There are a lot of business one can do but often we find ourselves in a dilemma on what we can do or where we can start. The aim of this thread is to suggest a business one can start with little capital. Every week we will be posting one business ideas and hope that someone will benefit from it.


This week's idea is : Starting A Sugarcane Drink Shop

This business is good especially to someone that lives closer to univeristy or market place. You have to agree with me that students will find it uncivilized to take a stick of sugarcane into a lecture hall and be chewing like a zebra while the lecture is going on.

But consider turning things around by squeezing the sugarcane juice out and put it in a cane and sell to student. Imagine in a hot day you sold cool sugarcane juice. This will be consider refreshing and also it is 100% natural. You can even turn things around by making your own brand name. Print your name on your label. If you have the cash to spend, follow the examples of starbuck, kfc, Mr Beans. Who knows you might even be the next brand in town.

So how do you start this business?
You can get the sugarcane extractor on aliexpress or alibaba. For example check this (http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=sugar+cane+juicer&catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20130612050855)
Take your time to choose the best one for you. Some of these product use electricity while some don't. If you don't have constant electricity in your area, go for the one that don't need electricity to operator. Once you decide your choice, contact us and we will handle the shipping for you.

Hi,oga chrisvicmall

I would like ur advice on a start up ,I'm steve from ph

It's a wonderful idea. thanks

Keep coming pls

Subscribing

That's a very good idea, but apart from the price of the extractor, how much capital would be required?

I like you concept of suggesting business ideas for people, because with shrinking job prospects out there, self employment is the only way out of our current unemployment situation.

Having said that, i feel your sugar cane drink idea is at best unrealistic and at worse utopian.

First the capital needed would be huge - beyond the reach of a student. Apart from the cost of the sugar cane extractor, other costs such as space, treatment of the liquid, packaging(plastic bottles), labels, preservatives, etc would be significant. And we have not even considered the cost of NAFDAC registration and distribution logistics.

Then we have to look at the cost of the final product itself. Sugar cane is not cheap (well unless you are sourcing directly in bulk from farmers directly). A length of sugar cane would retail for nothing less than N50, so how many lengths would be needed to obtain 50 litres(the capacity of plastic bottles). Then how much would you sell to retailers.

Finally, i do not even know if drinking 50 litres of sugar cane extract is healthy, because of the high sugar content. Someone Eating sugar Cane itself only consume little of the extract as one tend to get tired easily. People hardly consume more than a small length size of sugar cane, but drinking whole bottle regularly might have long term health implications. Just my speculation.

So to convince us on the viability of the business provide us with a feasibility report and a case study where it had been done.

The business concept is very good but I wouldn't encourage engaging in any sugar based biz now that sugar has become a serious health issue and health conscious people are avoiding it.

wirinet: I like you concept of suggesting business ideas for people, because with shrinking job prospects out there, self employment is the only way out of our current unemployment situation.

Having said that, i feel your sugar cane drink idea is at best unrealistic and at worse utopian.

First the capital needed would be huge - beyond the reach of a student. Apart from the cost of the sugar cane extractor, other costs such as space, treatment of the liquid, packaging(plastic bottles), labels, preservatives, etc would be significant. And we have not even considered the cost of NAFDAC registration and distribution logistics.

Then we have to look at the cost of the final product itself. Sugar cane is not cheap (well unless you are sourcing directly in bulk from farmers directly). A length of sugar cane would retail for nothing less than N50, so how many lengths would be needed to obtain 50 litres(the capacity of plastic bottles). Then how much would you sell to retailers.

Finally, i do not even know if drinking 50 litres of sugar cane extract is healthy, because of the high sugar content. Someone Eating sugar Cane itself only consume little of the extract as one tend to get tired easily. People hardly consume more than a small length size of sugar cane, but drinking whole bottle regularly might have long term health implications. Just my speculation.

So to convince us on the viability of the business provide us with a feasibility report and a case study where it had been done.

There are a few things wrong with your post sir.
First of all He didn't say this business is for students...in his words - "This business is good especially to someone
that lives closer to univeristy or market
place." You can see that you got the idea wrong so you point of students not being able to afford it is invalid. Secondly you say 50litres is the size of a plastic bottle? And you were talking about drinking 50litres of sugarcane juice? Bros do you know what 50litres is? Ok, I will assume it was a typo error and you probably meant 50CL.
Lastly, you have to do your research about sugarcane juice. It is not as bad, even healthwise as you have painted it.

