There is a lot of hype in the interior decorating space about natural stones because they are elegant, sustainable, and easy to clean. Homeowners love using marble, granite, and natural stones to add luxurious finishing touches to their home décor. Nowadays it’s common to see natural stones used for kitchen tops, floors, wall claddings, bar counters and vanity slabs.
A small business that is catering to the growing demand for imported and locally sourced stones is Ital Granite. This Durban, KwaZulu Natal-based business specializes in the installation of natural and engineered stones. “My business model is to help my clients find the perfect stone that will add a personal touch to their decor,” he said.
The growing demand for trendy stones keeps the Ital Granite team busy with orders from housing developers, hotels, restaurants, and retailers. Some of their popular stones are Caesarstone, granite, marble, and quartz. Most of these stones are imported and the high and unpredictable exchange rates sometimes make it difficult for Sumeet to import stones.
As a small business owner in the highly competitive construction sector, it’s difficult for the business to compete with multinational companies. Loadshedding and high exchange rates are some of the challenges affecting the business. “When working on site, load shedding results in downtime for my workers and I still have to pay them even if work was not done,” he said.
Sumeet is confident he will overcome these challenges by finding innovative solutions. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs, I believe it’s in my blood,” he said. Growing up in a family of supportive entrepreneurs helps the electrical engineering graduate to run a successful business.
For more information on how to run a successful business that specializes in the installation and fabrication of stones, listen to this interview that was aired on Radio Al Ansaar.
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Sumeet Mangroo is a participant on the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme, an 18-month business accelerator powered by Fetola which supports the lasting success of businesses from across South Africa, particularly those owned by women, youth and people living with disabilities, and those in township and rural areas.
