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• Posted By : Juliet Adei
• Posted On : Jan 14, 2017
• Comments : 1
• Views : 413
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• Category : Business
• Description : China owns almost 70% of the world's market share for numerous products including clothes and shoes. When you look at the stats, it can really be depressing for an African shoe company. Local African production business owners complain all the time about how dropping sales because their customers are finding Chinese alternatives for as low as half price. So are African businesses doomed? Is there hope at all for the rice producers, fashion designers, soap makers and oil factories? Of course, there is! There are a number of ways African companies can compete with China. Below are the tips African businesses need to stay in the game.   Quality: Identify what you have to offer and, rather than waiting, go out and find customers that want just that. Not everyone wants cheaper shoes. Some people want to invest in high quality shoes and will pay your price for it. But these people may not be in plain sight so search for them. Unique consumption: Companies that cater to people who want unique and rare items will always win the China battle. An antiques store, for instance, deals in rare uncommon goods, not anything you can buy 100 pieces of online. Local production presence: Let's say you make bridal dresses and your business is dying because your potential clients want to shop from China. Frustrating right? Well one thing you have over them is local presence so use that. Your clients can try their dresses on at your store and you can alter them and return the dress faster than competition. Give your clients the chance to even take part in the design process and make the dress of their dreams that no one has seen before. Oh, and shipping a dress won’t take weeks/months and Customs won’t touch it either. Explore untapped markets: As much as products made in China are widespread it is impossible for them to be available in the whole country. Venture into areas that will give you little or no competition from them at all. Guarantee continuity: Very often, based on several factors like cost of shipping, new import taxes, some products from China may seize to be available on the market. This happens pretty often. This is where a local producer will be in an advantage since he produces his products within the country. The trick is to let your clients and potential clients know that you will always have their favourite product available for them. Educate people on the benefits of buying locally: This may not be very easy but sometimes it's worth it. Let Ghanaians know that buying locally-produced products benefits everyone. Add value: Create a very pleasant buying experience for every client. From after sale services to free consultation. Let your customers feel like they are getting something extra from each sale. Invest in attractive packaging to add that wow factor to your product. So there you have it, 7 ways African businesses can beat the China price. All these tips may not be feasible for every kind of local business but at least they give a clear idea of some of the measures that can be taken. African businesses have a ton of potential and these tips can help them scale.