What womens month means to us as Zimbabwean women in business
[bctt tweet=”Celebrating #womensmonth & what it means to be a #MotherlandMogul in Zimbabwe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Women’s month means different things to different people and cultures. For me, it means celebrating each and every woman’s business and individual achievements; as well as our efforts together as a collective. It is about understanding the power of WE, which signifies collective leadership, I am because we are. In Shona, we would say, “munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu”, I am a woman because of other women that surround me. Here is what a few women had to say about being #MotherlandMoguls in Zimbabwe today. Huge responsibilities As a 30-year-old woman living in Zimbabwe in 2017, my surroundings are constantly reminding me of the huge responsibilities I have as a citizen of this state. My actions right now are helping shape the future of this land in one way or another. I am a woman accountable to future generations so I want to make sure that I leave a legacy of authentic beauty, love, strength, hard work and integrity. I really don’t care anymore how hard I have to fight to achieve that. – Tariro Makina: Twenty47 Virtual Assistant Expressing creativity Women’s month means celebrating the calm intelligence, quiet confidence, and simple elegance that’s in every woman. As a Zimbabwean woman, especially, women’s month means celebrating the freedom to express my creativity, the privilege to showcase my brand and culture, and the power to follow my dreams. – Matipa Mutsemi: EnnyEthnic A woman’s place is at the top To be a woman is to be a creator. I am the ‘wombman’ that brings life into existence. To be a woman is to embrace your instincts and trust them. A woman is pure love, and only thrives to see love which is why it is difficult for a woman to see evil whilst immersed in it. A woman can go through the unimaginable because they see the inner love and not what is being presented on the external. A woman’s place is right up at the top. And then peace will prevail. – Nonku Jijita: Love Nonku“ Wake up every day with a sense of purpose As business owners, we would like to remind other women this; “You have to wake up every day with a sense of purpose and follow your dreams”. You are going to hear a lot of no’s, don’t let that distract you from achieving your goals, persevere and define your own destiny. – Mercy Nyamangwanda: EnnyEthnic [bctt tweet=”Business owners need to wake up every day with a renewed sense of purpose” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Shaping the future of Zimbabwe Women’s month for me calls me to reflect on what it means to be a young Zimbabwean leader, as a woman in this country. It challenges me to examine my values, not just as Shamiso but within the decisions I make with my business. Are my decisions helping to shape our country? Am I intentionally helping to mentor the next generation of women leaders? Am I involved in policy decisions that are being made on a higher level, that affect our tomorrow? This month is particularly important, especially in the lead up to Zimbabwe’s elections next year. It challenges me to think over if I’m doing my part as a young Zimbabwean woman and leader to help shape what is coming next. – Shamiso Ruzvidzo: Kusika Design Let’s stop making apologies As we commemorate women’s month, it’s a time for us to look back and celebrate our victories, and restrategize for our shortfalls. One thing that is glaring for me is the fact that we as women, need to stop making apologies for being women, movers and shakers in our respective professional fields and adoring mothers and wives to cap it all. Let’s stop making apologies for coming up with a brilliant idea during a brainstorming meeting. Let’s stop making apologies for getting that promotion those two other male colleagues were eyeing. Let’s stop making apologies for taking that well-deserved break from the hustles of work and family life. Let’s stop making excuses for being professional women who are also mothers, who need to occasionally be there for their children at school matches to cheer them on. Let’s stop making excuses for not being there at family functions because we had to attend weekend classes for that course we have always wanted to do. This month, to my fellow sisters in the tech field, let us remember we don’t owe anyone any excuses for putting on heels and make-up because it does not make us any less tech. As women, let us continue to build networks that will strengthen us in both business and social life. Let’s continue to be pillars of strength for each other, and let’s always cheer a sister on! – Joy Makumbe: Founder Marjorlic Construction and The Joy Makumbe Trust
Fungai Nembaware: I am not your average fashion designer, I am a cultural ambassador
