Nana and Afua Dabanka - The startup story of a luxury footwear label, proudly made in Ghana, and inspired by a powerful Ashanti heritage

April 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Nana & Afua Dabanka, founders of MONAA (Ghana) — **Nana & Afua Dabanka**, founders of MONAA (Ghana)

In the world of design, particularly luxury footwear, there is something truly inspirational about working with the finest leathers, fabrics and decorative elements that are reflective of a country’s design aesthetic. Nana and Afua Dabanka, the creative duo behind the incredibly beautiful MONAA brand, are taking the world by storm with their luxury footwear label that takes its inspiration from their proud Ashanti heritage.

Nikki Davies - The start up story of a mom’s quest to serve wholesome real food to babies and toddlers

April 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Nikki Davies, co-founder of Orchard Baby and Toddler Foods (South Africa) — **Nikki Davies**, co-founder of Orchard Baby and Toddler Foods (South Africa)

Every parent knows how crucial it is to give their babies and toddlers the best start in life through a healthy diet, and yet in our increasingly busy lives, the convenience of a ready-made baby food makes all the difference. Finding options that are fresh and healthy, however, is a challenge. However, one South African company is changing all that. Nikki Davies, the inspiration and co-founder of the Orchard Baby and Toddler Foods company and brand is producing real food that both parents and babies will love.

5 Steps to making effective business decisions quicker

April 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

The success of your business is defined by how you make decisions - and naturally, success also lies in how quickly these decisions are made.

Quote of the Day by Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera

April 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera, founder of Glo Creations (Rwanda) — **Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera**, founder of Glo Creations (Rwanda)

"Never underestimate your gift or talent - develop it and make use of it to the fullest."

- Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera is the founder of Glo Creations, a Rwandan based textile design and printing company, specializing in creating African inspired quality patterns for garments and home interiors. Gloria, a talented artist from a young age, trained under Liberian batik artist Gabriel Saydee whilst she lived in Senegal, and eventually she started up her own art business in that country. Gloria later moved back to her home country Rwanda and in 2008 launched “GLO CREATIONS” specialising in batik and other types of painting on textile.

Entrepreneur Advice from Angela van Herzeele: How to negotiate the cash flow hurdle

April 18, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Angela van Herzeele, founder of Angel Rose Trading Company — **Angela van Herzeele**, founder of Angel Rose Trading Company

Managing cash flow is key to success….

"....cash flow is always a hurdle. If you are not a money or figures person, then get the right person to help you, because this can lead to the ruin of many small businesses starting up, and it doesn't have to be the case if done correctly! Personally, I have learned many a lesson in this department."

- Angela van Herzeele is a South African entrepreneur and founder of Angel Rose Trading Company a 'little company' she's grown to have many facets, including a retail shop selling vintage furniture, silverware, china, décor items, and soft furnishing products; she also markets a range of really interesting and aesthetically beautiful upcycled products made out of coffee bean hessian sacks, and this includes furniture, handbags, and soft furnishings. Angela also does interior decorating for clients, which goes hand-in-hand with her retail shop. Recently, she introduced a new element to the range of products that she designs and manufactures - this includes body scrubs, hand creams, lotions and soaps.

Essential Read: Find Your Extraordinary: Dream Bigger, Live Happier, and Achieve Success on Your Own Terms by Jessica DiLullo Herrin

April 17, 2016 Melanie Hawken

What if you could, with a little effort, live an extraordinary life? A life in which you felt deep passion for everything you did, and always had time for what matters most? A life in which you had the power, the daring, and the will to make your boldest dreams come true, all while you happily left feelings of inadequacy or guilt behind? Serial entrepreneur and author, Jessica Herrin, shares her insights and experience on how to find your own extraordinary and live the live you want to.

Finding the best market for your product: Niche, niche, niche…

April 17, 2016 Melanie Hawken

In this blog we’re going to look at finding the best market for your product. “But everyone is the market for my product”, is what many startups tell me. And, “our market is 50 million people, and if we can capture just 1% of the market…”. Wrong approach! Trying to mass-market your offering from the beginning is doomed to failure.

Meet 20 women entrepreneurs who are spearheading a new entrepreneurial spirit in Rwanda

April 16, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Rwanda has recently been ranked the Best Place to be a Woman in Africa, according to the Global Gender Gap Report, and ranked 6th overall in the world in terms of closing gender gaps. It is also one of the most encouraging and supportive places to be a woman entrepreneur in Africa. Rwanda is highly progressive in seeing entrepreneurship as a key driver for transformation, economic development and business growth in the country, particularly for women. Here are 20 of the inspirational women entrepreneurs in the country who have captured our attention.

Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera - The startup story of a rising star of the Rwandan design and interior decor scene, putting the country’s design talent on the global map

April 16, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Tapping into the growing global interest in African design, entrepreneur Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera is building an award-winning company, Glo Creations, that is celebrating traditional batik printing techniques but with a contemporary twist.

Entrepreneur Advice from Jenna Clifford: People always remember client service - make sure it's great!

