27 min read

Meet Lusanda Omelo Building Africa’s Largest AI Tools Directory

December 16, 2024

Meet Lusanda Omelo Building Africa’s Largest AI Tools Directory

Lusanda Omelo is the founder of findaiforthat.com, an online directory for AI tools, allowing users to discover and explore a wide range of artificial intelligence solutions.

Additionally, Find AI serves as a content hub, offering valuable resources and insights tailored for both AI enthusiasts and professionals who aim to stay informed and enhance their skills. Lusanda is currently immersed in AI and tools to help businesses become more efficient enhancing the customer journey.

Lusanda Omelo shared with Today Africa the story of findaiforthat.com, how it began, and where they are now.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I love it when people ask who’s Lusanda because it puts you in a place where you also get to question yourself as to how you identify yourself. Lusanda is first and foremost born again Christian. I am married and I am a mother of five children. Born and bred in South Africa.

I have a background in marketing and advertising. And about four years ago I started a digital marketing business based on all my experience within the marketing field. And as I was doing this, I started dabbling around with AI tools.

That’s when I realized that actually life doesn’t have to be so difficult. So I fell in love with AI tools and started really just working on it. And finding out more and studying the subject and then initially deciding actually everybody needs to know about that.

Businesses don’t need to suffer. Small businesses don’t need to have big budgets to employ people. Big business has an opportunity to leverage on AI and be better efficient using AI. Basically that’s how I got to where I am today.

What’s your backstory and how did you come up with your business idea?

I’ve always been a business minded person. I think I am one of those born entrepreneurs. Of course entrepreneurship can be learned, but I definitely can say that I’m a born entrepreneur.

I think anybody who knows me, knows that I sold something to them once in their lifetime. And this is from childhood. I’m only selling something and that’s where the passion started. But then as you grow, you realize it’s not just about selling something. But to close the gap in the market and to basically solve a problem.

So as you mature and you grow, you do realize that you need to take a stance and take a look to say what problem am I looking to solve? And for me, it was digital marketing. Remember, I started my business during COVID. So there was definitely a gap.

You must remember at that time, everybody was indoors. Businesses were like, what are we going to do? It’s COVID. We need to show up online. And I was like, here’s a gap. So I pushed during that season, took that gap, started the business and got good clients at that time.

And then as the business was growing and as I was also maturing in the business. I saw another gap, which is AI, where it led me to where I am today.

Can you describe the process of launching your business?

For me, the starting point is to understand the markets and what the market is needing. Many entrepreneurs start their businesses just by seeing a gap in the market and really going for it.

I’m talking about entrepreneurs, not just people who just wanna make a buck. And so you see, if you are thinking about starting a business, you can start with research. So you do your research to say, here are my interests. How will this specific thought that I have solved a problem in the market.

Then you go on to start understanding how this business sorts out this issue in the market. You check your competitors, then you check your audience, who are you speaking to? How are you going to speak to them?

And then you go ahead and launch your business amongst other things that you also need to set up whether you’re going to start up with already going the legal route. This means getting your business registered, or perhaps just starting it as a side hustle to test how the market is receiving your products and then you go to launch.

What were the challenges that you faced in the early days of your business or in your early days as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge that I had was underpricing. There’s a problem of going into business with emotion. So what I mean by that is you get there, you’re like, listen, I just wanna help people. I don’t wanna be too expensive. I just wanna help people.

That’s all good. You know, you mean well in wanting to help people, which is great but count the cost. So you can imagine now coming from a corporate position. You’ve had consistent salary, and then you move into business and then you are great, you get clients, but you feel like you are now working so hard for those clients.

So that was my challenge. I was working so hard and it was difficult to employ because my costs were so low. So the costs that the clients would pay me were not giving me enough revenue to be able to grow the business and get employees.

That was one of my biggest challenges. And I think that challenge is a personal challenge which you learn from as a business. I think I went in with my feelings and then it actually did cost me. So that was my challenge.

