From Nothing To Everything
“IT’S ALL ABOUT MAINTAINING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS”
t the age of 18, fresh out of high school, she got married and worked as a sales assistant in a retail shop. Vilisi Tabua, spent eight years working for the retail shop then worked for Courts Repossession Centre.
In 2012, she was unfortunately laid off because her position was made redundant, she was told.
However, that was not the end of the road for her.
Instead, she took the opportunity to start her own business.
She believed that she could start her own business because she also had the self discipline to manage a business.
She then started a fish vending business at the Suva market where she heard about South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) from her mother.
Later in 2012, she joined SPBD and took a loan of $6 000 to boost her business.
She was living with her family and in-laws in a house with shared amenities at the Veiquwawa Settlement on the outskirts of Suva.
It was through the profits from her business that she was able to build separate amenities for her own family.
Unlike the loans offered at the different banks, loans given by SPBD are very easy and quicker to obtain, she said.
“No one else will give you a $1000 loan and allow you to pay it back over a year,” she said. Over the years, she subsequently took five loans to continue to grow her business.
Through the profits from her thriving business, she was able to hire boats and contracted with divers to consistently supply her with fish at least four times a week.
She also purchases fish from her village on Fridays.
Per day, she would earn a profit of around $150 to $200.
But sometimes, her daily average earnings would double depending on the amount of fish the divers would bring.
Last year, she was able to obtain SPBD’s White Goods Loan that enabled her to purchase around four electrical items from Courts at discounted prices.
As the business continued to grow, allowing her to rake in more profits, she was able to secure a three bedroom house with a proper title.
With relief, she said the tough journey throughout the years has finally paid off as she has now provided a stable shelter for her husband and two children.
Ripple effect
Through Ms Tabua’s testimony, her father was inspired to start his own business. Whilst growing her savings, she managed to secure enough funds tso help her father set up a canteen business in his village.
The saying goes, “Behind every successful man, is a strong woman” and for Ms Tabua, she had continuously encouraged and supported her husband, a licensed electrician, to start his own business.
He was recently awarded a tender for a Government project.
Not only does Ms Tabua help her husband, the same goes for Mr Tabua.
At times when Ms Tabua’s father is unable to deliver the fish to her, Mr Tabua would go to Nausori and Rewa to deliver the fish to the market and her clients.
In 2015, Ms Tabua had also taken her first Small-Medium Enterprise Loan of $8000 to repair a vehicle to help her husband’s business.
With a portion of the funds, she salvaged two of her hired fishing boats that sank.
Achieving the impossible
After taking the SME loan, she took another $10 000 loan, SPBD Milestone Loan, as a deposit for another double-story, three bedroom house in Lagilagi Housing, Suva. According to her, the home had always been her dream home which she plans to settle in with her family and her in-laws will then move to her current home.
“So much has become possible with SPBD, the benefit has not only been in terms of finance but also things like savings, financial literacy, leadership and independence,” she said.
Aside from being an entrepreneur, she became the centre chief of the SPBD Nauluvatu Centre.
“It’s maintaining good relationships, it’s the freshness of the fish and it’s the bundling and overall quality.
“Sometimes restaurant owners return fish they say is bad, so I return their money as long as I do not spoil the relationship I have with them,” she said.
Last week Thursday, SPBD achieved an impressive milestone by surpassing the US $100 million micro loans that was disbursed to thousands of women entrepreneurs across the country and Pacific region.
“The financial services is just the starting point to touch the lives of women in the Pacific.
“We feel that through the financing programme that we have, we are able to build their self confidence instead of just staying at home and doing nothing but they can explore their potential then build a business around what they would like to do,” said SPBD general manager Elrico Munoz. He encouraged women not to give up on their dreams by thinking that their age is a barrier.
The oldest women entrepreneur to obtain a loan from SPBD is 72 years old while the youngest is 18 years old.
Aside from giving loans, SPBD also meets with the entrepreneurs on a weekly basis to give business tips and advice.