"...By December 2016, customers were paying one month ahead for our products. By March 2017, our revenue had dropped 90%, because we took a price increase in February and everybody stopped buying." - Gbola Lawson, Co-Director, Fastizers Food and Confectionery Limited.

On this episode, the concluding part of our chat with Debby & Gbola Lawson, Co-Directors at Fastizers Food & Confectionery Limited, we talk about the challenges they faced as the business rapidly grew and how they were able to effectively navigate those challenges on their journey to building a successful company. This is our first partnership series on Origins Africa.

Fastizers is a rapidly emerging food manufacturing company, which started from a kitchenette in 2010 with very basic equipment, and with N960 only. Ten years after, Fastizers runs a 2-acre automated production factory in Agbara, Ogun State, fitted with modern baking equipment. Their current distribution covers over 20 states with a production of over 600,000 Fastizers Fun Cookies daily.

Episode Preview

02:41 - Introduction

13:00 - Need to Hire a Managing Director

21:00 - Mismanagement at Fastizers

25:31 - Economic Recession & Impact on Fastizers, Price Point Problem in Nigeria, & Innovation/Failure Lessons

38:20 - What Debby & Gbola Look Forward To

41:10 - Doing Business in Nigeria

42:15 - General Questions/Life Lessons

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