Winter greenhouse as a business: how to start your own business from scratch. Your own business: Greenhouse business with high profitability Greenhouses as business profit

Growing and selling vegetables and herbs in the winter is an excellent business where you can earn good money. In addition to the fact that the first vegetables are always 50-100% more expensive, in winter this figure almost doubles.

In order to implement such a task, first of all it is necessary to take care of the quality of the shelter, where the vegetation will actually be grown. A winter greenhouse as a business must be thought out to the smallest detail. And how to build this business so that in the first 2-3 seasons you can get into the black - in our article.

Disadvantages and advantages of the idea

Since growing vegetables in a greenhouse requires not only special endurance, but also the creation of suitable conditions, understanding the principles of agriculture, you should be prepared for the fact that you will have to spend a lot of effort and finances on the implementation of such a task in order to get the desired profit. Just like any business plan, growing vegetation and vegetables in a winter greenhouse is characterized by its advantages and disadvantages. But first of all, you need to love and understand this matter, so that the disadvantages turn into advantages.

The assortment can be anything. The main thing is to decide on the sales market

The main advantages of producing vegetables in a greenhouse include:

Minimum costs in the first stages. It is possible to start such a business even from scratch, with a very limited budget. Thanks to this, it is possible for almost anyone who wants to make money in the greenhouse business to boost their business. This is provided that there is a plot and it is possible to build a greenhouse on it, even from scrap materials.

In order to prevent this idea from becoming covered with frost in winter, there must be a spacious room with heating, high-quality coverage and the ability to ventilate without the risk of destroying the growth.

Fast payback. It is enough to work efficiently and wisely, and in less than a year all the costs of constructing the structure will pay off.
The presence of constant demand for grown products. During the cold season, homemade vegetables are very popular not only among supermarkets and private retail outlets, but also among ordinary people - neighbors, friends, co-workers. Therefore, a year-round harvest is in any case a profitable business.

In addition to the fact that you have the opportunity to sell products that are grown in a greenhouse in the winter, you can also consume them yourself, being content with homemade vegetables that are very cheap compared to store-bought ones. Firstly, this is the quality that you personally monitored, and secondly, it helps to save a lot of money on purchasing expensive vegetables and herbs.

You can even grow grapes if it will generate income in your region

Since we are talking about the advantages of such a business plan, in fairness it is worth noting the disadvantages of growing vegetables and herbs in a greenhouse in winter. These include:

Financial costs that must be constantly invested to ensure high-quality lighting and heating of the greenhouse structure. In this case, organizing a winter greenhouse and its maintenance will cost you a fairly significant amount.

Ongoing costs for heating, lighting and fertilizer must be included in the business plan to assess the reality of this business specifically for you.

Seasonality of sales. Since in the summer everyone has the opportunity to grow vegetables on their own plot of land, and supermarkets and retail outlets can purchase products from larger enterprises, then during this season the demand for vegetables and herbs grown in an indoor garden will be extremely low. Although some companies prefer to cooperate with private farmers, so there is a chance to organize sales in the warm season.
Work alone. Due to the fact that a winter greenhouse as a business in our case is a private matter, then, accordingly, all organizational issues that arise will need to be resolved independently. These include:

search for a sales market;
distribution and delivery of products;
accounting;
purchase of fertilizers and other necessary related consumables for growing vegetables in a greenhouse.

But, despite the fact that the entire cycle of growing and harvesting vegetable crops and herbs in winter in a greenhouse shelter, as a business plan, is characterized by a number of disadvantages, this is a very profitable investment for both beginning gardeners and more experienced farmers. To do this, you need to know how to grow vegetables in a greenhouse and have a small initial capital.

What to grow?

To achieve this goal, you first need to clearly define what exactly will be grown and subsequently sold. Most often grown for sale:

flowers;
berries;
vegetables;
greenery;
heat-loving exotic crops (for example, citrus fruits).

The climatic conditions in the greenhouse shelter must correspond to the nature and characteristics of specific plants or species, if we are talking about an assortment.

To ensure that the territory does not stand idle, you can grow several crops at once or alternately

Keep in mind also that while vegetables, in principle, can tolerate some interruptions in watering or temperature changes, flowers or exotic fruits are unlikely to withstand such poor quality care. And this can significantly affect the payback of the business just started.

Even before choosing crops, you need to understand exactly what the optimal conditions should be (temperature, lighting, watering), whether you are able to provide them uninterruptedly and what the connection costs and monthly operating costs are.

VIDEO: Visual experiment on the percentage of green feathers extracted from a high-quality turnip

Where to grow?

This agricultural business needs to start with the construction of a greenhouse shelter. You can build such a structure from scratch either on your own or with the help of professionals.

Buildings for the development of green business are conventionally divided into several types:

extensions to the house or detached structures;
above ground or buried;
according to design features - arched, with a gable or sloping vault.

