How To Make Huge Profits From the Sale of Zobo Drink: Beginner’s Guide

This post “How To Make Huge Profits From the Sale of Zobo Drink: Beginner’s Guide” is a guest contribution by Balogun Owomide.

If you grew up in Lagos, Nigeria you’d be familiar with Zobo drink. This type of sweetened drink is made from leaves of a plant known as Hibiscus sabdarriffa. It is an herb that is popularly consumed in Nigeria and in many parts of Africa.

The Zobo drink is very nutritious and is served at marriages, homes, birthdays, naming ceremonies etc. The word “Zobo” was coined by the Hausa tribesmen of Nigeria.

HOW TO START ZOBO DRINK BUSINESS

Before setting out to start this business there are things to put into considerations. They include:

Bottling/packaging:

We both know that one of the things that sell in our current age is “PACKAGING”, it is what makes the difference between a winning business and a failing one.

Why? Because 90% of consumers will go for a well packaged product the first chance they get.

Taste:

Another important aspect to consider is the taste. Have you ever consumed a product that doesn’t taste well, if yes what was your reaction? I guess it was a total displeasure after throwing up. The same will happens to a Zobo drink with bad taste. You have to make sure you put all necessary ingredients in the right proportion for it to taste best.

Availability:

Ensure that your products are readily available. Be consistent with what you do. Do not begin the production of a delicious Zobo drink today and tomorrow you are out of business. Or produce in high quantity with good quality today then tomorrow you produce fewer bottles with bad quality.

Make sure that they are readily available at all times; this is the only way by which you can penetrate the market.

Hygiene:

This should be a top priority. People will totally avoid any Zobo that causes a running stomach, has sand particles or any unclean elements in it etc.

If someone consumes your product and it does wonders to their body, and also gives a long lasting feeling of satisfaction. Then you are sure you’ve gotten +1 to the list of loyal customers.

Note: Never use saccharine in place of sugar or sweetener when making your Zobo.

Competitors:

Take a good look around your locality to identify and study already established Zobo drink shops or companies if there are any. Carry out intensive research to discover what is giving them the drive and pushing up their sales then come back and make your own a whole lot better by developing a stronger and better strategy.

Many Zobo sold shops do not branded Zobo; the ones sold in already used bottle of popular drinks such as Pepsi, Fanta, table water etc. To make yours brandable you have to use a unique bottle with your logo on it.

The market for Zobo drink is still a virgin market.  With proper intensive and extensive advertisement coupled with consistent production and good quality combined you will make billions of naira.

HOW TO MAKE ZOBO DRINK

To make good standard Zobo, you will need the following:

• Dried Zobo leaves
• 1-3 tablespoons of Powdered or grounded ginger
• Pineapple
• 2 sachet of Flavour like as pineapple, lemon, strawberry etc. (Optional)
• A few Konifera seeds

PROCEDURE

• You must first wash the Zobo thoroughly in clean cold water because Zobo leaves contain a lot of dirt caused by the air and other bugs. While you are washing the colour of the leaves will begin to change the water and it will look as if you are washing off all of its colours. Do not dear just keep on washing until satisfied because Zobo leaves are very rich in flavour and colour. This is why you can wash them, dry and reuse them at a later time.
• Take out your pineapple, peel off its back and cut the flesh into small sizes. You might make use of the peel9 a few people do this). Pineapple is added because of its medicinal and flavour benefits.

If you must use the pineapple peel, you have to use enough energy and time to wash because the peel contains some germs which has proven very difficult to get rid of easily. So if you cannot spend so much time and energy to get rid of these germs then don’t bother adding them.

• Dress the garlic and ginger and cut them into tiny pieces.
• Placed the washed Zobo leaves inside a big pot, add every slice of pineapple, put enough water into the content and allow it boil for about 5-10 minutes
• Add the chopped ginger and garlic and allow it to boil for 30 minutes.
• After this, take it off the fire and allow it to go cold. Squeeze every inch of juice out you can get from the content and sieve them with a sieving material.
• Package them and put them in the refrigerator. It is best served when chilled.
• You can then serve with snacks or any preferred food. Some people use honey/dates (debinor) in place of sugar.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ZOBO

