Atinuke’s story

I heard about the Road to Growth programme from a friend on social media. She mentioned the HerVenture app, designed by the Foundation for women entrepreneurs, and so I downloaded it and after that I applied for the programme.

Women can benefit from using HerVentue if they want to know the right steps to launch and grow businesses. The practical examples used in the lessons made it very easy to use.

The major challenges I wanted to address through the programme were keeping financial records and writing a business growth plan for my business.

My favourite topic was the business growth plan. By the end of the course, I could put together my business growth plan without any outside help and I am very grateful for this.

I am a people person, so it naturally gave me joy to meet and study with other women entrepreneurs. We were able to learn from our experiences and advise one another based on what we have gone through.

I have been able to apply what I learned from the Road to Growth programme. I didn’t find it easy to keep my financial records before, but after the programme, I could see a clear picture of the financial state of my business.

Event planning is one of the businesses that was badly hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the lessons taken from Road to Growth, like close collaboration with other businesses, were a big part of the steps I took to navigate through the pandemic.

Having a successful business means making a difference. The ability to make a difference has made me become more passionate about my business.

The impact of success on my family will be that I can be an inspiration to my children. I hope this encourages them to be the best in what they do.

The Road to Growth programme also encouraged me to set up a support group for women in my circle. I encourage all woman in business to participate in the Road to Growth.

When women-owned businesses thrive, the community wins.

My future vision for us is seeing Sterlage Events be the leading event planning and management firm in Nigeria, which consistently delivers quality services and creates memorable experiences.