[bctt tweet=”Drawing on ancient Africa, Fungai Nembaware creates accessories from African fabric” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Fungai Nembaware, a mother of two boys, a five and eight-year-old started Zuwa Re in 2008. It started as a hobby and building it into a company was something that was just playing in the background. When her son was six months old she decided to go for it, and make shoes, earrings, jewelry, from African fabric. She terms herself a cultural ambassador. Zuwa Re officially started in 2008. Fungai had no formal training but believes what she does is is part of her gift. “African fabric celebrates who we are, and Africa is bright and full of life”, Fungai says. She was looking at re-living and preserving our culture and history. Read on to discover how Fungai Nembaware is teaching people about this history through her art. Where does your name come from? And what does your logo signify? Most of my influences are from ancient Africa. The name is both Shona and Egyptian, Zuwa which means “sun” in Shona a Zimbabwean dialect, and Re which means “sun” in Egyptian. So it basically means Sun of God because I believe every gift comes from a higher source. My logo is a scarab beetle, from ancient Egypt made from the shabaka stone. You can see the sun’s rays from the back shining. What distinguishes your business offering from the competition? I am not your average fashion designer, I am a cultural ambassador. My work comes from well thought out research and isn’t the same as the work out there. For example, when I started the totem earrings, people were skeptical about them and they thought they were anti-religion. Being in the Diaspora, the totem earrings were a way of bringing people together because the family nucleus is diluted. It was to re-emphasize the importance of our culture through oral and creative tradition and educating people of our culture and the importance of togetherness. The totem earrings will help in identifying another sister in a foreign land. It is hard to keep our culture alive because there is so much diffusion. Putting this across in wearable art was very personal. It involved the reawakening of people to a certain level of consciousness and understanding of our histories and culture. This was also a way for me to contribute to the writing of the story of our ancestors as this identifies us as a people. I would like to restore and reclaim our position as African people. [bctt tweet=”I would like to restore and reclaim our position as African people – Fungai Nembaware” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How would you describe your business model as you are based in the UK, but have a presence in Zimbabwe? My umbilical cord is in Zimbabwe and therefore I try and work with a few tailors in my home country. I believe every woman’s hands are gifted, and with the use of our hands, we will never be found lacking. We should always think of how we can create our own work. What more can government do to support small businesses? The government needs to find more sustainable ways of supporting women in Zimbabwe. They should speak to young girls and identify people that they can teach and or give loans to. There are a lot of people with visions but they lack resources. What business advice would you give your younger self? Firstly, I would say to parents don’t discourage your children if they want to venture in a particular field. When I was younger I wouldn’t dream of saying I want to go to dress making but had I gone there, I would have achieved my dream a lot sooner. To younger me, I would say do not be ashamed of following your passion, go in and go hard. Be resilient and focused and know that every time you send a positive vibe or word into the universe, a positive vibe will come back to you. Find a tribe of like-minded people, who can encourage you. Know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses but improve your strengths. When you get into business, you should know what you want, and believe in yourself 100%. Pursue good business practices, research, have a mentor, get inspiration from people who have done it before, and find out what made them different, what made them survive? You shouldn’t just wake up and want to do a business without a plan. You should remember that we are all unique, even if there are a 100 people making the same thing that you are making. Improve your skill every time. Don’t limit yourself. [bctt tweet=”Fungai Nembaware – You shouldn’t just wake up and want to do a business without a plan” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you achieve a work home balance? I am a mother of two boys, studying and running a business. I won’t say that is easy but I will say that I am a strong person mentally. Then I have a great support system, which is really important, we pray and encourage each other. I have a lady who helps me with school runs and the children when I am overwhelmed with work. How do you market your business? I haven’t done a lot of marketing, it has mainly been through word of mouth and via my facebook page. However, I do plan on going bigger this year, 2017. I want more and more people to understand what my work is all about and be able to relate to it. Where can people in Africa buy your creations? Online. I have quite a number of loyal customers in Zimbabwe and I have been shipping to the US and Canada and recently Dubai. There was and still is a huge gap in shipping. What should we look forward to in the next 5 years? In one word, it will be diversification. I plan to do a lot more charity work and incorporate this into my art. If you’d like
