In conversation with…Dayo Akinrinade
With just one day to go until Make It Your Business returns to London to discuss the all-important question, “When should you leave the corporate world to pursue entrepreneurship?” we caught up with our fourth and final panellist, Dayo Akinrinade, Founder of AfriClick for a quick fire insight into what she will be discussing on the panel this Friday…
MIYB. Dayo, we’re so thrilled to have you on the panel on Friday night! What inspired you to leave the corporate world and start your business and how did you know it was the right time?
DA. I worked as an IT Management Consultant in the City for over ten years and managed projects in various industry sectors like defence and finance. Eventually I realised that there was a direct correlation between my level of job satisfaction and the level of autonomy I had on a project. I function best when I can conceptualise and manage something from beginning to end. I moved on when I knew I had amassed sufficient skills, I was helping global co-operations run their businesses so surely I could build a business!
MIYB. Absolutely! What does a good day on the job look like to you then and what’s the best part about owning AfriClick?
DA. A great day is spent creating the components that bring AfriClick together; the mobile app, marketing content and building out our real life community. At AfriClick our mission is to help global Africans connect through their culture and by far the best part of owning my business is hearing from customers that we are building something that they can use to shape and change their lives.
MIYB. Do you face any challenges as a business owner and if so how do you overcome them?
DA. My biggest challenge is time management because the to do list is never ending, I take less holidays and I see my friends less. Now I consciously train myself to prioritise on the value add tasks that will move the needle.
MIYB. What would you consider your biggest achievement so far?
DA. AfriClick collaborated with University College London to hold a cultural panel discussion event for Black History Month. We squeezed 400 people into the venue and had to turn several people away. Knowing that the business case was compelling enough to get so many people to show up, was a great achievement.
MIYB. That sounds like an amazing event. Is there anything you miss about the corporate world and if so what?
DA. I miss having an abundance of “free” resources, at my corporate job, marketing, IT support and the 24 hour printing team were only a phone call away. Whereas in running my own business I have to carefully budget for costs.
MIYB. I think we can all relate to that challenge! What is the one piece of advice you’d give to any aspiring female entrepreneur who is looking to leave the corporate world?
DA. Initially start off your idea as a side hustle and use the Lean Startup approach to test and de-risk your idea without having to make big capital outlays. Build up your business as much as you can before you leave your job.
MIYB. Great advice! What are you most looking forward to about the MIYB event on Friday?
DA. As an entrepreneur it is very important to have a supportive community who can relate to your experiences. I look forward to drawing from the energy of entrepreneurial and positive women on the night!
If you’d like to hear more from Dayo and our incredible line up of proven female founders who have already trodden the path and are committed to ensuring that your business is a success, join us at Make It Your Business this Friday 13th at 55 East, 53-63 East Street, SE17 2DJ. Register here and we look forward to seeing you there!