Food can be referred to as man's most basic need. The number of food businesses in existence is not capable of greatly affecting food business owners, because food is a commodity that would continue to be in high demand, as one cannot eat tomorrow’s today, until science makes this possible, the food business would be a lucrative one.

Given that the food business is as old as man, it would be literally impossible to place a finger on its inception. The food industry is a strong industry in Nigeria, contributing an annual revenue of about N230 billion Naira, and providing over 500,000 jobs, it is indeed a productive industry. The food business is a business that most people reckon they’ll succeed in after all, it is cooking, a skill that if not all, most poses, but is being able to cook all it takes to open and successfully run a restaurant? The food business is just like any other business, given that the market is saturated, one needs a brilliant idea to break in. This means that this business is as challenging as any other.

Challenges Faced in the Industry

There are notable challenges that the food/ restaurant business is facing in Nigeria, below are a few notable ones

• Electricity: the food/ restaurant business heavily on electricity, as it somewhat determines the lifespan of most of their produce. Given the current state of electricity, it has become quite difficult for some food businesses to cope as there is no way to avoid wastage, this means more trips to the market and more money spent on food items.
• Inflation: the cost of food items is rising rapidly, making it very difficult for some food business owners to break even.
• Interest Rates: the interest rates attached to loans are quite high for food businesses to afford. According to a publication by Joseph Okoghenun, in the Guardian, Mrs. Bose Ayeni the AFFCON president explained that “the agricultural loan planned by the government did not consider people who patronize the agricultural sector” adding that “the food industry is the major stakeholder in the agricultural business, so if they are being given loan at a single-digit rate, what of those who are processing the outcome of the farm produce”.

How to grow a food/ restaurant business using SMS

SMS marketing has overtime been used in various industries and has been successful, below are a few ways you can use SMS as a tool to grow your food/ restaurant business

1. Thank You Messages; after being patronized by either a one time or regular customer, you can use SMS to your advantage, by sending a thank you message to them, this would make you different from your competitors, and increase their chances of returning.
2. Delivery tool: with science simplifying everything, people are no longer interested in spending too much time on anything or having to go out to get a simple task done, hence food delivery. If your restaurant offers delivery services, SMS can be used to further simplify the delivery process. The easier the better.
3. Send discount codes; everybody loves discounts. Sending out discount codes is a great way to get your customer attention and also a way to encourage them to patronize you. Send out bonuses as well.
4. Ask for reviews; send out SMSs asking your customers for reviews. This way, you can get feedback that you can act on, thus improving the quality of your food. By improving quality, you would not only have returned but referred customers.
5. Consistent communication: you can SMS as a tool to be in contact with your customers, as being in contact with them would greatly improve your relationship with them. Using SMS, you can send out birthday wishes, holiday wishes, and other important messages to them from time to time.

It is important to note that SMS should not be incessant, as too many might end up irritating your customers, always make sure to get permission before sending SMS to your customers. Are you in the food/ restaurant business? Are you confused on how to grow your business using SMS, learn more by visiting SmartSMSSolutions.  We are a business interested in improving the communication between your business and its clients. We use simple tools such as SMS, emails and voice calls to make this happen. To learn more about the services we provide, visit our website @ smartsmssolutions.com to create a free account and get started, or call 08035515868.