“Skills can be taught but attitude is what you are born with and what you nurture by breeding the right habits”
It is on these terms that Anju Hawoldar , Brand Ambassador for Decayeux Golf and Director of Oceandash Fresh Seafood Ltd, embarked on her entrepreneurial journey and has built up a reputation which won her an award in 2017 for ‘Femme Entrepreneur’. The right attitude, according to her has shaped up her journey where passion , precision, dedication and quality are the key ingredients to meet up clients’ expectations.
Driven , determined and dynamic, she began her career by the set up and launch of an Indian restaurant in Moka and subsequently selling it to meet up new challenges and move in different more promising segments namely : Golf, as the Brand Ambassador for Decayeux Golf; Seafood , as the Director of Oceandash Fresh Seafood Ltd and more recently in property development and real estate sector as a consultant.
According to her, the secret which fosters the success of an entrepreneur lies in engendering the right attitude “ Skills can be taught but attitude is what you are born with and what you nurture by breeding the right habits. The drive factor for the success of any entrepreneur relies heavily on how result-oriented and how dedicated he is. The pace at which our society is moving and evolving ,embracing culture change and innovation , reasserts my core beliefs about work ethics, discipline and consistency’
Having embraced different work responsibilities and in spite of having herself a very busy schedule, she is adamant that ‘there is a huge difference between business and busyness! It is only by adopting the right mindset and working towards optimal customer service within set deadlines in a challenging and competitive environment that one can turn an unproductive busyness in a successful business.
Passion for golf
The past decade has seen a major paradigm shift in the economic players of our market. Anju’s drive to tap in new market opportunities paved her way as Brand Ambassador for Decayeux Golf, a French company having set up a subsidiary company in Mauritius since two years. Decayeux Golf , based in France has been a pioneer in the processing of metal parts /accessories for luxury goods and jewellery to well reputed houses such as Louis Vuitton. It has over a century sustained development in this sector and enhanced its expertise to come up with a prestigious line ‘Decayeux Golf’ offering a range of opulent-statement makers to refined timeless pieces and jewellery such as Gold plated cufflinks, Belts, Necklaces , Bracelets, Clubhouse lamps, Keyrings and tees (to name a few).
Golf tourism has undoubtedly emerged as a promising sector in the past decade. Our country not only boasts of some of the best 18-holes courses but can at the same time provide the right climatic conditions and hospitality that could propel it from ‘ the new kid on the block as a golf destination’ to being a golf destination par excellence’
The market always dictates the rules for entrepreneurs like us and we can only take the cue to go ahead with the launch of a new product when we see old players holding a monopoly of the market but not offering the competitive advantage that we have to offer. Already present on our market are Lacoste and Boss Green for which there is a huge demand from Golfers. However our products at Decayeux Golf have an unparalleled competitive advantage in that these have been designed specifically for golfers.
Seafood as a growing opportunity
Being herself a foodie and having held a restaurant for a decade, Anju struggled to find on the local market products which were fresh and readily available upon demand. She saw the huge untapped potential of Oceandash Seafood Ltd and took it over two and half years ago to propel it to another level of distribution targeting Hotels , resorts and key supermarkets.
As at date the company supplies fresh seafood from Scotland namely Salmon , Oysters, Lobsters, scallops and Mussels. She has through a short span of time, through her premium quality products secured the trust of well established restaurants and hotels around the island. Though according to her the market is “ small, tough and challenging’, she is confident that as long as her products reflect competitive strength and her team is geared towards customer service , she will only be moving a step ahead. As explained , the price-quality equation always comes into play in a market as competitive as seafood. ‘ It is hard to explain at a tasting with a new client why our salmon ( for instance) is different from that coming from Norway. At the end of the day to some clients , Salmon is Salmon. This is when I always point out and re-emphasize the difference between my products and that available on the market. Loch Fyne , the Scottish supplier I am working with , is the proud holder of ‘The Queen’s award for the premium quality of their products. This is in itself a statement”
Being a regular in London , she has always been amazed by the wide range of fresh , high quality products which was available on the market and for which there could be a huge demand on our market. She rightly believes that there has been a change in consumer trends, where people are now looking for a healthier and fresher alternative on their plates. It undeniable that in recent years there has been an evolution in the quality of products available on supermarket shelves : Food items from Waitrose and Jacobs are now available on the market. With Oceandash Fresh Seafood Ltd Anju aims at bringing home, products which are in line with the new market trends keeping in mind the size of the market.
In spite of the continuous growth of her company , she believes that it is ‘only a baby swimming with the sharks’. So for the next quarters her objective for the company is to conduct a market research to identify new opportunities for the distribution of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook items given that we are evolving in a fast moving society where people hardly have time to prepare a meal.
Building on existent work ethics and targeting new markets
What next ? Anju takes a wide interest in the economic development of Mauritius more precisely in property development. Recently she been appointed as a consultant in the real estate sector although she believes that ‘it is quite slow moving at the moment, there is still a potential for growth’ She perceives that land will never be devaluated but will at some point become scarce due to numerous ongoing projects. The key would then lie in tapping revenue in the face of these constraints and opt for smarter development.
‘No challenge is worth the ride , if when taking it up, there are no struggles involved’
It is on this positive note that she concluded this enlightening interview and adds that she holds quality family time as her priority as this is what keeps her grounded to her core beliefs : humility , dedication and honesty!
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