As I’ve stated on my Cost-Saving Ideas Farm Business Support mini website, and in addition in a lot of my earlier write ups, I’ve gained distinctive perception into the enterprise of catfish farming as it’s achieved right here in Nigeria. I’ve moved round quite a bit inside Lagos particularly, visiting varied farms in locations like Iyana Ipaja, Egbeda, Ojo, Gbagada, and outdoors Lagos, extra just lately,in Akute – Ogun State.
During my interactions with the farm house owners, I sometimes ask the identical questions on operational practices getting used, farm output achieved, bills incurred and so on. My goal is at all times to ascertain how environment friendly and worthwhile the person operations are. Time and time once more, I’ve discovered that almost all of those farm house owners are merely focussed on doing what they do in the identical mechanical method they’ve at all times been doing them. Little or no effort is made to spend a while THINKING about the best way to function extra effectively – particularly so as to cut back the time, effort, cash and labour wanted to provide – and promote – the identical output inside a manufacturing cycle.
But occasions are arduous. Business is hard. Costs have risen. To proceed to revenue, it has change into much more crucial at the moment, for EVERY enterprise to discover methods of LOWERING working prices, whilst they preserve or probably INCREASE output. That is why IDEAS – NEW IDEAS – about the best way to higher run the enterprise MUST be routinely solicited, and explored virtually, with a view to bettering the way in which we work, in order that the enterprise can carry out higher.
But there’s something much more compelling: SELLING. This is the final word goal of a enterprise entreprise, which if NOT actively pursued may result in its eventual demise. Until you get PAID CASH on your services or products, you might have NOT achieved enterprise profitably! And that applies to ANY enterprise. I needed to say this on the threat of stating the apparent, as a result of it appears so many enterprise house owners typically neglect this necessary FACT.
In truth many individuals appear to go about their companies focussing extra on DOING the technical, manufacturing associated features, and sparing minimal thought for the SELLING half. Yet, if you happen to should not have clients READY and WILLING to half with CASH to get your services or products, ALL your technical, manufacturing associated understand how and abilities quantity to nothing! Your checking account could be empty!!
This is a message that must be drummed into the heads of many Catfish Farm (and different enterprise) house owners out right here. I’ve been repeatedly contacted by individuals who appeared extra excited by TESTING my data of the best way to “inject” catfish or “strip” them of eggs, than they had been in listening to my virtually examined concepts, for example, about how they’ll rear daphnia in glass tanks to feed their catfish fries as an alternative of losing time/labour scouting for soiled swimming pools of water on completely different streets, to reap wild daphnia from – or worse, feeding their catfish fries completely with costly Artemia.
I typically marvel if it ever happens to them that at the moment, nearly ANYONE – even the unschooled – might be taught to independently perform just about all features of breeding and rearing of catfish for business manufacturing. Is it not apparent from the speed at which seminars, manuals and VCDs educating the topic now abound in varied places (with adverts showing in mass media like newspapers, and so on)?
The reality is we’ve lots of people engaged in producing catfish in numerous methods, at varied scales of operation out right here at the moment. The PROBLEM nevertheless, is that only a few, if in any respect any, are doing it by following any examined or confirmed customary working process that ensures constant output of high quality product. Worse nevertheless, and which is the POINT of this writeup, is the close to TOTAL lack of consideration to growing dependable methods for FINDING GOOD consumers for the ready-to-sell catfish, be it fingerlings, juveniles or desk sized ones.
This latter level explains why in my discussions with many homeowners, they sometimes complained of being pissed off by the very exploitative gives made by market ladies who come to purchase their harvested fish. The tales of woe they’ve informed me, about how these grasping merchants reap the benefits of the farmers’ must get the “ready” fish out of the ponds, to purchase them at very low costs (and later promote at most revenue) are coronary heart rending.
Each time I’ve been informed about this downside, I’ve responded by telling the farmers to take private ACTION to search out BETTER consumers, in order that such merchants would NO LONGER really feel farmers haven’t any different. This is the place farmers must make use of CRITICAL THINKING abilities. The farmer wants to consider methods to search out different individuals who will need his fish produce, and who will probably be ready to pay what they’re value!
In case you might be questioning how the farmer will obtain this, I supply some concepts based mostly on my private experiences and observations.
For desk measurement, able to promote catfish: The farmer might want to search for beer parlours, eating places and bars, inns, motels, leisure venues, occasion organisers and so on who might have common or periodic provide of catfish in bulk portions at good costs. Such consumers usually tend to supply rewarding costs, in comparison with the market ladies. Actually they WILL supply higher costs – I say this as a result of I’m conscious of the costs a few of them purchase from the farmers that provide them.
The problem is for YOU, because the farmer, to take a position affordable effort and time into finding and approaching them with a sexy supply. The ensuing relationship could be mutually useful: they get bulk buy of excellent high quality catfish at AFFORDABLE costs. You get dependable, TIMELY and common gross sales outlet on your catfish at PROFITABLE costs that allow you STAY in enterprise for the long run.
Similar pondering will enable you discover higher gross sales retailers for fingerlings, if you happen to select to take action.
You would ask your self questions like this: Who else would want or can use this catfish product, aside from these I’m already coping with? The reply will lead you in direction of securing extra doubtlessly rewarding gross sales retailers for what you are promoting.
You see, if you don’t GO OUT and actively recruit potential bulk shopping for clients on your harvested catfish, to the extent that you’re at all times in a position to dump no matter you produce, at a worthwhile value, what you are promoting will undergo. I’ve seen farms with spectacular trying LIVE catfish produce, however with no thought the best way to get sufficient consumers for them. And the house owners simply sat there – complaining lamely!
Quite typically, these house owners attend the coaching and learn to rear the fish efficiently. But their trainers (asuming they knew!) would have “forgotten” to advise them on the best way to get their produce bought!! The enthusiastic startups would thus launch out assuming consumers would come down in giant sufficient numbers to empty out the ponds, at harvest time. When this doesn’t occur, they’re pressured to proceed spending cash feeding the mature fish – inevitably rising their value of manufacturing.
My argument is that these farmers ought to have began on the lookout for – and notifying – doable consumers some months BEFORE the fish grew to become due for harvest. That method, they may even have gotten some intending consumers to ebook for the fish upfront.
A enterprise that’s NOT making gross sales will DIE. Producing (or retailing) good services and products is sweet, BUT of a lot GREATER significance, is the trouble you set into discovering the RIGHT sort of consumers for them, who can pay you profitably. In essence, I’m asking you NOT to cease at priding your self on the truth that you know the way to make a very good product or ship a terrific service. Spend MORE QUALITY TIME THINKING of the best way to discover individuals who WILL PAY YOU WELL to get YOUR good product or nice service. If you fail to do no less than that, you threat FAILING financially, in that enterprise of yours!
Note that the method I’ve described above is what I’ve used efficiently for years now, to spice up gross sales of my very own services and products. It is predicated on my expertise based mostly understanding, that ONE good paying consumer is best than ten (10) miserly and/or exploitative ones. It might be utilized to ANY enterprise, with equally efficient influence. Call me on 234-803-302-1263 if you wish to be taught extra about how you should utilize this method or technique to search out BETTER paying clients for what you are promoting.
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