In this fourth edition of Hunting Hurdles, we are talking with Adisa Amanor-Wilks, founder of Abjel Communications. I hope you learn as much from the interview as I did. Enjoy!

1.      Could you kindly introduce yourself?

I’m an international journalist and communications professional with over 20 years’ experience. I’m also founder of the first social enterprise media and public relations agency in Africa – Abjel Communications Ltd. I founded Abjel because I’m keen on positioning Africa on the global stage.

2.      Tell us all about Abjel Communications and what you do?

Abjel Communications works with start ups, entrepreneurs, NGOs, charities, and companies to improve their communications. With expertise in media relations and an impressive understanding of the African consumer market, we want to use our skills to promote and celebrate good and sustainable work in Africa.

For most start ups, financial and personnel pressures mean that public relations receives the least attention. But we believe that from the onset when a start up’s idea is viable, they should also begin to plan on how to spread their story not only locally, but also to a global audience.

That’s why as a social enterprise, we reinvest our profits in the organisations we support– mostly the small start-ups with products that have the potential to change people’s lives. We also use our profits to support a children’s bereavement charity in Ghana – iGrieve.

We believe that regardless of the size of your business, wherever you are in Africa, we’ll be able to help tell your story.

3.      How long have you been running this business?

I started this business way back in 2004 while a student at the University of Ghana. It started off as a student work experience/event hostessing stint but gradually developed into a PR firm, naturally because that has become my area of expertise. It collapsed along the way but was relaunched as Abjel Communications as a full suite PR agency in the UK in April 2016.

4.      What gave you the idea for your business?

My experiences working with various organisations around the world have shown how communications can become a tool for altering attitudes, creating perceptions and building investor confidence for socioeconomic growth. I’ve also witnessed first-hand how inaccurate/fake communications can hurt and destroy people lives. I see the effect that misrepresentation in mainstream news about Africa has impacted the continent and its people.

I believe that Africa needs its home-grown communicators to stand up and own their stories; to counter dominant narratives in order to clear a path for self-respect and sustainable development. This includes positioning African experts to participate in discussions about global issues. Positive communication is a vehicle for investor confidence, tourism and a general global feel good about our continent.

With careful planning, thought and strategy, we can begin to influence the role of communications and the material outcome of those communications. This is one of the callings of Abjel Communications.

5.      Did you tell people about your idea? How did they receive it?

The first person I told was my close friend, who was initially skeptical. But when he saw the effort I put into getting it up and running, he realized I was serious. Some colleagues scoffed at the idea saying it had been tried and tested, and to no avail. At some point I was even told that African companies do not appreciate PR so I should look elsewhere.

6.      What kind of market did you have in mind for your services?

Hundreds of new businesses today in Africa are start ups. Small start ups founded by daring and visionary young people. Ever heard of bootstrapping? Yes, most of these start ups are using personal savings to fund their visions and ideas. Many of these entrepreneurs ask me “Adisa, when is the right time for us to start any public relations (PR)? My reply to them is, “your PR started when you decided to launch your business – the moment you named your company, designed a logo, put up a website and revealed yourself on social media.”

I’ve always wanted to do something for and in Africa, so from the get go, our focus has been on Africa, but my particular focus is on the new generation of inventors and entrepreneurs sprawling across the continent from Addis Ababa to Zanzibar. These are really exciting times to showcase what Africa has to offer the world.

7.      How difficult was it to start?

Whoaaaah! Difficulty is the name of the game. But it’s all worth it in the end. From trying out my concept to going through the legal hoops, there was no easy pass.  I actually doubt there is such a word as “easy pass” in any entrepreneurship journey. It’s a challenging path but at the same time exciting. And oh, I discovered right at the beginning that being an entrepreneur literally meant being a jack of all trades– I was the accountant, marketer, lawyer, HR etc. It’s quite a journey, you know! But I’ve loved every bit of it.

8.      What challenges do you face on a day-to-day basis?

I think the challenge is to be able to invent yourself so often in order to keep up with the changing scenes of the industry. Things move really fast and in order to succeed, we need to be able to move with the times.

9.      What has been the worst experience of running your business?

I won’t say worst experience– I call it challenging. It’s the demand on your time, mind family, friendships etc. It’s in fact the challenge of your whole being. I’m heavily vested in this company which means every part of me is in there to make it work and that takes its toll on me. But would I change it for anything? It’s a resounding NO!

10.  What has been the best experience?

Some of the poignant moments have involved client referrals and/or feedback saying how amazing our service is. I personally also take pride in seeing some of the start ups we’ve supported become global players. That is always a dream come true.

11.  How do you market your business?

We use all kinds of channels: social media, traditional media, word of mouth, client referrals et cetera.

12.  What has the response to Abjel been so far?

We’ve had a fantastic welcome into the market. This is a niche market with many entrepreneurs seeking support with little or sometimes no budget to pursue the part of the business that they know needs attention. We’ve gone in there giving a different solution to the communications challenge.

We’ve been noted as an innovative communications consultancy model which suits the new business movement on the continent.

The more we expose our start up community to the opportunities that public relations can bring to not only themselves and their businesses, but to a whole generation on the continent, the more appreciative they are of our services.

13.  Do you have any employees? What does someone have to do to work with you?

I work with a team of freelancers around the world. We’ve got a team in London, Dubai, Lilongwe, Cairo and in other parts of the World. To work with us, you must love Africa and have a flexible mindset to success.

14.  How does entrepreneurship compare to a regular job?

They both have their pros and cons. Depending on who you are, one would be best suited to you. I personally love the freedom that entrepreneurship brings. It’s a freedom that still imprisons but in a very different way. Entrepreneurship allows me the space to innovate, take control and decide how to get to a destination. There is also the risk element of entrepreneurship which excites me.

15.  What have you learnt about running a business that no one could have told you before you started?

That not all that glitters is gold! Yes, there are success stories but for majority of entrepreneurs, there are more failures than successes. I’ve come to appreciate failure better. It’s a sort of failure on a different level– especially knowing how much money, time, family you’ve invested. The impact can be huge, and so can the learnings– priceless learnings. No one can ever explain these sorts of things to you so accurately that you’re prepared for it.

16.  What can government do to help young entrepreneurs?

There should be the space for people who want to explore entrepreneurship. Schools should include entrepreneurship in the curriculum- there are some vital theoretical lessons that can be learnt. By teaching it, you also provide options for school leavers so they’re not wholly dependent on regular employment.

There should be governmental support for small businesses, encouraging big corporates to purchase their services.

17.  Any advice to other entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs?

There is a craze about entrepreneurship across the world, but my advice is that it’s not for everyone. Do some self-assessment before you dive in. If you decide this is the path to tread, then you must be bold and go for it. Never mind failure, it’s part of the game – you’ll fall, you’ll learn and you’ll rise again. Be prepared for the hard work and remember to enjoy your successes when they come.

18.  How can someone get your services?

If you’d like us to come and help with some public relations services, visit www.abjel.com. We can also be reached via our social channels:

Twitter: @abjel_ltd @abjel

LinkedIn: Abjel Communications

Facebook: Abjel Comms

You could also email us at: info@abjel.com

19.  Anything else you’d like to share?

Entrepreneurship is not a quick way to make money. If you choose this path because you want to get rich quick, you’re in the wrong lane.