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How I Started My Business: Tolulope Sowande, The Founder Of Healthy Bar, A Company That Incorporates A Healthy Food Outlet And A Lifestyle Clinic.

Tolulope is a medical doctor who graduated from the University of Ibadan where she studied medicine and surgery. She recently completed her Master’s program in International Public Health at University of Liverpool, where she carried out a study on cervical vaccine use amongst female university undergraduates.

She has always been interested in public health issues bordering around obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. She carried out studies on these issues as a medical student and as an intern at the University College Hospital. Currently, she runs Healthy Bar; a healthy lifestyle company that incorporates a healthy food outlet and a lifestyle clinic.

 FROM HAVING AN IDEA TO STARTING YOUR BUSINESS, SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH US

My journey started in October 2013. I was 91kg and decided to challenge myself to lose some weight. I had always been on the big side, so undergoing a weight loss program looked daunting to me. Eight months after I started, I had lost 28kg combining only my own designed weight loss formula which was basically diet based and exercises to firm up loose, hanging skin. While undergoing my personal meal plans I realized there was no single outlet where I could buy very simple meals like salad, smoothies, juices, and so on. As far as I was concerned there was a gap in the Healthy food market.

I left my employment at a clinic as a medical officer in Benin to pursue what had become a passion. I started by making smoothies and salad from my kitchen, selling to only friends. The response was interesting. Some of my friends ordered for smoothies for a week. Some would order plates of salad and I’d drive down to deliver in their houses.

In July 2016, I rented a shop in a complex and from then on it has been one level of growth to the other. I had my fears, and there were a lot of challenges with pioneering something of this nature in Benin-city. I could not tell if it will be successful or not, I was just driven. And as my husband told me, “If the venture failed, we will pack up and go home! At least we would have learnt lessons”.

WHY DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO? THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER BUSINESSES YOU COULD HAVE EXPLORED, WHY THIS?

I was never a business kind of person, so I did not have many ideas in my head. Besides, as a medical doctor specializing in public health and disease prevention, it was only natural to think of something that was going to help people live healthier lives. I had done this for myself. Why not for others? So this came naturally to me. In the first instance I never thought I would go into business as it were.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU KNOW BEYOND ALL DOUBT THAT THIS IS GOING TO WORK?

Initially it was not obvious. The only thing we could do was pay salaries, and restock. In the month of June 2017, we had to increase prices because the market price of virtually all stock had gone up. We expected demand to worsen, but to my utmost surprise demand started increasing at that time. We had an increase in demand for all our products and we had repeat purchases.

HOW DID YOU RAISE THE CAPITAL TO START YOUR BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HIGH COST OF RUNNING BUSINESSES IN NIGERIA?

Raising capital was not very easy. My husband and I used up all our savings and we had to borrow from friends and family as well. One major cost we had to contend with when we opened was the cost of energy. The outlet had to be powered as long as we were opened, and it did not matter if we had customers or not.  for more, click here

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Published

November 19, 2017

Location

Nigeria, Akwa Ibom

Category

Community Activities

Views

118

ID

850