Why I turned my passion into enterprise – Phone technician, Doris

Mrs Doris Oyong, is the owner of GRANDPA, a mobile phone repair place in Abuja city. In this interview, Mrs Oyong describes her journey through developing her passion for fixing electrical devices 18 years ago to owning mega cellphone repair shops in Abuj

I started. My business name was ‘GSM Solution World’ when I started. I got married to the owner of GRANDPA, a brand in the sales of mobile phones and other gadgets here in Abuja. As a family, we joined hands and now have it as a family business, with a department and shop for sales and the other for repairs and services.

What are your business strategies especially when you combine family with this?

In life, everything is about decision making. It is about what I want and I believe that even if I have many children, that would not obstruct my business. I have people who are helping me including my husband and our staff members. Once it is 5pm, I handover the care of the business to my staff while my husband oversees it. I stay at home during the weekend to look after the family.

Customers are very important no matter their attitude. You have to keep and maintain them to make your business grow. We sustain simple actions of respect and listening that pacify customers, treating them with courtesy and that keep them coming.

What is your advice to fellow women about being gainfully engaged?

My advice to them is that there is something they can do better. You could be good in fashion or in baking but you must attach yourself to something specific and improve on it. Ensure it is what you want so you can do it with all your heart.

You must not wait for government to give you work because if you are good at what you do, people will always look for you.