Emmanuel Otive, an HND graduate of Kaduna Polytechnic makes pancakes, puff-puff, chin-chin adding with drinks at Ushafa, Dutse in the FCT. He says he derives pleasure in making ends meet through it as he is able to fend for his siblings. ADEOLA AKINBOBOLA reports.
Emmanuel after his HND programme couldn’t find a white collar job, so he decided not to follow other youth who engages in thuggery and causing chaos around his area in Duste but rather follow the path of honour by frying and selling plantain chips, a business that is rubbing off on him positively.
It is now cheaper to get the worms in the tummy gainfully busy and keep hunger at bay.
Checks by Business Starter revealed that with less than N200, people buy snack and with about two sachets of water, they get filled and soon discover that they can spend less and stay healthy especially with its rich nutrients.
Latter day fast food
A random tour of the capital city showed that due to high patronage of its hawkers, it has become a newfound fast food for residents.
Emmanuel who came to Abuja with his 3 siblings in 2008 after they lost their parents in a ghastly motor accident sells plantain chips at Dutse, Ushafa junction. He says the business has been his only means of livelihood which she uses to cater for his siblings her.
He said people see the business as the cheapest means of getting money but it goes beyond that because it is only the strong-willed that can engage in that type of business.
“I wake up as early as 4am every day to catch up with my customers in the market.
“Any day I fail to wake up early, I may not meet my customers who are mostly the working class and students cause they sometimes get to the market before me and would buy form other people.
“Since most of my customers know that I sell fresh chips, I leave the house early to satisfy them and in turn, make small profit,” he said.
Booming business
He told this reporter that due to the economic downturn, he now sells about 50 pieces every day.
Hard times
He confirmed that business had been good, saying: “I make more sales now compared to last year. People buy a lot of chips now unlike last year, when patronage was very low. More people buy a lot of it because of its January period and also because the economy is hard.
Business hazards
He said the greatest challenge of their business is the constant harassment by AEPB officials, adding that in most cases, several containers of chips have been seized from his colleagues during such raids.
He recalled that penultimate Saturday, when AEPB taskforce stormed the market and raid people selling by the road side he was almost caught and he had to abandon a full basin of chips and ran away to avoid arrest.
The business may look common to some people but it is putting food on some people’s tables, fattening bank accounts, buying properties and sponsoring some persons in school.
He recalled that “a man I know in Akwa Ibom State who is into akara business with the wife is now a car owner, he’s children are in one of the best private schools. Whereas some people with tie on their neck in an air condition office cannot boast of tire.
“The business is lucrative it is not an exaggeration. Let’s reason it out together, if you go to where chips are sold early in the morning, you will see a long queue waiting to be served.
“Sometimes it may not reach everybody. Assuming you sell chips that is worth #4,000 in a day your gain it therefore means in a month you can be earning up to #50,000 or more. Now is chips business lucrative or not? You can keep the answer to yourself.
“The business is something you can easily put together; it does not require special skill. However, you have to master the art of producing delicious chips that will increase the number of buyers. The procedure given in this post will help you achieve that.
“Everything is undergoing innovation; snack business shouldn’t be an exception. Every business needs packaging as such think of a better way to make chips business classic.
“Use a very fine packaging material to supply to your customers. The packaging can attract other buyers but the bean cake taste should reflect the package because at the end that is what matters. You can only produce when you have orders and in other to be fast you can keep the plantain chips.
“Also you can supply at a wholesale price to restaurants, food vendors and others who will need it for sale,” he explained.
Location
Snacks business needs a very strategic position where customers can see you and come for patronage. It should be a very busy road, a school environment, a junction that has many route, or close to residential or commercial centre.
Size of buyers
You have to factor this into your plans so that you will not produce more than you can sell. Snack will not be as delicious as it was the previous day. Instead of it to have left over it is better not for it to be enough. But make sure you put your customers into consideration. If they keep coming without having to buy, they will look for another place.
Starting a snack business
Snacks are crunchy Nigerian snacks made with flour. It is great and healthy for all ages. You can take it for launch or give it to your children or as a welcome market gift for parents.
Producing snacks is one of the easiest businesses you can start in Nigeria if you want to generate quick cash within a short space of time.
Why business is lucrative
The reasons why snacks business is easy to set up is because plantain chips is a snacks widely eaten by all.
The start-up capital requirement is low, and you don’t need to rent a shop to start. Plantain is readily available in the country, especially in Lagos, South/Middle belt regions of Nigeria.
With an initial start-up capital of around #20,000, you can generate an income of at least #80,000 per day when you are able to produce about 1,000 packs on daily basis.
You can hardly lose your money if you invest in snacks production, starting the business will not be a bad idea, it is a good source of income. You can hardly lose money if you invest in plantain chips business.
