WB Lack of capital, major challenge to women entrepreneurs –Adebimpe
Fabiyi Adebimpe is an entrepreneur and CEO of Little Drop Chemical Industry and Justpop Nigeria Limited. In this interview she spoke on why she resigned from her job and ventured into entrepreneurship, and why more youths and women should go into business.
Tell us briefly about yourself? I am Fabiyi Adebimpe. I am a professional estate surveyor who graduated from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State in 2010. I am 39 years old and happily married with three kids. I am an entrepreneur. I am the founder of and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Little Drop Chemical Industry and another company called Justpop Nigeria Limited. I worked with an estate firm from which I resigned to become an entrepreneur.
Why did you abandon a white-collar job for entrepreneurship?
The issue is that I actually worked with an estate firm here in Abuja since 2013 and resigned last year. It was a property company which I wouldn’t like to mention for personal reason. I worked close to five years in the company. I have acquired the necessary skills and experience in real estate practice in general. So I looked at the situation of the country in connection with property business; I discovered that the business was no longer flourishing. So there was need for me to diversify. I discussed with someone on my desire to resign from the employment and venture into private business. The person advised me that I should start with a little money. So I started producing popcorn which I sold. The business grew and I opened many outlets.
What are the major challenges women entrepreneurs face?
Generally, the major challenge women entrepreneurs are facing is lack of capital to expand their businesses and achieve the desired objective. Another challenge is lack of support or ability to combine motherhood and business. But on the challenge I face, in particular in my popcorn business, it is getting good location that would attract customers and help me expand the business. This has been my major challenge. Popcorn is something that everybody loves: children, adults, men and women love eating popcorn.
The issue is that when you don’t have a desired location where people will patronise you, definitely you will not make sales. Another thing you need to acquire is the necessary skills to be able to produce quality and delicious popcorn that will make your own unique. We have different people that are making popcorn, therefore, you must be able to know how to produce quality ones that will make people to patronise you.
What do you think is the problem of the Nigerian especially fresh graduates?
We need We should somebody major youth, to think beyond the box. not continue looking on that will give us whitecollar job. Every year we have different batches of graduates completing the NYSC. Some youths lack ability to think well and know what they can do. It is not just the capital but having the idea and bringing it out in real life. Nigerian youth should put more effort, be self-reliant and become employers of labour.
What do you think government should do to address this problem?
Government should encourage the youth to pursue entrepreneurship by organising entrepreneurship programmes that will impact on the people’s lives. Government should also support Nigerian youth by providing financial assistance to them. Some people have good ideas and knowledge but they don’t have financial capability to put their ideas into reality.
What do you want to achieve in the future as an entrepreneur?
I want to open more outlets in schools, especially in higher institutions and employ students on part-time basis in my popcorn company. By so doing they will be able to study and work at the same time. The students will get an income to cater for their needs and study better. Also, I want to set up an entrepreneurship institution where I will train people on entrepreneurship: how to go deep into popcorn business, production of liquid soup, hand sanitizer, disinfectant, shampoo-airconditioner and many more.