This post is about How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business with Little Capital via Afrokonnect.
If you’re reading this article, then you’ve probably been plagued with questions like: how do I start an ice block business Or how to start ice block production and sale?
Here’s the good news, we’ve done most of the research so you don’t have to. This article brings to you everything you need to know about the ice block business.
It also answers extra questions like; How do you make ice blocks? Can deep freezers be used for ice blocks? And, how do ice companies make money?. Before we delve fully into the answers to those questions, here’s a little background about ice block, the ice block production business and why this business is said to be a very lucrative one.
How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business
Ice block is just water that has been frozen solid, Sounds pretty basic right? Don’t let the above statement fool you because in a continent like Africa and in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda etc the business is a pretty big deal.
In fact According to Dekoolar, research has shown that when ice block is produced on a large scale the business owner can make between #250,000-300,000 ($500-$787) as profit on a monthly basis. An humongous sum right? Well, a business cannot be successful without reasons.
4 reasons Why a lot of money can be made from the ice block business
Therefore, here is a little insight on why a lot of money can be made from the ice block business.
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Dehydration
In Africa, a lot of people are manual laborers e.g bricklayers, carpenters, fashion designers and so on. Jobs like these deplete the energy levels of the body and the body needs to be refueled by food and drinks.
When a person is severely dehydrated, chilled water/drinks are more refreshing than their lukewarm counterparts.
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Weather
Africa seats on the Earth’s equator which means that the amount of sunlight we get is relatively higher when compared with the amount that other countries receive.
That being said, even people that aren’t manual laborers get so thirsty and would need something to cool down after being under the sun for some time. This is where chilled drinks come in because having something very cold to drink after a long hot day sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?
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Unstable power supply
If you’re African, this shouldn’t be new news but if you’re not, the most suitable word that describes Africa’s power supply is ‘Horrible’ or even better, ‘Awful’.
This poor power supply has made households start resorting to buying ice blocks and using them to preserve their food and drinks as this is a much cheaper option than using a generator.
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Gatherings
A gathering is a lot of people in one place, with a lot of people in a place there would be a need for a lot of chilled drinks because no one wants to go to a party where they’ll be offered lukewarm beer or soda.
Don’t forget to check Out our Business and Investment page for More Ideas and Tips. Now that we’ve gotten a little insight as to why ice blocks are so popular and Why a lot of money can be made from the business, let’s move to how ice blocks are made.
How do you make Ice Blocks?
The process of making ice blocks is a pretty simple and uncomplicated one.
Firstly
You’ll need a source of water, preferably pipe borne. Although the ice blocks usually do not come in direct contact with the food and or drinks being chilled, it is still necessary to use clean, safe and hygienic water to make your ice blocks, nobody wants to purchase ice block made from dirty, cloudy water even if they aren’t consuming it directly.
It is not a very comforting thought to know that the ice used in freezing the food and drinks you’ve eaten or drank was made from unclean water.
Secondly
You’ll need a means of packaging your ice blocks. You can do this in two ways, You can either choose to pack them in plastic containers or you could pack them in nylon bags.
The use of nylon bags is far more preferable than the other option, this is simply because nylon bags are more affordable and wouldn’t take up as much space as plastic containers and that’s not all,
Most times, people need to break the ice blocks into smaller pieces so that they can cover more surface area, it is way easier to break these ice blocks when they’re in nylon bags than when they’re in plastic containers. Plus, using nylon bags affords you the opportunity of branding your nylons, that is, customizing your nylon bags and putting your contact info on it,
This is a really efficient way of promoting your business as it sets you aside from the other nameless, brandless individuals that run a similar business venture to yours. Also Read This our article about how to Raise Capital for a Start up Business.
Thirdly
You’ll need an ice block making machine. These machines vary and the type that would be bought depends entirely on how large scale you want to operate your business on.
Lastly
You’ll need a stable source of power supply. As a business owner in Africa you cannot depend on the general electricity supply, especially when the business you’re running is one that requires a constant power supply.
So, you’ll need a generator or solar inverter that’s strong enough to carry the ice block making machine without issues. With everything mentioned above in place,
You can make your ice blocks easily without stress in four easy steps:
- Fill up the nylon bags with water
- Tie them up
- Place them in the ice block making machine
- Let it freeze
And voila! You have your ice blocks all set for sale. One good thing about the ice block business is that it is a business venture that doesn’t require any skills whatsoever to start-up.
At times, this also translates to a disadvantage, because requiring no skills to start-up means that anyone can just decide to start up the business and become your competition. Don’t worry though, We’re here to help so Read on to learn tips on how to make your business standout and keep incurring profit all year long.
Use of distilled water
Distilled water is water that is free of minerals, tap water has minerals and this minerals increase the time that the machine will use to freeze the water because the gases have to be dissolved first. On the other hand, using distilled water is more efficient because the machine wouldn’t need a lot of time to freeze the water as there is no gas to be dissolved.
