I felt like giving up several times – Ehime Eigbe

Ehime Eigbe, CEO Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yoghurt, has learnt to be strong in business. Her love for yoghurt led to the establishment of her company, Sweet Kiwi, but she discov­ered she needed more than just passion to break even into the market.Her jour­ney as an entrepreneur has been event­ful. Filled with ups and downs, Ehime told Sunday Sun that she felt like giving up several times.
Excerpts:
How did this business idea come up?
The idea to start Sweet Kiwi came from my love for frozen yogurt. I started creating my own recipes, and flavours and before long, I just decided to start my own company.
How long have you been running Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yogurt?
I have been running Sweet Kiwi for 4 years now. Sweet Kiwi is the premier frozen yogurt brand in Nigeria. Sweet Kiwi makes premium frozen yogurt in a wide variety of flavours.
The company was birthed with the intent of introducing a healthier alterna­tive to the calorie filled ice cream. Our mission is to create the finest quality of all natural frozen yogurts with a com­mitment to incorporating the freshest, richest and creamiest ingredients into a world class product.
What did it take to get to where you are today?
I started out in the United States, train­ing and learning how to make frozen yo­gurt and also how to successfully run a frozen yogurt business. This knowledge I then used to create the Sweet Kiwi brand. It has taken us a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance to get to where we are today.
Why the name Sweet Kiwi?
Sweet Kiwi was the perfect choice for a name as it represented in my opinion what I felt our product was. It’s an ur­ban word for an unforgettable thing. I felt that encapsulates our product.
What were your initial chal­lenges when you started?
Some of my initial challenges includ­ed understanding the market, as fro­zen yogurt was a new product, a lot of work had to be done to enlighten people about it. The environment has its own challenges such as power, unavailabil­ity of assigned space for businesses and regulation of rent.
If you would go back in time, what would you do dif­ferently?
I think our experience is part of what shaped us to be who we are so I would not change anything. We are motivated by our customers; we love how happy they are in our space. They make us want to do more.
How capital intensive is this business?
It’s very capital intensive.
How did you raise the capi­tal to start?
I started Sweet Kiwi with personal savings and financial help from my fam­ily.
Did you feel like giving up at any time?
There were several times I felt like giving up or I was sure I had given up but I decided to stick with it and that paid off.
What stands you out from other businesses?
Sweet Kiwi stands out from the crowd because of our business culture. We are all about customer experience and add value to our community. The team is very creative and inventive so we tend to set the pace in the industry.
How profitable is this busi­ness?
I would say it’s profitable. This busi­ness has helped me grow as a person.
What’s your most successful form of marketing?
There is no longer one successful form of marketing, I think it has to be a combination of different forms. We do a lot of social media, one-on-one market­ing as well as referrals.
How do you handle your cli­ents’ criticism?
We are very customer-centred, so we love to listen to how our clients feel and address it appropriately as possible. Cli­ents’ criticism helps a business grow, the more you know what your clients want, the easier it is to satisfy their needs.
In your opinion, what are the hallmarks of a successful business?
That would include a clear mission, accountability, setting standards and be­ing customer- centred.
What’s your typical day like?
My typical day is filled with meetings, reports, strategizing and planning for the business.
Where do you see your brand in the next few years?
In the next few years, I see Sweet Kiwi being the dominant frozen yogurt brand in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
What do you love most about your brand Sweet Kiwi and your life as an entrepreneur?
What I love most is hearing people talk about it and realizing it has a life of its own. It’s the feeling a mother gets when she sees her child. Life as an en­trepreneur is great, I am always thirsty for knowledge and being an entrepre­neur allows you feed your knowledge continuously and immensely.
What would be the most im­portant piece of advice you could give to young entrepre­neurs and why?
Deep roots are not reached by the frost. Start your business with a good foundation and do things the right way. There are no short cuts to success, young people want everything now and therein lies the problem.
Building a strong business takes time especially in this environment. It’s hard but not impossible, when things are done correctly from the start, when tri­als come as they always will, your foun­dation will withstand the storm.
What do you think are the most important personal skills someone must have to be successful in business?
To be successful in business, espe­cially in Nigeria, one needs a high dose of diplomacy, strategy, vision, timeliness and most importantly, passion. Without these, one can’t go far especially when the challenges start popping up here and there.
Passion will keep you on track, while strategy will give you the edge over oth­ers.
Tell us about your happiest moment in your business?
The day we opened our flagship store at Lekki, Lagos was memorable. It was awesome because I felt everything we had been working for as a team was fi­nally becoming a reality.
What keeps you going?
My love for what I do keeps me going. I love it, so it hardly feels like work mak­ing it easy for me to put so much into it.
What have you learnt from being an entrepreneur in Ni­geria?
Doing business in Nigeria is tough so you have to be strong as well. I have learnt to be strong. I have learnt pa­tience and perseverance. I would also advise anyone who is planning to start a business, to start with a great plan and be patient.
Share your background with us
I have a degree in Business Informa­tion Technology and International Re­lations. I worked for Amnesty Interna­tional in the UK, and I had bankruptcy experience at Citigroup in Texas before starting Sweet Kiwi.