Malte betting in conversation with Jan Budde, managing director of Body Attack Sports Nutrition. An on-site appointment in Hamburg-Eidelstedt.
“Mr. Budde, you have already been an entrepreneurial manner as a student and have been in-selling and resolving nutritional supplements. What inspires entrepreneurship? What motivated you back then? "
Jan Budde: I've always developed my money myself. As a young guy, I got the motivation for sales at flea markets: Comics bought cheaply and resold more expensive. I also did the same with stamps and aquarium fish on fish exchanges. Later I was a student and had to earn the necessary change, so the step was taken to work. It was and is also something great if you can make your actions and work with your own ideas, shape your own life and thus also earn money. After some experience with nutritional supplements, curiosity and interest in creating their own formulas and packaging came.
What do you think are the reasons that young people tend to draw a permanent position? What can associations like family entrepreneurs or politics do to set the course here?
Budde: I think it's the security aspect. Not everyone is done for independent work. You have to be a little risky and like to work a lot. The head is on 24 hours. The association The family entrepreneurs is perfect that entrepreneurs can represent themselves in public in order to show young people how it is and what it means to be an entrepreneur. This issue should be displayed, for example, at the chambers of commerce. With this, everyone can get impressions from various companies and industries. In this way, the course can possibly be set whether a intended direction is or not for these people.
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You have studied biology and chemistry. How did you get to develop formulas for your own nutritional supplements? What was your original professional goal?
Budde: I actually wanted to dive into fishing and build my own aquaculture breeding for food fish. During school and studies, I have always generated my own money in the cell phone industry, the gastronomy and just with sports food. All three branches could grow and I earned good money at a young age. From a sporting point of view, I got stuck in the fitness industry and then created my own formulas and layouts in the field of sports food. During my studies, I learned a lot about the human body through extensive literature and here my hobby fit perfectly with matter. I was already able to live and pay my apartment from the other two branches of business. With the third branch, I was able to allow myself my own graphic artist and use laboratories to start with my first products. I wanted to produce better preparations that are more effective and also taste better than what was on the market at the time. That was my incentive. And by the way, I still run all three branches these days. Only fishing fell by the wayside; As a hobby, I was able to get it.
It was and is also something great if you can make your actions and work with your own ideas, shape your own life and thus also earn money.
Dietary supplements have become a mass market
You have been on the market since 1994. In the past, only bodybuilders have dealt with protein products, today they can also be found in diet plans of recreational athletes. Would you say that this was the biggest change in the market - from the niche to the masses? How did you react to it?
Budde: The market has changed completely and has become a mass market. Life style, superfoods, diet products, beauty, low-carb products without sugar and proteins. That is trend today. And that is the reason why we also expand our premium store chain monthly and already have more than 35 branches in Germany and Austria. The shops are almost exclusively in top locations and form the largest sports food chain. Athletes and non -athletes, young and old people come to us who only want to eat healthy, but also customers who want to lose weight healthy. From sugar-free organic muesli to protein waffles to protein pudding, we have more than 1,900 articles in the program and have already become a kind of local supply shop. We are also among the market leaders in the online area in Germany.
With the increased fitness awareness, the protein bar has arrived in the masses, so to speak - supermarkets and drugstores are full of it. What is a good product? What should the customer pay attention to when buying? What distinguishes you from the market and competition?
Budde: That's right and you should make sure that the products of good brands are. You should be 'made in Germany' and wear well -known seals of approval. It is also important that the products are not full with sugar. The consumer is happy to be deceived because it is primarily advertised that there is a lot of protein in it - the rest is usually sugar and fat. The composition of the raw materials is also the be -all and end -all of customers who buy somewhere and do not get advice could gain weight or feel a different effect than the one they had hoped for. It is important to us to pick up the customer, to address him positively and to provide good advice. Because this is the most important thing in the area so that the customer uses and uses everything correctly and then sees his personal success. The advice is very high.
Although dietary supplements and fitness food have long since been consumed by top and popular athletes, the industry is still liable for a certain dirty image. What do you counter the classic muckibuden image?
Budde: I think that's almost over and there are already dietary supplements in almost every supermarket. We have also put ourselves in a different light with good advice, lifestyle and organic products. We can be found with our shops in 1A locations, such as now also directly at the Hamburg goose market. 90 percent now buy 'normal customers' of our products.
