Oluwagbemisola Oke, a Covenant University graduate of Estate Management, recently founded Decorhubng.com, an online home furniture and fitting company providing Nigerian shoppers a focalised and convenient site for all their furnishing needs. Gbemi talks to Connect Nigeria about offering shoppers ease and affordability as they seek to create their desired living spaces and the challenges of doing business in Nigeria.
What inspired you to set up this business?
I can’t say there was one big inspiring moment that led to the inception of Decorhubng. I would say it was mostly inspired by personal experiences of shopping brick and mortar stores for home goods; that led me to the point where I thought it was time to simplify the shopping experience for home furnishings in Nigeria.
How did you raise capital to start?
I started decorhubng.com with my personal savings and National Youth Service allowance. I had to deprive myself of certain things, reinvest capital and develop new skills to save money. Also, my support team plays a fundamental role in ensuring my business keeps running.
Who is your ideal customer?
Our ideal customers are those who are searching for unique items to create their ideal living spaces, customers who understand the importance of individuality and comfort for their homes.
What is your unique selling point? Why should buyers choose you instead of others?
We are your one-stop shop for anything and everything home, with guaranteed nationwide speedy delivery. Decorhubng offers our customers free interior design consulting to help them articulate their design ideas.
We use consumer profiling technology to suggest items that might interest consumers based on the items already chosen, rather than cross-sell other items that have no correlation with their chosen products.
How does it work? What steps do potential customers have to take to get service?
All our customers have to do is to go online and log onto www.decorhubng.com, browse and purchase a unique collection of home furnishings.
What do you find most exciting about what you do?
Sourcing unique items to present to our customers and being a key player in home transformations through the assistance of our design team has been the most exciting part of my job.
Apart from furniture, there’s also a garden retail store. What would you recommend to someone who is just trying out gardening for the first time?
Getting the right tools and the having a vision for what you want your garden to look like. The rest can be learnt, just don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What’s the most challenging part of doing business in Nigeria and what solutions have you come up with?
I would say one of the most challenging parts of running a business in Nigeria is logistics. Since we are an online store, we found that it could be challenging making deliveries nationwide due to the country’s social and economic realities. For example, problems with transportation, fuel instability etc. Solving these issues is an on-going process. However, we are managing the situation by establishing partnerships with reliable third-party logistics companies.
What inspires you?
My faith inspires me because, in those crucial times, it provides the necessary reminders to keep going; and that diligence and sacrifice will be rewarded. I would also say that avant-garde entrepreneurs like, Gary Vaynerchuk CEO of Vayner Media and Sports, have shown the world that your beginnings do not define you. It is more your journey, the opportunities you take advantage of along the way and the legacy of change you leave behind.
Address: 27, Amore Street, Ikeja, Lagos Website: www.decorhubng.com Phone: 08037529332 Email: help@decorhubng.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/decorhubng Instagram: www.instagram.com/decorhubng
Click here to contact Decor Hub Nigeria directly