Interview with Blessing Awah of Sparkles Jewelries

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“I started with just Five Thousand Naira (N 5000) 3years ago and today my stock is worth hundreds of thousands by God’s grace.”

Hi everyone, we are pleased to bring you this interview with Blessing Awah. If you are part of our Facebook Community, then you probably already know of her. She has been our Sponsor for the Sunday Selfie contest throughout the month of April. She is a special person who stepped in when when she needed to. Her interview is inspiring and filled with helpful nuggets for every woman who is thinking of starting a small to medium scale business. Kindly leave a comment for her at the end of this post. Thanks!

 

Tell us a little about you…Where you grew up, your family…anything you want us to know.

 My name is Blessing Awah and I’m married to Aniedi Awah and a mom to our three year old son, Michael. I’m from Akwa-ibom state. I grew up in Warri, Delta State. I did my primary and secondary education in Warri and graduated from Lagos State University where I studied English.

 

What got you interested in business?

 I grew up seeing my mom doing business and it paid the bills. I have always been a business minded person even when I was doing a 9 to 5 job. But I finally became a full time business lady when I got married.I knew that the best way to be there for my son and husband 24/7 was if I’m my own boss.

Why did you choose jewelries? Was there any particular reason?

 I chose to go into the jewellery business because I love Jewelries and Fashion in general. But what really made me to channel my energy on Jewelleries was seeing that the competition was not as much as clothing business and then I loved the “transformative effect” it gave to a lady when she wore even the simplest piece of jewellery.

Who are your main customers and how do you sell to them?

 My main customers cut across the young and old, the hip and conservative ladies; men with fashion sense, prospective couples and men that love to give their wives special surprises. I run an online shop and most of my customers buy my products online via my Facebook page, BBM or WhatsApp. All they need do is choose their item of choice and proceed to make payment into my account and as soon as I get an alert I parcel the item to them via courier or in person if she/he is based in Lagos.

 What are some of the challenges you have faced since you started your business?

 Like with every form of business, challenges are what define one’s will power and ability to fight for what he/she believes in. The major challenge I have in this business is stocking. There is a limit to how much product I could have on ground at a time. A customer might see a design that she loves, but this could be something I stocked like a year ago; it then becomes impossible to make it available for the customer at that moment and I end up feeling bad whenever I can’t  meet my customer’s demand or need.

 

What do you enjoy most about your business?

 I enjoy that I get to meet new and interesting people every day. And I also get to make profits too.

How did you meet your husband?

 I met my husband on a movie set. I was an actress while he was the director of that production. We became friends when we found out we were both from the same state, and the rest they say is history.

How supportive of your business ventures is he?

 He is very supportive of my business venture. I will say he is my number one fan and critic. Most times when I want to survey a particular design, I get him to wear the male product and I see how well others accept it and the longevity warranty given to me by the manufacturer. So I will say he’s a hundred percent supportive of my vision and business.

How did you hear about NAIJA HOUSEWIVES?

 I googled for Nigerian women groups on Facebook and Naija Housewives was among the search results that came out. I read the vision statement, I liked it and I said I should give it a try and I ended up getting addicted to visiting the page daily.

What motivated you to sponsor the Sunday Selfies on Naija Housewives’ Facebook Page?

 I got motivated to sponsor the Sunday Selfies because I like the concept of celebrating every Naija woman every week. And it happens that April is a very special month for me, because it happens to be my son’s and I birth month. So I decided to sponsor the Sunday selfie in order to put smiles on the faces of my fellow Naija Housewives for the whole month of April as a way of saying thank you to God for keeping and blessing us.

 

What advice do you have for women who are struggling to start a business?

 There is nothing like having patience and perseverance in a business. Just start small and you will be amazed at how fast you will grow over the years. I started with just Five Thousand Naira (N 5000) 3 years ago and today my stock is worth hundreds of thousands by God’s grace. So don’t be scared that you can’t make it. Just make sure you like what you are selling or what you want to sell and have an agreement prayer over your business with your husband and children. Then advertise your goods on social media and see how much difference it will make.

 

Do you have anything to say to us?

Naija Housewives is a name I’m proud to be associated with. I will advise you to keep up the good work, creativity and the different segments that is targeted at making every Naija Housewive a better home builder and helpmate to her spouse and family.

 

You can get in touch with Blessing through the following:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sparklesjewelries

Phone: 08099779355

BBM: 24CCFB73

WhatsApp: 08099779355

 

This interview with Blessing Awah of Sparkles Jewelries is part of our series called “The Woman Entrepreneur.” Read about other amazing women here. If you would like to be featured in this series, get in touch with us through the Contact Form.