Christine Sesay: Make the right financial choices, choices that you can live with
When Christine Sesay decided to study mathematics, her parents were not enthused, as they believed she would never find a job in Africa in this career field. Christine however did not want to part with her love for Mathematics so she convinced her parents to allow her pursue a career in Accounting and Finance which was an easy sell as they were very supportive of her decision. Upon attaining a Masters in Finance, Christine went on to work with a construction /maintenance company in Dublin as an Account Assistant, then an accountancy practice where she progressed from the Real Estate accountant to the Financial Controller over a 4-year period. At this time, she wanted to move back to Africa but there were not many jobs available so she had to take an Assistant financial controller role with an Irish Organization in Niamey. Within 4 months, she was working in the capacity of the Financial Controller managing €5 million projects then progressed to take charge of all operations within a year. While working on a nutrition and livelihoods project in Niger, Christine was shocked by the abject poverty that people lived and her desire was to change the situation. But as there was a security situation in Niger, she had to move back to her birth country Sierra Leone where she started Africa’s Moneypreneur to bring about financial freedom to all Africans. She believes that individuals would be more interested in talking money and finances when it is made easy and fun. As a determined and driven leader who is passionate about wealth management, she wanted to make sure that her African brothers and sisters started taking money seriously. When she started the financial literacy blog, she hosted a few events for women but no one attended as they were not interested. To overcome that challenge, she moved on to open a facebook page where she featured different women and hosted 12-days of Christmas challenge. These different pieces created traction and landed her some features on a few publications addressing the different areas of finance, a workshop on business finance tips for teenage mothers at the Aberdeen Women’s Center, teamed up with SheVestor for their training materials and wrote several articles in magazines mostly locally in Sierra Leone. Christine hopes to teach others how to implement effective financial strategies that support the lifestyle they aspire and deserve. [bctt tweet=”Christine Sesay’s “@AMoneypreneur” seeks to challenge Africa’s views about money & Poverty, and help individuals enjoy life” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are your views about Africa and money? Do you believe our way of thinking has forced us into poverty? Like most things in life, if we are not educated, we will tend to misuse it. Financial education is a major part of life in the western world as people are aware that until they make conscious decisions about what they want for their lives and start early, it will be difficult to live fulfilled lives. For example, it’s almost second nature to see that after a man has worked for many years, he could have nothing saved up a pension for retirement. Instead of enjoying old age, they are forced to work for longer and sometimes end up dying miserably. There are also choices that are being made in terms of choosing to make the right choice now, with the future in mind. Personally, I started early! While studying finance, I learned how the multiplier effect works on finance saved over long periods. I made conscious efforts to have pension funds and also started a college fund for my kids (nope they are not here yet!). How can we become financially free? Would you say being financially educated is the first step to financial freedom? There are quite a number of areas that could be covered when we talk about financial freedom. I think even before we get educated, there is the need to have a shift in mindset. The way we think about our finances. People consciously paint a picture of how they want to currently lead their lives and what the future needs to look like. Charting the course of your life, like anything else helps you decide what decisions you may need to make now. Once that picture is clear, then seek financial education. Make the right choices, choices that you can live with. Avoid looking at what others have done and try to emulate those choices. Your risk appetites and pocket sizes may differ. Why do you believe Africa needs a platform to challenge our views about money and poverty levels? I find that at the moment we are comfortable. People are happy to continue working, spend without the future in mind and hope that a family member will eventually foot their bills. Things are changing and as we are emulating the behaviors of others cultures we also need to develop our own culture when it comes to financial planning. At Africa’s Moneypreneur, we want to be at the forefront of those changes. We currently use our platform to: Provide financial advice for youth, start-ups and Women-owned business in Africa Developing communities for youth and women to engage them in making informed financial choices Sharing success stories relating to women in finance and in business Discussing personal stories relating to work-life balance and family, travel etc. to give a personal touch Introducing current events relating to the brand areas, like finance and pop culture events, Lifestyle etc. Embracing African roots and culture as it relates to finance management With these efforts, we hope that the next generations of African families can help pull Africa out of poverty. [bctt tweet=”Knowing exactly what you spend your money on is important to have a solid financial plan and a healthy attitude towards your finances – Christine Sesay” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you intend to make discussing money and finance fun? What are you currently working on? I think the first thing we need
