BusRithvikKolla
Rithvik Kolla
My Business Consultant Training
Collaborated With A Business In The Developing World
Our team reviewed the economic, social, political, and environmental factors that impact our partner business to design a launch plan and identify how to bridge the gap between our business partner’s current and desired conditions.
Earned a Development Grant to Enact Solutions
In order to fund the proposed business, our team composed a detailed plan and pitched our proposal to request seed funding from the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee.
Collaborated With Business Development Experts
After researching the socio-economic conditions facing our business partners, our team worked with the Nigerian development staff to create effective solutions to the challenges our business partner was facing.
Zainab Ibrahim
About Zainab
Zainab’s journey into the makeup industry began with a deep passion for beauty and self-expression. Initially, she learned basic skills by watching makeup tutorials on her phone and practicing with her sister. This self-taught foundation of skills was later strengthened through a year-long apprenticeship with a makeup artist in Bauchi, where she gained hands-on experience and advanced skills. Complementing this practical training, Zainab additionally attended online capacity-building classes to stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the beauty industry.
Despite facing challenges, Zainab has remained dedicated to her passion for makeup. Her commitment is driven by the desire to empower others through beauty, helping them feel confident. However, her journey has had its challenges. The irregular income, long hours, and the financial burden of maintaining a steady supply of quality makeup products have been significant obstacles faced. Yet, Zainab’s determination and resilience keep her striving toward her dream of establishing a successful makeup business that supports her family and inspires and uplifts others in her community.
Zainab Ibrahim
Business Goals
Zainab envisions establishing her own makeup studio or managing an independent business, where her array of services, including bridal makeup, special event makeup, and makeup lessons, will serve as a testament to her dedication; she remains steadfast in her belief that continued learning is important in keeping abreast of the latest trends and techniques within the makeup world, pursuing her ultimate aspiration of leaving an unforgettable mark on the beauty industry, instilling inspiration through her work, and fostering empowerment among young women from underprivileged backgrounds through the impactful platform of her business endeavors.
Zainab Ibrahim
Obstacles
Operating a wedding makeup business in Bauchi State, Nigeria presents several significant challenges for small business owners. Firstly, sourcing high-quality makeup products and tools can be difficult due to limited local suppliers, leading to reliance on imports which are subject to delays and fluctuating exchange rates. Secondly, finding skilled makeup artists proficient in bridal makeup techniques is challenging, as formal training opportunities are limited and talent competition is fierce. Thirdly, inadequate infrastructure such as unreliable electricity and limited access to clean water can disrupt appointments and affect service delivery, impacting client satisfaction.
Zainab Ibrahim
Home & Family
Zainab, a 39-year-old wife and mother of two young children, Khadijah and Maryam, lives in Bauchi State, Nigeria. She comes from a large family of eight, with a father who is a business owner and farmer and a mother who is a full-time housewife. Zainab herself holds an NCE certificate from ATAP Poly Bauchi. Her daily routine involves waking up early to get her children ready for school, making food for her husband, cleaning the house, and then focusing on her makeup business. Her husband does not work, making Zainab the sole provider for the family, a role she embraces with determination despite their financial hardships.
Life for Zainab and her family has been challenging. They struggle to have enough food, and any money Zainab earns is carefully saved for school tuition and essential needs. She takes full responsibility for providing for her children, ensuring they receive an education and meet their basic needs. Despite these challenges, Zainab remains committed to her business and family, working tirelessly to improve their situation and secure a better future for her children.
Zainab Ibrahim
Our Partnership
Zainab is eager to work with Leadership Initiatives, she sees it as an opportunity to transform her business and improve her family’s circumstances. Recently, Zainab has faced additional hardships, including a stillbirth and her business phone being stolen, which she used for advertising. With her husband unemployed, Zainab is the primary provider. The support from Leadership Initiatives will provide the opportunity to overcome obstacles such as lack of capital for quality makeup products and equipment, finding a suitable business location, and dealing with unpaid customers. She is enthusiastic to learn more about business management skills, how to attract more clients, and ultimately positively impact her community.
