How would you feel as an entrepreneur when people doubt your products are made locally? How would you feel when they insist that your hand made products are imported from let’s say from China or the US?
As maddening as it may sound, that is exactly what Henrietta Adjetey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brand E- a branding business in Ghana has to constantly grapple with.
Brand E locally produces aesthetically beautiful, customized and durable paper bags for companies and individuals. A quick scout on the company’s website and Facebook pages display creatively designed paper bags of all sizes, shapes and colours depending on client’s preference.
The paper bags is neatly made and can fiercely compete for a spot with top paper bag production companies anywhere in the world.
Little wonder people doubt her handy works are actually produced in Ghana.
Businesses often had to look outside of Ghana when they are in need of paper bags for packaging, souvenirs or products as there aren’t many companies that can deliver top notch results.
Brand E is connecting that missing link and changing the narrative by offering top quality paper bags made locally.
When she started a business in her early days at the University, (Ghana Institute of Journalism) and it wasn’t really kicking, her dynamic self-needed a selling business idea than can thrive.
So in February 2016, Henrietta, now 28, and some close friends sat in a meeting and planned a revolutionary concept for Branding and Packaging right in the lobby of Movenpick Ambassador Hotel (Accra). The end result is Brand E.
The company which focused primarily on creating a nitch for paper bags has morphed into other services such as social media management, graphic designing and print, corporate photography and product shoot.
Henrietta can’t lay finger on the exact amount of money she started the business with but admits that she “started very small.”
“One job at a time. I always somehow managed to get work funded whether I had to borrow money from my family or convince a paper supplier to give me “Y” amount of paper with a postdated cheque in hand or a promise to pay when I receive mine,” she told Business World Ghana in an interview.
Doubts and sustenance
For her, failure isn’t supposed to be pampered as his company is still blossoming because of her dynamism and her knack for quick remedies.
“Brand E was and is still able to stand because I’m not someone who gets stuck on failures. I learn and move on really fast. If one solution flops, I’m on Plan B the next day,” she explained.
If doubts dispirited people, she would have abandoned her business idea and found herself stuck in a job she so much detests.
As a woman, and a young one at that, people often doubted her abilities and whether she could deliver when contracted.
These doubts at some point broke her mojo so much that, she contemplated the idea of acting like she was being sent on an errand like a PA (Personal Assistance) or a secretary attending a meeting on behalf of her boss.
That was then, “now I’ll say that I’m more confident because I’ve got my works to show and more people who approach me are coming because I’ve been recommended. There’s very little room for doubt,” she says.
With a work force of 4 which isn’t that bad for a 2-year old startup, Brand E currently habours plans of expansion but is faced with the usual entrepreneur challenge- Funds.
She advised young women starting up not to “play the gender card; appeal to potential clients because your work is good not because you’re a woman so must be favoured… and be super confident!”
Her switch from journalism to advertising and branding was seamless as she gained experience in graphic and web designing after her secondary school days and topped it up with internship at a branding company while in Journalism school.
“It so worked out perfectly that I didn’t look for a job after University. I thought I should just continue doing what I loved the most…designing!”
On what keeps her on the grind in spite of the hurdles, she noted, “I want to see several other businesses succeed through our effort at Brand E. I am convinced that what we’re building is a brand that is bigger than myself or my team.”
“Global brands are not things you get tired of building. I’m encouraged even in my lowest moments with failure stories of global giants that what I’m facing now is just a tip of the iceberg,” she added.
Regarding sales, apart from social media doing the magic, don’t be surprised to see Henrietta dash into your office and blurt out,” hey you should let me work for you. I make amazing paper bags so that works fine too.” Yeah she tells me she’s a crazy marketer like that.
The best time for young women to venture into entrepreneurship?
According to her, entrepreneurship isn’t something you motivate people into especially if they don’t feel they’re cut out or prepared for it.
Although it’s rewarding she says, there isn’t a secured salary in the beginning; it’s all sacrifice and it takes a crazy level of discipline to keep you moving.
Why are there more female entrepreneurs in Ghana than anywhere in the world?
“We may not realize but we have some really hardworking women here in this country, from the North all the way to the South! I think now more than ever, Ghanaian women want to build something for themselves. We want to live a life on our own terms and somehow we feel entrepreneurship offers that freedom!”
“Trust that where you find one woman building something, she’s teaching several other women to do the same. Every week, somehow, somewhere, you’ll find a group of women learning beads making, taking make up courses, fashion classes so they can go on and set up their own”.
Part of her duties at work on a typical day include articulating each worker’s role for the day, designing and creating templates, meetings in and outside the office, reaching out to old and new clients either checking up on them or giving them updates.
She also attends to mails and do occasional deliveries to clients.
This routine, according to her may vary as she has to adjust when the need be.
Some top brands that Brand E have worked for include Woodin, Aqua Safari, Unicredit, Zaina Lodge, Goil, Numerouno, Total among others.
By Pamela Ofori-Boateng/Business World Ghana