Cebile first heard about The Flamboyance Clique (TFC) in 2021 through a client and colleague. Although her company was an infant at the time, she secured a stall and was determined to make a quality showing. That decision proved invaluable.
“After the event I gained some followers and Nompumelo (TFC co-founder) hooked me up with some ad agencies and ladies I could do promos with, she is simply the best. I also learnt so much and networked with like-minded women. Seeing that many women showcase their businesses made me wonder what I was so afraid of all this time! It was an amazing experience, I can’t wait for this second one,” she says clearly excited.
Along with Zanele Kabini who we spoke to preciously and many other fabulous women, Cebile will be at the TFC’s Delightful Budtime Matinee social event showcasing her business and ‘flamingling’.
type4girl spoke to the delightful entrepreneur about her journey, this is her story:
ALL IN A NAME
The year 2020 was a difficult one for millions of people for a variety of reasons, and unfortunately for Cebile, tragedy and ill health located her too. “My dad passed to glory in June of 2020, and just six months later in December, I found myself in hospital with a terrible case of food poisoning. It was horrible,” she recounts.
It was on that very hospital bed that the idea for a business came alive. “I realised that until that point, I had nothing I could leave as a legacy. I had toyed with the idea of owning a business before, that day I just decided I’m going to do it. I registered the business as soon as I was discharged.” And so BellaForch, a gifting company that aims to give its customers a memorable gifting experience was born. The company specialises in putting together custom made gift hampers and personalised accessories for corporate clients and various events.
BellaForch is a combination of Cebile’s children’s names, Isabella and Fortune. The company’s motto, Nkanyezi Yami, is a tribute to her late father.
I WAS SO SCARED OF FAILING
Cebile is the type of friend and relative most of us would love to have. She loves gifting people! “I love gifting people, so I had the idea to monetise that.” But she wasn’t always as confident in her businesses viability. She tells us, “I was so scared of failing because whenever I’d share my idea with people, they’d discourage me saying I wouldn’t get clients. I listened to the noise for too long. It was hard to start but I was adamant that I was going to make it. I decided let me just do it. It actually became so natural I was like – why didn’t I start a long time ago?!”
The young startupreneur acknowledges that she couldn’t have done it without the support and guidance of a few trusted individuals. Soon after she made the decision to start, she shared her dream with an acquaintance, Peniel, who understood her vision. It was a refreshing moment for her because she had been shut down so many times before. “In Feb 2021, we launched BellaForch. I got my first client and the rest is history.”
BellaForch is a relatively new undertaking for Cebile, especially because the entrepreneurial experience is completely new to her. “I come from a family of 9 to 5ers, I couldn’t draw any lessons or knowledge from anyone’s journey,” she says. But it’s an experience she welcomes and is enjoying. “I’m still learning.”
THE CHALLENGE OF RUNNING A BUSINESS
If childhood aspirations dictated life, Cebile would be a teacher now. “I wanted to be a teacher so bad. But all that changed by the time I reached highschool.” She jokes that in many ways, she does play the role of teacher to the apples of her eye, her kids.
As if running a business isn’t a giant enough ball in the air, Cebile is an Artisan by profession, so she works on BellaForch on her off days. She has helping hands to cushion her demanding schedule on the days she does work.
Her biggest challenge starting up was pricing her offering correctly. “I used to gift people all the time before I made a business out of it. So when I set my prices in the beginning, I only considered the cost of the items in the hampers for instance, and neglected to really map out the cost of delivery. But I met a woman who was a financial advisor and she helped me along. I’ve since included my time in my pricing and moved from making deliveries, most of my clients will collect their orders themselves or pay a delivery fee if they want me to deliver.”
She describes that period as ‘hectic’, but she’s learnt a lot from it and continues to learn about the mechanics of running BellaForch.
What does harmony look like for you?
“I’ve learnt that if you don’t make time, you won’t have time. I don’t compromise on holidays and family time. I have no problem delegating to make sure I’m there for my kids when I need to be. Work time is work time, but once it’s their time, it’s their time. My priorities are always clear!”
How do you want to be remembered?
“I want to be remembered as that girl who made your event special and memorable. BellaForch is an experience that I want our customers to always remember, that and the love with which the gifts are put together will always speak best to who we are.”
What is your purpose?
“That’s a difficult one. My purpose is to serve.”
What would the title of your autobiography be?
“Just do it! Forget about the noise, focus on getting it done.”
