Dubai: Although it’s been over seven years since Sara Chemmaa, 39, made it her sole entrepreneurial mission to make meals imaginative and fun for toddlers, she still finds herself stunned that her money-making journey stems from her child refusing to eat from his lunchbox when at nursery.
"When my son, Ali, was 18 months old, I sent him to the nursery, and at pick up time, his teacher said that his lunchbox had leaked and his food mixed, and because of that, he refused to eat anything," said the Dubai-based Moroccan single mom.
This prompted the founder to research online for the perfect lunchbox – one that was leak-proof, had compartments, and was the ideal size for her toddler’s preferences. This initial search sparked further research and testing, ultimately leading to the creation of a UAE-born lunchbox brand Citron.
While the idea came to her in 2017, the first functional lunchbox was made in 2018. Then, the product range expanded, including an insulated water bottle, a snack box, a lunch bag, and food cutters in colourful styles, now selling across 48 countries in 1,000-plus retailers’ worldwide.
“Various costs included a license fee of Dh35,000 per year, a sponsor fee of Dh10,000 per year, warehouse and office space rental of Dh200,000 per year, plus expenses for design research and development, shipping expenses, and buying stocks or building inventory.”
Multitasking helps manage time
She went on to share how entrepreneurship first forced her to learn how she could balance work, her kids and time efficiently.
“I needed to know when to disconnect from work to be fully present for my kids. I developed multitasking skills, doing homework with my son while reading a story to my daughters. Being an entrepreneur has prepared me to be resilient and take on challenges head-on," Chemmaa said.
But long before she became a business owner, she had years of corporate experiences in the banking field, and then at a strategy consulting firm, that prepped her for a life of being her own boss.
"My first job taught me to work 20 hours to earn a bonus and grow. I remember staying up late in the office in my early days, trying to understand how I could over deliver and how I could do more than what was expected of me," she added.
"My most significant learning from corporate was that working hard was the only thing under my control, and if my output was top-notch, I was sure it would be seen and rewarded. With this motto, I reached high positions with high salaries very early."
Money tip #1: Live within your means, don’t overindulge in luxury purchases
Chemmaa admits she never thought about breaking even, i.e. the point at which cost and income are equal and there is neither profit nor loss, or making profits when she launched the company, which she credits her upbringing and her lifestyle, which trained her to be detached from money.
"I'm not someone who overindulges and shops all the time. Instead, I would save and spend my money on something I like that's worth it and is of good quality rather than spend randomly on small or cheap things."
Having lived and worked in Dubai since 2008, Chemmaa finds this city an attractive place to overspend. "We are constantly surrounded by ultra-luxury, and everything sounds reasonable. I know many people in immense debt but are showing off the excess wealth on the outside. I learned that all the luxury you see here is not self-funded. Therefore, being grateful for what you have is the most immense happiness." She plans to get more structured with savings and her retirement years, investing in real estate and securing some passive income for her retirement days.
Money tip #2: Conduct a cash flow analysis before investing in new projects
She observes many great businesses collapse due to poor cash flow and rarely due to a bad idea. "Hence, from very early on, we have been running the firm from a cash flow perspective; all investments and ideas are analysed first from a cash flow perspective and then from profit and loss, and sales.
“As a business owner, I always conduct a cash flow analysis before investing in new projects. For example, when considering opening a pop-up location, we evaluate not only the potential revenue but, more critically, the cash requirements of the initial investment and the time needed to recoup it.
“If the cash cycle appears too lengthy, I might choose an alternative project, such as investing in inventory. Many entrepreneurs overlook the cost of cash, yet a business that generates positive cash flow is far more likely to succeed."
