Photos by Blaire Davis Mugume
Hudah Tamale is no stranger to pivoting. When she began her business in 2015, she thought she could make money selling cakes. To attract new customers, she started offering herbal teas as a marketing strategy. However, she soon found herself becoming more excited over her tea products. After recognizing where her true passion lay, she shifted her business strategy and started focusing entirely on selling tea.
When the COVID-19 lockdown began, Tamale found herself needing to pivot her business, Nash Royal Tea, again. With social distancing measures in place, she needed to rely more heavily on digital marketing strategies. Luckily, she had already learned many of the skills that she would need through the Stanbic Business Incubator.
Today, she has a digital marketing strategy incorporated into her business plans and maintains an active online presence that has helped her through the pandemic. For women entrepreneurs struggling, she stresses the importance of digitizing. “If you don’t have an online presence right now, you are almost nonexistent in business right now,” she warned.
Women entrepreneurs in Uganda and worldwide have had to face a rapidly changing business environment while still taking care of their children full-time once the schools closed. Even in regular times, women entrepreneurs face well-documented barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Men are more likely to have the right information, training, and guidance to inform their dealings with financial institutions and plan effectively for their businesses in the long-term.
Through business development services, training, networking events, and mentoring, the Stanbic Business Incubator offers an enabling ecosystem for entrepreneurs to protect and grow their businesses. The incubator also provides participants with opportunities to engage with subject matter experts and access markets and finance. By joining the Stanbic Business Incubator, women entrepreneurs can take advantage of opportunities that they may have not otherwise had.
“Women entrepreneurs are a great resource to this country from our training we have come to realize that women play a very vital role in how enterprises are run and how enterprises are actually sustained over long period of time. Our commitment to the support of women especially the women entrepreneurs is one that we cannot deviate from. we have for a long time decided to have quota set for women entrepreneurs to be able to see them participate and enjoy the benefits of our training program. our commitment therefore is not a one of one off intervention. Many women have been part of this whole story especially after the realization that the lockdown or covid was going to impact on many businesses for a long time. we’re certain that we can be very much in partnership with a lot of women entrepreneurs to scale them to fir their dreams.” said Tony Otoa, Executive Director, Stanbic Business Incubator Limited.
When she heard about the incubator from a friend, Rachel Lubega had already co-owned her corporate event business, Quality Management Services LTD, for 18 years. However, despite the longevity of her business, she believed she still had room to grow. “I felt excited because I love learning, getting training, and gaining new skills,” she said.
As part of the training, she joined a cohort of service providers that included some of her competitors. Through networking and personal bonding, she began to see her competition as potential business partner. “We even were able to get business together. It was great having to create that kind of relationship with our competitors,” she added.
Not only was she able to create business opportunities through networking, but she became more adept at auditing, bookkeeping, and digital marketing. To the benefit of her business, she transferred many of these new skills she was learning to her employees.
Like Tamale, Lubega found particular value in the seminars on digital marketing. “At the time, we had the website, but it wasn’t very active. But now I know the importance of having an active website.” She added that implementing digital strategies and maintaining a web presence has made a beneficial difference for her business during the pandemic.
As businesses across Uganda adjust to the “new normal”, so has the Stanbic Business Incubator. “We have had to rethink our program, going away from the typical classroom lecture mode into online tutorials and lectures,” said Otoa in a recent interview. He added that the shift made entrepreneurs hopeful because of a shared need for information on financial management, governance, and other issues critical to business survival in an economic downturn.
Participants are still able to network at the Incubator even though the classes are online.
“They introduce themselves at the start of every session and are given provision to state what each of their businesses is about, share experiences, and share their contact information with other participants,” said Nadia Ayaa, Program Coordinator, Stanbic Business Incubator Limited.
The switch from a classroom setting to online tutorials also creates more flexibility for women entrepreneurs, who often balance household responsibilities and business ventures. Instead of going to a classroom, they can access the training at the comfort of their home or office.
For more information about the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited, please call
0312 226 700
Enkola ya Stanbic Business Incubator esobozesa abakyala abasuubuzi okumalayo obusobozi bwabwe nga ba nnannyini bizinesi.
