Business Planning and Analysis for a Plant-based Startup: Kalytera

Abstract

Environmental issues have become more acknowledged by people globally, including Indonesians. Actions taken by Indonesians in an effort to slow down global warming are by reducing their environmental footprints, including in the food they consume. Therefore, consumers are looking for sustainable food options such as plant-based meats. Plant-based meats are more sustainable as they require significantly less water, energy, land and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite the growing demand for sustainable plant-based meats, the variety available in the market is still very limited due to the high barrier to entry in the plant-based meats industry. With a vision to provide sustainable and affordable plant-based meats in Indonesia, Kalytera is conceptualized by food technologists and entrepreneurs. The company is registered under PT Karya Kalytera Abadi by the three founders in 2021. Each founder is responsible for different aspects of the company. Oriana, as the CEO, is in charge of the administration requirements for Kalytera to produce and distribute food products in Indonesia while overseeing the whole business activities at the same time. Natasya is in charge of product sales and production, where one intern will assist her during the production process. She is also going to develop the next product with Oriana as they have a food technology degree. Erine is in charge of the marketing and finance of Kalytera, where she will be assisted by one social media intern as well. She has an entrepreneurial background and is very passionate about branding. To support the marketing activities, Kalytera will recruit one graphic design freelancer to design the content and banners for the social media and e-commerce platforms. Thus, in the first year, there will be six people working in the company. The first product, Kalytera’s Beev Patty, is a ready-to-cook plant-based patty made for consumers who are looking for healthy foods with a busy lifestyle. The word ‘Beev’ is combined from the word beef and vegetable, which is a literal description of the product, mimicking beef texture and shape but made from vegetables. Kalytera’s Beev Patty mimics real meat taste and mouthfeel and takes less than five minutes to prepare. Sold at Rp 48.000 for three patties (nett 240 grams), Kalytera’s Beev Patty is the solution for consumers who enjoy meat without the guilt and cholesterol. Kalytera is competing in the plant-based food industry in Indonesia, which is very dynamic and innovative. Despite the small number of existing competitors in the market, Kalytera needs a good differentiation strategy to gain market share. With the incorporation of Indonesia’s herbs and spices, Kalytera is going to develop a line of plant-based meats with Indonesian flavors. Hence, consumers are not only introduced to new plant-based products but the thousands of herbs and spices endemic to Indonesia. This identity will become the selling point for branding and marketing. The primary marketing strategy is to build brand awareness in online platforms: Instagram and Tik Tok. Social media is chosen as a platform where Kalytera’s target market spends most of its time. The target market is Millennials in Jabodetabek, who are shifting towards a healthy lifestyle and eating habits with a busy life schedule. For the primary sales channel, Kalytera is going to use Shopee and Tokopedia, which are the most used e-commerce platform in Indonesia. Additionally, Kalytera is also expecting to join offline food bazaars for plant-based and organic products to introduce the brand to a bigger audience. Kalytera is targeting to sell 1.680 patties from these platforms and gain 1.000 followers on Instagram in the first year of operation. Kalytera needs a capital investment of Rp 40.000.000, allocated for equipment, administrative purposes, and working capital. The capital investment will create profits of Rp 355.770.411 in net present value within five years of operation. With an ROI of 21.39% and an IRR of 80.53%, Kalytera is going to be a profitable and sustainable company.