You might have heard that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has introduced tariffs on imported poultry products to protect local producers from “unfair competition. Unfortunately, it’s bad for consumers, good for producers. For entrepreneurs this means there will be high demand for eggs and other products. And you could not have asked for a perfect time to start an egg retailing business!
But how does one start? Granted, it’s not easy, but a journey to success has to start with one step. Even the gigantic Maponya Investments was not built in a day.
Vusi Thembekwayo, Presenter of the Dragon’s Den programme on SABC 3, has a few practical tips for young black entrepreneurs intending to start an egg retailing business. There is no short cut to starting an egg producing business, just like any other business, he says.
Thembekwayo advises those intending to enter the market not to expect overnight success. “Often people want to start with an end idea and want to get there without following the process. I often use an alphabet for example to get from A to Z you need to go through each alphabet.”
This is Vusi’s recipe for success:
1) No one is going to give you money to get from where you are to where you want to be. You have to build small success and a track record.
2) Ask yourself what you know about eggs. Learn commercial skills, find out more about margins and your end user
3) Find the right funding at the right level. Start small with 1000 eggs then get working capital to produce 10 000 eggs.
After your use these tips you will surely leave your detractors with eggs on their faces!