Leteechia Rungasamy: “I believe that being an entrepreneur is about taking risks, pushing boundaries, and pursuing your passion.”
She is one of those determined person, who despite the ups and downs, has managed to construct a successful career as an entrepreneur. Through her company, Flourich, she managed to make a name for herself in the field of digital marketing, by touching local restaurateurs. Leteechia Rungasamy evokes her career, Flourich and delivers, without any ambiguity, her thoughts on Mauritius.
Leteechia
Rungasamy, I am very happy to have you as a guest on Parole à… For those who do
not know you, who is Leteechia Rungasamy?
In fact, I am the daughter
of a well-known make-up artist in Mauritius, Kamla Rungasamy. I am currently
based in London, but my heart and soul belong to Mauritius, where I was born
and raised. I am a true island girl at heart, but I've been lucky enough to
explore the west and beyond since 2012. I like to think of myself as a friendly
and outgoing person, with a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit thrown in for good
measure. My mum has been an inspiration to me throughout my teenage years, I
think this is what shaped me and my beliefs. I have always been encouraged to
be independent. As a woman, I think it is crucial that we can stand on our own
two feet, pursue our passions, and achieve our goals. Society, especially
Mauritius, at least when I was there, may try to tell us that we need to
conform to certain expectations, but I refused to accept that. I know that I am
capable of great things, and I was determined to make a difference. Every day,
I strive to be the best version of myself and inspire other women to do the
same.
Today, you are very
flourishing young woman entrepreneur. Tell us more about your journey throughout
entrepreneurship.
I began my
professional career in the Tourism and Hospitality industry of Mauritius as a Travel
Consultant. My love for exploring new places and cultures drew me towards this
field. After gaining valuable experience and moving to the Caribbean, I pursued
a Marketing and PR internship in New York City. It was a PR and Marketing
agency on Broad Street specialized in Caribbean destinations (2 minutes from
The Trump Tower) entirely run by women! The opportunity exposed me to marketing
but more importantly, it inspired me even more to become an entrepreneur.
Living and exploring New York all by myself also added to my self-confidence.
Driven by a desire to learn more, I then pursued an MSc in Tourism and
Hospitality in London with my final dissertation being on Women
Entrepreneurship in the Mauritian Tourism sector. During my time at the
university, I also founded a travel and tourism society, which helped me realize
my entrepreneurial abilities whilst running the society and laid the foundation
for my career in marketing, considering I had to manage and promote the society
to the entire university. Which ended up being one of the most popular
societies that is still up and running today. Impressed by my dedication and
skills, the university offered me a part-time job as a social media manager,
which proved to be a turning point in my career. I combined my New York
internship experience and university experience to become an expert in social
media marketing and eventually found my true calling. Finishing my masters, I
had to decide what is next in my life. I had three options, each with its own
set of risks and rewards. The first was to return to Mauritius. The second was
to find a job that would sponsor me to stay in the UK. And the third was to
launch my own business and go through the lengthy process of getting the
university to endorse me for a graduate entrepreneur visa. Despite the
challenges and uncertainties, I chose option three. I love a good challenge and
I believe that being an entrepreneur is about taking risks, pushing boundaries,
and pursuing your passion.
Flourich, your company is a fresh and dynamic business. Tell us more about it.
Drawing on both my
experience and academic knowledge in the hospitality sector, I made the
decision to launch Flourich, a marketing agency specialized in small
independent food businesses in the UK. It was a natural fit for me. However,
starting a business is never easy, especially when you must go through the
lengthy process of writing a full business plan and pitching it to a panel to
be endorsed for a visa. It was a very stressful experience, but I managed to do
it. It forced me to think deeply about my goals, my vision, and my values, and
to articulate them in a clear and compelling way. It also gave me the
confidence to pursue my dreams and to believe that anything is possible with
hard work and determination. When I launched Flourich in 2018, I saw a gap in the
market for marketing agencies that specialized in small independent food
businesses. At the time, everyone wanted to be on social media and have a
maintained Instagram account, but they didn't know who to reach out to. I knew
that I could help, and I started by offering my services for free to a friend
who had started a Greek food business. From there, I started getting paid
clients through word of mouth, and my business began to grow. I focused on
providing personalized and tailored marketing solutions that were specifically
designed to meet the unique needs of each client.
