| 2004 Black Enterprise Winner says enthusiasm, a sound business idea and careful planning are the secrets of success |
| Tuesday, August 16, 2005 |
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Deborah Gabriel |
Winning Black Enterprise award generated massive publicity
 For a good couple of years before, we were doing a lot of work behind the scenes, laying the foundations
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When Charles Ejogo, Managing Director of Technograpy Industries Limited walked away with the Business Innovator of the Year award at last year’s ceremony, he was thrown into a glare of publicity.
vbclrfThe award, given for his unique idea of a vending machine with a flat panel screen on the front capable of displaying still and moving images for advertising, was an outright winner.
Mr Ejogo, like other Black Enterprise Award winners was invited to take part on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme, where entrepreneurs get to pitch business ideas to a panel of successful millionaires from the business world.
However, following the collapse of panellist Rachel Ellmore’s business Red Letters Days, former contestants, including Charles Ejogo have once again found themselves on the receiving end of media interest, keen to see whether their businesses are still afloat.
In Mr Ejogo’s case, his company, Technography Industries, is not only afloat but is undergoing a period of rapid expansion.
He told Black Enterprise: “Things are going very, very well for the business right now and we have signed lots of new deals.”
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Franchise Business Being Launched
If you are 100 per cent enthusiastic and believe in what you are doing, then in the end it will all come together
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Mr Ejogo told Black Enterprise that since we spoke to him in January, new deals have been signed with the Post Office, National Federation of Hairdressers and the National Federation of Convenience Stores, which between them have around 59,000 members.
One of the major changes to take place is the division of the company into three distinct areas.
The first, the vending machine side, involves the manufacture of the original vending machines.
The second, retail side involves selling products, such as umbrellas.
Finally, a franchise business is being launched next month. Mr Ejogo said:
“We have developed a small, portable machine that holds about 40 umbrellas. We probably had about 400 people contact us after the programme went out who were very interested in participating in the business through a franchise.”
Mr Ejogo explained that the deal with the Post Office to sell products over the counter does not involve vending machines.
He also explained the reason for splitting the business:
“Whilst the larger vending machines are more suitable for underground stations and airports, the smaller, portable machines lend themselves to smaller venues such as pubs, clubs and theatres.”
On the retail side the change has paid off as the product is presently installed in around 400 retailers with plans to increase this number to 1000 by the beginning of next year.
With the current rate at which the company is taking on new Post offices – 100 a month, it is highly likely that the target of 1000 will be reached.
A partnership with Newcastle Metro, the second biggest underground system in the country has recently taken place and more retail deals will see more units in shopping centres across the country.
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