This 21-year-old wants to build an apparel empire, one sale at a time.

A few months before she graduated college, Dickson Emmanuella, a 21-year-old student of finance at Knutsford University College, Accra made the move to launch an online business selling apparel items like clothes, bags, shoes, etc.

When asked what led her to start this business, Emmanuella says “I just got tired of sitting around doing nothing, I felt this urgent need to apply myself instead of waiting for something to happen so I decided to research things I could do, I took a lot of business classes and saw a lot of women doing inspiring stuff, it’s what led me to take a leap of faith and start up my business.”

Emmanuella’s business focus is driven by her unique taste in fashion and styling. She’s always been an avid lover of quality clothing items and as such, launching a business that aligns with her personal interests came naturally to her.

One thing that stands out when interacting with Emmanuella is the measured and competent aura she has around her, it’s the air of someone who is utterly convinced in what they are building and is absolutely convinced they have what it takes to beat the odds.

We asked Emmanuella a few questions about her experience running a business and her goals for the future. Here is what she had to say;

• How long have you been running your business for?

I launched my business — “Ellarh’s Signature” about five months ago so yeah five months.

• What was it like juggling a business while studying?

Well I can’t lie, it was difficult, but I am done with school now so I have more time to fully focus on the business and build it.

• What’s been your biggest challenge so far?

It’s mostly been around logistics, ensuring that packages are delivered on time by my logistics partners. Then given that my business is still quite young, there is a lack of consistency in orders. Some days, I do lots of sales and there are days where I don’t do any at all.

• What’s been your proudest moment yet?

Every time my customers give me glowing product reviews, it makes me really happy and proud of what I am doing.

• What’s a notable milestone you are looking to hit in your business?

In the next 2–4 years, I want Ellarh’s Signature to be a notable brand name within and outside Nigeria. Personally, I also want to be at a place where I have the means and capacity to empower young entrepreneurs looking to start a business and grow.