Nasidu Trading Enterprise
| Business Location: | Urban |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Branch: | Uthukela |
| Business Start Date: | 2017-04-01 |
| Busniess Type: | Company |
Business Dynamics and Challenges
Business Activities:
Nasidu Trading Enterprise (Pty) Ltd, trading as Lineno Clothing is a 100% women-owned clothing manufacturing business operating at 83 Illing Road in Ladysmith. The business is owned by Miss Nqobile Sidu who holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Creative Arts College, and she worked as a Journalist at Nqubeko FM for 3 Years. She was also a Receptionist/Admin Officer for SA Life Benefits and then later a Data Capturer at Edmark International. She grew up looking up to her mother who was always selling pots and health products to the community. In 2017, Ms Sidu started Nasidu Trading Enterprise to supply for different government departments because she had lost her job. The business has been operating as a government supplier with a school feeding scheme contract which ended in 2022, then business shifted focus into clothing manufacturing and teaching sewing, with the assistance of NYDA for start-up funding.
The business currently specialises in manufacturing and sale of different clothing items such as traditional dresses and pinafores where it mostly generates it revenue from.
Challenges/Needs:
An assessment conducted by Seda showed the business was experiencing the following challenges:
• Lack of visibility in premises and lack of marketing material to assist the business in its marketing efforts.
• Access to markets.
• Lack of effective business managerial practices.
Intervention Insights and Results
Intervention Details:
• The business was assisted with the development of quality promotional material to assist in their marketing efforts.
• The business also attended a Ministerial Imbizo in Bergville as an exhibitor to be exposed to local markets.
• The business owner attended the Grow Your Business training workshop to assist them with strategies to improve their operations and overall business management strategies.
• The business also attended and exhibited at the Phakama Mbokodo Business Expo which was organized by Seda UThukela in partnership with other stakeholders.
• The business also attended a Ministerial Imbizo in Bergville as an exhibitor to be exposed to local markets.
• The business owner attended the Grow Your Business training workshop to assist them with strategies to improve their operations and overall business management strategies.
• The business also attended and exhibited at the Phakama Mbokodo Business Expo which was organized by Seda UThukela in partnership with other stakeholders.
Outcome Details:
• The business increased its turnover by 64.34% from R160 000 to R448 733 due to the improved visibility and quality of marketing material used in their marketing efforts, which enable them to attract more clients.
• The business improved nature in which they ran their business after training:
• The business is now more efficient especially in respect to financial management and administration, after attending training at Seda and being provided with the necessary spreadsheets/templates to improve their record keeping and financial management thus also improving their general operations.
• The business has received accreditation from the FM&P Seta to conduct sewing training and issue accredited certificates.
• Their customer service has improved, and their customer data base has expanded due to their social media growth drastically over the past few months and received amazing reviews.
• The business improved nature in which they ran their business after training:
• The business is now more efficient especially in respect to financial management and administration, after attending training at Seda and being provided with the necessary spreadsheets/templates to improve their record keeping and financial management thus also improving their general operations.
• The business has received accreditation from the FM&P Seta to conduct sewing training and issue accredited certificates.
• Their customer service has improved, and their customer data base has expanded due to their social media growth drastically over the past few months and received amazing reviews.
Client Feedback
Client Comments:
We are very grateful to Seda for the continuous assistance and support; from the trainings which are very insightful and help us develop our small business, to the marketing tools Seda has given us to help us be visible to new/potential customers, as well as the exhibitions which assist with growth and recognition of our business as a whole.
