Some consider blacksmithing to be very difficult and think that you can become a blacksmith only by graduating from a special educational institution. But in reality everything is much simpler. In order to learn blacksmithing, it is enough to have desire and physical strength, and a diploma is not at all necessary. True, going to work as a blacksmith is unprofitable and not promising, since your earnings in this case will be only 20% of the profit received by the enterprise.
Business organization
The best option is to open your own forge. You can locate your enterprise in a workshop at a factory or in a small production facility. The area of the room must be at least 10 square meters. m, in this case you will not have to redevelop it. The only thing that will need to be done is to build a chimney for the forge. You can't do without this at the forge. Once you find a suitable premises, you need to purchase all the necessary tools and equipment.
Investments in organizing this business are relatively small - from 10 to 40 thousand dollars. To rent a workshop you will need to pay about 200 rubles per month per sq. m. m of area, which, in principle, is not so much, but the bulk of the funds required to organize a forge will be spent on the purchase of equipment (we will discuss which ones further).
You can choose individual entrepreneur registration as an organizational and legal form, of course, if you do not plan to carry out orders for legal entities. In this case, it is necessary to organize an LLC. Coordination of the premises with the fire service requires special attention, since work with open fire is expected.
Organization of delivery of the finished product to the client and provision of additional services
When the product has already been completed, it is necessary to notify the customer that the product is ready. Next, depending on which delivery method the customer has chosen, it is necessary to deliver the finished product. At first, your clients will be residents of your region. This means that you can carry out the transfer in two ways: pickup or delivery over short distances. The main thing to remember is that the delivery employees are the faces of the blacksmith shop, who should leave a good impression of you. You will not have another chance to impress the customer and make him a regular customer.
Arranging a room for a forge
A forge business plan is a document according to which the project will be implemented. If we talk about the requirements for the premises for this type of activity, then first of all it should be noted that it should be spacious and bright. The ceiling height should be at least three to four meters with a total area of 40 square meters. m.
The main equipment of a forge is a one- or two-fire forge. It is necessary to equip a chimney for it. An anvil is installed at a distance of one and a half or two meters from the forge, and a vice is placed a little further from it. Along with the forge structure, it is necessary to install boxes for water, which is needed for hardening or cooling the tool.
The blacksmith tool should be in a convenient place. You can hang it on the wall or equip a special stand for it. Drilling machines, steel movable goats, lever shears, a pneumatic hammer - all this will help the master create high-quality blacksmith products.
Forge equipment
Forging equipment can be divided into basic and additional. The main equipment is, for example, a vice, of which there should be several of different sizes. The anvil is the main thrust tool. Her weight, on average, is one hundred kilograms. High carbon steel is mainly used to make anvils. There are one-horned and two-horned anvils. The forge is another important component of the forge. This tool is needed for heat treatment of metal.
In addition to the basic equipment, you will also need hand tools: sledgehammers, hammers, chisels, and so on. A business plan for a forge must necessarily include a complete list of necessary equipment and tools. You also need a welding machine in the forge. It should be noted that the costs of staffing the enterprise will be significant. And more specifically:
- small and large vices - 5 and 15 thousand rubles apiece, respectively (you will need two or three of them of different sizes);
- anvil - 50-60 thousand rubles;
- forge - 40 thousand rubles (however, to save money, you can make it yourself).
Hand tools are inexpensive and are available on the market in a wide range, so there will be no problems here.
Blacksmithing as a business is impossible without a spray gun for painting workpieces. Today there is a wide range of forging equipment on the market. Therefore, there should not be any special difficulties in acquiring it.
Attachments - tools
The most expensive of the instruments is the forge.
It is not without reason that it is called the heart of the forge, because without heating the metal to a certain temperature, only a small number of operations can be done with it.
The forge is the main element in the forge
The forge costs about 100 thousand rubles, and can run on both solid fuel: charcoal and coal, and gas. It is best to purchase a combination one.
You can do it yourself, then it will cost about 15 thousand rubles, but this requires “golden hands”. Moreover, such a “homemade” instrument will still be worse than a factory one. It is recommended to purchase a voltage regulator for your homemade forge, as this will allow you to save on fuel consumption. It should be remembered that the simpler the forge, the more difficult it is to forge such expensive items as knives and swords. Another expensive device is an electric hammer.
Its price reaches 200 thousand rubles.
Of course, at first you can do without it, but most likely, while learning how to open a forge,
you have already learned that you will not be able to make some products and will lose to your competitors. A good option is to buy a used electric hammer, then it will cost you about 70 thousand rubles. The next largest part of the forge is the anvil. It is recommended that it weighs 100 kg or more. You can buy a used anvil for 10-15 thousand rubles. Sometimes this is even better, because the steel in the old Soviet anvils is excellent, but the new Chinese ones will very soon become covered with dents.
You can save a lot on the anvil by making it from rails. Costs start from 500 rubles, and the steel is very good. If you're very lucky, you can find a piece of rail for free. Just note that not a single serious forge has such an anvil, so the solution should be considered as temporary. Vices cost about 17 thousand rubles, the cheaper and smaller they are, the fewer capabilities they have - this is logical. A drilling machine will cost you 15 thousand rubles, an angle grinder 6-7 thousand rubles.
But a hammer and tongs, the tools with which the blacksmith’s profession is directly associated, are not that expensive.
A hammer can be purchased for 2-3 thousand, a set of pliers from 5 and above.
