At aXia Consulting we strongly believe in helping small to medium enterprises. Each month we will interview a business owner to find out more about his/her entrepreneurial journey, the business as well as to get some advice from a fellow business owner. This month we are shining the spotlight on Dhianka Naidoo from Sugarbee.
Tell us a little about your business and your background
My business, SugarBee, is a project that I have worked on for the past 3 years. I poured so much love and passion into building a business that I loved in the hopes that it would help people find comfort through some of their toughest times. That’s what building my business did for me.
I focus on selling products that will bring people comfort, products such as soy candles, jewellery with a built-in GPS tracker so that your loved one can find you in case of an emergency, and so much more. My core product, which I will be launching later this year, is one that will shake up the feminine hygiene industry.
As someone who has both physical and mental health issues (like many of us), I wanted to build a business that focused on helping people treat themselves in the best way possible. I did this by giving my customers a brand they can rely on. A brand to bring them the comfort and inspiration they need to build and grow their dreams.
What/who inspired you to start your own business, and how has that initial inspiration evolved?
I was initially inspired to start my own business because I wanted to create a safe place to grow and develop my ideas, as crazy as some of them may be. Growing up, I always had so many ideas of ways I could help people. Starting my business years later was the avenue to do that.
It created a safe space for me but the intention is to do that for other people as well through the products I develop and supply to them. Over time, I have also come to realise how much more I am able to do for people by understanding their needs and both creating and providing them with products to fulfil those needs.
That is my ultimate driving force, my inspiration and my motivation.
What is a challenge you’re currently facing and what do you think will help you overcome this challenge?
One of the current challenges I’m facing is having all these ideas and finding the right people to share them with in order to make them a reality. One of the things that will definitely help with this is finding the very best people to work with. People who are just as passionate about my ideas as I am and who will work with me to bring these big dreams to life.
Can you share a significant milestone or accomplishment that you are proud of achieving in your business?
One significant milestone that I have reached, is taking the idea of developing a reusable tampon applicator from an idea and bringing that idea to life as a physical tangible product. This product will soon be released in our store and put out into the market for people to use.
This product was in development for almost 3 years and has finally reached the stage of being ready to be manufactured. This is a huge achievement in my eyes in terms of creating a product, from scratch, to help people by providing them with an alternative, affordable solution in terms of feminine hygiene.
How do you stay motivated and inspired during challenging times in your industry or market?
My ultimate motivation and driving force is helping people. As soon as I see a need for innovation in the market for something that people need, it really gets my creative juices flowing and inspires me to work harder at the projects I’m working on.
What is your approach to building a strong brand presence, and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors in your industry?
I think the differentiating factor for me is that yes, I am running a business, but it’s also about what my customers and clients think. I base a lot of what I do on making sure that the products I produce or import, make people as excited and happy as they make me because I am creating a brand that’s focused on what people want and need.
How do you prioritise and manage your time effectively as a small business owner wearing multiple hats?
As a small business owner, as well as someone who works in corporate, it can be very challenging to manage my time effectively. I try as much as possible to make sure everything gets done when it’s supposed to as well as prioritising making time for the business that I grew out of love and passion.
What words of advice would you have for someone wanting to start their own business?
My best advice would be to just go for it and the rest will fall into place. I truly believe that if something is meant for you in the universe it will never miss you. That includes your dreams and passions but you have to listen to your heart and soul and follow where it leads you no matter what other people may have to say about it.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations for your business?
My goal is to grow my business into a huge organisation that is able to reach people far and wide and touch as many lives as possible in a positive way. I want to get my business to a point where I am able to give back to customers and clients in a huge way, the way they will be helping me grow in the beginning.
If you enjoyed this feature, make sure to check out the other business owners that we have interviewed. We have everything from software developers to business valuators.
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