Enny Ethnic: All our products are manufactured in Zimbabwe
[bctt tweet=”Being your own boss means you have to continuously work @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Enny Ethnic is an ethnic fashion online shop run by two sisters from Zimbabwe, Mercy and Matipa Nyamangwanda. They are currently based in the US and their online shop provides unique, stylish and hard to forget pieces for and inspired by every woman. Their target ranges from the ethnic-centric type, to the urban chic, modern classic, vintage-chic to trendy. Named after their mother, Enny Ethnic’s prints can be purchased online and are currently shipped to Australia and the UK with hopes to expand to other African countries. Where and how was Enny Ethnic formed? We started in 2014 by making clutch purses from the fabrics we collected everytime we travelled home. The clothing line started a bit later towards the end of December 2015 after we noticed the amount of attention we got when we rocked our print. We now make clothes, earrings, bags and scarves. [bctt tweet=”Travelling kicks in our creative process we are proudly African & Zimbabwean – @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell me about the inspiration behind your design and the process of creation? Travelling kicks in our creative process, we are inspired by everything and the different cultures we see. We go through our creative life as a blank page hence we are able to write on it. We keep an open mind when we do what we do. Also, we are proudly African first and more importantly, Zimbabwean and we are always thinking of how we can represent the African woman. We work with women from Zimbabwe who put the pieces together for us -they are part of the process. We create a sample and they sew, and they have great work ethic too. Because we come home often, it makes the process easier and having people who understand our language is a great creative bonus. It’s really important that we do it in Zimbabwe, not only is it our motherland but it gives us some time to spend with family. What makes you different from other African print labels? We are very modern, and our pieces alternate between modern and traditional. Our line is huge and as we also create beach and office wear. At Enny Ethnic, we fit multiple lifestyles and most of our pieces are one track. You recently showcased at the San Francisco fashion week. Tell us a bit about that? We got an email from the organizer telling us that he wanted us to showcase our line and we were terrified. Enny Ethnic was only in its eight month. We were part of the emerging designers at the week, and we learnt a lot and managed to pull through perfectly well. Showcasing at the San Francisco fashion week really put pressure on us as we had to fly out home in September for two days. Fitting was the following week and a couple of weeks later was fashion week. The models were picked by fashion week so we had Asian and Russian models. We were not sure how their skin colour would look on African print but it came out well. Our line was showcased first and more models were added to make them twelve in total. How has the market responded to your product? Most people have loved it and including white Americans, Asians -this brings so much diversity to the product. Because of this support, we had a pop up shop in New York from the 25th to the 30th of October 2016. This enabled people to come in and physically see the merchandise. There is always something about people seeing the product physically and we wanted to give Enny Ethnic’s clients this opportunity. What type of woman are your creations targeted for? Our creations are ageless and can fit into every lifestyle. So every woman can rock Enny Ethnic, the good thing is that you can either dress them up or down. [bctt tweet=”It means a lot to say our product is from Zimbabwe and to say we are Zimbabwean – @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In the process of creating your business, what things did you have to do that you had not accounted for? Marketing. We did not think it was a big deal but, hello biggest surprise. Then, we had to sit down and think about the manufacturing. Where is it that we could get this manufactured? We did not want China, so we settled with Zimbabwe. This has huge cost implications as we buy the fabrics from Zimbabwe and get the things made at home as well. However, it is valuable to not just us but to our culture as well. It means a lot to say our product is from Zimbabwe and to say we are Zimbabwean. This gives people an opportunity to connect with our country. What can we look forward to from Enny Ethnic? Things have moved so much faster than we expected. We are really excited as we are already looking at our pastel spring collection. We are looking forward to bringing another show stopper to fashion week. It will be ready-to-wear pieces that people can snatch off the runway. We are also looking at creating a men’s line. Then, there are the physical shops, we want, to bring Enny Ethnic to our clientele in Washington DC and California. We know that by bringing in something physical, we get that connection with our customers. We are also looking forward to shipping our merchandise to African customers. How do you manage the business since you both have jobs? Coffee! Because being your own boss means you have to continuously work especially when you are still starting up. We are always working because the fashion industry is fast paced and it is sometimes mentally exhausting but there is also a certain renewed energy you have when you are doing something that you love. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Carol Nyazika: It doesn’t matter if others don’t believe in your dreams
