ENTREPRENEURS' WATCH- MEME AMETHYST EDITION

              
On "Entrepreneurs' watch" this week, our focus is Miss Adebayo Adetoun @mz_amethyst .
A graduate of Ladoke Akintola  University of Techology, Ogbomoso where she studied food science.
She is the creative director of Meme Amethyst Interiors, Events and souvenirs ( @meme_amethyst_interior ).
The enterprising lady had an interesting session with the Ibadanslayers team where she shared with us her journey in the entrepreneurial world so far.

                  

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN DESIGNING?
  Yes I have, I have always had flair for beauty and creativity.

COULD YOU PLEASE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN INTERIOR DESIGNING AND INTERIOR DECORATION ?

Interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building. Decoration is the furnishing or adorning of a space with fashionable or beautiful things. In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design..
      
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE SKILLS NEEDED TO BE AN INTERIOR DECORATOR?
Creativity, imagination ,artistic flair,good communication and listening skills, good colour sense and an eye for detail.

WHAT ARE THE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS YOU WOULD ASK TO DISCOVER YOUR CLIENT'S TASTE?
  What's your choice of colour?
What do you love most in a room?  and Do you have a favorite look or style that you want to create?” First,  address the reason, understand such customers taste and painstakingly deliver till the client is satisfied.

WHEN DESIGNING,  WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO YOU?

Customer satisfaction 💯

          
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE A CLIENT KEPT REJECTING ALL YOUR DESIGNS?
     First, address the reason, understand such customers taste and painstakingly deliver till the client is satisfied.Patience is virtue... find a  comfort zone of the client and I'd keep trying .
Also researching on wat changed & make the best out of it by bridging the gap through innovations & creation of new idea.
          
AS AN INDIVIDUAL INTERIOR DESIGNER, WHICH KIND OF FIRMS CAN YOU PUT YOUR SKILLS TO GOOD USE?
   architectural firms and construction companies;interior design companies;exhibition centres and events management.
           
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT IBADAN ?
   The serenity .

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES FACED IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?
  Fussy clients,increased competition for jobs

ANY ADVICE FOR
ASPIRING INTERIOR DESIGNERS? 
@meme_amethyst_interior : Be you, be free, when you  fall stand up tall. Never give up.
.
.
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The #ibadanslayers team appreciates the CEO @meme_amethyst_interior for this enlightening and amazing session.
God continue to bless your work.
Keep repping Ibadan beautifully 😘😘

ENTREPRENEURIAL TIPS

   RAISING CAPITAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS          

Peradventure, one of the most common questions asked by new entrepreneurs is “How do I raise capital?”.  What a lot of entrepreneurs fail to realize is that when your business is ready, it is actually not that difficult to raise capital. But if your business is not ready, then it can be almost uncertain.

Before one starts to raise capital, there is a need to understand the different types of capital that may be available to your business.

                        

               

• FAMILY AND FRIENDS : If all you have is an idea, but you are yet to build a product or have any real usage that can validate your business model, then you are likely looking for friends and family to invest in you. The only reason they are going to invest in you is because they believe in you as a result of prior experiences with you.

             You would really need to hold up that trust they have in you by using their money judiciously.

                              

• SEED INVESTORS : Seed investors may be professionals who invest and help their investments to succeed or people with another full time occupation whose passion is investing in startups.

If you have a product or at least a working prototype and strong evidence that your product will be used and ideally paid for by customers, then you could approach seed investors.  

A seed investor needs to see more than just an idea, but not fully developed business.

• VENTURE CAPITAL: This is the type of capital raise that’s dreamt about by most entrepreneurs. This type of capital comes from firms/ groups of professionals that specialize in finding promising companies that are ready to grow rapidly make investments in such companies, and often over a number of years help them grow as fast as possible.

                     
         These type of investors usually need to see a mature product and compelling facts that you have a great way to make lots of money and grow very quickly.

Other types of capital that might work for you include:

1. crowdfunding sites like kickstarter

2. Loans from banks. 

In conclusion, connecting with the right investors require weeks or even months of painstaking practice.

Wish you all the best in your entrepreneurial journey.

P.S – Kindly drop a comment if this article was helpful.

ENTREPRENEURS' WATCH - EXQUISITE LA'DIVA EDITION

CHOOSE A JOB THAT YOU LIKE AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.
          

This week's edition of Entrepreneurs' watch is focused on another of the city's budding entrepreneurs,
Miss Sunmonu Lateefat Olaronke (@exquisite_ladiva )CEO La'diva makeup and bridal hair.
Born into a family of five and hails from Imeko, Ogun State.
The beautiful diva is an all-round artist and a graduate of anthropology from the University of Ibadan.
The Ibadanslayers team had a wonderful exclusive session with her, where she expressed her views about the beauty industry amongst other things. Enjoy.
                    

WHAT LED YOU TO BECOMING A MAKEUP ARTIST?
@exquisite_ladiva : I used to paint on canvas and cardboard back then in secondary school. And when I discovered my passion for beauty,  I thought I should try my painting on humans and see what happens. And I am happy it's becoming interesting as each day unfolds.


  IF A CLIENT ASKS FOR A STYLE THAT YOU ARE SURE WOULD NOT SUIT THEM, HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THEM TO GO OTHERWISE?
@exquisite_ladiva : I try to convince my clients to get what suit their faces. And if you insist,  I'll definitely do what you want. After all, nobody feels sad after La'diva's touch. So you can be sure I'll make the makeup suit your face and personality. And you will surely love it.
   
