Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Boyede Sobitan, co-founder and CEO of OjaExpress, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
OjaExpress is a digital marketplace for cultural groceries. We equip cultural-specific grocery stores with the ability to sell their unique inventory online. By doing this, these stores are able to support communities that prefer to shop for groceries that matter to them.
Tell us about yourself
After witnessing the struggle, and inconvenience, many of my friends, had to go through to get “African” foods, I embarked on a journey to remedy this problem. This journey led to the creation of OjaExpress. My co-founder Fola Dada and I seek to enhance the lives of immigrants and cultural food lovers by making cultural foods easily accessible through the OjaExpress platform.
I started my career in healthcare. My first job out of college was as an ICU RN at the University of Chicago Medical Center. I quickly got my degree in Healthcare Administration from UIC. Upon graduation, I worked in various capacities in hospital/healthcare administration. Over the course of my career, which got increasingly busier and busier, I noticed that I couldn’t get the grocery items that I grew up in at my local grocery store. This resulted in me driving 10 miles out of my neighborhood to get these items. These were items I needed consistently. But I wasn’t the only one with this problem. There are millions of immigrants throughout the country that have the exact same issue. Some of them grin and bear it. Others use poor substitutes or wait months for family members to come to visit so they can get a taste of home.
Many of the stores that serve these communities lack the technological ability or wherewithal to serve these communities in a way many would like to be served. They do not offer grocery delivery, so many customers just deal. That’s where we come in. We provide these stores with affordable technology to serve communities better. This also helps the store to increase its digital presence, as more and more people are transacting online.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been the ability to get OjaExpress on its feet. I am overjoyed by the look on customers’ faces when they see products they haven’t seen since they left their home country decades ago and how they share stories with us about how they are now sharing these products with their American-born children. These stories and many like them is a huge confidence booster for us as a company.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Leading a tech startup is difficult. The hardest part, I would say, is managing the right now against your vision for where you want your company to be. There is so much we want to do. But as the leader, you have to have patience and a sense of urgency simultaneously. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but you have to balance the two for your team. Also, being a founder can be mentally taxing. The buck stops with you, and that’s a level of pressure that few understand or know how to deal with. I make it a priority to prioritize mental health and check in with myself as much as possible. You have to be present and available to lead!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take care of your mind and body. If you are not healthy, you can’t be useful to your team and the customers you serve.
- Talk to customers routinely. Don’t assume you know what the customers want. Ask them!
- Don’t quit! I think perseverance is a key attribute for anyone wanting to start a business. Regardless of the outcome, see it through to the end!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ojaexpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ojaex
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ojaexpress/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ojaexpress
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ojaexpress/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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