There are many providers of finger foods, commonly known as ‘small chops’ in Nigeria. But a 25-year-old engineer is determined to disrupt that market space through smallChops.ng. Since 2016 when smallChops.ng started, it has expanded to become one of the largest small chops providers in Lagos, Nigeria today. The company recently opened a new state-of-the-art production centre in Surulere, Lagos. In this interview with Desmond Okon, Uche Ukonu, CEO, smallChops.ng discusses how the company started, and how they are taking it to another level.
Kindly tell us about smallChops.ng
It is Nigeria’s first technology-centered finger foods provider. We pride ourselves in providing the best quality small chops in Lagos, including signature offerings that are not available for delivery anywhere else in this country. Our finger foods are made with the best quality, locally sourced ingredients. Our motto is, ‘Made with love, delivered with care.’ So far, through one of the easiest ordering processes offered by any finger food delivery service in Nigeria, we have delivered over 100,000 packages to about 10,000 customers here in Lagos.
Why small chops? What was the inspiration behind venturing into such a business here in Nigeria?
The real question is, why not small chops? Back in 2015, I was fresh out of an Engineering degree programme at Covenant University, home and bored. One day, I wanted to enjoy a pack of small chops, just one. I called the well-known small chops vendors in Lagos at the time, and was told that it was impossible to order a single pack of small chops. I had to order a minimum of five packs before they could deliver.
The disappointment got me thinking. So I did some research, ran surveys, and found out that a huge part of the reason why more people did not order small chops when they craved them here in Lagos was Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) restrictions on orders from the big guns. I saw an opportunity in that problem, and combined with my minimal coding experience at the time, decided to bridge the gap. SmallChops.ng then became the first food delivery service in Nigeria to have no MOQ restrictions of any kind.
Another key inspiration for smallChops.ng stems from the fact that it is an intersection of two of the things I love most— technology and food.
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You have been redefining the food industry through small chops consistently for three years. How do you do it?
I would say that our menu is one of its kind in Lagos, and perhaps in the country. Beyond the usual small chops, we have added unique items such as crunchy meatballs, money bags, stuffed potatoes and a variety of seafood options available for same day delivery. We also pride ourselves in being one of the most accessible finger food vendors, with a dedicated support team across Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram and our hotline. By visiting any of our social media pages, @smallChopsNG, you will get an agent responding to your requests in a matter of minutes between the hours of 9am and 6pm. Our goal is for our customers to be able to order from whatever platform at their convenience.
Our fully functional website at www.smallchops.ng allows you to place orders, save delivery locations and track your orders, all without making a single phone call or text. These and many more features we incorporate into our business, I would say, have helped us redefine the industry so far.
What makes your company really stand out from competition?
Our goal at smallChops.ng has never been to outshine the competition. We strongly believe that if you create value consistently, your customers would notice, stick with you, and maybe even tell their friends about you too. All our innovations and plans have always been geared towards the customer –from procurement of raw materials to delivery of the finished goods. With that in mind, we designed a system where our customers can get small chops delivered to them in a few clicks or taps, through Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, browsing the web or phone calls. Wherever our customers catch that craving for delicious small chops, we are a click or tap away.
Research around small businesses in the world today shows that innovation drives growth. What innovative practices has your brand put in place to remain competitive?
At smallChops.ng, we have four core values: Quality, Efficiency, Technology and Heart. These four pillars are at the foundation of all we do at smallChops.ng and combine to form the steering wheel for our innovative practices. We are constantly asking ourselves ‘Is this the best quality achievable?’, ‘How can we make our processes more efficient?’, ‘How can we use technology to drive that efficiency?’, and ‘How do we make sure our customers feel a little better every time they purchase our product?’ The answers to these questions are the ways we continue to innovate, to make sure we provide only the best for our customers, and we believe this is what truly makes us competitive.
How do you maintain quality control and uniformity in your product and services, in a fast-paced environment like Lagos?
It is important to note that to maintain any form of control or uniformity in our country, you have to be flexible enough to alter your processes when circumstances demand it, and quickly too. At smallChops.ng, we implement the best business practices, with an open policy for timely change based on economic realities and customer feedback. Being alert to changes and reacting correctly and quickly while retaining your core business proposition is very crucial.
Pricing is a key factor for food businesses in Nigeria and beyond. How do you manage your relatively low prices, while providing quality?
This is a tough one, especially in an economy as volatile as the one we are in. The key is to have significant control over your operational costs – which is everything from supply chain to how you reward your workers. This should be optimised. It also helps if you design your pricing in a way that you have a significant operational margin to hedge against fluctuations in the economy year-on-year without altering your pricing model. When all of these factors are considered, it is easier to price adequately in a way that still provides quality and allows you turn a profit.
Where do you see smallChops.ng in the coming years?
In the next few years, we hope to have expanded to more cities in Nigeria beyond Lagos, to spread our deliciousness to more customers. We look forward to introducing even more unique offerings, and utilising newer technologies to drive innovation in our business. Also, we aim to break delivery-time records by making deliveries in only 35 minutes or even less in any city we operate in, and we have already started working to achieve this.
Beyond smallChops.ng, who is Uche Ukonu?
Another tough one. My entire life is smallChops.ng at the moment. Well, I am a 25-year-old young man from Abia State, who spends his spare time reading, watching movies and relaxing by the ocean. I am a big brother to three beautiful young ladies, a son to amazingly supportive parents, an animal lover, and an advocate of technological advancement.
Any final comments?
This might be wishful thinking, but I believe a primary focus of any business should be to identify a problem, solve it, and charge reasonably for the solution. I do not think anyone should go into a business solely for financial gain, but rather to focus on providing value, the profit can come later. There are still so many gaps waiting to be filled by problem solvers.
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