If you already know how to forge a little, then you can try to make pliers yourself. You can also look for these tools in a tech dump. Blacksmithing has always been a beautiful and sought-after craft.
Current costs are low compared to the initial ones. For the forge you need: steel (12x12 or 14x14 square) - from 25 thousand rubles. per ton, charcoal - from 6 to 12 thousand rubles. per ton, paint for coating finished products 60 thousand rubles. per ton, electricity. We figured out how to open a forge and how much money it will take.
A blacksmith's salary is usually 20% of the goods he produces. The auxiliary workers are paid a small salary. At first, it is better for auxiliary workers to be on their own in order to understand all the intricacies of the blacksmith’s craft. Also, fixed costs may include the maintenance of vehicles (if any) and advertising costs. As a rule, the blacksmith business differs in advertising from other areas. The main advertising of products takes place at festivals: music, ethnic, folk crafts.
You can display examples of work at construction markets and shopping centers. Word of mouth is very important in attracting a client. Some good forges receive orders only thanks to him. But advertising in Yandex.Direct or on social networks is almost never used at this time. It may be worth experimenting with the Internet and high technology to attract new customers.
Making stained glass
A forge as a business is a very promising and profitable enterprise, especially if you combine metal forging and stained glass making. In this case, you need to supplement the equipment set with glass cutters and a stove. It doesn't matter what kind of glass you use to make your products. It can be both Chinese and domestic.
Masters
When developing a business plan for a forge, do not forget about the requirements for employees. The minimum staff of such an enterprise should consist of two people: a chief foreman and his assistant. It is also advisable to hire a qualified welding specialist who will assemble the finished products.
Finding good blacksmiths is not easy; this is the main problem of this type of activity. In serious forges, in addition to workers, there is also an artist on staff who creates sketches of future products. He also designs all the decorative elements.
A business plan for a forge should be carefully thought out and reflect the purpose of your project and the type of products being manufactured. It should include information about the requirements for the premises, the number of workers, the type of ventilation, production capacity and other important points. The production technology of the products should also be considered in a separate section.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
In conclusion, I would like to give a couple of tips for beginning entrepreneurs in this area:
- By opening a business with friends, you are deliberately taking the step of reducing productivity at work, since non-work relationships make subordination impossible.
- When calculating the cost of an order, it is necessary to take into account all cost items, not forgetting about coal or gas, electricity, primer, paint, patina and delivery.
- Post information about your activities on free resources, message boards and get to know potential customers as much as possible. Drive around your area and knock on private houses without feeling any embarrassment, because this is what your income depends on. Once we realized this, things took off.
- Customers often don’t know what exactly they want and when, they just sit at their dachas and dream of a beautiful canopy, bench, railing or garden decor. Offer your services, make a folder with sketches or photos of products that you can make (for starters, you can download them from the Internet).
- Everyone makes mistakes at the beginning, and it is better to be two months late than to do it poorly. A quality product is your word of mouth. The delay will quickly be forgotten, but the product will remain.
Product consumption
Blacksmithing products are made from iron. From one ton of material you can get about six hundred small metal products. Based on the calculation that the cost of one square meter of forging is about one hundred and fifty dollars, from one ton of material you can earn up to 20 thousand dollars. You need to negotiate with a supplier of quality raw materials and become a regular customer. In this case, you can count on discounts for bulk purchases and thus reduce the cost of products, which means increasing the profitability of your business.
But in principle, the profitability of a business depends on the number of completed orders. Forge products are highly durable, their service life is calculated for centuries. Therefore, this business is considered very profitable. If your activity is successful, then the invested funds will pay off within a year (taking into account that your monthly profit will be approximately three thousand dollars). But the blacksmith business also has its negative sides - seasonality. That is, this profitable business will not bring profit all year round. In the period from November to March, earnings decrease significantly.
Benefits of a blacksmith business
Forged products and accessories are quite in demand today in our country. The use of such products in the design of the facade of a building, in landscape design or in the overall interior creates a feeling of a magical and original atmosphere.
Artistic forging looks equally harmonious in the decor of a country house or plot, and in the design of office buildings. You can use elements of artistic forging in the manufacture of furniture, on fences, and canopies over the entrance. In general, anywhere. Such products are very expensive. Therefore, with a competent approach to organizing a blacksmith business, you can receive a stable and high income.
Enterprise advertising
The easiest way to advertise your services is on your own website. You will be able to post photos of products, which will attract potential customers. Additionally, you can order advertising in the media and print flyers. Be sure to have a portfolio of your best work and best-selling products so that customers can get an idea of your capabilities.
You must show that you can make exclusive items, such as spiral staircases, chandeliers, table legs, candle holders, fireplace sets, etc. Wealthy people often prefer to decorate their homes with original and well-crafted items, and you must demonstrate your commitment fulfill complex orders.
“Talking” signs with forging elements work well - such things are memorable and attract attention to the enterprise.
Let's sum it up
Artistic forging and production of blacksmith products is a promising and profitable business. If highly qualified professionals work in your forge, and the quality of your products is at a high level, then all the funds invested in organizing the business will pay off quite quickly. If you plan to combine artistic forging with stained glass making, then you can be guaranteed success and a stable income.
Therefore, running a blacksmith business is not so difficult and quite profitable. In addition, all efforts and expenses will be justified. It is only important to carefully think through even the smallest details and thoroughly approach the organization of the business: take into account all the requirements for the premises, purchase high-quality tools and find professional and experienced blacksmiths for the work. This approach will provide you with demand for your products and stable profits.
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