Location
Location plays a very important role in the start-up of an ice block production business, in the sense that the accessibility of your business is a main determining factor of how many customers you’ll have and how often they’ll come back.
If you’re planning to have your business on a small scale, you can start at home provided you have enough space in your home for the production activities. If you want to do this on a large scale, you’ll most likely need to rent a space.
When renting a space, choose a location that sits in an highly populated area, Busy roads, schools, markets and areas that see a high influx of people day in day out. The reason is that, in busy areas people are usually in need of chilled items,
Especially when they’ve been working for a long time, whether they’ve been under the hot sun or not. Either way, shop owners or hawkers need a fast way of chilling their drinks to the satisfaction of their customers and they would be opposed to going long distances just to get ice blocks for their business.
The possibility that the ice block might even start to melt and start making a mess is also a factor that discourages customers from traveling a long distance to get their ice blocks. Read Also: How to Start a Laundry and Dry Cleaning Business.
Factors to consider when choosing an Ice block making machine
An ice block machine is similar to a deep freezer except that it freezes water in record time. Before we continue, here’s an answer to the question;
Can Deep freezers be used for Ice Blocks?
The answer is yes, Deep freezers can be used in the production of ice blocks but this is not advisable for some reasons discussed below: Deep freezers take a longer time to freeze the water and this leads to a higher consumption of electricity (or fuel if a generator is being used).
This is turn leads to an higher electricity bill or a higher amount that would be spent on purchasing fuel every week. In terms of quantity, deep freezers can not produce as much ice blocks as an ice block making machine can in one sitting. This makes the use of a deep freezer a inefficient option for making ice blocks especially when you plan to produce on a large scale.
How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business
With the use of a deep freezer comes unnecessary stress, stress that could have been avoided if an ice block making machine had been used instead. Most ice block machines come with slots (moulds) that the water can be inserted into.
There, it would take the shape of a long rectangular block and get frozen. Deep freezers do not come with these extra accessories making it really frustrating to use in making ice blocks.
Let’s go back to the factors that should be considered when choosing an ice block making machine. Consider the quantity of ice blocks the machine can make in one go. There are machines that can make about 100-200 blocks or more at once.
Choose one that fits into your budget and suits your daily ice block making needs. Consider the time taken to freeze the water, Buy one with a high capacity value as those ones tend to freeze water in little time.
How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business
Choose a machine with insurance or a long warranty, if possible, buy the machine directly from the manufacturer or a direct wholesaler. So, that you can take the machine back if there are any issues before the warranty is up.
If it is not possible to purchase your machine from the original manufacturer, then ensure you buy it from a seller that has efficient engineers that can help you fix the machine in case it malfunctions.
How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business
Monitor the seasons
During hot weather, people tend to consume more cold items so the amount you produce would be relatively high. When the weather is cold, people reduce their consumption of cold drinks to avoid catching a cold or just falling sick in general.
Nevertheless, some people would still prefer cold drinks in any kind of weather, it is your job to monitor the seasons and produce the ice blocks according to the demand for it; more in hot weather and less in cold/wintery weather.
Proper care of machines
It is very important to keep your ice block making machine and your source of power in very good working condition. Make sure that they are very compatible with one another, machine failure leads to disappointed customers, Disappointed customers lead to loss of the customers, Loss of customers will in turn lead to a drastic decrease in revenue.
How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business
Astounding customer service
Besides customers wanting efficient and stable suppliers, they also want suppliers they can relate well with. Petty traders, event planners, restaurants, hotels and some other business ventures are going to be your customers.
You’ll have to find a way to make them recurrent customers and you can do this by maintaining a good rapport with all your customers. Be kind and polite, Genuinely listen to their tips and advice and pick what you can from it. Listen to their complaints too without interruption and make suitable adjustments where and when necessary.
Pay attention to delivery
On a large scale, you will need to make sure you have the means of delivering the ice blocks to the shops, events, hotels and other places where they are needed. Depending on the amount of ice blocks you produce and quantity your customers ask for to be delivered, you can use a small vehicle or a truck if need be.
Using motorcycles are not as efficient because they cannot carry as much ice blocks as a vehicle can. Plus, ice blocks need to be put in coolers to prevent them from melting and making a mess, Motorbikes do not have the capacity to carry such heavy loads.
How do Ice block companies make money?
The answer is simple, they make their money from producing on a large scale and remaining an efficient supplier of ice blocks. This keeps the customers coming and when there are recurrent and new customers, there is increased revenue.
If you do decide to start an ice block production and sale business, we hope the information shared in this article will help in your endeavors. This brings us to the end of this article about How to start Ice Block Production and Sale Business with Little Capital via Afrokonnect. Good luck!
