Agribusiness Archives

“This is my passion and I know I was born for this!”

Secilia Abisai is a final-year Education student, entrepreneur and the founder of Tuvawa Investment CC.

Juggling between her academics and entrepreneurship has been no easy task, however, the young businesswoman has been pulling it off.

“Having a job has definitely been a challenge on its own, as I am required to fulfill both my duties as an employee and an entrepreneur. Luckily, I am blessed with a team of two supportive workers who make everything possible for me.”

“What inspired me is that I have always had a passion for agriculture, plants and gardening itself. This pushed me to pursue this avenue of business, because it allows me to kill two birds with one stone by following my passion while generating an income.”

Even though the industry is fairly occupied, Secilia firmly believes in the saying that ‘There is enough bread for everyone.’ As one of few women in the industry, she is inspired to work even harder. She has embraced her work and is delighted to be making progress in Garden Landscaping.

“Our vision is to expand our business and to own an office one day, enabling us to assist our clients in both Horticulture and Landscaping. This is my passion and I know I was born for this!”

Tell us more about Tuvawa Investment (Tuvawa Landscaping), what inspired you to start this business and the services you offer.

“Tuvawa Investment cc, founded in 2019, specialises in garden landscapes. Our services include:

Garden designing;
Artificial grass installations;
Irrigation system installations;
Garden & Lawn maintenance i.e. pruning & mowing; and
All garden-related works.

We design gardens for both local and commercial purposes, be it small or large scale, and our unique, modern designs allow customers to get customized garden plans. We offer consultations on how to maintain different plants as well as the general lawn, as well as providing clients with advice on how to go about setting up hydroponics/aquaponics and greenhouses.

Tuvawa Investment CC was founded with little to no knowledge, a chunk of fear and lots of love for gardening! This year in 2021, I have made major strides in the growth of the business and I have managed to bring Tuvawa to a satisfactory stage through marketing initiatives to drive awareness on social media.

I currently employ two hardworking workers and I hope our team will continue to grow!”

What challenges have you encountered on your entrepreneurial journey and how did you overcome some of them?

“To be honest, as long as you are still living and breathing, challenges will always be there.

Starting up and bringing the business to a certain stage was a challenge on its own:

the start-up capital,
the time needed to carry out the work, and
the marketing & content creation for my business pages.

But I can proudly say that I have overcome most if not all of my challenges. Being a full-time employee allowed me to save money to buy my equipment and tools. I had to sacrifice my off-days to afford me enough time to complete the business work. Thank God, I have trustworthy, passionate employees who are always willing to learn and as of today, have acquired the skills and the knowledge to do their job independently without me. They are the ones now doing much of the work so I can spend a larger portion of my time creating content at least once a week.”

What advice would you give to someone trying to break into this industry?

“You need to have what is referred to as the 3Ps: patience, passion and people skills – only then are you able to succeed; not only in the agricultural sector, but anywhere else. Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Do you have a business philosophy? If so, what is it?

“A big YES! My philosophy is “To dedicate one’s self to ensuring your clients are happy and satisfied with your work!” If they are not happy or satisfied, then neither are we. Another is “It’s best to do one thing really, really well.” referring to putting your focus on completing one task well, at a time.”

What are the company values that have been integral in getting you this far?

“As a small business, who I am and the values I carry translates to those of the business. I am a person of Loyalty, Integrity, Respect and Kindness.

Those attributes have been my greatest assets thus far, and have gotten me to be where I am today.”

One often hears of poor customer service & experiences in start-ups; what measures do you have in place to ensure the best experience for your customers?

“I am not a perfectionist but I love the process of learning and doing my best to ensure that my customers are happy with my services. What is most crucial is to pay close attention to your customers’ needs; this allows you to know and thus fully meet those needs. I make sure that I put in all efforts into my work because at the end of the day, my services represent the business.”

How significant is collaboration in the growth & scaling of a start-up?

“Collaboration is very important. Teamwork makes the dream work, and I can honestly say that one can go much further through collaborating with others. I have seen businesses that are succeeding by working together so my advice is to connect and get your business in touch with others in the same industry. This really helps!”