Startup Story
Sabina Ali is the founder and executive partner of SAB Consulting in Mozambique, a company recognized for its strategic leadership, tailored business strategies and support in the areas of organization, implementation, monitoring and coaching. She is also the co-founder of Dr. Moz, a pioneering digital platform for the health and wellness industry, recognized as the first Mozambican platform to provide telemedicine services.
LoA chatted to Sabina Ali about her passion for technology and her aspirations for her impact driven and innovative businesses.
What does your company do?
SAB Consulting LDA is a business and Information Technology (IT) advisory firm, which skillfully assists organizations in managing change and creating solutions for complex problems. We develop tailored and innovative strategies while supporting in the areas of organization, implementation, monitoring and coaching. We also lead, motivate and strengthen the efficiency and collaboration of a multidisciplinary team in the planning and prioritizing of activities through effective coaching skills, and integrating performance management systems that enrich strength of service whilst reducing poor performance.
“I realized over time that my dream was to inspire and make a positive impact.”
“What makes my business special is that I wish to impact and change lives positively by influencing mindsets and business management strategies to make it easier, creating more space to flow and accomplish ‘our dreams’.”
What inspired you to start your company?
Ever since I was a little girl, I've always had a passion for technology. It was not difficult to choose what I wanted to study and which career I wanted to pursue. As I finished university, I did my internship and remained in the same company for 8 years as a senior business and its consultant, I really enjoyed what I did there and I am so grateful for all that I learned and the personal and professional growth achieved in those 8 years. However, as time went by it just stopped being challenging for me, and I started searching for new jobs and in the process I remembered that since I was a little girl I always wanted to have my own office when I grew up, just like my father. So I decided to open my first company, which survived for 2 years because I didn´t have the experience in managing a business and had not yet learned anything about persistence and resilience. I was then confused between accepting a job offer or persisting in venturing again on my own, and, in search of an answer, I did more courses, read several books, talked with experienced people for advice and decided to try again on my own, and that’s where SAB Consulting was born. And it's been five years of constant growth.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
My goal with SAB used to be "make money" to accomplish my dreams. I realized over time that my dream was to inspire and make a positive impact, and so I reviewed my intention and switched to "make a difference" wanting to help the growth of others and consequently my growth. And this is what makes my business special, I wish to impact and change lives positively by influencing mindsets and business management strategies to make it easier, creating more space to flow and accomplish "our dreams".
Tell us a little about your team
My team are my business partners and my clients. I am the only employee in my company, and I embrace projects along with my partners and together we surrender to a project or client and are fully committed as a team until the client declares satisfaction.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My family always ran their own retail businesses so yes, my biggest inspiration was my family's entrepreneurial background. Regarding my entrepreneurial journey, after I failed my first company, the second one, SAB was for me a renaissance, with new thoughts, strategies and models of business, I share below just a few great impacts for me:
1. In the first year I had only two clients, but I didn't give up. I came from a multinational where we worked with medium and large companies. I wanted the same goal for my small company that was just born. That's when I decided to switch my segment to startups, small and micro-enterprises, and that has changed the whole landscape to a more positive and abundant business.
2. My goal with SAB used to be "make money" to accomplish my dreams. I realized over time that my dream was to inspire and make a positive impact, and so I reviewed my intention and switched to "make a difference,” wanting to help the growth of others and consequently my growth.
3. To this day, I'm the only employee in my company. I adapted a model of business involving partnerships and outsourcing that has been a success until this day.
4. With my involvement and inputs with startups and small businesses, I gained my reputation and have accepted the invitation of strategic partnership with two companies with the same purpose of small businesses growth.
5. As I gained more experience, I also learned how to manage my time better, giving space to fulfill another dream that is the development of an App, Dr Moz, a digital platform in the health and wellness industry for Mozambique.
“What gives me the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur is finding the true definition of what success is!”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
To continue learning, to inspire, to increase experience and wisdom and continuing growing personally and professionally.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
What gives me the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur is finding the true definition of what success is! About a decade ago I used to think that success was defined by my salary and the position I held in a company. Today, I learned that success is much more than that, although the salary and the position take a small place in the formula of success, those who occupy the most percentage within it are physical health, mental health, love for what I do and the free time. Being an entrepreneur got me out of a system that gave me space to implement habits for maintaining balance and live my best definition of success and of myself.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Write your plan, make the intention, work toward it, secure a financial backup plan for at least 6 months, don't give up, this works like magic if you truly believe in yourself.
Contact or follow SAB Consulting LDA
WEBSITE | EMAIL sabina@sab.co.mz
Why LoA loves it…
Entrepreneurs who find their niche in business and set out to make a difference to the lives of others are always top of our list at Lionesses of Africa, so we love Sabina Ali’s story. She has found a way to utilize her skills, knowledge and specialist consulting expertise to help other small businesses to grow and thrive. Plus, her new Dr Moz app is providing an opportunity for her to harness the power of technology to really help people through telemedicine. Sabina is definitely on our women entrepreneurs to watch radar over the next few years as she grows her businesses and makes a real impact in society. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa