Tips to Start a Popcorn Business in Uganda

Are you interested in starting up a popcorn business in Uganda? Want to know all about the Tips to start a popcorn business in Uganda, read this carefully.

Popcorn business is a great idea for a small-scale business or a side hustle from which one can make a good profit, this business involves producing and selling popcorn.

One can start up this business with a very little amount and make it big with a well planned and effective marketing strategy.

The tradition of eating popcorn while watching movies seems to be here to stay. Popcorn is eaten by people of all ages and classes, even though many assume it is only consumed by children alone.

It is eaten by adults and children, both the old and the young, and this has created a diverse target market for the popcorn business.

Reasons Why One Should Start a Popcorn Business in Uganda

• It is a snack that is eaten by almost all age groups for many different reasons.
• The popcorn business does not involve a lot capital for a start-up
• There is an already existing market for this business as people are already aware of this product.
• Popcorn making can be done on a small scale area or a large scale setting
• The basic raw material which is the corn is easy to find and locate in farmers and any other market.
• Pop corns can be sold anywhere and anytime of the day.

Step By Step tips to start a Popcorn Business in Uganda

The Following tips to start a popcorn business in Uganda, If Followed will help you to establish and start-up a successful popcorn business.  These steps should be paired with good financial discipline, patience, persistence, as well as a passion and love for quality popcorn.

Step 1 – Conduct Market Research

You need to conduct conclusive market research on the customers of the popcorn business and their consumption trends, plus the competitors and substitutes available.

Carry out research on the existing popcorn businesses, and learn about their practices, pricing, quality of products, packaging and different recipe. This will help you benchmark and plan accordingly.

Step 2: A Good Location

Your popcorn business is well suited for places with crowds and a number of people roaming around.

 A good location for your business in Uganda could be any place where you sell your products or your physical presence where potential customers can find you. You wouldn’t want to raise a business where there’s no market, in choosing this you need to really know your market, set your target.

The following are some of the options that can be considered: School kids, Restaurant and Hotels, Shopping malls, Movie halls, Religious places or fairs, Offices, People at Fairs and carnivals, city suburbs and campus residential areas like Makerere Kikoni

Step 3 – Acquire Training in Making Perfect Popcorns

It is very necessary for you to seek and learn about the process of producing perfect popcorns. Learn about the different variant recipes and varieties of popcorn available and the best way to add value to them.

You can also do a tasting trip of the popcorn vendors available at different corners of the streets in Uganda to find out the varying traits that you can either adopt or improve in your startup.  

Step 4 – Get the Necessary Equipment and Materials

Do your research on the best equipment available on the market for making popcorns and fit them In your budget and plan. Below is a list of some of the basic equipment you require to start a popcorn business.

List of Basic Equipment Required For Starting Up A Successful Popcorn Business In Uganda

1. Popcorn Maker

The most important equipment you need for this startup is a popcorn making machine that can otherwise be called a popcorn maker.

There are varieties of popcorn making machines on the market, depending on your budget and what you can afford.

For a start, it is advisable to buy the one that is usable in the absence of electricity, there’s this type that uses both electricity and gas so that you can easily switch if there’s no electricity.

You can buy a popcorn making machine on all online shopping websites like JUMIA Uganda and Kikuu online shopping mall. This will cost you around Uganda shillings 285,000 for a new machine. Old machines can be bought in katwe on Entebbe road.

Sealing Machine

The second piece of equipment you might need is the sealing machine. I have seen many people use the bottom of the hot popcorn making machine to seal plastic bags ( kavera) of their popcorn bags.

Depending on your choice of packaging bag and material you might not have a sealing machine.

Container

You need a big container to pour in your popped popcorns right before you seal them. It is commonly fabricated from aluminium and glass and is popularly known as show glass. Some popcorn machines have one of these attached to the maker for convenience.

All you have to do is to turn over the already made popcorn into the attached show glass.

The show glass serves as a good display for attracting passerby customers to your popcorn stall.  

Branded Serving Containers

To differentiate your popcorn business from the rest of the competitors on the market consider branding your cardboard popcorn boxes of different sizes.

This is a big deal as to stay ahead of your competitors in this business; your strongest selling point should be your brand. Branding makes a great tip to start a popcorn business in Uganda.

Step 5 – Get the Right Raw Materials

Find good suppliers of raw materials, in this case, corn for your business.

Start by generating a list of suppliers in your area. Analyze their cost and quality and finalize the best one.

Corn is the major raw material needed in producing popcorn, it will be advisable to get your corn in a bulk purchase so as to maximize your profit.

With time you should consider managing the whole supply chain of the corn you use, that is consider growing your own corn and managing it in the best way for quality results.

You’ll also need salt to taste, sugar to sweeten, and butter or vegetable cooking oil which are other raw materials you need for starting a popcorn business.

Step 6 – Get the Right Marketing Strategies

One of the marketing strategies you should consider if you desire to sell more than everyone is to brand your stuff have well-designed labels; a unique and easy-to-pronounce name on your label is a bonus.

Request for feedback from customers so that you will do what suits them and not just you’re taste

Create a combination of bundles such as popcorn and large Coca-Cola , candy for the kids, and a small and a big popcorn, or buy one get one free for medium popcorns to entice the customers