By TKay Nthebe
Starting and growing a business is not always easy. The entrepreneurial journey comes with many opportunities, but also a lot of challenges, especially for Small Medium Enterprises. In this week’s article, I sit down with Hape Marite Mphale, co-founder of Black Hair Organics and the Natural Hair Studio, to talk about lessons she’s learnt on her entrepreneurial journey as a young woman.
TKay: What do you wish you were taught about money?
Hape: My father is an Economist and what he taught us is that you must work for your money, and he would not give you money for no reason. I was never handed things, so to get pocket money I had to wash cars and charge my parents to make them tea or do house chores.
TKay: Take us through your academic bachground and entrepreneurial journey?
Hape: I started my first business at the age of 13-years old, selling sandwiches during the winter holiday. I studied Marketing at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) and I believe that if I did not have the marketing background, I would not have the skills required to create the awareness around my brands. Being a co-founder also means I have a great support system.
TKay: What is your take on building teams?
Hape: Employing people and building a team is not easy. I had challenges where an employee took their lunch break and never came back. I’m not going to internalise it, because we provide a great working experience for our employees.
TKay: What is your take on separating your personal finances from the business finances?
Hape: When you start off it’s not easy because you are the business, and the business is you. As the business grows and you involve more people, it is no longer about you. You are now responsible for other people and need to ensure that people are paid on time. My mantra is to pay people on time, so let’s respect people’s pay-day.
TKay: So, you’ve ventured into E-Commerce, how is that especially during COVID-19?
Hape: Surprisingly it’s always been there, but COVID-19 has nudged it into the right direction. What I’ve realised however is that most users of our online platforms are outside the country. I would encourage Basotho to practice online shopping. It so easy and convenient – you add to cart, pay and it’s delivered to you (www.blackhair.co.ls).
TKay: What does the future look like?
Hape: There is a lot happening right now in terms of setting up distribution for the product and opening a second branch.
TKay: What are your words of encouragement for women who are interested in starting businesses?
Hape: If you want to go into entrepreneurship, do not over think it.We sometimes overthink what we are supposed to do. We look too much at the broader picture rather than just starting. Start small, however messy – just start.