Now here I am doing well and needing to tell my clients, I need to increase my pricing. So, a 10% increase is fair. But once you start increasing to double the pricing, there is a problem. But I don’t feel too bad for that because at the end of the day, it got me to where I am to say there’s gotta be another way to work things out, which is how I got into AI in the first place.

I couldn’t afford employees. I could only outsource here and there when the pressure was really on. But my business wasn’t making enough so that I could build a team of 15 or 20 people who would be able to assist me. I think for me, it was a pricing issue. And I’ve definitely learned from that.

Tell us about your business. What does your business really do and who are your target audience?

Basically at the moment we are in an AI era and what I love about it is everybody in the world is still in the infancy stage. So that’s a starting point. All levels are equal at the moment.

I don’t think there’s anyone that can stand and say for sure that I am an AI guru. Because it is still evolving. It is still changing on a daily basis. And anyone who’s doing anything on AI will have to admit that it is ever changing, that we need to keep up all the time.

So that is the starting point. That in itself, for me, was an opportunity to enter the market when the industry is raw. It’s an opportunity for you to put yourself as a need in that industry. That’s number one.

And then secondly, you also put yourself in a place where it’s okay not to know. Because we’re also figuring things out. But to get back to your question, what my business does is, the business is mainly around my website, which is findaiforthat.com.

And so what it is, it’s an AI directory, right? So what we do in the directory, you basically see various AI tools for different tasks. So the problem it solves for business owners is if you, as a business, are saying to be better at editing. I’m needing a tool that can help me.

You go to “Find AI for That” and you search for video edits and it will give you options. So there’s different AI tool partners that are listed there and so you basically have access to that. Whatever AI tool that you’re looking for, whatever task that you’re looking for, we have got it listed and we don’t have everything yet, but we are progressively growing into that.

We started on a thousand and we are increasing to about 2000 today. I know we well over 1500 today, but hopefully by the time we close the year, we will be on between 2000 and 2500 tools. So essentially that is what we do.

And then what I have also been doing is to work with businesses to say, here are the different AI tools you can implement in your business. So businesses are excited about AI. They want to start on AI, but if you have an understanding on how to even start, we are saying, here’s the different tools that you can use for your business.

Where are the problems? Which areas are you stuck in? Which areas does your team spend two weeks doing work? And how can we change that two weeks to one hour? It’s really as incredible as that. So that’s what my business does. I also do AI education. I’ve been fortunate to speak to various corporates as well, and various businesses about AI.

AI is scary for many employees. The fact that AI will take our jobs. And I always think that there needs to be a sort of a change management and conversation that needs to be had with your staff members and say, listen, this is to help us to be better efficient.

You have to learn how to be efficient in your work, and here’s how you can actually save your job. So those are the conversations, and that’s what I do in my business.

You’re advocating for business owners, freelancers to use AI to make their task easier and equally to save time. So what do you have to tell people that are still rigid about using AI?

I have to be honest to say, I, in the beginning, didn’t want to tell my clients I was using AI. I was like, you know what? What will they think of me? But it is what it is. AI is not going away. And I think the most important thing is not to ignore it. We cannot pretend like it’s not going to happen.

Don’t pretend like it’s not going to happen to your industry because chances are it already has started anyway. So the more I read and look at AI tools that are available, the more I am convinced of this, that it is the people that use AI that will be the better employees.

For example, I come across thousands of AI tools literally. But the more I look at these AI tools, the more I realize that it’s the people in that specific industry that will be better in doing prompts for you know on ChatGPT or whatever that will be the best.

Let’s say for example a copywriter. If a copywriter uses AI That’s not a good example because they’re supposed to write. But if a copywriter uses AI, they will know how to put in the best prompt. Because they understand what is required of a good copy.

So if a person is a video editor, they will be the best person to use a video editing AI tool. Because they understand better what is required from a good and well done video. If a person is a lawyer, they will understand best what the legal aspects are of a document rather than a layman like myself, who can just come up with a good prompt, right?

