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Olabisi Olabode-Foghi, whose first job at the age of 19 was as a business developer for an IT company, now runs a business that on the surface seems unrelated to her Business Computing academic background. Having worked as a Personal Assistant to the CEO of an engineering company with operations in Port Harcourt and Lagos for two years before moving into the company’s administrative department as an administrative officer, she is definitely no stranger to the challenges and rewards of leaving paid employment. She talks to Connect Nigeria about being an entrepreneur and running her staff outsourcing business, Acier Sena Services. CN: What is the story behind Acier Sena Services and what inspired the name? OO: Staff outsourcing was always at the back of my mind from my years as an admin officer. However, the company took root last year after I had my daughter and couldn’t find a respectable outfit that outsourced housekeepers/nannies (domestic staff generally). The first part of Acier Sena is French for Steel, which is what shaped a large part of the history I share with my husband. The second part, Sena is from my daughter’s name, Serena. CN: What exactly are the services your business offers? OO: We offer cleaning services to corporate bodies and private residences; we also outsource domestic staff including drivers, cooks and housekeepers. We are looking into a babysitting service but it is proving to be a challenge as surveys conducted so far have not shown that people here are ready for this service. However, when the time is right, we shall introduce this service to residents in Lagos state. CN: Who is your business aimed at? OO: Our business is aimed at the corporate bodies and private individuals as well as the vast semiskilled workforce that makes up a large part of the country’s populace. CN: How would you rate the customer satisfaction level? OO: On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate customer satisfaction level at an 8.5, and this is feedback from several satisfied clients. CN: What challenges did you face in starting out? OO: Starting out (well, we are really still a start-up) was really challenging. We had challenges everywhere from registering a limited liability company, to sourcing for workers, verifying said workers, advertising and promoting our business and coping with overhead charges and salaries just to name a few. It has been a really rough journey but we are finally beginning to get recognized for our services and standards. CN: If you could start over, what would you do differently? OO: If I had the opportunity to start over, I’d be sure to cut off several initial expenses which we took on blindly and reduce startup costs to the very barest minimum. Although, they had seemed like good decisions, in hindsight, they were not-so necessary. CN: How do you source clients? OO: Eighty percent of our clients so far have come from referrals, from satisfied clients who have referred us to a family members and friends. We have also gotten quite a number from social media (Twitter and Facebook) and traditional / old media (handbills, newspaper adverts and community bulletins). CN: What role has the internet played in building your business? OO: Hmmm… the internet has been helpful in many ways. It is the life of my business. The chief gain of the internet is as an avenue to source for clients. Great access to information and learning materials; it has also helped make my business so much easier, talking about computed organizational processes and systems, correspondence, follow-ups, payments and so on. We can go without several things at work but it is simply impossible to go without internet service. CN: What is your long-term vision for Acier Sena Services? OO: My long term vision for Acier Sena Services is to be a dependable household brand in the cleaning and domestic staff service industry. CN: What advice do you have for Nigerians who long to start their own businesses? OO: My advice will be: – Have a clear goal – Have a mentor (preferably someone who has succeeded in the business industry in Nigeria) – Start with whatever you can and wherever you are (if possible) and always keep the goal in mind. – Be willing to put in the work – Keep trying Contact Acier Sena Services Ltd: 15a Adebisi Popoola Crescent, Off Victoria Arobieke Street, Off Fola Osibo, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki Lagos, Nigeria. +234 809 482 4246, Twitter: @AcierSena

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This article was first published on 14th October 2014 and updated on January 25th, 2017 at 8:08 am

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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