Social startup sells organic products for affordable prices

SAO PAULO-the impact social startup Ubaia has created an e-commerce to connect the consumer to the small rural producer of organic foods. With operations only in Brasilia, the company mira in this sector that grew, in the Federal District, 34% between 2015 and 2016, according to the company of technical assistance and Rural extension (Emater). The capital of the country has 150 organic sale points, being 59 exclusive fairs.
To facilitate the connection between the two, the first entrepreneurial idea Guaíra flower, in 2015, was to develop an application. She says that at the beginning the company was able to participate in the first announcement of the Startup DF, support programme sponsored by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (Fap-DF).
"We won $176,000 in the R program, which bore most with 60% of the total project. We use the money to develop the platform and research. In the process we found that six out of every ten people bought organic for the price, so we decided to democratize such access. They preferred site for shopping, in the place of application. Thought on several models of purchase and only in July 2016, close to the basket, "reports.
E-commerce has three types of sale: monthly subscription, in which the customer pays a shipping and receiving four baskets a month; custom baskets, where consumers choose free way; and health baskets assembled by nutritionists who choose products according to medical necessity.
Flower says the logistics scheme is the biggest difficulty of startup, primarily by the lack of access of the internet and technology producers.
The enterprising explains that there is an association that takes the products to regular fairs. But the partnership between the entity and the producers work on consignment model of a closed number of products, which can result in losses, depending on the sales performance. "With us you don't have that loss," he says. "We only pick the amount that has already been sold," he explains.
The difficulty is that the farmers had no way to deliver the products to the Ubaia. "In Brasilia has no startup of logistics," he says. To work around this problem, the company started to develop a model of delivery. "We started making our [logistics]. We tried a partnership with Uber, but it didn't work. Our exit was with something more informal: family members who could work with that decided to go into business. But it's not a specialized company. We went over the delivery rate of R $9.90 for them, "he points out.
The startup works with 80 registered producers and 250 customers on the wallet. Of these, 30 are pass holders. With average sales of 60 baskets per month, distributed Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the Ubaia monetizes getting 30% of the value of the products-the transfer to producers is 70%.
"We have a social bias that aims to help the development of this producer, because the greatest prejudice is his. So it is only fair to pass on that percentage, "he says. However, because of competition and prices point logistics, the entrepreneur doesn't know if it will be possible to maintain that ratio of transfer.
Flower added that is rethinking the business model, in addition to the current focus on B2C, enter the B2B market, which can help to enhance revenue and maintain the proportion of the transfer. "We realize that parents have much concern for the feeding of children, especially in childhood. Therefore, we want the market to day care. We've had some interested in our business, but is not yet structured, "warns.
The startup is already developing the application, which will be released in the beginning of 2018. The proposal is to stimulate the total consumption of the products, with hints of exploitation. The sale will continue only on the site. The Ubaia is making money an average of R $7000 per month, with an average ticket of R $130. "Our expectation for 2018 is double the monthly revenue and earn 10% of the organic market Brasilia," he says.
The company also participated as a finalist for the Innovative Program Brazil, the Brazilian Ministry of development, industry and trade (MDIC), and is being incubated by the Technological Development Support Center at the University of Brasilia (CDT/UnB).