Phoebe Dami-Asolo: The wedding counsellor
Phoebe Dami-Asolo holds an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management from Imperial College, London. She also has a BSc in Accounting and Finance from Manchester University in the UK. She currently works as a Brand Manager in a reputable organization, managing brands across West Africa Markets. Phoebe got married in 2016 and her wedding experience birthed the wedding counselor platform which is a project she runs to help other brides make the right decisions while planning their weddings. In line with this, she has launched a book- Miss to Mrs which acts as a guide for brides and also runs the Dapper Wedding Hub, a wedding outfit with her husband aimed at providing wedding packages which will solve the challenge of affordability and stress for couples planning their weddings. In this Interview with SLA, Phoebe talks about being a bride, working with brides, and her new book – Miss to Mrs. Why did you decide to become a wedding counselor, and how did it transform into a business? As a bride to be, while planning my wedding, I experienced a lot. I had issues with some of my vendors. I thought planning a wedding was a walk in the park, apparently not. Every time I complained about something, I realized my friends and peers planning their weddings could also relate. There were good times , really fun times but the few down times were really eye opening. This is why I decided to launch the wedding counsellor platform and since its launch in 2017, Ive been able to help hundreds of brides overcome many challenges in wedding planning With this experience, what are the things you’ll advice wedding planners to pay attention to when dealing with brides to be? Emotions. Brides can be irrational sometimes but if you’ve been a bride or a recent bride, you’d be able to understand every brides thought process. Every bride just wants perfection. Expectations needs to be managed with optimal emotional intelligence. Its very important for the planner to understand her bride. The relationship wont work if there is no understanding Negotiation: A good planner also needs to help brides with negotiations. Help brides save money because after the wedding comes the marriage. Its really important. Have you ever had to deal with any bad experience or challenges during your coaching sessions? I think Ive been blessed with brides who are willing to listen and learn. The only challenge I have is people taking the wedding counsellor platform as a marriage counsellor platform. I have instances on a daily basis where people want me to advise them on their relationships or marriage but I relay them to my partner marriage counsellor. For people interested in the wedding planning biz – what skills or tools do they need to be equipped with before starting out? Emotional Intelligence Negotiation Skills Ability to Multitask People Skills The above mentioned skills are all you need to thrive in this business. Every other thing will follow What are your sessions like? My sessions are online. Ive had a few on Skype as well, but mostly via chats and emails. However, they are always in the evenings as I have a 9-5 job which I’m very focused on. Tell us about your new book, why you decided to write one, and how people have received it. My book is titled Miss to Mrs. Its a guide to a stress free wedding planning process from a real brides point of view. Yes! Its the first of its kind in Africa, with 11 chapters about planning your wedding. The 12th chapter is focused on real words from 50 brides, and the last chapter on how to pull through the first year of marriage. Its been overwhelming. I still cant believe how much love the book has been received. I’d be selling out very soon. If you were not a wedding counselor, what would you be doing? The wedding counsellor platform is a pet project out of my genuine love for brides. I am actually a brand manager, wife and Mom. Those are my core responsibilities. What’s the one advice you’ll give your younger self. Go for it. Any idea you have in your mind, try it out. Failures are only lessons to make the next trial perfect. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Chelsea Ward – An African woman in Shanghai Rooted and Ready to Bloom
I met Chelsea Ward through a friend in Shanghai, and within the first few minutes of her speaking, I was so aware of her presence. She exuded such positivity and self-awareness. I immediately gravitated towards speaking predominantly to her. After getting a taste of what her goals were and what she was managing to do to make them a reality, I knew it would be essential to pick her brain and get the inside scoop. Chelsea grew up in the US and remembers wanting to do everything as a child. She was particularly inspired by her parents and was adamant about studying something in their fields of work. When we speak about her childhood, Chelsea reflects on the mindset that we have when we are younger, that you can do anything and that there are no impossibilities. [bctt tweet=” At 25, Chelsea Ward started her own consulting firm, with the focus to create a space for minority owned businesses to establish themselves in #Shanghai. