Ollie's Internship at Mahalo.
At Mahalo Supplies, we love inviting people eager to gain valuable work experience to join our team. Interns at Mahalo are given the opportunity to take on meaningful tasks that directly contribute to the business's success, providing hands-on learning in a real-world setting. This helps them develop some serious practical skills whilst also making a positive impact on the business, preparing them for their future careers. In August, we had Oliver Lodge join the team for two weeks; here's what he got up to:
What was it like starting your internship with Mahalo?
On the 6th of August, I started my internship at Mahalo over my summer holidays, transitioning from a year 12 student into year 13. I was going to be working in their head offices in Shoreditch, East London. When I arrived, I sat down with Tara Mei, the founder of the business, who explained the important role that I would be playing in the business for the two weeks that I would be there.
As an A level business student who wants to study Business Management at university, I was really happy to hear that the work I would be doing would have a direct effect on the success of the business by potentially opening new doors for Mahalo. I’d start by researching new potential customers, which would eventually lead to generating more profit for Mahalo.
What did you do during your internship?
The first task that I was assigned was to conduct market research for potential new customers for the sales team to reach out to. I didn’t understand everything straight away, but I was made to feel welcome and able to ask questions whenever I needed to, which helped me gain skills such as using Google Spreadsheets, and developing an understanding of the key attributes of potential customers.
How did you identify new potential customers for Mahalo?
I carefully sourced and analysed potential customers’ websites and social media pages to see if they stocked products like ones that Mahalo offered and if they seemed like a business that liked championing small batch brands. I was taught ways to find little details that indicated a strong opportunity, giving us an idea of the best retailers to reach out to who aligned with Mahalo’s values.
What skills did you develop during your internship?
With the help of my new colleagues, I compiled a comprehensive Google Sheet with my research. I had never used Google Sheets before, so it was great to explore collaborative working and develop these skills, especially how to set out a large amount of data in a clear and consistent way.
How did you contribute to the business as an intern?
I actively participated in group discussions regarding the new potential customers I had found and provided creative ideas for approaching them, based on my new understanding of how important it is to take their individual interests into consideration.
How was your internship useful to you?
I began to understand the thought process behind each step in business and, as someone who would like to start his own company one day, it was really beneficial in many aspects including this one, as I could start to see how all departments in a business can come together to help it run smoothly and how the management side of it all was happening.
What else did you do during your internship?
I worked across multiple departments during my internship, including in Operations, where I was tasked with identifying areas where the operational budget was being misspent. This was great because I acquired new knowledge of business and the various channels involved in outgoing costs and how these can be used to maximise profits.
Tell us about something else you were tasked with.
I was also set another task on my first day in the office, which was very valuable for my learning about running a business but also about how to appeal to the target market. This task was about me preparing lunch for the team, on the last day of my internship. Staff members were allocated with a £12 budget and I would try my best to earn as much profit from their lunch spend as possible. There were multiple strategies surrounding this, as I could keep my costs low and then charge a price which would allow me to gain a good profit, or have high costing ingredients and then be able to earn the maximum £12. I went with a middle ground, between high and low cost. With this, I learned that I could obtain more profit by having good quality products without breaking the bank and skyrocketing my costs. I learned how to create automatic calculations on my spreadsheets, which proved helpful in tallying up my overall costs, and calculating the cost per head and thus profit. This project showed me the importance of budgeting and how to differentiate from competitors, as my price that I was willing to suggest was comfortably below competition in the area of the office.
How has your internship helped you with your career aspirations?
Overall, to be able to have this opportunity has benefitted me extremely well, and I’m ever so grateful to have been in this position over these two weeks. I have really learnt a lot here that has helped me get a clearer understanding of what I want to do with my career after sixth form, and I’m thankful to all of the Mahalo team for their efforts throughout my internship.
It was great having Ollie on the team, he's helped us find some excellent leads, and we really enjoyed his homemade bolognese at team lunch! We're always on the hunt for cheerful, positive people to join our small team. If you're passionate about championing small-batch food and drink and supporting independent farm shops, delis, and cafes, we'd love to find out more about you. Use the Contact Us page to reach out to us.
