26 MBiz | may 2016
W
hen Ralston and Amanda De Zilva were growing up
in Sri Lanka, the inspiration for their future business
enterprise was literally growing all around them.
The brother-and-sister team developed a
genuine appreciation for pure Ceylon tea when they
lived near many of the vast estates which produce this
world-renowned commodity.
When the siblings immigrated to Canada eight years ago,
they recognized an opportunity to introduce Manitobans to the
exquisite taste of Ceylon tea and related tea infusions. Both
worked in the Sri Lankan tea industry, so they were already
very familiar with the product they intended to market through
their Chizma Tea Collections company.
Their business concept brewed for a few years. Then the pair
found an invaluable, one-stop resource in Winnipeg that helped
them realize their entrepreneurial dream.
"When my sister and I first decided to pursue our business
idea, we began working with Futurpreneur Canada, a national,
non-profit organization that helps young people launch their
own businesses," says Ralston. "We asked them where we
could get good information about succeeding in the Manitoba
tea industry, such as the various permits we might need and
other legal requirements. They referred us to the Business
InfoCentre (BIC) at the World Trade Centre Winnipeg (WTC
STEEPED
in
Success
Business InfoCentre serves tea company well By Nancy Boomer
