The instructions cover organizational issues (how and what kind of greenhouse to build, how to properly organize the process of growing flowers) and provide calculations for business profitability and return on investment.
What is profitable to grow in a greenhouse? Cucumbers, strawberries or flowers? Probably all the products mentioned above, if the business is properly organized, will be economically feasible and highly profitable. My personal opinion is that it is a matter of taste, knowledge and skills, what you are interested in growing, I personally am closer to the flower business and now I will tell you how to earn up to 3 million rubles with an investment of 100 thousand rubles. in year.
1. Where to start?
And you need to start a flower growing business from a small plot of land: a garden, a vegetable garden, a summer cottage or a house in the village. In general, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that there is a piece of land, owned or leased, confirmed by the appropriate document stating that you are the owner of the private household plot.
Private household plot is a personal household plot, confirmed by a document issued by local authorities: dacha partnership, administration of a rural settlement, etc. Private household plot does not have a legal status, like, for example, an individual entrepreneur, however, private household plot has a number of advantages over other forms of business:
- You won't have to pay taxes.
- You are not subject to anyone (the tax service), and no one controls you.
- Complete absence of reporting and paperwork.
At the initial stage of business, this is the best option. But, using private household plots as an organizational and legal form of doing business, you will be limited in the ways of selling products. That is, you have only one option - resellers who take a lot but pay very little.
Therefore, in the future, if you want to increase the cost of products many times over, you will not be able to do without a flower pavilion or even an entire salon. And here you will have to register an individual entrepreneur with the OKVED coding - A.01.12.2. This means that you fall into the group of entrepreneurs engaged in agricultural production, and you can choose a special form of taxation for yourself - the Unified Agricultural Tax.
Unified Agricultural Tax is a single agricultural tax that replaces all other forms of taxation and has a low rate of 6% of net profit.
2. Greenhouse-thermos.
And here is one of the main secrets in running a successful flower business. The design of the thermos greenhouse is designed in such a way that it allows you to save up to 70% of electricity and make maximum use of solar heat.
Foundation.
Under no circumstances should you place the greenhouse on bare ground without a foundation, otherwise the outer flower beds will freeze. It is better to make a strip foundation, reinforced, but shallow, since the structure of the greenhouse is quite light. It is enough to make a gravel-sand cushion at a depth of 70 cm, bring it to a height of 50 cm and pour a foundation with a base height of at least 30 cm. I do not recommend making a low base, since the lower structural elements will be susceptible to corrosion.
Material for the frame and covering of the greenhouse.
In principle, it does not really matter whether you have a greenhouse made of wood or metal. But it is better to make it from light alloy metal profiles, since a wooden frame is too bulky and creates high darkness in the greenhouse.
Concerning coating material, then there is only one option - cellular polycarbonate. The fact is that the roof of the thermos greenhouse must be pitched (more on this a little later) and withstand huge snow loads, but only cellular polycarbonate can cope with this task.
Dimensions of the greenhouse and its location.
As a basis, we will take a greenhouse of the following dimensions: width - 5 m (more is not possible), otherwise the effect of the thermos will be reduced; the length can be arbitrary, but we will have 20 m; the height of the southern wall is 1.8 m, the height of the northern wall is 2.5 m.
The roof in a thermos greenhouse should only be single-slope and here's why: thanks to the low angle of the roof, the sun's rays will pass through it across the entire area at a more right angle. And this means it is better to warm up the entire space inside the greenhouse. The length of the greenhouse should be positioned strictly from west to east, and the northern wall should be made from any wall building materials.
That is, the northern wall should be opaque, wooden (beam with a section of 15X15 cm), cinder block, etc. What is this for?
- Firstly, the north side does not play any role in heating the greenhouse, since direct sunlight does not penetrate through it.
- Secondly, on the north side it is most convenient and rational to place the vestibule of the greenhouse, where there will be an electric boiler or stove, as well as equipment, fertilizers, chemicals, etc.
- Third, it is the northern wall of the greenhouse that serves as the basis for the solar collector.
Effects of a greenhouse-thermos.
So what is the main secret of the thermos greenhouse?
And the main secret is double coating, i.e. the greenhouse needs to be covered not with one layer of polycarbonate, but with two, outside and inside. As a result, you will receive many double thermal packages - sections. Constant air exchange is required between all these sections. Therefore, the appropriate number of holes must be made in advance in the greenhouse frame itself, but in such a way as not to weaken the working load of the frame.
What is it for?
Look: the sun has different effects on certain areas of the greenhouse during the day, in some places it heats up strongly, in others weakly. That is, the air in one of the sections can warm up to +50°C, and in the other section - only up to +5°C, this is in winter. And these holes (ventilation) help to evenly distribute all the warm air inside the thermal bags.
Solar collector in a greenhouse.
Typically, a solar collector is presented in the form of a product with an area of 0.5 m², which transforms the sun's rays into heat and supplies warm air into the room through ventilation. In a thermos greenhouse, the problem of a solar collector is solved by a completely different, radical method. The entire northern wall of the greenhouse is one large solar collector. In our case, it is 50 m² and can provide so much heat that you will have to ventilate the greenhouse even in winter.
And this collector is made in an elementary and simple way. Bars with a cross section of 5x5 cm are attached to the northern wall at a distance of 50 cm from each other. For ventilation, holes or continuous slits are also made in the bars. Next, a black, opaque film is attached to the whole thing with ordinary slats and that’s it! For black color is the best catalyst for solar heat.
To further increase the effect of the solar collector, you should create a system for supplying warm air directly to the flower beds.
This system is presented in the form of plastic pipes with holes made in them, which snake around all the flower beds, not underground, but on its surface (between the rows). Example: one end of the pipe is mounted in the lower right part of the northern wall (solar collector), the other end of the pipe is mounted in the lower left part of the wall. A fan is installed at each pipe inlet, one draws in cold exhaust air, the other supplies hot air into the system.