Structures in the form of an extension to a house are convenient to use, since you can get into it directly through the house. This option is also convenient because you can easily organize heating in the greenhouse by removing it from the house. True, the presence of one closed part of the structure, which is adjacent to the house, reduces the level of illumination of the plants, which may not have the best effect on the grown products.

A free-standing greenhouse located on a plot of land, if, of course, it is located in a well-lit place, will receive much more sunlight than in the previous version. But in this case, you need to take care of the heating and lighting arrangement in an independent building.

The advantages of a buried greenhouse are that it is recessed into the soil at least 1 meter (it all depends on the climatic conditions in the region where the business plan will be implemented). In this case, heating will be cheaper, and interruptions in the operation of the heating system and irrigation will not lead to a complete loss of the crop.

Greenhouse material

When constructing a winter greenhouse as a business facility, you need to carefully select the material for such a structure. Most often, the following consumables are used for such purposes:

Glass

Durable, but at the same time heavy material for building a greenhouse shelter, which requires strengthening the frame part. It transmits the sun's rays well and creates the so-called greenhouse effect, but at night glass greenhouses are not able to retain heat for a long time, which requires additional heating.

Polyethylene

Cheap material that will last about three years (we are talking about high-quality PET).

Cellular polycarbonate

The highest quality of all samples is a material that is widely used by private farmers in their green business. It retains heat well and allows sunlight to pass through.

Due to the cellular structure of the covering material, heat does not leave the room so quickly, and in the midday sun no damage is caused to the plants.

The choice of material largely depends on the initial capital and scale of construction. Since we are talking specifically about the winter type of greenhouse, it is best to build an arched structure with double polycarbonate. This will ensure high-quality thermal insulation.

You will learn more about how to build an insulated winter structure in the article “”.

Soil and growing conditions

After constructing or retrofitting a greenhouse structure, you need to prepare the soil. It all depends on how the vegetation will be grown:

in the beds;
on raised ridges;
in hanging flowerpots.

The type of product also influences the soil preparation process. Therefore, be sure to check which soil is suitable for the crop you choose.

To make growing vegetables in a greenhouse not only profitable, but also convenient, make high beds, raising them 50-70 cm above ground level. And as a layer, you can install pipes with a heat source (water or air), an electric cable, or make warm beds based on biofuel.

Horse manure has proven itself best as a biological fuel. It maintains the temperature for a long time, but does not overheat the root system.

Lighting

To get a good harvest, you need to provide the seedlings with adequate lighting and a suitable microclimate. In the winter season, there is not enough daylight to grow most greenhouse crops, so it is worth taking care of additional lighting, which can be fluorescent lamps.

For an indoor vegetable garden you need to install LED lamps. They transmit up to 70% of the spectrum of sunlight, and are cheaper to operate.

Heating

As for heating, it can be organized using the following devices:

bake;
air heaters, fan heaters;
cable electric heating;
IF heaters;
boiler (gas or solid fuel).

Sales organization

Sell vegetables, flowers, etc. grown on your own. You can do it yourself by renting a retail space. You can also enter into agreements with supermarkets. True, this task is quite difficult to implement.

Approximate estimate

Important building blocks of the greenhouse business

So that you understand what amounts we are talking about, we bring to your attention an approximate estimate of such a business plan:

Construction of a shelter and its complete arrangement - 500 thousand rubles.
Additional labor resources in the form of hired workers (for large volumes of plant cultivation) - 70 thousand rubles.
Purchase of seedlings, fertilizers, fuel and other necessary consumables - 40 thousand rubles.

According to entrepreneurs, the profit for one month is about 400 thousand rubles. Now calculate for yourself how much you can earn from such a green business in a season. Good luck to you in all your endeavors!

VIDEO: Successful greenhouse business

Of the 150 kg of vegetables that WHO recommends for consumption throughout the year, the average person barely eats half. But, thanks to the fashion for a healthy lifestyle, this ratio is gradually changing for the better, and domestic agricultural products, in particular, greenhouse vegetables and fruits, are becoming more and more in demand. Does this mean that the greenhouse business is beneficial to everyone who takes it up, and what undercurrents are there in this area?

Greenhouse vegetables are in great demand all year round

One of the main advantages of greenhouse farming is its high turnover: from one greenhouse, subject to the technology of growing crops, up to 4 harvests can be harvested per year. It is quite possible to organize the entire process on your own personal plot, and carry out maintenance work through the efforts of the whole family, while at the same time mechanizing some processes, for example, irrigation or ventilation.

The use of inexpensive materials - plastic, metal, film - allows you to minimize start-up investments, however, this only applies to seasonal and not year-round greenhouses.

It is quite possible to make a greenhouse yourself. Thus, in a maximum of a month a person can become the owner of a small but quite promising business.

