“When life gives you lemons, what are you going to do?”
A question that accurately describes the challenge Seun and Seyi Abolaji were faced with when they were at their lowest point six years ago. They had tried their hands on a couple of ventures which had taken a lot of their money- and failed. Left with little in the way of viable options and a bleak future staring them in the face, the Abolaji brothers decided to do something with the little they had. They turned to making lemonades. Literally. And it paid off big time.
In 2010, the Abolaji brothers started a juice making and distribution business with very little- they say it was about ₦2,000 –which has now grown into a thriving company that makes its presence felt across Nigeria. The business, Wilson’s Juice Company, supplies lemonades to retail outlets in 18 states across the country and has a multi-million naira turnover.
How did they do it?
Candy men on rough roads
Seun says he’s always had a knack for spotting opportunities. While he was in school, he was called “the candy man” because he sold candy to his fellow pupils. He bought candy at the store and sold it at a significantly marked-up price to the children at the school. “I don’t know why they would not just go down to the store, but I guess I provided them with access”, he said in an interview with CNN.
The Abolajis had grown up in the United States. They had great dreams, but their parents were particular about them taking a more certain career path. Seun had studied Psychology at the University of Colorado but went for a career in Pharmaceuticals to please his parents. However, he wound up dissatisfied.
An opportunity presented itself to Seun and Seyi. A family business in Nigeria had been run to the ground by the people who had been given charge of it. They decided to have a go at reviving it. However, the business- which revolved around a factory that was supposed to produce ekuru, a local produce made from palm kernel cake -ultimately failed, and had to be closed down.
Finding feet, and starting to soar
The rough road brought the brothers to a new, far humbler business. The old candy man gap-identifying ability enabled them to find a gap in the supply of fresh juice at Covenant University. They began with a bag of oranges and a plastic juicer.
Soon, their business grew. They got a kiosk, progressed to making smoothies, and then happened upon lemons. They included the lemonades to the products they offered, and it proved to be popular. Seeing that their customers wanted more of the lemonades, they decided to focus squarely on the lemonade business. They got it bottled just to make it easier for them to keep track of sales (at that time, they had 11 people working for them). That move practically raised patronage to levels that encouraged them to go big with the business. They came up with a brand name, got a generic bottle, and obtained certification to sell drinks.
Since starting the company, Seun and Seyi have raised up to $200,000 from family and friends, and their savings as well. They convinced supermarkets to sell their product and widened their scope of operation.
Today, the business is thriving. Wilson Juice sells in over 600 locations across Nigeria and has a factory that employs 30 people.
But the Abolajis aren’t done yet. They are setting their sights on moving beyond the supermarket space to the open market, which presents them with an opportunity to significantly expand but also comes with stiff competition. Ultimately, they hope, the lemonades will become more than a Nigerian brand.
“We have made a product, and we’re making products, that can stand on the shelf anywhere in the world”, Seun says.
Here’s an interview with Seun Abolaji by CNTV.
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