Summer 2023
Elaka Treats is an Indian and Middle Eastern Flavor Inspired Cardamom Infused Ice Cream. The company is owned by Shafna Shamsuddin who founded the company in 2019 in Greensboro, NC. Elaka Treats has been struggling with high manufacturing and fixed costs, such as rent and equipment. The goal and scope of the project was to revamp sales and marketing and explore other avenues to boost sales. Another pillar of the project was to help Shafna optimize her business operations given her limited storage capacity. NCGrowth analyst and UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA candidate, Yvan Koudinov, prepared a financial and operational analysis on Elaka’s sales and sale channels. Based on these insights, a strategic roadmap was developed which included hiring a new employee. Other deliverables included a sales funnel plan, actionable recommendations, industry data analytics, and a forward-looking content strategy. NCGrowth recommended segmenting the product offerings into three categories (1) wholesale through co-ops and supermarkets, (2) direct to consumer over the internet, and (3) corporate events and weddings. During the course of working with NCGrowth, Shafna landed her first co-op market customer!