Modern hydroponic beds

There is always a demand for products; in extreme cases, unsold goods can be frozen or canned, if they are vegetables or fruits, or consumed yourself. You can sell them to intermediaries in markets, supermarkets, or sell them yourself at markets and fairs. The margin on early products is always significant, especially on fruits and herbs of impeccable quality. All these points determine the supposedly high profitability of the greenhouse business.

Specific disadvantages of business farming in greenhouses

There are also a lot of disadvantages to this type of activity. People who are professionally engaged in agriculture claim that this is hellish work, which involves a huge amount of time, money, patience and, to some extent, intuitive instinct. Also, the disadvantages of entrepreneurship on closed ground include:

seasonality and wave-like nature of the business - earnings directly depend on greenhouse harvests and fluctuate greatly in one direction or the other, even within one season;
high cost of energy resources - both spring and winter greenhouses require additional heating, for which it is necessary to prepare a sufficient amount of fuel;
rapid loss of presentation and taste of products - transporting them to another region often becomes impractical, so the sales market is limited to the nearest populated areas.

However, recently the state has been ready to support people who have taken up the production of greenhouse crops, so there is a chance to receive a very profitable grant or subsidy for its organization.

State support program

Assortment - what is best to grow for sale

The answer to the question whether a greenhouse business at home is profitable or not largely depends on what crop you decide to grow. The inability to satisfy the requirements of plantings for water, light and thermal conditions leads to a serious deterioration in the quality of the crop, or even to its complete loss. Therefore, you should not neglect a comprehensively balanced selection of the type and variety of crop.

When deciding on the nomenclature, you can go in two different ways:

Grow the generally accepted favorites of greenhouse farming - flowers (in pots or cut), a variety of greens or cucumbers and tomatoes.
Offer curiosities to the market - out-of-season lemons, blueberries, strawberries and even grapes or watermelons.

Greens are a bestseller all year round

The latter option is more labor-intensive, and requires special knowledge on the peculiarities of cultivation in a closed space. But even in the first case, you need to take into account that flowers are very demanding on the quality and temperature of soil heating, so the same roses take root rather poorly.

Greens are in constant demand, grow quickly and are the least difficult to care for, but to sell them as quickly as possible, a reliable sales channel is required.

As for heat-loving tomatoes, their cultivation in the cold season is especially energy-intensive, and in the summer competition with products grown in open ground increases sharply. To create a truly successful enterprise, it is better to develop a combined crop rotation scheme that will take into account the characteristics of the local climate, the complexity of transportation, storage and the preferences of end consumers.

Growing seedlings as an income option

The nomenclature scheme might look something like this:

in spring, the greenhouse is used to grow flower seedlings;
early summer - tomatoes;
in late summer and autumn - cucumbers;
in winter - a variety of greenery.

Of course, it is quite difficult to develop such a continuous flow at once, so the diagram can be taken as a guide, meanwhile focusing on gaining experience in growing any one crop in a small area.

Vegetable crop compatibility

Step-by-step plan for organizing a business in rural areas

There are so many emergency situations that arise in the greenhouse business that it is difficult to cope with them even for those who have solid management experience. For this reason, it is impossible to calculate it with reliable accuracy, and in any case it is recommended to stock up on material resources so that you can solve unexpected problems quickly and without losses. However, it will be very useful to sketch out some plan of action that answers the main fundamental questions.

Estimated categories of the future enterprise

The amounts of fixed and current capital investments depend on the clarification of some key points:

Where will the greenhouse be located - on your own personal plot, on purchased or leased land?
Is there a possibility of expanding greenhouse farming in the future by purchasing or leasing neighboring land?
How close is the region where you plan to sell the products, and what is the ratio of supply and demand in the market?
Are there any communications on the plot of land in question, in particular electricity, how expensive is it, and are there any limits on its use?
When will the greenhouse operate – in season or all year round?

To run a greenhouse as a business, you will need a sum of money that can cover the initial costs:

purchase of land and warehouse;
acquisition of a greenhouse structure or purchase of materials for its construction;
costs for technical equipment of the greenhouse and purchase of equipment;
the cost of registering a business activity.

In addition, it is necessary to include some categories of expenses in the monthly estimate:

rent for the plot;
wages for staff (if necessary);
the cost of consumables and materials - heating, lighting, water, seeds, fertilizers;
tax deductions.

It is not advisable to give approximate amounts, since prices in different regions vary greatly.

Most of the costs come from energy resources, so the most important component of the business plan is effective ways to minimize energy costs - locating the farm in the southern regions, equipping permanent greenhouses with a reliable heat-insulating layer, agreeing with resource suppliers on a more favorable price, etc.

The least expensive way to grow greens

Therefore, it is better not to organize a large-scale greenhouse business from scratch - experienced farmers recommend starting with a small area or working on greenhouses for a year or two purely for personal consumption.

