He urged listeners to become part of the establishment wherever they go, and get a hold in the professional or business organizations in their respective fields, thus contributing to the advancement of the professional bodies and get recognition through success. And quoting Lord Francis Bacon who said “I hold every man a debtor to his profession”, Lord Sheikh shared his belief that ever member of the Diaspora is a debtor to his country of origin.
He went on to explain what he thought were the essential ingredients for success in business.
- Build a strong team.
- Be Innovative
- Look for new opportunities
- Have a vision!
- Produce a product that provides value for money and is appropriately priced
- Have an active marketing strategy
- Always place great importance on customer care and ensure that standards of service are always high.
To be successful in business, one needs to look at trends and think of making products and services that will be needed. “Be a leader”, he urged, “think of something new, what the trend is going to be”. He recalled how his father used to tell him to follow three principles in life: to be the best in whatever he does, to be magnanimous and charitable and lastly, to always serve the community.
He said that the Diaspora of any foreign country tends to do well in the UK, but it must always remember where it comes from and keep affiliations with the mother land. “Your country needs you”, he said forcefully. He reminded that Winston Churchill considered Uganda to be ‘The Pearl of Africa’, that Uganda still maintained that lustre and that the Diaspora has a role to play to ensure that the shine is maintained and continues to be maintained.