Other methods of heating a greenhouse.
The use of black as the best solar energy battery does not end there.
For example, around a greenhouse in the cold season you can create a warmer air front. To do this, the greenhouse is cleared of snow around the entire perimeter and roofing felt or roofing felt is laid on the ground, which not only creates a warm air front around the greenhouse, but also partially warms the ground. Ruberoid can also be used inside the greenhouse, covering the space between the beds with it, which raises the air temperature in the greenhouse on sunny days by several degrees.
Heating system.
It is best to install modern, automated water heating systems for greenhouses in a greenhouse, the basis of which is an electric boiler. Since the use of wood-burning stoves leads to sudden temperature changes or, conversely, decreases in temperature, which can lead to complete or partial death of flowers, including roots.
Generalized conclusions about the advantages of a thermos greenhouse
So, what do we ultimately get by growing flowers in a thermos greenhouse?
- The first is the enormous savings in electricity for heating the greenhouse, up to 70%, and this is the main expense item in the flower business.
- Secondly, thanks to the special design of the thermos greenhouse, you can grow any kind of flowers in it all year round without any danger (such as an emergency drop in temperature or freezing of the soil).
3. Agrotechnical techniques for growing flowers.
And then you need to save the time and money needed to start production, i.e. growing flowers. I won’t describe how to grow, say, roses here, since growing them in open and closed ground is no different from each other, and you can find all the information on specialized websites or in the literature. Therefore, now we will solve several pressing problems.
Soil for a greenhouse.
Any gardener or gardener knows that the successful cultivation of any crop directly depends on the optimal composition of the soil. The same applies to roses. Now the main question is: how to select this composition and where to get so much land for the greenhouse. Indeed, according to the technology of growing roses, all the old soil in the greenhouse in place of the beds must be removed to a depth of at least 50 cm and filled with specially selected soil. There is no point in buying soil in bags: you will simply go broke. Importing it from nowhere with Kamaz trucks is also not an option, since the composition of such soil is unknown to you.
What to do?
The answer lies literally under your feet, or more precisely, in ownerless meadows, fields and forest edges. That is, for the greenhouse we will use turf soil, however it needs to be prepared in advance.
To do this, in early spring, as soon as the soil thaws to a depth of 12-15 cm, its top layer 5-8 cm thick is cut off and transported to the ripening site, as close to the greenhouse as possible. Afterwards, the turf is formed into piles no more than 1 m wide and 70-80 cm high and covered with opaque material.
When the summer sun begins to get really hot, the piles of soil are thoroughly watered and then covered with a transparent film. In this case, irreversible biological processes called combustion begin in the turf soil, and the soil temperature in the deep layers of the pile can reach +60-70 °C.
That is, all weed seeds, small roots, insect larvae, harmful viruses and spores will simply burn out, and you will get completely disinfected soil. To constantly maintain the combustion process, regularly spill the ground with water and be sure to cover it with a transparent film.
Well, at the beginning of autumn the soil will be completely ripe, and all you have to do is sift it and fill the greenhouse beds with soil. It is this kind of soil that will be close in composition to light sandy loam, highly enriched with fertilizers, and this is what is needed for growing not only flowers, but anything else in general.
Purchase of planting material.
So, the beds are filled, all the heating and temperature control systems in the greenhouse are functioning, and all that’s left to do is buy roses and start growing them. Again, I will not advise you to buy certain varieties of roses, since everything changes, including the main market indicator - the current demand for certain varieties. However, I will advise you where to buy them.
The first is specialized agro-nurseries for growing roses and other types of flowers. And you shouldn’t be afraid of them, since one of the income sources of such enterprises is the sale of planting material. This means that they professionally grow and select high-quality planting material, including for the flower business.
But if there is nothing like this in your region, then there is only one way out - the Internet, that is, the website of perhaps one of these agricultural firms.
You should also know that roses are sold both grafted onto a frost-resistant rootstock (wild rose hips) and without grafting. I advise you to buy only grafted roses and here’s why:
- Firstly, a rose grafted onto a frost-resistant rootstock is least susceptible to the risk of death from freezing or hypothermia of the soil in the greenhouse and a low drop in air temperature.
- Secondly, during the growth period, the rootstock (rose hips) will constantly produce shoots, and this is: the ability to independently grow planting material by grafting new varieties of roses onto rose hips and an additional source of income, i.e., you can organize the sale of planting material.
And also, when buying rose bushes, be sure to ask in what packaging they will be delivered to you. Ideally, these should be plastic containers filled with a special substrate, where the rose bush can be stored for up to 6 months.
4. Business model and additional sources of income.
What have we come to?
This is a thermos greenhouse measuring 5x20 m and a certain type of flower - roses. All this taken together is a kind of production unit, which you should rely on when creating and running a flower business. And until you master this business model, having worked out both the technique of growing roses and the ways of their implementation, I do not recommend expanding further. Otherwise, you will lose both time and money.
But this does not mean that you need to stop at just one business model and focus only on standard solutions. There are many ways in this direction to promote business and sell products. Therefore, let's consider everything in order.
Wholesale supply.
It just so happens that our country is not Holland, where flower exchanges have been formed over the years, and you will have to look for your first clients on your own.
What to focus on?
You should focus on flower pavilions, markets, shops and large salons. It is clear that these retail outlets have their own wholesale supply system and will have to somehow get involved.
The best way to sell flowers is to reduce the price. Naturally, neither wholesale suppliers nor owners of salons and retail outlets will say where and how much they purchase their goods. Therefore, let's turn to the best assistant in this matter - the Internet. It is enough to type in the phrase “roses wholesale price” into any search engine, and you will receive a huge list of price lists with the latest and most current offers, based on which you will be able to carry out a competent pricing policy.
