Zulu-lulu : a case study
Zulu-lulu : a case study
While the Citrix study quotes big numbers , it only focuses on remote working via the Internet . There are potentially many other businesses that , with a little inventiveness , could realise the benefits of allowing workers to work from home . Such a company is well-known local ceramics studio , Zulu-lulu . Probably best known for its “ Dlamini ” figurines , Zulu-lulu is a KwaZulu-Natal Midlands success story . Dlamini figurines can today be found all over the world . “ We get enquiries from Venezuela and Peru , Australia and Europe — all over the globe ,” says Stuart Tompkins , who together with his wife Trayci established Zulu-lulu . “ People even collect them : some individuals have a dozen or so Dlaminis .” The unique figurines are given as gifts , prizes , and accolades , and are kept as mementos . The story of their birth is a charming one too . Trayci Tompkins , an established ceramic artist , was herself working from home when her part-time gardener , Tim Dlamini , showed an interest in her ceramic sculptures . He wanted to make something in clay too and was interested in faces , so Trayci showed him how to make a pinchpot head : a head and face built around a ball of newspaper for support , which then burns off during the process of firing the clay head . Tim took to sculpting with vigour and Trayci helped him refine his technique . Realising Tim ’ s curiosity for life , and with her natural talent for teaching , Trayci began mentoring the aspiring artist while she simultaneously developed the clay figurine that was to become the iconic “ Dlamini ”. Soon , KZN ’ s game reserves , airports , and the Durban beachfront and dry docks became their classroom , as Trayci sought to expose Tim to more experiences and influences . “ Seeing things we take for granted , like the size and scale of wild animals , aeroplanes and container ships through the eyes of Tim was an exciting journey ,” Trayci remembers . Trayci ’ s theatrical training was incorporated into lessons in “ expression ” and “ body language ”, and later led to the “ Art of Expression ” byline for the Dlamini range of characters , each with a different facial expression and symbolic thought perched on its head . “ With this mentorship programme well in place we began to see the potential ,” says Stuart , who at the time was pursuing a successful career in the steel industry . “ I ran the numbers and realised that this
Tim Buthelezi and daughter , Sharon , spend every day at work together . Buthelezi says working from home is ‘ much better ’.
could be a business .” Stuart and Trayci developed the idea into a range of different Dlaminis , and the family was born . In 2001 , they established Zulu-lulu as a business and trademarked the brand , which rapidly went from success to success . As the business grew , they soon ran out of space for their expanding staff complement at their home studio in Hilton , and in 2007 they moved to a larger property with a 450-square-metre studio in the Dargle Valley . When Piggly Wiggly , a kind of artsy country shopping mall for the rural KZN Midlands , opened in 2005 , Stuart says they understood its importance . The Midlands Meander — an established KZN Midlands rural shopping route with an artisanal bent that encourages a rambling , exploratory mode of shopping in the style of the “ slowfood ” movement — was changing . Stuart says they could see that Piggly Wiggly was where people with little free time , but with a yearning to escape city life for a moment , would come . “ We were the fourth tenant to sign up at
Piggly Wiggly ,” he says , “ And we started selling out of a small wooden shed while our premises were being built .” It was a smart move , and the business became even more successful . And then , five years ago , it all began to go wrong . “ As the recession bit , we started to lose business ,” says Stuart . The corporate market — a big buyer of Zulu-lulu ’ s Dlaminis — was tightening its financial belt . The electricity costs of running the pottery kilns were rising too , and the escalating cost of fuel started to make itself felt . For the first time in 10 years , Zulu-lulu ’ s profits declined . “ Overhead creep ,” says Stuart , “ is what we were facing .” Staff transportation costs were a significant overhead . While the Zulululu studio in the Dargle Valley was what was needed to accommodate all the staff members , it was a fair way from these workers ’ homes in Sweetwaters , on the other side of Hilton . The twice-daily commute added up in terms of costs and time . It was a huge inconvenience for the
44 | Issue 2 | Capital