Design professional Janet Andoh has overcome challenges from motherhood to moving countries, and is now the founder of a successful design business

Janet Andoh began her career as a medical secretary before going on to train and to make her mark as a design professional. Now resident in South Portland, Maine, Janet is the founder of Alpha Décor, a company specialising in individualised designs and soft furnishings. 

ReConnect Africa spoke to Janet about her influences and overcoming life’s challenges to set up her business.

ReConnect Africa (RCA):   Can you tell us a bit about your heritage and background?

Janet Andoh:   I am British (by birth) but of Ghanaian descent. My parents were both born and raised in Ghana and originate from the Ashanti region. They relocated to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s and settled in London. This union was blessed with two children – my younger brother and I. After our initial primary school education in London, my parents decided to relocate back to Ghana.

Shortly after the relocation, my mother returned to the UK to finalise the move but was taken ill and sadly passed away in the UK. Obviously, at the tender ages of 8 and 6 years respectively, this was an immense blow to us. I returned to the UK on completion of my primary and secondary school education in Ghana and initially trained as a medical secretary. I worked at St. Thomas’ Hospital for some 10 years and subsequently moved on to train and pursue a career in soft furnishings and interior design.

I went on to set up Alpha Décor, while still maintaining a part-time teaching post in the Design Faculty at the Lewisham Community Center in the UK. Two years into the programme, my husband was relocated to the US where we currently reside. I continue to run my business and balance its demands with those of my family, whilst keeping abreast with my professional development needs via selective webinars, attending seminars and targeted short courses.

RCA:   What made you decide to change career from that of a medical secretary?

Janet Andoh:   Interesting question! I have always had a natural inclination towards design and creative art. I was involved in designing and sewing from a young age, but never thought I’d end up being a designer. First and foremost, I wanted to be a pharmacist but, much to my dismay, found myself having to settle for a medical secretarial course as an entry route into the medical field - it was all about funding.

I had thought that as a UK citizen, I would automatically qualify for a further education grant the moment I returned to the UK, which was not the case. Having enrolled at the South Thames College, my brother and I were two weeks into our programmes when we were both simultaneously “booted” out of class on some unfortunate financial technicality. It transpired that the Admission Office had failed to implement Mrs. Thatcher’s new assessment criteria for those seeking government grants for education. The new criteria restricted funding to only those citizens who had been continuously resident in the UK for three years prior to their application for an education grant. Consequently, given that I had just returned from Ghana after a prolonged period of absence, I did not qualify for the much needed financial support to study pharmacy.

A few years on, after the birth of my daughter, Bobby, it was the painful and gut wrenching thought of having to return to work and delegate my maternal responsibilities to a child minder that got me thinking. “Was I going to miss out on her first smile, her first words and her first steps?” “Will I not be there for playtime? “Was it not possible to work from home and have it both ways?”The answer was not immediately apparent.

Fortuitously, the answer came to me whilst shopping at Arding and Hobbs for a pair of curtains for my living room. It was the shock of being quoted a seemingly ridiculous price for a standard pair of curtains that rekindled my creative appetite.

I was more than certain that with the little skill and knowledge that I possessed at that moment in time, I was capable of producing a more appealing pair of curtains for half the cost. I bought some fabric and by the time I had designed cushions to compliment the curtains, I was convinced I had my home working job specification sealed, and started to think about the commercial potential.

I enrolled myself at the London Guildhall University (now London Metropolitan College) and after four years of training, qualified as a Soft Furnishings Designer.

RCA:   What were some of the challenges involved in first setting up Alpha Décor?

Janet Andoh:   Diving into the unfamiliar world of business throws up various challenges to every first timer.

My key stressors were the usual cash flow, how to generate new business customers, and how establish a unique brand or style. Luckily, I have a very supportive husband so the financial support during the initial set up was the least of my worries. But then with the start of every business also comes hard work, determination and persistence, not to mention the amount of research involved, as well as good planning.

Having already proved myself to friends and family, getting customers and keeping them happy was not an issue. However managing the peaks and troughs of customer demand was an issue, particularly as I had a limited budget which did not stretch far enough for me to engage additional staff.