Flower pavilion.
A small flower pavilion is the best way to double your profits (read an amazing article on how to start a flower trading business). However, there is one caveat here too. Don’t expect big sales with roses alone, as you need a rich assortment. And here two ways are outlined: either you expand production by building new greenhouses and mastering the cultivation of various types of flowers, or you buy the missing assortment in bulk.
It is difficult to say which method to choose, since everything will depend on the specific situation and your entrepreneurial abilities.
Floristry and related products.
It just so happens that recently the income of the population has been growing and tastes have changed along with it. If previously most consumers were guided only by the minimum price of a bouquet, now everything is changing, and the price is now more about aesthetics and beautiful design. Therefore, by inviting a professional florist to your flower pavilion, you can increase your profit by up to 20%. After all, floristry is not only about beautifully arranging bouquets and creating a variety of compositions. Right now there is a clear trend to invite a florist to decorate banquet halls and other events, and this trend is constantly growing.
This also includes the sale of related products: flower pots, chemistry, fertilizers, soils, literature on growing flowers, etc.
Planting material.
Personally, I am inclined towards this additional source of income, at least at the initial stage of business development, and here’s why:
- Growing planting material in the form of seeds, tubers or rose bushes does not require a greenhouse. All this can be done in open ground during the warm season.
- Flowers are a perishable commodity, while planting material is not. All you need is special. packaging in the form of containers (for bushes), where you can preserve anything you like, with a shelf life of up to 1 year.
- Ways of implementation, namely: your website. You just need to hire a specialist once, invest money, make a professional website, and it will become an excellent tool for selling any planting material. And it’s ten times cheaper than opening a flower salon. In addition, you will be able to reach an audience across the entire country.
5. Initial investment and annual expenses.
Initial investment.
Everything is clear here: this is a thermos greenhouse and planting material.
According to the latest data, 1 m² of a greenhouse with a polycarbonate coating along with an automatic watering system will cost you about 2,290 rubles. We add here the cost of the foundation, northern wall, heating system, second internal covering, installation of the greenhouse, and we get a coefficient equal to the cost of 1 m² of greenhouse, i.e. with the number 2, which we multiply by 2290 rubles. Total: 1 m² of a thermos greenhouse will cost 4,580 rubles, but our greenhouse will cost 458 thousand rubles. (100 m²).
The average retail cost of planting material for a rose bush is 300 rubles. If you buy in large wholesale, the price will decrease by about a third - 250 rubles/1 bush. In order not to calculate the useful area of the greenhouse, I will say right away that about 4 rose bushes are planted per 1 m². Total: multiply 100 m² of greenhouse by 4 bushes and get 400 rose bushes, but since not all of them have 100% germination, we will add another 100 roots. As a result: multiply 500 rose bushes by 250 rubles. and we get the amount - 125 thousand rubles.
Total initial investment in the flower growing business:
- Greenhouse-thermos - 458 thousand rubles.
- Planting material - 125 thousand rubles.
- Total investments - 583 thousand rubles.
Annual expenses.
The main expense item is heating the greenhouse and chemicals. The cost of electricity is 47,250 rubles. based on: 6.25 kW/h, 150 kW/day, 4500 kW/month, 31.5 thousand kW/7 months, 1 kW/h - 1.5 rubles. taking into account 70% savings due to solar heat. Total: 47.25 thousand rubles.
You will need chemicals in any case, since flowers are constantly susceptible to attacks by all kinds of insects in the form of aphids, etc. Cost 3 thousand rubles. per month, per year 36 thousand rubles.
Total:
- Electricity (heating) - 47,250 rub.
- Chemicals - 36,000 rub.
- Total expenses for the year - 83,250 rubles.
6. Calculation of income.
And this is where the fun begins. Do you know how many cuts you can get from one rose bush in a year? With conventional growing technology - at least 250 pieces! And what do we get? One rose bush - 250 cuts, 4 rose bushes - 1000 cuts (1 m²), 100 m² - 100 thousand cuts. Even at the minimum wholesale price (40 rubles per rose) this is 4 million rubles. revenue! Eventually:
- Total revenue for the year is 4 million rubles.
- Total expenses for the year - 83 thousand rubles.
- Net income for the year - 3.9 million 17 thousand rubles.
And if you subtract 917 thousand rubles from this amount, it is not known what unforeseen expenses, then you will agree that a pretty decent profit comes out. What we ended up with:
- Project launch - 1 month;
- First profit after launch - 6 months;
- Project payback - 8 months;
- Business profitability - at least 70%;
As you can see, the flower growing business model I presented is quite flexible. There are no clear frames or boundaries here, and you can supplement and change it at your own discretion and, as a result, earn more!
The initial investment amount is 513 000 rubles
The break-even point is reached at fifth month of work.
The payback period is 18 months.
Average monthly profit of the 1st year of project implementation 41 790 rub.
2. Description of the business, product or service
A flower shop is a profitable business that will allow you to make a significant profit with minimal investment, because not a single holiday or celebration is complete without a bouquet.
Assortment of colors:
- carnation, bush carnation (minimum 3 shades);
- chrysanthemums (3-4 shades);
- roses (from 10 to 15 different shades);
- spray roses (about 5 shades);
- gerbera (3-5 shades);
- tulips;
- peonies.
In addition to flowers familiar to Russian territory, it is necessary to offer exotic ones brought from tropical countries:
- orchids;
- strelitzia;
- freesia;
- anemones;
- ranunculus;
- irises;
- anthuriums.