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] However as we grow older we tend to lose this fearlessness and allow life to weigh us down. Chelsea has managed to reconnect to this belief and become open to the possibilities that life affords her. Initially studying pre-med as well as Asian studies, her passion for community up-liftment became clear. Visiting both South Africa and Guatemala to work on non-profit projects clarified that her love of language was about communicating with people. Chelsea was awarded a scholarship to continue her study of the Chinese language in China by the Chinese government in 2016. She elected to study at Fudan University in Shanghai. It was during this time that she experienced first-hand a gap in the market in Shanghai when she attempted to get her hair done. A salon was recommended to her and she called beforehand to ensure that they were skilled to handle natural hair, which they assured her that they were.Chelsea’s description of this experience gives me the feelings of a butcher with a tough piece of meat. Needless to say, they were not skilled to handle natural hair. Upon returning home to the US and getting her hair taken care of at a fabulous hair salon, she realized how necessary it was for a business like that to be in Shanghai. Particularly in a city (and country) with minimal diversity, issues with finding a hair salon equipped to deal with natural hair is a common problem. [bctt tweet=”Do not allow the frustrations that may come along with building your own business consume you – Chelsea Ward” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] This sparked the idea for Chelsea, despite being only 25, to start her own consulting firm. One of the focuses of the firm is to create a space for minority owned businesses to establish themselves in Shanghai. One of Chelsea’s current clients includes the very hair salon she had such a positive experience with in the US, namely BabyBangz. If that wasn’t enough, she is also in the process of planning a music, art and culture festival that will take place in Shanghai, where she currently resides, during May 2019. All of this while maintaining a full time job as the head of the skills department of an international learning centre. The Roots Music, Art, and Culture Festival is something to be excited about. The festival will include exciting and inspiring women of color as speakers and is aimed at increasing representation in a city like Shanghai as well as empowering women and minorities. The details for this event are yet to be released but if the premise is anything to go by, then you should be very excited and get looking at flight prices to Shanghai around that time. I have no doubt that this will be nothing but inspiring and stimulating. One of the previously organized events that was a major success in Shanghai was the hosting of a seminar presented by BabyBangz and TLP on natural hair. There are hopes to host a similar one in the future and of course for these incredible companies to feature at the Roots Music, Art, and Culture Festival. Click here to have a taste of what went down at the last seminar. The focus right now is Asia and the UK because that is where Chelsea has established relationships. The goal is to make the festival in Shanghai a roaring success and hopefully from there look to expanding to other locations. Furthermore, Chelsea has ambitions of assisting businesses from other countries, such as South Africa, to establish a presence in Shanghai. Of course this depends on demand and the needs of the community. But given her previous experience volunteering there, Chelsea has an interest in engaging and assisting once she has secured the foundation of her consulting firm in Shanghai. One of the biggest challenges Chelsea has faced through this process of being an entrepreneur is accepting that everything is a process. It is incredibly important to be patient and show yourself compassion and self-love. Do not allow the frustrations that may come along with building your own business consume you. If for some strange reason you are not bursting with excitement after reading Chelsea’s incredible story, let me leave you with some brilliant parting points that she shared with me as we rounded up our interview. “Don’t be afraid to pursue what you love, try and go for it. Actually, don’t try. Do it or don’t do it. So rather just do it. Don’t live in the fear or pain of what is holding you back, push past that and do what you love and what excites you.” If you are interested in getting involved in any way, please feel free to contact Chelsea. To get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Big Company Strategies for Start-ups/Small Businesses to adapt
Running a small business has its pros and cons, the same as running a large corporation. Large corporations may have endless resources to implement and execute elaborate and detailed strategies as they have hundreds of great minds constantly devising new ways to grow their business. Whereas in a small company, you have to keep overheads lean, hence, there is no massive budget for strategy sessions with great minds from Ivy league schools. In a small business, the entrepreneur is the great mind and the world is your Ivy league degree, you have to make do with what you have. But how exactly can you do that? I highlighted some solid, foolproof strategies that big corporations employ to achieve massive results and successes, which can be applied to your small business on a lean budget. Market Segmentation Enterprises spend millions annually on research to find out what market segment their products are best suited to. Market segmentation is important in every business as knowing your customer is the key to finding your market, which consequently leads to sales. You need to know who your customers are, where to find them and how to reach them. For small businesses, market segmentation helps you focus on a particular demographic or geographical area, thereby allowing you focus efforts on being the market champion in that market segment. To figure out your market, small business owners should ask questions like who is your ideal customer? Which customers are you avoiding? What markets are the most profitable? Answering these questions would help entrepreneurs prioritize and apportion resources to market segments that have the highest returns. Marketing Funnel A marketing funnel is basically a fancy term for all