Moving back home was a strategic decision for Carol Nyazika, founder of African Women Awards (AWA) and the founder of Ndanaka. SLA contributor Glenda Makumbe met up with 27-year-old Carol Nyazika just a day before she travelled to South Africa. Carol has been based in the UK for the past 10 years but just recently moved back to Zimbabwe. She studied social work at Sunderland University, is a trained organic skin care formulator and is very passionate about women in business. Carol credits her passion to her very ambitious female family members. In this chat with Glenda, Carol shared the reason behind giving her blog a Shona name and how she founded her own version of Black Girls Rock, the African Women Awards. Let’s talk about Ndanaka. What is it and how did it come about? I started Ndanaka in 2011 when people were not really talking about natural products. Ndanaka started as a lifestyle blog that promotes natural skin and hair care. I was suffering from dry skin and my mother was also going through a phase where her skin was breaking out and all the products she was using were not working for her. I started mixing up a few things for her that she could try. I am actually a trained formulator. So, creating was just me putting what I learnt to practice. I gave my brand a Shona name because there are so many products out there with either French or foreign names. We can hardly pronounce them but we learn to. So, I knew that there was no harm in giving my brand a Shona name and to be authentic about it. The word Ndanaka has several translations and can mean “I am beautiful” or in slang, “I’m good“. What challenges have you faced as a black African woman living abroad? I relocated to Zimbabwe in April this year. That was a very strategic move for me, to grow Ndanaka and be fully present to grow AWA. As a black African woman living in Newcastle, I realized at the time that there were not many black people. Therefore, it was not easy to get access to things like makeup or good salons that met the needs of the black woman. Many people had to go to Leeds or London to access such things. Tell me about African Women Awards (AWA). How and when did it start? Ndanaka came before AWA and the plans for Ndanaka led to AWA. After looking at Black Girls Rock and the BET awards, I realized that we could not narrate our own stories as Africans and we did not celebrate each other on a continental level. The only other awards ceremony, within Africa, that successfully do this are the MAMA’s.I decided we needed something for the African continent that would recognise all the brands, names and phenomenal work being done. Zimbabwe is the pilot for AWA and the awards are in their second year. Next year, we will be moving to a different country. Therefore, each country has an opportunity to host the African Women Awards. What setbacks have you faced, especially with AWA? People thinking I was a bit too ambitious because they just could not see my vision. I had someone tell me that I was better off having a TV show where I just interview the women. Lisa Chiriseri understood my vision and joined me on this journey that we are now on. A lot of people were not confident in AWA as it was something new but now, the confidence that people have in the initiative is amazing, We have moved from the venue that we hosted in last year to a much bigger venue this year. We had embassies present that represented the women who were nominated from their country and accepted the award on behalf of the winner who wasn’t in attendance. The minister of women and gender was also present. Is there anything in your educational background that helps in managing your business? I think my background in social work really gives me a head start on how to read people. I can pick up on body language and that is something thats essential in business. How do you balance your time between running Ndanaka and AWA? It’s actually three things that take my time, Ndanaka, AWA and my 9-5 job (Get Cash). I have an amazing team at both Get Cash and AWA. You need people to help you execute goals and a strong team to hold you accountable. There’s also a business balance between Lisa Chiriseri and I. She is the co-founder of AWA. That has also helped tremendously. Which African woman has had the strongest influence on you? My mother, she has taught me so much about life and has helped mold me into the person that I am today. