By the Indepenent Team
Titus Kisubika’s dream has always been being an entrepreneur because he did not fancy the hustle of searching for jobs after school. He pursued a diploma in Catering and Hotel Management. Later, he realized that people are increasingly becoming health conscious because they want to take care of their bodies in a convenient and flexible way. This gave Kisubika the idea of considering that line of business.He started saving money right from his first year at the institute so he could have some money to invest in turning fruits and vegetables into ‘liquid gold.’ “With Shs1 million, nothing could stop me from starting after gaining the basics. However, the minimal capital could only allow me to start from home and distribute the juice to potential clients in restaurants and offices,” says Kisubika.
He makes his juice from mangoes, oranges, water melons, paw paws, apples, pineapples, carrots and bananas.
Success tips; Accessible venue
At the start of the business in 2013, Kisubika’s greatest challenge was access to the market, which required him to do more of door to door marketing. He however opened up an outlet adjacent to Ham Shopping Mall at Makerere where he got visibility because of a good flow of people.
“Choose a venue for your juice bar that is easily accessible and visible by the public. The bar can be located near a fitness club, in a shopping mall, or close to a high traffic location,” he says.He adds that it’s also necessary to have a catchy business name and ensure a hygienic working environment that can add to the marketing of the business.
In future, Kisubika looks at establishing more juice bars in the upscale and corporate-centered locations.