19 Tips to Start Water Treatment Business
Water Treatment Business:A water treatment business offers a lucrative way to improve the health and quality of life of consumers in your market.
The residential water treatment market is a multibillion Naira industry that has grown and diversified over the years.
As water softeners, media filtration systems and carbon filters are common fixtures in Nigerian homes.
But operating a water treatment business presents some specific challenges.
Some states require that you be a licensed contractor to operate a water conditioning or treatment business.
1. Water Treatment Business:Items you will need
- Contractor’s license
- Contractor’s insurance bond
- General liability insurance
- Business license
- Business cards
- Start-up funding
2. Water Treatment Business:Get a business plan:
A business plan is like the frame work of the business.
It involves all the steps you will need.
To take to get your business from the idea state to a physical money making business.
The first thing in your business plan should be your Company’s mission statement.
In this business, you mission statement can be to provide your customers with the best purified water they can get anywhere.
The other things that should be contained in your business idea include; capital requirement.
Needed to run the business, location of the business.
Licenses and permits you need to obtain from the State to run the business, employees for the company.
How you intend to advertise the business and scout for permanent Customers.
3. Water Treatment Business:Get a Business License-:
To run a Water purification business in any state in Nigeria, you need to obtain a business license.
The Town County in your state or the your Local Government Area, to obtain details on how to apply or obtain a business license to run a business in your State.
4. Water Treatment Business:Business Insurance
The State makes it mandatory that you obtain a business insurance to undertake liability for any person.
Either directly or as a third that suffers damage as a result of consuming the water supplied by your company.
Even without being made mandatory; it is cheaper to pay for business insurance premium fees, than to spend millions of Naira as settlement for law suits.
5. Water Treatment Business:Lease a Space for Your Factory
If your start up capital can contain the outright purchase of a property.
To serve as your company’s factory site and office, then it is best.
If your budget is a little tight, you can opt to start with a lease arrangement.
Try to negotiate a long term lease deal, and a clause that will permit you to buy off the property in the future.
After that, you will contract a Construction company to develop the land.
And build the site into sections to make space for various machineries that will be needed in each stage of the purification process.
Most of your capital will be invested in acquiring equipment for your water purifying business.
You need to get commercial Water Filtration systems, Ozonation system, Sea Water Desalination plant, Water Purifying and Softening Equipment, Bottled Water Making Equipment, and what have you.
Some restaurants and hotels will prefer you supply in water in plastic bottles.
Most of these machineries cost quite a fortune to acquire.
But you are sure to recover the money spent in purchasing them within few years in business.
Note that it is better for you to out rightly acquire these machinery than to lease from other companies.
This is because the cost of lease over time will become higher than the actual cost of getting a brand new machine.
7. Water Treatment Business:Employ Workers:
You have to employ workers that will help out in all sections in the factory.
For employees that will be directly involved in the purification process.
Ensure that they maintain high cleanliness and hygiene to ensure that they don’t contaminate the water.
Employees that have prior experience working for a water purification business will be a best bet for your business.
You also need employees in other departments like the Accounting department to take care of the company’s finances.
Good to see:Top 60 Business for Medical Practitioners in Nigeria
8. Water Treatment Business:Advertise Your Business:
Your major clients in this business are hotels, restaurants and individuals in the high brow area of the city.
You have to make a least of hotel Managers in your State.
As well as schedule a meeting with them propose a water supply business.
These people most probably have other water purification companies that handle their water supply needs.
Hence, you have to give them a good reason to use your company’s services.
One way to do so is to offer them a price that is slightly below the normal price they get it.
To serve as an incentive to make them use your services.
In addition to all these, do note that you must also continue to look for ways to make your business known.
Do not relent at researching new trends in your industry.
This is so that you can be at the top of your game always.
Related:Top 26 Business Ideas for Lab Scientist in Nigeria
9. Water Treatment Business:Research your state’s requirement:
Researching your state’s requirement for water treatment businesses.
As many states such as Lagos for example, require you to take and pass a test.
Undergo a background check and obtain a contractor’s insurance bond.
