Interview with Mike Jacobs: Consultants in business and fashion based in Nigeria
1) Your Name: Mike Jacobs
2) Your job title: I am a consultant in business and fashion
3) Where are you currently base – Salone, UK or other? I am currently based in Nigeria
4) How would you describe yourself? I am a goal getter with great attention to details. I am a hub of fresh business ideas with a great will to help other climb their various mountains.
5) Role in the Sierra Leone Community? None at the moment
6) Your Challenges: My biggest challenge in the African community has been the difficulty of making people understand and relate with me on the same business wavelength. Most Africans think they already know a lot about business and does not need a professional to do well. After spending so much and failing they will need you to come in and help. Always hard to convince them that they need you from the onset. Plus capital has been a big challenge to implementing all the ideas I have for the African market.
7) Your proudest moment to date: My proudest moment was when i picked up my bag and left the UK to venture into African market despite the ills people say about the Continent.
8) Who inspires you? I got a few people who inspired me. I think my biggest is my wife who believe i can make things happen even in the darkest of places. Also a Caucasian woman who is a business developer who helps companies in the UK to start businesses in African inspired me to come home and try create businesses for myself and others.
9) Why did you decide to do what you are doing now? My biggest passion is fashion and it still is. When i got to Nigeria and saw business openings that were untouched i decided to aid people to do business better.
10) If you were not doing your current job, what would you have preferred to do as a second option? I would have launched my clothing line and run with it. El Carter is my brand name.
11) Do you have any future dates planned such as events that you might want the readers to know about? My first online shop has just been put online for the Nigerian market first before we spread to Salone. To open the online shop, my wife has recently launched a social media movement to help people style and maintain their hair. My online shop www.rimale.com.ng is going to be launched by the end of August. It will provide the best hair of Salone products at the best prices.
12) Your advice and tips for individuals that want to follow your footstep/career path? A lot of patients is needed to build any business in Africa. I do not think it will kick off in a day and just do great. You will need to keep letting people know what you do and employ a very good customer service skill because its greatly lacking in Africa. Always allow yourself to start small and improve.
13) How can they contact you through social media? Pls use my insta page @mrmikejacobs. Facebook page is mike jacobs. For the movement is @ritasratings for facebook, twitter, insta and snapchat.
