By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/ Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: On Tuesday, while speaking to you g women and girls in the Women in Business Expo 2024 at Uganda National Cultural Center, UNCC – the home of National Theatre, Prudence Ukkonika the Managing Director of K-Roma Ltd, Manufacturers of BELLA Wines and Juices advises that the strongest key in starting business is the element of honesty (trust).
She cited that most people think that, one needs to first gather millions of money to initiate their business dreams which she says it’s not primarily right.
“Honesty is one your biggest Capital that you don’t know, let me ask you!, if you came to me, I give you a bottle of Bella wine, sell and bring back my money and take the profit for a month, won’t you have enough Capital to start up your dream business slowly?, automatically yes but this is only possible when you exhibit trust.” Ms. Prudence stressed.
“For example someone came to me, I gave the person a bottle, sold and brought back the money, I gave six, sold and brought back the money, I gave ten then the person told me that some bottles got broken and did not come back and that was the end of it, the person lacked the element of trust, I ceased to listen from person. Therefore I want to tell you today that trust is very essential, even these banks you see, can’t give you a loan when they don’t trust that you’ll pay.” She added.
She went on to appeal to young women and girls in business to have full support for our local products, ‘gone are the days when we thought that local products are not good, no, the narrative has changed there are many high quality products for example BELLA Wines are organically made here’.
“However, I appeal to you not to take anything local for the sake but make your thorough research and take something that os good for your health, most people have suffered from diseases like cancer just because of taking inorganically produced products and that’s why at K-Roma Ltd, we decided to add value on organically produced fruits grown here to make juices that are good to human health.” She stressed.
“Additionally, I appeal to you to support each other here in Uganda for example, I buy all the fruits I use to make my organic wines and juices from Uganda and by doing so, I support the farmers, and the economy at large. Again when I export my juices and wines on the international market, I am contributing on foreign exchange.” She added.
She argued young women and girls not to be lazy and dependant on parents and boyfriends always but rather start small with hopes that later it will pay off.
Prudence Kasibante Ukkonika is a Ugandan Agri business entrepreneur, she is the managing director of K-Roma limited an indigenous business entity manufactures, packages and distributes Bella wine, natural fruit concentrates, juices and Teas in Uganda and out Uganda.
Women in Business Expo was initiated to provide a platform for women in business to escalate their businesses to great heights, showcase women in business through profiling and advertising in the media, provide women with financing solutions that meet their needs while negating the phobia for borrowing among women as well as networking (social capital).