Business Development Services

WHAT DO WE DO?

We work with and support small-scale, Ugandan producers to:

1. Identify, understand and focus on the specific and appropriate customers for their products.
2. Design concrete, tested and proven strategies/plans on; how to reach these customers effectively and efficiently.
3. Develop a set of cost-effective communication mediums through which they can effectively convince customers to buy their products.
4. Master how to penetrate the market, build a base of recurrent buyers and win over customers from their competitors.
5. Learn how to use communication mediums effectively and to convincingly and confidently talk to customers.
6. Design, test, refine and produce ready-to-use messages and communication materials.
7. Understand and learn how to conduct consumer research and market intelligence gathering.
8. Train their sales and marketing teams (for those who have such teams).

WHY DO WE DO IT?

The biggest challenge for small-scale, Ugandan producers, therefore, in addition to looking for raw materials, machinery, working space, among others, is getting buyers for their products. The battle is market penetration; convincing buyers to try their new products and persuading customers to choose their products over those of established, well-known and bigger producers.

Collage marketing support seeks to help small-scale, Ugandan producers overcome this obstacle.

HOW DO WE DO IT?

Collage’s team of creative designers and marketers works with small-scale producers in brainstorm sessions and design clinics. These brainstorm sessions and design clinics can take place at Collage premises, at the producer’s workshop or at any other conducive venue.

WHAT DO WE DO?

We work with and support small-scale, Ugandan producers to:

1. Create appropriate, catchy, memorable, simple, and unique names for their products so they can stand out in the cluttered market and appeal to consumers.
2. Design logos/labels that are representative, vibrant, exciting, easy-to-understand, and original that set their products apart from the competition.
3. Choose, create, and use colors that make their products visible, competitive, and attractive on the market.
4. Craft short, simple, impactful, easy-to-remember, and highly appealing slogans/positioning statements for their products.
5. Create and build recognizable, likable, original, legit-looking brand identities that can compete successfully against already established, old brands.
6. Design and produce appealing, outstanding, unique, and beautiful product stickers/labels and packaging for their products.

WHY DO WE DO IT?

One of the major obstacles that small-scale, Ugandan producers face is branding. This makes it very difficult for them to enter the market, breakthrough the clutter and compete successfully against established, mature brands.

Most of the products made by small-scale, Ugandan producers are perceived to be fake, duplicates, substandard and of poor quality mainly because of their poor packaging and branding in terms of the name, logo, colors, slogan and actual design (these tend to be amateurish and copy cats of already existing, well-known brands).

As a result, customers don’t buy, trust or take seriously the small-scale producers’ products, which affects sales and growth.

WHAT DO WE DO?

We provide training and mentorship to individual entrepreneurs, groups of entrepreneurs, and organizations. Our support includes:

1. A modular training programme that covers the essentials of entrepreneurship including business planning, resources management, leadership and core life skills.
2. In collaboration with our pool of producers, we design and deliver vocational and technical skills training in a range of sub-sectors including agro-processing and value addition, leather, textiles, paper, wood and metal, among others. Skills include shoe-making, tailoring, metal welding, crafting leather bags, carpentry, among others.

WHAT SETS US APART?

Our differentiator is that we provide comprehensive support to trainees straight from programme identification (which includes an analysis of market trends). Our training programmes go beyond technical and vocational skilling and prepare the trainee to start and run their own businesses by equipping them with the skills needed to start and grow his or her business.

Importantly, we provide six months complimentary mentorship and handholding and provide opportunities for the trainee to learn from others that are already in the business.

Once a trainee has graduated, they become a part of our family of local producers and are immediately plugged into the entire breadth of our support structures which address issues such as access to raw materials, access to credit resources, and market linkages, among others.