Many people want to be entrepreneurs, but only a few know what it takes to be successful with a sustainable business. However, some successful entrepreneurs like Freda Anyanwu have become industry leaders and have taken the mantle to inspire, motivate, and educate others.
With over seven years of experience navigating the entrepreneurial space, business, and project management. Freda has created a haven for entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond with EBH Africa.
EBH Africa focuses on providing a one-stop place for African entrepreneurs to access resources for business growth, community, courses, information, and funding to build sustainable businesses.
From event planning to building an entrepreneurial digital hub
Freda always had an entrepreneurial mindset growing up, even while she studied for her computer science degree. She could have been a traditional ‘tech sis,’ but Freda thought the cons outweighed the pros. It was socially draining, and as someone with a strong flair for business, she decided to switch paths to entrepreneurship.
Her first encounter with entrepreneurship was during her undergraduate days when she started an Event Planning business. Six years after, her business had already become very successful. However, Freda believed that she needed to learn more about the space.
Freda Anyanwu landed a job with the Edo State Government as an assistant on entrepreneurship and MSME funding matters after graduating from the university in 2019. Three years later, Freda became the state’s new department head of entrepreneurial development. She was still dissatisfied with the societal impact of her work as the services were only limited to the state citizens.
At that time, she had become an expert in the space and has won numerous awards; the Superwoman 30 under 30 award for entrepreneurship, the 2020 Young Entrepreneur of the year by The Entrepreneur Africa Awards, the Entrepreneurship award by the Ladies of Honour Organization, Young Event Professional of the year 2021 by the BusyBee Excellence Award, award nomination for the 25 under 25 awards by SME100 Africa in 2019, Nigeria’s 30 under 30 influential young people by ANALAWGY Magazine.
According to Freda, the idea behind EBH Africa initially started as a community for entrepreneurs, a haven, and a support system for them to voice out their challenges and share their experiences. This community started with just ten people but currently has over 600 members and operates across ten countries globally.
How does EBH Africa operate?
EBH Africa started in 2020 to “create an ecosystem to drive business growth and sustainability in Africa, making entrepreneurship easy for the African entrepreneur.” Since its beginning, its network has impacted over 2200 entrepreneurs and is now home to over 600 entrepreneurs throughout Africa.
With EBH Africa, Freda Anyanwu has built an ecosystem for economic development with just the right tools and resources entrepreneurs need for sustainable businesses.
It focuses on four key areas; community, capacity building, support services, funding opportunities, values, and educational resources. Most of the mentors for these program verticals are subject matter and business experts.
Challenges entrepreneurs face other than funding
While many entrepreneurs concur that obtaining funding has been the biggest obstacle to starting, maintaining, and expanding their enterprises, Freda Anyanwu has a different opinion. She asserts that funding is a secondary challenge, especially in the early stages of any business. The founder is the main obstacle, in her perspective.
Funding is the secondary stage and the primary is do you have your ideas right, do you have your strategies right?…people want to jump into business or idea because it looks good on the idea.
She argues that entrepreneurs should broaden their perspectives instead of focusing on one ecosystem when considering a business strategy. She argued that many startups lack innovation because these business owners think every problem needs a solution.
Future plans for EBH Africa
EBH Africa is looking to establish zones to reach more entrepreneurs who need these services. For funding opportunities for these entrepreneurs, it seeks to expand partnerships with other entrepreneurs across and beyond Africa and the public and private sectors.
Freda also disclosed that plans are underway to develop a business education platform.
According to Freda Anyanwu, Africa has much to do regarding its economic development, and entrepreneurship is one of its backbones to eradicating unemployment. More people need to be equipped with the appropriate skill set and knowledge to build, run, and expand a sustainable business.