How to build a greenhouse for business - 2 options

The most affordable is a greenhouse structure on a metal, plastic or wooden frame covered with polyethylene. Such a greenhouse cannot be called reliable, it does not retain heat well and is only suitable for seasonal use, but it copes well with the main task - protecting plants from spring frosts. Thanks to this, it is possible to offer fairly early products to the market at a favorable price.

If the greenhouse will be located on a rented plot, it is better to connect the frame elements not by welding, but by removable fasteners, so that they can be disassembled and transported at any time. The same applies to fastening the film to the base - it is better to attach it using special clamps that allow you to repeatedly remove the material and re-tension it.

For year-round cultivation of crops, a permanent structure will be required, equipped with heating, lighting, ventilation and watering systems.

It is unprofitable to build small greenhouses in this design; this is the optimal option for a fairly large industrial-scale greenhouse - as a business in the countryside, it will fully justify itself.

Capital greenhouse on a foundation

The structure must be placed on a strip foundation, deepened to the height of soil freezing. The frame is only metal with anti-corrosion treatment, and the ideal covering material is glass or polycarbonate (good, if in two layers). It is better to choose a single or gable roof shape, so the greenhouse can withstand a heavy snow load. For better wind protection, the north side can be lined with brick or cinder block.

Types of fuel for heating a greenhouse - which is more profitable?

The headache of all farmers involved in greenhouses is artificially maintaining an air temperature that is comfortable for the cultivated plants, regardless of the weather conditions outside. The task is further complicated by several important nuances:

overheating and drying out of the air in the greenhouse structure should not be allowed;
heat transfer should occur slowly and in the direction from bottom to top;
it is necessary to create conditions for uniform distribution of heat over the entire area.

To meet these requirements, water heating or a heat generator with fans is well suited. What type of fuel is beneficial for producing heat? The first answer that immediately suggests itself is firewood. They are relatively inexpensive and widely available, but it is very difficult to heat a large space with them due to the rapid (2-3 hours) combustion of solid fuel in a stove.

Water heating of air and soil

Pyrolysis solid fuel boilers are more economical and easy to use; buleryan boilers also have high efficiency.

The first ones are quite expensive, but good in maintenance - about 90% efficiency, automatic fuel supply and almost complete absence of soot allow you to reduce the labor intensity of organizing a winter greenhouse as a business by 2 times. There is also a drawback - such stoves are picky about the quality of fuel.

Gas heat generators are also characterized by high productivity, which, however, is offset by the need to order an expensive project from gas companies, and then have it approved by several authorities. And, of course, the greenhouse must be located close to the gas main, otherwise its connection will be completely unprofitable.

Buleryan in a greenhouse structure for flowers

Electricity is not cheap, but it is the most quickly installed heating option. It can be used as an additional heat source, but it is better not to use it as the main one. The famous infrared heaters installed on the ceiling often cause complaints that plants are stretched upward from them, and film heating of the soil is completely replaceable with cheaper biological fuel.

Necessary equipment for greenhouse farming

At first, when it is necessary to build a greenhouse for a business at minimal cost, the arrangement of its internal space is limited to the installation of shelving (if needed), installation of additional lighting lamps and a heating system. However, with the expansion of agricultural production, sooner or later the issue of simplifying the process of caring for plants arises.

Automatic greenhouse ventilation

Automatic lighting, ventilation, watering and heating systems help to remove most of the functions. They allow you to abandon the manual mode of changing them due to special sensors installed in the greenhouse.

If necessary, they transmit control commands to the system’s actuators (heater, fans, pump), and the equipment returns the microclimate parameters to normal.

Electricity is not always used to operate automation. Thus, craftsmen make automatic watering from two barrels, one of which serves as a storage tank, and the other as a receiver tank. A float valve is installed in it, which sets a constant water level. A ball valve built into the overall system opens when heated by the sun and allows water to flow into the drip system or sprinklers.

Scheme of automatic watering of a greenhouse with a pump

Hydraulic equipment for ventilation consists of two containers with liquid installed on the movable part of the window. When the air in the greenhouse heats up, the container changes position, influencing the window and opening it. The disadvantage of such homemade products is their low reliability, so for large objects it is necessary to use electric drive systems, which is why the profitability of a winter greenhouse as a business may fall.

Thus, a modern greenhouse complex, ideally, is an almost completely computerized facility, in which many tasks to maintain the microclimate are performed by special equipment.

Consequently, planning to receive significant income from greenhouse farming becomes possible only after the material and technical base for its management has been created.

In most regions of Russia, the season for growing vegetables, berries and herbs is quite short. It can be extended using greenhouses. By growing a variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs all year round, you can provide yourself with a stable income. To minimize losses, it is important to choose the right crops for cultivation and establish uninterrupted sales.

Growing vegetables, flowers and other products in greenhouses has many advantages that make this type of business attractive to beginners. Among them:

relatively low cost of entry;
ability to work with a wide variety of cultures;
short payback periods;
good demand for quality products.

