As our world continues to grow so do small businesses. However, COVID-19 took a toll on small businesses while others started to grow.
A 2023 report from the Business Development Bank of Canada, which examined data from Statistics Canada, found that Canada has 100,000 fewer entrepreneurs than it did 20 years ago. This statistic has not stopped many young entrepreneurs from starting a business.
Among these emerging entrepreneurs is Annie Uwabor, a 30-year-old Black female entrepreneur from Whitby, who operates her business exclusively online.
Her passion for purses and bags dates back to her university days, where she often found herself sketching designs. Uwabor says, “I have sketch pads upon sketch pads of designs.”
When the opportunity to start a business arose, she was ready to embrace the challenging journey ahead.
Originally from Nigeria, Uwabor initially found the idea of establishing a successful business in Canada overwhelming.
However, she soon recognized the multitudes of “opportunities for women” and the supportive initiatives for female and Black-owned businesses.
In 2021, amidst the pandemic, Uwabor launched “Anire.” She quickly learned that many factors were out of her control, especially when it came to sourcing suppliers.
“Everything I did, I did myself,” she said. “Of course I made mistakes and I still make mistakes, but I’m learning as I go.”
Uwabor says she invested a lot of time dissecting other brands, their marketing strategies, product styles and launch methods. She said, “I thought I was ready to be honest.”
The difficulty came fast when she needed a supplier for her items. Her brand was not big yet, so she was low on the priority list for manufacturers. Currently, all her items are made in Spain.
For Uwabor, establishing trust with her clients is important. “They want to know you before they buy from you,” she said.
She said that it was still very difficult to make her name memorable and to have her product recognized upon sight.
Uwabor wants people to love her brand for what it is. She hopes that one day her business will be recognized for its distinctive designs.
“I do not want me before the brand. I want the brand before me,” she said.
One of her most anticipated moments is seeing her finished products, holding them and seeing her name on them. This moment she says, will affirm the realization that all her hard work paid off.
Uwabor encourages future entrepreneurs to dream responsibly, hold it close but don’t feel any shame if it doesn’t happen right away.
“It is okay to put it down for a while, but never, ever give up on that,” she says.
As she prepares for her next product launch, Uwabor is optimistic about the future of her business and Anire.