"INSTAGRAM HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO MY BUSINESS" ~ Mma Adilue. Founder- 'Mmadilue Accessories ”

FOR LADIES WITH ”BUSINESS MINDS"!
One of the Secrete of happiness is having your financial life figured out.
Every Woman needs a skill to pay her bills!

ADILUE CHIDINMA shares her interesting Story with us!
On how she developed her skill and passion into Business!
How it was like to start and how she feels doing what she loves and making money from it.
Money is serious talk!

Brief but great interview! Enjoy.


CAN WE MEET YOU?
My name is Adilue Chidinmma Ester Ifeatu.

CAN YOU BRIEFLY TELL US ABOUT  YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?
I am a Pharmacist. I finished from University of Nigeria Nssuka, in the 2013. I schooled at University of Nigeria Primary and Secondary School, Enugu. I served in 2016.(Nigerian Youth Service Corp).

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
It is called “Mmadilue Accessories”. It is a Leather House company. We basically design and produce finished Leather goods. We started with bags, but right now we are diversifying into footwears. I actually started working with Leather in the year 2015, but prior to that, I learnt how to make Ankara bags, which I learnt in my final year when I was doing my Project that was in the year 2013. I learnt it under two nights, it was a rush work. After I finished school and hadn’t gotten a place of internship, I continued with it, then, I switched into Velvet, Cotton and Jean material. From 2013 I started traveling to Aba and Onitsha to buy material. I was very young then, my dad didn’t want to let me go, but my mom was in support and she gave me my first Capital, 7000naira. My father was wondering how I had finished studying Pharmacy and started sewing bags.

Then in Enugu, my mom owns a school, so I usually make for her teachers and then my Sister got these contacts for me in her church and I usually made for her church people.  I send to my sister in Portharcourt, she sells the bags for me and sends the money. I eventually moved to Lagos, I was interning in NAFDAC, I didn’t have much time, but later I went for some training in Leather work, with some Artisans. Then I started my brand.
I went for a Business Course called Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management at Enterprise Development Center an arm of PAN Atlantic University, which other arm is Lagos Business school. That was when I learnt that I had to register my Business. I couldn’t afford a lawyer, so I did it by myself. I went to CAC in Lagos, I even had to do a name search 3 different times before the name was approved. I got my Certificate in early 2016.

DID YOU CONSIDER THIS LINE OF BUSINESS BECAUSE IT IS LUCRATIVE?
Not really, the challenges is even too much. First of all
, I am in the Manufacturing sector which is ridden with so many challenges which are peculiar to Nigeria. There is no Light, when sewing, power failure can stall you, and you have to buy diesel and also the fact that sometimes we don’t get good materials, like when I go to buy e.g. Chains, we find out that we don’t have original ones easily, because they are very expensive, while some are not available, then considering that I have to pay my Artisans, those who work for me.

WHERE DO YOU USE AS YOUR WORKSHOP?
I have a Mini workshop in one of my house, then I also have a workshop in the Island, Lekki.
WHAT THEN STILL GIVES YOU THE MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE IN THIS LINE OF BUSINESS?
The way people admire my work, they ask if this bag is made in Nigeria. This is more than a business, it’s a mandate, a part of my ministry, from what God has told me, I know He is interested in me doing this. I however still get some looks and stares and people asking if this is really what I want to do. I also understand something, that the days of small beginnings are not to be despised. I don’t look down at myself and I don’t allow people look down at me because of what I do, and it is something I am proud of. I have always said I don’t want to work for any one, I want to run my business.

WILL YOU SAY THIS IS A COMPLETE SOURCE OF INCOME FOR YOU AND WHAT ARE THE PRICES OF YOUR BAGS?
Yes of course. My business has been sustaining me. For the Prices, it depends, I have the really small ones, for N10,000(or about that price, it depends) the most expensive bag I have sold is for N45000. The bags are durable and I use good Leathers.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR CUSTOMERS
I advertise online. Like 99% of my sales are online. Instagram have been a blessing to my Business. My Instagram handle is @Mmadilueaccessories,  most people I have met offline, I met them through those I met online. I also have a shop I stock at Enugu with my friend who has a Clothing line, I have some channels here I am working on. I want to really work on my offline sales.

WHAT PERSONAL QUALITIES ARE NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE A BUSINESS LIKE YOURS?
Persistence is required, because there is no vision without oppositions. Even Jesus faced opposition. You have to be persistence , also there is this quality I refer to as “Stick-to-it-tive-ness”, that is sticking to what you want until you see it manifest. Sometimes I feel like I’m not where I’m meant to be and that my business is not what it’s meant to be, I applied for some grants and I didn’t get it, it was quite discouraging, but even if I am not chosen by anybody I decide to chose myself. So I keep on choosing myself.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FEW YEARS AS RELATING TO YOUR BUSINESS?
I see myself owning more businesses, I see myself being a massive employer of Labour, I always remind myself that I am the global voice and I am going to be relevant in the global scheme. I see myself owning a business empire.  This was my answer while I was asked same question while I was leaving school. Even when I was an intern I do go to Yaba Market and buy clothes and sell to my fellow colleagues.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD GIVE TO LADIES WITH THIS SAME BUSINESS MIND AS YOURS?
If you are business minded, you should find a niche for yourself.  Being business minded is about providing a solution or being part of a Value chain. Like when I was doing the buying and selling during my internship with NAFDAC, all those girl didn’t know how to buy things, I would buy nice things and sell to them, I even helped them style and tell them which to wear. You can be in the manufacturing sector, Retail sector or provide Services.

You can contact Mma on Instagram : @Mmadilueaccessories

Hope you had a nice read!
Please do leave your comments. My email address is akorahchinelo@gmail.com