Have you drunk water today?
Your answer is as good as mine. No day passes without us drinking water.
And that’s why the bottled or pure water business is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria.
The business has a large market in rural, urban, suburban areas. You can start where you’re and grow it into a profitable one.
So in this post, you will learn how to start a water-producing company here in Nigeria that attracts customers and revenue.
Let’s dive into it.
The Business of Bottled Water in Nigeria
The fact has been established that everyone drinks water. And science has taught us that water is an essential part of our lives and it plays an important role in our body such as aid in digestion, regulation of body temperature, etc.
This business entails the process of purifying and packaging water potable in bottles for human consumption.
So investing your money in this business after you must have done your market research will bring maximum profits with time.
All you have to do is to be determined and consistent.
Practical Steps to Starting Bottled Water Business
1: A feasibility study
Venturing into any business without carrying out a proper feasibility study is a time bomb waiting to explode, especially in this water business.
Carrying out this research will help you with a clear plan and enable you to create a road map on how to succeed in the business.
It gives you in-depth insights into the market, competitors, pricing, risks involved, and how to successfully run and manage your business.
You will also know where to locate the business, your customers, the best time to supply products to customers, and strategies to win customers over.
The feasibility study will equip you with knowledge about the price of the equipment as well as the number of people to employ.
This means that without this research you won’t know this and it might cause great damage to your business.
2: Business registration
When it comes to the pure water business, registration is not an option because without it you won’t be licensed to operate.
You need to register the business with authorized government bodies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission, NAFDAC, etc.
You have to know that this business is sensitive to the health of the general public. And NAFDAC makes sure that standard procedures are strictly adhered to.
You must be approved by NAFDAC, without it you will be operating illegally and when caught your factory will be closed down and you might go to prison.
So visit www.nafdac.gov.ng for the registration and factory inspection process.
3: Funding
Capital is running a business and bottled water business is capital intensive.
You need money to buy or rent a space, drilling of borehole, distilling machine, water tanks, vans, and other equipment needed to run the business.
And if you don’t have the capital to buy all this equipment, I advise you to seek investors with your business plan, apply for grants, seek loans from family and friends, etc.
4. Build or Rent a Place
You can decide to build or rent a building depending on your capital. But ensure that you design your factory layout for easy production.
When designing your factory layout consider the following:
- General office
- Changing rooms.
- Water production room
- Store
- Laboratory
- Toilets, etc.
Make sure that your factory is situated in a place that has a good road network, with a constant power supply. The place must be free from air and water pollution.
Also, there must be a source of water in the factory, which is the major material of the business. So if it means drilling a borehole to have water constantly, do it and remember to install overhead tanks with plans to treat the water constantly.
5: Purification Measures
This has to do with removing biological contaminants, chemical gases, etc from the water. You have to do this to ensure that your product is fit for consumption.
These purification measures include:
- Distillation: This involves boiling the water to produce vapor. A process of separating substances from the water using selective boiling and condensation. With this process, bacteria, heavy metals, organic and inorganic chemicals, viruses, etc are removed from the water.
- Ultraviolet method: This is a purely physical and chemical method of water purification. It’s an effective and safe disinfection method used in industrial and residential water systems. This method is often combined with reverse osmosis.
- Reverse osmosis: This method removes particles and ions from water. It’s used in the process and production of potable drinking water.
6: Equipment
To effectively run this business you need:
- Truck/van: They are used for the distribution of products to customers.
- Automated sealing machine: Use for packaging and sealing.
- Bottles: Your company name, phone number(s), address, logo, and website address must be printed on them.
- Generator: For steady power supply.
- Packaging nylons: Use for packaging bottled water in sets.
Other equipment include the following:
- Drums and buckets
- Ozonizer
- Overalls, disposable hand gloves, and hairnet
- Pipes
- Bottling line, etc.
7: Member of Staff
You need people to be able to run this nature of business, however, the number you will employ depends on the size of the business.
They include:
- Operation Manager: Coordinates the staff and the smooth running of the business.
- Machine operator(s): Operates the production machine and other equipment.
- Packaging personnel: They package the sealed water and arrange them in sections.
- Customer care: Attend and inform the customers about the services the company provides.
- Driver(s): Responsible for transporting products to customers.
- Sales personnel, cleaners, and security men.
8: Marketing
You need good marketing strategies to thrive in this business because of the stiff competition in the market.
I recommend you do the following:
- Provide quality products (water) and services.
- Build good customer relationships.
- Create a website and social media profiles to constantly post content about your business and what your customers are saying.
- Get branded t-shirts and polos for your staff with the company name, number, and logo printed on them.
- Offer discounts to customers that won’t affect the business. For instance, buy 20 bags and get 1 bag for free. Trust me people love free things, many would love to buy 20 bags just to get that free bag.
Conclusion
Remember to always adhere to regulations and carry out periodical maintenance of the equipment.
We would love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comment box.