So my approach is to teach those people in those industries already to say, here’s how you can get better. And it’s, so in doing that, you are now able to, you’re now able to work on your documents, you’re now able to serve your clients better and all of that. That is really my approach.

If you are in a specific industry, don’t run around and be trying to figure life out. You are already where you are, start where you are. And once you start embracing AI within your industry, you really will be the best within that specific industry.

And really that is the message for me, to say, just take it within your industry. There’s no need to be running around. There’s nothing to be figuring out. Just figure out how it works within your industry. And I think that is where you should be as an employee or as a business person.

What problems do you want solved? And what tool is able to solve what problem for me? I think it is quite important. I think that should be our approach, honestly, and we will be friends with AI, but it’s not going away.

How did you raise capital for your business when you started?

Like I said, I am more of a natural born entrepreneur. So basically I do have the ability to start a business on zero base or a very low base. Perhaps not zero base because you need a few things to get started.

For example, in my case, I needed Wi-Fi, I needed a laptop, and to get me going with digital marketing, and then obviously to pay for tools that assist me in the business itself. So to answer your question, no, my business was not funded. It was self-funded.

Basically everything that I have gained within the business has been paid for by the business. And that’s how I have grown. I think it’s also quite important not to be discouraged by not having funds.

Otherwise we will never start. It’s also quite important to start where you are and where you have your base. I’m not a believer of grow big or go home. I’m a believer of starting where you are and build up. Then you will perhaps come to a place where you will need to scale and get funds.

But let me tell you something about getting funds. A dog chases a moving car. So already, if you are in business, it’s easier to state your case and put your case to say, I’m needing funds, here’s what I’ve done, rather than trying to sell an idea.

What’s your business model and how does your business generate revenue?

We’re definitely in business to make money. There are various income streams that I have from my business. Number one is from the website, as I mentioned. And secondly, it’s from the work that I do directly with clients.

So on the website in itself, I have partnerships with various businesses, various companies, the creators of these AI tools. And that’s how I generate an income. And then there’s an income that comes from me consulting with businesses. Then there’s an income that comes through from training. And then there’s also influencer partnership.

Since you launched, what has worked in attracting and retaining customers for your business

It’s consistent. Consistency is what attracts and keeps your customers. So when you make a promise as a business, when you start a business and you have a promise. For example, a promise that I am putting up AI tools that will help you to become better efficient, and that when you look for these tools. You’ll be able to find them on the website.

And I need to keep that. I need to then keep refining that promise. Let’s say, for example, when I started, I started on 500 tools, I needed to increase those tools so that people get more value. I then needed to work on how people are searching for things, how people are searching for tools, how do I make it easier for them to find me?

For example, when you would search initially, my search terms were rigid words like business, editing, and design. And then when we sat down and took a look at the website, I was like, no, people don’t look for business. They don’t look for design, and they don’t look for that.

People look for translation tools. People look for video editing tools. So how do I keep my audience wanting to come back? I need to get myself in a place to think as they think. How do they search? When people are looking for educational AI tools, they search educational tools, they don’t go to business.

When they are looking for AI tools to solve maths problems, they don’t go to business, they search for AI tools to help me with maths. So those are the small things that you need to look at as a website owner to say what is the user experience? And it’s the user experience that will keep people coming back and will help people to continue talking about the website.

How do you manage your time and prioritize your task adequately as a business owner, consultant, and mother?

I don’t know if there’s anything called balance and I have to be honest. But I think there’s different seasons in life where one thing becomes a priority over the other. I don’t think there’s really a balance. It’s just at that time.

What is the key priority? When your kids are still young, perhaps the priority is to be more available for them. When your business is still growing, perhaps the priority is to focus on the business and nurture it a little bit more and let it grow. And I have to say that using AI tools, using automation, I automate a lot and it has really been a game changer for me.

Because for things like content creation, I no longer take like two weeks to create content. I’ve got one day of content creation and then that’s automated for the next two weeks or whatever. For me, AI tools automation has been a game changer. It’s allowed me not to choose. So I don’t have to choose now. I can be all those things that I want to be and even more.