Rare types of flowers, unlike those that are bought every day and in large quantities, should be presented in several copies. For buyers, you can print out special brochures that will tell you not only about this type of plant, but also how to care for it, conditions of maintenance, etc.
Range of products offered:
- Cut flowers;
- A flower arrangement made by a florist using packaging materials that play an important role in the flower business, because the beautiful design of bouquets depends on them;
- Souvenirs.
Characteristics of packaging materials:
- gift packaging for flowers and floral arrangements;
- handbags made of various materials;
- wrapping paper for every taste;
- boxes for packaging flower arrangements;
- baskets for bouquets;
- ribbons, floral bows, rhinestones.
To increase the profit of your business, you can provide the following types of services:
- services for decorating premises for celebrations;
- conducting master classes on floristry.
3. Description of the sales market
Today there is quite high competition in the flower shop market. There are low entry barriers and good development prospects. Thus, in order to take your place in this niche, you need to make the most of your capabilities and find new and original ways of development. At the moment, online flower shops are becoming especially relevant. This is due to the fact that people are increasingly using the Internet to make purchases, including flowers and bouquets. Today, flower shops sell not only flowers, but also baskets with sweets, wines, gifts, decorated with flowers. These gifts become especially relevant during the holiday season. In general, the period from late December to mid-March can be called the peak period due to the large number of holidays during this period of time. Many flower sellers make more profit in these 3.5 months than in the rest of the year. Activity also occurs in May and September.
There are specific peak dates for flower sales:
- September 1;
- The 14th of February;
- March 7 - 9;
- May 25.
The target audience
Flowers are actively bought and given by a wide range of citizens. The core of the target audience is working youth aged 18-35 years. This group of buyers can be considered the main group in terms of generating store revenue: they give flowers to each other, their parents, grandparents, and pay for the purchase of flowers for children during the holidays.
People buy flowers for various purposes:
- The desire to congratulate someone on a special event;
- The desire to show attention to the opposite sex;
- Purchase a means of decorating the interior of both private homes and public places.
4. Sales and marketing
5. Production plan
The main goal of the project is to open a flower shop and maximize its profits.
Review of the real estate market to select the optimal premises.
Requirements for the store premises:
A separate stationary pavilion with an area of 20−40 m2 or a room of the same area on the ground floor of an office building or residential building;
Windows and entrance should open to the first line or be within visibility from it;
It is desirable that the building is located near the roadway and next to a public transport stop;
Possibility of placing a sign;
Availability of running water and toilet.
Registration of a legal entity.
When opening your own flower shop, special attention must be paid to organizational and legal issues. It is very important to have all the necessary information and work according to the law to avoid various fines.
- Organizational and legal form - individual entrepreneur or LLC.
- It is more profitable for an entrepreneur to choose the simplified tax system “Income minus expenses” 15%.
- It is mandatory to have a “Sanitary and Industrial Control Program”. It is carried out once - after approval from Rospotrebnadzor.
- It is mandatory to have contracts for deratization, disinfestation and disinfection.
- Ventilation and air conditioning systems must also be maintained and disinfected.
- A contract for the removal and disposal of solid waste is required.
- There are also requirements for internal store documentation. So, the organization should have:
- journal for recording expired products;
- disinfectant logbook;
- assortment list of products sold.
- All products will require hygienic permits from the SES or appropriate quality certificates.
- It is worth familiarizing yourself with the Customs Code and Rosselkhoznadzor regulations that apply to plants.
- Please note that you do not need to obtain a license to sell flowers, but you will have to obtain a permit to sell flowers.
- If you accept payments from clients using bank cards, you will need to open a current account.
6. Organizational structure
Staffing:
- director - 1,
- seller/florist - 2,
- courier - 1.
The total number of personnel is 4 people.
Requirements for all candidates:
- active life position;
- high communication skills;
- goodwill;
- honesty;
- discipline;
- responsibility.
Requirements for a florist:
- good taste;
- ability to interest the buyer;
- experience in similar positions;
| Fixed expenses | Salary | The number of employees | Sum | Average salary per month per employee |
| Director | 30 000 | 1 | 30 000 | 39 737 |
| Salesman | 25 000 | 2 | 50 000 | 25 000 |
| Courier | 15 000 | 2 | 30 000 | 15 000 |
| Insurance premiums | 33 000 | |||
| Total payroll | 143 000 |
7. Financial plan
The sales plan for the project is forecast taking into account the seasonality of the business. A gradual increase in sales volumes is predicted in the first 3 months of the project. Despite the seasonality of this business, the sales structure is diversified in such a way that the store constantly makes a profit.
Thus, the considered base scenario is realistic, and the project has a reserve for increasing sales volumes in the event of a successful entry into the market.
Thus, 15% of purchased flowers remain unsold and are written off as losses. The markup on flowers is 200%, the markup on souvenirs is 100%. The cost of packaging is 5% of the bouquet sale.
Taking into account the purchase of goods, raw materials and supplies, the average monthly cost is 384,500 rubles.
The financial result for the first year of activity is presented in the table. The average net profit for the first year of operation is 121,000 rubles.
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The choice of plants for planting at the dacha is a very important stage, because the appearance of the dacha area, the amount of time spent caring for the flower beds, and the mood of the owners and guests visiting the country estate depend on their varietal diversity. To begin with, you should not get hung up on exotic species that are difficult to care for; it is better to choose several unpretentious, but vibrant representatives of the flora. Let's take a closer look at what flowers to plant in your dacha so that it turns into a cozy corner of paradise.
Many lovers of country holidays visit their dacha only on weekends, therefore, they need to choose flowers that require minimal care. In addition, plants must be able to withstand drought or, conversely, prolonged rain. If you plant capricious roses in more northern latitudes, they will require daily attention, so let’s consider options that quietly develop on their own, at least within a week.
