Hawwa Dauda Birmah is an enterprenuer who has developed a tea brand called Birma Tea.
In this interview, Hawwa, who has an MSc in Information Management, sheds light on her success story and hopes to produce high class tea that can compete internationally.
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– Why did you choose to go in to tea business? –
I chose to go into the tea business because of the love I have for tea.
I then started to research tea in general and discovered that it is the most consumed drink worldwide after water.
It is also a beverage that people drink all through the different seasons.
So, I thought I could channel my passion for tea into a brand.
I can use my last kobo to buy tea and I always buy tea for my friends and family as gifts.
Tea brands like Twining of London, Bollywood Chai – which I like so much – also served as sources of inspiration for my brand.
– How did you get funds to start the business? –
I used my savings and also got support from my father.
– Did you receive any formal training on how to fabricate tea? –
My training on the production and business of tea is mostly informal.
I trained myself by reading Chinese culture tea making books, tea farming books, processing tea leaves, and I read a lot about the different kinds of tea; where they originate from, farming process, picking, drying, health benefits, etc.
I also learned a lot from YouTube, international tea brand blogs and articles.
– What is the process of making tea? –
My product is strictly organic, and some of my raw materials are harvested from our home garden.
My mother is a good gardener and has a few plants I use as part of my ingredients.
One of the flavours I have is the Mint & Lemon.
First, I pick the lemon grass and mint leaves, wash them thoroughly to remove sand, and then dry them indoors.
They take longer to dry during the rainy season, and they dry faster on sunny days.
I then mix the different tea recipes and package them for sale.
– How long does it take you to produce the tea? –
Most of the ingredients I use to make the tea are sun-dried; hence it takes longer for me to produce my teas during the rainy season.
So, I usually make good use of the sunny days to process and package my product before the weather changes.
So, on a good day, I can produce a large batch of tea, while on rainy days
I don’t produce so much.
– What are the challenges you face doing your brand? –
The high inflation rate in this country negatively affects all businesses, but in my opinion, it affects small businesses even more.
Almost everything depends on the situation of the economy; whether good or bad.
The fluctuation of the exchange rate is another major factor that affects my business since some of the products we use for the brand are imported, and even the locally sourced products are affected by the exchange rate movement.
Another major challenge is how expensive raw materials become once they are out of season.
Things that are normally sold at reasonable prices are then sold at high rates and one does not have a choice but to purchase them no matter how high their prices are.
– How is the patronage of your products? –
Alhamdulillah! I would say I have high patronage as a start-up, because I get orders from different parts of the country; and mostly from strangers.
I believe that patronage of Nigerian products is on the rise because of government policies on border closure, and also due to the current pandemic.
While this is a challenge for some business people, it presented an opportunity for me.
– How many people have you trained on tea making? –
I have staff that assist me in the processing of the tea.
I have trained them on how to pick, clean, dry and grind the ingredients.
I have also been training them on how to fill, bag, tag labels, seal and package.
– Has technology enhanced your business idea in any way? –
In so many ways: I use computer applications for records, book keeping, personal business planning, designing; and I use YouTube to study how to use modern techniques on sealing tea bags and craft making as well.
Also, social media marketing has helped me tremendously in reaching out to people from the comfort of my home.
So, I would say that the Internet, computer application programmes and technological appliances really help and make it things easy for me.
– Who are your customers? –
My clientele are Nigerians who love tea and who want to sell tea.
– What do you think is the secret of a successful business? –
Consistency: do not give up, showcase it, be proud of it and do it happily and patiently.
– At what stage did you know you were going to be an entrepreneur? –
From early adulthood I discovered I have an independent and creative mind.
I also have interest in how things are sourced, processed and produced.
– What advice do you have for fellow young entrepreneurs? –
My advice to young entrepreneurs is to search within themselves and discover what they love to do; not to look at what others are doing.
It should start with passion before anything else.
Your business should make you happy by mere taking about it, and that is where passion comes to play.
Young entrepreneurs should also persevere and be patient.
There are a lot of business opportunities out there and the sky is wide enough for everyone.
– What key thing have you learnt in business? –
You have to believe in yourself before anybody does.
Don’t wait for anybody’s validation; nobody will support you until you support yourself.
People only take you serious if you are serious in your business and yourself.
– How do you think innovation in Nigeria can or should be supported? –
We can improve innovation by looking at developed countries.
I see Nigerians as smart, talented and very enterprising.
We can support and improve innovation in Nigeria by developing talents.
A lot of our youths make incredible things, but they are shadowed in a little corner and are not given any recognition.
We can support one another by showcasing what we do using social media platforms.
I’ve seen a lot of talented people get promoted by retweets and hashtags on twitter.
Social media is a useful tool to support young talents and discover skills in others and emulate as well.
– What are the basic things start-ups need to know? –
They need to plan and follow their business process.
They should also start small but dream big and have a backup financial support because the first phase is always bumpy; so a lot of money will be lost.
Develop a thick skin for loss. You venture into business to make profit by investing money, time and energy.
Make sure you sacrifice all that at the beginning.
You have to leave your comfort zone and work.
– What are your goals in the next few years? –
In sha Allah, Birmah Tea will have outlets across the country and beyond.
This is just a tip of the iceberg.
While my main focus moving forward will be on producing high class tea and tisane, I am hopeful I will be able to grow to take on the tea business market internationally, and also to help improve job creation to lift local tea vendors and support the economy.
– What advice do you have for women? –
Women should take steps to empower themselves.
They can start by discovering what they are passionate about or good at, start small, dream big and take a leap of faith.
– What is unique about Birmah Tea? –
Birmah Tea is an exquisite blend of different teas mixed with healthy organic spices and herbs.
I tried as much as possible to meet the sweet, savoury, mild, yet strong Nigerian kind of taste; a unique combination of elegance.
– Would you say you have made a breakthrough? –
I will make a breakthrough when others benefit from my business.
