Jandel: Afi Amoro’s pride and glory
Entrepreneurship normally begins with a business idea, and the success of the entrepreneur or the enterprise often depends on how well the idea is executed.
Advertisement
This means that success is not automatic because in many instances the ideas are abandoned due to challenges and initial failures. However, there is a class of entrepreneurs who succeed against all odds because they defied the odds.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of Jandel Limited, a leading event planning company in the country, Ms Afi Amoro is one of such entrepreneurs that has defied all odds and has managed to built a very successful company that has become a household name.
Taking her turn on the weekly motivational programme on JOY Fm last Sunday, the Springboard, Ms Amoro explained that some of the key critical successs factor that had driven her idea to become a big business in the country.
Her appearance on the show was to discuss some of the key critical factors that drive success in a person’s life.
It also marked the eight week of the, ‘Critical Success Factors,’ on the show.
The show had featured numerous resources persons which include, Mr Kofi Bentil, Kofi Dadzei, Mrs Alipt Sanam Hari and Madam Constance Elizabeth Swaniker.
The rest are, Professor Robert Ebo Hinson, Mr Coby Asmah and Mr David Ofosu-Dortey, of which each of them shared their 10 success factors that drove them to the top.
The series is expected to inspire and motivate audience throughout the country to emulate and imbibe the successful life stories of people and use it to better their lives.
Having worked in both the public and the private sector, Ms Amoro comes with a wealth of knowledge in human and creative resource management which has helped her to grow her business from a hobby to into a very solid business.
The dead end
Recounting the journey of Jandel Limited which started 20 years ago to the host, Rev. Albert Ocran, the CEO indicated that after she came to the realisation that her career path had come to a dead end, she reinvented herself by diverting into another career direction to which has manifested into Jandel Limited.
Madam Amoro went back to school to reinvent herself after 17 years of public service.
Given further explanation on factors that drove her into entrepreneurship, she said, “as a public service work, my pocket was always dry so therefore I had to think fast and make a decision that would impact on my life positively.”
She explained that although being a secretary for over a decade and half came with its own challenges, economic issues drove her out of the public service.
“I think that to sit and complain about your challenges are counter-productive, it is very critical for that individual in question to access the situation and find a solution to it rather than crying over it all the time,” she said.
Let God lead
Touching on her critical success indicators, the CEO urged Ghanaians to allow God be the Alpha and Omega in their lives, and she added that with prayer and supplication God would always have their backs.
“God never promised a trouble free life, but He said out of every difficulty He will rescue you. Let Him be your PRINCIPAL advisor, counsellor and rock,” she indicated.
Oftentimes when challenges come, people tend to blame everyone and everything but themselves. Ms Amoro advised that “if someone criticises you or something bad happens to you reflect deeply and see what positive lessons you can learn from it”.
“Use the challenges as stepping stones because with hindsight you realize that that attitude has always taken you to the next level. Introspection is always good for the body, mind and soul,” she noted.
In business, good bookkeeping is critical. It helps to assess in a pragmatic way, an entrepreneur’s growth and risk levels.
Advertisement
“Unfortunately or fortunately most entrepreneurs including myself are visionaries and are driven by heart and instinct. The figures don't add up but you still want to go ahead. And it causes us a lot of pain and stress. But it is like birthing because the pain usually turns to gain if you apply best practice in your business,” the CEO stressed.
“Very often most entrepreneurs turn a blind eye to upgrading their skills and abilities to do more forgetting that the world and business modules are constantly evolving so it is critical to keep learning.
“Never ever think you are done, have seen it all and experienced it all. Keeping fresh in updating yourself in not only educating yourself but also investing in the people you work with is very important,” she said.
Ms. “Do not be afraid to train and offer training opportunities to your workers. The company becomes better because of it. Do not be afraid to headhunt for fresh talent and ideas. Always have mentors who can point you in the right direction because there is always someone who knows it better than you. It is important to surround oneself with positive vibes,” she explained.