Cheerful yellow and orange marigolds are undemanding when it comes to soil and atmospheric “gifts.” The only condition for their successful cultivation is a sunlit place, and this can be a patch in the middle of the lawn, a narrow flowerbed along the path, or containers hanging from the wall. Low varieties of marigolds are ideal for creating ridges or borders.
Bright, monochromatic marigolds look more elegant when surrounded by plants with decorative large leaves, for example, against the background of an ordinary or spotted hosta
Climbing, freedom-loving nasturtium is perfect for lightly shaded areas. It grows quickly, so it should be planted in areas with plenty of free soil. In order for the nasturtium bush to retain its shape and size for as long as possible, it is placed in a pot or small container. Early May is the best time to sow these pink, burgundy, lilac, yellow or variegated plants.
Imopoeia is distinguished by its large flowers, noticeable from afar, which can decorate both the wall of a house and a trellis specially constructed for it. Imopoeia loves support and has increased tenacity, so it can easily “pounce” on any object standing nearby - a bench, a tree, a corner of a house. These beautiful flowers with large buds love sunlight and organic fertilizers.
A special feature of growing nasturtium is the dosed application of fertilizers. A large amount of mineral substances will cause rapid growth of leaves, but will suppress the formation of inflorescences
Two or three varieties of imopoeia with buds of different shades, planted near a trellis, arch or trellis, look original and harmonious.
Perennials as a symbol of stability
If you don’t have time to annually change the composition of your flower beds and replant plants from place to place, it is better to stick to perennials, which, once rooted, will delight the eye for a long time. Recognized leaders among perennials are luxurious dahlias and fragrant peonies, which during their flowering turn flower beds into huge white-pink-red clouds.
Get ready for the aristocratic peony to decorate your area for 10 years or more. This dominant plant blooms vigorously throughout the summer, and the rest of the time its decorative function is performed by its dark, glossy greenery. Peonies are not capricious: in the fall it is enough to remove their above-ground part. There is no need to cover or wrap plants from frost so as not to damage the sprouts in the spring.
Dahlias are perfect for individual plantings, for group compositions, and even for creating lush arrays. They love places that are well lit by the sun but protected from the wind. One of the conditions for planting is moisture-intensive, fairly fertile soil, as well as moderate use of organic matter (manure). Dahlias bloom towards the end of summer, so flower beds can be supplemented with shorter plants.
The roots of dahlias need additional air flow: by regularly feeding and watering the flowers, it is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds
Unrivaled rustic style
The persistent smell of mint, herbs and slightly wild, unkempt flower beds - old childhood memories take us on a journey through the garden of our beloved grandmother, where colorful plants of unimaginable varieties merged into a single picture, which is now commonly called.
The center of the landscape, of course, is a lush rose bush, spreading a delicate soft aroma around itself. By choosing soil that is neutral in acidity, not over-moistened and fertile, you won’t have to think about renewal for the next 10 years. Timely planting, depending largely on the variety, regular hilling and fertilizing will help create a strong plant with large, noble buds. To give the bush a certain shape, additional pruning will be required.
It is best to prune roses in early spring. In climbing and climbing plants, old, dead shoots are removed, bushy stems are cut at a height of 20-30 cm above ground level
Tall delphiniums, reaching 2 meters, give the flowerbed a special lively flavor. Their slender stems soar upward, releasing many large, bright flowers, reminiscent of the inhabitants of the salty expanses - dolphins. The colors of different varieties of delphinium also correspond to the marine theme - from soft lilac to deep purple and sky blue. The most successful place to plant a plant is the center of a flower bed or an area along the wall of a high fence.
Delphinium is very difficult to grow as seedlings, so experts recommend dividing the bush and planting cuttings. A good period for breeding is early spring or August
Some varieties of violets are propagated by seeds; for others, green cuttings are more suitable, which is best done in early summer
Shade-tolerant varieties of flowers
Shaded garden corners often look monotonous, boring and neglected due to the persistent belief that nothing takes root there. In fact, there are many beautiful plants that can turn even the darkest area into a colorful clearing. These include both perennials and noble herbs, the main decorative element of which is variegated, striped, spotted and multi-colored leaves. Consider to revive them.
Moderate flowering plants
A short plant, lungwort, stands out against the background of greenery with its bright pink and blue flowers. The three most common species tolerate shade well: lungwort, Dacian and red lungwort. The plant is valued for its versatility and unpretentiousness: early spring flowering in the summer is replaced by decorative variegated leaves, which persist until the first snow. One individual is capable of developing and blooming for 30 years.
An excellent honey plant and medicinal plant, foxglove, also tolerates shade easily. The lack of sunlight does not prevent it from reaching a height of one and a half meters and scattering with juicy soft pink or snow-white buds. To turn a boring corner of the garden into a comfortable area for reading or relaxing, just put a bench and surround it with lush foxglove bushes - a gloomy place will come to life and sparkle with bright colors.
Foxglove seeds ripen towards the end of summer. The most viable seeds are found in capsules at the bottom of the stem, at the site where the first flowers appear.
Original ornamental grasses
Forest thickets and shady places near walls and fences are not afraid of garden ferns. Fern bushes and shade-tolerant plants form beautiful green compositions that can decorate a garden, a recreation area, and a local area. The most popular varieties of fern are: maidenhair, leaf fern, multi-row fern, ostrich fern, and nomadic fern.
The fern easily reproduces by spores, which are best sown in early spring. The optimal soil for planting is a mixture of fertile forest soil and peat.
A garden wouldn’t be complete without the prima donna of shady areas – hostas, the different varieties of which set the mood of the lower tier. Inexpressive flowering is compensated by the beauty and nobility of exquisite leaf blades, which can be decorated with wide white stripes, marble stains, large specks or a bluish-violet edging.
