If you’re a lioness, content isn’t new to you… You read the daily newsletters, right? And all the articles in them. You visit the Lionesses of Africa website every once in a while and you follow Lionesses on social media platforms too.
Read moreHere I thought I was Mrs Optimism…
Turns out, I’m actually a pessimist as an entrepreneur. I was reminded of my pessimistic thoughts last night as my husband proudly spoke of my company’s successes in the last few weeks.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu
"If you have a crazy idea, go for it! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes."
- Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is founder and Managing Director of soleRebels, the world's fastest-growing African footwear brand and the only Fair Trade-certified footwear company in the world. Growing up in a poor suburb of Addis Ababa, Bethlehem decided that there was only one way to defeat poverty – use local craftsmanship to make products that can compete in the global marketplace. She decided on footwear and today 70,000 pairs of shoes leave her factory every year. soleRebels has been expanding rapidly and today exports to no fewer than 45 countries and is targeting 50 stand alone soleRebels retail stores across the United States by 2018 and 500 worldwide by 2022.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Lorna Rutto: Don't restrict yourself to 'typical' startup industries
Lorna Rutto, founder of EcoPost, Kenya
Women should consider a broader range of industries when starting businesses....
"I set up a business in the waste manufacturing industry, which is not a common type of business sector that women choose to venture into. Women should be courageous to start their businesses in a broader and more competitive range of sectors."
- Lorna Rutto is a Kenyan eco-preneur, and the inspiring founder of EcoPost, a social enterprise created in response to the need to find alternative waste management solutions to Kenya's huge plastic waste problem. In 2009 she founded her company, which collects plastic waste and manufactures commercially viable, highly durable, and importantly environmentally friendly fencing posts, used widely across Kenya. In 2011, Lorna was recognised by the prestigious Cartier Women's Initiative Awards as their laureate for sub-Saharan Africa.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Mariéme Jamme
Mariéme Jamme, founder Spotone Global Solutions
"... one imperative solution is to educate entrepreneurs on understanding basic business principles. They need honest mentoring in order to scale their businesses - this is really lacking at present."
- Mariéme Jamme is a Senegalese born-British businesswoman, who runs a technology consultancy business, Spotone Global Solutions, that helps technology companies to identify a new markets, generate leads, increase revenue and set a foothold in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Mariéme is best known for her role in promoting technology, good governance, transparency and a better education standard in Africa. She was recently named as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2014 by the Africa Business Magazine and Forbes Magazine.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Basetsana Kumalo: Build a successful personal brand
Basetsana 'Bassie' Kumalo
Build a successful personal brand….
“When you wake up each morning, you have to think of yourself as a brand and act accordingly. How well you do that will define the brand’s success. If you live the brand well, people start to believe in it and buy into it. Over the years, people have shown great confidence in the Bassie brand and that’s been really humbling.”
- Basetsana 'Bassie' Kumalo is a South African television personality, beauty pageant titleholder, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Her career began in 1990 when she was crowned Miss Soweto and Miss Black South Africa at the age of 16. Since then, Bassie has become a formidable force in the business world and is widely respected as both an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. In 2011 she was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Tania Reid
Tania Reid, founder of Ithemba Office Solutions (South Africa)
"Women should be helping each other, collaborating with each other, referring each other, supporting each other and mentoring each other, instead of being threatened by each others' success."
- Tania Reid is the founder of Ithemba Office Solutions in South Africa, a company that has positioned itself to be the Business Concierge of choice to corporates within Johannesburg. Tania is passionate about finding solutions for her clients’ day-to-day business operations, taking a personalised, tailor-made approach to the services she offers. Her goal is to be a trusted first port-of-call to source essential products and services on behalf of the companies she lists as her clients.
Read moreDon’t be intimidated by positions or titles in life and business
Do you find yourself intimidated by people’s position, title or social status? Professor, Billionaire, CEO, Bishop, Queen, President or Minister are some of the titles and positions that are common in society and in the corporate world. Have you ever been intimated by the thought of engaging with individuals who hold prestigious titles or are in positions of power?
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Marion Nixon: Have a big why
Marion Nixon
Have a big why....
"You need to believe in what you are doing - have a big why - to keep you going. Learn some basic business skills, preferably before you give up the day job. Having a vision is only the start, you need a strategic plan on how to get there, otherwise too much time is lost dithering about what the next step should be. Budget for help as there will be times you need professional skills you don't have."
- Marion Nixon is a natural health practitioner with over two decades of experience caring for the well being of her clients. Marion empowers women who are struggling to do, achieve, be what they want, to reach their full potential by demonstrating to them what is possible, encouraging them to believe their dreams are possible, and giving them the confidence to take the action needed to reach their goals. Before she discovered the world of natural health her love of learning took her into the academic world, and to a Masters Degree in Religious Studies.
Read moreMarion Nixon, a South African entrepreneur on a mission to help others transform their lives
Marion Nixon
If you have ever thought of changing your life for the better by understanding yourself and the factors that might be holding you back, then you may need a Personal Change Agent to help you on your journey of self discovery. Marion Nixon is just such a person, with the skills and experience to help those who feel stuck in life to find their way again.
Read moreWinter is nigh
A few weeks ago we experienced a very unpleasant cold front – out came the boots, beanies and coats. Heaters were dusted, stews and dumplings warmed our bellies and talk of an impending colder winter this year, trended. I love the warm things of winter. We’ve figured it all out: central heating, warm, fluffy sweaters, winter sheets, cup-a-soups and trips to warmer locations are easy to arrange. Animals do the same, they migrate, hibernate or adapt – we could learn a thing or two from them and apply this knowledge to business.