When planning to start a greenhouse business, you need to take into account the difficulties. These include:

high costs for heating greenhouses;
difficulties with implementation;
Working with a perishable product guarantees a high percentage of defects.

In greenhouses you can grow any crops, from common lettuce to exotic indoor plants. Novice plant growers prefer tomatoes and cucumbers; these vegetables are the easiest to sell. However, experts assure that the most profitable option is flowers. Second place is occupied by a variety of greens, and vegetables are in an honorable third.

Types of greenhouses: what should a beginner choose?

You can build greenhouses for growing plants yourself, but more often specialists are invited to build them. There are many modifications that differ in shape, size, materials and other features:

The simplest option is an unheated greenhouse. It is suitable for growing early ground vegetables and seedlings. A greenhouse will protect plants from cold snaps at night and the first frosts, but it is not suitable for use in winter.
Partially heated greenhouse guarantees a temperature of at least 5 degrees, which is suitable for growing seedlings of flower crops and heat-loving exotic plants.
The most reliable all-season option is a winter heated greenhouse. This design is equipped with a heating system that prevents the temperature from falling below 13 degrees. In such a greenhouse you can grow any, even the most heat-loving vegetables and berries, herbs, flowers, and seedlings.

The type of greenhouse is also influenced by its shape. Experts identify three categories that are most common:

Wall-mounted. The structure is attached to the house so that one wall is common. This device makes it possible to save on heating costs, but significantly limits the size of the greenhouse. Ideal for a winter garden, enclosed veranda or greenhouse.
Arched. A popular design in which it is convenient to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers. This form is most often used for greenhouses and partially heated greenhouses.
Sloping. A house-shaped greenhouse is suitable for growing tall and climbing plants.

The glazed pitched roof provides good lighting and additional heating; in winter, snow does not linger on it.

Depending on the internal structure of the greenhouse there may be:

Rackable. Shelves are mounted on the side walls, on which plants planted in pots and boxes are placed in tiers. Often used when growing hydroponically (in a liquid nutrient solution).
Ground. In this case, ridges are organized in the greenhouse, and plants are planted in rows in prepared soil. For such greenhouses, heating using a cable laid underground is desirable.

Sales of finished products

The owner of a greenhouse or greenhouse farm will have to carefully consider the issue of selling products. Grown vegetables, berries and herbs can be:

sell on the market independently or through a hired seller;
hand over for sale to a grocery store or supermarket;
sell to wholesale buyers;
offer to restaurants and cafes;
sell through an online store or agricultural cooperative.

The most profitable option is independent retail sales. Wholesalers purchase products at the minimum price, and stores cannot guarantee the sale of the entire batch taken. The returned balances will have to be added to the losses.

Owners of several greenhouses faced with the need to sell a large harvest should buy a car for prompt delivery of products to customers, and also hire a manager, who will search for new sales channels.

How to open a flower shop from scratch and draw up a competent business plan with calculations - read

Winter greenhouse business plan

A greenhouse business does not require excessive investments. You can start with the construction of one greenhouse, gradually expanding and improving the economy.

At the initial stage you will have to spend:

for the construction and equipment of a greenhouse (about 120 sq. m) - 200,000 rubles;
for the purchase of planting material, fertilizers, fuel - from 30,00 rubles per month

Greenhouse as a business: profitability and payback period

When growing vegetables or herbs in such a greenhouse, it is possible to make a profit from 100,000 rubles per month. Thus, a single structure will pay for itself in 2 seasons. Business profitability is about 70%.

A winter greenhouse as a business requires a careful approach and a sensitive response to market fluctuations. Be prepared to change direction by choosing more popular crops. Mobility, entrepreneurship and the absence of stereotypes in matters of implementation will allow you to quickly achieve success.

Some are convinced that the winter season is a time for rest and accumulation of strength, while others use this period to earn money.

How can you effectively use the cold season? You might consider a winter greenhouse as an option for your own business. This method of earning money is perfect for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs, since large investments are not required at the initial stage.

The following can be successfully grown in a greenhouse:

Any greens: dill, parsley, onions, spinach, cilantro and so on.
Almost all types of flowers.
Any vegetables that are in demand: cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, carrots and much more.

In addition, you can use a winter greenhouse to grow exotic fruits, the demand for which is consistently high at any time of the year, and it significantly exceeds the supply available on the market.

If we talk about growing vegetables, then we need to take into account not only the demand of the crop, but also the ripening period, as well as the profitability of the venture. For example, carrots, beets and potatoes ripen in about four months, therefore, you will not be able to make a profit in this case. These vegetables can be stored for a long time and are therefore considered a seasonal product, and greenhouses are best used for growing fast-growing crops.

The most acceptable option would be cucumbers and tomatoes. This means that in order to obtain maximum profit from a greenhouse, it should be planted with fast-growing vegetables that give a high yield.