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, only because she is the first female president. Natalie Jabangwi of Ecocash, a money transfer mobile application in Zimbabwe. Mo Abudu of Ebony Life Television and of course, most of last year’s AWA’s nominees. With so many distracting influences, how do you stay true to yourself? At times, you do not even realise that you are being influenced but I have a lot of people who keep me accountable. I find balance through that and they keep me in check. What work ethic is important to you? Discipline. You can be motivated for a while, but it’s only with discipline that you can accomplish anything. What should we look forward to from you in the next five years? Ndanaka will be recognised across the continent. AWA will be a household name and internationally recognised. Married with little Carols, maybe. Lastly, three words to live by? I will use a phrase instead, “It’s not over until you are dead.” It’s never too late for a lot of things. Just don’t stop Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Ellen Vannessa Chironga: Look past the fact that you don’t have enough money
Thirty-year-old Ellen Vannessa Chironga, already has an interesting trail of business ventures. One would think with her own designer handbags (LGS bags), lingerie (Peep Collection) and a day-care center for children (Aayah’s Play Centre in Waterfalls, a suburb of Harare), Chironga has her hands full. But, the young Zimbabwean entrepreneur is also the beautiful brains behind the natural skincare product NaturElle, specifically made for people who suffer from acne. Vannessa, who refers to herself as a skin specialist, is daughter to the prominent business man, Phillip Chiyangwa. Contrary to popular belief, things were not handed to her on a silver platter and her business was not a hand me down from her father. We caught up with Vannessa in Harare to hear about NaturElle. Tell me about NaturElle NaturElle is a skincare product made from natural ingredients, which I started from my kitchen after my battle with acne. It is one of the few products that I have used which has shown results in a short time. Not only does it target acne, it targets other skin conditions like eczema and over time evens out the skin tone. I started making the product at the end of November (2015) and because it was Christmas time, we packaged it as a soap ball in wrapping paper. I started advertising my product and found out that people received it very well and so I officially started distributing in 2016. My target market is mainly teenagers, but I have other clients in their late 20’s and mid to late 30’s who also suffer from adult acne. To date, I can say I have seen 90% positive results from my clients and only 10% were not satisfied, or they were not patient enough to wait for their results. It’s heart-breaking when you have someone tell you that your product is not working. Currently, NaturElle has at least one distributor in the cities and towns of Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Gweru. Harare, the capital city, has two including myself. We have other distributors in South Africa and the UK. NaturElle is the best way to make money on the side as a distributor. What inspired you to start NaturElle? I was going through an acne phase and had resorted to using natural-based products on my face, mixing up things in my kitchen and trying to make something that worked for me. So I bumped into a locally produced ingredient (my secret ingredient) which worked really great on my skin but was too harsh. I decided to create a milder version of it by adding a little bit of aloe vera, honey, and cocoa to the special ingredient and that’s how NaturElle was born. I tried the mixture for two months and I saw a great improvement in my skins texture and appearance. It’s important to understand that we all have different skin types and results differ from one person to the other. Why did you decide to set up in Zimbabwe? I came back from the UK three years ago. I thought about the next best thing and how I can maximise on the environment I was in. So after my wedding, and having quit my job, I decided to go for it. I have always dreamt of working for myself and being successful. Working for my dad was a pivotal foundation for me. I learnt a lot from him about business and life in general. We all can’t run away from Zimbabwe, someone has to stay and make things right. I would consider leaving only for the kids, and because I want the best for them. But if and when things get better, I will definitely be the pioneer of whatever it is that is to come. What is your business day like? Well, we all know that in Zimbabwe you cannot afford to sleep, you always have to think of ways of being innovative. I am always thinking of new ways of being creative. On a typical day, I look at trends, social media and ways of diversifying my product. Especially since I also recently launched the day moisturiser. I introduced this product after noticing that a lot of my clients always asked me what they could apply after using the face wash. Is there anything in your educational background that helps you in managing your business? Definitely. I did a double Major in Drama Theory and Business Management at Bath Spa University and a Masters in Marketing and Advertising at Coventry University both in the UK. These have helped me greatly