[ad_1]
Astana – Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Kazakhstan’s economic development. They are at the forefront of innovation and create a dynamic market environment. In an interview with Astana Times, entrepreneur Amir Dabuletov told his personal story of starting a food technology business from scratch in the capital of Kazakhstan.
Food tech is a rapidly evolving field driven by continued technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. Dabuletov’s main focus is his Eat&Fit company, a health food organization and delivery service.
Amir Dabuletov
Eat&Fit project
Eat&Fit specialists create meal plans that specifically focus on your fitness and nutrition goals, such as weight loss and muscle gain.
“It’s a little difficult to get used to this form of nutrition because your taste buds are dulled. As soon as your receptors are ‘cleansed’ and become sensitive to the real taste of the product and not flavor enhancers, you begin to feel comfortable.” Our clients forget about their spiciness, overeating, and heartburn. There is no need to think about what to have for lunch today, cook, wait for the delivery or stand in the lunch queue at the cafe,” said Dabuletov.
Eat&Fit is still in its formative stages. He has 10 people on his office team and nearly 60 people in his production facilities and distribution system.
“It seems to me that we do not yet have a clear organizational structure. We understand the need to test new products and approaches in such a fast-paced market. The structure is also constantly changing. “You can outsource a lot of things in modern business,” he said.
Eat&Fit was founded by three partners and friends.
“We founded our company in 2015 after the food technology sector began to develop in Russia. We were the pioneers in this field in Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, we were unable to maintain our partnership and friendship. I am now the sole owner,” Dabuletov said.
The entrepreneur recalled the rapid growth he observed during the startup phase. Then, like other startup stories, Eat & Fit encountered the Death Valley curve, a difficult period between first funding and first revenue.
“Just as we were starting to emerge from this difficult phase, quarantine restrictions were imposed due to COVID-19. Subscription models had very little relevance during the pandemic. Restaurants and cafes have entered the food delivery market. Besides, our clients are at home and have a lot of free time, ”Davletov said.
The Eat&Fit service offers clients a 21-day transition plan to healthy eating, depending on their goals, complexion, and lifestyle. Photo credit: Dabuletov.
According to the company’s customer development methodology, the largest customer category consists of high-level specialists and top managers. According to Eat&Fit’s founders, most of the time they focus on career and professional skill development.
“Our audience values their time, but creating a diverse diet for themselves requires a lot of effort. It’s expanding, but not as fast as we would like. . As an entrepreneur, I have ambitions to build a big business, but unfortunately the market in this field is very narrow, ”Davletov said.
He pointed out that demand for Eat&Fit products is not that high.
Photo credit: Dabuletov.
“Let’s be honest, healthy food with regular deliveries is not everyone’s basic need. No matter how sad it sounds, people are living on debt, without their own housing or sophistication. So when it comes to what goals our products cover, this is rather one of the ways to make life easier when your basic needs are already covered,” he says. said.
Kazakhstan’s food tech industry
Dabuletov compared the food delivery markets in Russia and Kazakhstan, stressing that Kazakhstan will ensure similar infrastructure for the development of the region in the short term.
“In Russia, most companies in the grocery store market with their own brands sell healthy food in boxes. Thanks to the delivery infrastructure, you can easily order your lunch and receive it within 15 minutes. ” he said.
Dabuletov cited the Russian instant food delivery service Mealty as a good example.
“Malty is located in many business centers in Russia. Healthy food is available almost everywhere. I think a similar story will occur in Kazakhstan soon. For example, Kaspi Bank and e-Magnum. [the Magnum E-commerce Kazakhstan project] We have already concluded the respective agreements,” Dabuletov said.
The accelerating digitalization in Kazakhstan is also extending to the food retail industry. Apart from other features, Kaspi Bank’s e-grocery system is in high demand among the population. In February last year, the bank acquired operational management rights to e-Magnum. He decided to invest 70 billion tenge (15 million USD) in the development of the e-Magnum joint venture over the next three years and acquired his 90% ownership of the company.
“There are also a number of new startups, such as Chocofood, Airba Fresh, Arbuz.kz and Clever. So far, they have all specialized in products. In order to increase the reproducibility of orders, healthy eating in some way “We will introduce ready-made foods, including ,” he said.
social contradiction
The entrepreneur said he doubts that people need it, given Davletov’s desire to promote the health of the population in his own way and make this purpose the company’s mission.
Apart from his business activities, Dabuletov runs the Na Volne (On the Wave) Youtube channel and a podcast on entrepreneurship. He interviewed representatives of the Kazakh business community. Photo credit: Dabuletov.
“My friend and successful entrepreneur Ilyas Isataev said that we are in the business of counterculture. The trend now is to have breakfast in a coffee shop or dinner in a hookah bar. We always face an opposition of 8,000 to 9,000 tenge. [US$18-19] Five meals a day is expensive, but the same people leave twice as much money for hookah and alcohol, ”Davletov said.
“The situation is still a little uncertain. On the one hand, people are more concerned about their health. On the other hand, we are facing financial difficulties. In recent years, food and packaging materials have become very expensive. “Overall, the cost of living has become much more expensive, impacting the overall wage fund increase, but purchasing power is still decreasing,” he added.
Another project Dabuletov runs is a photo studio called Krai Sveta (End of the World), where his spouse Gulnara Dabuletova organizes photo sessions. When asked about her family and work, she said that it is difficult to combine partnership and family relationships in business.
“At first I thought my wife would be the head of the studio. Then I realized that it was more important for me to make her comfortable than for the studio to make more money. So she I’m just doing what I love and what I’m good at, which is photography,” he said.
Gulnara Dabretova of Cry Sveta Studio. Photo credit: Dabuletov.
Dabuletov shared three elements that set his studio apart from other studios in the city.
Dabuletov family. Photo credit: Dabuletov.
“Due to the facility’s remote location and low rent per square meter, we were able to open three halls at the same time instead of one. We chose a model with an internal hall. We made the interior minimalist so that it would not lose its relevance for as long as possible. Thirdly, we also focused on videography, because in this area prices are high and the trend is growing,” he said.
The entrepreneur said he continues to study the experiences of foreign companies and understands “the need to improve or change business models as companies face limitations in scaling up.” .
In 2024, Eat&Fit plans to introduce a precedent for fundamental change with a preliminary action plan. Dabuletov works on various scenarios, taking into account the significant influence of external factors on the course of events.
[ad_2]
Source link
