A lot of women make chapatis but not all chapatis are made equal. There are some who make chapatis that are so hard you could use them for a game of frisbee. There are some that are so thick they are not cooked all the way through. There are some that are good on the outer edges but so hard in the middle you need a chainsaw to break them. When you eat a good chapati, you know it. It is soft, peels in layers and outright delicious. In every village, there is that one or two girls who make the best chapatis that everybody desires. The village knows those girls and they usually ‘borrow’ them to make chapatis whenever there is a function or important visitors coming.
That is how you identify your talent and you can turn it into a business. It is not just the skill of making chapatis that is lacking, but also the time. Making chapatis is time consuming. A lot of people dont have the time to make them as often as they would like. This is where you step in. Approach families. Tell them you can supply them with your scrumptious chapatis once a week or as often as they like. Name a reasonable price for each.
Remind them the hassle of making chapatis, that is why they don’t eat them as often as they would like. Tell them you want to change all that for them. They can eat the best chapatis whenever they want, and all they need to make is the stew and dinner is served. Point out the cost of bread which they try so hard to afford for their breakfast. Bread is generally tasteless, it is mass produced and has preservatives, yet there is still the cost of a spread like Blue Band or Jam to make it palatable. Chapatis would end all that. They can have chapatis with tea for breakfast instead, eliminating the cost of bread and spread. If these people already know your chapatis, they will jump at the idea. Supplying them 20 chapatis a week is a good start. If you get 10 families ordering 20 or more every week, you are already in business.
Take some to offices, school staff rooms and the hospital and let their employees buy single chapatis to eat with their tea at 10 am. Those are the same customers who will place bigger orders for chapatis to take home to their families, adding to your customer base. If you remain consistent with these families and they are happy with your services, they will tell other families and your customer base will widen without you even trying. A good product sold by a good supplier, keeps itself relevant and growing. For those who do not know your chapati skills, take them samples. Take to hotels and kiosks in town and I can guarantee you they will want you to supply them with chapatis, releasing their kitchen staff to focus on other dishes. Take samples to churches, schools and other institutions, positioning yourself to get their orders whenever they hold functions. Keep in touch with your customers even those who have not ordered from you for a while. It is called customer service. You are keeping your business fresh in their minds, just like Coca Cola has done to the entire globe for over a century.
If you get a small profit from every bag of Unga and Oil you use, you are already successful. Do not go for huge profit margins, just enough to keep you employed. You are living at home and cooking your chapatis at home. Every small profit you make is your tax free cash, with minimal expenses. Why not utilize your talent and let it put some money in your pocket while feeding your community with a delicacy they all crave.
