Tania Wahab dreamt of becoming an employer instead of being an employee after completion of her study. She formally started running after her dream in 2005 and now there are 40 regular workers serve in her tannery business in the city’s Hazaribagh area.
Tania started her business when she was a student of the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology under Dhaka University. After ending education, she fully engaged herself in manufacturing and marketing of different goods made of leather.
“I also did job for a very short period and it was merely just to gather experience,” she said.
Now she runs two business houses-one is based on technical and another one is online based ‘TAN’. The first one works for supplying gift items to corporate clients while ‘TAN’ is engaged in marketing leather goods like bags, shoes and sandals. She exports leather goods in Canada and Sweden.
Earlier, she used to make only leather goods. But with the passage of time, artificial leather, jute and fabrics are being used to make goods like cover of diary, conference bag, wallets and gift items.
Recalling her sweet memories as a woman entrepreneur, she said, “I was selected for the best SME Entrepreneurship Award in 2008. With the invitation of International Trade Center, I also participated at Mifel Fair in Italy.”
In 2011, Tania went to the United States with a scholarship programme where 19 women entrepreneurs from 19 countries attended. She received honorary citizenship certificate from Pensacola city governor.
“There are many institutions to help, if someone proceeds with proper plan to become an entrepreneur. For example, Bangladesh Bank provides loan to women at 10 percent interest rate.
But the way is not easy as the new entrepreneurs do not get support without having family history in business.
However, success may come, if someone is determined to this end,” she said.
About her future plan, she said, “I want to establish the TAN as one of the best brands both at home and abroad for bags and shoes.”
