Business idea: glass and mirrors shop

Purchase of raw materials for the manufacture of mirrors

The main raw material for the manufacture of mirrors is glass. You can go 2 ways - either buy material from suppliers, or produce it within the walls of your own workshop. In the second case, you will significantly reduce the cost of finished products. But to implement the plan, it will be necessary to provide additional equipment. Not everyone chooses this method, since the size of business investment will be much higher. As for the characteristics of the purchased glass, it all depends on the specific parameters of the mirror that needs to be manufactured. What other raw materials are needed for the production of mirrors?

• nitric acid,
• distilled water,
• alkali,
• iodine,
• tin,
• silver nitrate,
• ammonia.

As you can see, the mirror business does not require expensive raw materials. Everything you need can be purchased in bulk from direct suppliers.

Mirror Manufacturing Technology

If earlier mirrors were obtained using the mercury method, now they use a more modern and effective technology - glass silvering. This method consists in recreating metallic silver using chemical reducing agents (formaldehyde, grape sugar, Rochelle salt). Silvering is done like this:

• Thorough glass processing with detergents and polishing.
• Immersion of glass in a container with a previously prepared silvering solution.
• Treatment of the reflective side of the mirror with special protective equipment.

Note that the process can be carried out either by completely immersing the glass in the solution, or "facing up". The latter option is more suitable for processing large glass surfaces. The technology for the production of mirrors is not particularly difficult. But if you are not well versed in the matter, then it is better to hire a technologist in the shop who would control the process, carry out the acceptance of raw materials and check the quality of the finished product.

Even if you plan to organize a mini-workshop, you will still need certain equipment for the production of mirrors. What can you not do without in the manufacture of products?

• Special table for glass cutting. Price - from 35,000 rubles.
• Dryer. Price - from 60,000 rubles.
• Container for silvering. Price - from 40,000 rubles.
• Grinder. Price - from 10,000 rubles.

The costs of equipping the workshop are not very high, besides, there is an opportunity to slightly reduce costs by building a table and a dryer with your own hands. If you are not constrained in finances, then it is better to immediately purchase high-quality automatic equipment for the workshop, which would allow you to produce large quantities of goods. If you also decide on the production of glass, then the cost of equipment will increase significantly. A production line of small capacity will cost you at least 1,500,000 rubles. Do not forget also about the need for a much larger room area. Therefore, not having sufficient funds, at first it is better to buy glass from suppliers.

The production and sale of mirrors will become profitable for you when you start marketing the finished product. Finding clients (better - wholesale) should be done at the stage of developing a business plan. Potential buyers of finished products:

When the conversation comes to the production of glass products, many people immediately remember fusing. This technology is presented as something innovative and simple at the same time. With its help, you can get pretty trinkets almost at home. At the same time, there are many other methods and ideas for working with glass. Moreover, we are not necessarily talking about glass melting in special furnaces, where high temperatures are reached.

Glass paintings

Manufacturers have worried about speeding up the drying of ink, and about the convenience of fixing the glass. For this, the printers are equipped with an integrated heating and vacuum clamp. As practice shows, these innovations are very easy to use. And, importantly, to work on this equipment, you can use almost all graphic programs, including such popular software as PhotoShop, CorelDraw, Illustrator. “The quality of such a picture turns out to be decent,” says cameraman Andrey Gorshkov. “The 2880x2880dpi resolution allows you to get a high-definition image.”

The printer has an integrated thermal dryer and a work table equipped with a vacuum clamp. These innovations significantly accelerate the process of instant drying of paint on thermally conductive materials. And the function of the vacuum clamp holds the sheet blank without additional fixation. In terms of sales, paintings on glass can be sold as door inserts, as a decorative element in design projects, and on individual orders.

Businessmen from behind the looking glass

Beginning businessmen will be helped by the book by G. G. Broderson "Industrial Technochemical Formulations" of 1931, which can be downloaded on the Internet. It is also published under the title "Handicraftsman's Handbook" and "730 Practical Tips". In these editions, chapters 11 and 12 are devoted to gilding and silvering.

The equipment will require a table for cutting glass, a dryer, a container for silvering (non-metallic), a grinder, a scale, and a hood. All this can be placed in a production facility with an area of ​​15 m 2. “I have been in the subject for three years,” a member of the forum ZACHAR shares his experience. - In a small workshop, about 20-25 m 2 of mirrors can be produced per shift. In fact, it is not difficult to fill a hand, however, at first the people neglect chemical protection, and then they get headaches and kidneys. Do not be lazy, make a normal hood. I recouped the investments in six months, and, at the initial stage, the biggest problem was the organization of sales, but then everything worked out ”.

This beautiful, beautiful world

“I would recommend making furniture from tempered glass, as well as dining and computer tables,” says Igor Malyugin. - In general, reinforcement of already installed glass units with special burglar-resistant films could be a separate and demanded topic. In addition, the expert advises to pay attention to the automotive market, since in the same mirror workshops, a service for the production of car mirrors can be provided to replace broken or lost ones, since the cost of original ones can be prohibitive.

Glass is originally a beautiful material from which you can create a beautiful world of things and make money on it.

Investments: from 800,000 rubles

Payback: from 12 months

Today, with the help of a mirror, you can close the empty space on the wall, and using fragile glass furniture, you can make the interior of the room original and unusual. Sometimes people need to replace glass for a wardrobe, an interior door, a balcony insert or a door on a furniture "slide". Furniture manufacturers are also puzzled by the search for high-quality glass and mirrors. At the same time, the number of outlets where such products are manufactured and sold at the same time is limited. That is why business in this area will become a successful and profitable line of business.