Before you can be a licensed water conditioning contractor.
If you plan to operate an independent water treatment business.
Be prepared to pay the contractor’s state licensing fees.
Which can amount to several hundred dollars.
10.Water Treatment Business:Get certified :
As a water treatment professional through professional organizations such as the Water Quality Association.
Certification provides your customers with a security that you know and understand water treatment.
11.Water Treatment Business:Get a franchise:
Start a water treatment business by operating a franchise or working as an independent.
If you are interested in a turn-key water treatment business with plenty of support.
You may want to consider purchasing a franchise.
Franchises offer proven business models, financing, marketing and technical support, among other services.
You will be required to sell the franchisor’s brand of equipment.
And adhere to certain operational guidelines.
If you want more freedom and flexibility.
You may choose to operate as an independent dealer.
Even as an independent dealer.
You can expect some vendors to offer you technical training and, in some cases, marketing support.
12. Water Treatment Business:Compare insurance companies:
Comparing insurance companies to find the right general liability insurance policy for your business.
A general liability insurance policy protects you in the event you cause damage to someone’s home on accident.
Policy fees are paid on an annual basis.
13. Water Treatment Business:Obtain a business license for your business:
If your business uses a fictitious name, you will also need to register the name with your local government.
Fictitious business names also require that you put a notice about your fictitious name in a newspaper of general circulation.
Pay all the fees associated with business licenses, fictitious name registration and newspaper notices.
See also:Feasibility study on pure water business in Nigeria
14. Water Treatment Business:Understand the water conditions in your market.
Find out if the water is abnormally hard.
If residents have wells or are served by municipal water.
The answers to these questions can have a tremendous influence on how you operate your business.
For example, residential wells can be affected by any number of contaminants.
Such as harness, iron, arsenic, bacteria and more.
Which gives you more opportunity to sell water treatment equipment.
Municipal water systems must adhere to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Which may limit your market to softeners and equipment designed to improve taste.
Such as carbon filters or reverse osmosis systems.
15. Water Treatment Business:Market and advertise your business:
Marketing and advertising your business to the customers in your market.
Develop a website geared toward your potential customers.
Make your own or have business cards printed out that you can provide people to advertise your business.
Create flyers to advertise your business around town, in laundromats and other places.
Consider a direct mail campaign where you offer a new customer discount.
Mail to consumers in your area as listed by Zip code and mail routes.
Join the local chamber of commerce to network and advertise your business.
Read also:How to Start Bottled Water Business in Nigeria
16. Water Treatment Business:Partner with vendors.
If you have decided to operate a franchise.
You will purchase most of your equipment from the company that owns the business.
If you will run your business as an independent business, you can purchase your equipment from any vendor you choose.
When selecting a vendor, consider the potential markup on the equipment, its reputation.
Whether it is certified and how much technical and marketing support the vendor can provide.
For larger-ticket items, such as softeners.
Find out if the vendor offers a financing program for consumers.
17. Water Treatment Business:Join industry trade groups:
Joining industry trade groups such as the Water Quality Association.
Which provides networking and training opportunities.
There are also free trade magazines, such as Water Technology magazine and Water Conditioning & Purification magazine.
Each water treatment scenario is a little different, and you want to be able to handle any and all business that comes your way.
18. Water Treatment Business:Added Tips
- To start up a water conditioning business, you will need tools for installing equipment. Such tools include pipe wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers.You will also need to have enough cash on hand to purchase supplies for your first client, which will be reimbursed when you are paid.
19.Water Treatment Business:Business Warning
Water treatment involves people’s health. Make certain that you get the training, certification and licensing needed to run this business legally.
Conclusion:
Since most of the water utilities in Nigerian cities have old water pipeline infrastructure.
People are not taking chances with their health and are investing in water treatment systems.
This has led to unprecedented competition in the market.
As several established players jostle for market share with new entrants and small and regional players make a dent in the unorganized market.
The sale of bottled and mineral water is also on the rise as more customers reach for a safe option to quench their thirst instead of relying on local water sources while travelling outside their homes and cities.
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