…The story behind Somuyie Enterprise
In every sphere of life, giving up in challenging situations is always tempting but just as American writer, Elbert Hubbard remarked,“a little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless or failure may turn into a glorious success.” This expression perfectly describes the story of the founder of Somuyie Enterprise who even through difficulties, never gave up but leveraged her hobby of beading to support herself through school.
Read more as she shares her story with the B&FT Inspiring Start-ups.
Promise Somuyie Amoah is the founder of Somuyie Enterprise, a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) that specialises in transforming beads into a variety of fascinating accessories.
Background
She is a product of the Presbyterian Senior High School, Begoro, in the Eastern Region and the School of Aviation, Tema in the Greater Accra Region, where studied Aviation and Hospitality Management. She continued her studies in 2015 at Accra Polytechnic, now Accra Technical University (ATU), to earn her degree in Purchasing and Supply.
Somuyie recalled that while she was very passionate about education, she saw her aspirations of going to school crumble as the deadline for paying for her tertiary admission fees drew near and relatives who had promised to assist her in this endeavor turned their backs.
Though she felt disappointed because her parents were also not in a good position to fully support her due to her mother’s persisting illness, her savings from working as a waitress at the Golden Tulip Hotel now Lancaster Hotel came in handy but was still not enough. “At this point, I told myself I won’t give up but will work for extra hard to turn my story around,” she recounted.
Somuyie, who knew beading was her hobby from childhood, decided to sharpen her craft in that aspect to meet the market demand and start a business from it.
This, she said, has supported her education through to getting her degree and by extension her nuclear family.
“So I started the business in 2016. The hobby started in childhood. My mum loved beads and jewelry and she had lots of them. She gives those she will not use again to me to play with, but I will re-do them my way, into accessories and decorative items. When I realised this could be my way out, a way to pay for my fees and even support my family, I worked closely with a friend who was already in the business. When I started the business, I was still working and in school, so I made sure my colleagues, friends, and family, were my first customers,” she narrated.
Somuyie holds strongly that an individual’s desire to succeed is a key driving force to not giving up.
“I will make the beads and sell them to pay my fees and I remembered how I used to perch from one hostel to the other but even that didn’t discourage me.”
Products and uniqueness
Somuyie Enterprise deals in beaded accessories, fascinators, bouquets, bridal fans, and garment designs. “Our colours, designs, and quality make us unique. This I know because my customers tell me all the time.”
How education and experience has helped
“My professional experience has primarily been in the field of customer service. I’ve found it to be incredibly simple to take care of my customers’ demands as a result. Due to customers’ satisfaction, I get recommended frequently to other people.”
Vision
Somuyie’s vision in the next five years is to widen her market reach and expand and invest in educating other young people who are interested in the craft and who can leverage it to support themselves through school or to become economically independent. “I want to build a home for the elderly and give underprivileged females training so they can become economically independent,” she said
Challenges
According to Somuyie, a common challenge that can retard the growth of businesses, aside from funding to start or scale up, is not getting the right people who believe in the vision to work with.
How government can support start-up
She noted that in light of government initiatives and plans for entrepreneurship, loans to companies should be allocated equally in addition to being transparently awarded. “Also, for start-ups, import taxes on raw materials must be reduced,” she said responding to how government can help better the startup ecosystem.
Economic empowerment of women
Somuyie said given that many small enterprises in the country are owned by women, economic empowerment for them will result in an increase in their companies. She is therefore confident the economy of the country will steadily improve with strong businesses.
Advice to young entrepreneurs
She advised other entrepreneurs, both current and prospective, encouraging them to maintain focus and concentrate on improving their companies and brands rather than allowing the setbacks that come with being an entrepreneur to impede their development.
“Be passionate about your work. It is your only means of propulsion. Make it a priority to ensure that the services and products you provide to your customers add value to their lives and provide them satisfaction. There are too many distractions, so know what you are about and pay attention. Don’t let the early setbacks deter you from continuing to do what you do best. No matter where you are, people will find you,” she said.
Contact details
Call /WhatsApp: 0501099770/ 0571591283
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