Lawn sales and installation business
* The calculations use average data for Russia
From 230,000 ₽
Starting investments
30,000 ₽
Cost of 1 order
500,000 ₽
Net profit
From 3 months
Payback period
Phytodesign is called the business of the future. The business idea came to us from abroad and is new in Russia. This is a great chance to start a promising environmentally friendly business that brings high income to the owner.
Over the past few years, eco-consciousness has been actively gaining popularity in various spheres of life. The market happily accepts products that come with the attractive tag of “eco-friendly.” That is why the new idea of creating phytowalls not only took root in the business environment, but also received a response throughout the world, winning over its consumers.
It all started with the French botanist Patrick Blanc, who created vertical gardens on the boring walls of Parisian buildings. The idea of urban gardening was quickly picked up and successfully developed by entrepreneurs. The wave of popularity of vertical gardening swept across Western Europe, Asia, America and finally reached Russia. Today, phytowalls are know-how on the domestic market, which is rapidly gaining popularity. Several companies producing and installing phytowalls are already operating in Moscow and St. Petersburg. But in many large cities there are still no such companies. And this is a great chance to become the first in your city to implement a promising business idea.
Phytodesign on the external walls of buildings and indoors is rightly called the business of the future. After all, this is a kind of revolution in modern urban building design, which can bring nature back into urban space. Therefore, an organization for the creation, installation and maintenance of phytowalls is a promising business. What makes this idea especially attractive is the low level of competition on the Russian market.
When deciding to start a business, it is worth considering all its advantages and disadvantages. Table 1 shows that the niche has many advantages that make it worth investing in the business.
This type of entrepreneurship is more suitable for people who are interested in plants and design - botanists, landscape designers, decorators. In business, knowledge about which plants will take root best, how to select them and how to care for them will be useful. However, the most important thing is still the competent management of the organization, because professionals will be able to help you with the rest.
Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of business on phytowalls
Organizing a business on phytowalls is quite possible. Finding clients is always a difficult task, but in this case, the fashion for everything environmentally friendly will help you: today people, tired of the city, are striving for nature. To open a phytodesign business and achieve success, you need to carefully plan all your actions.
What are phytowalls and how to make money on them
City life forces us to spend almost all our time in the office or high-rise apartments. We miss nature, greenery and fresh air. That is why phytowalls have gained popularity all over the world, including in Russia. In addition, phytowalls are a laconic interior solution, which increases the number of fans of phytodesign.
What is phytowall? This is a structure made of metal or plastic profiles, into which narrow boxes with live indoor plants are mounted. The design is equipped with an irrigation system and a special tank with a timer for watering. Phytowall is not only a stylish solution for the interior. It, like indoor plants, makes the air cleaner and has a beneficial effect on the psychological state of those who are in the room with phytodesign. The technology for creating phytowalls allows you to design a wall of any shape and give the surface itself a different purpose. For example, phytodesign can become a covering for the main walls, both indoors and on the façade of a building; you can make partitions between rooms or create living pictures on a phytowall.
The variability of the use of phytodesign makes it a wide range of potential buyers. Who can become your client?
Main customers of phytowalls:
- Shopping centers who are interested in increasing trade turnover. Research in the US has shown that consumers are willing to spend 12% more in shopping centers that feature organic, natural design, which includes phytowalls.
Ready ideas for your business
- Large companies, seeking to decorate their office and increase employee productivity. In addition, phytodesign in the office adds status to the company and supports the topic of environmental responsibility, which many are now puzzled by.
- Catering, retail stores, public places, clubs. Phytowalls are used in interior design of cafes and restaurants, shops, beauty salons, as well as herbal bars in sports clubs and clinics.
- City authorities. Orders may come from the city administration for the improvement of government premises and urban space. It is important to note that in addition to the aesthetic effect, phytowalls can perform a camouflage and protective function: they hide cracks in the facade and also protect the walls from temperature changes.
- Private clients who want to decorate the interior of their home.
Most orders come from legal entities, which increases the reliability and profitability of the business. It will also be beneficial to cooperate with construction teams and interior designers, who can bring additional clients to you.
What elements and types of phytodesign exist? Phytowalls come from live, artificial and stabilized plants. These are different areas on which production technology, a range of services and their cost depend. Therefore, it is recommended to decide in advance on the direction of the phytobusiness. Also, at the initial stage, you should outline the list of services that your organization will provide. This could be the production of structures for phytowalls; installation and installation of phytowalls; maintenance of installed phytowalls. Ideally, an organization should provide a full range of services that will be convenient for the client and beneficial for the entrepreneur.
