With a significant percentage of Nigeria’s labour force unemployed or underemployed, many Nigerians are looking to engage in one small business or the other to earn a living. One of the businesses that is quite lucrative and not capital-intensive to start is the Mama Put business. In this article, we’ll discuss how to start a Mama Put business in Nigeria and also provide some tips to help you succeed in the business. Read on.
How to start Mama Put business in Nigeria will be discussed below:
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What is Mama Put Business?
‘Mama Put’ is a colloquial phrase used by Nigerians to refer to a local restaurant that is usually found on street corners and busy spaces.
Mama Put is known to be cheaper than the typical local restaurants. Unlike local restaurants that have provisions for customers to sit and eat, Mama Put businesses are usually run from a handcart (wheelbarrow or truck).
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Is Mama Put Business Profitable?
Yes, Mama Put is a profitable venture to engage in in Nigeria. The busy schedules of many people make it difficult for them to cook for themselves. As a result, people who are too occupied to cook their meals resort to patronizing food outlets like Mama Put businesses.
In addition, the relatively cheap prices of Mama Put dishes compared to local restaurants and eateries make them affordable for almost anyone, ranging from students, artisans, taxi drivers, and employed individuals. This widens the target audience, which in turn enhances the return on investment (ROI).
Both points raised above are strong reasons why investing in startstartMama Put business in Nigeria is lucrative.
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Steps to Start Mama Put Business in Nigeria
The first thing to do when you want to start a mama put business in Nigeria is to learn how to cook the dishes you plan to sell. If you don’t know how to cook any of the dishes you plan to feature on your food menu, you can learn from YouTube or a cook near you.
Some common dishes that Mama Put vendors typically focus on include Jollof rice, Fried rice, Egusi soup, Ogbono soup, Oha soup, Vegetable soup, Fried plantain, Pepper soup, and so much more. Note that the location where you’d be doing your business would influence the kinds of food you prepare.
Once you are confident that you can prepare delicious and appetizing dishes that your potential customers would enjoy, the next line of action towards starting a Mama Put business is to buy the required equipment needed for the business.
Fortunately, the Mama Put business is not capital-intensive. The things to buy for the Mama Put business include a wheelbarrow/truck, pots for cooking, ceramic and stainless pots, spoons and forks, wash-hand basins, and napkins.
After buying the equipment needed for the business, getting the foodstuff that will be used for preparing dishes is the next line of action. Rice, beans, egusi, stock fish, eggs, and garri are some foodstuffs that Mama Put vendors usually buy for the dishes they sell.
Depending on the scope of your Mama Put business, you may spend between N100,000 and N150,000 to get the equipment and foodstuffs to start the business. You could opt for a second-hand but functional wheelbarrow/truck to save some money.
The final aspect of starting the Mama Put business after you have mastered your cooking skills and gotten the necessary equipment and foodstuff is to source a location for the business.
Busy areas are best suited for setting up a Mama Put stand. Areas like street corners, parks, markets and some other public spaces are recommended for Mama Put. Alternatively, with the wheelbarrow or rock, you can move from one busy area to another in search of customers.
An important consideration to keep in mind in Mama Put business is the peak periods when the demand is high. Most times, Mama Put vendors experience more sales during early mornings when people are headed out to work or any other business.
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Tips to Help You Succeed in Mama Put Business in Nigeria
Certain tips can help you succeed in the Mama Put business if you adhere to them. These tips will help scale your business quickly.
One of the proven strategies to succeed in the Mama Put business is to ensure your dishes are well-prepared and delicious. If your food tastes good and appears appetizing, you will attract new customers and retain existing customers.
Another important tip to adhere to is never to compromise on hygiene. That is, ensure cook in clean environments, appear neat, and serve food on clean plates to customers. Adhering to strict hygiene not only attracts customers to your Mama Put business but also keeps them healthy.
Having a great customer relationship with your customers can greatly impact your Mama Put business positively. Being jovial to your customers when you attend to them will increase the chances of them returning to patronise you.
Another proven tip to grow your Mama Put business is to spy on your competitors to know what they are doing that is special and how you can improve yours with what you’ve learnt from your competitors.
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Is Mama Put the Same as Buka Joint?
The terms ‘Mama Put’ and ‘Buka’ are usually used interchangeably by many Nigerians to refer to a local spot where they can buy food.
However, Mama Put and Buka, though similar, are slightly different from one another.
The main difference between the two is that, while a Mama Put business usually does not have a permanent shop, a Buko Joint is like a small local restaurant.