Tell us a few words about the founders and how the idea came
I was born in the rural area of Mbale, Uganda, I moved to Kampala on a half bursary to study at an advanced level. It later became a hurdle to cater for my needs while at school after my parents became unemployed. In 2008, at the age of 16, I saw a market opportunity in creating paper bags. As the Ugandan government leaned towards a ban on use of polythene plastic bags, I decided to venture into an environmentally friendly project of paper bag production.
With no initial capital, I cleaned the environment by collecting used plastic bottles and sold them to a plastic recycling plant. After I had raised my initial seed capital of 36,000 Ugandan shillings ($14), I soon started making paper bags at a small scale while still in high school.
In 2010, I registered my new company, Youth Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI). YELI was the first local registered paper bag and envelope producing company in Uganda.
Link to online video (if available)
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/23/business/paper-bag-empire-andrew-mupuya/
Your products and services
We make Eco friendly paper bags and envelopes from recycled paper.
Your success factors
Quality and eco friendly products
Human capital
Business strategy alignment
Your factors differentiating and disruptive compared to the existing
Close relationship with clients.
Quality and eco friendly products
After sale services like delivery services
Serving client’s needs
Your business model (how do you make money?)
We make money by manufacturing eco friendly paper bags and distributing them to clients.
A few words about your competitors
My biggest competitors are based in Nairobi Kenya, i have an advantage over them because I am close to clients.
Local competitors, are still below my quality stardards.
If you find a good quality paper bag in Uganda, its either mine or imported
Your website
Hi, in fact am very impress about your work and i must say that, keep up the good work. Please how can one become an agent or a distributor at another country (Ghana). Please let us know the proceedure and money involve, for we can’t wait to be the first distributors here in our country as soon as possible. Thanks and waiting to here from you soon. Good day….