Greenhouse construction

When building a warm greenhouse, it is better to use durable and thermally insulating materials. There are three possible options:

Polycarbonate. This material has many significant advantages. Firstly, it allows the sun's rays to pass through. Secondly, the construction of such a structure does not require the construction of a foundation, which significantly reduces construction costs. However, polycarbonate itself is considered a rather expensive material.
Polyethylene. The main and only advantage of this material is its cost. The disadvantages are low throughput (vegetables grow slowly) and low strength. The polyethylene structure has to be repaired almost every year.
Glass. Glass structures are very expensive. But there are many advantages: excellent throughput, long service life and the ability to use the structure all year round.

Equipment and heating

It is important to understand that any crop grown in winter in greenhouse conditions requires careful handling, since it will be much weaker than its seasonal counterpart. Particular attention should be paid to the soil, no matter what you plant in it. The composition of the soil should be balanced and rich in minerals and fertilizers. It is worth noting that the established concentration should be strictly adhered to, since excess nutrients harm the plants and they can “burn out.”

The climate zone you have chosen for the construction of the structure also requires special attention. If the air temperature is below 5 degrees, then the greenhouse needs to be insulated or even a heating system installed. The following can be used as heaters:

Boilers using coal, fuel oil or wood.
Heaters.
Gas boilers with heating catalyst vessels.
Buleryans.

There is also the option of connecting the greenhouse to a home steam heating system. All of the above options have one common drawback - the lack of uniform heat distribution; according to the laws of physics, it is collected at the top of the structure, and its lower part is not fully heated.

The arrangement requires not only heating, but also additional lighting.

To grow crops in greenhouse conditions, special lamps are produced that emit the spectrum necessary for photosynthesis. Such lamps are not particularly expensive, but they are difficult to install. Energy-saving mercury, fluorescent and LED lamps are also suitable for lighting.

It is also necessary to prepare the beds in the greenhouse minimum height 20 centimeters from fertile soil and humus. You will have to install a special irrigation system, although you can water it manually.

You can see the arrangement of such a structure in Siberia in the following video:

Organization of product sales

Basically, products from the garden and greenhouse are sold On the market. Selling vegetables directly is a great option for a new farmer. To do this, you need to open a tent or rent a retail space.

You can sell grown crops to shops and supermarkets. These outlets sell a fairly large volume of vegetables every day. However, in this case you will have to register your activities, and this is an additional expense. But, nevertheless, if you plan to grow large volumes of products, then such a profitable distribution channel cannot be missed.

Investments and profitability

A winter greenhouse is a fairly promising and profitable business that can provide the entrepreneur with continuous profit. To assess the profitability of such a business idea, a number of factors should be taken into account: construction and glazing material, climatic conditions, crop grown, distribution channels, etc. On average, the construction and arrangement of a structure requires about 400 thousand rubles.

It is extremely difficult to determine the amount of expected profit from organizing a business, since income depends on a number of conditions.

First of all, they depend on the region in which the greenhouse is located. The climate of some areas allows you to grow up to four crops per year, while in others - a maximum of two. The remoteness of the greenhouse farm from the city also plays an important role - transportation costs, available distribution channels and much more directly depend on this factor. If we talk about the expected payback period for investments, then the most realistic can be considered a period of two to three years.

Advantages and disadvantages of the project

The positive aspects include relatively low construction costs, simple solutions to organizational issues and stable demand for grown products. However, there is still a question of price. The advantages include the payback period of investments, but here everything largely depends on the scale of the farm.

Disadvantages include high costs for electricity (a large-area structure needs to be illuminated almost around the clock) and the seasonality of the business. Of course, in winter the demand for grown products will be consistently high, but in the summer it is quite difficult to sell goods at a good price. In addition, you need to take into account that delivering the goods to the buyer will be your task, and this implies additional costs.

Creating a business in the form of a greenhouse farming is not a new idea. However, with proper organization, a “green” business can bring very good income. Where to start a greenhouse business and how to overcome the obstacles that arise on the path of a novice entrepreneur? We will talk about this and much more in this article.

Let's weigh the pros and cons

In greenhouses, greens and vegetables grow quickly; in some regions, 3-4 crops are harvested per year. Therefore, such a business, in fact, cannot be unprofitable. However, in addition to its advantages, it also has a number of disadvantages. Let's look at both of them in the table.

Benefits of greenhouse farming	Business Disadvantages
Greenhouse business is simple. Greenhouses are being built quickly. Launching a business can be done in a couple of months	Selling grown products is very problematic, so a constant search for consumers and markets is required
Opportunity to receive subsidies from the state. For example, the administration of the Krasnodar Territory provides subsidies for starting a business in the field of agriculture in the amount of up to 50%	Seasonality of prices and high competition require careful study of the local market
Business can be established in a small area required for greenhouses. Sometimes 2-3 acres is enough. Saving on rent if you have your own land or rent it far from the city	Decent monthly costs for electricity, water, as well as their installation and connection
Fast payback (from 1 to 2 years) distinguishes any greenhouse business

Where to begin?