Huddah Tamale si mupya mu kukyusa mu bizinesi. Bwe yatandika bizinesi ye mu 2015, yalowooza nti ajja kufuna ssente mu kutunda kkeeki. Okusobola okusikiriza abaguzi abapya, yatandika okubaweerako amajaani g’obutonde. Wabula, amangu ddala yakizuula nti amajaani ge gaali gasinga okumucamuukiriza. Bwe yategeera ky’asinga okwagala, yakyusa enteekateeka ze n’asalawo okwemalira mu kutunda amajaani.
Omuggalo gwa COVID-19 bwe gwatandika, Tamale yeesanga nga yeetaaga okukyusa mu bizinesi ye eya Nash Royal Teanate. Mu nkola eya tonsemberera, yali alina okwesigama ennyo ku nkola ey’okunoonyeza akatale ku mutimbagano. Kya mukisa nti yali amaze okufuna obukugu obw’enjawulo ng’ayita mu Stanbic Business Incubator.
We twogerera, mu nteekateeka za bizinesi ye yateekamu n’engeri gy’ayinza okutundira ebintu ku mutimbagano ate n’afuba okwekuumirako ekimuyambyeko okuyita mu nnawookeera. Eri abakyala abasuubuzi abali mu kulwanagana n’embeera, akkaatiriza obulungi obuli mu kukolera ku mutimbagano. “bw’oba teweekuumira ku mutimbagano olwaleero, kyenkana obeera nga atali mu bizinesi” bwatyo bwe yalabudde.
Abakyala abasuubuzi mu Uganda wamu n’ensi yonna okutwalira awamu babadde balina okusisinkana enkyukakyuka ey’omuggundu mu nkola y’emirimu olw’okuba nti ate babadde balina okulabirira abaana oluvannyuma lw’amasomero okuggalwawo. Ne mu mbeera eya bulijjo abakyala abasuubuzi basisinkana emiziziko egimanyiddwa mingi era egibalemesa okumalayo obusobozi bwabwe. Abaami bo kibabeerera kyangu okufuna amawulire amatuufu, okutendekebwa wamu n’okulungamizibwa ku ngeri gye bayinza okukwataganamu n’ebitongole ebiyamba ku by’ensimbi n’okukola enteekateeka ennungamu kwe batambuliza bizinesi zaabwe.
Ng’eyita mu nkola eziyamba okukulaakulanya bizinesi, okutendekebwa, okuzimba enjegere wamu n’okuwa amagezi, Stanbic Bizinesi Incubator etondawo embeera esobozesa abasuubuzi okukuuma wamu n’okukuza bizinesi zaabwe. Enkola eno era ewa abagyetabyemu omukisa ogw’okusisinkana ba kafulu mu bintu eby’enjawulo wamu n’okufuna obutale nga kwotadde n’okuyambibwa mu by’ensimbi. Okwegatta mu nkola ya Stanbic Bizinesi Incubator, abakyala abasuubuzi kibasobozesa okufuna emikisa ate oluusi gye batandifunye.
“Abakyala abasuubuzi kya muwendo nnyo eri eggwanga lyaffe. Nga tusinziira ku misomo egitegekeddwa, tukizudde nti abakyala bakola kya maanyi ku ngeri ebitongole gye biddukanyizibwamu wamu n’engeri ebitongole gye biyimirizibwawo okumala ebbanga eddene. Okwewaayo kwaffe eri okuyamba abakyala naddala abasuubuzi kye kimu bintu bye tutasobola kusuula muguluka. Okumala ebbanga eddene, twasalawo okuba n’enteekateeka ey’enjawulo eri abakyala abasuubuzi okubasobozesa okwetaba wamu n’okuganyulwa mu kutendekebwa okutegekebwa. N’olwekyo okwewayo kwaffe tekugendererwamu kuyamba muntu omu; wabula abakyala bangi babadde kitundu ku lugero luno naddala bwe kyamala okuzuulwa nti omuggalo gwa covid gwali gugenda kukosa bizinesi nnyinji okumala ebbanga ggwanvu. “Twekakasa nti tusobola okukolagana n’abakyala abasuubuzi bangi ne tubasobozesa okutuukiriza ebirooto byabwe” Bwatyo Tony Otoa akulembera Stanbic Business Incubator Limited bwe yagambye.
