Broaden product portfolio

Entrepreneur

About Me

My name is Christian Ababio. I was born in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of the Ghana some forty one years ago. My early childhood was characterized by lots of trade and commercial activities as I helped my mother move from baking bread for daily necessities to selling charcoal and foodstuffs to the local community. Watching closely how she endeared herself to meeting the daily needs of people saw a natural tendency of nursing an entrepreneurial spirit in me.

Soon after graduating, I went to the driving school to learn how to drive (I have an ambition to own a fleet of taxi cabs in the near future) since it was a requirement for my first job as a Marketing officer for a Lebanese company in the capital, Accra. I understudied how these merchants got their foothold in the sales and distribution of fast moving consumer goods, having the slogan "Your direct partner". It was after working for about five years that that I had a bright idea to set up a provision shop to provide snacks in the form of pastries and soft drinks for secondary school students very close to my house after I discovered that there was no such opportunity to make students get a bite of refreshment during break times.

One unique thing about where I live is the central point for the converging of people after the school gain popularity in it few years of establishment as well as its closeness to the main road. The culture is one of a typical Ghanaian style where people living within the locality are very civil, law abiding and have a sense of industry and patriotism.

My Business

My business started as a small provision shop in the neighborhood to provide basic household daily needs for the students and the local community.
The community is satisfied with my business venture even though some competitor's have come in but due to excellent customer service rendered I can say the business is preferred above the competition.

There is always a high demand of goods and services, hence my decision to apply for Zidisha loan to enable me purchase and increase the stock levels. The provision shop is still the main business running and I will be buying more goods like bags of rice, sugar, canned fish, canned/tinned tomatoes, vegetable oil, crates of egg etc.
I entered into this business primarily because I wanted to satisfy a need of providing snacks for the students and also to take advantage of a beckoning opportunity as a student of marketing to anticipate other needs and providing them in a customer friendly atmosphere in order to turn around the initial capital and also let my investment work for me.
Thank God my younger siblings have completed their education as a result of the immense support from Zidisha.

During the difficult months when our world economy was held to a standstill resulting from the effects of the COVID-19, the business took a nose dive and almost shut down but thank God that did not happen. Today, it has began to show signs of a bounce back. The orders for the fruit drink has started picking up as a result of the easing of the restriction and the signs are very positive it will do very well.
I am still the main distribution agent for one of Ghana's most preferred natural fruit drinks - Juudy Drink. I am now getting orders to supply some eateries and the drink continues to enjoy huge patronage from the wholesalers and retailers as well as walk-in customers.

Now, I am adding another business unit to my business lines and this loan if approved will make me invest in ORAIMO accessories. I have already secured a floor space in one of the most patronized supermarket in the capital and I will need to purchase the full assortment of the available models. This is what I intend to use my next loan, which happens to be my 9th loan for.

I remain thankful to Zidisha's humanitarian assistance for the previous loans they gave me which has really helped me get this business running. I also thank Zidisha for the immense support which has helped me pay the children's school fees and to keep the family running. In addition, I am indebted to Zidisha for the human face they approached our repayment during these months of economic difficulty as a results of the pandemic.

Loan Proposal

1. 10 crates of Coca cola drinks @ $ $80
2. 10 crates of Pepsi cola @ $ $80
3. 10 boxes of bottled mineral water @ $30
4. 10 crates of canned drinks @ $50
5. 15 crates of eggs $50
6. Airtime @ $120
7. 100 bags of sachet pure water bags @ $40
8. 10 bundles of toilet rolls @ $70
9. 5 bags of rice and sugar @ $80
10. 1 Popcorn machine @ $100
11. 1 gallon of honey @ $140
12. Assorted detergents @ $60
TOTAL $900


In total, I need about $900 to finance my next project
The benefits that will accrue from this enterprise would help me to add and broaden my stock keeping unit. I will be in a position to hire an additional hand to assist with the operations in the shop. This would in effect provide food on the table for the family of the additional hand employed. I will also be able to meet the demands of school life for my wards who are in school, school fees and other utilities. I can also extend my hand of benevolence to my immediate surroundings and lend a helping hand to the needy. From time to time, customers ask for several varieties which they do not find on the shelf space. By getting what they want my shop will be a one stop shop, increasing the shopping experience.

I expect a profit increase of 30% over the period.

My Videos

Mar 8, 2021: Accessories & more

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