Tokunbo Amosu is
the chief executive officer of Reniques Designs, a company she formed
in 2009. A Banking and Finance graduate from Ondo State University,
Amosu also holds a Business certificate from Fate Foundation, a
non-profit organisation and another certification from the African
Growth Opportunity Act, an export based design school, both in Nigeria.
She speaks to X2 about her business.
Tell us about your business
Reniques Designs
is a designing company and has three major arms, the Bridal, the Bulk
Branding and the Ready-to-Wear arm. The Bridal arm is strictly about
brides, the Ready-to-Wear is for people who prefer making dresses than
buying ready to madeand the Bulk Branding arm caters for more people.
All of these cater to different kinds of clientele.
What motivated you to go into business for self?
I was always too
restless for a 9 to 5 job. I wasn’t the type to be lockedup behind the
desk. I don’t like being restricted in a particular place where it is
so predictably boring. I like creativity. I wanted something more and I
knew it was designing.
I was always more
bothered about the cuts and finishing of a dress while other ladies
might be particular about their hair or shoes; I could look at the
finish and see how the cut was ended. It was what I really wanted to do.
What was your 9-5 job?
I worked with a
stock broking firm, Core Trust and Investment limited shortly before
recession as the acting branch manager of Ikeja branch. Then I didn’t
have Reniques Designs because there was a major design course I wanted
to take which was separating me from achieving the dreams. I knew I
wanted to be skilled enough. So I had to learn it and went to an export
based design school in Ikoyi, the African Growth Opportunity Act
(AGOA). I like to know that I am in control.
Did you face much opposition before starting business?
Several people felt
I was too smart to be a tailor. I had it shoved in my face. My boss
practically felt they were training me to be an asset manager in
corporate finance, its one of the choicest part of stock broking.
People wondered why I wanted to throw all that away and be a tailor and
my reply was that “stock broking may pay my bills but it’s not my
passion”.
What are the upsides of running the Business?
The wow look on a
bride’s face when I meet up her expectation and also in the bulk
branded T-Shirt arm when somebody goes “this was made here?” and of
course flexibility.
Though there are
days when I still have to wake up early to meet a deadline,I have more
days of staying back at home and have my peace.
What are the challenges you have faced over time?
Power, dealing with artisan’s inconsistency and getting the right kind of staff to work with.
Ever thought of packing up in frustration?
Not exactly but I
have thought of multiple strings of income. I have had to battle that
out with close family when I feel I may still get a job that would be
flexible enough to combine with Reniques Designs. Maybe something in
line with designs, and the advice I always get is that, “when you cross
the bridge, you don’t look back because there are several people who
would want to be like you”. Then talking with other entrepreneurs when
I got into business school made me realize, we all face these issues.
What have you learned that they don’t teach in books?
I have learnt that nobody tells you how rough the road would be and everybody kind of pegs you on.
What projections do you have for the future?
I want a situation
where I can centralize everything I do. Also getting the right kind of
staff not just what I can afford and also getting the right kind of
machinery because now I have all the ‘know-how’ and I still outsource
many of the business to people. I also want to learn more in my field.
What advice would you give potential entrepreneurs?
Even if it is just the idea or the talk, start with what you have.
