Ogazi Doris is humble, polite and a talented business woman who has the ability to multitask, she is an inspiration to young ladies as her platform has created job opportunities for the youth. She speaks to Elorasblog in this interview.

Please introduce yourself and tell us more about your background?
My name is Ogazi Doris. I am igbo born and raised partly abroad. Currently based in France.

You’re an Entrepreneur, what does your business entails?

My business is all about providing domestic staffs and home lesson tutors for home and companies. I also deal on French designer’s perfumes and wines.

What is the name of your business, were you trained for this business?
The name of my company is H&D Home Services limited. Yes, I was trained to do this business here in France where such business is common.

Photos of H&D Home Services Staffs

What inspired you to start up your business?

I was inspired to start the home service business first of all because I was an underage maid( 14yrs) and I am still traumatised by my experience till date. Secondly, I saw a video that went viral where a maid abused a poor baby she was asked to take care of. I couldn’t watch till the end because of how brutal the young maid treated the innocent child. Most comment I read under the video people were accusing the maid and calling her evil. So I understood that most parent still don’t understand that mistreating a maid can lead to such evil act. So, I decided to create my company in August 2010, where I can do things right and differently. In my company all our domestic staffs are trained and screened . They are protected by the company. We also verify our clients before sending workers to them, to ensure that we aren’t sending an innocent person to a family where she will be mistreated, compared to some other company that offer similar services, we don’t employ underage workers, we pay our worker very well because we believe a well paid worker is a happy and an efficient worker.

How were you able to raise fund to start up your business?

I am a teacher so raising money for my business wasn’t hard. All I need to do was to save for the amount I needed. Then travelled home to establish the business.

What major challenges have you encountered in your business?

In this business my major challenges are: the recruitment procedures which are cost effective and getting the right clients. I mean clients who are willing and capable of paying handsomely for the quality services that we provide. Most times, you will hear comments like these: such amount for an ordinary maid? Sorry I can’t pay such!
This shows that we are in a society where domestic workers are been discriminated against and less valued. Some client who even have the money will prefer not to pay because they believe a maid should be paid little.

What platform do use to advertise your business?
I use facebook, Instagram and twitter for my adverts.

You’re the boss, how does it feel working for yourself?

As the boss of the company , I always feel I should get everything right, perfect, even when I know no one is perfect: I try to meet up with clients demands and needs, training deadlines, etc. And all these challenges sometimes come with stress, anxiety and risk. However, I feel great working for myself.

Will you say it’s been financially rewarding?
Partially! We are able to pay bills and all but such business isn’t like selling common food that people eat all the time. Before you can get a huge reward it will take so many years unless you want to exploit people( workers) just like most agents do in Nigeria. I want to maintain the reputation of my company so I am ready to go the extra mile to do the right thing. The best reward I get for now is appreciation( positive reviews) from my clients who are so so satisfied with our services. Most of them have been with us since the creation of the company( 2016).

Where do you see your brand in 5 years?
In the next 5 years, I am hoping that my company will be the best home service company in Nigeria and I also hope we will be in the 36 states of Nigeria. So far, we are in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Ibadan.

Contact:

H&D Home Services limited
Tel: 09070622064/08037592030
Www.hndservicesnig.com