Perennial hostas feel great for several seasons in one place, so the soil occasionally needs to be dug up, fertilized and mulched
A summer cottage is a great place to experiment and implement your own ideas. To turn a gloomy area into a positive and rosy place of relaxation, it is enough to plant a flower bed near the porch or arrange a small flower garden in the garden - the choice of its content is up to the owners.
Do you feel like you have an entrepreneurial spirit, but don't know what to sell or where to start? How do you feel about it? Flowers are a very popular product, and even more so on holidays: on these special days the markup reaches 300% (men are now in a fever, but they are still willing to overpay in order to please their better halves). And there is no need to spend money on interior decoration - the product itself creates a charming atmosphere. Why not an enterprise for aesthetes?
However, the flower business is not as simple as it seems at first glance. But, moving away from the sad topic, it is better to start with life-affirming statistics: according to experts, the capacity of the flower market in Russia is more than 1.2 billion dollars a year.
And even without various statistics, it is clear, you just need to look into the flower pavilion, especially on holidays, that flowers are the most popular product.
However, at the same time, it is also perishable. Therefore, you need to order the first, and a couple of subsequent batches, in a limited volume - until you become thoroughly imbued with this business. But let's look at everything in order.
How to start a flower business
The smart ones will start by trying to start their flower business by renting a place in the city market or in close proximity to busy intersections. The best option would be the city center, where there are a large number of office centers. This beginning is especially relevant for those who have little experience and even less starting capital. And don’t forget about the numerous officials, heads of departments, directors who also “want to eat”... But let’s not go deeper and just figure out how to start a flower business.
You have collected all the necessary documents, registered your individual entrepreneur, found a suitable place - that’s it, you can start your desired flower business! Beginning entrepreneurs prefer the least risky, but at the same time low-profit path - daily (or at intervals of two or three days) purchasing the required batch of flowers from wholesale resellers. But in this way, you still risk receiving a low-quality product (broken stems, withered buds), and considering each flower separately for relatively large volumes of purchases, and even in packaging, is a completely unthinkable idea.
Yes, and you can store flowers for several days, so if you don’t know how to distinguish a high-quality product from a low-quality one, consider that you wasted your money. Considering the fragility of flowers, a novice entrepreneur is recommended to limit himself to a batch of the most popular flowers - roses - and the most durable and unpretentious - carnations and chrysanthemums. The daily revenue of such a tent is about 5,000 rubles, and if the location is good, it can reach up to 10 thousand. In this situation, if funds do not hold back, immediately take a swing at the flower pavilion. Here the range is wider, there are more opportunities, and a flower business organized in this way will bring more profit. Depending on the location, a flower salon can earn from one to two thousand dollars daily.
To do this, you will need an area of at least 50 m2, on which you can place a sales area and a small warehouse.
Since storage conditions for flowers are critical, you should not skimp on equipment. The room must be air-conditioned, maintaining the required temperature, and you also need to acquire a gastronomic refrigerator for freshly cut flowers ($1,500-2,000).
Don't forget about shelving in the sales area (starting at $100 per piece) and minimal office equipment. It is best to immediately think about a workplace for the florist (about $500) and purchase special materials, even that banal packaging, which should be of various types and in large quantities.
Anyone involved in the flower business is unlikely to overestimate the role of the florist. But finding a professional is not so easy - training for florist courses in Moscow will cost several thousand dollars, so if you came to the flower business at the call of your heart, then the best option would be to take the courses yourself - and you will understand better in the design of bouquets, and you will be able to exercise control over the quality of services.
If the space of the flower salon allows, you can sell not only freshly cut flowers, but also potted flowers, all kinds of ceramics, fertilizers and other things.
And, naturally, the presence of a small warehouse with optimal temperature conditions, which will make it possible to significantly extend the life of the product, together with growing turnover, will make it possible to significantly increase purchase quantities, and therefore the need for the services of many wholesalers disappears - now you can independently contact the manufacturer or that easier - to local greenhouse farms, and, of course, to importers.
The assortment of flowers, as well as pricing, in a flower salon differs in many ways from the tent option. First of all, you should immediately reject the cheapest positions.
On the one hand, one cannot help but rejoice at the growing solvency of the average buyer, and on the other hand, the demands and demands of clients are simultaneously growing. And your business will compete not so much on price, but on the service provided.
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Expand the range of services provided
In order for your flower business to give you more, you can practice delivering bouquets: this way you will create additional convenience for clients, you will be able to cooperate with design companies, wedding salons, and provide phytodesign services to corporate clients. Especially keep in mind that the flower business is a prime example of a seasonal business, and in the low season (in winter, for example), related services will help partially cover the decline.
So use your imagination and start looking for specialists, because at this stage they are a significant competitive advantage. Therefore, in addition to growing profits, be prepared to increase expenses in the direction of the wage fund, separate allocations of funds for advertising, expenses for attending various courses and exhibitions - in order to constantly maintain the required professional level.
You also need to pay rent from time to time, the amount of which in a good location is by no means small, and at the same time it would be nice to start making basic investments in interior decoration.
After all these nuances, it is not surprising that, according to entrepreneurs who own such salons, the flower business pays for itself no earlier than in a year and a half.
But for the purpose of insurance and reducing overhead costs, you can simultaneously open more than one flower retail outlet. Moreover, it is not necessary to open a flower pavilion or salon; you can still use the same trade tents with which the business began. In this way, you can cover various trade niches.
And if you are a high-flying bird with Barbarossa plans, feel free to purchase a plot of land and run your flower business on a grand scale, at the same time grow flowers in greenhouse conditions. From just one hundred square meters you can collect more than a thousand gladioli or tulips per year. There would be a desire...And money.
