Best Friend Passion for Fashion by Siunipa Pahulu and Ofeina Tuita, a partnership which started from their bond of friendship. They shared the same talent for sewing fashion at the same time they both wanted to help their families. They came up with the idea to start a sewing business with the aim to utulise their given talents that they have been blessed with, and to encourage the youth of Tonga that sewing is a way of earning a living, but not just through studying at school.

The two friends first met at a rugby game in which they both play rugby and as their friendship developed, they found out that they both do sewing from their homes, and they quickly decided to team up, help each other and share their sewing workload so that they are able to avail their time to still participate in their rugby trainings and games.

As they progress further with their friendship and partnership in sewing, they found that working from home became a challenge with odd hours of work, customers not paying, can't separate their business from family expenses and needs, not able to save, they certainly needed some business guidance and support. They started planning to look at setting up their sewing business by looking for a suitable place to operate. This is when they came to see Lusia Jones, Director for TYEE to seek for help.

TYEE recommended to Best Friend Passion for Fashion owners to start with the Youth Business Incubator support program at TYEE where TYEE accommodate or incubate them in a shared incubator workspace. This will allow them to operate from a suitable and safe business environment while receiving the relevant opportunity and support to set themselves up in the right way of doing business. They are now on their second month within the business incubator and they have found it to be beneficial for them, not only they see improvement in their work and service to customers, meet new customers, but they are also able to make some money, manage it and save for the development of their business plan, and to help their families.

Best Friend Passion for Fashion operates from TYEE Incubator Workspace, Monday to Friday during business hours and they welcome all sewing request from young and old, male and female - they can sew it.

The advantages of working within a business incubator include:

• Reduced expenses: TYEE business incubator allow you to save money on office space, supplies, utilities and other overhead costs by splitting these expenses between other startups in the program.
• Learning opportunities: TYEE business incubator can provide you with mentors, coaches and other professional development services that help you make business decisions and develop effective strategies in financial management, legal issues, human resources and technology.
• Access to funding: TYEE business incubator can link new businesses with funding to help grow their business, such as venture capitalists or other investors. Participating in a business incubator can make your company more appealing to investors.
• Professional connections: TYEE business incubator provide opportunities for you to network with professionals in a variety of industries that can provide resources, partnerships and guidance for your new business. These relationships may develop between the companies in the program, program facilitators, mentors or others involved in the program.
• Singular focus: Participating in TYEE business incubator gives you dedicated time to focus on developing your new business. You'll learn time management techniques, get in the habit of following a schedule and be motivated by like-minded entrepreneurs.

TYEE business incubator is a specialised program designed as a space for new businesses to learn and grow. The programs provide services for entrepreneurs and startups while offering reduced rates for supplies and work space. 

Suva, Fiji, 5th October 2022: Seventy-eight enterprises from six countries were invited to attend the Pacific Greenpreneurs 2022 Incubator orientation, kick off workshops and networking events held by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)’s Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN). The in-person events were held between 21st September to 1st October in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, facilitated by the consultants in Fiji and Kiribati and implementing partners, Emstret Space (E-Space) in PNG, Samoa Business Hub (SBH) in Samoa, Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) in Tonga and Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Vanuatu.

Participating green enterprises are purpose-driven, with social and/or environmental missions and represent a diverse range of sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, circular economy & waste management, clean energy, eco-tourism, education & IT, construction & consulting. Fifty-eight percent of the ‘Greenpreneurs’ cohort are women-led and additionally 58% are youth-led enterprises.

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Photographs by South Seas Photography