DATE: Monday, October 6, 1997               TAG: 9710040845

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: SMALL BUSINESS Q & A 

SOURCE: BY MELISSA GUNDEL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

FORMER NAVY OFFICER MAKES A LIVING SELLING BEEF JERKY

A month after retiring as a Naval officer, Charles Mobley, 41, started Cecile & Annell's, a beef jerky manufacturer and wholesaler in Norfolk. The brand name Dried Soul Food, based on a recipe concocted by Mobley's mother and aunt, is available in two flavors: regular and ``Class Bravo Hot.'' The jerky is popular on Navy ships and can also be found on the shelves of Bay Gourmet, Virginia Sampler and Pricebuster Video.

What prompted you to go into jerky?

I knew I was going to retire from the Navy in the mid-'90s and I wanted to work for myself. I had been making beef jerky for quite a while and my parents used to make it a long time ago. I got their recipe, got my own dehydrator and started making it. People liked it.

How many workers do you have?

Right now I'm it. I started the business in March of this year and I plan on hiring two people part time in about two or three months.

How are sales?

I average about 350 boxes a month and the boxes are $21.50. That's between $8,000 to 9,000 a month. I am able to pay the bills now and I really haven't taken a salary.

What steps did you take to open the business?

The main thing was doing the study on beef jerky. I took a look at the market for the product, looked at the number of companies who manufacture beef jerky and the number of retail outlets that carry beef jerky. I also came up with a business plan, which took about a year and half to write up.

What happened next?

My plan involved getting all of the requirements for starting a food processing business and that requires government regulations for the plant. After I found a location and before I decided to lease the place, I had the Department of Agriculture look at the location to make sure everything was OK. From there, I put in the equipment and then the plant drawings had to be approved by the Department of Agriculture in Washington.

Did anyone help with your plan?

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission provided me with demographics and populations of cities. It had the number of convenience stores and also the family-owned and neighborhood convenience stores. Norfolk State's School of Entrepreneurship also looked over my plan and pointed me in the direction of financial backing. Commerce Bank, which now is BB&T, gave me a loan. I pretty much had to influence them.

What things have you done to get your product noticed?

I tried to improve my name and the image of my product. So I submitted samples to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and they granted me the Virginia's Finest designation.

Is this a hard item to sell?

When it comes to beef jerky, it's an impulse purchased item. Different stores have different prices. A one-ounce bag sells between $1.29 to $1.69. And four-ounce bags go from $5.50 to $6.75.

What advice would you offer?

Become an expert on whatever product or service you're going to provide. Make sure the market is not already saturated with that product. If you do a real good study and you have real good figures, then go for it. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Charles Mobley

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