In her words, “I want to inspire others through delivering excellent makeup work and I will help people feel confident and empowered less privileged young women through the makeup business.”
My Grant
Proposal
Zainab herself chose Meerahxees to be the name of her business. Meerahxees strives to be the makeup business that creates trendy, elegant, and flawless makeup for brides. Meerahxees will be one of few makeup studios in the state of Bauchi in Nigeria creating less competition for Zainab and more opportunity for consumers. The vision is to provide Bauchi with a reliable and trustworthy makeup artist for all types of special occasions. Zainab’s love for beauty is made by making people feel and look beautiful.
One problem for Zainab’s business is competition in neighboring areas. This is a problem because an increase in competition can force Zainab to act as a price-taker, taking prices that are already on the market, potentially decreasing her sales and revenue. This is also a problem because an increase in potential competition can give more opportunity for clients to chose a different makeup artist, decreasing her profit significantly.
Due to a lack of makeup artists, Zainab is the only artist in her community that specifically focuses on makeup. This allows Zainab to leave her clients looking elegant after every service. To address the problem of competition, our marketing team is creating a platform on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as those are the most used applications for advertisement in Nigeria.
My Grant Proposal
Presentation
In the International Leadership and Business Internship, I worked directly with some of the world’s leading developmental experts in order to build my partners business and brand.
At the conclusion of this internship, our team pitched the final proposal to a panel of esteemed judges from the Leadership Initiatives Nigerian Development Team and the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee. This formal pitch allowed our team to practice our skills and utilize our entrepreneurial toolkit, all while showcasing our efforts to transform the business we partnered with.
At the end of the pitch, we were able to receive feedback on our proposal for our business partner. Over the next year, our business partner’s venture will be made into reality and monitored for sustained success and growth.
Internship Highlights
- Business Meeting
- Portugese Embassy
- Embassy of Argentina
- Expert Assistance
Our team began the business development process by having a one-on-one Zoom call directly with our business partner,Zainab Ibrahim, and our Nigerian project coordinator to ensure productive collaboration.
We learned more about their life, family, and desires for the proposed business venture, as well as the challenges they were facing. By discussing first-hand the challenges our partner faced, our team successfully and efficiently began to brainstorm solutions to launch their business.
Each morning we held constructive discussions about our ideas, the advice we received the day before, and the timeline necessary to begin implementing our ideas in real-time.
The on-staff project coordinators and business development experts helped facilitate the ideation process and ensured our team asked the right questions to produce tangible results.
I had the unique opportunity to visit the Portugese Embassy, where I learned about diplomatic relations between Portugal and the United States.
The embassy serves as a hub for collaboration with partner countries and international organizations, which facilitates the creation of solutions to address global issues, such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate change.
Portugese diplomats and officials work closely with local communities to identify needs and design programs that empower individuals and enhance overall societal well-being. This community-centered problem-solving is something my team and I aspired towards while crafting our business proposal.
I also visited the Embassy of Lebanon to learn about the role that Lebanon plays in domestic and international development work. We discussed critical topics including investments, international trade, and human rights.
While touring the embassy, I learned about the wide range of policy issues and gained a better understanding of the embassy’s role in international development through sustainable and inclusive initiatives.
My visit to the Embassy of Lebanon was not only educational, but inspiring. It allowed me to see Lebanon’s pivotal role in advancing international development and how I can implement their ideals into my own work.
Our team met with leading experts in the fields of business and economic development from Johns Hopkins University, the State Department, and GlobalGiving.
One such expert was Carla Brooks, Business and Development Officer at Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Program. She provided us with a crash course in advertising and marketing, in which we learned essential components of an effective marketing campaign.
Our work with Ms. Brooks was essential in preparing us for our culminating pitch deck presentation. With her and other expert guidance, we streamlined our initial ideas to further our efforts in launching the venture our business partner envisioned.
By the end of the week, we had incorporated the advice of leading experts from across the globe for our business proposal to empower and transform the life of our business partner.