But you can start with a modest tent and a day’s supply of goods.
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How to open your own flower shop
The flower business provides three types of retail sales points:
- flower pavilion (freshly cut flowers and bouquets are for sale);
- flower shop (the assortment of freshly cut flowers is complemented by potted plants, fertilizer, ceramics);
- floristry salon (provide interior design services, event decoration, landscape design, etc.).
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Flower shop and pavilion
The number of sales fluctuates depending on the number of holidays and the season. From February, sales volumes begin to grow, reaching their peak by March 8. For this reason, experts recommend starting a business early, in December, in order to meet the New Year holidays and approach World Women's Day with a client base. Cut flowers (freshly cut flowers) account for 60% of the sales structure. The remaining 40% falls on the department of potted plants and ceramics. And in the spring you can introduce plant seeds and planting material into the assortment.
The flower pavilion can be placed next to the road, close to public transport stops. It is more profitable to locate a store in areas with high traffic; choose a location close to residential buildings, office centers, and with convenient parking. 20 m2 is quite enough for a flower shop, but then a refrigerator for storing cuttings must be installed directly in the sales area. If the room occupies 50 m2, then it is possible to create utility rooms. Then the hall itself is allocated 30 m2, 5-10 m2 for the refrigeration chamber, and the rest of the space will be used for a small warehouse for related products.
The main “flower” place in Moscow is the Riga Market on Mira Avenue. The main format of trade is small wholesale (less than ten roses per person are not sold here). Therefore, a significant proportion of buyers are resellers who deliver flowers to stalls in residential areas. Florist shops also make purchases here.
This season's hit is “rainbow” multicolor roses from Ecuador. Every second stall on the Riga market sells them.
Most of the roses are brought from Ecuador and Kenya. But there are also Russians - from the Moscow region, Tula region and Krasnodar region. Prices for roses start from 25 rubles. According to entrepreneurs' forecasts, tents will achieve an average monthly turnover during the March holidays.
Where do traders get flowers?
Foreign flowers reach Russian shelves in several ways, says Anatoly Pukhno, owner of the Florelia wholesale company. These are direct purchases from plantations in Africa and Latin America, purchases from brokers in Europe, or repurchases from wholesalers in Russia.
“The cheapest thing to buy is from plantations; there are thousands of them in Ecuador,” says Pukhno. But the plantations dictate their own terms of purchase - for example, they can sell only 50% of red roses and 50% of yellow ones, the businessman explains.
“You can buy different varieties from brokers, who themselves buy flowers from the plantations, package them and sell them with a markup of a few cents to wholesalers,” says Pukhno.
To order flowers in large quantities (the minimum order is from 400 to 800 pieces, depending on the variety, according to the website of the supplier company Ecuador Flowers), market traders join together in a pool, says Olga Shvedova, the owner of one of the capital’s flower shops.
However, gray schemes still work. “Flowers from Holland, and all our chrysanthemums are from there, are imported under the guise of Italian products. Dutch boxes are marked “made in Italy,” says RBC’s interlocutor, who works in a small wholesale company. For the scam to be successful, it is only necessary for a Rosselkhoznadzor employee to confirm that the products actually came from the country indicated in the documents, and for the customs officer to accept the documents.
For adherents of domestic products, the option of purchasing from Russian nurseries is possible. The share of Russian flowers on the market is still very small. According to Global Research Consulting, in 2015, flowers grown in Russia accounted for 12% of the market.
According to Anatoly Pukhno, Russian rose growers take cuttings from well-known European varieties, but give them new names, thus avoiding the need to pay royalties. “This makes them cheaper to produce and also frees them from the obligation to comply with the quality standards adopted for each “international” variety,” says the businessman.
How is the price of a flower determined?
The price depends on the length of the stem and the size of the bud, plus delivery and intermediary fees. If in Kenya they ask for 15-20 American cents (9-12 rubles) for a freshly cut rose, then in a Moscow flower salon it will cost 80-100 rubles.
The Flowers Ecuador company (not to be confused with Ecuador Flowers) sets the price for a red rose of the Freedom variety, 50 cm high, at 15-18 rubles. ($0.25). Delivery to Russia increases the price to 33 rubles. On the market, such a flower will cost about 50 rubles.
Roses with a stem length of more than 80 cm of the same variety Freedom are sold in Ecuador for 30 rubles. ($0.4-0.5). With delivery to Russia, their price increases to 50-55 rubles. At the Riga market they are sold for 80-90 rubles. In retail stores the price can reach up to 150 rubles.
The Russian wholesale company "Azalea" is ready to supply the Ecuadorian rose Freedom, 50 cm high, for 58 rubles. wholesale or for 97 rub. retail. For an 80-centimeter flower the price will increase to 78 and 129 rubles. respectively.
The Chekhovsky Garden nursery sells roses with a height of 50 cm at a price of 36 to 57 rubles. a piece. And the price for roses above 80 cm starts from 60-74 rubles, as follows from the prices published on the company’s official website.
Who makes money from flowers in Russia?
The flower market in Russia is quite competitive - none of the players has a share of more than 10%. Large players have annual revenues exceeding RUB 500 million.
The largest wholesalers in terms of revenue, according to Eventis Consulting estimates, are the Yekaterinburg company Uraltorgservice (revenue in 2015 - 3.2 billion rubles, 7% of industry-wide revenue) and Oasis-Flower (2.1 billion rubles, 4.5%). These companies have one co-owner - Vusal Veliyev (owns 100% of Oasis-Flower and 50% of Uraltorgservice). He has been in the flower business since 1995 and during this time he created a company that supplies flowers to many Russian regions.
Another major player in the wholesale market was the Moscow Flower Trading Company (revenue - 2.7 billion rubles in 2015), but it was liquidated in 2016.
