Am excited to participate in this week's contest. Great thanks to @tibaire for bringing up this great topic. It will be pleasing to take you ladies on a journey to how I started my first business in my school.
When I got admitted into University of Uyo, at first I was a novice, I stayed put, studied for years how the school and individuals run their businesses. With this knowledge, I was encouraged to start up something.
MY BUSINESS PLAN
I noticed the increasing demand for snacks among students to be consumed during and after lectures.
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Seeing the massive demand, it became a priority for me to establish this business. I started making cupcakes,I put them in a bag, and got my fellow colleagues informed that I am into the snack business. Seeing the business growth, I was encouraged to go further by involving drinks. I make drinks with adequate price value, quality packaging.
I rented a small corner in the school premises although the environment is a competitive one with lots of drinks vendors but with my price value and packaging quality makes mine sell faster.
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Also, I thought of including a fast food restaurant but due to financial situation,I decided to work in collaboration with a friend who has a fast food restaurant inside the university premises. We drafted operating procedures, I agreed to pay her for the space I am using every 6 months, and that was how I started my Noodles fast food business.
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PERSONNEL: I employed a drink vendor to take charge of the drinks,a cashier for the Noodles business and a cook who will be in charge of cooking the noodles because I am occupied with classes. I pay them monthly.
MARKETING: During and after lectures,I and my employees distribute fliers to students, we make sure the fliers get to a large audience in the school premises. These fliers have detailed information on what we do and where to locate us.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS:
Financial statements have been helping me to run a successful business. In every day sales,we write out our total revenue, expenses, income.
FINDING SUPPLIERS
In this aspect, I will say I am the one doing the supplier duty for now. I supply the drinks, noodles to my employees with detailed financial analysis. The environment and the audience are large enough that I sell off cupcakes with lots of demands still coming forth for more.
IDENTIFYING WITH MY SERVICE
Yes, my customers are students but regardless I render services to many people even non students. I share fliers to customers and these fliers help in my getting new jobs. I get calls from people who need birthday cup cake designs, customized drinks for birthday celebrations, etc.
Sadly, I have to pause my business for now due to the ongoing academic strike in the tertiary sector of the Nigerian federal universities. This has caused students to evacuate and the school premises locked. But regardless,am still making plans to establish standard business that will not depend solely on students as its audiences.
Am 60% close to starting in a new location.