the points in your customer acquisition strategy where you contact prospective clients. As a prospective customer moves down the funnel, the better your chances of converting them into a paying client. Big businesses have a large team and budget to automate and implement this process, with small businesses on a lean budget, you can adapt this technique by being intuitive to your customer’s buying pattern. Ask yourself, how does a customer find out about your service? How often do they come to your page? When do they buy? What motivates this purchase? Asking yourself these questions gives you a clearer understanding of how to move your customer from being aware of your product to become paying clients. Partnerships That Work Large corporations usually cut deals with their counterparts that their customers can benefit from, small businesses should employ this tactic. By bundling your services with another that complements you and your customers, you rake up good points with your clients. For instance, if you sell hair extensions, you can offer your clients free hair care products, this would cause clients to be more inclined to your products, or event decorators could team up with an event space to offer a bundled service to customers. It’s about leveraging what you’re good at, not trying to be everything to everyone and giving your customer a more wholesome and rewarding experience. Chief Sales Officer Enterprises can afford to pay several people bucket loads of money. Especially people who work just to think about how to execute more sales every day. These people have access to real-time data and analytics. The data is what helps them make sensible insights, that make executing a large number of sales a reality. On the other hand, for small businesses, it is usually hard to have more than one person in this role. It is of utmost importance to have someone who is constantly thinking of ways the company can generate revenue. You must always know who your customers are, where they are and know what they want. As you scale, have more people in sales and segment each section of the market the person should be handling. By focusing on the customer and how to make them advocates, generating sales and loyalty. Most businesses have grown to become big businesses. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
10 lessons I have learned since quitting my job to start a business
It’s been almost two years since I officially resigned from my job at a top consulting firm to start a business. For the last 20 months, I have been filled with either extreme anxiety or euphoria and sometimes, both feelings have coexisted from running my own business(es). It has been an experience like none I had had before, extremely excruciating, but also immensely fulfilling. Taking the leap to quit a comfortable job with potential for growth was not a difficult decision for me to make. I grew up believing I had the “Midas” touch — that everything I touched would turn to gold. I was optimistic. The prospect of extreme success was very exciting. I wanted to build the next Bloomberg or the next Warby Parker, in fact, I was like a child on their first day to school. And interestingly — my entrepreneurship journey has been more of a school than anything I had imagined. Here are just a few of the lessons I have learned and feel anyone planning on quitting their job to start a business should know. [bctt tweet=”About to quit your job to start a business? Here are 10 lessons you should learn from @Kazville ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 1. Do not quit your job unless you have actually started your business Yes. They say no one wants to work for a part-time CEO. But no one wants to work for a broke business either. If I could do it again, I would wait till my business has clear-cut cash flows before I take the leap. Sometimes strategy works easier and more efficiently than hustle. 2. Have enough savings to last you at least a year Nothing sucks like having to invest in a business and worry about your house rent at the same time. Stowaway enough cash for yourself to survive for at least a year before taking the leap. And by “survive” I mean your budget should also have an entertainment budget line — to fund those business coffee meetings and social gatherings. Do not start a business thinking your business will feed you from Day 1 because the reality is that it won’t. And yes, some people will argue that you can never save enough. I disagree! 3. Your 9–5 job is just as important to your dream as your dream itself I have read a lot of social media articles bashing employed people for building other people’s dreams instead of their own and I feel that these “motivational” quotes and articles are in such bad taste. A lot of my progress and support have come from connections I made while at my job. My job taught me so much about managing my business and through it, I interfaced with top CEOs and management people that have since become personal friends and supported my business. My first client came from my former employer. I am mentored by my former boss. The beautiful people modeling Wazi glasses on our website are my former workmates. If I had not had that job, I would not have much mileage today. [bctt tweet=”Sometimes strategy works easier and more efficiently than hustle – @Kazville ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 4. Start a business you understand Nothing takes longer and costs more than a business you have no experience in or understand. I cannot begin to count how much money I wasted paying ‘experts’ to make me furnaces that did not even work or molds that were defective. Don’t even get me started on how much time I wasted back and forth with excuses from the said experts as to why work was not getting delivered on time. Although I eventually pulled the business model off and actually started to make revenue, I think it gets any entrepreneur more mileage, success, and fun doing something they actually know and understand. 