Water is indispensable, everybody needs water to live. That's why the business is so lucrative. Water is always in demand. Indeed, as the saying goes, water has no enemy. As long as you are alive, you need water every day."
These were the words with which Ramat Adizua, managing director of Just Drinks Ventures, which is located in Mende area of Maryland, in Ikeja, Lagos described her business. Adizua, however, says Just Drinks Ventures is not only into the business of bottled water.
The company supplies bottled drinks and wines to companies and individuals, especially at parties. "We have a niche. We don't sell bottled water alone. We sell drinks as well. We mainly supply drinks and water at parties, conferences and events. That is our niche market," she said.
Another reason the business is good," says the businesswoman, "is the fact that Nigerians are fun loving and as such, party a lot. And there is no way you can party without drinks and water. And that for us is business time."
The business administration graduate of University of Lagos went into the bottled water business because she wanted to start a business that would give her the opportunity of having her time to herself.
"I was once an employee of a food producing company based in Lagos. But at a point, I felt I had to do something for myself, something I could call my own. That was what prompted me to go into the wine business."
The mother of three further disclosed that her interest in the business became strong when she went to a friend's party and saw the manner in which people were drinking all sorts of exotic drinks heartily. "I decided on the wine business because of the way I saw people dinking at a friend's party which I attended years back.
All manner of exotic drinks were served at that party and that got me thinking that I could actually make a lot of money from the business.
That was how I decided I would do the business. Today, about five years into the business, Adizua says, "The business is a good one that is worth investing in. The turnover on bottled water and drinks is very encouraging. In fact, it is a money spinning business that has no low season."
She however, explained that the peak period for the business is during the festive times, while the off peak period is the non festive period.
"Although water is usually in demand, the demand for water is more during the dry season while low sales are recorded during rainy season," she says. She further explained that potential clients include everyone who is having any kind of party, night clubs, hotels and individuals who are buying to resell.
She, however, says the ability to satisfy customers is very vital to the business. "You must do all in your power to satisfy the needs of your customers without disappointing them. It is a very important aspect of this business.
It is not enough to supply the drinks to your customers. It is only acceptable when it is done at the agreed time. That way, your customers will find you dependable and ready for business and they would not hesitate to do other businesses with you.
Apart from doing business with you at other times, they will also refer you to some of their friends and referral is the key to success in this business" Despite the lucrative nature of the business, Adizua notes that the exotic drinks aspect of it has a major challenge.
She says, "We are hoping that government will make the business easier for us because the experience we get in the course of clearing our goods at the ports is not a palatable one at all. We experience troubles of unexpected and unplanned levies at the ports. It is so bad that if an importer is not well grounded financially, he or she may get stuck in between and run out of business.
That is a very big challenge the business is faced with. But because water is produced here, we have limited challenge on the supply of water because we deal directly with the manufacturers as distributors."
To start off in her line of business, Adizua recommends that "One can start on a small scale with about N500, 000 while on a large scale, one would need up to N5 million and above."
National Mirror