Luanga Nuwame, 29 doesn’t play games. He creates them.
A couple of years ago, Nuwame hit upon an idea of creating Black Heritage trading cards. Soon, he was inundated with requests from consumers who wanted to buy them, but upon doing the math, he realized he couldn’t print the cards commercially. Instead, he sat down and created each of the 300 sets by hand, in the basement of his Credit Woodlands home.
"It is not tedious work to me," Nuwame said. "I am making something for my consumers that I personally developed and created and that gives me a rush."
The success of the trading cards led him to design and develop customized hand-made cards and games such as, The Family Tree, an interactive board game that is based on genealogy. The game can be tailor-made to suit any family.
"Customers can either go to the store and get run-of-the-mill trivia game or have their own customized board games for them and their loved ones," he said. "For instance, if you’ve a son or daughter who plays rookie sports, I can make rookie trading cards made specifically for you."
His company, laNuwame.com has two core products – games and cards that he sells directly to his customers. He faces challenges every day. As a small home operated business, Nuwame doesn’t have the capital or manpower to advertise or market his products, instead he has to rely on the buzz and strength of his products. He recalls many opportunities that could not be pursued because he lacked the capital, yet his passion for his work fuelled his desire to succeed.
"This is what I am destined to do," Nuwame said. "But when it comes to a love, I really enjoy the process of making stuff, creating products that will entertain and educate."
Nuwame explains he creates custom cards based on the feedback he receives from his customers. He said he provides them each with a booklet with an exhaustive questionnaire.
"I love trading cards, and to me trading cards are an educational tool," he said. "I show history in a way people can collect, enjoy and learn…"
The young entrepreneur said he has more than 400 ideas for games and cards; some in mind, some on paper. He said he would eventually want to translate the ideas into products and sell them through his own store.
I want to be able to make a living doing what I love – designing games and toys," he said.
For more information or detail on products log on to www.lanuwame.ca.
Filed under: RESOURCES
