This is one of the most inspiring stories to ever be posted on our website and I am excited to share it with you all. Our interviewee this week on our Featured Vendor Friday Segment is Tecla Bonga Mangwendeza, a teacher based in Domboshava who founded an events company called Renowned Fame Lounge. Find out more about how what started as a side hustle has become a fully fledged and registered events company which she now runs full time:
- May you kindly share your name & how you came up with your name/company:
Renowned fame lounge is our new registered company name from Teclas Cakes and Events.Our company was established in 2020 out of passion from humble beginnings .Our company is a one stop event shop. We offer deco services ,catering, Cakes,deco equipment hire and also run a cake shop at a local shopping center in Mverechena Domboshava. The shop also serves as our company office. - May you please share your full name & how you came up with your company name
My name is Tecla Bonga Mangwendeza. I came up with the name Renowned Fame Lounge when I decided to register my company & the name I had initially selected was rejected. My initial trading name was inspired by my name and it was Tecla’s Cakes and Events. So when l decided to register this name, it was rejected and my other option was to use the meaning of my name Tecla which is Renowned fame. I opted for it because the famous aspect tally with my objective to be well known as a service provider . - Tell us more about your business and the services/ products that you provide: We provide the following services:
• All event deco
•All event cakes
•All event catering
•Baking ingredients and function dress hiring as well as gowns
4. Where do you operate from?: We are based in Domboshawa but we are mobile we travel nation wide
5. What propelled you to start your business?
I started self taught baking to manage stress and depression after l had 3 baby misfortunes .By then l was a high school teacher .l then realized that l can pursue more on my side hustle as l loved it more than my work . l am also someone who loves traveling and l took up events deco to fulfill my traveling passion.
6. What drives you or motivates you? What drives me is my passion to explore and try new things .My family especially my husband is also my biggest motivator. My husband always thrives to support my dream.
7. What do you enjoy the most about this industry? I enjoy interacting a lot and to travel places
8. What is the highlight of your business journey to date? From when l started l have realized that we have moved a milestone. The best decision l have done is to resign from teaching and focus on my business.We managed to register the company. We have managed to buy a van and a truck and we have our 2 usual contract workers who are slowly becoming permanent workers. We have managed to secure quite a number of decor and catering equipment .However we still need to work on our social media handles and social media marketing.
9. How did you start your business?: I started small offering free services until one time l decided to take up a client for maroro deco and from there it was work after work . On the cake business l started home baking and one Christmas l sold $100 worth of small $5 cakes.
Additionally, recommendations from clients gave me confidence to take baking up as business .Then for me to know more about baking ingredients and equipment l decided to open a shop and join WhatsApp groups to learn more from others in the Zimbabwean cake industry.
10. What makes you stand apart from the rest of the people providing similar services/products?:
My strength is on how l handle my clients. l laugh a lot and I accommodate them whole heartedly. I have realized that 3/4 of my clients become family and permanent clients. l have also realized that l go an extra mile when it comes to them in short: “Ndopinda nemoyo kkk” and this has led to more referrals .Also, l accept mistakes and ask for forgiveness and that makes me different.
11. Any advice for couples planning their special days?: My advise to engaged couples as they plan their weddings is avoid taking up credits for your wedding. Make use of the available resources only. A wedding is not about an expensive venue, caterer, wedding dress or wedding cake. Prioritize your own happiness before ,during and after your wedding. If you can’t afford a mega event adjust and work within your budget.
12. Any advice for aspiring wedding vendors who might want to follow in your footsteps?:
The sky is not even the limit. Tell yourself you can do it. Quit that formal job and take up that dirty job/ side hustle, it will make you live large.
13. How do you unwind after a busy period?: l usually go out with my family
14. Please share your best marketing tips/ lessons that you’ve learnt in business: Everyone is a potential customer. Advertise on all Whatsapp platforms everyday. Utilize your Facebook account and status to advertise your business. Use your own work to market not stolen work from other service providers. Clients love originality. Brand your car if you have one. Give out t-shirts & caps randomly to people. Wear uniforms to work. Make use of business cards. Sometimes offer free services in your community so that they know what you do. Do Free cake tasting so that people can your products. Brand your receipt books and quotation books.
15. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? I see myself as ROONEYS OF my time 🤣. I see myself as a wedding Venue owner
16. Can you tell us a time when you faced challenges in your business and how you overcame the challenges?: I have quite number of experiences but will just share 2 of them: By then we didn’t have own transport so l hired a truck to Charlote brook for catering services and Deco. On our way back from the event, it broke down and we had to stay up to 1 am on the road. This happened on the 24th of December and I had another event on the 25th of December. I also had pending chrimas cake orders at home.
So l had to call up each service provider l knew in Domboshawa who bakes cakes unfortunately, most of them were busy so l had to apologize directly to my clients for the failure to deliver the cakes and ask if they could collect their Christmas cakes on the 26th of December. Most of then agreed and from 2021 until now they are still my clients. As for for the function, my crew proceeded to the venue earlier while l managed some cake orders before l joined them. I’m glad to say the event was a success.
The second challenge happened whilst we were serving food for teachers for ED then we ran out of sadza. l just excused myself and told them l was going to collect some more sadza from the car yet l knew there was nothing in the car. So l quickly drove to the nearby shopping centre and I bought all the sadza which was being served at the local restaurants and l put in my Chaffing dishes. In no time at all, l came back with piping hot sadza and we served them all successfully.
17. Do you remember your first paying client? Tell us how you managed to find that client & the experience from that first booking/order. Please also include the services/ packages that you gave the client: I remember my first paying client quite well. It was Carol and Prominent Simoko. It was their roora celebration and they had booked me for a roora cake. So they asked if l provided roora decor services and l said yes. I was quite nervous but l did not show it to them. They asked for samples of my decor and l had to do 5 samples in my lounge with their accessories which l had bought specifically for them and they loved it all.l had no Vases so l used sprayed bottles. I bought everything which l used on that deco with my salary.
Everything was new because l didn’t have any equipment by then. l told then not to pay any deposit before the event and we agreed they will pay after the roora day. The cake was for USD25 and deco was USD180 and USD20 transport since it was a local event. But they loved the services, they loved everything about the day until now we are family and now planning their wedding although they got married a long time ago. They are also my regular cake clients. They are based in Plummtree now but their families are here so they pay online and l deliver the cakes to their friends and family.
18. Please share one thing about your services/products/industry which most people don’t know but which you wish people knew more about: My cake shop
19. Please share one business tip that you learnt through running your business: Being Hands on is very important especially when you are an upcoming entrepreneur. It also helps you understand how to value your employs.
20. What do you do when you encounter challenges in your business?: I act calm consulting and I consult experts to find out how they handle such business challenges.
21. Do you have a support system (family, friends, spouse etc?) or a business network? Tell us how these have impacted you and your business: I have a very supportive family which goes an extra mile to work with me and share ideas with me.
l do network a lot and I attend workshops which transform me a lot. My biggest step was my journey to Zambia with Indra CEO Bridal Innovations,Prime life Snacks ,Emmanuel Cakes to mention a few. The bakers conference widened my network as well as my view on business.
I have also been attending the Sunroma workshops. These broaden my mind on business. Additionally, my masterclass for wedding cakes at Bridal Innovations recently gave me exposure on how to handle business.
22. Please share tips of juggling family + formal business + business + education etc: If your Formal employment is not paying you more than your side hustle, kindly quit and focus on your side hustle.
Involve family in your business all the time so that you can work together. Also, when you are free cook,wash ,play with your kids to maintain that motherhood role.
Then whenever funds permit advance yourself at the same time handling business which means you have to undergo continuous training. In the meantime, delegate tasks in the company to someone who can handle the responsibilities during your absence. Give your employees the chance to portray their talents. By doing so, you offload more pressure from your shoulders
23. Did you do any training or qualification to be able to run your business? If yes, please tell us more about this and how it impacts your business.If no, please share why you haven’t and how it impacts your business: I am an English and Communication Honours degree holder, as well as a Post graduate diploma in Education holder. l guess that experience has led me to be more innovative. Then l have done quite a number of short courses along the way to be more relevant in the industry and to just to possess certificates which tally with the industry.
24. If people want to order from or book you, how can they do that? (Share your ordering/ booking process): Most of my orders are online.Clients can reach me on +263774408956
Renowned Fame Contact Details and Social Media Links:
Facebook: Renowned Fame Lounge
Phone: +263774408956
TikTok: Renowned fame lounge
If you own a business in the hotel & tourism industry, wedding & events industry, we would love to interview you & feature your business on another segment of the Featured Vendor Fridays.
Please send us a message with “ FeaturedVendorFriday” via WhatsApp on +263719 035 078 & we will be in touch.
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