Sugar cane juice is the national drink of
Pakistan, where it is called Roh and more
commonly referred to as "gunney ka rus". It is
sold by roadside vendors, where the juice is
squeezed fresh when ordered. It is sold in
glasses with or without ice.Very often a hint of
ginger and lemon is also added, along with
optional salt or pepper.

Please read more here-
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane_juice

toluxa1:

There are a few things wrong with your post sir.
First of all He didn't say this business is for students...in his words - "This business is good especially to someone
that lives closer to univeristy or market
place." You can see that you got the idea wrong so you point of students not being able to afford it is invalid. Secondly you say 50litres is the size of a plastic bottle? And you were talking about drinking 50litres of sugarcane juice? Bros do you know what 50litres is? Ok, I will assume it was a typo error and you probably meant 50CL.
Lastly, you have to do your research about sugarcane juice. It is not as bad, even healthwise as you have painted it.

Sugar cane juice is the national drink of
Pakistan, where it is called Roh and more
commonly referred to as "gunney ka rus". It is
sold by roadside vendors, where the juice is
squeezed fresh when ordered. It is sold in
glasses with or without ice.Very often a hint of
ginger and lemon is also added, along with
optional salt or pepper.

Please read more here-
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane_juice

My apologies for the minor errors i made in my post, when you are using a phone to post you make some errors due to the small window available for typing.

Since we are talking about small scale industries and being near students, i assume that the business should be small enough for students to undertake. So i think the OP should have giving us an idea of what a small scale business entails in terms of capital requirements.

secondly of course the 50litres is an error, plastic bottles for drinks are mainly 50centilitres.

Having said that, you have not disputed my arguments. The link you provided did not even help your argument, here is what it says

Sugarcane juice is the juice extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Brazil.

Evaporated cane juice is a loosely defined term which can include combinations of sugars including glucose, and fructose. It is less processed than bleached white sugar.[1] Nutritional benefits are minimal; evaporated cane juice contains trace minerals and vitamins but has the same amount of calories as table sugar[2] and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines evaporated cane juice as any sweetener derived from sugar cane syrup.[3]

It says it is consumed in regions where sugar cane is commercially grown, i am sure Nigeria does not fit that description. Also blacks are are more prone to diabetes than other races.

People have embarked on similar projects with palm wine before, which is a far more popular drink, and it did not succeeded, so what makes you think sugar cane extract drink will succeed in Nigeria?

My arguments are that i am not convinced about the viability and health implications of scale sugar cane extract business in Nigeria, that is if it can be done on a small scale at all. A more vaible alternative would be Zobo or Soya beans drinks.

bizmahn: The business concept is very good but I wouldn't encourage engaging in any sugar based biz now that sugar has become a serious health issue and health conscious people are avoiding it.

Sir, I dont know the poster but i only want to comment based on my academic standing. Refined sugar you consume at home differs largely from Sugar can juice. Pls dont mix it up.

wirinet: My arguments are that i am not convinced about the viability and health implications of scale sugar cane extract business in Nigeria, that is if it can be done on a small scale at all. A more vaible alternative would be Zobo or Soya beans drinks.

Sir,

Just writing to explain a bit about Sugar can juice. I am taking it from Scientific view and DOE assay. Less i pull further to help my write up. (My profile: masters and PhD degree abroad-Nanotech, medical chemistry, polymer sci).

Refined sugar (common sugar at home) differs from sugar obtained from Sugarcane juice extract.The juicy extract of sugarcane sticks has huge health benefits. Sugarcane is a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and substantial calories.

A cup of freshly extracted sugarcane juice has approximately 11-13% total natural sugar content. This is less sugar than a cup of apple juice or orange juice and still far less sugar than most soft drinks around the market (you may read the content of the soft drinks). Fresh extract of sugar cane juice contains wide range of living antioxidants, fibre vitamins, minerals, enzymes which are all good for you. It also contains similar amount of calories as low fat skim milk.
And dont be surprise to see fresh sugar cane juice extract has low calories than apple juice, regular milk and orange juice.

Myself and my other team member have carried out some research in Turkey and North Cyprus on glucose and fructose release of some plants materials for diabetes patients using prepared alginate and hydroxyapatite. Sugar cane juice was found to be great for diabetics.

