…insights from entrepreneurs in the food industry in Nigeria

“IN THIS BUSINESS, LAZINESS IS NEVER AN OPTION – Wild Wings Xpress

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Kiky Okoli

 Founder, Wild Wing Xpress, Lekki

@wildwingsxpress /  07066073766

Wild Wings Xpress tells us how she started her business with very low overhead producing her delicious Chicken wings in the comfort of her home kitchen and how it is evolving.

Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about your background – 

Kiky-

My name is Kiky Okoli. I studied law but not actively practicing.

The idea of Wild Wings came up in 2016 when the company I was working for folded up. I job hunted for a while but nothing promising came through. At about this time, my brother and I were having a discussion about some of the things I enjoyed doing and the idea of Wild wings came up.

Most times I ate wings outside; the taste was always not remarkable, it usually felt like it was merely dipped in stew and served. I knew I could do better and decided to give it a shot in December, 2016.

Starting days for business including funding?

Kiky-

I never saw myself as the business savvy type but was encouraged by friends and family to move forward. In the beginning, I‘d buy wings and condiments, prepare it and give friends and family to get feedback.

Our growth has been organic. I work from my home kitchen so I  haven’t had any major capital investment asides investment in our branded packaging and marketing.

Can you describe your typical work day?

Kiky-

We have a relatively simple process, customers pre-order their meals a day ahead. I season and prepare the wings the previous day and at about 6:00 am, I start preparing; frying, making sauces, packaging and organizing delivery with dispatch company.

I make the sauces daily so it is always very fresh. For the rest of the day, I take new orders and address any logistics challenge that may arise and attend to customers feedback on social media.

What steps have you taken to make sure your brand remains relevant and competitive in market place?

Kiky-

I believe the edge I have is my recipe and sauces. Our recipes are very unique to us; we have chicken Nkwobi and 12 other amazing sauces. Because I take the orders and cook as well, the wings and sauces are made fresh right every time. I also offer excellent customer service too. Social media has been very impactful on my business.

How has your business evolved?

Kiky-

We had variety of options and condiments with our wings in the beginning but we quickly realized that since we offer just delivery services, the products didn’t travel well and sometimes customers weren’t getting top quality products.

We therefore reduced our sauces from 17 to 13, revisited our packaging cost to make it more economical, removed some items from our meals and introduced some new ones as well; we took out celery sticks because demand for it was low. We also added waffles and fries as side options for customers. Over all, customer feedback and satisfaction has improved.

Where do you see the brand in 5 years- 10 years?

Kiky-

I will love to have a fully branded outfit where customers of all ages can come to hang out, with an option for a kids playground and large screen TVs to show sporting events.

Can you give us the most challenging experiences you have had?

Kiky-

The first day we put up pictures on our Instagram handle, we got an order from an employee at a major Oil company for about 150 servings of wings. This was our first order and it was a big deal .To say the least, the order was overwhelming; it was just my brother and I and we didn’t have as much experience – This was a huge crash course into the industry. We were to deliver in 2 batches but ended up having delivery challenges and unsatisfied customer. Though we delivered at the end of the day, the experience was frightening and almost made me walk away from the business.

What is the worst entrepreneurial moment you ever had and how did you recover?

Kiky-

Having to read derogatory reviews on some websites about our products is quite disheartening. There have been some feedbacks that got me quite emotional but I have learnt to read through and continue to improve our services to the best of our ability.

Why do you think most food entrepreneurs fail in their businesses?

Kiky-

Lack of proper structure and operations! One needs to have a structure that runs the business beyond you. Also, some fail due to bad attitude and poor customer service; if you lack patience, a business as this won’t be the best for you. One must be disciplined and do a thorough research about the business to keep abreast with new trends in the industry.

In this business, laziness is never an option.”

How do you treat recipes and intellectual properties?

Kiky-

I still run the business myself primarily so I make all the recipes myself.

What piece of business advice will you give someone starting up?

Kiky- 

In addition to being passionate about the business, you need to be disciplined. You need to research, understand your business and customers, put a working structure in place and know your figures.

What advice would you give your young self?

Kiky-

  • Don’t be afraid.
  • Take every advice into consideration.
  • Be flexible and humble enough to learn accounting and all there is to ensure success in the business.

Books and Resources Recommendation:

Kiky-

10 X Rule

https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+10X+Rule%3A+The+Only+Difference+Between+Success+and+Failure-p-9781118064085

Rich Dad Poor Dad

https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533295104&sr=1-1&keywords=rich+dad+poor+dad

How to Win Friends and Influence People

https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034

Key Points
  • Don’t be afraid to try
  • Take every advice into consideration
  • In addition to being passionate about the business, you need to be disciplined
  • You need to research, understand your business and customers, put a working structure in place and know your figures.
  • Be flexible and humble enough to learn accounting and all there is, to ensure success in the business.

wildwingsxpress.com

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