Lorraine Maphala-Phiri nominated for Megafest business awards
BARELY six months after her hair studio opened shop, she has already started receiving recognition in the business sector. She has also made a big breakthrough following her husband’s footsteps in the world of business.
Lorraine Maphala-Phiri has been nominated Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 at the Megafest Business Awards Southern Region. The former model-cum-mother said it feels phenomenal being recognised in such circles because it shows that she is making a mark in the business sector.
“It feels great considering it’s barely six months since we opened our hair studio. Last year when I was nominated for Model of the Year I was ecstatic because I haven’t been in the industry for over 10 years . . . and I said on my post that my next n om i n at i on after that will be Businesswoman of the Year and BOOM!!!!! I have been nominated,” she said. Lorraine said her business is steadily growing considering that she started selling hair products from the boot of her vehicle. She said competition in the hair industry has kept her and her team on their toes and they are making sure that they are always a step ahead opf others. “We are unique from most people in the hair business because we are a brand. We do more than just sell the hair but we educate our clients on the different types of hair and how to take care of it,” she said. She said most of their clients call them ‘‘the hair doctors’’ because they provide solutions to hair problems using the best professional products. Lorraine said it was more than just figures for them but were concerned about the customer’s satisfaction. “We also believe most women buy (hair) with their eyes first hence our hair packaging comes with free hair care tips. We offer a five-star treatment to all our clients and our staff is our biggest asset as they have been trained by a celebrity hair stylist,” she said. The confident mother of two said she has always known that she will end up a businesswoman, but she didn’t know what kind of business she would venture into. Her advice to other women in business is that they should learn to invest and never entertain negativity. “When I got the opportunity to sell hair, I fell in love with the hair industry and here I am today making my fellow women look pretty. I advise my fellow women in business to never stop learning about your chosen industry as it gives you an advantage over others,” she said. Besides the hair studio at Zonk’ izizwe Shopping Mall, Lorraine has just started running a mentoring programme for the girl child. The Megafest awards will be held on 8 October this year.