5. Get a mentor or two I have been lucky to have mentors throughout my entrepreneurship journey. They have not only offered me invaluable entrepreneurship advice but have also opened up their networks and shared their skills. They keep me accountable and on my toes every time I slack. 6. Keep your business simple Always keep your core business simple. Simple to implement. Simple to understand. Simple to pitch. Simple to share. Simple to scale. Innovation does not always equate complexity and just because your concept is complex does not mean it will be profitable. 7. Do not stop learning The best investment you can make is an investment in yourself as an individual. Of course, we have heard success stories of people who have made lots of money with no education. But education and business success are not mutually exclusive. As long as you have the opportunity, learn as much as you can. Do that online course. Take part in that workshop. Do that masters. Do that professional course. Granted, you may not need the degrees and certifications in the short run, but they will come in handy later and add to your credibility. [bctt tweet=”Just because your business concept is complex does not mean it will be profitable – @Kazville ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 8. Beware of the busy bee syndrome Many times entrepreneurs get busy with everything. Busy driving to meetings to discuss new ideas or running up and down to make meetings that add no value to their business. They are always busy trying one idea after another day after day and applying to every startup competition. Busy busy busy busy. Busy does not always equal efficiency and entrepreneurs need to treat their time like they treat their money. 9. Grow some thick skin If anyone had told me entrepreneurship would make me lose sleep in the middle of every night for a week straight, I would probably not have started. I have wanted to give up an average of twice a day over the last one year alone. As an entrepreneur, something will hit you so hard you will want to close shop and with your tail between your legs,
Career and Business advice For the Young Black Woman
In the wake of women’s month, it is so important to use our platform to always uplift young women so that they can reach their full potential in whichever career path they choose. As a young black woman, especially as one starting out in her career, the work place can be a challenging space to navigate through. Gender pay gap, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are our biggest issues and play a pivotal role in how fast or slowly we climb up the career ladder. This constantly leaves us questioning where we fit, add value and what kind of impact we are going to make in our chosen fields. Keep reading, because below, we have asked 3 young and incredibly talented women to speak to us about the 3 key lessons they have learnt to push past the career challenges of the young black woman. [bctt tweet=”3 young women share the 3 key lessons they have learnt to push past business and career challenges of the young woman.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] BE YOURSELF Be you. Most of us don’t know how to naturally be ourselves but once you are able to simply show your personality, you become impressionable to your peers. Be curious, read and ask questions. Not just on your job but on those related to yours. Understand the business’ big picture and where you fall in so you are better able to plan your own path of success. Get a sponsor or mentor to understand what value you wish to extract from the relationship. [bctt tweet=”“Once you are able to simply show your personality, you become impressionable to your peers.” – Priscilla Menoe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Lastly, try be sociable. Comes easier to others but people promote and hire those they like. Go to the work drinks, go to the charity event and talk about things that are not work related to understand fully people’s characters and where your personalities get along. Above all, remember you are magic. INVEST IN YOURSELF I think we’re all familiar with the fact that corporate South Africa continues to be largely white and male. The secret is to invest in yourself not only intellectually or professionally but mentally and spiritually. My experience has taught me that as a young black woman, I have always felt that I needed to be exceptional to be given the same respect as my white, male or white male peers. I have found myself going over and above what was required only to be overlooked. [bctt tweet=”“Be clear about what you need from a business or career. How will it align to your own personal ambitions? Who can support you in your growth?” – Liziwe Ntshweza” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I have come to learn what it is that I bring to the table and ensuring that at every point, at least one person at the table is clear about what that is. Find allies in the workplace and use them for guidance as well as to off-load because there will be days when you need to vent before you can continue. More than anything else, build a strong support system outside of the office and take care of yourself. Be deliberate about taking care of yourself and try to enjoy it by celebrating your victories, big and small. MAINTAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE In my profession where knowledge is everything, I have learnt that one must never stop working on their emotional intelligence. I think that’s so important in the workplace. Always be your own biggest fan, and don’t expect others to pat your back. Know that you are enough, know that whatever is thrown at you, you can handle. Trust yourself, fight for yourself, and never lose sight of who you are. [bctt tweet=”“Know that you are enough, know that whatever is thrown at you, you can handle.” – Thina Zulu” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Quick Maths (4): How to build up an emergency fund for yourself with FSDH Asset Management
