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Three years ago, my friends
and I set out on a mission
to build a business that was FROM
not only profitable but also
regenerative and community-
driven. We didn’t have a grand
plan or any prior experience YOUTUBE TO
in entrepreneurship. In fact,
our journey began in the
simplest of ways-watching a
YouTube video about seaweed BUILDING A
farming. Little did we know,
this moment of curiosity would
lead us to create one of Sri
Lanka’s largest exporters of $400,000
dried seaweed and launch
innovative products under our
brand, Seashore Garden. SEAWEED
Today, we work with over
50 families in the northern
region of Sri Lanka, supporting COMPANY:
sustainable seaweed farming
practices. Our products,
including all-natural sea moss
drinks and gels, are available LESSONS IN
on platforms like Uber Eats
and in cafes across Colombo
and the southern coast. We REGENERATIVE
have even established our own
research and development
(R&D) lab, helping other BUSINESS AND
businesses bring their dream
products to life. With our
latest investment round, ENTREPRENEURSHIP
our company is valued at
$400,000. This is our story and By Shawn Senarath
the lessons we have learned
along the way.
73 From Campus to Corporate Leadership l Aug/Sep 2025 l www.bimt.lk From Campus to Corporate Leadership l Aug/Sep 2025 l www.bimt.lk 74
FIND YOUR NICHE AND MASTER THE POWER OF COLD OUTREACH
YOUR PRODUCT Cold emails and calls might seem
One of the biggest challenges in intimidating, but they are invaluable
starting a business is deciding what tools for building connections. In the
to focus on. For us, it was seaweed. early days, we spent hours crafting
personalized emails to potential clients
We saw an opportunity in a product worldwide. Out of hundreds of emails,
that had growing demand globally but only a few replies came back, but
limited supply in Sri Lanka. Whether
you are starting a business in food, those few were pivotal.
technology or services, find a niche The lesson here? Persistence pays
where you can stand out. off. Cold outreach requires thick skin
Once you have identified your product, and resilience, but it’s a skill that every
distinguish yourself by excelling in one entrepreneur should master.
key area, such as in: quality, quantity,
or pricing. For instance, in the seaweed BUILD A STRONG TEAM
industry, we focused on quality and No entrepreneur can succeed alone.
consistency, which set us apart One of the most valuable lessons we
from competitors. Your niche is your
foundation, so make sure you build it have learned is the importance of
building and investing in a talented
strong. team. Identify your own weaknesses
and hire people who excel in those
As a new business, consider focusing areas.
on B2B (business-to-business)
clients first. B2B sales provide a For example, none of us had technical
stable revenue stream and allow you expertise in product development,
to demonstrate proof of concept so we brought on specialists to help
to potential investors. Early on, we with our R&D. Today, we not only
secured our first export client after have a strong internal team but also
sending over 600 cold emails. Only
one responded, but that client remains collaborate with experts to innovate
and expand our product line.
a partner to this day. This leads to
another key point: perseverance. In Your team is your most important
entrepreneurship, one successful asset, so take the time to find the
connection can open doors to right people and foster a culture of
countless opportunities. Don’t get
collaboration and growth.
discouraged by rejection; each “no”
gets you closer to a “yes.”