I firmly believe that
in today's digital age, having a strong online presence is key to the success
of any business, particularly in London. It is no secret that the way we
consume information has changed drastically in recent years, and as such,
businesses need to adapt to stay relevant. If you are not online, you simply do
not exist. That is why I believe that providing online marketing services, such
as social media management and website design, remains a very lucrative
business. By helping small independent food businesses establish and maintain a
strong online presence, I am not only helping them attract more customers, but
I am also contributing to the growth and success of the local community. It is an
exciting time to be in this field, and I am committed to staying on top of the
latest trends and technologies to ensure that my clients stay ahead of the
curve. As a result, I became well-known in the food community and gained a
reputation for delivering high-quality and effective marketing strategies. It has
been a rewarding journey so far.
I guess that the
pandemic also encouraged you to be more innovative.
During the pandemic, I
found myself facing a new challenge as my graduate entrepreneur visa was about
to expire. I had two options for the next level of visa - I could launch a
project that could massively help the community and get the "Exceptional
Talent Visa," or I could improve my existing business and develop an
innovative idea that did not exist in the UK yet to get the "Innovator
Visa." I decided to go for the last option and applied for the Innovator
visa. I worked hard to develop a technology that would revolutionize social
media management by connecting businesses to digital content creators at the
click of a button. It is a bit like an Uber for digital content creators, and
it is something that did not exist in the UK yet. I was thrilled when my
application was successful, and I am excited to continue developing this
technology and exploring new avenues for growth and innovation. At moment I had
to press pause on it as I need further financial investment to pursue the
project. But I believe this has immense potential to be a globally used
technology considering the growth of digital content creation online.
Businesses will always need creators for user generated content and it’s
further in demand post the pandemic.
Is the grass greener abroad?
Why did I not return
to Mauritius to pursue my career instead of going through the lengthy process
of obtaining visas and staying in London? While Mauritius is a beautiful
country with a lot of potential, I believe that what I have achieved here in
the UK simply wouldn't have been possible if I had returned home. The support I
received from my university, as well as the network of entrepreneurs who have
become my support system here, has been invaluable in helping me grow my
business. Additionally, there is simply a bigger economic pie here in the UK
for me to capitalize on, and I would not have been able to make the same amount
of monthly revenue in Mauritius. While it has not always been easy being far
from my family and loved ones, I know that I am exactly where I need to be to
achieve my goals.
Do you ever think
of returning in Mauritius and share your skills in this field to Mauritian
companies?
While I have been
focused on building my business here in the UK, I have not forgotten about my
roots in Mauritius. In fact, I have plans to spend more time there and help my
mother manage and innovate her business. Currently, I am doing all her paid
advertising campaigns, help with management and working on an e-commerce
platform to help her retail all her products that she currently sells at the beauty
parlor. I believe that a beauty marketplace with different brands and a
user-friendly interface will work well in Mauritius, and I'm planning to launch
it this year in August. Additionally, I manage the marketing for ticketbox.mu (www.ticketbox.mu),
which is a Mauritian hotel booking and event ticketing platform. This work helps
me stay connected to the island. While I love living and working in London,
Mauritius will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am excited to
continue exploring ways to make a positive impact there. While I am passionate
about helping businesses in Mauritius, launching Flourich there is not
currently in my plans. The reality is that many Mauritian businesses do not yet
understand the value of digital presence, and they may not be willing to
allocate a fair budget to digital marketing. This could make it challenging to
build a sustainable business in that market. However, I would still love to
help educate entrepreneurs in Mauritius about the importance of digital
marketing. Perhaps I could run workshops or offer consulting services to small
businesses who are interested in expanding their reach online.
When I visit
Mauritius, I will explore ways to contribute to the local entrepreneurial
community and help businesses thrive in any way I can. It is hard to believe
that it has been six years since I last visited Mauritius! I have heard that
there have been a lot of exciting developments on the island since then, and I
cannot wait to see them for myself when I visit this August. I am especially
excited to see how the technology sector is growing, and to connect with other
entrepreneurs who are working to make a positive impact on the island. Of
course, I am also looking forward to spending time with my family, exploring
the beaches and natural beauty of Mauritius, and indulging in some delicious
Mauritian cuisine. All in all, I am counting down the days until my visit and
cannot wait to experience all that Mauritius has to offer.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire