Informal sweets trade: challenges for young university entrepreneurs

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to characterize the socioeconomic profile and investigate the main challenges faced by informal food traders participating in a gastronomic event held at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The 27 entrepreneurs from the 7th edition of the “Circuito de Doces”, held in 2018, participated in the survey. The majority were female (81%), with an average age of 23, university student (78%), resident of the North Zone part of the city of Rio de Janeiro (70%) and with an individual income of up to one minimum wage (56%). The main difficulties pointed by traders were: food handling, lack of adequate structure at the place of production, financial management, business disclosure and strategic planning. The “Circuito de Doces” event appears as a way to support, boost sales, give visibility and enable the growth of these small entrepreneurs. The present study served as a basis for formulating specific interventions for this audience that will take place in the form of training courses linked to university extension actions.