Innovation

Domestico is the first and only online furniture showroom in Nigeria. It provides roadside furniture artisans with a wider access to customers by featuring their products on an easily accessible online platform. In the past, these artisans usually sold their furniture with very thin margins in their neighborhoods. However, an online platform offered them an opportunity to sell to customers who would not have had access to these products.

At first, the furniture makers were reluctant to allow Uka to take pictures of their work because they were afraid he would copy their designs and they would lose their market. It took a lot for Uka to convince them that he was acting in their interest and that the online platform would bring them more customers. The next challenge he faced was getting customers to visit the website. Luckily for him, his business school networks facilitated this and he was soon getting orders through the site. The company has been experiencing steady growth and is currently seeing an average of N3.5 million ($20,000) in monthly sales.

Inspiration

While at business school, Uka was looking to start a new business and he wanted “a problem to solve”. He got a clear idea of what to do in one of his classes at Lagos Business School when the Chief Operating Officer of Oando, a leading oil and gas company in Nigeria, gave a talk. The COO said something that particularly struck Uka, “everywhere he went he saw opportunities”. This opened Uka’s eyes to the opportunity that lay along the expressway leading to school, which he had not noticed up until that moment. Along the expressway was a preponderance of furniture makers. He took this observation and used it for a project in his entrepreneurship class where they had been asked to start a business which would have a strong social impact while also being profitable. Uka then realized that if he developed website featuring the beautiful furniture made by the roadside furniture makers, he could actually improve their standard of living while making money himself.

Uka developed the website himself. It took him six months to develop. He then had to go around to the different roadside furniture clusters to take pictures of the furniture so he could add the pieces to the site. Uka saw profits from the beginning and this encouraged him to keep at it, in spite of all the challenges he faced.

Uka’s business philosophy is that money can be made while aiding others to better their situation in life. According to Uka, businesses should start small and grow organically. Entrepreneurs should also endeavor to learn from other people’s mistakes. In Uka’s words: “to start a business, always be ready for hiccups, it is a must. You should always be ready to innovate and …be clear about what you want to achieve in the business space”.

Overall impact

Uka believes in making money by helping others make money. He derives pleasure talking about the people his business has helped. A number of people have benefited directly from Domestico. Uka remembers a furniture maker fondly called I.D. who used to work for someone else but because of the work available to him from Domestico has been able to get a shop of his own and has employees working for him. Prior to Domestico, he would use the front of his house as a workshop. Unfortunately, when the rains came, the furniture sometimes got wet because he was not there in time to put the furniture into the house. I.D. is just one example of the many furniture makers who have seen increased sales and independence from using the site to showcase their work.

Business benefit

Domestico is an online platform that magnifies the reach of Nigerian furniture makers and, in turn, increases their sales and profits. Previously, these craftspeople sold their goods on the side of the road to the limited number of customers that walked by. Now they are able to expand their customer base and increase production.

Social and environmental benefit

Increasing production and expanding profit margins leads to increased employment and poverty alleviation.

Interview

Uka Osaigbovo, Business Owner