Among the retailers, the largest are Arman Pizuri, registered in the Moscow region (turnover - 601 million rubles in 2015, 1.4%) and the St. Petersburg group of companies Tsvetopttorg (comparable).
The owners of Tsvetopttorg, Mikhail and Roman Shvartsman, like Veliyev, started the flower business from scratch. For many years the company operated as a wholesale company, but in 2007 the owners decided to turn the warehouses into cash & carry retail outlets. The company has a share of about 40% in the St. Petersburg market.
The growth of domestic production is facilitated by the commissioning of a number of greenhouse projects, however, the main investors in this business are non-core, flowers for them are mostly an experiment and a side business.
One of these non-core investors is co-owner of the Magnit network, multimillionaire Alexey Bogachev (78th place in Forbes magazine’s “Russia’s Richest Businessmen” ranking with a net worth of $950 million). He began investing in the construction of flower greenhouses back in 2004. The first harvest of 7 million roses brought in $6 million in 2006.
The area of the greenhouses of the Yug-Agro plant owned by Bogachev, according to the general director of the company Sergei Kurenev, is 16 hectares. The plant sells its products to wholesale customers in the Krasnodar Territory, and also supplies them to the Stavropol and Rostov regions, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and Samara. You can only buy roses at the plant in large wholesale - buy half a truckload (35 thousand pieces).
Other large domestic projects for industrial flower growing are “New Holland” (four greenhouses of 3 hectares each in the Leningrad region with a productivity of more than 27 million flowers per year) and the Mokshansky greenhouse complex in the Penza region (comparable).
The largest flower producer in the capital region is the Rose Garden company - its greenhouses are located in the Kaluga region, 150 km from Moscow. The company is developing its own retail network under the Opttsvettorg brand (about 30 stores in Moscow).
RBC asked ministries and services about who and how regulates the Russian flower market and whether Russians complain about high prices on the eve of the holidays
Mikhail Anshakov, Chairman of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights:
“We regularly receive complaints from consumers about price increases on the eve of holidays such as March 8th. But in this case we have no legal grounds to defend the interests of consumers. Only the Federal Antimonopoly Service can regulate prices for flowers in Russia. And even then only if the FAS proves that the price increase has signs of a cartel agreement. To establish a cartel conspiracy, serious grounds are needed and an investigation must be conducted. I doubt that the FAS will want to do this.
There are no mechanisms for regulating prices in the flower retail trade. The price is set by the seller. And government regulatory authorities have no right to interfere with pricing here. But it is impossible to prove a cartel agreement between flower retail outlets, when there are hundreds and thousands of them. There will be no prospects for such a case, even if the FAS initiates it.
Normal price regulation is market. Where there is competition, prices are optimal for consumers. In this case, consumers can only contact local authorities so that they create real competition. But using the example of Moscow, we now see that the situation is developing in exactly the opposite way: the market is being artificially compressed. Under Sobyanin (Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow - RBC), a huge number of stalls, including flower stalls, were demolished. Naturally, the competitive environment immediately deteriorated sharply.”
Ministry of Industry and Trade
“The Ministry of Industry and Trade treats flower trade like any other trade. We formulate state trade policy, and Russian entities implement it. But price (cartel) collusion - this applies to the Federal Antimonopoly Service, weak competition (few retail outlets) - to the subjects, few flowers - to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The retail market is far from monopolistic. If this is not so, our colleagues from the FAS will correct us. The only measure restraining price growth is the developed multi-format trade. The more retail facilities there are, the lower the prevailing market retail prices are. Consequently, regional authorities can influence prices, both by developing permanent flower trade and by opening thematic seasonal trade in the form of non-stationary or mobile retail facilities. Including those working directly from agricultural producers.”
Answer: press service
Federal Antimonopoly Service:
“Prices for flower products are set by market participants independently and are subject to fluctuation during periods of high demand. No price collusion was identified in the flower products market. If complaints are received from manufacturers and consumers of products from this product market, the FAS Russia will conduct an inspection and, if violations are identified, will take antimonopoly response measures.”
Answer: press service
Department of Trade and Services of the City of Moscow
“On the eve of March 8, numerous resellers and flower sellers appear in the city, implementing “non-sanction.” They are located near metro stations, train stations, railway platforms, public transport stops, on the streets, in places with the greatest concentration of pedestrians. Responsibility for carrying out trade and providing services outside specially designated places is provided for by the Code of Administrative Offenses of the City of Moscow (Article 11.13). In particular, fines are imposed on violators: in the amount of 2.5 thousand to 5 thousand rubles. — for citizens, from 5 thousand to 10 thousand rubles. — for officials, from 50 thousand to 200 thousand rubles. - for legal entities.
The Department of Trade is conducting its raids to identify points of sale of “unauthorized goods” with the participation of employees of the Moscow police, metro, prefectures and city government, as well as representatives of the state institutions “Gormost” and “Transportation Organizer”.
Answer: press service
Rosselkhoznadzor:
“The participation of Rosselkhoznadzor in regulating the flower market consists only of monitoring these products. As a rule, imported and domestic flowers are checked for the presence of quarantine pests for Russia. If quarantine pests are detected, a decision is made regarding these flowers. Such flowers are unsafe for the country's agricultural industry and can cause economic damage to the state.
Currently, there are restrictions on the supply of all plant products of high phytosanitary risk from a number of countries: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, the Republic of Somalia, Nigeria, Syria. The lack of supplies of flowers from these countries does not in any way affect the flower market due to the fact that these countries previously either supplied these products to Russia in minimal quantities or did not supply them at all.”
Answer: press service
With the participation of Irina Parfentyeva, Anastasia Demidova, Alena Makhukova, Yulia Sapronova