           

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS THUS FAR?
@exquisite_ladiva : My first award as a child made me really proud of myself, I was only 7, and the second one as an adolescent. The memory is evergreen. I remember that day back then in school. I was extremely happy, and I am still very happy.

                                     
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACED BY MAKEUP ARTISTS?
@exquisite_ladiva : Fake products (even some of the so called recognized stores can't be trusted when it comes to fake products). Some clients are impatient.
Half-baked makeup Artists are a big problem. Like a client once told me she has someone that is willing to do her wedding makeup at a ridiculous amount I won't like to mention.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT'S THE ATTITUDE OF IBADAN RESIDENTS TOWARDS INDIGENOUS BRANDS?
@exquisite_ladiva :  Ibadan is a good place for business. The residents are encouraging and supportive. Just that some people are prudent, and they price too hard.
           
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BRAND IN 5 TO 10 YEARS?
@exquisite_ladiva : In five years to come,  I hope to be a world class beauty artist. .

       
ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MAKEUP ARTISTS?
@exquisite_ladiva Be focused,  consistent, do not feel intimidated,  never let yourself be affected by negativities, be optimistic,  be creative,  be smart, and above all be prayerful.

Our heartfelt gratitude to exquisite la'diva boss,  keep being awesome. 

Keep repping Ibadan city 

Ps- 

Don't forget to vote "ibadanslayers" in the "wedding social media handle of the "Ibadan Wedding Awards 2017 " Follow link below 

http://whatsupibadan.com/?p=21868

Voting ibadan wedding awards 2017

Need inspiring and awesome interior decor? Contact Meme Amethyst Interiors 

Follow @meme_amethyst_interior on Instagram: 

Entrepreneurs' watch - IroyalCocina Edition

 This week's edition of entrepreneurs' watch is focused on another of Ibadan city's finest entrepreneurs. A young woman who has carved a niche for herself in the baking world amongst other ventures.
Ibadanslayers had a wonderful session with her and we are sure you will gain one or two tips from this week's edition. Enjoy.

Ibadanslayers: Can we meet you?

Iroyal:  My name is Ifeoluwapo Opajobi. I am the CEO/Creative Director of iRoyal Cocina which specializes in Cakes, bartending services(cocktails & mocktails), finger foods, desserts & grills for events.
            
Ibadanslayers: Could you please share with us the most critical talent you possess in your role as a business owner?

Iroyal: The most critical talent I possess as a business owner is the act of business management. The ability to manage my business perfectly despite any obstacles or hindrances that come my way.
              
Ibadanslayers: When you started out in this business, what was the process of financing like?
Iroyal:  When I started my business, financing the business wasn't easy at all for me because I had just completed my service year and you know a typical nigerian youth at that level wouldn't even have much savings as a result of the Nigerian NYSC monthly "low income". So I just had to start with the very little I had saved up to buy the basic tools and equipment to get me started in the business.

Ibadanslayers: What are some of the biggest lessons that have impacted the way you work?

Iroyal: Well....some of the biggest lessons that have impacted my business and helped me a lot so far and is still helping me are, the lessons of "putting God first in every job", "always giving a client more than what they ask", "treating every client like a King" and "giving clients the wow factor that always make them come back for more".
            

Ibadanslayers: If you were to do some venture again, what would you differently?
                 
Iroyal: Hmmm, what I'll do differently if I was to venture again. If I'm going to venture into business again, I'll start off in a much better way and I'll make sure I double the efforts I started off with previously.
Ibadanslayer: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Iroyal:
My most satisfying moment in business, lol. Nothing is more satisfying than getting 100% positive feedback from a client, I mean that's just the definition of fulfilment in business to me.

Ibadanslayers: Any challenges faced as an Ibadan based entrepreneur?

Iroyal: Of course there are challenges I've faced as an Ibadan entrepreneur. You find situations where a client has a classy taste and knows you're good enough to deliver then comes at you with ridiculous prices just because they feel "this is Ibadan now, things ain't usually expensive here", like who does that? But the beauty of it is that Ibadan is taking a new turn and people are beginning to have broadened vision to be able to see that what we have here in our city can not be compared or underrated and the people who know the worth of what we carry and deliver, respect it and treat us right.
Ibadanslayers: In your opinion, what are the top three qualities needed to be a successful entrepreneur in Ibadan?

Iroyal:  In my opinion, the top three qualities needed to be a successful entrepreneur in Ibadan are Passion, Consistency & Hardwork.
Ibadanslayers: Where do you see your business in the next five years?

Iroyal:  Hmmm that's a big one. Well....in the next five years, I see iRoyal Cocina as one of the leading brands in Nigeria.
           
Ibadanslayers: Any word of advice to budding entrepreneurs out there?
 Iroyal:My advice to budding entrepreneurs is, "Fall in love with your business, be consistent. The bad days will come, yes you can't help it and you just have to be determined within you about what you want for your life and where you're headed. Have someone who has been in the business for long as a mentor to guide you and direct you when you get stuck. Just be unique and do you, there is enough room for you in the sky to spread your wings so just keep spreading them. The world awaits you"

A big thank you to the amiable CEO of Iroyalcocina for the amazing session.
Keep soaring!
Keep repping Ibadan city!

Ps- Don't forget to drop a comment 💋💋
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