Q1: How did your start-up come about?
Ernesta: I have been cross-stitching for a number of years now and last year I started crocheting. At first, I would always give them away to close friends and family until they started encouraging me to sell them. Thereafter, I decided that I might as well turn it into a business venture. Thus, Inspiration Tropik was born.
Q2: Tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur
Ernesta: At the beginning, I was a bit cautious and not very confident with pricing my products. For me this is the biggest hurdle honestly. No one really wants to buy a handmade crocheted or cross stitched/embroidered piece for what it is actually worth. For example, people will gladly pay thousands for an imported bag but will not pay R1, 000 for a locally handmade item. So, building my brand, promoting its values and teaching people how to appreciate the effort and skills that have gone into making the items was challenging. Nowadays, I simply price my items as they should be according to their value and I let the customers decide whether they will buy it or not. I do not take anything personally.
Q3: What obstacles did you encounter along the way?
Ernesta: Nonetheless, my biggest obstacle to date has simply been the COVID-19 pandemic. It has taken me up to 5 months to get items, which I would normally get in 2 to 3 weeks due to all the restrictions. I also had to pay DHL for some items which has thus, driven up my costs. In essence, I had to take a pause and wait as I have had barely started my business. Therefore, I decided to diversify by business by concentrating more on crocheting. Today, I have however come up with the idea of hosting an exhibition along with other talented ladies which will be held on the 28th November at the Maison Marengo.
Q4: What advice can you offer to future Seychellois Entrepreneurs?
Ernesta: As much as possible, do it yourself. As hard as it is and as time consuming as it can get- just do it because you will be in a better position to put everything together and guide a team if ever you need to in the future.