in doing my business. I believe in quality and producing something fresh. One area that we lack in Zimbabwe is advertising. It’s still very expensive, because not many people do it. One can get a ridiculous price such as $25 per second for adverts in the broadcast media. How do you keep Vannessa grounded? I have an outspoken personality and a drive like my dad, so I need my family to keep me in check. Mostly, my husband reigns me in and he is super humble. Most of all, I remember that God is my source and strength. I realise that without Him, I am nothing and would never have come up with these ideas on my own. What are the challenges of running your own company at such a young age in Zimbabwe? It’s been a long journey and a lot of hard work. People assume that the journey was easy for me because my father is Philip Chiyangwa. But not at all. As soon as I started my own family, I became a woman and had to hustle my way through. There was no backing of finances for me to start the business, I just had to think outside the box. What lessons or advice would you give to other young women wanting to start their business in a difficult economic context like Zimbabwe? Look past the fact that you do not have enough money. Not having starting capital always demotivates people and makes them
Let’s pitch your business, shall we
A pitch is a 30 seconds monologue of what you do, why you do it, and how your work is innovative or unique. People have short attention spans and busy calendars, so you want to have a clear, brief, and enticing pitch prepared. Your pitch will ensure that you make the most of every opportunity, and present your commitment and yourself in the best light possible. You may be wondering what an elevator pitch is. An “elevator pitch” is a concise,carefully planned, and well-practiced description about your business that your grandmother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator from the 10th floor to the ground. Wherever you are networking; meeting with funders, writing a grant application, or riding an elevator with someone you want to impress, you should have a pitch prepared. To create a pitch, imagine this… You meet Glenda on the 10th floor. Glenda is a potential partner and she asks you about your business, describe it in a way that is unforgettable and stands out. Now, follow these steps. Condense Select 4-8 specific keywords that describe your business. When you select, be authentic and original. Don’t try to be who you are not or use words with unclear meanings. Organize The simpler the sentence, the better. How can you organize your keywords into an idea in the least number of words? Inspire The sentence should remain at the heart of your pitch. However, to effectively engage your audience, start with a brief description of why.This can be useful if the issue you are seeking to address is complicated, the listener will understand why as you explain what you do. Expand (a little) You can add several sentences to your pitch that answer who, what, when, where, why, and how, but remember to be concise. Practice The only way to ensure that your pitch goes smoothly is to practice (a lot). Record yourself while practicing to make sure you’re presenting yourself and your commitment well. Practice with friends, in the end they should be able to echo the key points. Think about the questions people may ask, and prepare your answers. Now, here’s what to do when delivering a pitch. Audience/Objective The first thing you need to do is figure out who you are talking to and what you want them to do for you. Are they potential funders, volunteers, or partners? This will guide your pitch. Problem statement The challenge you intend to address is important, but you shouldn’t dwell on it extensively. Quickly outline the issue, then explain what you are doing about it and why. Competitive advantage Explain the aspects of your commitment that differentiate you from everyone else. Address how your commitment is new, specific, and measurable, and why you are positioned to tackle the challenge your business addresses. A business needs to clarify what sets it apart; its own “purple cow”. Something that is unique in a crowded market. Storytelling Humanize your work. Pick an inspiring and engaging story that supports your pitch, steer clear of jargon, and demonstrate why your commitment matters. Always have stories ready when networking. Next steps You didn’t spend all this time preparing for nothing. Ask for a business card, a follow-up call, or an opportunity to send along more information. Think of a way to continue your engagement after the conversation ends. Always follow up promptly, within three days at most. In conclusion, determine what success looks like to your business and leverage the right communication tools. Small businesses often think they need to be on every social media platform to keep up. Businesses should first define what it considers to be its success; and then pick the tool that best tells this success story. This tool may be a monthly newsletter, a slideshow of impactful images on your website, or a blog post or narrative video that can be shared on Twitter and Facebook. Don’t be caught without your pitch ready!