For a novice entrepreneur, it is extremely important to have a rough picture or plan of action that will contribute to the success of the greenhouse business. It is important to think through many points related to the organization of greenhouse farming, but first of all it is worth paying attention to solving three primary issues:

What to grow? Taking into account weather conditions that are favorable in a small number of regions and price forecasts, it is advisable to grow vegetables and herbs. These plants are very unpretentious, do not require much care, and any greenhouse business will benefit from them. Flowers are the choice of many professionals. Exotic plants and flowers are the most profitable area in the greenhouse business. But it is always associated with risk and high costs. It is recommended for a beginner starting greenhouse farming to practice on greens (onions, lettuce, parsley).
Who should I sell to? This is a question that must be resolved before building or purchasing a greenhouse. Before starting all work, it is important to establish contacts with buyers. The more guaranteed points of sale of your products you have, the better, because if one wholesale buyer refuses to purchase what is grown, then another will be found.
What type of greenhouse should I install: summer or winter? What materials and in what quantity should I purchase? Many people choose quick-assembled greenhouses. They are more suitable for business, but they are not cheap. Some novice entrepreneurs build from scrap materials, and then update and equip the farm as they earn money. Regardless of how much you plan to invest, it is advisable to plan your budget in advance.

Business specifics

There are three sectors in the greenhouse business: growing vegetables, flowers and herbs; Each direction has its own greenhouses. According to experts, the maximum income from them can be obtained in a fairly hot climate; it is desirable that the winter temperature is not lower than -5 degrees. A frosty winter is a serious risk; to avoid it, you will have to invest additionally in the purchase of insulation materials. Losses from the cold winter will be many times greater than the cost of transporting products to the northern regions.

A budding entrepreneur will have to choose a direction: seasonal or permanent greenhouse business. Where to start planning? If you are going to engage in seasonal growing of plants, then a regular one will do. A permanent business is based on special industrial premises with protected soil, with year-round heating and lighting.

It is almost impossible to mentally calculate all expenses and expected income, think through financial risks, and other significant issues without a business plan. It helps to identify and solve many problems at the preparation stage. How to properly develop a business plan for a greenhouse complex?

Sections of a business plan

A greenhouse business plan may include several sections. It takes into account natural and climatic conditions, all aspects of a particular business:

Activity overview or summary.
Description of the business.
Description of products and services.
Market and industry analysis.
Production plan and
Sales plan.
Financial and investment plan.

What to write about in a business plan?

We present a detailed justification for the project in the table.


Activity overview or summary	The business plan provides for the opening of a greenhouse farm, which will carry out the cultivation, harvesting and subsequent marketing of agricultural products (greens, vegetables or flowers, etc.). Individual entrepreneur was chosen as the legal form. The advantage of this form is simplified accounting, ease of settlements with counterparties and reduced taxes. The project is assessed as successful, since there is a fairly high demand for agricultural products in the area
Business Description	In this section, it is recommended to describe in detail all the objects that will be included in the greenhouse. The business plan must contain a description and diagrams of future building structures and planned engineering and technological communications. It is necessary to calculate the needs for heating, gas, water. For example, it is planned to open a greenhouse farm consisting of five greenhouses, the total area of which is 600 m2, the size of the greenhouse is 20 x 6 m
Description of products and services	A greenhouse business is created to grow agricultural products and sell them to customers wholesale and retail. At the preparatory stage, it is worth deciding on the future assortment that will be presented in the greenhouse. Most often these are greens and vegetables. At this stage, you have to choose a growing method, traditional or innovative, for example hydroponics. When selecting an assortment, it is important to take into account the demand and general specifics of this industry in your region; for this we are working on the next section
Market and industry analysis	A greenhouse business plan, as a rule, contains detailed characteristics and features of the regional (regional, district) greenhouse market. In addition, it is extremely important for the success of the entire business to find potential wholesale buyers, assess sales opportunities, and report on work with wholesalers. The business plan indicates not only future buyers, but also their planned purchase volumes
Production plan and organizational plan	Acquisition or lease of land. Construction of greenhouses. Carrying out all necessary communications. Recruitment if necessary
Sales plan	Before starting all activities to organize a greenhouse business, it is necessary to draw up a sales plan. It is necessary to think about what the circle of buyers will be, and, if possible, establish connections with agricultural bases, shops, supermarkets, food markets and other contractors
Financial and investment plan	Is the greenhouse business profitable? A financial plan will help answer this question. To calculate the amount of profit and the break-even point, you need to keep records of upcoming income and expenses, understand the features of tax accounting and other indicators

Financial plan

The basis of a financial plan is forecasting upcoming income and expenses; without this, a greenhouse business cannot become successful. In addition, the entrepreneur will have to independently maintain these items, calculate planned and actual profit, net profit, break-even point and other indicators. To create a plan and keep records, it will be convenient to divide all expenses into one-time, constant and variable:

One-time costs are expenses that will have to be incurred once, as a rule, at the initial stage (purchase of greenhouses, cars, plumbing, electricity, etc.).
Fixed costs are usually monthly expenses paid by the businessman in equal amounts (land rent, employee salaries, water supply, electricity).
Variable costs are expenses that arise periodically in different amounts (repair of greenhouses, purchase of fertilizers, fuel and lubricants (fuel) for product delivery).

