Over a year ago, Ms Afshan Khan of Shell invited me for a cup of coffee and informed me that her company is introducing the Shell LiveWire project in Pakistan. She gave me a brief background and asked for my advice and suggestions. After a detailed interaction that went on for a couple of hours, I told her to contact three people who could be of immense help in making this program a success. I suggested the names of Danishmand of IBA, Ahsanullah Khan of Skill Development Council, and Nabeel Goheer of SMEDA. On January 20, 2003 Shell formally introduced the Shell Tameer program at a glittering function in Islamabad. I am bullish that it is surely going to be a catalyst for entrepreneurial revolution in Pakistan.
A few days before I departed for Colombo, Sri Lanka, in September 2002, as the head of the Pakistany delegation of Investors and Importers, I met Ms Afshan Khan in her office to discuss further the Shell LiveWire project. While browsing thru the booklets and brochures of the program, I read about a young Sri Lankan, Ms Umesha Wickremeratne, and her coffeehouse, The Commons. It is a chic coffeehouse and an art gallery. She was named Sri Lanka's "Top Young Entrepreneur of 2000" at the finals of the SHELL LiveWire Young Business Start-up Awards held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in May 2000. I decided to meet the young entrepreneur while I would be in Colombo.
I got thru to her after some effort and scheduled a time around 1600 Hours on September 04, 2002. The venture is ideally located in a business area, just opposite the Citibank and adjacent to Habib Bank Ltd. The façade is designed in such a way that it looks like a shut-down garage or warehouse with the doors in black color. There is a passage at the side and this leads to the coffeehouse. Inside there are three sets of three sofas around a table. On one side is a counter with stools facing the wall. On the other side is space for another set of four sofas and a table. There is another smaller counter with a few high stools. In the verandah, under a covered roof is a pool table. Outside in the verandah is another table sitting six people. There is a kitchen where the orders are taken and from where the Manager can survey the whole scene. Instead of a printed menu, there are two blackboards where the menu is written by chalks. The ambience is very relaxed and there is a co-existence of teenage taste and over-the-hill comfort.
Talking to Umesha over a hot cup of delightful Java, I started off with asking her as to what makes a young woman successful. In a confident tone, with an infectious smile, she remarked that if a woman has to be successful, she has to first find her niche and the area where she can excel and where she can easily compete. She stated that one important pre-requisite is to use her own inherent skills, as this would determine the extent of her success. Relating her background, she said that after graduation with a B.Sc. degree, she joined her father's firm where she got involved in the Human Resources Department. When she found out about the Sri Lankan Small and Medium Enterprises Organization, she discussed her idea with her dad and applied for special grants and loan from that organization. Since cooking was her personal interest, since she had a yen to operate an eating establishment, and since she could get funds and also financial advice, she decided to go for the fulfillment of her dream.
The concept visualized by her started taking shape. It was inaugurated in January 1998. Her full time attention to even the minutest detail gave her encouragement. She trained the staff herself into her own mold and mind, and instilled into them her vision. She did her own accounting and financing. More importantly, she was lucky to have Manju, her best friend, join the bandwagon as Manager and alter-ego.
The next question was regarding her staff. In the beginning she was devoting all her time at the place, but eventually she started delegating her work. She does not subscribe to the theory that one person should be the whole and the sole. In her opinion, this would result in being stuck in the daily routine. Her philosophy works for her because in the nearly five years of existence, she has had very, very low turnover. She started with four staff and now she has eleven, including Manju.
The third question related to the food, patrons, and environment. The endeavor is very customer-oriented and this has paid off well over the years. She said that the primary reason why this place attracts customers is due to the food. She said that she develops her own recipes and that most of these are unique to Colombo. The prices are in the medium range with a tilt on the higher side. The food is more western-oriented with a touch of local spice. More importantly, the portions are huge and this has endeared her to her patrons. The place has over 100 items on the menu. She unequivocally declared that in all these years, she has not compromised on quality and taste. She said that she still creates her own recipes and is committed and devoted to this principle.
Regarding her patrons, she disclosed that on an average she has 75 customers because this is a daytime coffeehouse and the hours are from 1000 to 1800. A turnover of 100-125 is marked as an exceptional day. Initially, the patrons were teenagers but there has now been a shift towards older people. The decor reflects the concept of a coffeehouse, thus the sofas. The place has a capacity for about 50 persons at one time. She said that she used to have an art gallery too but it took up a lot of space and was not profitable. Instead, she ventured into another restaurant, Pier 56, on the first floor, which is a separate business with two partners. It has a staff of 30, it has plated meals, a la carte, very adult-oriented, and employing a professional chef.
How did people know about the place, was the next question. She said that with the help of supportive family, friends, and acquaintances, the message got across to a lot of people. There isn't any formal advertising and she depends more on word-of-mouth publicity. Her take-aways are popular too and this generates additional business. Nearly 75% of her clientele are regulars.
Deliberating more on her philosophy, she said that her wages are above those of the industry and that she subscribes to having a personal rapport with her patrons. This is also adhered too by her staff. Inspite of being a married person, she is fully involved in her business. Her husband, who is an architect, is very considerate and is one of the partners in Pier 56. He played a formidable role in changing the interior design of the place to make it look more exciting.
Recently, she started a Membership Scheme. She charges Rs 5,000 as annual fees. In return, the members get 10% discount on food, a chance to play pool, vouchers for free food, personalized cakes on birthdays, and a smile every time they are in the coffeehouse. The membership figures are, however, still not encouraging. Her immediate target is 100 that she hopes to achieve soon.
When I requested her to give some pointers for young women entrepreneurs, she very firmly remarked that once a project has commenced, then one should stick to it. There should be no deviation nor there should be any change in the basic business concept. The person should be confident, should put in a lot of hard work, pray sincerely, and go for it. Success is relatively assured. Furthermore, and this is a jewel of an assertion, a woman must have her character in the business because then no one copies it.
A couple of days later, I came in to have lunch with a couple of my fellow delegates, namely, Khurram Kalia, the Kalsoft computer wizard, and Capt. Mushtaq, Director of Seatrade Group. The food was sumptuous, very tasty, very fresh, and worth every penny. The milkshakes were divine. Khurram wanted to know whether the food was Halal. He got the frank answer from Umesha, "I am a Muslim." The Commons is the right place to eat and be merry, simply because the owner really does have her character in the business.
Umesha Wickremerante was encouraged by Shell to apply for the award. Naturally, she won. Her success story should be related to other young women, so that they too could emulate her experience, her philosophy, and her dedication.
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January 21, 2003
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