NBSSI Transformed Sariam Company Limited
“I am forever grateful to NBSSI for the support in growing my business"
Mariam Najia, the Managing Director of Sariam Company Ltd. is a graduate of IPMC with diploma in Systems Engineering. Mariam was unemployed one. Her desire was to become an entrepreneur later in her adulthood stemmed from this. Her dream of starting her own business became real when she gathered resources from a petty trading business to put into practice a skill she had learnt from a friend. Even though she faced some difficulties, her mother was very supportive and encouraged her to persevere. Mariam is into cocoa soap making and shea butter production with the brand name MALEX. As a strong and vibrant young woman, she did everything possible to make her business survive. After some years there was a fire outbreak at her house which almost caused her business
to collapse.
Mariam got to know of the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of NBSSI through the Municipal Coordinating Director of Ga West Municipal Assembly (Amasaman). When she needed professional business counselling to enable her revive her ailing business. She was directed to the BAC where she was supported to address her challenges
A business counselling session was organised by the BAC for her. Her interest in soap making grew higher and she took part in a soap making training organised in 2013 at Kpobiman. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of her childhood dream to become a successful business woman. She was introduced to various kinds of soap such as bar soap, cake soaps, liquid soap, as well as parazone production.
She realized tremendous improvement in her business after the training. Within the first year Mariam increased production as well as sales. She was able to employ three (3) people, two (2) as sales persons and one (1) at the Factory. Later on she also took on apprentices. The BAC also supported her to attend trade shows at Bolgatanga and West Hills Mall in Accra organised by the Rural Enterprises Programme and Ghana at 60 National Trade Fair. The quality of her product helped the woman to attract many customers from Bolgatanga, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Nsawam, Kasoa Mokola amongst others.
The Business Advisory Centre again assisted Mariam to secure a loan from the NBSSI/EDAIF Loan Scheme to expand her business. NBSSI introduced Mariam to the Enhancing Growth in New Enterprises (ENGINE) Programme organised by Technoserve and funded by the UK Government. She participated in the competition with couching support from NBSSI and came out victorious with third (3rd) position. The ENGINE Programme assisted financially to her to certify her products with the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). It also provided machinery support. Sariam Company Ltd. now has a total of seven (7) employees, three (3) at the factory and four (4) sales persons.
Mariam is now a strong disciple of the Business Advisory Centre in the Municipality.