UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE QUEENS REVOLUTIONIZING DESIGN IN GHANA
Iconica is a remodeling company that provides full-service exterior and interior remodeling for residential and commercial properties in Ghana. It’s led by two dynamic women who saw it fit to be the change that they wanted to see in terms of design solutions. We put duo on the spotlight in hopes that we will be inspired by their experiences in entrepreneurship.
Ariana Diaries: Describe your company using 4 words only?
Iconica: Practical, Reliable, Passionate, Excellent
Ariana Diaries: What innovative solution(s) are you bringing to your industry?
Iconica: Beyond delivering practical design solutions to our clients, we leave them more enlightened about design. The level at which we involve our clients in the design process makes them take ownership of the result as if they did it themselves. For us that is a great plus.
Ariana Diaries: Describe how you felt when you had your first paying customer?
Iconica: We felt great, knowing that we were not just doing what we loved doing but getting paid for it as well. It made us hopeful.
Ariana Diaries: What do you think is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs in Africa and why?
Iconica: We can only talk on Ghana as a case study since this is what we have experienced. The biggest challenge in our opinion is that fact that there are no differential treatments for start-up entrepreneurs pertaining to taxes and other statutory payments. Additionally, access to information concerning the above are very elusive. Even the personnel who work in these institutions do not seem to have a holistic information for newbies and that makes it difficult to compete with already existing companies with departments that take care of such.
Ariana Diaries: How do you define business success?
Iconica: Being able achieve set goals for our business.
Ariana Diaries: If you were to start all over again, what will be your first priority in terms of set up? Iconica: Getting to understand the statutory obligations pertaining to what tools and resources were needed for a particular discipline within the business/ company structure.
Ariana Diaries: What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Iconica: Grow our operations to the point where Iconica will be synonymous to remodeling and interior design in Ghana and beyond.
