BUSINESS
BEING an entrepreneur is not for the faint-hearted. It comes with its own risks and failures. Those who understand the “game” are able to play through defeats, trials and tribulations.
A lot of times we hear success stories of individuals in our community who have started their businesses from small micro to small medium enterprises and grow to become successful big businesses. However, what we do not see is the struggles, tears, pain, heartaches, and in some cases family separation behind their pursuit of building a business.
Starting a business in Papua New Guinea is a feat only a few manage to accomplish and become successful at it. And they do not do it by themselves, but with the support of their family and those around them who believe in their potential.
In a work trip up to Mount Hagen, Western Highlands, I was introduced to a SME owner by the name of Samuel Manti. He owns several fast foods restaurants in the city. Those who travel to Mt Hagen would be familiar with the famous Hagen Chips at Dobel, 4-Mile, near Kagamuga airport. That is one of Manti’s three restaurants.
Manti, 43, operates the family business, Meken Mini Mart, with his wife Samantha, 37. They have two children, Jabert Manti, 17, and Ashton, 15.
Before the success of his current business, Manti previously operated a transport and logistics business, mostly heavy duty trucks, which he had bought through a SME loan with the BSP Financial Group Limited in Mt Hagen. At that time Manti was an avid alcoholic and gambler. He would spend all his income on gambling, without savings or repaying his loan on time. That had resulted in the bank declaring his business bankrupt, with K300, 000 loan arrears to be paid in 2019.
From the year 2020 to 2022, Manti had struggled to repay the loan he had taken from BSP. He had no source of income and the bills kept on increasing.
Speaking to The National, he described that particular period of his life as “depressing”.
“I gave up on life because I saw that there was no turning back from the situation which I was in. My wife and I would sometimes drive out by ourselves late at night and discuss why we had to get such loans and how we would repay them. It was a really bad period of our lives. But through it all my wife had never once lost faith,” Manti said.
Staff serving customers at Samuel’s restaurant which mainly sells the famous Hagen Chips.
Just when Manti wanted to give up on his hopes and dreams of owning and running a successful business, he met Mt Hagen BSP Branch Manager Theresa Pilamb.
Pilamb was a champion in her own right for her immense contribution in advising and encouraging SMEs owners in Wabag (which she was previously the branch manager there) and in Mt Hagen, on how to grow and manage their businesses while repaying loans on time.
I gave up on life because I saw that there was no turning back from the situation which I was in. My wife and I would sometimes drive out by ourselves late at night and discuss why we had to get such loans and how we would repay them. It was a really bad period of our lives. But through it all my wife had never once lost faith
When he first got a call from Pilamb, he almost choked.
“My initial thought was that the bank would recoup all my remaining properties and that would be the end of me,” Manti recalled.
“However, to my surprise, Theresa called and said she only wanted to check up on me and the family and how we were doing. At that point I had no choice but to admit that I owed the bank money and I could not find a way to repay my loans. All my trucks were not working I barely took care of my own little family.
“And I could not forget these words Theresa told me. She said “I believe in you, and I know you can get back to chasing your own dreams but it starts with you setting your priorities straight and put God first, your family and business.”
Long story short, with Pilamb’s advice and encouragement, Manti managed to repay all his loans. Upon completion of his loan repayment, the bank approved another additional loan of K200,000 as capital to start his restaurant business.
An emotional Manti described the moment in detail. “I remember driving with my wife one evening and I told her that her faith and made everything possible.”
“There are moments and people in life which are close to our hearts and mine is my wife Samantha, my kids and Theresa,” Manti said.
After listening to Manti sharing his story, I went to meet Pilamb to get her side of the story on how she had helped Manti.
And just as Manti had described Pilamb, an energetic, God-fearing and wise woman, there she was, all smiling at the media crew when we walked into her office for the interview.
Without trying to get all the credit for herself for helping hundreds of SME owners, Pilamb said that the credit goes to BSP for providing the kind of services and products that boost economic growth in the community level for simple farmers and SME owners.
“I am only playing my part as an employee of the bank to guide those that I see have the potential to do something great with what they have and that was what I saw in Manti and a couple of other SME owners in my community.”
Pilamb said that most people give up when all they need was a little push through positive words of encouragement and advice.
She said that she had knew Manti as a young man and saw someone with potential of owning a thriving business in him.
“I called him (Manti) one time and I told him that he was still young and had plenty of time to repay all his loans and still apply for a new loan and start something fresh, and that was exactly what he did and I am proud to see him grow,” a joyful Theresa said.
When asked what he had learned from his own journey in becoming an entrepreneur, Manti said without hesitation Manti, “God, family and genuine friends who believe in your dreams.”
“There are a lot of people like me out there who might be in the same situation like I was or maybe worse. I encourage you to be patient, live through the pain, struggles and continue to have faith in God that you will find a way out,” Manti added.
Although I went to provide media coverage for the Dobel BSP retail banking branch opening, Mantis story somehow inspired me and brought me into the unseen world of the life of an entrepreneur.
Like Manti perfectly summed up; “In life, have something to aim for, your passion, something to keep you focused, your Samantha, a guiding angel, your Ms Theresa Pilamb, and your faith in God.”
This post was originally published on here
