The Gift of Business Growth: Maku Gifts, Papua New Guinea
A growing retail gift shop in Papua New Guinea is taking full advantage of subsidised quality business advice from a BLP approved accounting firm.
Maku Gifts is a retailer inspiring hope and creating business opportunities for artisans in Kokopo, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Owned and operated by creative entrepreneur Annette Sete, Maku Gifts creates, sells and displays local, handcrafted gifts and home decor.
Our latest article co-written by in-country partners Stratcom and Webmedia South Pacific, shows the very real impact of quality business advice for a growing business.
Annette Sete’s natural talent for design coupled with her desire to see local people involved in the creation of PNG inspired, sustainable crafts motivated her to begin Maku Gifts in 2015.
“We are creating inspirational handcrafted gifts, jewelry and home decor pieces using locally sourced coconut shells, sea shells and natural fibers,” explains Annette.
Whether a frequent visitor to Maku Gifts or a curious tourist, you cannot help but be compelled to visit the small kiosk, bursting at the seams with an array of brightly coloured gifts.
Handmade gifts available for purchase at Maku Gifts. Photo Credit: Maku Gifts.
“Maku really thrives off of people, our business is about building relationships.” Annette says.
The Maku Gifts brand reached new heights of success in 2018, after some timely business advice from experienced PNG business advisors, Beach Accounting Advisory (BAA).
“The current business environment in PNG is tough for small businesses, as they face issues that are unique to their own situations and conditions. We provide small and medium sized businesses with affordable accounting solutions and ongoing advice to help with their compliance, tax planning, growth and strategies, all of which has a direct impact on our economy and local business sector,” explains Akae Beach, owner of BAA.
Quality business advisory services that support growing businesses like Maku Gifts to tackle issues around tax and regulatory compliance, are invaluable and an easy way for small businesses to achieve their potential.
Alongside the sale of locally made jewellery and crafts, Annette has developed her own clothing lines, Lavagirl for women and Xplosion for men, both garnering success across the South Pacific region. Annette attended the recent Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival [6-9 June], an annual event initiated by the Fijian Fashion Council. The Festival was a unique opportunity for Annette to showcase her latest Lavagirl clothing line, in the opening group show.
Determined to help raise the profile Papua New Guinean fashion industry and extend her client base, Annette networked with potential distributors at the Festival, all the while advocating for the empowerment of women in the Pacific.
“Pacific women don’t need permission to become outstanding, instead they must get confident and run with it.” says Annette.
Beach Accounting Advisors (BAA), a BLP approved business advisor, offers solutions aimed at alleviating administrative burdens and giving business owners like Annette the necessary insights to run their businesses more successfully; whether they want to reach new markets or increase their client base.
Through the BLP programme, small and medium sized businesses in PNG are able to access BAA’s services at a cost-effective rate using the BLP Subsidy Scheme.
BAA provided Annette with a complete review of Maku Gifts’ accounts, reducing the burden of compiling half yearly or annual reports in the process. This tailored business advice allowed Annette to maintain focus on her business, providing her with business agility, reducing capital expenditures, improving efficiency and allowing her to scale.
Akae says that her firm continues to make bookkeeping, management accounting and taxation services affordable to PNG growing businesses like Maku Gifts, combining technology, experience and back office support at rates designed specifically for an SME businesses budget.
If you’re a growing small or medium sized business (between 5 and 50 employees) and you’re interested in more information about BLP services, contact us on [email protected]