia. All types of work are practiced - from harvesting and sawing round timber to making furniture.
Now the popularity of items made from natural wood has slightly decreased, giving way to synthetic or composite materials. But the production of wooden products cannot be considered stopped.
The demand for natural window and door blocks, furniture, moldings has not diminished, making joinery a promising undertaking.
Is it profitable to open carpentry
You need a well-designed business plan covering all technology, procurement, storage and marketing issues. Key issues to be addressed:
- Supply of raw materials;
- Storage and preparation of material;
- Purchase and maintenance of high-tech equipment;
- Liquid range ;
- Competently organized sales.
Business success depends on resolving these issues. The equipment is a single technological line of the carpentry shop. It is impossible to do without some machines. Quality materials and working conditions are important. Fast deliveries and stable sales are the basis for a profitable workshop.
Assessment of the market and competitors
Market analysis is based on the regional economic environment and industry. You need to study the demand, look at the goods in the stores.
It is important to check your local online shops as not all carpentry shop owners run traditional shops. At the same time, information will be received about competitors, the direction of their activities, the breadth of the range. It is necessary to compile a list of the strengths of these firms, determine the list of products, and find out the technological advantages.
At the same time, you need to analyze the target audience, determine the purchasing power and preferences. It is necessary to obtain approximate economic indicators of competitors and determine the market capacity for their products. Analyzing the data obtained, you can make a decision about the advisability of entering the market as a new player.
What goods to make in the carpentry
The joiner is capable of producing multi-purpose goods - traditional windows and doors, furniture, bath accessories, etc. It is also necessary to find out about the products subject to mandatory certification.
You are interested in working with wood, and you have already tried to create simple products that your friends liked, but the thought crept into your head, why not make money on it? In this article, we will try to figure out why a carpentry workshop is a difficult business, in which you can still earn money by turning your hobby into a source of profit.
Pros and cons of joinery business
Joinery is suitable only for those novice entrepreneurs who want to work with their hands and develop their skills, gradually expanding the range of products and improving the quality of their manufacture. As in any business, first you need to competently analyze the current situation on the wood products market, determine what is in demand, and which categories it is better not to enter, where to get customers and generally assess the situation. The main thing is to understand for yourself how profitable it can be from a financial point of view. Only after that you decide on your specialization and choose the format for promoting your brand.
There are a number of pros and cons in this line of business that a beginner should take into account.
- You have the opportunity to open carpentry directly in your garage, without renting premises and saving start-up capital. In addition to the garage, outbuildings or a shed can be converted into a workshop.
- Wood products will not disappear from store shelves, and there will always be demand for them, since this is an environmentally friendly material that has a beautiful structure and gives comfort to the house.
- The price of wooden blanks is much lower than the price of the same metal.
- Ability to start with a minimal set of tools, gradually expanding the set of equipment to perform more complex tasks.
- Not a bad markup for wood products.
- The carpentry business makes it possible to produce a wide range of goods, or to make unique products, and thus bypass the competition in the market.
There are a number of not very pleasant moments associated with this activity.
- This business is more self-employment than a type of "passive earnings". Everything here rests on the master, and it will not work to delegate this production completely.
- Your earnings in many cases are limited by your time and physical capabilities, it will be difficult for you to "jump" above a certain level without hiring additional personnel.
- Very high competition among the main categories of goods from large furniture manufacturers, or factories for the production of windows and doors.
- Long term for the formation of a permanent customer base and expensive advertising in this market segment.
- This is a traumatic activity, therefore it is necessary to strictly adhere to the rules of safe work with woodworking equipment.
- A situation often arises that if you add up all the labor costs, materials, time spent, then the products made by one master should be very expensive, but they will be discounted according to the market situation. This approach leads to the fact that the individual development of wooden structures becomes unprofitable for the master, and many beginners are simply disappointed in their choice.
As you can see, there are both disadvantages of a business idea in the form of a carpentry workshop, but there are also advantages. Much here depends on your skills as a craftsman and your ability to advertise and sell a finished product.
Perhaps one of the main disadvantages of modern carpenters is the problem of markets for finished products.
Types of joinery
The first thing you should start with is to select the product category that you will be making. There are a huge number of different wood products on the market, but you should first of all be interested in the positions that are produced by mini carpentry, in which one or two craftsmen work, it is these firms that will be your main competitors.
In fact, there are two main approaches to building a product line:
Stylish and solid furniture made of natural wood is in demand at all times. Now, when it is much more difficult to find quality pieces of furniture on sale, it is quite advisable to organize your own workshop. A carefully thought-out and correctly drawn up business plan for a carpentry workshop will help organize the business and provide a stable income.
Case Assessment
Before starting to register an individual entrepreneur, it is important to understand what are the benefits of a business. The advantages of opening your own carpentry shop include:
- the ever-growing demand for original products made from natural wood;
- the ability to create products with unique designs that are distinguished by a high price;
- small initial investment;
- fairly quick payback of the case;
- minimal risks;
- relatively low competition when it comes to other business options with low turnover.
Steps to follow
In fact, a carpentry workshop is a business that has a minimum profitability of 20% to 35%. To destroy this case, you should try hard. Therefore, you should not fear ruin or work at a loss.
There are six steps to starting a business:
All named steps are a short description of the main points of the carpentry business plan for the employment center or anyone interested. Let's consider each step in more detail.
Woodworking production design
At first, the establishment of joinery production can be dispensed with without registration. However, to legalize business, of course, it is better to register a limited liability company (LLC). After the official opening of the company, it becomes possible to hire employees in case of expansion of production.