Let us consider in order all three types of work related to phytowalls
- Production of phytowall structures. This is the most difficult part of the business, since its organization requires equipment and special knowledge about production technologies. First of all, you should understand the technology of creating a phytowall in order to understand what tools and materials will be required for this. It won’t be a problem to assemble a phytowall at home - you can find detailed manuals on the Internet to figure out how everything works and how much materials are needed. Another way to understand the technology of creating a phytowall is to disassemble a finished wall from the manufacturing company. Such experience will allow you to quickly master the basics of technology and subsequently independently develop some design elements. As an additional service, we can offer the production of phyto-panels and phyto-pictures - unified portable structures in which plants develop hydroponically, i.e. in an artificial environment, without soil.
- Installation and installation of phytowalls. This is a simpler type of business, since it involves installing phytowalls from ready-made components that are purchased from the manufacturing company. Your task in this case is to find customers, deliver components to the customer’s address and install the phytowall. Installation of the structure includes filling the boxes with soil, planting plants and connecting an automatic watering system. For such activities, you will need a team of employees who need to be trained in all the intricacies of assembling a phytowall. You can cooperate with phytowall manufacturing companies by concluding an agreement with them to purchase and sell their products at prices below retail prices.
- Maintenance of installed phytowalls. This type of activity includes periodic inspection of the phytowall structure installed at the client, checking its fastenings and minor repairs. The service includes:
condition monitoring;
feeding plants using a nutrient solution;
spraying plants;
sanitary treatment of plant crowns (removal of dry, damaged leaves and branches);
treatment if necessary;
replacing plants if necessary;
measures for the prevention and control of pests and plant diseases;
plant treatment: removing dust from plant leaves, varnishing leaves.
In this case, it would be wise to enter into an agreement with the company that installs and installs phytowalls, so that their specialists recommend your service company. Investments are minimal - the purchase of plants and fertilizers, as well as the wages of specialists who service the phytowalls. But it is worth noting that a decent profit will appear only if you have several regular customers for monthly service. This type of activity is more suitable for large cities, where manufacturers and installers of phytowalls already operate
The simplest scheme for running a phytobusiness involves searching for suppliers of frames for phytowalls and suppliers of plants in order to install structures using existing elements.
The most profitable option for this business is a combination of services: the production of phytowalls, their installation at clients’ sites and plant care. But at the start, it is recommended to limit ourselves to the installation and maintenance of phytowalls. Finding a manufacturer of phytowalls is not a problem now. Having received detailed instructions from the manufacturer for installing phytowalls and recommendations for choosing specific plants, you can begin searching for clients.
What is the technology of production and installation of phytowalls?
Despite the fact that the phytowall looks like a bulky and complex structure, its assembly is quite simple once you understand it. The basis of the phytowall is a metal, wooden or plastic frame, which is installed at a distance of 5-8 cm from the wall. This frame holds boxes with soil and an irrigation system located next to each other. Plants of different types are planted in the ground, which the client can choose himself. To make choosing a phytocomposition easier, you can offer several ready-made solutions that meet different customer requirements.
In this business, there are many nuances associated with growing plants and the technology for installing the entire module. Firstly, when choosing plants, you should take into account various parameters: light, room temperature, etc. Secondly, you need to decide the issue of purchasing indoor plants: you can find reliable suppliers or grow plants yourself. The installation of the structure itself is not a difficult undertaking. The main task is to correctly build the frame of the phytowall. Since water will be supplied to the structure automatically, it is necessary to protect the wall from moisture getting on it. A PVC frame is suitable for this. The moisture-resistant frame is directly connected to the liquid container, which is supplied using an aquarium pump. For high-quality watering of all plants, it is necessary to correctly calculate the supply of water pressure in the system. To fully water plants in a wall to a height of 1 meter, the pump must be designed for 1.5 meters of operating pressure.
Money question: how much you need to invest and how much you can earn on phytowalls
One of the advantages of business on phytowalls was minimal investment. Let's calculate how much money it will take to start your own business:
Business registration- 10,000 rub.
Initial materials– 20,000 rub.
Salary to employees(1 landscape designer, 1 manager, 1 installer) - 100,000 rubles per month. But you can save on this type of expense when starting out by assigning several functions to 1 employee.
Thus, at the start you will need about 230,000 rubles. Now let's calculate the costs of producing phytowalls. For 1 sq. m. you will need:
- water collection tray– 300 rub.;
- aquarium pump and hoses– 400 rub.;
- PVC sheet– 600 rub.;
- indoor plants with soil– 1500 rub.