Bwe yawulira ku nkola ya bizinesi incubator okuva ku mukwano gwe, Rachel Lubega yali amaze emyaka 18 ng’addukanya bizinesi eteekateeka emikolo, Quality Management Services LTD era nga y’omu ku bannyini yo. Naye wadde nga yali abadde mu bizinesi okumala ebbanga ddene, yali akkiriza nti wakyaliwo obusobozi bw’okugikulaakulanya. “nnawulira nga nkyamuukiridde kubanga njagala nnyo okuyiga, okufuna okutendekebwa wamu n’okufuna obukugu obupya” bwatyo bwe yagambye.
Ng’ekitundu ku kutendekebwa, yeegatta ku kibinja ky’abakola obuweereza obwo abalala era nga muno mwalimu ne b’avuganya nabo. Bwe baatandika okuzimba enjegere wamu n’okubeera awamu, yatandika okutunuulira abamuvuganya ng’abantu b’asobola okukola nabo emirimu. “Twatandika n’okufunira awamu emirimu. Kyali kiyitirivu okusobola okugunjaawo enkolagana ey’engeri eyo n’abatuvuganya.” Bwatyo bwe yayongerako.
Teyakoma ku kutondawo mikisa gya kufuna mirimu gyokka ng’ayita mu kuzimba enjegere, yeeyongera n’okukuguka mu kwekkaanya eby’enfuna, okukuuma ebitabo wamu n’okunoonyeza akatale ku mutimbagano. Ku lw’obulungi bw’omulimu gwe, bye yali ayize naye yasalawo okubisomesa abakozi be.
Okufaananako nga Tamale, Lubega naye yazuula omugaso ogw’enjawulo mu misomo egiyigiriza okunoonyeza akatale ku mutimbagano. “Mu kiseera ekyo twali tulina website naye nga tekozesebwa kiryawo. Naye kati mmanyi omugaso gw’okubeera ne website ekola.” Yayongeddeko nti okussa mu nkola obukodyo bw’okuddukanyiza emirimu ku mutimbagano wamu n’okwekuumirako kikoze enjawulo ya maanyi nnyo mu bizinesi ye mu kiseera kya nnawookeera.
Nga zi bizinesi okwetooloola eggwanga zikyusa mu nkola zaazo, ne Stanbic Bizinesi Incubator tesigadde mabega. “Tubadde tuteekeddwa okuddamu okulowooza ku nkola yaffe era bwe tutyo ne twesulubabba enkola y’okusomeseza mu bibiina ne tutandika okuteeka emisomo gyaffe ku mutimbagano,” Otoa bwatyo bwe yagambye. Yayongeddeko nti enkola eno yawadde abasuubuzi essuubi olw’engeri gye balina obwetaavu okumanya ku bintu eby’enjawulo omuli okuddukanya eby’enfuna, obukulembeze n’ebirala ebisobola okuyamba bizinesi okuyimirirawo mu kiseera ng’eby’enfuna bigootaanye.
Abeetabyemu nakati basobola okuzimba enkolagana mu bbanguliro newankubadde nga basomera ku mutimbagano.
“Beeyanjula ku ntandikwa ya buli musomo era ne baweebwa n’omukisa okunnyonnyola ebikwata ku bizinesi zaabwe, bannyonnyolagana bye bayiseemu era ne bawangana endagiriro,” bwatyo Nadia Ayaa bwe yagambe, ono y’akwanaganya enkola ya Stanbic Business Incubator Limited.
Okukyusa enkola okuva ku kutuula mu kibiina okudda mu kusomera ku mutimbagano kwongera okuyambako abakyala abasuubuzi olwokuba kibanguyiza ku kutemaatema obudde obw’okutuukiriza obuvunaanyizibwa bw’awaka ate n’eby’emirimu. Mu kifo ky’okugenda mu kibiina, basobola okwetaba mu kutendekebwa nga basinziira mu maka gaabwe oba mu ofiisi.
Okumanya ebisingawo ku Stanbic Business Incubator Limited, kuba ku ssimu
0312 226 700
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