The bottled water business industry has been steadily growing all across the world. This is due to a plethora of reasons which vary from place to place. For instance, big beverage companies have diversified into bottled water as one of their products over the years. Due to their wide reach it means bottled water has increasingly become more available than ever before. In some parts of the world the surge in mineral water businesses has been triggered by lack of access to clean and reliable water. Thus for drinking purposes or other related uses people there now prefer to use bottled water. Another interesting factor is global warming which has seen temperatures getting much higher in most parts of the world. This has resulted in the increased demand for commercially produced mineral water. Bottled water offers convenience and tends to taste better. Plus there is general perception that bottled water is safer. That is why starting a bottled water business can pay off immensely. All this is meant to show you that starting a bottled water business is a noble idea. This article will outline how to start a bottled water business, and the bottled water business plan (PDF, Word & Excel).
Market Research
The most important aspect you will look at here is finding out about existing players to draw insights from them. The market for bottled water is usually available anywhere but it is important to know of any competitors beforehand. Your focus will be to learn how they conduct their businesses paying particular attention to scale of operation, water sources, processing methods, target clients, pricing, marketing approaches and so on. Knowing these things will be central to your ultimate unique selling point. Things like packaging and pricing can put you over your competitors if well considered. As much as many players already exist and more are entering the bottled water business field, there is always a market segment that is unattended or insufficiently attended. Thus it essential to have a detailed mineral water business before you start.
Location, Premises And Equipment
In your choice of location of the purified water business, there are some considerations that you should make. Since any bottled water business entails the need to have a seamless distribution framework, it is a factor to consider. This means you must chose a location connected to strategic road networks for easy accessibility to clients and suppliers and the ultimate distribution of the bottled water. How secure is the location you are choosing – that is another important factor to consider. What about availability of water supply? Proximity to prospective clients, suppliers and human resources is also very vital. The mineral water business plan should include the costs of purchasing or leasing the premises.
The core thing you must work on from the onset is a water treatment plant. Some of the basic inclusions are bottling machines, filling machines, purification and treatment machines, labelling machines and a water source eg a borehole. The specific equipment you need will depend on the water purification methods you are going to use for your business. For example if you decide to purify water using reverse osmosis, that means you will require reverse osmosis machinery. Water storage tanks are also required. The costs of all the equipment should be catered for in your purified water business plan.
Types Of Bottled Water
There are different types of bottled water. In fact, there is still an evolution that is leading to the emergence of new types of bottled water. Your bottled water business plan should outline the type of water you are selling.
Mineral Water
This is water comprising of substantial amounts of dissolved minerals. Some of those minerals are calcium, sodium, and magnesium. Typically the water would have also gone through certain processes such as aeration or filtration. Note that there are strictly no chemical processes involved here. This water would have been sourced from some underground source. There must be ascertained and provable pollution-free qualities regarding the source. Most importantly, the water must have certain stipulated minerals in certain prescribed concentrations. That is what can earn it the label of ‘mineral water’.
Spring Water
This is water that would have been sourced from a spring. It is important to note that most of what is termed spring water is not from springs. It is usually a marketing gimmick and the water is often just tap water. Thus if you are going to sell spring water it must truly be from a spring. People often use ‘mineral water’ and ‘spring water’ interchangeably. This is because there are some similarities. Often time the distinction is that spring water is specifically sourced from a spring.
Purified Water
This is water that would have undergone a number of purification processes. These purification processes will be meant to get rid of chemical and solid contaminants. The original source of the water can be tap water or ground water. The common purification processes involved are filtration, reverse osmosis, and distillation, amongst others.
Sparkling Water
This can also be called soda water; it is also known as carbonated water. When you drink it feels as if you are drinking a fizzy drink. That is why some call it fizzy water. It is also commonly known as club soda. Sparkling water is a result of infusing water with carbon dioxide under pressure.
Flavoured Water
This is water that would have had natural or artificial flavors added to it. The flavors can be added as one or as a blend of several flavors. They are usually fruit flavors e.g. lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, mint, and blackberry, amongst others.
Staff And Management
This depends on the scale of operations and level of sophistication of your purified water business. Anything from 6 employees going up will do for a small-scale factory. The idea is there are pertinent areas that needed to be manned e.g. management, production, financial management, sales, distribution, and housekeeping amongst other areas. Your bottled water business plan should cater for the wages and employees of all your employees.
Customer Segmentation
Primary Usage
Customer segmentation for the bottled water production business is informed by several variables. For example, the primary usage of the bottled water can give an idea. Bottled water can be for everyday use, it can be sporting use, or it can be travel. These examples translate into customers segments with specific needs or preferences.