Some of the health benefits of sugar cane extract ( due to SPAMBOT here i cant post JOURNAL LINKS but you may request via my email or check nutritional benefits of sugar cane juice in American journal of public health, health journals):

1. Nutritional contents: Sugarcane juice extract is filled with vitamins and minerals that are good for the proper functioning of the body. The extracted juice of sugarcane is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium to name a few. Researches have shown that sugarcane juice can help recover the loss of vitamins that occurred due to febrile disorders like fever.

2. Kidney stones: One of the most effective health benefits of cane juice extract is dissolution of kidney stones which are commonly formed due to dehydration. Constant drinking of water helps dissolve the stones in the kidneys. Drink lots of fluids and also have sugarcane juice as it breaks down the stones or dissolves them.

3. Great for diabetics: Cane juice extract is healthy for diabetics as it contains no simple sugar. It is a better alternative for artificial sweetener or raw sugar. The juice's benefits by keeping the blood glucose levels balanced.

There many health benefits of cane juice, i have seen it sold and canned in Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand etc Also more than 15 industries i know personally such as pharmaceuticals use it during syrup formation and currently use in Germany Grahm malt extracts for Instant malt drink!!!

My own cent!!

wip7:

Sir, I dont know the poster but i only want to comment based on my academic standing. Refined sugar you consume at home differs largely from Sugar can juice. Pls dont mix it up.



Sir,

Just writing to explain a bit about Sugar can juice. I am taking it from Scientific view and DOE assay. Less i pull further to help my write up. (My profile: masters and PhD degree abroad-Nanotech, medical chemistry, polymer sci).

Refined sugar (common sugar at home) differs from sugar obtained from Sugarcane juice extract.The juicy extract of sugarcane sticks has huge health benefits. Sugarcane is a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and substantial calories.

A cup of freshly extracted sugarcane juice has approximately 11-13% total natural sugar content. This is less sugar than a cup of apple juice or orange juice and still far less sugar than most soft drinks around the market (you may read the content of the soft drinks). Fresh extract of sugar cane juice contains wide range of living antioxidants, fibre vitamins, minerals, enzymes which are all good for you. It also contains similar amount of calories as low fat skim milk.
And dont be surprise to see fresh sugar cane juice extract has low calories than apple juice, regular milk and orange juice.

Myself and my other team member have carried out some research in Turkey and North Cyprus on glucose and fructose release of some plants materials for diabetes patients using prepared alginate and hydroxyapatite. Sugar cane juice was found to be great for diabetics.

Some of the health benefits of sugar cane extract ( due to SPAMBOT here i cant post JOURNAL LINKS but you may request via my email or check nutritional benefits of sugar cane juice in American journal of public health, health journals):

1. Nutritional contents: Sugarcane juice extract is filled with vitamins and minerals that are good for the proper functioning of the body. The extracted juice of sugarcane is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium to name a few. Researches have shown that sugarcane juice can help recover the loss of vitamins that occurred due to febrile disorders like fever.

2. Kidney stones: One of the most effective health benefits of cane juice extract is dissolution of kidney stones which are commonly formed due to dehydration. Constant drinking of water helps dissolve the stones in the kidneys. Drink lots of fluids and also have sugarcane juice as it breaks down the stones or dissolves them.

3. Great for diabetics: Cane juice extract is healthy for diabetics as it contains no simple sugar. It is a better alternative for artificial sweetener or raw sugar. The juice's benefits by keeping the blood glucose levels balanced.

There many health benefits of cane juice, i have seen it sold and canned in Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand etc Also more than 15 industries i know personally such as pharmaceuticals use it during syrup formation and currently use in Germany Grahm malt extracts for Instant malt drink!!!

My own cent!!

Well you have superior arguments given your academic qualifications and experience. I never claimed to be a nutritional expert, i only assumed that sugar extract will have the same properties and effects as refined sugar. Although i do not doubt your claims, i wish you could provide links so i could read it up my self. i love learning new things.

Since we have dealt with the health side, we have to consider the business aspect also. Given the high cost of sugar cane in the south how cost effective would the business be? unless of course the business is set beside a plantation up north. Then how would the sugar extracted be preserved before consumption? What is the shelf life of sugar can extract before fermentation sets in. I know that vitamins depreciate quickly in fruit extracts as most fruit juice in the market have added vitamin supplements to try and maintain their vitamin content.

Since this business is new and will take time before it catches on with the population, it cannot be embarked upon by a small start up company. It will need the big giants like chivita, lacasera, etc, who have deep pockets and patience to promote the drink and make it popular.