Read moreThe Business Tango - Embracing Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship by Anna Shilina
Anna Shilina
In The Business Tango, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Anna Shilina, provides the insights, tips and advice on how to become the best entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial version of yourself, in life and business.
Read moreUnhappy customers are the greatest source of learning
Customers are a key element to the existence of a business. Every entrepreneur, business owner and sales person knows what a battle it can be to find the right customers. When you have those customers, it is how you treat them that will make them come back or refer others to you.
Read moreThe art of marketing your brand successfully
Wow! How fast 2017 is flying! I’ve been quiet for a while, busy in my SummerTime happy place planning and crafting a great year ahead. Now that the plan is in place, let’s get back to the business of branding and sharing some insights around how to do it well. In my previous blog posts, we covered the topics of establishing and creating your brand. Now let’s move into how to make the most of the brand you’ve created.
Read moreRose Sibisi, a Zambian woman entrepreneur taking her lifestyle brand to her audience through her highly entertaining TV talkshow
Rose Sibisi
Personality-led brands and businesses connect with audiences because of precisely that - they are created by women entrepreneurs who are big on passion and personality. Rose Sibisi is an entrepreneur who has both of these traits in huge quantities, and her passion for what she does is infectious. Her popular Talk Show, StylewithRoseS, is must-watch television.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Joanne Mwangi: So you've achieved success. Now what?
Joanne Mwangi, founder of Professional Marketing Services Group, East Africa
You need a game plan to handle success and money....
“I don’t think there is anything more difficult to handle than success. I think success is harder to handle than failure. In failure you wallow, you just cry and life goes on. Success has to be sustained and it is harder to sustain than to get it. So when you get your money, what is your game plan?”
– Joanne Mwangi founded Professional Marketing Services Group in Kenya in 1996. Today her company has five subsidiaries and a presence across East Africa. Joanne has steered the PMS Group from a small agency to a leading full service marketing and communications group. In 2010, PMS was voted number one in the Top 100 SME competition in Kenya. Joanne also won the Lady Entrepreneur of the Year award at the same competition sponsored by the Nation Media Group and KPMG. She is also the chairperson of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations (FEWA), an organisation that seeks to create an enabling business environment for women.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Edith Venter
Edith Venter, founder of Edith Unlimited (South Africa)
"Keep things simple. That way, they work!"
- Edith Venter is the doyenne of event management in South Africa. She is the founder of Edith Unlimited, taking the world of prestigious and glamorous event management to a whole new level, in keeping with the style and elegance she is well known for. Today, she is also a highly sought after motivational speaker, a role model to millions of South African women, and a tireless campaigner and fundraiser for the causes she is passionate about.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Brenda Wilkinson: Never fail on your vision
Brenda Wilkinson
Never fail on your vision....
"Look beyond your competition and never fail on the vision you aspire to for your brand and yourself! Eventually someone will believe in you….and your product!"
- Brenda Wilkinson is the co-owner and Marketing Manager of Rio Largo Olive Estate, a multi-award winning estate, situated in the Scherpenheuwel valley between Worcester and Robertson in South Africa. The Estate comprises olive orchards, vines, an olive specific nursery and a state of the art OLIOMIO olive processing and bottling plant. Brenda is a never say no, serial entrepreneur and marketing specialist who has previously created Leisure Seekers Guide to Hotels and Lodges in Zambia, run her own school, and produced wicker and wrought iron furniture in Malawi. A natural collaborator, Brenda is also currently working with Sarah Taylor and Zikhona Tefu, two women entrepreneurs who are using olive oil to build their own beauty and skincare brands.
Read moreQuote of the Day from Tabitha Karanja
Tabitha Karanja, founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries
“Morocco is at the top of Africa. Until I reach Morocco with Summit (one of Keroche’s beer brands) and go all the way down to South Africa, I am not stopping. I will never say I am tired because there is still more ahead.”
- Tabitha Karanja is founder and CEO of Keroche Breweries. She is one of Kenya's leading entrepreneurs, a remarkable trailblazer and an example of a woman made good against all the odds. Tabitha chose to venture where none before her had dared. She took on an 87-year-old business monopoly and entered an industry with a deeply entrenched male gender stereotype. Tabitha broke the mould to become Kenya’s first home-grown beer and alcoholic drink manufacturer. Today, her company's state-of-the-art production facility is targeting 20% of the Kenyan market.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Banke Kuku
Banke Kuku, founder of Banke Kuke Textiles
“Women are the corner stone of African economic development and are currently under represented. I think it’s time for a balance in the business arena throughout the continent. Women hold dynamic and valuable characteristics which are an asset to the business terrain.”
– Banke Kuku is founder and CEO of Banke Kuku Textiles, a company she started in 2011. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Banke moved to the United Kingdom at age eight giving her the innate ability to cross-pollinate traditional African and Western culture to create unique, luxurious fabrics for the interior and fashion industries. Anointed by leading commentators as the ‘Queen of Colour’, Banke promotes African tradition and culture through her exquisite textiles sold in the major capitals of the world and supports and promotes local textile mills in Nigeria. Her interiors range can be been found in major retailers like Selfridges London, and her fashion fabric designs have graced the catwalks of London, Paris and New York.
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