I am happy to be a ‘You Win’ awardee

The Physics graduate, from the University of Abuja, said she started a catering business after  she finished her National Youth Service programme  with a hundred thousand naira. She has not worked for the government or any other organisation and she is not looking forward to working for anyone else. Olayemi is the owner of Yemtexfoods […]

The Physics graduate, from the University of Abuja, said she started a catering business after  she finished her National Youth Service programme  with a hundred thousand naira. She has not worked for the government or any other organisation and she is not looking forward to working for anyone else.

Olayemi is the owner of Yemtexfoods which  handles both indoor and outdoor catering services. She does continental and local dishes for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, meetings, naming ceremonies and all other occasions.

She is among the 1,200 people selected by the government in the “You Win” programme.

“I was fortunate to be among the first 6,000 that was picked and we went for the training where we were thought to write business plan. Being part of the promo has really helped my business because we have been involved in a lot of training to help us in our businesses and handle some of the challenges that come with business,” said Oriyomi.

She said she was given 10 percent of the N7.5 million promised her to expand her business. That is N750, 000. She is still expecting the balance. “We are expecting the next batch of the money so that I can rent a place of my own,” she said.

Before she was selected for the “You Win” promo, she wanted to take a bank loan but the collateral demaned by the bank discouraged her.

“I started as a youth corps member and it was not as if I had huge capital, where will I get collateral? That was why I did not bother to go for the loan. But the promo has come handy,” she said.

Oriyomi said passion motivated her into the business in October last year during her service.

Presently, she provides services to some banks in Abuja and also handles outdoor services, “we give the outdoor services based on what our client’s request.”

She said she realized early in life that what matters most in life is your passion.

“I realized early in life that whatever you are doing not minding how much you are paid and you are happy doing it is your passion. I discovered that I have passion for catering services and I find joy in cooking, that is why I found myself in this business,” she said.

According to her, it all started during an entrepreneurship programme organized by the Guaranty  Trust Bank and she walked up to the organizer of the programme and told him of her intention of cooking for the staff of the bank and her proposal was granted after much deliberation.

“I used to put on my corper khaki and serve the staff then with my two staff. I was doing it because it was my passion. I was not making much profit but I love the job and that is what has been keeping me,” she said.

Oriyomi said she still has two staff after a year plus but employs extra hands whenever she is going out for outdoor services aside her regular staff.

With a capital of N100,000, she has been able to buy all her cooking utensils instead of going to rent cooking wares which she said is more expensive.

She said every entrepreneur must be wise in dealing with people to maintain a good business relation.

“I need a space for my restaurant and where I can be training people on this job as a way of empowering them. There is also the problem with the social amenities like power supply and water but in all of these, I am moving on,” she said.

Though without official training in hotel and catering management, Oriyomi said she has worked in some restaurants in Abuja as waitress, customer care officer and supervisor. This she said has given her the opportunity to learn quite a lot which is helping her in her own business, especially in the area of customer care.

“The basic truth is that how well you relate with your customer will help boost your business, if you treat them well, they will always come back,” she said.

Oriyomi, who said she is planning to have an entrepreneur training institute, encourages young female entrepreneurs to follow their passion and always do what they find joy in doing because it will pay off.

She said: “I want to encourage them that although it is hard to start, especially when you do not have money but the truth is that you need to start. I remember I went through a lot but the goal is the most important thing especially when you see where you are heading to.

“Keep doing the right thing and you will get there.”

She said people should also start doing something because government cannot help everybody but “We can help ourselves by getting something to do because we have more graduates than the jobs available.”

Oriyomi does not work  alone, she works with Aisha Momoh. Miss Momoh complements the business in the area of fruit provision which she packages well. “Fruit is very essential. I supply fruits for the clients to complete their meal,” Miss Momoh, a graduate of chemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Minna said.

Most of her clients are civil servants and she also supplies to banks and hospitals where people take them for breakfast or lunch and some take the fruits for dinner.