Thanks for the education anyway, that is the beauty of nairaland, it exposes our ignorance and our knowledge.

wirinet:

Well you have superior arguments given your academic qualifications and experience. I never claimed to be a nutritional expert, i only assumed that sugar extract will have the same properties and effects as refined sugar. Although i do not doubt your claims, i wish you could provide links so i could read it up my self. i love learning new things.

Since we have dealt with the health side, we have to consider the business aspect also. Given the high cost of sugar cane in the south how cost effective would the business be? unless of course the business is set beside a plantation up north. Then how would the sugar extracted be preserved before consumption? What is the shelf life of sugar can extract before fermentation sets in. I know that vitamins depreciate quickly in fruit extracts as most fruit juice in the market have added vitamin supplements to try and maintain their vitamin content.

Since this business is new and will take time before it catches on with the population, it cannot be embarked upon by a small start up company. It will need the big giants like chivita, lacasera, etc, who have deep pockets and patience to promote the drink and make it popular.

Thanks for the education anyway, that is the beauty of nairaland, it exposes our ignorance and our knowledge.

You are welcome sir.

From the country i have seen selling this juice, i dont think they need special tech training or need huge capital to set it up. You find this commonly in India, China, Brazil and many other places and can be set up at any corner. You dont need to be located close to the farm but you will need regular supply and fresh supplies matters alot in order to keep the sucrose level intact.

Below are some scientific articles to read about sugar cane juice nutritional benefits, some of the journals may required subscription to download full articles so play around it.

1. Parvathy K, Bottiling of Sugarcane juice, proceedings of the schemes of studies on harvest & post harvest technology(ICAR), Coimbatore Center, Annual Report, Feb 1983, 13-16.

2. Swaminathan V (1995) Food Science Chemistry& Experimental Foods, the Bangalore Printing & Publishing Co. ltd.,Bagtalore.

3. J Food Sci, 2011, 76 (M573-8, BB Mishra et. al.


The sugarcane juice can be preserved and shelf life extended to 12-24months. Major deterioration occurred soon after the harvest by endogenous invertase which break down the sucrose and lead to dextran formation.

In the past and currently many researchers have used Potassium Meta bi sulphite (KMS), Benzoate and Ammonium hydroxide as chemical preservatives. Newer research focuses on use of low cost and bio-friendly preservatives to extend the shelf life and to introduce additional benefits. Such preservatives are LEMON extract, Ginger extract and Black salt; this has been investigated to inhibit growth of microbial and some research has reported the use of orchid spices and herbal spices to keep the nutrient stable and could maintain its medicinal properties for 24 months.

Currently there are companies in India, Singapore preparing instant powdered sugar cane juice. Have you thought about tomato juice and okro snacks before?

@wip. Wao, you certainly know alot about this. You say you sell Sugarcane juice? On what scale do you operate? Small scale or you have a big company? How did you start?

FOLLOWING

toluxa1: @wip. Wao, you certainly know alot about this. You say you sell Sugarcane juice? On what scale do you operate? Small scale or you have a big company? How did you start?

no no no... I don't sell sugar cane juice and I have not said that in any of my post. The poster brought the idea of sugar cane juice extractor and some viewers tot it may not be okay healthwise but I wrote the medicinal benefits due to my field of research and Knowledge and I have traveled around Asia and Europe where i have seen people selling in both small and large scale. So am
Not a seller nor I do not own company for the juice of sugar cane.

Hmmm...@Wip7...nice posts. @OP...I guess you now find this idea is not as simple as you thought! From my experience...without knowing or caring about the health benefits...I drank lots of fresh sugarcane juice directly from the sugarcane or freshly squeezed.It has a great taste immediately when extracted but the longer it sits the quicker that refreshing taste fades away.For that reason when being sold the vendor extracts the juice on demand and does not ever store it like any other juice. I tried various brands of canned sugarcane juice...ewwww....they all tasted like medicine!..nothing like the fresh juice. To set up such a business I think the people in the community must be familiar with the cane juice. You would need lots of sugarcane since it takes maybe 6 ft of cane to produce a glass of juice. Cane juice is always way more expensive than regular fruit juices so would people pay for it?...people who are not used to it? If using an electrical extractor then there is the problem of reliability. Manual extractors are low maintenance and can really squeeze the last drop of juice out of the cane but...they require more space and is not so mobile.Afterall...was just a suggestion.