Advertisement
It, however, important for an individual to keep his or her morals upright, while admitting that no one is perfect there are certain boundaries that should not be crossed. As a woman, the challenges of being in any business or corporate endeavor are enormous.
Juggling one’s personal and public life can be daunting. Ms Amoro advised young people especially women to avoid trading their bodies to climb the corporate, business or social ladder.
Instead, she said they should parry the blows politely but assertively, adding that an individual might be punished for it, “but think of how good it makes you feel for not succumbing.”
“And tarry though it might,
Critical success factors of David Ofosu-Dortey
Advertisement
1. Let love and talent decide your life’s choices; not money, fame, desire for power etc.
2. The Mathew effect (Mathew 25:29) start implementation and remain focused. Be grateful to God, colleagues. Implementation creates small success and small successes and thereby creates the momentum and the “Mathew”.
3. Have a strategy but remember two key things about strategy.
- It must be context specific.
- Must take account of culture. You may need to change the culture.
4. Never have a vision before you get out of your box. You must have a vision of where you want to go but before you develop the vision, you must first get out of the box.
5. Human beings are most important partners, not technology, fame, self—aggrandisement or money.
6. Have core values because values must drive everything you do. My core value is trust. I must trust myself that I will not cut corners. Your staff must trust you.
7. Have key areas of focus and stay on the focus. The biggest hindrances to focus are challenges, money and ego.
8 Set a benchmark and adjust it to trends but there should be a benchmark or standard in everything you decided to do. Without that, you are like everyone else.
9. Develop a genuinely good image, product or service and market it. Do good and letting others know that it is good.
10. Take advantage of opportunities-they are everywhere. Create opportunities.
you will end up victorious. How do you wish to be remembered after you have left the world, How are you going to account for yourself to your God?” she asked.
Stay focus
She said trials might come but staying focused to a dream or aspirations was key for an individual to keep working on the dream and think of ways that can help him or her to stay on track.
“How do you wish to see the business in say five or 10 years from now,” she quizzed.
Warren Buffet has always advocated that having multiple sources of income is critical. It is very important for an individual to identify various source of deriving his or her income.
“See what else you can do to add on to your income legally and ethically. They always say Ghanaians are magicians and I believe it's because most of them have multiple sources of income. A gardener who is also a night watchman elsewhere. A banker who has a beauty salon,” she explained.
Succession
Citing another critical success factor, the CEO said it was crucial for an entrepreneur to put a succession plan in place in order to successfully drive the business from one generation to the other.
She said: “Always have a succession plan. I personally do not particularly like being the 'go to' person in my business all the time. But if it should always be a relative,” she observed.
When the host asked her to make a personal wish as to who should succeed her, she said it was her desire that her daughter and another trusted employee would succeed her at Jandel Limited in the near future.
“Have a positive attitude. Keep a happy outlook. And encourage others to be happy from within. Only you can create your own happiness. But when life throws you lemons make lemonade. Don't stay in a depressed state for long. It's addictive. Be happy, look happy, dress happy and surround yourself with happy people,” Madam Amoro cited.
She underlined the virtue of being grateful as her last critical success factor that helped to drive her business from a hobby into a leading event planning company in the country.
“Gratitude is the pivot around which you should operate. Gratitude to God is paramount. Gratitude to God comes not only going to church to shout and dance but also means meeting your obligations to God and country. Serving the church can come in many ways - physically, mentally, financially and spiritually,” she explained.
She added that, “be grateful for your family, friends and business associates. I am in the gratitude business and it's amazing when we deliver flowers to people from people expressing gratitude and the joy it brings to the recipients.”
“Show gratitude for life, staff, clients, family, society, country, food, health, shelter, security everything. When you keep a daily gratitude journal as Oprah Winfrey advises in which you write on a daily basis on what you are grateful for, you will see what the Good Lord is doing for you in spite of your problems”.