You’re an advocate of business owners using AI to simplify and streamline their task or their business operations so what’s your approach to hiring and building a team?

I absolutely love that question, especially in light of the fact that we are using AI. For starters, when as a business you have an idea, you may not be the best person to execute it. But the advantage is that you know what you want to do and you know what the end will be.

So you employ somebody who’s better than you. It’s so important to employ somebody who’s better than you. Because they will be able to then execute your business and your dream. That for me is so important to get somebody that’s more knowledgeable than me.

So I can say, here’s what it should look like, what are the possibilities? And that person is able to put it together for me. And in the world of AI, I also like people that believe there are endless possibilities. So I’m quite open to people that are quite innovative. They are future thinkers, rather than working with people that believe that things remain the same.

I mean, people like us have worked in corporate for a long time, you are told, no, this is how we do things here. I am for innovation. And that really works for me. I like hard workers. But I like smart workers. I like people who always think they’ve got an easier way. And usually there is.

You are using AI but there are still systems and processes in your business. What are those systems and processes that you have built that helps in smooth running of your business?

I’ll tell you why that question is so important to me because business owners will call me and they’ll say, no, just implement AI. But the most important thing in any business is to have systems and processes.

That is the core, for me, I feel it’s the engine of making the business run. And having processes and systems is not for big business only. It is for small businesses as well to be able to have processes and systems. So it’s important to understand how your business flows.

How do you flow from point A to getting revenue? And for me, processes are the answer to that. You cannot automate without having processes or a system. When you do automation already, there are processes and systems that need to be put in place, which is one of the first things that I would do if I get into a business.

My first question is, what processes are you using? Then after understanding there’s no processes, then we put the first thing we need to put those processes in place. For example, using a CRM system that allows the whole business to have a view of what’s going on in the business.

You can access it whether you’re at home and I can access it whether I’m at home. So that information doesn’t live on somebody’s laptop. God forbid the laptop gets stolen. Then we all start running around, oh, Lusanda’s laptop has been stolen, it’s a crisis.

But the CRM system helps you, number one, to be able to have a common table where everything is put on. Your contacts are there, uploading invoices, your sales lists are there, your operation procedures are there, and whatever it’s happening within the office.

Your resources and the business resources, they all live on that system. Once we have a CRM system, then it is easier to look at the different notes within the business to say. Now that we’ve got all of this, where do we spend most time and how can AI help us?

Let’s say for example sales is spending too much time cold calling. So how do we then use an AI lead generator to be able to scrape data, to be able to get sales leads, how do we then automate that into email, how do we then automate from email into implementing an appointment setting capability.

How do we then move from the appointment setting into getting a link immediately, like a Zoom link? And how do we then take that Zoom link and translate that into text? How do we then take that text and pull out the key topics that were discussed? And then how do we then send that to the client into a proposal format based on the processes of your business and that whole process can actually be automated.

That full process from lead generation into putting an invoice together, then there’s another process that you may need to start to say, now the client signs on, how do we do the onboarding process, which can also be automated. So just in a nutshell, processes are the heartbeat of running a small business and for better efficiency.

I know people that are excited, oh, no, just implement AI. It’s almost like AI is a button that you can press and it will solve your problems. But we implement that as part of processes in a system.

How are you positioning your business to be ahead of others in this AI era?

That’s an important question. So it is firstly through education. I think my starting point is the understanding that I don’t have all the answers like I’ve said before. And I’m not a guru, so I think me understanding that is my superpower. So I don’t have the pressure to have all the answers on Al but I will figure it out.

So there is a need for continual education on AI on my side. And I must say, I’m also in a fortunate position that I do get the founders and builders of these AI tools, sending information, hey, Lusanda, here’s what we’ve done. Please take a look at it and we want you to comment on it.

And that is great. It’s obviously not at a big scale as I would ideally like to be, but at the moment that is how it’s happening. And I think interacting with users is so important for me. That’s why I’m very active on social media. Interacting with users helps me to understand the questions that people have on AI and to see how I can get those answers and be ahead.

