Tolulope Oresanya is the brains behind Olr Confectionaries and Events. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, the graduate of Soil science and Land Management from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State turned a recipe expert; speak on her success story as an entrepreneur.
How has life been treating you as a young entrepreneur?
I would say that it has not completely been hard, it has been great; though there have been some ups and downs, thankfully it has been very interesting. I started when I was in school as an undergraduate and you know how it could be as a student trying to run a business; the school activities and trying to grow a new business and I was also committed to my campus fellowship where I took up some posts as a leader. So, having a little rough part as a student who was on allowance was part of the game from the beginning.
Can you share some of your experience as an entrepreneur?
As a young entrepreneur, I struggled to get customers, went to banks and offices, and made a free sample, but people were more interested in eating free things than paying for them. I went for various pieces of training to brush up my skills and craft, worked severally on my recipes to get the best taste and quality out of them and I can boldly say it gets better by the day and I have not hesitated to keep at it.
You are one of the beneficiaries of a grant from the Jewel Empowerment Foundation. How has this been impactful on your career?
It has helped my business. I was able to get some of my equipment, which has helped my work to become faster and more convenient. It was a great change in my business when I got the grant and I’m grateful for the opportunity and the support from the foundation.
What motivates you to stay unique with your brand?
One of the key motivations for me in my craft is the joy and satisfaction my clients express after having a feel our goods. It gives me more reasons to do better than before. The good, then the better, shaped a lot of passion, perseverance, and progress in my journey today. Being independent takes much courage, strength, bravery, consistency, and dedication. Also, never forget God in all you do, it makes all the difference. Keep doing what you’re doing, improve on yourself, and don’t be too much in a haste to succeed. Hard work always pays.
What is your take on how the government can improve small-scale businesses?
The government can help businesses like mine by first helping those who supply us with raw materials. If the costs of raw materials are less, we won’t have to purchase at a high cost and even sell at a higher cost.
How do you intend to project your brand?
I currently run my business on the Google business platform, Instagram, and Facebook; those are the three major social media platforms I use currently to trade. I also have full information about my brand on my LinkedIn profile. I do promotions and ads on these platforms to sell myself out to a wider audience. I intend to project my brand more on YouTube with some new things cooking up hopefully soon and with a good wish of having some contracts with bigger brands and companies to promote my brand.
Your advice to fellow entrepreneurs.
Be sure you want to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is hard work. So, be ready to accept your wins and losses, and never be in a rush to give up.
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