The times of the Muckibuden image are over-the be-all and end-all is that the quality is 100 percent right and our products work and taste.
Last but not least, doping is associated with the unnaturally plump biceps. Do you have your products certified on the Cologne list?
Budde: Yes, we have everything tested ourselves. Our products are on the Cologne list and we also carry out self -tests. Our company is bi -certified, we buy many raw materials ourselves and carry out our own sensory tests in our headquarters. We will soon be accredited about the authority. We also produce the sports products for the Men's Health brand. The essentials are that the quality is 100 percent correct and our products work and taste.
Consumer advice centers attest dietary supplements regularly expensive uselessness. What is your answer?
Budde: Not only the success of our industry and the Body Attack Sports Nutrition brand speaks for itself. There are numerous scientific studies that show, for example, the connection between protein and muscle building or between creatine and increase in performance. Incidentally, this information is officially underpinned by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with so -called Health Claims.
They were the first company from the sports food industry across Germany, the official nutritional partners of an association from the Bundesliga, the HSV. Is this collaboration still? With which sport or what athlete can you also imagine a cooperation?
Budde: We still have an intensive partnership. We are available to advise HSV and of course also with our products. In addition, many other professional and competitive athletes rely on our products and our quality. These include European champions, German champions, Olympic participants and Bundesliga teams, many of them from Hamburg. New cooperation inquiries come in every day, we are already working in more than ten sports.
Are all of your products actually produced in Germany?
Budde: Yes.
They all develop their products themselves and then have these recipes produced by beverage providers and cereal specialists. Have you ever thought about your own production facility?
Budde: Yes, we and we already work closer together with one or the other. Who knows what the future brings.
Which channels do you sell your products?
Budde: We sell our range through our own online shop, our premium stores and via online partner shop systems. In addition, many foreign online stores and fitness shops run our products. Body Attack Sports Nutrition is also available in numerous gyms, sports clubs, supermarkets and drugstores. Customers in more than 30 countries worldwide can buy Body Attack sports and diet foods in more than 30 countries.
According to their own statements, they have been growing around 20 to 30 percent annually since their existence. How do you finance your growth?
Budde: The growth has decreased a bit because the market is more competitive. We have good partnerships with some banks, but are currently growing out of our own strength.
What trend in your industry are you following? Which products do you work on?
Budde: We are currently working on another vegan line and on superfood products. We carry these products under our sub -brand Jabuvit. In addition, chocolate and strawberry sauces without sugar and carbohydrates as well as grill and salad sauces will soon be launched.
Our shops are supermarkets that offer healthy eating
How do you interpret healthy and balanced diet? Who should not pass your brand as a target group?
Budde: None, we are increasingly presenting the 'normal' diet in our shops. Our shops are now more like a supermarket that offers healthy eating. It is more and more about functional products. It starts with protein -rich noodles and stops with low -sugar ice. An example: with us there is muesli on the breakfast table in the morning. Many muesli from retail contains far too much sugar. We launched our own muesli range four years ago. These are without sugar, low carb, with proteins and bio -certified. You notice that this is not just about sports food and protein shakes.
The competition has become faster and harder. Resting is no longer possible.
What advice can you give prospective entrepreneurs?
Budde: The market changes damn quickly and the many online channels have made the competition faster and tougher. Resting is no longer possible. You always have to stay in trend and be faster than the others.
Which properties you generally value your employees. What does someone have to bring with you so that they can find an attractive workplace with them?
Budde: Above all, loyalty and team spirit. We are a young company and together with good minds who want to get involved, we get ahead.
Where should it go with Body Attack in the next few years?
Budde: We want to continue to bring good products and remain innovative. The shop chain should continue to grow and the online area is massively expanded. We want to remain the market leader here with 100 percent quality and advice.
Less taxes for companies - otherwise good companies will return to the country
Are there framework conditions that you would like from politics?
Budde: Less taxes for entrepreneurs who also provide jobs and are therefore important for our country. If nothing changes, more and more good companies will turn their back on the country.
What does the Hamburg site mean to you? Do you feel very rooted or have you ever thought about a location laying?
Budde: I love Hamburg and am rooted here. I never really want to turn my back on the city as long as politics plays along.