Business Concept

The company will be engaged in the production of glasses and mirrors, cutting sheet glass or mirror surfaces according to the dimensions provided by the customer, and their implementation. The buyers will be individuals, as well as firms engaged in the manufacture of furniture, doors or other interior items.

The technological process of glass production is based on the initial melting of glass containers to a liquid consistency and then rolling it through special rollers, after which the substance enters the cooling chamber, and the material acquires its characteristic appearance.

What is required for implementation?

To open a workshop for the production of glass and mirrors, as well as a store where they will be sold, you will need to find a room, make repairs, purchase the necessary equipment and materials.

The main equipment will be a glass processing machine. The cost of a new unit can be up to 600,000 rubles. At the initial stage of development of the glass and mirror business, it is better to purchase a glass machine that was previously in operation, which will cost half the price.

You also need to buy a table for cutting sheet blanks, a grinding machine, electronic scales, containers, a dryer, professional glass cutters.

One glass cutter will cost about 15,000 rubles. To ensure smooth operation, you need to buy at least two glass cutters.

• 1 How much money is needed to start a mirror production
• 2 How to start a mirror business
• 3 How much can you earn
• 4 What equipment to choose for the production of mirrors
• 5 Which OKVED should be specified
• 6 What documents are needed to open a company for the production of mirrors
• 7 Which system taxation select
• 8 Do I need permission
• 9 Newbie in the production of mirrors

A promising business idea for organizing your own business with a small start-up capital is to open a workshop for the production of mirrors.

These products are easy to market.

The main buyers of mirrors will be medium-income individuals, construction firms, enterprises specializing in the manufacture of furniture, etc.

Before directly launching such a business, it makes sense to study the competitive environment in your region and identify the type of products for which there is a stable demand.

For example, an enterprise specializing in the manufacture of decorative items or mirrors for cabinet furniture would be a safe bet.

Inexpensive display cases for the equipment of retail outlets or mirrored walls of aquariums will be in no less demand.

The mirrors must be manufactured using a special technology. Most often, such products are made by silver plating.

An important role in this method is played by the purity of the starting material (glass), as well as the quality of the chemicals used.

Before starting the production process, the glass must be thoroughly cleaned from dirt and polished.

The starting material is then placed in a silver plating bath. At the final stage, a protective layer is applied to it.

How much money is needed to start a mirror production

It is not necessary to have an impressive cash reserve to do this business.

Today we will tell you about how your own glass and mirror workshop can give you an excellent opportunity to make a profit of $ 20,000 or more.

Our Hero

What do you see when you look at your reflection in the mirror? Alexey first of all pays attention to the shape of the mirror surface, workmanship, the absence of distortions, objects displayed in it. Although eight years ago, he considered the fans of the mirror world to be madmen, who saw a mysterious otherworldly meaning in these completely ordinary interior items.

Before plunging into the secret world of mirrors, our hero, from his own experience, went through a good, albeit bitter, school of young entrepreneurs, trying, together with partners, to promote one or the other, seemingly very profitable and does not require special knowledge business idea.

Two Hundred Offer

Alexey came to his friends for a festive weekend picnic with unexpected news about the closure of the business. He already had several new ideas, among which, in particular, to organize the production of potato chips or custom-made furniture, or something else, for which there is a constant, stable, and most importantly, very profitable demand. The financial results of the last month showed that one and a half years ago the hastily organized logistics company is sinking deeper and deeper. Judging by the estimates of transportation costs, the lion's share of the income was simply "devoured" by tons of high-octane fuel and new wheels for trucks, which, due to the poor quality of roads and long journeys, had to be changed too often, not to mention emergency situations.

Having entered a difficult position of a would-be entrepreneur, friends offered to outbid an almost finished business project from them for only $ 200 - a glass and mirror workshop. At first, Alexei took it as a joke and immediately rushed to refuse. Not wanting to accept rejections, persistent friends repeated their offer several times. Still being a gambling man, our hero decided to take a chance.

On the one hand, there is always a demand for glass products: glass shelves, windows, mirrors, stained-glass windows, mirror tiles, etc. I was especially pleased with the fact that at that time there was almost no serious competition in the selected segment in the region.

Trying to hastily get rid of a seemingly quite successful company, the previous owners motivated their decision, of course, by the kindness of their soul and by the fact that a well-functioning outlet in the sewing segment is enough for them, and fooling around with production somehow not out of hand.

Transparent business

The very next day after the transaction, the owner of the new startup notified his partners about the purchase of the previous business project that had completely exhausted itself. The meeting of the new co-owners took place just in the middle of an old glass workshop in the suburbs.

The Spartan setting of the room was quite suitable for working with glass and, in principle, met all sanitary standards, requiring only minor cosmetic repairs. To work with this type of product, no additional licenses were required. However, one individual could not act as both a manufacturer and a distributor. Thus, Alexey designed the production itself for himself, and the outlet, created a couple of weeks later, for one of his business partners. Two more partners were appointed to leading production positions, in fact, they were supposed to play the role of supervisors and figure out as soon as possible why such a promising project as a glass and mirror workshop is now in such a deplorable state.

Sheets of glass and mirrors do not have a specific shelf life. As for glass, it can stand for almost eternity in the warehouse without losing its commercial appearance, if it does not accidentally fall under the influence of destructive forces of a natural, man-made character or human factor. Storage of mirrors is complicated only by the presence of amalgam in their composition, which is afraid of dampness. In a dry room, the mirror can stand for quite a long time. It is also possible to work with these types of materials in rooms with low air temperatures, and this is another plus that allows you not to interrupt the production process even in the most severe winter time. One of the important requirements for rooms for glass processing is the presence of a functioning supply and exhaust ventilation, the performance of which in this case did not cause any particular complaints.