Hearing stories about what the economy was like in the 90s, one would wonder where things went wrong. But the one part I still can’t wrap my head around was the price of Food. According to Mrs Jane, with her and her business popularly known as “Madam Jane”, selling a plate of meal for more than ₦60 was considered too high or a joke. Starting with a capital of ₦1,600 in 1996 and a plate at ₦30, Madam Jane has grown a community following within the Ago Palace Way Area of Lagos State with her customers being very dependent on her daily opening and often time, lash out at her when meals finish early, till this very day.
But despite achieving success with the business, Expanding has not met her expectations as one of her major challenges is Hiring Competent staff. This has kept her in day to day operations of the business. This prompted her to look outside the family for managers and other staff almost quarterly. According to her, Mrs Jane said and Quote
“The number one challenge we have is getting competent workers. And I found out that many young men and ladies don’t like doing this work. They see it as ‘Hard work’ leading me to hire middle-aged women, especially in the kitchen.”
Even with no clear successors within her family looking to grow the business currently, she stays optimistic about what lies ahead as she believes life will reward her effort in maintaining the business. She also awaits the graduation of her eldest daughter who she said will come in to take over from her “Hopefully” from 2024.