April 15, 2016 Melanie Hawken

People always remember the client service you provide - good, or bad....

"People always remember service — whether it was exemplary or below standard, people will remember how they felt. As a brand — as part of our organisational culture — we have a strong desire to be known for our professionalism, memorable experiences and service excellence... we like to make people feel good! When I hear of a problem I try to sort it out immediately; customer service is so important to us. I often do cross-checks myself."

- Jenna Clifford is a world-renowned jewellery designer, known for her unique designs and superlative craftsmanship. Established in 1992, her company has steadily grown its clientele and improved its profile to institute itself as a powerful force in the jewellery industry. Her bold and dramatic designs are sought after by some of the most recognised business icons and celebrities from around the world. Today, Jenna Clifford Designs employs around 70 people, including some of the finest jewellery artisans and craftsmen in South Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Discover your unique purpose driven mission

April 13, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Discover your unique purpose driven mission....

"Find yourself, your purpose in life. Don’t just get a job, do something that is tied to a purpose. Even if you get a job, let it be tied to a purpose .... I am learning every day that this is not just about making money or turning a profit. There are people who need my call and my assignment and I need desperately to answer to their voices."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Pascale Bukize - The startup story of a Rwandan TV production company lighting up the country’s TV screens with great content for women

April 12, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Pascale Bukize, founder of Nawel Company Ltd (Rwanda) — **Pascale Bukize**, founder of Nawel Company Ltd (Rwanda)

There is something truly inspirational about women entrepreneurs who harness the real power of the media, in particularly TV and Radio, to empower women in their countries through positive messaging, great storytelling, and powerful women role-models. Rwandan entrepreneur, Pascale Bukize, and her fellow team members founded Nawel Company Ltd to produce not only great content and TV shows, but also to launch a pioneering show The Real Women Show, to uplift and inspire other women in the country.

Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza - The startup story of a Rwandan talent management company that believes in the power of tapping potential

April 12, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza, founders of RightSeat (Rwanda) — **Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza**, founders of RightSeat (Rwanda)

The challenge for any company or organisation is finding the right people and building great teams, and one entrepreneurial team is making this process a whole lot easier. Right Seat is a specialist talent management company in Rwanda, spearheaded by two young women entrepreneurs, Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza, who are focused on building a strong HR pipeline in the country.

Quote of the Day by Wendy Ackerman

April 12, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Wendy Ackerman, co-founder of Pick n Pay, South Africa — **Wendy Ackerman**, co-founder of Pick n Pay, South Africa

"I would say that everybody can be a philanthropist. Its a very fancy word for helping your neighbour. The more you give, the more you get back.”

- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.

Entrepreneur Advice from Teta Isibo: Plan yes, but expect to be flexible

April 12, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Teta Isibo, founder of Inzuki (Rwanda) — **Teta Isibo**, founder of Inzuki (Rwanda)

Planning is important, but be flexible....

"Plan before you start and always leave room for change because things will most likely not go exactly the way you want them to."

- Teta Isibo is the creative mind behind Inzuki a dynamic young Rwandan brand specializing in jewelry, accessories and interior decor hand-made primarily from local materials. With no background in fashion or business, Teta quit her job as an urban planner with the city of Kigali to start her own business. Today Inzuki (bees in the local language) is part of a wider Rwandan cultural Renaissance.

Entrepreneur Advice from Carrol Boyes: Don't panic when your loan request is turned down

April 11, 2016 Melanie Hawken

How to respond when your loan application is turned down and funds are tight....

“In retrospect, that was most likely a good thing as it forced me to be extremely conservative. As far as materials and equipment were concerned, I bought only what I could afford. The initial expansion of the business was definitely curtailed by the fact that I did not have access to huge sums of money.”

- Carrol Boyes is an iconic South African designer who has built a global brand. She founded Carrol Boyes (Pty) Ltd in 1991 combining her artistic flair and talent in sculpture with her jewellery experience to create an extensive range of distinctive homeware, giftware, flatware and table top products. Today, her company designs and manufactures a meticulously crafted product range of well over 1000 items and sells over a million items every year. Products are always imbued with Carrol's trademark artistic flair and finesse. The brand is available through her 35 branded shops in South Africa and in over 30 other countries around the world.

VIDEO: Ally Angula's story

April 8, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Ally Angula, Group Managing Director and Chief Strategist of Leap Holdings, talks about her business and the challenges she faced when building a sustainable agribusiness. And what fashion has to do with it? Watch the video and learn more.

Essential Read: Go Against the Flow by Charu Sharma

April 8, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Charu Sharma, author and founder of Go Against the Flow — **Charu Sharma**, author and founder of Go Against the Flow

An innovative and ground-breaking new book brings together wisdom from several established and up and coming women business leaders who share their candid and introspective insights on how to become a successful entrepreneur. From getting started on concept, building technology, hiring, getting funded and scale, to finally launching a business with success, this book is a must-own for every budding entrepreneur.