5 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Serial Entrepreneur Tania Rahman first launched her first business Chit Chaat Chai as a street food market stall receiving critical acclaim from the Independent and the BBC. Her Restaurant Chit Chaat Chai opened in London in 2016 and was nominated by The International Design awards as ‘Best Designed Restaurant’ and winner of Time Out’s ‘Best Local Restaurant’. She has now entered into the health and wellness space with her latest venture Pink Tiger Co. specialising in authentic ayurvedic supplements.
She was awarded Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 and recognised by the Mayor Of London Sadiq Khan as a ‘Success Start-Up Story’. Tania is an active voice for championing BAME & gender diversity within the UK workforce and has spoken at the House Of Commons. She currently acts as a valued stakeholder of the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) and is the Vice President Of Economic Social Governance (ESG) and Community at Alliance Manchester Business School where she is currently studying an MBA.
What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?
You can’t be what you can’t see which is why we need more women led businesses. Women led businesses inspire other women to pursue their dreams and research shows that these businesses outperform those led by men! It’s important to pave the way for the next generation of girls and show what the power of what a woman can do. Starting a business is a brave decision. You’ll be saying No to a steady pay check, a clear career path, a stable life all for the craziest rollercoaster journey.
However, in short, you only have one crack at this random accident called life, so why not live it so that you can sit in your rocking chair at 90 and look back with a big smile and think ‘that was fun!’.
What are your top 5 tips for entrepreneurial success?
1) Starting is the hardest part. Start anything, no matter how small it is. If you feel unsure or not quite ready it, let me tell you no one ever is.
2) Expect resistance, rejection, and lots of self-doubt. They’ll be many ‘No’s from customers, investors and even friends and family. Turn all that energy into an opportunity to believe in yourself, trust your intuition and your gut feelings to spear you forward. Like Gandhi said first they ignore you, then they laugh at you and then you win!
3) Ask for help. It’s often that’s hard to do, but it’s critical especially when you’re outside your competencies so you can learn to delegate which will fuel your business forward.
4) Build Trust which is an important currency in business. If you don’t trust your employees, they will behave untrustworthy. The good ones will leave you to move onto somewhere else where they are trusted.
5) Set boundaries early and don’t be afraid to be disliked. As a solo founder it’s hugely important to set healthy limits for yourself to keep your energy high, to ensure projects remain fun, AND to ensure the ultimate success of your business.
Who are the 5 women who inspire them the most?
I’m mostly inspired by the stories of everyday people as they are the ones that make the biggest impact.
1) The most inspirational to me is my Aunty – the first lady entrepreneur I knew to trail blaze her way through a traditional misogynistic industry building a successful group of restaurants, all while having four children and smiling every step of the way.
2) All the ladies that I have had the pleasure to know and hear their stories on my current MBA cohort at Alliance Manchester Business School. Such as Dearbhaile Gaffney her story of choosing to enter one of the most male dominated industries, engineering and constantly being the sole female throughout her entire professional career.
3) Zohra Khaku – multi talented bafta award winner, entrepreneur, producer, director of muslim youth helpline and now working to action against climate change.
4) Sheeza Shah – Social entrepreneur, social activist, investor and educator and founder of UpEffect a crowdfunding platform helping founders to raise capital from socially conscious customers.
5) Beyonce! Can you even celebrate IWD without ‘Independent Women’ or ‘Who Run The World’ playing as the anthem for the day?!
What is your favourite saying/inspirational quote?
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door! – particularly poignant for celebrating International Women’s Day.
Website & Socials
@chitchaatchai
@tania_rahman