Based on detailed cost information, we can calculate total costs for each month and for the year as a whole. A table will help simplify your work, in which we will highlight columns for each month and columns for types of expenses.

It is significant that in a number of regions they receive 2-3 harvests per year, and in some, 4 harvests per greenhouse. A business plan allows you to quite simply calculate your planned income. To do this, it is important to know market prices and harvest volumes per square meter. Income will appear only after the sale of the ripened harvest and depends on the type of product and its price on the market.

As an example, let's take a green greenhouse business. Let's make an approximate calculation for green onions. In the supermarket, a bunch of onions costs up to 30 rubles in the spring; 1 kg of onions at the base has about the same cost. From 100 to 120 bulbs are planned to be planted in a greenhouse per 1 m2. You can get from 100 to 120 bunches of onions from 1 m2. So, 1 m 2 of greenhouse will bring up to 3,000 rubles. Subtract expenses from income and get profit. Let's say we have already incurred one-time costs. The remaining expenses were for heating and watering the greenhouse and others, which amounted to 2,500 rubles per 1 m2:

3000 - 500 = 2500 rub.

We multiply the profit from 1 m2 by the total area of 150 m2:

2500 × 150 = 375 thousand rubles.

After deducting the amount of taxes, we get a net profit, which will show how successful the greenhouse business is, whether it is profitable to invest your money, time and effort in it. Thus, the payback of a greenhouse business for growing greens, if calculated correctly, can be several months. A constant search for clients will allow the entrepreneur to make a profit in the first year of operation, so the profitability of the greenhouse business is quite acceptable.

Investment plan

The investment plan contains a scheme of investments or investments for all stages of business development, the amount of initial capital. The first investment will be a greenhouse. The businessman receives project documentation for it and all external networks. It is important to know how much all the pieces of equipment cost. It is necessary to plan funds for the construction of greenhouses, connection to networks (electricity, water supply), purchase of equipment and planting material. These investments are included in the production costs that the businessman bears before receiving the first profit from the greenhouses.

Which greenhouse to choose?

Before purchasing a greenhouse, you need to decide on its type. The type of greenhouse depends on climatic conditions, assortment and specifics of the farm:

Greenhouses of the summer-light type are simple and can be installed in a couple of hours. This type of building can be erected in a few hours. The summer version of greenhouses is mostly used as protection from prolonged rains or pests.
Winter-type greenhouses that transmit sunlight well will help create and maintain the necessary microclimate. Therefore, they are more suitable for growing any plants, including flowers.

Greenhouse materials

Creating a temperature regime suitable for plants is expensive. A cheap greenhouse will not be able to maintain the desired temperature for a long time. It is important to consider the choice of material that will be used in its construction. The following types of materials are popular today:

Glass. For a very long time, the greenhouse business at home was built on one of the main materials in this business - glass. It was used to create insulated greenhouses that could be successfully operated until late autumn. Glass transmits up to 90% of light. But it is not suitable for the cold winter months, regardless of whether additional insulation is used. Glass has such a disadvantage as fragility; low temperatures can destroy it. And the cost of glazing will be rather high. Therefore, this material is suitable for temporary use.
Polyethylene is a material that has been used for a long time in many types of greenhouses. Its advantage is its low price compared to other materials. But a significant drawback is the low bandwidth. Many plants will need additional light sources. The greenhouse will have to be opened during reasonable weather to allow sunlight to reach the plants. The material is characterized by weak strength and low heat capacity, therefore it is suitable exclusively for summer greenhouses.
It is impossible to imagine a home greenhouse business without polycarbonate. It is a product of modern technology, 250 times more durable and 8 times lighter than glass. Its heat capacity is several times higher than that of glass and polyethylene. Only polycarbonate is an ideal material for winter greenhouses. A greenhouse roof made of polycarbonate with a thickness of no more than 9 mm allows for the greatest penetration of light. The walls may be thicker. When choosing a greenhouse made of polycarbonate, it is important to know that it is available in two types: monolithic and cellular. Cellular polycarbonate has more advantages, since it is much more transparent and warmer than monolithic. For greenhouse business, cellular polycarbonate is recommended.

Conclusion

Greenhouse farming is a business that must constantly develop and improve. High competition in industries reduces profit margins. New technologies are emerging, but at the same time the cost of equipment is rising. Therefore, a businessman must be able not only to sell what he has grown, but to navigate the market, use innovations and expand the business.