Pheona was entrepreneurial from a young age, but overcoming the challenges of moving to a different country sparked a brilliantly bright business.
Communicate your ‘why’. Understand why you are doing your business and communicate it. When it becomes challenging (and it will) a strong ‘why’ will keep you going.
Pheona’s story
Looking back, I can now see that I was always interested in entrepreneurship, in fact it was the norm in my country Uganda even though we didn’t give it a name.
Like many African women, I went to an all girls boarding school. While there, we had only male photographers who came out on Saturdays to take pictures. In those days we didn’t have digital pictures so they would take the pictures on a camera, go away and print them then come back and sell them to us a few weeks later. This was perhaps one of the first times I spotted a gap in the market.
My biggest challenge was
It is hard work setting up a business but eventually it pays off. It was extremely hard when we started. We had the first 3 years unpaid while we made it work and still experience perception related issues seven years on but we absolutely love our work and it is all worth it. Sometimes people know the problem but may not have the answer. If you think you can provide a solution, go for it. This may seem very simple but not everyone has the skill, expertise or determination to take the plunge or go through the hustle.
Pheona recommends
Authenticity – being true to you
When things don’t go to plan
Sources of practical support