Women Unlocked: Lihle Mkhize's journey from party passion to business success

While many aspiring entrepreneurs have an idea of what products or services they want to sell, Langelihle 'Lihle' Mkhize's business idea came knocking on her door. 

Lihle is an event planner, concept stylist, and mother based in Pietermaritzburg. 

The 27-year-old comes from an environmental science background, and while she worked hard in the industry, it has never been her passion. 

Her entrepreneur journey began three years ago while she was organising a birthday party for her daughter. 

"In 2017 I took it upon myself to conceptualise, plan, and execute my daughter's first birthday party. At the time I had no intention of turning it into a business but I started getting requests from other parents to style their children's memorable occasions.  

"From then onwards I started planning bespoke celebrations. I pride myself in designing events that have your guests leaving with a lasting impression," she tells us. 

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Her business took a knock in the wake of COVID-19, as large gatherings like weddings and birthday parties were banned. 

"The lockdown has been extremely difficult for me and many of my fellow colleagues. We have had to put our heads together and try to come up with ways forward where we can still maintain a steady income and keep our passion alive. 

"We have had times where we could not plan events altogether, so I took it upon myself to make luxury boxed floral arrangements for gifting purposes. It was still very much in line with what I wanted to be doing but just scaled down immensely. Instead of planning your opulent 30th birthday instead, I was making money with gifting for that birthday," she says. 

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When lockdown restrictions slowly started to ease, Lihle picked up where she left off - albeit with smaller gatherings than she is used to.

She started servicing her clients with COVID-19-friendly celebrations. 

"I have been conceptualising very small and intimate gatherings where my team and I observe all the safety protocols and regulations stipulated by the government, and I also encourage the guests to do the same. We now need to sanitise our equipment, provide masks, observe social distancing, etc. It's quite challenging but we've embraced it as the new normal," the University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate says. 

During the lockdown, Lihle started a new business, Imana Homeware. She saw a gap in the market for a new venture that her clients would love. 

"Imana Homeware came about because clients still wanted to host dinner parties and celebrate with their loved ones but financial constraints due to the lockdown, coupled with a fear of having others up and about in their homes, had them planning their own special occasions. They would often contact me to hire cutlery and crockery, so I made an observation that there was a gap in the market for upscale homeware that was at a caliber that isn't found at your normal home décor shop."

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"It has been surprisingly easy juggling my two brainchildren and I think that this is attributed to them both being linked to my passion. All the work, effort, and time put it are to my benefit and I've upskilled myself immensely," she says.

While she loves what she does, Lihle admits that not having a steady income as a result of the lockdown affected her finances. 

"These are my two main sources of income, but having experienced so much uncertainty recently I am now job hunting so as to have a steady source of income no matter what."

Lihle now has two businesses under her belt, but when she first started she battled to find start-up capital to help make her dream a reality. 

"I think this is every young entrepreneur's struggle. It's not always easy to come about funding and in reality our dreams need money to take off. I was lucky that a select few were in a position to help me start and they did so," she says. 

The former Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School pupil says she was also "anxious stepping into the unknown" when she started her entrepreneur journey. 

"My passion and support for those around me pulled me through. The encouragement I received definitely gave me the courage to continue." 

She says there are three things she wishes she knew before becoming an entrepreneur: 

1. Stay true to your vision
2. Do not compromise on your value and work to secure any opportunity 
3. Be consistent

One of her biggest highlights as a businesswoman is being part of the Taste The Midlands Festival. 

"I was hired to style the VIP marquee and it was an unforgettable experience where we linked heritage and different cuisines for an explosion of fun. I would also have to include the first wedding I planned at my dream wedding venue, The Brahman Hills, to my highlights. "

Despite the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur, Lihle encourages women not to be afraid of pursuing their dreams.

"Go ahead and start. Even if you feel like you don't have the means or capacity to make large moves just go ahead and start. You're more likely to get support once people see your tanacity and willingless to try."

Find out more about Lihle's event planning business on Instagram and Facebook. You can also follow Imana Homeware on social media.

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Main image: Supplied