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