The number of young professionals starting up small businesses in Nigeria without quitting paid employment is rising. Adebola Olatoyese Aroloye, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University and a practicing accountant, talks to
Connect Nigeria about his business,
Smart Plus Cedar.
CN: Tell us a bit about your professional background
AA: I have a B.Sc in Accounting from Olabisi Onabanjo University. I took further steps to develop myself by starting my professional program with ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). I served the nation during NYSC as a teacher in a school in Adamawa State, Gombi LCDA. It was a great experience being in the northern part of the country. After youth service I worked in a fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, where I was in charge of the daily book keeping and preparation of the financial statement for the company. Presently I work at a maritime service firm as an accountant and manage my business at the same time.
CN: What is the story behind Smart Plus Cedar?
AA: Smart Plus Cedar was borne out of the desire to put smile on people’s faces by providing whatever type of legitimate service every man, woman, young or old desires; services to exceed our costumers’ expectations. We exist to attract and maintain customers by taking care of their daily routine that has become a burden for them.
CN: What inspired the unusual name?
AA: The name Smart Plus Cedar was arrived at from my goal and mission. I felt people had to be smart about their lifestyle, what they ought to bother about and what they need not be bothered about; SMART was the key word there for people to live a stress and hassle-free lifestyle. Cedar is the name of several evergreen trees. The wood is remarkable for its durability and fragrant scent.
People need to have a better life and always feel fresh on a daily basis despite the tasks at work, home and stress on the road. Like the cedar which is evergreen, people need to start keeping themselves healthy, fresh and happy at all time by not being bothered by those mundane tasks they face daily. All these gave birth to the name Smart Plus Cedar.
CN: What exactly are the services your business offers?
AA: Smart Plus Cedar offers highly customized personal and corporate concierge services. Our services include but are not limited to Virtual Personal Assistance Services, Private Car Service, Home-Office Re-organization Projects, Grocery Shopping & Delivery, New Mom Services, Senior Care Services (non- medical), Referral to Vendors( home repair, interior design, fitness trainers etc), Event/Party Co-ordination, Vacation and Hospitality Services, Correspondence Delivery, Small and Big Package Delivery, and Private Transportation Services. We also handle pre-travel “To-do” arrangements and VIP Special Event Packages, as well as Spa Massage and Personal Training Arrangement.
CN: Who is your business targeted at?
AA: At Smart Plus Cedar our services are aimed at people who need to get things done during the day but do not have the time to perform necessary tasks; people without the luxury of time, people who need extra hands in whatever they do. Primarily our business is aimed at business executives who work 8 to 5 daily, new moms, the elderly and other business owners with little or no time to attend to domestic and other pressing tasks.
CN: How did you raise money to start your business?
AA: Starting up wasn’t all that expensive considering that our business is service oriented and it’s more about networking and connecting with people; it does not involve huge capital investments. The major investment here is time, so I would just say it’s “time expensive.” This doesn’t mean no money was invested; I can tell you money investment in this business is moderate and affordable.
CN: What challenges did you face starting out?
AA: Pooling resources together was a big challenge. Sourcing the moderate funds needed for start-up didn’t come easy. Getting reliable service providers was also a massive task, as we needed vendors with similar drive to ours, because we assure clients quality services. Staff with the drive for quality service did not come easy too because we require better hands on the job. These were the basic challenges we faced starting out.
CN: How would you rate the customer satisfaction level?
AA: Customer satisfaction level rating will be 4 out of 5 as we always aim to provide service that is almost 90% quality standard to clients with no complaint from them; this is an indication that our customers are satisfied with how we serve them.
CN: What is your unique selling point and why should Nigerians choose Smart Plus Cedar over competitors?
AA: Our Unique Selling Point is providing top notch quality service to our customers at all times by being accessible, responsive to clients and ensuring our clients can rely on us all the time. Our competitive advantage is in our tailored services designed to meet clients’ needs; we offer affordable customized packages for clients as they so desire.
CN: Which books have impacted your life positively?
AA: I don’t read much but amongst the few I have read, I would say
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (Robin Sharma),
The Magic of Thinking Big (David Schwartz) and
The Richest Man in Babylon (George Clason) may have contributed positively to my life.
CN: What’s your long term vision for Smart Plus Cedar?
AA: To be known for providing the highest standard concierge, personal assistance and lifestyle management service that will transform the lifestyle of our clients nationwide is my vision for Smart Plus Cedar.
CN: Who is your mentor?
AA: My mentor is Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre, he has been a source of inspiration for me and his sermons have impacted my life so much.
CN: What kind of leader do you believe Nigeria needs?
AA: I will like to see a visionary president rule Nigeria, a president with genuine plans for the youth of this Nation, a president that will keep Nigeria integrated as a nation and lastly a president who would not only be our leader but also our servant.
CN: What advice do you have for those who desire to start their own business?
AA: My advice for those longing to start their own business is that they should get the idea out of the cooler and just start it. Secondly they should stay focused and persistent in whatever business they start.
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This article was first published on 2nd January 2014 and updated on January 30th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
jehonwa
Joy Ehonwa is an editor and a writer who is passionate about relationships and personal development. She runs Pinpoint Creatives, a proofreading, editing, transcription and ghostwriting service.
Email: pinpointcreatives [at] yahoo.com
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