9 minute read
Meet Rachel Amina Cyrus an Entrepreneur and Founder of RAC for General Trade & Supply Limite
One-on-one interview with Rachel Amina Cyrus, founder member of RAC for General Trade and Supply:
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Brisker Magazine: Hi Rachel, thank you for having us visit your business. Can you kindly tell us what RAC is all about and what you produce?
12 Rachel Amina: I thank you for visiting me in my house where I do my business. RAC is a business that was started towards the end of last year, and has gained a lot of popularity since January this year. I run the business by myself because the little that I make can’t be enough to pay employees, buy raw materials and provide for my family. I’m still constructing my shop in Munuki, maybe later business booms I can be able to employ people to work for me. At RAC, I produce liquid soap and detergents mainly. I produce liquid soap for general purposes like mopping house, washing clothes and dishes, and detergents for washing hands which come in two flavors or colours - lavender and rose. And I have sure jelly that was not yet put in the market because of lack of some resources. I also make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, beats and sandals for ladies to support the soap business. The reason why I like making those things for ladies is because ladies like buying and putting on beautiful things unlike men who buy things once in a year or two. So making things for women is marketable.
Brisker Magazine: How do you manage time for family, business and other things and activities since you are the only person in your business? Rachel Amina: As for me, I schedule my things. I have time for my family (husband and kids) by running my business from home; so my presence at home and carrying on doing household activities is catered for. With my business, I do most of my connection with my telephone. Sometimes customers call and want to buy my products but because my shop in Munuki is not ready due to lack of financial challenges, I have to coordinate them from home. I ensure that I have enough products ready for sale by working late night sometimes [throughout the night] and am okay with it since am used to sleeping for less hours. My business is the main source of my income to the family. I pay for my children’s school fees, and remain with some money for subsistence since my husband is not working.
Rachel Amina: Well, what inspired me is that I have been working for the government since 2014 but what I get now can’t buy a sack of flour to feed my family for the whole one month. I saw foreigners doing businesses get a lot of money [and] go back to their country and build storey buildings and buy nice cars and yet they work from this country. I thought it was wise to use my gift of the work of hands and go out there to make money. So I started RAC. I thought to myself it was a waste of time working for the government when am getting almost nothing now. What I get in my business in a month can be like a salary for 1 year in the government. What am doing I think it can be of development to my country, my family and to the general public.
Brisker Magazine: Were you taught on how to make the soaps?
Rachel Amina: Yes, I went for a training in Kampala where I met a woman who makes soap. She lectured me at a cost and immediately after that I was able to get some few raw materials and chemicals and I produced some few trial samples for use at home. Upon the theoretical training and the practice I did on my own, it was not enough for me so I went back for another training - this time, it was by some Kenyan trainers who came to Kampala to train people on that. We did theories and practical even on bar soap. After that, I procured some raw material and chemicals again and started producing and gave some few samples to my neighbors to test and use for free. Next thing is to start making for sales. Regarding the beads, I was not taught. I think am gifted because I can just look at what people are wearing and make exactly the same if I wanted to.
Brisker Magazine: What do you think are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?
Rachel Amina: To start and run a business you must have your goals for starting the business. You must think of why you wanted to start it. Are you doing it just to get money or to satisfy people out there or to develop your country? If you just want to make money you will fail. We don’t do business just to make money and become wealthy but:
-First, satisfaction of your customers; -Secondly, the quality of products/services that you want to provide; -Thirdly, maybe the little that you will be getting as profit. Let your profit margin be reasonable. I don’t have to charge for my products high because other sellers set the price; my margin is reasonable. And that’s why people at the Made in South Sudan exhibition were surprised at my pricing and other exhibitors and sellers bought from me because am cheaper. In business you have to keep your customers by giving the affordable prices for quality things.
Brisker Magazine: Do you have a ready market or customers you supply with your products?
Rachel Amina: Of course the market is there. I’m supposed to supply many as the shop is concerned. But most of my sales are in exhibitions, trade fairs, occasions such as weddings, even in church I have some customers and in such occasions is where I meet potential customers too. My main clients are supposed to be institutions, NGOs, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets but am limited due to marketing, legal and financial requirements.
Brisker Magazine: People think to start a business you need a lump sum of money or at least become financially secure. Tell us how you raised your capital and what your reaction to this sort of mentality is.
Rachel Amina: I didn’t have a lump sum of money to start RAC. I only had some savings when I was working in the government. From the little I had I believed God can do something. I managed to raise 200 US Dollars to travel to Kampala and get some chemicals that at least produced 20-40 liters of liquid soap and got some beads to support the main soap business. None of my relatives or friends supported me and only that small money that keeps on growing up to now. If you start thinking of having a lot of money to start your own business, you may not even start anything but just be contented with the little that you have provided that you are committed.
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Brisker Magazine: Did you have previous failure or this is the first business you started as an entrepreneur?
Rachel Amina: I had another business before this, where I produced perfumes for women and keberet. People used to take my products with promise to pay later or on installment. But you know women sometimes can be so funny, since I don’t pressurize them. I believe that’s the main reason that that business failed. But for this one, I tend to be very strict and ask my customers to pay half of the price before taking the product home. Sometimes, it’s not that they don’t want to pay but because they don’t have money and yet they want to have new things and look beautiful. So as an entrepreneur you have to build good relation
ship with your client by having flexible terms of payment like installment.
Brisker Magazine: What challenges do you face as RAC?
Rachel Amina: As RAC, the main challenge since then is financial. The strengthening of the US Dollars over South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) and fluctuation of the exchange rate market has been hard for me to get hard currency to buy chemicals and raw materials from the neighbouring countries and at the same time meet family needs. The second challenge is the Juba-Nimule Road. I have taken 2 months now without traveling to Uganda to buy chemicals and raw materials. Last time I went, just two days after I’ve returned people were attacked and civilians were killed. So these days it’s very risky to travel by road. If I [had] money, I could fly straight to Kampala or Nimule then
pick a bus.
Brisker Magazine: What motivates you every day?
Rachel Amina: As for me and my business UNDP motivates me. When I was starting RAC, I did an entrepreneurship program training with UNDP which informed a lot of business and they keep on reminding me and believe in me from time to time. I couldn’t have participated in Made in South Sudan Exhibition if not for them. And even though they don’t give me cash, what they did and are doing is great for me. So UNDP inspired me a lot and made me known out there. I just thank God for them and hope it will be continuously. I believe with God all things are possible.
Brisker Magazine: What Message or word of advice do you want to send to the entrepreneurs out there?
Rachel Amina: To my fellow entrepreneurs or those who are yet to get into the boat of business, my advice is that, first and most importantly, they should believe in themselves (have a self-esteem) on what they want to do or are doing. Secondly, to start your own business you don’t need a lump sum of money; just start with the little earnings and savings you have. Just like planting a seed and it germinates into a tree with a lot of fruits. Your small money is your seed and the profit is the fruits. And in your techniques to make profit, do not think of big profit, ensure customer satisfaction first by providing them quality products with affordable prices so as to keep them. Also for those who buy a lot from you, give them discounts or be flexible on the means of how they can pay like paying on installment depending on what they will like to buy. Do not put pressure on them. And that’s how you can also build good customer relationship and retain your customers.
By Thomas Manase & Kayanga Nelson