4 reasons you should start that business
[bctt tweet=”There is never a perfect time to start a business and you may never have enough capital” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Traditional career paths aren’t just for everyone, neither is entrepreneurship. And you know what? That’s totally okay. Some are destined to be entrepreneurs but for others, it’s scary, intimidating and too demanding. It can be a terrifying journey but can also be fulfilling and rewarding. All it takes is preparation and a significant amount of effort to start that business. Mind you, there is never a perfect time to start a business. You may never have enough capital, enough experience or zero risks. And there are no guarantees that your business will either fail or succeed. But hopefully, the reasons below are enough to make you want to start that business you have been meaning to. Here are 4 reasons why you should start that business. 1. Flexibility in hours You are able to do whatever you want, spend more time with family and friends. And even get involved in your community. You can work from anywhere too. How cool is that! However, running your own business requires some serious organizational skills or else you may end up with a lot of wasted, unaccounted hours. 2. Creating your own environment You get to set the formality and culture of your organization or business. Everyday, new challenges will bring you new experiences and perspectives. This is not as easy as it sounds but these three points can assist you in creating that environment: Develop an individual and business strategic plan: The process of developing a strategic plan is a reflective process. It is as energizing as it is interesting. Linking your individual goal with your business plans works extraordinarily well. The effect ensures a cohesion of values and aspirations. Have a business personality: Write a concept note that aptly highlights the personality of your business. This is important because it summarizes what your business is all about and what it does. It is also a great way of sharpening fundraising skills as well as communicating why your business exists. Enroll in a class or online course: This will help to facilitate your personal and professional growth while strengthening your analytical skills. This can amazingly help you in articulating your business’s strategies. [bctt tweet=”Start your business if you want to create your own working environment, and more” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Pursuing your passion You can do what makes you happy by creating something from scratch while learning the ropes of your industry. First-hand experiences and exposure to new cultures are great for business growth. 4. Creating jobs Improve the economy with new job opportunities and use your products and services to improve people’s lives.
Kimberley Masimbe: I never design something I cannot wear myself
Four years ago, 29-year-old Kimberley Masimbe stepped out into the fashion industry with her chic Afrocentric vintage clothing line, House of Kiki.M. She started out running her business in a room in her parents’ house. Kim still recalls that the room was filled with inspirational pictures, fabrics, and a little table where she did her drawings. Glenda Makumbe, our SLA contributor caught up with Kim as she talks about House of Kiki.M and her passion for wearable designs. Tell us a little about yourself, Kim I was born and raised in Zimbabwe where I attended a multicultural school. I was blessed with being able to travel a lot at an early age and that significantly helped me grow personally and shaped who I am. I am very fashion conscious and I can say that has informed my kind of designs. I never design something I cannot wear myself. And oh… I love and collect hats too. Why fashion? Soon after college, I was going through a phase of self-doubt but one thing was certain —I wanted to create my own fashion statements and design wearable clothes. I used to sell second-hand clothes (bale) at Avondale flea market here in Harare. I would revamp the clothes by adding a personal touch to them. However, House of Kiki.M started after I won a young designer’s competition. My friends’ sister organized a fashion week in 2012 but because I couldn’t afford the entry fee, she asked that I enter for the young designer’s competition. We had to produce five garments and though it was my first time designing something, I won. I had been drawing and doing a few sketches so I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I have always been good at drawing and it runs in the family. My mum was a seamstress and my aunt was a poet so creativity does run in my bloodline. How would you describe your designs? Vintage…yes, vintage is the word. I love things from the past. I love giving things a different twist through beadings and attention to intricate details. What inspires your designs? I try not to follow current trends as I am inspired by the people who came before me. Brands from way back like Coco Chanel do it for me. What is your typical business day like? No gainsaying, my typical day is filled with appointments and fittings. How has your educational background helped you in managing your business? I did a course on media and communications and that has been helpful. But I’m looking at doing a fashion and design course at the Harare polytechnic. I have always been good at drawing as I come from a generation of artists. I never realized it until much later. What’s exciting about Zim fashion at the moment? I’m excited by the different fashion hubs opening up, the new designers trying to break barriers and the desire to promote Zimbabwean fashion. What are the challenges of running your own business as a young woman in Zimbabwe? Some people don’t take you seriously, especially if you don’t hang out with the creme de la creme of the society. Recently though, people have tried finding out my achievements and what I am currently up to. How do you keep yourself grounded? I try to stay true to myself, stay close to family and really value relationships. What would you tell a young woman wanting to start a business in a difficult economy like ours? Go for it. Know exactly what you want, then get a mentor to help you make the process easier. And never give up on your dreams. Lastly, what should we expect from House of Kiki.M in the next five years? I would like to have my brand in some of the local and regional department stores like Edgar’s (regional), Barbour’s (national) and boutiques in other cities. Eventually, I’d love to branch out to other Southern African countries. Having my designs on runways is the ultimate dream and I’m working towards it. Also, I look forward to branching into other areas like interior design and natural-based cosmetics. *If you are in Harare be sure to catch Kim Masimbe on the 3rd of September. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Tariro Makina: Billing per hour doesn’t work in Africa
