utyNavigating through a very "humble" upbringing and a broken relationship which almost left her ship-wrecked, former Miss T&T/India (2004)Shirlane Sacha Singh, has steered her fate and gained some anchor with the successful acquisition and management of her two Woodbrook-based businesses which has employed close to 30 people combined. Singh, 27, is the managing director of both 'the number one provider of biometrics time and attendance machines in T&T' - AMS Biotech Security Concepts (AMS) and one of 'the fastest growing high rise residential and commercial glass cleaning company' - Affordable Window Wash Ltd (AWWL). The young entrepreneur explained that while both offices were located in the same building on Murray Street, Woodbrook, the businesses were separately partitioned and individually managed by her. She also did not rule out the possibility of expanding her operations to other areas in order to attract a wider clientele in the future. "Perhaps in a few years when we grow, we would probably get offices in South.
I would like to expand in South because I believe the area has a lot of potential that people in T&T don't know," Singh said. The former Sangre Grande resident who recently purchased her own home in Trincity, said she was fortunate to have had the financial backing of her mother, who gave her that initial boost to launch AMS, her first business. She added that she has "not taken a loan" and was particularly "grateful" to her mother whom she described as her "role model". A former finalist at the Miss T&T/ Universe Pageant (2009), Singh attributed part of her success to her ex boyfriend's "awful ways" which she said was used as "a motivating factor", as it proved to be a stimulus for her to "have the strength to persevere and overcome all hindrances and obstacles" that life threw her way.
Biometric authentication
Core to AMS' business operations, is the use of biometric authentication which involves the recognition of humans based on one or more intrinsic, physical or behavioural traits, like a fingerprint for instance.
"We supply finger-printing time and attendance so when your employees come to work, they'll use their finger prints to log in so instead of the card that you can give your friend to log in for you, you'll have to physically be there."
No bed of roses
Singh said AMS "didn't start like a bed of roses" and there were challenges faced in order "to get sales", particularly since, she was marketing a foreign product that was bent solely on "tracking the time management of employees." She added: "I put together all that I had, my marketing skills, my personality, my charisma and I was able to get my first sale and as a result, I got a referral to another then another and before you knew it, my clientele snowballed." Singh, who admitted she sourced most of her clients "through networking", said "the hardest thing about a business was starting" and took great pride in the fact that after only two years, AMS already had "almost 200 of its units out there." Going after tenders
According to the founder, AWWL, which began in May of this year, was a spin-off of AMS' success, since she had used all the clients and contacts garnered from her earlier business entity. Singh said AWWL did "pressure washing, glass and aluminium cleaning", with a competent staff of 25 persons, and in no time at all, was able to secure a very lucrative service contract, having successfully administered "an excellent demonstration" to its first client. "Two months after I officially registered AWWL, I landed my first big contract and was able to take it from there. "I said to myself if I could get this, then I could get another one and so I did," she said. Singh added: "There are many tenders that I'm going after right now and AWWL has started off really well and we have that first contract as our main referral."
Giving back
While she admitted to not being an "official" patron to any charity in particular, Singh said she never shied away from "giving back" to those in need around her. "I assist in giving donations to families and to people in my church and community. My company has made donations to a local children's home and to a school in Tobago," she said. Singh said: "I believe that one is successful for a reason and if you keep all of that success for yourself, bet your bottom dollar, you're going to lose it." "I have never forgotten God. He has been my guiding light. Everything about my business is dedicated unto God and that has been my main cause of success," she added.
Business not for everybody...
"Not everyone can have an idea and be successful at it. It takes carefully tailored management and a proper leadership style in order to manoeuvre staff, companies, marketing and sales for the growth and expansion of the business. "It takes a combination of charisma, education, style and integrity in order to make it," she said. Singh, who holds a Bachelors degree in Business Management, said, while one "may have an excellent idea", he/shemay not "have the knack for business" which involved a lot more than the flare of being your own boss. She advised "young people", desirous of having their own businesses, to "do a feasibility study, a good plan and an assessment of the profitability/practicality of the respective business." "Secondly, if you do happen to set up business, don't cut corners. Start along the straight and narrow path and know that whatever you put your mind, heart and soul to do, you would accomplish it," Singh said. She added: "I have never compromised myself because as a woman, there are men you would meet and they would say let's see how far she will be willing to go. "Because of my strong spiritual morals and values which were instilled in me as a child, I know when to draw the line - when to stay in order to complete the sale and when to walk away with my integrity intact."