Unemployed 7 Got Life�s Lemons, They Made Lemonade
Chakalisa Dube | Monday February 12, 2018 11:22
After several years of failing to secure employment, seven graduates in the field of information and technology, business administration as well as marketing and finance, decided to come up with an advertising agency, Time Lag late last year.
The company, which currently operates in Monarch at a Liquor Complex, is owned by Patimile Kwelagano, Mbuso Kwelagano, Oabona Ndjavera, Nicole Kwodwani, Coen Ndaba, Siibile Leburu and Thabiso Sebina.
“We have decided to establish our own business to help government to curb unemployment. Government has been urging unemployed graduates to venture into business that can also absorb other unemployed graduates roaming the streets,” one of the Time Lag directors, Patimile Kwelagano said.
Time Lag offers an array of services such as web design, graphic design, online marketing and brand promotion.
The company has also designed a mobile application (app) that connects businesses and their clients. According to Patimile, the app is their main product because it will give them a competitive edge in the market.
“The application is called ALL1N1. It was specifically designed to help companies give extensive exposure about their products and services to clients. In an era where technology plays a critical role in the lives of most people, we felt that the app is the most convenient way that businesses can use to interact with their clientele,” Patimile said, adding that their main focus at the moment is to market ALL1N1.
The mobile app has sub-categories such as the chat room, which offers clients a platform to enquire about company products and services (from companies that have subscribed to use the application from Time Lag). There is also the media section, which allows the companies that utilise the application to download videos of their products for marketing purposes.
“The application also has the time sheet. The time sheet can be used to monitor the hours worked by employees to ensure accurate record keeping. Accurate records play a key role in any business, especially for evaluation purposes,” he said.
Kwelagano said that the company was funded by a group of investors who are not directly linked to the company.
“It was difficult to secure funding we wanted from lending institutions. We then approached some individuals to fund the business under the agreement that they will get a certain share of our profits,” he said.
Kwelagano said that the future of the business looks promising.
“We have had several well-known clients such as Midas, Francistown Panel Beaters and Skip Hire, who have utilised our mobile app and other services we offer. We are hopeful that soon we will clinch more deals that will help us strongly penetrate the market. Our mobile application is generating so much interest,” he said.
Kwelagano explained that just like most businesspeople, their ultimate goal is to grow their venture and hence create more employment.