This woman
turned a mere hobby into money spinner
By PETER ANOSIKE and CHINWENDU UZOUKWU
Monday, May 8, 2006
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• Dr (Mrs.) Joy Dominic
Photo: The Sun News Publishing |
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Nineteen years ago, when Dr (Mrs.) Joy Dominic, Chief Executive
Officer, Joy Skin Maintenance and Beauty Parlour had a chance
encounter with the art of beauty therapy in Accra, Ghana,
she didn’t know that fate had thrust a gold mine on
her laps. Almost two decades in the business, Mrs. Dominic
has every cause to thank God for her strides in beauty therapy
which has earned her fame and fortune.
In this encounter with Daily Sun, the beauty director opened
up on her foray into the business and how she’s been
able to beat all odds to rise to the pinnacle of fame and
fortune. Excerpts:
Background
My name is Dr Joy Dominic. I am the Chief Executive Officer
of Joy Skin Maintenance and Beauty Parlour. I am from Akwa
Ibom State. I did my primary school education in the then
Cross River State. My secondary school was done in Lagos.
While I obtained a diploma in Accounting in my state.
When I was pursuing my diploma, I was engaged to my husband
who was living in Ghana then and when I went to visit him,
I saw something that was lacking in Nigeria then, because
people were not beauty conscious.
There in Ghana, it was like a carnival. People were doing
facial treatment, massaging and all that. That was about 19
years ago. I went into the study because I have always loved
beauty right from my childhood. I appreciate people who are
beautiful.
After my studies, I came back to Nigeria but the art was not
in vogue then, so I went into fashion and made a lot of money,
but in 1993, God told me to go back to what I studied in Ghana,
so I opened my beauty parlour.
Challenges
When I started this beauty therapy, it was like trying to
introduce something new. And you know the way Nigerians treat
new things. Some people tried to make jest of the thing.
However, I was not deterred. I knew my target, so I began
to go to hospitals to meet nurses and mothers whose babies
had rashes, stretch marks and other skin diseases.
What convinced them was that each product I introduced to
them worked well. From there, words began to spread. I was
not producing the cream myself. My study in cosmetic chemicals
and cosmetics surgery gave me the advantage that I can look
at a particular cosmetic that has a particular chemical and
another that does not have and ask you to mix it to get a
desired result.
I started the business in my sitting room and when money began
to come in, I rented a shop at Agege. From there to Ogba and
now in Allen Avenue Ikeja.
Response
What really encouraged me was when I started, if I mix creams
for people or introduce some to them, it worked very well.
From there, words began to spread. When my baby had rashes,
I met one Joy who recommended one cream. That gave me the
motivation to keep on. At a time, my house almost became a
hospital and I told myself that it is high time I moved out.
Since 1993 how well
I can say that it has been wonderful. Even the Bible says
that we should not dispose even the little we get. I studied
what I am into and then lay the foundation. A very good business
even in marriage, any woman that jumped into marriage and
did not understand how the man started, it will not last but
any marriage that the man and woman laid the foundation together,
such a marriage will stand the test of time.
Like I always tell people, I started from the scratch. I started
with nothing but today, I can stand and give testimony.
Doing business in Nigeria
Well, I am proud of my country. We are very talented and very
beautiful too. Anywhere in the world, I always discovered
that Nigerians are the most beautiful. We are committed. We
are hardworking and intelligent. I wont say because I have
business outside the country and condemn my country. Nigeria
is such a beautiful place.
Management style
Managing any type of business needs knowledge, wisdom and
understanding and all these come from God. With the grace
of God, there is no way you cannot manage something you spent
years to study and you understand the rudiments. I know my
staff very well and before I employ somebody, I will make
sure that the person is level headed and can be a worthy ambassador
of the company any time and anywhere.
Marketing style
I believe strongly in reaching out to people and that is the
reason why you see me in most of the television stations like
Galaxy, MITV, AIT, NTA and Silver Bird I also run advertisement
in newspapers like Daily Sun and The Punch.
That is my little way of creating awareness because in any
business you are in, you should make provision for awareness
so that people will know what you are doing and patronise
you.
My husband
I want to thank God for the type of husband he gave to me.
My husband is the kind of man that is exposed to life and
he likes beauty too. He encourages me in the business. In
short, he is the backbone of my business.
Before I do anything, he will seek divine direction. He will
tell me do this or don’t do that.
Combining home and business
Nothing can affect my marriage because I know how to manage
myself. Everything has its own time. I wake up in the morning,
clean up my house as a mother, prepare breakfast and lunch
and get my children ready for school. We come home before
eight in the night and that gives me enough time to prepare
the supper. I wash my husband and childrens’ clothing
during the weekends. So, I know how to package myself. Being
a career woman cannot stop me from being a mother and a wife.
Joint account
It all depends on the man. For me, I am in support of a husband
and wife having joint account. There is nothing wrong with
that if both parties are honest to themselves. I used to have
one with my husband when he was in business like me but when
he became a pastor we had to separate but then, he still knows
every income that comes into my hands. I tell him everything.
I don’t hide anything from him.
What I am trying to say is that, there is nothing wrong in
husband and wife having a joint account provided they will
be open to each other.
Training programme for women
I have women empowerment programme. I train woman on how to
create wealth, because you cannot just go to church and when
you come back home money will fill your house. But when you
pray, God will take care of the spiritual angle and you should
take care of the physical angle. After all, God said that
he will bless the work of our hands.
I engage them in handiwork no matter their level, whether
they have masters degree, first degrees or school certificates.
This is because if you are working now, there will be a time
you will retire then what will you be doing?
I teach them how to make weave on, beads, hats, fashion designs,
soap, detergents, body cream, hair creams and so on.
In Lagos State, I have 10,000, Benin, 3,000 and in Calabar
about 5,000. In Ghana, I also have quite a good number of
students.
Advice to women
They should not believe in being full time house wives. I
personally don’t believe in it. I believe in having
my own personal money and spending it the way I want, helping
people, encouraging people, seeing to the affairs of their
family.
Men should even encourage their wives to work. If a woman
marries a rich man and later things fall apart, what will
happen next? I have seen many marriages like that. If you
are a full time house wife, then your family will be in problem.
It is good for husband and wife to work. You know that when
two heads join together, it is better. I have seen a couple
of men who said that they won’t allow their wives to
work but it is wrong. These women did not spend all the years
in the school to be staying in the house. They should be allowed
to practice what they studied. There are men when they allow
their wives to work, they will discover that they are materials
for success.
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