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Herald Correspondent

STARTING a business can be among the most challenging of things one can undertake, especially given the attendant unforeseen ups and downs of running an enterprise.

Talent Sigudu’s source of inspiration came from a quest for independence.

The search for independence was driven by a wish to delink herself from dependence on paid employment. She wanted to do more with her life.

A chance conversation with a friend as she searched for meaning in her life led her to marketing.

Then one day a friend introduced her to tupperware. She was sceptical at first but the bottom line is that she got orders. That opened her eyes and expanded her horizon.

It seems that was the trigger in realising the missing puzzle in the mosaic to recalibrate and define her entrepreneurial pathway.

Interestingly, during the chance meeting with the friend, Sigudu had been encouraged to try her hand at and venture into perfumes. Months later, she was on her way to making perfumes.

“For years, I never saw myself as someone who could successfully sell anything,” she explained earlier this week.

She realised then, as Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group observes, that opportunities are like buses — if one missed the first, there is always going to be another coming.

Twenty-eight-year-old Sigudu’s bold step to independence was in the recent launch of her own perfume range.

“I have always been an independent person. I have a long way to go in terms of marketing, introducing a wider range of new products, but all I can say is, I am enjoying the ride, with all the ups and downs.

“I am loving the fulfilment that comes with it.”

While she had doubts about her ability with commodity broking, this uneasiness led her to explore options of some opportunities that she could claim as her own.

It was then that it occurred to her that almost everybody uses perfumes. This realisation strengthened her belief in venturing into perfumes.

Growing up, she had always wanted to be a teacher. That is because her mother, Mrs Violet Sigudu, was a teacher, but with time and education, there was fascination with becoming a chartered accountant.

“I had no prior knowledge, whatsoever, in the perfume-making business. I believe God sent me angels in the form of friends who mentored me, inspired me and helped me make the business a success.

“Making perfumes, for me is a story, of a young woman who is desperate for independence and empowerment, a young woman who is not scared of trying new things, a young woman who wants to make a name for herself,” she explained.

It must be awfully harder to come up with a brand in a market dominated by big and established players backed by product research and development capacities.

“I wanted a catchy name, something that will make a passer-by take a second glance. At some stage this meant changing names in order to avoid creating confusion among consumers or blurring the lines between my brand of perfumes and products by other players in the same industry,” she explained.

Welcome to Nicie Fragrances! So named in order to constantly remind her and those around her of the human capacity, quest and spirit for soaring to even greater heights.

Simply put, she says, it is: “Young woman, rise up, empower yourself, no matter how small you start or end, rise up and do something that says this is you.”

The current global Covid-19 pandemic has led many to rethink their marketing strategies.

For Sigudu, this has meant that the new normal means a departure from the traditional marketing approach that places emphasis on physical, face-to-face contact. Her approach preferences various online platforms, as well as networks of the social, friends and family contacts.

Wary of competition and skirting around being specific, Sigudu says she always uses the best of ingredients in creating her brand of fragrances.

Adding to the perfumes shortly will be hand lotions with prospects of venturing into body washes and natural soaps.

The girl from Chivhu, who grew up in Warren Park, Harare, says her father, Mr Nicholas Sigudu, has been a major influence in her life.

“I cannot afford to disappoint him. He is a hard worker, kind and loving, I have an obligation to make him proud.”

Reflecting on her short journey, what counsel does she have for someone at the crossroads?

“My message to young girls and women out there is, to own our worlds, our scars and take charge of our lives. Let us work hard to leave legacies for our children and inspire young girls who look up to us.

“Most importantly, we must be young women who fix each other’s crowns. Let us support each other. An independent woman is at less risk of being abused. Let us take charge our lives, know our rights and never settle for less,” she concluded.