Save for the rainy day… it might take a little longer for the sun to shine! Welcome to the final part of our Quick Maths series by FSDH Asset Management, where we’re giving you simple personal finance tips you can master, to achieve your financial goals. In the last three series, we showed you how to generate income to start your business, how to diversify your income and how to get the best out of your net income and now we want to teach you how to save for the rainy day. What do you have saved for the rainy day? Nothing? We can plan for a lot of things in life, but sometimes, the unexpected just happens. These are the times you face bigger-than-expected bills, but having an emergency fund can make it easier. An emergency fund is money kept aside in case there are emergencies or problems in the future. Now, listen! An emergency fund isn’t for your everyday needs or special wants, so leave your sinful indulgences out of it, and no! flash sales are not emergencies either. We partnered with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to bring you this guide to help you understand why you need to have an emergency fund and how to start building up your emergency fund(s). [bctt tweet=”Having an emergency fund prepares you for the unexpected expenses yet to come – @fsdhcoralfunds” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Topics this guide will cover: What is an emergency fund? How much money should you have in an emergency fund? The difference between emergency funds and investments Ways to set aside emergency funds After reading this guide, you would be one step closer to achieving your financial goals. If you want to keep slaying in your finances, be sure to read up on our previous quick maths series, you’ll be glad you did! FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide. This is the final part of our series but you can get all three series here. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Understand your business, do your research and go through a rigorous market survey: Princess Okereke talks about founding Zapi Botanics
When Princess Okereke founded Zapi Botanics she wanted to make a difference in the hair care sector by providing organic hair products. We all know that the hair care industry is filled with products containing toxic ingredients and chemicals that are not only harmful to the hair and scalp but are ecologically unfriendly. Zapi Botanics was created with a single goal- to provide hair products with no harmful ingredients. Zapi Botanics is gathering pace as the go-to place for Natural Hair Care in Nigeria. They also offer advice and information to ladies starting their natural hair journey. Princess Okereke preaches organic health for body and hair, her gorgeous natural hair is also a proof of her love for all things organic. [bctt tweet=”To all our fro’ sisters, have a mind of your own, make hairstyles that work for you, moisturize – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How did Zapi Botanics begin? Zapi Botanics was a long-term drive I had when I was very young. It was an ambition I picked up from my grandmother who loved everything natural. Even at her old age, she would mix up natural ingredients and apply on her body and skin. At 78, her skin was healthy and did not sag, her hair surprisingly did not thin out. Her life was a living proof of how going organic can be beneficial in the long run. I decided to adopt that lifestyle. In 2015 I came up with a brand name, I also cut my texturized hair and began using my products first on my hair. What do you think about the demand for Organic Skincare products in Nigeria? What propelled its rise? I think we began to realize that we need to love ourselves. Funny though, the first maker of relaxer was a black man named Morgan who tested the product on his dog and realized it straightened his dog’s hair. Products tested on animals cannot be said to be all safe. We have more hair losses amongst young women, a lot of women are getting unnaturally bald. We see lots of hair and scalp issues in this line of business. I think people are beginning to realize that these chemicals put in hair products are detrimental to our health. Hence the switch to Organic skincare products What makes Zapi Botanics different? Zapi Botanics started because of our love for plant and Ecology. We decided to come up with a brand that is plant-based because we understand how important it is to go green and it’s a good way to help our environment. We take our time to source for our materials both in and out of Nigeria to ensure they are excellent. Our brand doesn’t end when our products are purchased, We provide our customers with post-purchase treatment and guides on how to use our products. We give them tips and tricks on how to navigate their hair journey, we are only satisfied when our customers are truly satisfied with our services. In 2016, the beauty and skincare industry was valued at $620 million by Euro monitor, how much of this share has been leveraged by Nigerians? There’s a myth about Nigerian made products that are being tackled right now all over the country. People may talk about their loyalty to Nigerian Made Brands but few actually stick to their word and purchase products solely made in Nigeria. People still feel Products made outside has superior Quality. This has hampered the amount of share accrued by our brands in this Industry. How easy has it been to convince people of the authenticity of your product seeing that they are formulated in Nigeria? Based on my reply to the previous question, it has been hard to break into the