Entrepreneur brings taste of sea to Kohima

KOHIMA — While everyone seems to have an idea, a vision, and a determination to one day start their own business, the road to entrepreneurship is steep, but there are always some who are willing to climb.

Sasiengunuo, a private tutor, has transitioned from tutoring at home to fulfilling her dream of opening a seafood shop in Kohima town through savings accumulated over the course of five years. She has manifested her vision into reality and now manages the outlet solo.

In an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror, Sasiengunuo shared the story of her journey and more, highlighting the perseverance that led her to establish the venture, ‘Enchanted Quest’, in the heart of the state capital.

Her quest to curate a selection of frozen seafood was motivated by her childhood interests and a keen awareness of the scarcity of such offerings in Kohima and her offerings include octopus, crab, squid, lobster, and prawns, among other items.

Sasiengunuo explained that she made the decision to start her own business because relying solely on income from tutoring wasn’t providing enough support. Although she was encouraged to continue with home tuition, she realised she couldn’t handle both responsibilities effectively.

Speaking about the establishment of her outlet over the past month, Sasiengunuo recounted her passion for seafood and noted a lack of such offerings locally. She observed a growing interest among youth in seafood and attributed this trend to the influence of Korean movies and dramas.

She advised aspiring entrepreneurs not to remain idle at home but to take proactive steps towards realising their business aspirations and stressed the importance of humble beginnings, highlighting her own journey.

She underscored the value of financial prudence, advising against frivolous spending. Instead, she encouraged saving and seeking opportunities to initiate ventures.

Sharing that initially, even her parents harboured doubts about her venture into selling frozen food, she said that, however, witnessing the positive responses from customers, they soon embraced her decision. She expressed gratitude towards her cousin for aiding in setting up the outlet.

She stated that she is ensuring that her seafood is affordable to customers and is also offering home delivery.

Located across from KAK, Sasiengunuo’s outlet at the Ahoto Building also provides a variety of products, such as smoked pork, nuggets, French fries, sausages, assorted beverages and other items.