“I had no big money but I had a dream of changing the world. I had just lost a job, so with the 1m shillings I had saved, I decided to start a kindergarten. But my friends laughed at my dream, saying that was only for school dropouts – failures who had nothing else to do!” This was said DR BARBARA OFWONO BUYONDO, one of the 3 panelists that WORLD OF INSPIRATION hosted at the AUTHORS’ FORUM on 5th August 2015. She shared her journey till today when her chain of schools (VICTORIOUS EDUCATION SERVICES) fetch an annual turnover of over 5bn shillings. From a secondary teacher, she now has a PhD. Who says success in Uganda is impossible?
And now comes VINCENT TUMUWUJUKYE, the CEO of Future Link Technologies, a company that now earns more than 1.5bn shillings per year and which won an award among the top 100 fastest growing middle companies in Uganda: “Today, technology has made it possible that you can have an ‘office’ on a website or a social network page and sell anything to anyone in any part of the world. We have been able to get business from many parts of the world. We have done online installation of our products and even trained people in other countries while we are here in Kamwokya! All you need to do is bring your products, your value, your solutions, and post them onto the internet.”
Perhaps this pokes those who have social media accounts only for fun! Beware others are earning in billions. Vincent is speaking from experience because his first major client (UNDP) in Zimbabwe saw his software online and paid over 30m shillings to use it. And that marked the beginning of his company’s growth. But the journey to get there was not an easy one. Together with 3 colleagues, Vincent started in a rented garage. They began by doing what everyone else does – making websites and the like – but things didn’t work out. For a couple of years it was sweat and pain, with no lunch or transport fare. But Vincent identified a gap, as the government was encouraging SACCOS and microfinance institutions, and built a software to address the existing need. That was his breakthrough angle.
If you are afraid of risks you may never become great. When you decide to start on your dream, life will throw rocks into your path. DR EMMA NALUYIMA, the famous revolutionary farmer, the 3rd panelist, shared: “In my farming journey I have been hit twice by swine fever. There was a time I lost 43m shillings in 3 days. But I did not give up … I went into farming to demonstrate that farming can change Africa if we don’t do it the way our ancestors did it. I wanted to prove that it is not how much money you start with that makes you successful because I started with borrowed money (1m shillings) and even borrowed land…” I am sure those who have visited Dr Naluyima’s farm know who is talking here. This is a lady who is utilizing one acre of land to producing results that some people may not even produce on 100 acres. Her farm is a demonstration of how technology and passion can do amazing things for Africa. People now come from far and wide to just learn from her exceptional farming skills.
Well, the 3 panelists made a formidable team and after sharing their stories, they went straight into discussing tips directly on the day’s theme, which was NEGOTIATION SKILLS. They made us realize that negotiation is something done by everyone, everyday – we begin by negotiating within us right in the morning, deciding on whether to wake up or stay in bed longer, what clothes to put on, which route to take, e.t.c. Then it goes to our work places as individuals negotiate for jobs, promotions, salary increment e.t.c, and then to the world of business as we negotiate for discounts or better prices in shops and markets, e.t.c. In all this, to be a smart negotiator there are things you MUST do.
“You cannot get and sustainably retain that for which you do not qualify. If you are employed, increase your negotiation power by fortifying your value. Learn how to be part of the crew. If a ship begins to sink, in an attempt to reduce the weight, the first things they throw into the water is luggage. Don’t be the baggage that can be easily thrown out of the organization when the going gets tough. If a company wants to cut down its costs, there will be those that will be laid off without any pain, but there are those that can’t be touched because they are part of the crew. They have negotiation power… For those in business, you must increase your value and present it. People do not buy products; they buy brands. For you to have maximum negotiation power, customers should reach the point where they say, ‘When you buy a phone from so and so, it must be genuine…’ When we started FLT, few people believed us. No bank would give us a loan, but because we have worked on boosting our value, we have been able to secure huge loans to buy equipment without security!” (VINCENT TUMWIJUKYE).
DR NALUYIMA agreed to that point: “No bank was willing to finance a person like me who was entering into farming. They couldn’t see my vision. One banker told me they could only give me money to buy a car, which I could then sell and put into farming… But today, banks beg me to borrow any amount of money I want… What Vincent talked about the crew reminds me of my worker who has made herself irreplaceable. I employed her at the farm, but in addition, she started passing by my home, doing household chores for which I wasn’t paying her. If she found the house or the utensils not clean, she would clean them. On Sundays we don’t work, but she comes and works. So she has stood out as someone with value that I cannot afford to lose. When it comes to negotiation, such a person has an upper hand.”
DR BARBARA’S experience added more gravy onto the menu: “I tried to secure a loan and they couldn’t give it to me. I realized, yes, I had a dream, but my cashflow could not sustain a school. I decided to apply my negotiation skills with an NGO that needed a Project Manager. I convinced them to give me the job and allow me to always report to work at 11am. I told them even if it meant working till late in the night I would do so. By 6am I would be at my school to ensure that everything is running smoothly, and then I would rush to the job. The money I would be paid at the job, I would use it to pay my teachers. I kept learning and growing until I was able to leave the job and grow my school. As I built a cashflow I started qualifying for loans and begun to use them to expand…”
For those who missed, this is just like 0.1% of the lessons we got from the panelists as well as the audience. But like we have always done with all the previous episodes, this entire event was recorded on camera and a DVD goes for only UGX 15,000. All you need to get yourself a copy is to visit WORLD OF INSPIRATION offices at MM Plaza T33 (that’s Luwum Street) or call 0704666851 / 0774107287 / 0414691595 (delivery in Kampala is free).
And of course, you should not miss the next episode of this great inspirational event – AUTHORS’ FORUM – Uganda’s leading inspirational event. By now you know it happens every 1st Wednesday of the month. So the next is on Wednesday 2nd September, 6-9pm, at THE HUB (Oasis Mall/ Nakumatt). Theme: CREATING MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INCOME. The panelists will include 2 people that we have hosted before – ETHAN MUSOLINI (CEO, Success Africa) and STEPHEN ASSIMWE (Director, The East African Business Week). The 3rd one is LIVINGSTON MUKASA, undoubtedly a man who earns from multiple sources. He is the Managing Director of Clean Consult Limited, owner of Mulyazaawo Bus Service (4 coasters), Director, Semats Suppliers Limited, Board Chairman for Najja Modern Primary School Limited, & Board Chairman, Partners Worldwide Uganda. He is also the founder and Lead Business Trainer for Living Business Education & author of the tantalizing book titled ‘ENJOYABLE RETIREMENT: Make it Happen’.
As usual, there are 2 ways by which you can attend the Authors’ Forum. First is by annual membership whereby you pay a subscription fee of UGX 250,000 and it makes you a member for 12 months. With that you don’t need a ticket; you just walk head-high with your membership card, enter THE HUB and take your seat. The second option is to buy an entry ticket in advance at 40,000. However, this week we are giving an offer where you can buy 1 ticket at 30,000 shillings or 2 tickets at 50,000 shillings by calling the numbers above.
Stay blessed and inspired!
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