Nigerian market. We have to do a lot of marketing, promotions, and giveaways. Breaking into the market wasn’t easy, but when I started, I came up with a plan to use my formulated products to style ladies hair. I learned to style, I used my products too on my hair and whenever people see my hair and those of my clients, I refer them to my products [bctt tweet=”A lot of Brands fade because they couldn’t keep up with the changing times – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How are new African hair care products competing with mainstream western brands that have championed the African market for years? A lot of Brands faded because they couldn’t keep up with the changing times. People began to demand moisturizers instead of petroleum-based products and these brands couldn’t adapt to this change in demand. Still, new products are slowly creeping in and competing with the famous western brands in the market space. How does your brand, Zapi Botanics incorporate the unique hair care requirements of the African woman? Zapi Botanics pays special attention to the needs of African hair. Our curly hair pattern makes it harder for our hair to get moisturized, our formulations works great for Kinky Hair. Our Chief ingredients are suited to the African environment. The type4 hair and type 3C hair pattern does not allow the natural hair oil to travel down quickly so our products are loaded with ingredients that make it easier for moisture to be locked in. Tell us about some of your products There’s the Black moisturizing shampoo. The chief ingredient is the African black soap. It cleans, moisturizes and heals damaged hair strands. Our leave-in conditioner is great for detangling and styling wash and goes styles when water won’t just do the trick. The Deep moisturizing conditioner is essential for every wash day, it thickens hair, locks in moisture and revitalizes hair strands. Our special packages are designed for low porosity and high porosity hair. [bctt tweet=”A lot of our health issues can be solved by simply going natural – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You preach an Organic Lifestyle why is that? I think a lot of our health issues can be solved by simply
Liz Grossman: Lessons learned from the 2018 Impact!Africa Summit Johannesburg
[bctt tweet=”In order to change things, I had to show people visible role models – Regina Honu @ragyare” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In June 2018, Johannesburg was brimming with over 400 social entrepreneurs who traveled from all over the continent for the Impact! Africa Summit. This inaugural gathering was hosted by Ashoka Africa and the British Council. It was an event with an aim to drive solutions to empower African women and reduce barriers. These two organizations are the renowned powerhouses when it comes to social entrepreneurship. Joining forces, they truly made waves in promoting collaboration across contexts to solve Africa’s most pressing challenges. Tibagu Bruktawit of Whiz Kids Workshop in Ethiopia said, “If we want to bring change, involve more young women, make it easier for them to be here.” And Ashoka Africa and British Council did just that. According to Pape Samb, Executive Director of Ashoka Africa, “[their] mandate is to make sure everyone is a changemaker around the world,” and that cannot be done without empowering women. Impact! Africa drew some of Africa’s most successful female changemakers. This gave them several platforms to share their stories and inspire the next generation of leaders. Furthermore, Ashoka and the Open Societies Foundation launched the Women’s Challenge by the Challenging Norms, Powering Economics Initiative by Ashoka, Open Societies Foundation, and UN Women. At the Summit, twelve finalists gathered to discuss empowering individual women and removing systemic barriers they face. Solutions included taking an intergenerational approach to ending harmful practices, increasing retention rates for girls in school, and increasing gender inclusivity in economic opportunities. Here are some of the lessons I learned from some of Africa’s brightest female champions: “In order to change things, I had to show them visible role models – Regina Honu, Founder of Soronko Solutions, Ghana. Having someone to look up to and model your path after is critical to developing as a leader. Surround yourself with those who inspire you, study their successes and failures, and strive for greatness. “Sit with someone you don’t know from somewhere else so that you learn something new.” Sylvia Banda, a serial entrepreneur from Zambia. It is easy to remain with people you are comfortable with, those who know you, your community, and your solution. Take opportunities to learn from different perspectives to broaden your mindset about your projects. “There is no end to the supply of people driven by social innovation.” Amma Sefa Dedeh Lartey, Founder of Reach for Change, Ghana. As social entrepreneurs, we must remember that you are not alone. While sometimes it may feel like an uphill battle trying to change mindsets and think creatively to transform our communities, we have a whole community at our fingertips to lean on. [bctt tweet=”Sit with someone you don’t know from somewhere else so that you learn something new – Sylvia Banda ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “Don’t underestimate the power of an individual!” Parminder Vir, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Nigeria. Sometimes the challenges we are facing may seem insurmountable. They are too massive to tackle and we may feel that our own contributions can only do so much. But all it takes is one voice to stand out and break the mold. And remember, one mosquito in your bedroom can ruin your entire next day’s productivity. “Imagine if we work together, the impact we will have on the continent.” Vivian Onano, Global Youth Advocate from Kenya Collaboration is key, and female changemakers must learn to leave their silos, build a strong network and support fellow women. But we must also consider our male partners, and work alongside men to ensure they are also part of the solution. Watch out for the next edition of Impact!Africa, which will take place in June 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
