Building one business can be tough, but building several businesses at the same time takes real guts and determination, and Mozambican-based entrepreneur, Anicha Abdul the founder of EP Management & Consultancy Services, has both of these qualities in great quantities. It’s why she has built a business to be reckoned with.
LoA met with the inspirational Anicha Abdul in Maputo, Mozambique this month to find out more about this role model for successful serial entrepreneurship.
What does your company do?
We are a Mozambican Management and Human Capital Consulting Firm founded in 2010 as EP Recruit Lda. Over the years we have successfully operated in Mozambique and have gained an impeccable reputation for service delivery. In response to the dynamic nature of the business economic environment, the client and market needs, we rebranded the company. Today, EP Management & Consultancy Services is a 100% Mozambican company and one of the major players in this industry sector in the country. Our head office is in Maputo and we have branches in Matola, Beira, Tete, Pemba and Nacala. The range of services offered include: Payroll Services, Labor broking/Outsourcing, Immigration Services, Commercial and HR Advisory Services, Recruitment and Selection, and Headhunting. Our vision is to be the preferred partner in Management and Human Resources Consulting by providing excellent solutions to our clients. Our Values are based on Professionalism, Integrity & Respect, Flexibility, Results Oriented, and Accountability. Our goal is to provide talent sourcing, deployment, development and retention strategies. We fulfill this mandate through specialized and customized services manned by experienced and highly qualified consultants. We ensure best practice and compliance with local legislation and international standards and we passionately believe that every company has different needs. We therefore treat each assignment on an individual basis, with the overall objective of adding value to your business.
"We ensure best practice and compliance with local legislation and international standards and we passionately believe that every company has different needs. We therefore treat each assignment on an individual basis, with the overall objective of adding value to your business."
What inspired you to start your company?
I have had so many businesses in the past, so throughout the years it has been a case of trial and error. At one stage I had to get back to the work environment to grow myself, build capital until I was ready again to face the entrepreneurial journey. One of my very good friends was running a business at that time, and I was ready to leave my job. So we joined forces and a partnership was born.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Being privately owned, we are able to provide a level of personalized service which is unrivaled by many of our competitors – and that means you’re more likely to find us efficient, friendly, honest and above all able to provide you with exactly what you need.
At EP Management & Consultancy Services we passionately believe that every company has different needs. We therefore treat each project on an individual basis, with the overall objective of adding value to your business. We work with international companies and projects, and our track record shows our credibility in the Mozambican market, making us the perfect fit.
"Being privately owned, we are able to provide a level of personalized service which is unrivaled by many of our competitors."
Tell us a little about your team
My team is the fuel of the business, they put their hearts and soul into what they do. My greatest satisfaction is watching them grow and transform, especially ones that started from the bottom. Everyone cares for the business is at if were their own, and there is no greater joy for me then to see this culture in each of them. My team is multidisciplinary and includes people who are real specialists in the fields in which they operate. It’s a combination of highly skilled professionals with years of experience.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Where do I start! My journey started at a young age so it’s pretty hard to pinpoint the exact source. In my teens I recall my mother shouting at me and telling me I should have been a boy, the things I got myself into and the way I did things, it was not lady like and I was different from my other siblings. I have always been a dreamer, a risk taker and never been afraid of challenges. My mother was a housewife, but she had an entrepreneurial spirit. She always looked for ways to help the family to become self sustainable and play her part as a mother, a wife, a provider and a hundred other roles. From a little Portuguese restaurant, to small scale farming, to cross border trading, the woman with seven children was unstoppable. Watching her and listening to her advice, I wanted to be just like her, and more. She was my mentor when I started my first business and it helped me become the person I am today. My father on the other hand, taught me that even if you have a day job to pay the bills, nothing can stop you from working after hours and on weekends to make your dreams come true.
"My team is the fuel of the business, they put their hearts and soul into what they do."
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
To continue to play a vital role in society, and to continue to help families reach their goals by finding the perfect jobs. We want to be the preferred supplier for our clients, and to be a major player in oil and gas, mining and FMCG industry by aligning international projects with our service offerings. Our goal is to open our business throughout all the major provinces in Mozambique.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
A number of things I guess, but a few to mention is that I enjoy solving problems, helping companies, helping families and communities. There is nothing more satisfying then knowing you are contributing to something bigger then yourself. I enjoy the time and freedom that I get to spend with my family, being my own boss.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Anything that I have done that was ultimately worthwhile initially scared me to death. Often, the most stupid decisions I made turned out to be the most rewarding ones. So don’t be afraid to be ridiculed, trust your instincts and get on with it. You have to be willing to fight for you and your dreams when no-one else believes in you. Don't be afraid to fail, and don't be afraid to start again. At school we were taught that if you fail in exams, you will probably end up failing in life, but in real life, if you are not failing, you are not learning and you will never grow. So put on your big girl panties on and take-on the world!.
Contact or follow EP Management & Consultancy Services
Why LoA loves it…
Africa’s aspirant women entrepreneurs need strong role models to follow, women who are great examples of how to build and grow successful businesses on the continent. In Anicha Abdul, they have a wonderful role model of what a successful serial entrepreneur can do when equipped with vast amounts of motivation, drive and a big vision. Anicha’s personal entrepreneurial journey has seen her experience major challenges and overcome them to build a powerhouse business portfolio today. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa