Dahia Shoes Fiji plans for global expansion using the BLP Subsidy
In early 2018 one of our Fiji-based business advisory services, Kontiki Capital Ltd was connected with local business Dahia Shoes through the BLP Subsidy to develop a long-term business plan.
Dahia Shoes is a great example of the impact of having a long-term strategic plan devised with the assistance of an experienced business advisor, a sure way to raise rewards and reduce risks.
There’s an old saying, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail”. These are the exact sentiments echoed by Mahendra Dahia, owner of Dahia Shoes, a family owned and operated business established in 1914.
Dahia Shoes offers a general range of leisure and work shoes, an attractive and popular signature ‘island’ style line, and also manufactures safety boots for the Fiji Police and Army.
Dahia Shoes began with a retail shop on Suva’s Cumming Street and grew to eventually selling 4,000 shoes a day, with products also distributed for sale in big department stores in Australia and New Zealand.
The business saw a major growth spurt into a large footwear operation, due in part, to SPARTECA (South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement) and its relevant trade arrangements. This provided some tax and manufacturing incentives whereby Dahia Footwear was well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.
As import regulations changed for the markets Dahia Shoes served, the business operation needed informed, impactful measures to realign with current industry trends and forces.
Through the BLP Subsidy, Dahia Shoes was connected with Kontiki Capital, an investment banking operation and one of BLP’s approved business advisors in Fiji.
The purpose of the BLP Subsidy is to provide access to quality business advice for small and medium sized businesses at an affordable rate. Kontiki’s main objective was to assist Dahia Shoes in developing a business plan to navigate trade regulations and to strategise market penetration steps going forward.
“The exercise of writing such a detailed business plan with Kontiki was a learning experience for me. That itself is very valuable. The learning curve of taking a business into an environment where we’re looking at raising capital through investments is something for the future for us,” Mr. Dahia explained.
Now with a solid business plan in hand, Dahia Shoes is using it to raise investor finance and to secure bank support for implementation. The business plan is based upon adding a new range of products and uniquely marketing the new and existing lines internationally.
Currently employing close to 50 people, Mr Dahia stressed the need for Dahia Shoes to go global.
“Our strength is, I have a team of people here who are very capable and who have been with me since the 80s. They’re skilled people who can provide me the launching pad to start developing a product to sell in the global market. The business plan we have is that we want to set up an innovation team and continuously innovate. That’s part of the business plan model that we’re moving forward with,” Mr Dahia said.
If you’re a small or medium sized business in Fiji and would like to know more about the BLP Subsidy or would like connect with a BLP approved business advisor, contact:
Kitione Nadaro – Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation: