As a woman entrepreneur, what do you feel is a major requirement for women in business these days?
If you have a family to look after, especially a toddler, then first and foremost you’ve got to have your priorities clear. Then you’ve got to plan your schedule, but also ensure you have resources to fall back on if things pan out differently. Flexibility is the key.
The rest I believe is not gender specific. Every entrepreneur has to put together a good team and make sure the team is equally enthused. Clear goals and objectives, and sound systems and processes are essential.
What kind of clients do you generally target? Does the ‘healthy snack’ industry have value for the diets of the young and the old?
Malia bar is good for anyone really, young and old. Every one snacks and every one would be better off with a packaged snack, that has nutrients that actually do you good.
I initially made the bars at home, just for my daughter, based on my husband’s work notes on an international benchmark product. We evaluated the business opportunity eventually, and it became apparent that there was a larger and more urgent need amongst adults.
Our core target is anyone between the age of 25 to 60, who realizes it’s important to snack healthy and can also afford to do so.
How did you or do you finalize the ingredients of all your various snack bars?
The initial bars I made were for my daughter, so there were no heart healthy seeds like flaxseed, sunflower seed and watermelon seed; just dried fruit and nuts with herbs and spices. Once we decided to target adults, it was important to bring in the heart-healthy seeds, even if they subtracted the taste.
Thanks to the continuous inputs from our product development associates in the US, and our panel of knowledgeable tasters in India, we’ve been able to arrive at the delicate balance between taste and great nutrition. Yes, we could make Malia Bars tastier, but our commitment to a ‘snack healthy’ lifestyle takes precedence.
What tips can you give women who would like to start their own snack / home-based food distribution business?
Well apart from making sure that you follow all stipulated rules and regulations from the get-go, I suggest you look at products that have a clear differentiation.
There is a growing need in India for healthy snack products or specialised foods, like gluten-free etc. One must try to keep overheads low, while at the same time ensuring high quality ingredients. Pricing is the key and should be well thought through.
What kind of other healthy snacks will you eventually introduce into Malia Bar range?
We all believe this venture is eminently scalable, and Phase 1 of the scale is well underway. Our goal is to bring about an appreciation for the need to ‘snack healthy’, given that snacking is an integral part of one’s eating habits.
Can you help our readers with some advice on marketing their own small establishments, if they own one?
No matter the size, word of mouth and sampling are time-tested, proven ways to build awareness and encourage trial. I strongly recommend it receives good attention.
Today we have the huge advantage of creating online marketing campaigns, that can be targeted very specifically, and they are quite cost effective.
Besides healthy snacks, what else would you like to turn into a successful business venture in the future?
There is huge opportunity in India and it will grow exponentially over the next decade. There are a slew of packaged food products we could introduce. Given our available funds right now, I am quite focused on Malia Bar. There’s a lot that can and needs to be done with this brand, and with this product.
Thank you Lisa, for your time and insights, and Team Indusladies wishes you success in allyour ventures.