Virtual reality is the world we’re living in. Tariro Makina knows this, that’s why she set up Twenty47 Virtual Assistant, a business that provides social media strategy and email management, among other services to clients. SLA contributor Glenda Makumbe caught up with Tariro in Harare, where they talked about starting a business in Zimbabwe while remaining grounded, the challenges of charging by the hour in Africa and the perks of being a virtual assistant. Tari tell me a little bit about yourself and Twenty47 Virtual Assistant. I am a 30 year old IT geek who is passionate about helping small business owners manage their businesses better. Twenty47 VA had always been an idea in my head until the end of 2013 when I actually gave birth to it. I had fallen out of love with my job and I did not want it anymore. So I just woke up one day, wrote a business plan and registered the business in early 2014. Soon after, I quit my job. I wanted more and I wanted to build on my passion. Currently, most of my clients are based here in Zimbabwe but I also have clients in South Africa, Zambia and the US. My main clients are in the services industry – forming a mix that is spread across various sectors. These include business consultants, event organisers, educators, technology and logistics companies and non-profit organisations. Why Twenty47 Virtual Assistant as a name I chose the name Twenty47 Virtual Assistant because I had a vision to create a global business that served clients in all time zones. I have no problem working evenings (sometimes) so it makes it easier for me to accommodate clients in different countries around the world. However, this has often been construed to mean I am available for every client 24 hours a day and 7 days a week **sighs** this is why you should be careful when choosing a name. What does your business entail? Twenty47 Virtual Assistant started as a one woman business and had been until 2015 when I was joined by one other person. I am involved in the general management of a client’s business online and this is usually the little things like administrative tasks that are considered not entirely important, brand awareness, customer service through various marketing and client engagement channels. Many small businesses shun investing in these areas as they are afraid it may be wasting money, time or both. Yet, they can have a huge impact on the success or failure of a business. I also take care of certain functions of a business or project for those focused business owners or professionals who understand that they cannot do it all by themselves and wish to take advantage of delegation. This way they have an opportunity to focus on what they do best whilst entrusting me to do the rest. I especially specialise in social media strategy formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting. I do email management as well. Keeping up-to-date with the current industry trends and information plays a major role in social media so as to stay relevant to your audience. This requires a lot of research as well. So I do not have a structure of how a typical day in the life of a VA would look like, but, in a nutshell, it involves planning, lots of it, and staying on top of things. Is there anything in your educational background that helps you in managing your business? I have a Computer Science degree from Midlands State University here in Zimbabwe and that has been a great foundation for me. I have had to learn new things on the job like web and graphic design as my previous roles had nothing to do with design. I found there was a demand for this kind of work and it has helped increase my service offering. How have people received this type of business in Zimbabwe? Selling the idea of what I do to people is not hard, it’s the billing part that was initially hard. So I found that people received the idea of having virtual assistance as something really useful. I came with my approach of billing per hour based on research I had done in other markets. Little did I know that some approaches don’t work in Africa! And I say this with much respect for the continent – one size does not fit all. Because some clients were not time conscious, I still billed them for my time that they would have wasted. This would sometimes anger some clients and it was one of the things that would have made me give up on my business. The moment I changed approaches – put up value proposition packages – things improved. A value proposition package is in a sense packaging my services such that the benefits are clear. For each benefit I present, there is an associated value based on comparable market elements. A prospect can therefore be able to evaluate whether the value proposed versus the cost is something they would be interested in investing into. Many find it easier and clear to make that investment decision compared to when you just say “My services are $20 an hour”. This was a learning curve for me as I learnt that you have to be flexible in business, understand your market and model your business approaches to suit the environment you are in if need be. How do you keep fun in your business? If you spend time with me you are going to laugh. The nature of my work requires me to know my clients’ true personalities. I have to show up and be as authentic and original, as I require them to be. Why did you decide to stay in Zimbabwe? I have faith in the continent and in Zimbabwe. Whilst everyone is looking for a chance to run away, I want to stay and make my business work here. If I can make a business successful in