The entrepreneurship bug bites many individuals, but in addition to passion and persistence, a sound business plan and a viable market are equally critical.

Recycling has emerged as a sound line of business in recent times. There is additional focus by governments and environmental agencies to ensure the furtherance of environment-friendly businesses, with varied incentives and tax rebates.

Cardboard recycling is an attractive prospect with tremendous demand across many sectors. It entails the entire process from collecting used cardboards to creating finished products such as books and paper stationery. Before you launch into the market, however, create a business plan using the following pointers:

Research the Industry

Evaluation of the market and competition are crucial aspects in any business, and research is critical to ensure a sound footing on all aspects of the recycling business. It helps you become more equipped to handle all the nuances of the industry and as well as the kind of support and incentives extended by the government and environmental agencies.

Additionally, research also helps provide insight into what it takes to be in this industry and the kind of competition you are likely to face.

Document the Business Plan

Writing down the business plan is a pre-cursor to implementing it. Theoretical discussion and research can miss out some aspects, but once you begin documenting, it will crystallize things further with respect to setting shop, managing transactions, growth and vision. You may write your own business plan or outsource the same to a professional consultant.

Registering Your Business

Most countries mandate the registration of a business before you begin operations. It is advisable to seek legal help in doing so, since if you pursue it at your level, you may need to invest a lot of time. Remember, a taxpayer ID and business license must also be obtained post registration.

Lease or Rent a Facility

Cardboard recycling is a real estate-intensive business, considering that you need to house large cardboard balers and cardboard recycling machines. Additionally, you will also need some office space. Hence, a careful decision must be made with respect to the facility.

It's advisable to lease or rent a facility to keep your capital expenditure low, since you would be investing in machinery too.

Purchasing the Right Equipment

The cardboard recycling business is completely dependent upon the processing equipment used, which includes a whole host of machines such as forklifts, shredders, balers, pulp molders, etc. A large chunk of your capital will be consumed in purchasing the required equipment, which must be accounted for in your financial plan.

The equipment forms the backbone of this business, so make sure you get expert advice and invest in the right machinery!

Sourcing Used Cardboards

While the raw material for your business is free, you will need a robust plan to source used cardboard from the right places, such as schools, printing press, dry garbage dumping sites, etc. You also need sufficient investment in labor and transportation, in order to implement effective collection.

Source the Target Market

Just having a product is not enough. Creating a focused product for your target market is equally important. Decide what you intend to create from used cardboard, depending on the potential clients and contracts that you could have. Finished products can range from hardbound books or printing papers to packaging material for other industries.

If you wish to begin your business on the right foot, then Northern California Compactors has the right solutions for you. We offer a wide range of quality recycling equipment like compactors, balers and shredders, to help you start your recycling business in a jiffy. Get in touch with us to explore your options today!