THIS IS HOW TO SET-UP AND MANAGE MINI WATER PACKAGING BUSINESS.

INTRODUCTION
Water is one of nature’s most important gifts to mankind. A person’s survival invariably, depends on how much drinking water is available. Water is one of the most essential elements of good hygiene and health. It is necessary for the digestion and absorption of food, helps maintain proper muscle toning, supplies oxygen and nutrients to the cells, rids the body of wastes and serves as a natural air-conditioning system for the body. Health officials emphasize the importance of drinking at least, eight glasses of clean water each and every day to maintain good health.

THE ETYMOLOGY OF WATER BUSINESS.
The water business started off with the borehole water sold to neighbours on the streets, then came the era of “ice water” before it was modernized into sachet and bottled or table water as a proper market segment. The need for water in human life has made packaged water business a very lucrative one. The lack of good drinking water in the country is a major reason why the market is thriving very well.

STARTING THE WATER BUSINESS.
Whether on a small, medium or large scale the requirements are basically the same. The difference would just be in the size and number of facilities to be provided.

START WITH THE MINI WATER PRODUCTION FIRST.
You can now start a mini water production because; there are smaller and home-made equipment for packaging water for commercial production. A lot of India companies sell accessories and machines for pure water companies.
For those who stay in Lagos, you can check in Ikeja, Victoria Island and Isolo.

Please, note that, the purpose of this write-up is for you to remember to start small from your mini location and grow big as there are small and cheap equipment that can help you to achieve this business from anywhere using a flat, a building, compound or a mini factory or site. And also note that, when it comes to packaged water business, there is standard for raw water, its processing, purification and packaging. The water and facility must be tested to meet with the standard before you can offer it for sale to the public. You can start the business in your place while your registration process is on.

THIS IS A REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR MINI WATER PRODUCTION BUSINESS.
First, you must obtain a registration form from NAFDAC office in (Oshodi if you are staying in Lagos) and fill the form.
You must pay a registration fee.
When returning your filled form, you must attach a letter of invitation requesting for a visit by NAFDAC officials.

YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES.
You can use distributors or sell direct to retailers. You will need distribution vehicles and sales representatives.

THE SOURCE OF RAW WATER.
It could be a borehole or well. You also need tanks where your raw water will be stored after being pumped from its source and where you will preserve your treated water.

TREATMENT OF WATER.
Before your raw water can be packaged, it has to undergo treatment that will purify it. And treatment is dictated by the kind of impurities that are contained in the untreated water itself. You will take a sample of the untreated water to a NAFDAC approved laboratory where it will be subjected to a test and the impurities therein will be highlighted. The impurities highlighted will now determine the kind of treatment that you would give the water to purify it. The person to do so must be qualified. Treatment is a continuous process, as long as you are pumping untreated water. It must always be treated. You can also have an in-house laboratory.

PURIFICATION OF WATER.
This can be done by using chemical or the reverse Osmosis method. The purification must be done by an expert in the field. Your factory manager should also be a qualified person in the area of purification. After the water has been purified, you can then pump it into a treated water tank. From the treated water tank, the water will now go to the packaging machine inside the factory. As the water is going into the packaging machine from the treated water tank, it will be going through filter modules. Filter modules are to remove any kind of bacteria that is still remaining in the water before it can be packed.

PACKAGING THE WATER.
You can either package in sachet or plastic bottles. Some people even use plastic cups. Your packaging materials must also be treated such that any impurities must be removed. NAFDAC requires ultra violet tube for packaging material. The ultra violet tube removes the remaining impurities and bacteria from your packaging material. For those going into bottled water packaging, you can’t buy your bottles from anywhere; you must go directly to bottle producing companies.

PALLET.
Your finished goods must be stored on pallets and not on the bare floor. All factory personnel must wear white overall, white cap, white sandals and gloves.

CLOAK ROOM.
This is for your factory workers to change in. all these must be in place before NAFDAC can sign you up for approval. If your premises do not meet up with NAFDAC requirement, your water packaging business will not be approved.

FACTORY SITE.
You need a factory site where your pure water factory will be erected. The compound in which your factory will be built must be fenced and enclosed; this is because, what you are producing is consumable, and so the maximum hygienic security has to be maintained. Your factory wall and floor must be tiled and always neat.

PACKAGING MATERIALS.
You can set up your own nylon producing plant or go to nylon producing companies to purchase your nylon. It is cheaper to produce your nylons yourself.
The nylon producing companies do the printing on the nylons and you do the packing and sealing in your factory. There are machines that do automatic packing and sealing. Same for bottling plant. The machine fills the bottle and seals it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO START THIS WATER PRODUCTION BUSINESS.
In starting this water business, you need to have a good environment, factory, treatment plant and equipment, tanks, borehole, pumping machines, generators, distribution vehicles etc.

THE CHALLENGES OF PACKAGED WATER BUSINESS.
Packaged water is a seasonal product. You make high sales during the dry season, which starts October of every year and ends around April. You make maximum sales during this period, but in the rainy season-which starts from May till September, there is a fall in sales, so you have to get accustomed to that.

MANAGING THE STIFF COMPETITION.
Your marketer must have good marketing skills.
Your product must have its own unique selling point to give it an advantage over your competitors. It may be in the area of packaging, labeling. It could even be that you have given some discounts.
The wideness of your distribution will also help you to sell massively and make huge profits.
Please, try to offer delivery services. That is, deliver your customer’s goods to their premises with your company’s vehicles.

THE STIFF COMPETITION.
In the last few years, a lot of people have come into the business, as such, prices became stagnant. Especially in the area of sachet water. Sachet water has been selling from #5, #10 to #20, ever since you have been hearing about the product. And this is in the face of rising cost of production and packaging materials. And these have put a lot of pressure on a lot of producers. So, this has made a lot of producers to source for alternative packaging materials. A lot of people have now majored on bottle water production.
Another problem, is over regulation by different authorities, you have a lot of authorities coming in. you would have to deal with local government authorities who will say they want to inspect your facilities and then impose some levies on you; state ministry of environment will come and say you have to contribute to cleaning of your environment, your plastic and sachet. And then you still have NAFDAC requirements. Every two years you have to renew your license for sachet water and every five years, you have to renew your license for bottled water.



On the last note, the best time to make sales is during dry season. That means, this is the best time to set up in preparation for the dry season sales.
Then of course, the rest of the business processes in terms of strategy to adopt for business is up to you.

I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCKS.

thanks so much for this writeup.but pls how much is nafdac reg.what is the profit like and how long will it tske the business to stand.thanks

Good write-up