With the high rate of unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria, many Nigerians have decided to engage in one small-scale business or the other to make ends meet. One such small-scale business that has gained popularity in Nigeria in recent years is the Indomie cooking business which primarily involves cooking and selling noodles and dishes that require minimal time to prepare. In this article, we will discuss in detail the steps to take if you are interested in starting Indomie cooking business in Nigeria.
How to start Indomie cooking business in Nigeria will be discussed below:
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Carry Out Market Survey
Just as you would with any business you want to venture into, conducting a market survey is the first step to take when venturing into the Indomie cooking business.
This exercise involves a systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting various aspects of the Indomie cooking market that you plan to operate.
This involves identifying your potential customers, assessing the demand and growth of your potential customers, and gathering insights from potential customers.
In addition, the market survey should involve location assessment to identify the location where your Indomie cooking business will thrive best, as well as understanding the buying patterns and preferences of your potential customers.
Other areas expected to be covered during this exercise include competitor analysis, pricing strategies, and where to source reliable and cost-effective ingredients.
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Learn Noodle Recipes
Learning noodle recipes is the next step to starting to take in your journey of becoming an Indomie cooking business owner.
Although you might already know how to cook noodles, it is important to gain more insights about various recipes for cooking such as fried noodles, noodles soup, and leafy vegetable noodles, among others.
You can learn these various recipes from YouTube, friends, and family, or an already established Indomie cooking business owner.
Typically, this stage should take you just a couple of days or even a day to familiarize yourself with the different noodle recipes. Mastery of these recipes is essential before launching your Indomie cooking business, as each offers a unique taste experience.
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Gather Your Capital
The next thing to do is to source your capital. Fortunately, this business is relatively easy to start as it requires minimal capital and equipment.
Your startup fund could come from your savings, loans from banks, or family and friends. The amount you should aim for should range from N120,000 to N200,000 depending on the scope of the Indomie cooking business you want.
Things your capital should be able to get include renting a space (or constructing a kiosk), a gas cylinder with burner, cartons of different brands of noodles, cooking wares (e.g. non-stick frying pan, knife, chopping board, tablespoon, plates), food serving utensils, disposable food packs, crates of eggs, ingredients, a plastic table, and some chairs, and ingredients.
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Get a Suitable Spot for Your Indomie Cooking Business
With your capital ready, get an ideal location where you can run your Indomie cooking business.
The ideal location for an Indomie cooking business should possess high foot traffic, visibility, accessibility, low competition, and proximity to your intended target market.
In addition, ensure the spot you choose for your business is spacious to contain your customers and for possible expansion in the future.
You could rent a shop with the above-mentioned attributes or construct a kiosk which would be set up in an open space that possesses the characteristics we’ve mentioned.
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Buy the Necessary Equipment and Supplies for Your Indomie Cooking Business
The next stage of the process is to buy the equipment and supplies you need for your Indomie cooking business.
The things expected of you to get include:
- Cartons of Noodles
- Gas Cooker
- Cooking Utensils (Fry Pan, Fork, Knife, Plate, etc.)
- Takeaway Packs
- Gas Cylinder
- Crates of Eggs
- Ingredients like Carrots, Cabbage, etc.
- Vegetables
- Pepper
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Plates and Spoons
To save some money, explore wholesale sections of the market and buy in bulk what can stay for long without getting bad. In addition, developing strong bargaining skills and discerning original products are beneficial in this stage.
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Start Cooking the Noodles for Sale
At this point, you can begin to cook the noodles for sale. You should offer your customers various noodle options, such as fried noodles, noodles soup, leafy vegetable noodles and so on.
In addition, ensure to have eggs, hotdogs, prawns, turkey, chicken, and beef so that your customers can use them to eat their noodles.
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Market Your Indomie Cooking Business
To set your Indomie cooking business apart from the competition, you need to be intentional in marketing your business to potential customers.
Marketing strategies that can help your business gain customers include creating a banner to advertise your business, cooking tasty dishes, maintaining a clean cooking environment, offering special discounts, and asking your satisfied customers to let their friends and families know you sell noodles.
Also, ensure that your customer service delivery to your customers is top-notch. Be courteous when attending to them and take their constructive criticisms.
Remember that a satisfied customer does half the work of your marketing efforts. Therefore, ensure you treat them right. Building and maintaining strong customer relationships is key to your ongoing success in your Indomie cooking business.
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Some Helpful Tips for Indomie Cooking Business Owners in Nigeria
In addition to the several helpful tips contained in this article, here are additional tips for Indomie Cooking business owners in Nigeria:
- Avoid selling on credit as this can ruin your business.
- Know peak periods where the demand for cooked noodles is highest and ensure you are always available during those times.
- Keep records of the goings-on in the business, ranging from profits and loss, cost of supplies, miscellaneous expenses, and so on.
- Don’t wait for your supplies to finish before you stock up.
- Get your veggies fresh.
- Maintain consistency in the portion sizes, taste and presentation of your noodle dishes.
- Set competitive and reasonable prices for your dishes.
- Use fresh and high-quality ingredients as the taste and quality of your dishes are largely dependent on the ingredients you use.