When organizing this business, it is very important to competently offer a service. After all, phytowalls are a relatively new product that many have not heard of. The customer must consciously come to the thought and decision about the need to install a phytowall. To do this, the advertising campaign should convey information about the benefits phytowalls bring. Table 2 presents the key points - generalized, for all types of premises, and for office premises.
Table 2. Advantages of installing phytowalls
|
Generalized |
Plants are the best indoor filter. The more plants, the more air! No matter how strange it may sound, the phytowall creates additional sound insulation from extraneous sounds behind the wall Plants require constant care, and this is a serious problem for many. Phytowalls are equipped with an automatic watering system, which makes the structure practically autonomous and simplifies the process of caring for plants. Phytodesign not only decorates the interior, but can also hide the imperfections of the walls: unevenness, flaws in the interior, etc. Zoning of space - a wall of living plants will perfectly replace screens and partitions |
|
For office |
Phytowall: Reduces the level of sick leave by an average of 3 times Significantly increases productivity levels Clears the air of toxic substances Reduces air conditioning costs by an average of 15% Increases employee loyalty and satisfaction Creates a favorable impression on visitors, increases customer and partner loyalty |
Where can you post this information to be heard and attract customers? Firstly, on your own website, where general information, examples of work in photos, a price list, contacts and a window for quickly placing an order will be presented. Various promotion tools will help here: banners, contextual advertising, Yandex Direct, etc. If you don’t want to spend money on a website, you can use a budget alternative – social networks. Creating a group in which you can display examples of work and communicate with potential clients will allow you to get maximum effect at minimal cost.
Ready ideas for your business
Participation in specialized exhibitions will also be effective, which will provide an opportunity to establish cooperation with companies that could become intermediaries for your products (design studios, architectural bureaus, etc.), as well as directly reach the end consumer.
Another promotion option is to install a free phytowall in the shopping center, which in itself will be an advertisement for your business. Don’t forget about printed materials – they are still an active promotion tool. Create attractive sales brochures or mini-catalogues. Distribute the material: by e-mail for corporate clients, in the mailboxes of residents of apartment buildings, in design studios, flower shops, etc.
What are the difficulties in starting a business on phytowalls?
It is worth keeping in mind that the business on phytowalls is quite specific and involves some difficulties.
Risk of low demand. Phytowalls are a relatively new type of service on the Russian market, so there is a risk of low demand. The difficulty is to convey to the client all the benefits of phytowalls and provide enough information for him to make a purchasing decision. This can be achieved through an active and thoughtful advertising campaign.
Error in choosing the project location. Still, vertical gardening is more suitable for large cities, where there are serious companies interested in your services, and people who want to introduce eco-motives into their living or working space. This risk can be avoided at the business planning stage.
Difficulties with the specifics of technology. In order to run this business, you need to have certain knowledge and skills. This leads to another problem – personnel selection. Today it is not so easy to find professional decorators or landscape designers willing to work on your modest terms. A way out of this situation may be to look for young specialists who do not have professional experience.
- Fourthly, due to the specificity of the service, there is a risk of insufficient demand. This risk is one of the most likely and can arise both due to the low solvency of demand and due to the unpopularity of the service itself. It is possible to reduce the risk with an active advertising policy, including various promotions and discounts, flexible pricing and favorable terms of cooperation.
Ready ideas for your business
If you are afraid to take risks and are not sure how well the business will take root in your city, test the business. To do this, it is enough to purchase ready-made phytowalls from the manufacturer for subsequent sale and maintenance. This will not entail significant expenses, nor will it bring much income. However, it will allow us to assess the market potential, demand for phytowalls in the region and business prospects. If everything goes well, then you can safely get down to business.
Checklist for starting a business creating and installing phytowalls
Let's summarize all of the above. As we found out, business on phytowalls is possible in several main options:
Production of phytowall structures
Installation and installation of phytowalls
Maintenance of installed phytowalls
The totality of all services (production, installation and maintenance).
The clients of companies involved in the production, installation and maintenance of phytowalls are mainly corporate clients, which makes the business more reliable and financially attractive.
Key figures:
Minimum amount to start- 230 thousand rubles.
Cost of one order: 30 thousand rubles.
Profit: 500 thousand rubles.
A short guide to starting a business on phytowalls suggests that to start your business you need:
Master the technology production/installation/maintenance of phytowalls;
Find material suppliers(frames, irrigation systems, plants);
Find first orders. This may mean offering lower prices or pursuing an active promotion policy. The main difficulties of business are related to the novelty of services, which requires the entrepreneur to “test the market” and take an active position in matters of promotion.