Entrepreneurship is all about recognizing the opportunity to satisfy needs and gather and use resources to fulfill those needs. Fatima Davids has also become a successful entrepreneur as she recognized the opportunity of a chemical company. When she moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg, she has no money but all she has was determination. Davids was desperate to become a mother her two sons would be proud of after her second divorce, and she understood that entrepreneurship would provide her with the opportunity.
Although there has been much discussion about whether entrepreneurs are born or made, Davids knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur from a young age. Despite the fact that she started her business later in life, her competitive nature and desire to be her own boss kept pulling her forward.
Before becoming a business owner, she worked for 15 years at the SABC, where she maintained their national supplier database and was exposed to a variety of business opportunities. Despite her successful corporate career, she aspired to expand her expertise and start her own business. While working in corporate, Davids’s managed a few businesses with her family before starting her own.
She launched her own company CorpChem. CorpChem Chemicals is now a one-stop store for industrial and home chemicals, as well as protective gear and other chemicals-related things. David’s company operates in a male-dominated industry, and her perseverance and hard work have kept her motivated. CorpChem Chemicals’ consistent growth is aided by identifying a distinct competitive advantage.
Her business focuses on environmentally friendly chemicals because she wants to be part of the solution. Making compromises is a common part of entrepreneurship. Business is not simple. It is not for everyone, and if you truly want it to work, you will make those sacrifices. Businesses are now required to give back. Davids’s 100 percent women-owned firm is dedicated to providing environmentally safe chemicals, donating cleaning supplies to a creche, and hiring locals. Without Fatima David’s perseverance, none of this would be possible.