African Women Entrepreneurs – A Different Perspective
I recently came across a TED talk by Natalie Case and Freya Estreller. They are co-founders of CoolHaus, a company that creates architecturally designed Ice cream in the U.S.A I found their passion and drive for their business fascinating. They started their business with an old postal van, which they converted to an Ice cream truck. In less than a decade, CoolHaus has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise. It now has over ten trucks, two scoop shops and is being distributed in over four thousand groceries stores across the U.S. They currently oversee seventy employees and they plan to broaden CoolHaus to the number 1 recognized Ice cream brand in the world. Bringing this home to Africa, with the entrepreneurship buzz going on right now, I began to look at the reasons for the springing startups we have right now, especially the businesses founded by women. Why do women want to be their own bosses? What makes entrepreneurship exciting and interesting right now? I asked around and found answers like: I. More income will help me take care of myself and my family II. A business will help to beat the recession crunch III. It will enable me to be independent of my spouse/ partner IV. No one wants to be a stay-at-home mom anymore V. I want to be respected and admired as a capable leader All of these are great motivating factors but are these all there is to entrepreneurship? These do not have the ability to project a business to global standards. It is important we know the motive for creating a business because of this, in most cases, determines how far a business will grow. A woman may want to augment her spouse’s income. She may start a business to achieve this and this will determine the kind of business she goes for and what her vision for her business will be. If her trade achieves that goal in a few years there might not be a need to expand the business any further. While earning enough to cater for her family is important, having this mentality about the business may stifle it. If we survey all outstanding businesses, we would discover they were created by people who had a vision of making their companies prominent in the world. This factor may be deficient in Africa’s startups. It is imperative that African women entrepreneurs must first begin to develop a different orientation towards startups. [bctt tweet=”As entrepreneurs, we have to begin to look upward toward progress and acceleration” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Building the right business starts from the core, but the right questions need to be asked. Why is it being started? What motivates an individual to start a business? If these questions are answered correctly, this would change the way African women entrepreneurs approach their businesses. Sadly many entrepreneurs do not know the ‘WHY’of their business. This crucial step is neglected AND camouflaged with reasons like “Everyone swears by it on Instagram“, “It’s what brings in the cash” and “It just seems like the best thing to do now” The ‘why’ of a business also establishes if a business is the right thing to do. Does it really meet a need? Does it emerge from an undeniable conviction in the entrepreneur’s heart? Listen. There are two ways to go about it. 1. Find a passion to turn to a business or find a business to turn to a passion While a business is something entrepreneurs should be passionate about they shouldn’t be delusional about the relevance of their business. Every business should satisfy the needs of people while accruing profit. 2. Striving onwards While being financially liberated may be a reason a business is started it should not be the sole reason a business continues. 50% of the United States GDP comes from small businesses employing less than 500 people. African women entrepreneurs should seek ways to come together and build a conglomerate enterprise that can employ young people from every scope and status in Africa thus helping young entrepreneurs off the streets. Women should be encouraged to dream big and start businesses that can grow into mega-corporations in their lifetime. This indeed is possible. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurs should understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] African women entrepreneurs shouldn’t be constricted to starting businesses that are short termed, escape routes to financial challenges. Entrepreneurs should be made to understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy and they should regard their business as legacies. They should be encouraged to have prospects and plans for expansion into the future. Therefore partnership and public corporation are the way to go if these businesses would outlive their founders. All of these start with a different perspective and a clear vision of what entrepreneurship means and what African female entrepreneurs can do. Some of which include: Influence the decision making in a nation if they drive its economy in a significant way. Sponsors lawyers, activists and projects that will push the goal for women rights and achieve gender equality faster. Reducing the risk of young girls being raped by removing them from the streets through the provision of jobs. Put communities in Africa in the spotlight, they can influence global decisions and drive Africa’s economy. Create brands that outlive them and change the world. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.