• Zobo drink is rich in vitamin C. It is a nutrient that boosts and stimulates immune system activities in the human body.
• It aids in easy digestion of food due to its diuretic properties which controls constipation by increasing bowel movement and removing excess fluid from our body.
• Zobo cools down a fever patient.
• It is contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
• It aids in the relief of menstrual pains and cramps.
• Hibiscus flower drink helps in quickening weight loss when consumed frequently without additives.
• Zobo tea are traditionally used as supplement in treating cough and cater (cold generally).
• They contain minerals and vitamins which help in calming down the human nervous system thereby reducing anxiety and depression.
• Zobo delicious drink also helps to lower blood pressure in pre/mild hypertensive adults. This can be achieved when you drink 3 cups of hibiscus tea every day for some weeks.
• Hibiscus tea helps in keeping the body ph-level balanced.
• The leaves contain nutrients and enzymes such as calcium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin c, carotene and iron which are very nutritional and medicinally good for the body.
• The Zobo plant contains anti-oxidant properties that helps in protecting the body from diseases
• It can be used to dye cloths.
• Zobo leaves can also be used in cooking soup
• The plant can be cultivated as an ornamental plant for the beautification of our environments.

ZOBO SHELF LIFE

Zobo can last anytime between 48-72 hours but can last more than a month when stored in the refrigerator. Nevertheless, if you want it to last up to have 3 or more weeks shelf life. Add a stock solution of 0.1% sodium benzoate.

How can I do this?

Easy! Dissolve a pound of sodium benzoate in one gallon of water. Use one ounce of the solution that is about 0.1% to mix with the Zobo drink.

HOW TO BOTTLE ZOBO DRINK

Avoid bottling your Zobo in popular bottling cans such as coca cola, spirit, fanta etc. You should be uniquely different from others. Such that anybody sighting the drink without coming closer will instantly identify your product (Zobo drink) without even tasting it. Mix several flavours until you get a desired taste. The taste has to be the same at all times or even better but nothing worse (write it down somewhere less you forget), uniquely different from any other Zobo drink.

Hire a graphics designer to design and print labels so you can paste them on your bottles. Use a well a simple, short, memorable and appealing name that can be easily pronounced and spelled out.

Make sure the mouth is properly sealed in other to assure people that your products are of high hygienic and good quality conditions. Use different sizes of containers such as 50cl, 75cl etc. and sell at different prices.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO INTO ZOBO DRINK PRODUCTION

• The raw materials can are locally available at almost free price.
• Zobo business does not require huge. For small-scale entrepreneurs, you can begin with a sum of NGN5,000 without branding. For a large-scale production you can start with NGN300,000 and above.
• It is a local drink that is loved by many because of its health benefits.
• The demand for good quality Zobo is high and is far greater than its supply.
• Zobo business is not yet saturated as we have only a few entrepreneurs in this business.
• It is a very lucrative investment.

PROFITABILITY IN ZOBO DRINK BUSINESS

It is a very lucrative food drink business and you can make twice or more the amount invested in its production. To make more money try buying the raw materials in bulk. Make sure to buy the Zobo in bags.

Now;

After you have branded it, make the price a little costlier or the same price than the ones sold by the roadside. Remember, overturn is where the gains lie. You are bound to make huge profit when you produce in in bigger quantities.

MARKETABILITY

Zobo drink does not require hard core marketing. In fact, it is self-advertising because as long as you make yummy tasting Zobo, people will always return to buy and will spread the news through word-of-mouth to other people.

You can also supply shops, hotels, super markets, bars wholesalers of soft drinks, restaurants, markets, schools, hospitals and other institutions etc.

Do online advertisement in any or all of the online market stores; you can also join Facebook groups to reach more people. Also you can employ some people to sell your products and deliver cash to you at the end of the day.

EXPORTATION OF ZOBO DRINK

The minister for Agriculture has confirmed the fact that the exportation of Zobo drink doubled when compared to the sales of the previous year. That in the year 2017 more than 35 million dollars was realised from the export of Zobo drink. Twice that amount will be made in 2018

This is good news and encouraging don’t you think so? It is very easy to start and begin exporting this product. Find how to and start yours today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Balogun Owomide has a huge passion for spreading motivation, business and personal finance. I often write on my How to make money, a finance blog on topics ranging from motivation, startup ideas, to small business financing and loans, business plans, marketing and franchise opportunities.