What I’m chasing is information for my users and what people need and that can only be done through education. So it’s continual education, continual reading, it’s continual going through the news.

And again those processes of going through the news and continual reading, that stuff can also be automated now. The scraping of news on AI from various countries, some news I miss but the important ones I get and basically that’s how I do it.

How is your business doing today and what does the future look like?

Today my business is definitely in its infancy, totally in its infancy. But the direction it’s looking at is definitely growth. And for the future, there’s a few things that I’m looking to implement in the business and things that I’m comfortable to share with.

Outside of just AI tools, I think one of the biggest questions that I continually get is how do I use a certain tool as a nurse? How do I use a certain tool as a whatever? So there’s an opportunity there to cluster the different AI tools for industry so people can have access to the tools based on industry.

That is one of the immediate future plans to have that up. Next in line is perhaps a YouTube channel or a podcast, still not sure what direction, but to have conversation on AI within an African context and what it’s doing for our continent and how we are leveraging AI as a continent for me is quite important.

And it’s quite impressive that we are actually quite ahead with the usage of AI. I think predominantly because we are a continent with many problems, compared to our counterparts. I’m glad that Africans are taking it as an opportunity to fix those problems.

That is what I would like to explore on how Africans are using AI. I’m hearing exciting stories. It’s incredible what people are doing with artificial intelligence within the African continent specifically. And that’s one of the stories I would like to tell.

What are some key lessons that you have learned in your journey as an entrepreneur?

For me, the biggest lesson is don’t become too attached to the idea. Because it’s the market that may determine how the idea will play itself out. Be comfortable with whatever the market is telling you and just always be ready to pivot.

Otherwise, you will die in a situation of a business that’s not working. So I think sometimes we become so attached to what we’re doing because we’ve invested so much. We’ve invested our time, we’ve done research, people know us as this.

So we become over invested and yet it’s not working. If it’s not working, it’s time to pivot and that’s okay. I think that is the biggest lesson to be able to pivot and to be able to go where the market is leading you.

Yes, it’s important to have a vision but within that vision have that flexibility to say, you know what, the market will help me determine how I get to the end goal that I have for my business.

How do you stay motivated and inspired in the face of setbacks and failures?

It’s basically solidified by my faith. I am a firm believer that I have a purpose and that God is driving my purpose. So I’m very comfortable with mishaps. I’m very comfortable with failures. They are not failures. They don’t stop what God has for me.

For me, that’s always a motivator that I am a co-creator with what God is doing through me. So that keeps me motivated. It lessens the pressure to know that I am partners with God rather than leading by myself. And that’s always the way that I get motivated.

I obviously also have people that support me in this journey. I have an incredibly supportive husband that makes a huge, huge difference. And I remember when I started on LinkedIn, I would post every day and he would be the only one that likes my post.

So I have a very supportive husband. I’m truly grateful for that. It makes a difference to have a spouse that’s supportive in your dreams. My husband would give up many things to make sure that I succeed. He’s proven that and I’m ever so grateful.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

Be realistic. When we say that we are now able to do certain work in an hour rather than two hours, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in the work. I think what also is happening in this era that we’re in is young people joining the markets and thinking that success will happen overnight.

Success is not overnight. It takes many years to be successful. And so just be realistic about it. And you must remember that the challenges that you are facing may be just an opportunity to build your character and work on how you do things, your business model, and everything.

So challenges don’t really mean it’s time to quit. And when it gets tough and you are still starting out, be okay with getting a job or a part-time job to get in the income. Don’t be afraid to do that and don’t be that entrepreneur that gets hungry.

You basically hate your business because you’re hungry, but be open to that. Be open to say, I’ll take a six month contract. Doesn’t make you a bad person. Actually makes you a wise person to say I’m able to distinguish between when there’s a need and for me to continue. So keep going, keep going. Business is not easy, but it’s very possible.

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