She chose business over the courtroom

Business Times continues to profile successful business women, who will share their success tips and experiences of how they made it in the cutthroat and male-dominated business world. They reveal how they started out, what inspired them and how they have managed to make their business dreams come true. This week, Peterson Tumwebaze caught up with Meledah Twahirwa, a lawyer turned business woman She had just completed law school and everyone expected her to start handling cases and earning big as a lawyer. Her mother, as well as her husband and friends all envisioned her in the courtroom, arguing out cases. But this was never to be because Meledah Twahirwa, had other plans and worries.“When I looked at what my husband was earning as a public servant, I knew it would be suicidal to follow the same path. I told myself the only way to supplement my husband’s little salary was going to come from self-employment. That’s how the idea of starting my own business came about,” Twahirwa, a successful business woman and a qualified lawyer in Giporoso, Remera, a Kigali suburb, explains why she chose business over the courtroom.Brave heartWith the initial capital of about Rwf400,000 in 2006, the 31-year-old mother of three, opened up a small children’s clothes shop despite the many job offers she received. “The beginning was hard, especially seeing my former schoolmates in corporate offices while I was in a small shop selling secondhand clothes. This almost forced me to give up, but my mother kept encouraging me,” Twahirwa narrates her humble first steps into business.“It is important to be prepared to concentrate on the path you have chosen because good things will always be there waiting for you.” Twahirwa assessed that there was no shop dealing in children’s clothes in Giporoso, Remera in Gasabo. She points out that when she opened the first one in the area, expectations of getting huge returns were high, like any other new business entrants. This was, however, a far off dream. “I thought I would make a lot of money in the first few months, but I instead made losses. In fact, I almost closed the shop after six months,” she says. “I never imagined spending a whole day without receiving any customer before I opened the shop. But it was happening; a business reality.” The saying that ‘patience pains, but pays’ was her consolation and inspiration. Twahirwa says she endured stress and suspence, but with networking and determination to make it, the business picked. She later expanded it and started importing new children’s clothes from China, Kenya and Uganda. “I realised that selling secondhand clothes was not the kind of business that would take me places...besides, clients preferred new products, so I had no option but to satisfy customer needs. Any business must evolve with time and technology. As a business person, you don’t want to be left behind,” Twahirwa observes.Challenges Twahirwa notes that changing from law to a completely different field was the biggest challenge. “My parents had invested a lot in my education and everyone was waiting to see me become a successful lawyer...When I decided to start my own business many people including my husband and my mother were disappointed.”People wondered how a lawyer, with no experience in business, would manage an enterprise she didn’t understand. Twahirwa, who employs 22 workers, says as a woman, juggling business, family and other commitments is a challenge. “As a woman in the family, I have responsibilities... sometimes my friends and relatives invite me for weddings when I have business trips. So, deciding on which of the two I should prioritise can be stressing,” Twahira notes. Twahirwa says she also finds it so challenging to balance her needs as a woman who enjoys leisure time, sharp dressing and hanging out with friends and family. She says this has at times forced her to take drastic decisions that sometimes hurt her friends and family. “The reason I make such decisions is due to the fact that there is no easy life in business,” Twahirwa points out.Achievements Twahirwa whose total turnover per month has since increased from Rwf400,000 in 2006 to about Rwf6m a month, has since diversified her enterprise. She is now into flower selling, runs a string of bridal salons and a guesthouse. She also owns a fleet of three cars and has built a decent house for her family. Twahirwa says the important thing is that she proved the sceptics wrong, making it big in the business world. This has earned her respect and admiration among her peers, friends and in the neighbourhood.AdviseTwahirwa, who operated flower shops near the airport and King Faisal Hospital, notes that being a flexible strategist in business is key to achieving success. “The world is becoming so innovative, and people’s tastes and preferences are constantly changing. I started a flower shop near the airport because many people need flowers to welcome friends and relatives on arrival. This has boosted my business.” Auditing your business is also important to success. Twahirwa, however, says that one doesn’t need to hire external auditors to do the job. “Its your business, you know all the records, why first wait for problems to accumulate before you audit it,” Twahirwa, who says it is mandatory to hold a general meeting with her employees for business review, notes.InspirationWhenever I reflect on what those who are employed in the private and public sectors earn, I am motivated to work harder. I also look up to my friends who have made it in business. This keeps me going. I don’t envy them, but use them as my source of inspiration. Future prospects I am looking to widening my scope by trying out the hotel business in the next few years. I want to tap into the opportunities presented by the growing tourism sector in the country.What others say about herJoseph, one of her workers, says Twahirwa inspired and shaped him into a better person. “We have learnt a lot from her and are now able to stand on our own,” says Joseph, adding that he would soon start a salon targeting corporates.