Just a little over a year after her company as officially registered, founder and Managing Director of NollyCrafts, Bonolo Molebatsi, reckons her business has done well in the period.
NollyCrafts which was officially registered in August last year provides services such as insurance and financial brokerage and currently sells products of GetBucks and GetSure.
“We also have cleaning services called Nolly Cleaning Services and we also provide ICT services and supplies,” said the 31-year-old proud owner of the business, adding they will include more services as time moves on.
However, for the meantime the company will focus mainly of cleaning and brokerage services.
The company, according to its founder, has employed 30 permanent employees and more than 50 sales agents spread throughout the country.
“With our sales agents, we have monthly trainings with them so as to refresh them.”
Explaining the idea behind the formation of NollyCrafts, Molebatsi says the plan was to bridge the unemployment gap, especially among the youth in the country.
This is why the company has employed mostly youth under the age of 35 according to its founder.
“The other thing was that I did not want to work for anybody, I have worked for other people but I thought to myself, why can’t I do this for myself?” she explained, adding she knew she possessed what it takes to successfully run a business.
Looking to the future, Molebatsi says the vision is to open more NollyCrafts branches countrywide.
“With cleaning we have employees posted outside Gaborone in places like Kanye, Molepolole, Phikwe, Ghanzi and so forth, but we have not opened branches in these places. I need to open more branches, hire more people and grow the company,” said the confident Molebatsi.
As with any business, Molebatsi says, it was not an easy road to take NollyCrafts where it is today in a short period that it has been in existence.
“There was a point where I felt like giving up around January this year because I was always broke after spending all my savings on the business mainly on staff salaries, but back then we had a lean staff, so, with all these costs, including rentals, it was tough!” said the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology graduate from University of Botswana who also possesses an Associate Degree in Software Engineering obtained from Limkokwing University.
Fortunately, she proudly declares she pulled through and confidently reveals the business is now back on its feet doing well and has moved the company offices to a far much better place in Extension 10, Gaborone.