The Carpenter (artisan) in me wanted to find expression through Information Technology. Hence, ArtisanOga was born.- Victor Jibrin CEO Artisan Oga
By Kemi Mobuse - Tuesday, January 02, 2018
Back in my University Days, I was what you will call a "handyman". I can repair anything repairable, from an Electric Iron, to electric stove to remote control, I can replace an electric socket and easily change plugs. I found myself learning lot of things, the moment I realized I couldn't rely on anyone but myself, forget the boyfriends, they had absolutely no idea what to do with a bad boiling ring let alone an Electric Iron. My Husband on the other hand, also have no idea what to do with them all, but will sha try to scatter everything, despite having no idea how to put them back together, as long as I am not the repairer..all is well with him, Lol!😁😁
When my blender got spoilt however, I realized I had reached the end of my expertise and I had to take it to a repairman. I watched the guy twerk a few things here and there and declared the blender operational!. I was so happy that I was going to make a delicious sauce for dinner that I could barely wait to get home and make use of the blender. On starting the blender however, the cutting blade flew off and I found myself drenched in Blended Pepper. Suffice it to say; the repairman got more than a ear full of angry words from me.
This just goes to show that; the importance of a good artisan cannot be overemphasized. You cannot for instance hire a man who makes shoe to repair your AC. Getting the right Artisan is important for your own safety and peace of Mind and this is one of the roles that Artisan Oga is created to fulfill.....Lets meet the CEO of the brand and read what he has to say about the it.....
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Can we meet you and your brand?
Artisan Oga: `My name is Victor Jibrin. Together with my team, we run
ArtisanOga.com, where we provide a marketplace for people to hire the right
artisans and manage their projects.
We help people
hire experienced, responsive and professional Plumbers, Electricians, Cleaners,
Carpenters, Bricklayers, Painters, Tilers, Refrigerator Technicians, AC
Technicians, Auto Mechanics, Welders, and more from the comfort of their homes,
offices. Our technicians are professionally certified. There is always a need
for technicians, but finding the right ones is often difficult. Even when you
find them, there is always the uncertainty of whether or not they will do the
jobs properly. There is a high possibility that they will try to cheat by
asking for exorbitant amounts or do shoddy jobs. Sometimes, they take the money
and disappear without any trace. This is where ArtisanOga comes in. We help
customers hire and manage technicians the easy way. We also help technicians to
improve their businesses through training, certification, and access to soft
loans. We currently service Lagos market and are quickly expanding to other
cities in Nigeria. Our target customers are homeowners, small and medium scale
businesses, hotels, schools, etc.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Why Artisan oga as a choice of
name?
Artisan Oga: I chose Artisan Oga because in the blue-collar world
artisans/tradesmen are usually addressed as Oga so and so. Basically, it's a
name that describes whatever service we provide.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: What is the inspiration behind
artisan oga and what is it created to achieve?
Artisan Oga: The inspiration behind ArtisanOga is a desire to formalize the
informal sector. Artisans were pivotal to the Industrial Revolution. So, with
the power of IT today, artisans are capable of the next Industrial Revolution
and we want to be at the forefront of that.
While growing up,
I loved vocational trades. So, I studied Carpentry and Joinery in technical
college. Some years later, I found myself at the University studying
Information Technology. After graduation, I worked with an online hotel booking
agency (Hotels.ng), where I realized it was time to connect the dots in my
life: The Carpenter (artisan) in me wanted to find expression through
Information Technology. Hence, ArtisanOga was born.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Can you walk us a bit through
your starting out journey?
Artisan Oga: I noticed a high demand for tradesmen and artisans, especially
within the University community. I found some good plumbers, carpenters,
electricians, and painters. Then, I began using fliers and stickers, to reach
the target customers. I have a good practical knowledge of carpentry, wood work
and technical management from my years in technical school. So, it was easy for
me to manage the artisans within my network whenever I had jobs for them. I
didn’t have a website, so people called my phone lines to request for artisans.
Together with my team of artisans, we delivered good services with great
customer experience to our clients. After graduation, I worked with Hotels.ng
for 2 years. Through my experience there, we developed the online concept for
ArtisanOga. Once the website was up and running with 200 verified artisans and
a sizeable number of clients, I resigned my job to focus fully on ArtisanOga.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Was it easy starting out, capital
wise? What challenges have you had to deal with?
Artisan Oga: Starting out wasn't easy but I always say that; if you have
the courage to start, you'd more likely have the courage to keep moving and
succeed. My startup capital was my savings, and till today, we haven't taken
any investor's money or loan. We are still building our business to attract the
right investors.
My biggest
challenge was transitioning from my salary job to become an entrepreneur. I ran
out of money quicker than I expected. No money to continue my business and no
job to go back to.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: What is your
favourite part of the whole process?
Artisan Oga: My favourite part of
the whole process is being able to have the same feeling that a nursing mother
has: the joy of having and nurturing your own baby. Artisan Oga is my baby and
it's always a delight to wake up every morning seeing it grow.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: How do you get
clients?
Artisan Oga: Most of our clients come via the social media. Another channel
is our radio programs. Words of mouth is also very helpful.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: The artisans you
work with, are they trained directly under you or independent?
Artisan Oga: We provide our artisans with soft skill training but they
basically possess their own hard skills. We teach them basic skills such as
customer loyalty, record keeping, leadership skills, team work, safety
precautions, ability to meet deadlines, etc
Kemi Mobuse Blog: How do you feel about the
ARTISANS industry today?
Artisan Oga: The artisan industry in this part of the world is still a long
way behind. For instance, an artisan collecting money from a client only to
disappear without doing the work shouldn't be happening in this age of IT.
Technology can help to make artisans more accountable, charge fare prices and
deliver jobs as at when due. Also, our artisans and tradesmen should be a part
and parcel of our production process. Nigerian artisans should be able to
satisfy the needs of our building industry in terms of quality and quantity
without resorting to foreign artisans and expatriates. But I am hopeful we are waddling
to better days by the introduction of innovative technologies as supporting
tools for revolutionizing the industry
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Share with us your proudest
moment in your career so far?
Artisan Oga: My proudest moment was when one of our artisans dropped by at
our office to thank us for not just connecting him to the right clients but
helping him to plan his work and deliver effectively.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: A word for others wanting to
follow this path?
Artisan Oga: For others wanting to follow this path, ensure you have
adequate knowledge of the market, be definite about the problem you want to
solve, launch out and never look back.
Kemi Mobuse Blog: Lastly, how can
you be contacted?
Artisan Oga: My phone contacts: 08171542470, 07069481591
Emails: victor@artisanoga.com, info@artisanoga.com
Office address: B7, Obanta Close, Off Ajao Road, Ikeja, Lagos
Instagram:
@artisanogaWebsite:www.artisanoga.com
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