Type Of Bottled Water
Customer segments are also a function of the type of bottled water in question. For instance, in many places the most consumed type of bottled water is purified water. Consumption dynamics for the different types of bottled water helps you understand the customer segments.
Distribution Channel
People purchase their bottled water from different outlets. Maybe they purchase from supermarkets or shops. Zoning in on one you can know whether or not they buy in bulk. There will be much to learn about customer segments by looking into the various distribution channels.
Marketing Plan
Bottled water is the easiest to market. You just have to ensure your bottled water is properly branded. The best marketing strategy is to get your bottled water in front of as many people as possible. Avail it to commercial buildings, have it used at all sorts of events. You can target hospitality and catering outlets. Target wellness and fitness centres. Sporting events are also a strategic focus. Find ways to sell your purified water there or promote it through those locations. Sponsor worthy causes by donating free bottled water. Have it sold in supermarkets and shops. Consider traders especially street vendors, where applicable. These people can push your mineral water brand faster, far, and wide. In principle, have a wide distribution network so that people see your bottled water brand everywhere. Consider working with social media influencers and even celebrities if possible. Build a website and have active social media accounts to publicize your bottled water brand. Leverage on print and electronic media as well. A proper marketing strategy should be included in your bottled water business plan.
Approaches For Bottled Water Business
Regarding bottled water there two types of service providers, namely, large-scale and small or medium scale. The large scale ones tend to be companies already established like Coca Cola as an example. This can be an approach to take i.e. starting large-scale but this is not a smart move because it is costly. Most preferably you must start small or medium scale by targeting reasonably-sized markets e.g. small towns. Then depending on the performance of the bottled water business you scale up operations in due course. In order to push sales there is a unique strategy one can use for their bottled water. You can always have an eye out for big events such entertainment or corporate events. You go ahead and pitch up an idea to supply them with custom-labelled bottled water. Many people will jump onto that since it would give an exclusive flare to an event. In terms of sales you can also enter working agreements with big clients such as food outlets, hospitality spots (e.g. hotels, spars) and so on. This will be strategic in that you guarantee a steady and consistent flow of repeat purchases.
Do not be hesitant to start a mineral water business because it is not that difficult to start one. The demand for bottled water is very high and will always be so you can always carve out your own niche. Just adhere to strict codes of quality assurance and integrity – do not be one of those frauds who package unsafe water as bottled water yet it is neither treated nor purified. It is wise to take insurance cover and to make sure you have all the required certification or licenses that might be mandatory. Find out about this from local authorities, health inspection boards, environmental agencies and the like. Packaging and pricing are crucial but to top it off you must have a robust and active marketing strategy using all available channels.
Pre-Written Bottled Water Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel): Comprehensive Version, Short Funding/Bank Loan Version and Automated Financial Statements
For an in-depth analysis of the bottled water manufacturing business, we encourage you to purchase our well-researched and comprehensive bottled water business plan. We introduced the business plans after discovering that many were venturing into the purified water business without enough knowledge and understanding of how to run the business, lack of understanding of the financial side of the business, lack of understanding of : the industry, the risks involved , costs and profitability of the business; which often leads to disastrous losses.
The StartupBiz Global mineral water business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run your water bottling plant business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. This is a complete business plan for a packaged water business. It will be easier to plan and budget as you will be aware of all the costs involved in setting up and running the purified water business.
Uses of the Mineral Water Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The bottled water business plan can be used for many purposes including:
- Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
- Applying for a bank loan
- Start-up guide to launch your bottled water business
- As a mineral water business proposal
- Assessing profitability of the bottled water business
- Finding a business partner
- Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
- Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation
Contents of the Bottled Water Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The business plan for purified water includes, but not limited to:
- Marketing Strategy
- Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortization)
- Industry Analysis
- Market Analysis
- Risk Analysis
- SWOT & PEST Analysis
- Operational Requirements
- Operational Strategy
- Why some people in the bottled water business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
- Ways to raise capital to start your bottled water business
The purified water business plan package consists of 4 files
- Bottled Water Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive Version – 101 Pages)
- Bottled Water Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive Version – 101 Pages)
- Bottled Water Business Plan Funding/Bank Loan Version- Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan/funding – 48 pages)
- Bottled Water Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel File)
The business plan can be used in any country and can be easily edited. The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg the costs, salaries etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change.
Click below to download the Contents Page of the Bottled Water Business Plan (PDF)
Get the Bottled Water Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
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The Pre-written business plan package (PDF, Word, and Excel) costs $30 only!
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The business plan package is a zipped compressed file containing the PDF, Word and Excel documents. To open the package after downloading it, just right click, and select Extract All. If you have any problems in downloading and opening the files, email us on shop@startupbizglobal.com and we will assist you.
We wish you the best in your bottled water business! Check out our collection of business plans , and more business ideas.
