the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Catia Mondlane
Business visionaries are inventive, imaginative and risk-taking by definition, so building up a business in or following a pandemic doesn't scare them away. The pandemic showed numerous such visionaries that keep up with their actual wellbeing and develop new business frameworks. In 2020, buyers looked to discover innovative solutions online to forget their challenges, and virtual exercise classes and online courses entered the market with a flourish.
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There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed us in a very uncertain situation, in almost everything and in our daily lives. But the tricky part of this whole situation is having governments that are working to keep their citizens safe, while on the other hand, economies are struggling to remain stable. Nobody was spared, all businesses are facing financial challenges, being forced to adapt to new ways of selling. As we go through the pandemic and organize ourselves for its end, there are several ways for companies to create strategies to make the most of the situation they are experiencing at the moment.
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One thing I have learned from the experiences I have had so far is that clients don’t really care about your problems and whatever you are going through that might create delays or bad services, because they just want the product or service. Trust me, I’m a customer too and when I’m not I have to see things from the clients’ perspective to understand them, and this is why it is so important to know your customers.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, Founder Estética & Cosméticos
When I decided to open a natural cosmetics firm, I was aware that I really had to study and understand at all levels what I was getting myself into. Merely absorbing what people say or think about a certain product they’ve used or had previous unpleasant experiences with wouldn’t get me as far as I wanted. Without discarding how important those were and how they could influence the business’s progression, I really needed to deepen many aspects of each market to bring the ideal visionary concept to life.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, Founder Isabella - Estética & Cosméticos
The COVID-19 driven economy has brought major challenges to many industrial firms and business owners. Now makes it the perfect time to re-evaluate what really creates value, what is critical to clients at this moment, and what would those new offerings and capabilities look like after all.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, Founder Estética & Cosméticos
When I started the organic journey, which wasn’t a piece of cake I have to say, I found very interesting facts about the powerful effects food has on the mind, emotions, and the physical, and how the immune system reacts to different situations.
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The current circumstances have brought a new, unfamiliar and extraordinary market era. It is one where many are being guided to creatively re-think and re-construct their businesses to build resilient companies and bounce-back from any future boundaries. It is becoming clear that the contingency plans previously established are not enough to face the actual situation, and coming up with a plan that could strategically create a positive shift is where many have been focusing their energies. The urgency to implement might be higher than before as each day passes, and uncertainties seem to be greater than sureness.
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With the market dynamics taking place where businesses are tending to be more virtual then physical, it seems that selling services is more promising than products or goods, because when one sells services it is actually selling something untouchable with little or no tangible requirements. This has got many wondering if moving from the provision of single products to continuous service agreements wouldn’t be more profitable, since the customers are provided with a range of models and a variety of solutions.
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As I was writing my business plan, I would easily answer most questions. But when I got to the market section, this was where I would find it very interesting because it was my chance to show how deep were my studies and research. I had to talk about the market in general where I identified the firm’s target market, a detailed segment and its tendencies for growth. But when I got to the competitors subsection I would always pause, think about it and question myself numerous times on how I should answer. Especially the questions that suggest a sneaky behavior where one actually has to find ways to gather other similar companies’ internal information, the type of information they wouldn’t just give to anyone.
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Everything has drastically changed and having to adapt to the new situations hasn’t been an easy task especially when one is used to being outdoors, interacting and building new relationships. When selling a service, one can easily customize to meet a range of needs or even solving specific problems. Since the social distancing began it has been a challenge for many service providers because it might be difficult to describe one’s service to prospects, especially if customers have a hard time visualizing what one does or how can be helped.
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As far as the actual situation has been prolonged, predicting when will it stop and what would be the long term impacts hasn’t been easy, which undoubtedly forces most manufacturers to seriously rethink their operations. We are aware that for one to sell products requires money and space up front. Storing one’s inventory can be challenging around this time, especially if you have a lot of product to sell and not so many customers to buy them.
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The new Coronavirus pandemic has forced most of us to stay indoors, and having to work from our homes seems to be the only way out to survive the current situation. As bad as things seem to get, I truly believe that there is a bright side out of the bad news we have been seeing and hearing about what is going on around the world.
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Who told you that you can’t do or have it all? Well, I’m here to affirm that yes you can do and have all that you want, just with some simple smart moves.
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We were taught to play safe and within pre-established limitations that brought blockages to our mindset and how we approach things in life. As a result we have those that are scared of taking risks to go after their dreams, especially when this requires breaking established behavioral patterns and unconscious boundaries.
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The great thing about creating a business is that there are no limits when it comes to launching new ideas and ways to improve - but one thing is for sure, selling is what keeps it running. The subject of sales gets everybody argus-eyed, searching and learning about it, because people want to sell and want to know how to sell their goods or services effectively.
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A couple of days ago, I was going through my client list because I wanted to find out and understand who my real clients are. I found out some very interesting things - for example, just because people follow you on social media doesn’t mean that they buy from you. In fact, the ones that constantly buy occupy a smaller piece of the pie chart, while the group that only bought once and those that never bought were part of the larger percentage.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos
A few days ago I had a conversation with someone which reminded me why I started an entrepreneurial journey. During the chat, I mentioned how talented the person was and the brilliant ideas she had. Interestingly, I asked what was keeping her from starting a business and, as I predicted, she gave me all the excuses you can imagine, but only three of them stood out.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos
Nowadays, a diversity of market opportunities can be created thanks to the general economic and financial crises that have made many awaken their dormant dreams and hidden ideas, meaning people had to feel the pressure of a lack of things to pursue fulfilment. Lately, all we hear about is entrepreneurship and people coming up with great, innovative ideas for the creation of a business and it seems like everybody wants to be an entrepreneur.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos
Fortunately, today we have many people who talk about business and how a business plan can make your abstract ideas become a reality. There is also a range of business plan samples that are available online for free, meaning, anyone can sit down and write a business plan. Before I started my natural cosmetic company, Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos, I tried many businesses but couldn’t get them off the ground - not because they were bad, but I was creating blockages as soon as I started to write a business plan. Let me say that I have got nothing against business plans as such, and I’m not saying that people shouldn’t plan because planning is very important when one wants to take proper steps towards achieving goals and having a successful business.
Read moreby Catia Mondlane, ceo & founder of Isabella – Estética & Cosméticos
Everyone wants immediate and effortless success, but as I started the entrepreneurial journey I realized that some actions needed to take place. I actually had to have a plan to reach where I wanted to be, by setting goals. More than planning to win, I had to understand how badly I wanted my dreams to come true. Also, to understand if I was ready to own a business, because it isn’t just about the money a business can bring to my life, but how driven I am to take action to make it a reality. To be a successful business owner, I have to both serve a higher purpose that is valuable for people, and at the same time, make money, because the more I serve, the more successful I become.
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