For a long time, I thought starting a pure water business was as simple as buying a sealing machine and finding a shop.
The more I looked into it, the more I realized there’s a lot that happens before your first sachet of water is ever produced.
If you’re thinking about going into the business, here’s the order I’d follow.
1. Register Your Business
Start by registering your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
You can register as a Business Name or a Limited Liability Company, depending on your long-term plans.
2. Trademark Your Brand
Before you start selling, trademark both your business name and logo.
This helps protect your brand from being copied by another company in the future.
3. Get NAFDAC Approval
Once your CAC registration and trademark are ready, you can begin your NAFDAC registration.
Since NAFDAC requires some of these earlier documents, it makes sense to complete them first.
The approval process can take several weeks, so it’s something to start early.
4. Test Your Water Before Buying Equipment
This is the step many people overlook.
Before spending millions on machines, drill your borehole and have the water professionally tested.
If the water quality isn’t suitable, treatment may solve the problem. But in some cases, the required treatment system can significantly increase your startup costs.
Testing first could save you from making an expensive mistake.
5. Buy Your Equipment
Only after confirming your water source should you begin purchasing equipment.
One of the major expenses is the sachet water sealing machine, which can cost around ₦1.7 million, although prices vary depending on the manufacturer, capacity, and current market conditions.
You’ll also need water treatment equipment, storage tanks, filters, generators or alternative power, packaging materials, and a properly designed production space.
The biggest mistake isn’t buying the wrong machine.
It’s buying machines before confirming that your water source is suitable for production.
Many people focus on equipment first when the smarter approach is to validate the water source before making major investments.
If you’re planning to start a pure water factory, what stage are you currently at? Researching, raising capital, or already setting things up?
