A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MANAGING DIRECTOR :The hard task of finding trustworthy staff

Having untrustworthy workers is one of the biggest challenges I face. Many leave us yet we have trained them. They take away the new customers, promising to offer the services at a lower price. They end up tossing people around, hence tarnishing the company’s name. Our work is mostly about carpentry and joinery. So, when trainees damage most of the items, it results in losses.

Being a busy person, I start my day at 6.30am with preparations to work. I drop my son at his school in Bugolobi, then head to office. I am at the workshop by 7.15 am; it takes a short while since there is no traffic jam. I start by organising the workshop so that work commences at 7.30 am when everything is set. I have a light breakfast immediately after. Being a director, I am meant to follow the payments, check on orders and sign documents that are forwarded to my table. Such documents include material and readymade items, order forms, voucher forms, and cheques, among others.

Anatolia orders ready material from Iran and Turkey and does the carpentry and joinery here. I also supervise the different departments to ensure that the work is properly done. I also chair house meetings and also meet customers. Many of the clients want discounts, materials while others are raising complaints. So, I ensure that every customer’s query is solved any time they come in.

This kind of work goes on all through the day but I usually take off an hour’s break for lunch and resting. 6pm is the company’s official closing time but I normally extend it to 6.45pm since I have to leave all the books well balanced.

Building strong trust, a large customer base in and outside Uganda, being able to export the ready-made items to other countries are some of the achievements I have registered ever since the company started in 2003.

I am planning to open up branches around the country, including two in Rwanda and Burundi. Purchasing more high quality machinery is also on the plan list.

Vahid Moradi is the Managing Director Anatolia Enterprises Limited, 7th street Industrial Area.

As told to Christine Katende