The lack of space in the home environment soon became an issue and certainly taking my business out of the home setting was going to be self-defeating. Eventually, I found myself turning my kitchen into a workroom during the day, and then reverting into a kitchen after working hours. A large piece of plywood came in handy and made it easy for me to convert our dining room table into a work table during the working day. We ultimately converted our garage into a small workroom and office for the business.

The real challenge came, however, when we relocated to the US – Portland, Maine. Until our move, I had not even heard of this remote place but alas, as a dutiful and supportive wife, “I will go where ever he goes …”

Now in a predominantly “white” environment, I’ve had to adapt to a changing market by working twice as hard to be recognised. I was fortunate enough to meet another designer who was retiring and moving out of the area and also had the opportunity of working with her on a few projects. She was amazed at the quality of my work and showed a willingness to recommend me to her clients. She did let slip that the only caveat was she had to tell them I was black. Thankfully, nine years on, I am still in business but slightly handicapped by the economic downturn and, of course, not particularly benefiting from my minority status.

RCA:   How do you think your Ghanaian heritage has influenced your style and the way you design today?

Janet Andoh:   I absolutely love the fact that I am a Ghanaian woman living away from “home”. This has inspired me to educate the people here in what I know to be a rich culture.

I have started introducing our Adinkra symbols into the soft furnishings prepared for my home and those commissioned by friends and family members. The idea is to showcase our ethnic heritage and raise more awareness to our cultural values. I am hoping that as I expand and progress, I will also be able to incorporate our Kente cloth into some of my designs.

RCA:   What do you see as the key challenges in running a design business, particularly in conjunction with your role as a busy mother?

Janet Andoh:   One major challenge that I am facing at present is the inability to cater for clients outside of Maine and, in particular, my London clients. Given the weight and structure of some of these window furnishings, it is rather expensive to ship out.

This clearly results in a loss of business abroad. In an ideal world, the easiest and most appropriate thing to do would be to travel down to these various places needing my ‘touch’, fabricate, install and then travel back home. This, of course, would mean another workroom (together with the overheads, insurance, etc.,) and again having to forgo my duty as a mother.

Alongside fabricating, it is my desire to offer day-time and evening short courses in my workroom. Unfortunately the response to my initial marketing flyers and advertisements was poor but I plan on taking this a step further in the hope that this will yield positive results in the near future.

RCA:   What are your plans for Alpha Décor and for getting your products out to a wider market?

Janet Andoh:   First and foremost my website (http://www.alphadecor.com) needs serious editing! I plan on adding features to allow clients choose and order their treatments/soft furnishings on-line.

I am also in the planning process of figuring how best to get large orders to them without the overwhelming cost of shipping this may possibly involve training others to do what I can’t do from a distance, and it is my desire to establish an Academy or training facility in order to offer coaching to all interested parties. I love to teach - I was teaching at the Lewisham Community Centre before we relocated and really enjoyed all aspects of this.

RCA:   What would you say have been the top 3 lessons you have learned in business?

Janet Andoh:   Firstly, Never Quit! When you discover a great talent, you do all that you can to encourage and develop such talent.  Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself! In building my business I have learnt to embrace challenging ideas, suggestions and plans in an attempt to produce the kind of innovation and products required to succeed today. Believe in your idea, trust your instincts, and do not be afraid of failure. Learn from your initial mistakes, persevere, do your best and cherish the outcome!

Secondly, respect your clients. It doesn't matter what business you are in, one of the most important objectives is to respectfully provide the best service you can to your customers or clients, mastering all the resources and support required to interpret their individual needs and deliver a fitting outcome.

At the end of the day, your customer or client will remember how you made them feel over anything else. And then you can proudly say “thank you!”

Honour money. Making a lot of money is not a bad thing. Maria Nemeth, author of ‘The Energy of Money’ says, “We’re all happiest when we’re giving form to our Life Intentions in ways that support our lives and help the world”.

As a child, I was taught to cherish and honour money - you should not overlook even a penny. So do what you know how to do best and make MONEY in the process!

RCA:   What advice can you offer to other designers who would like to take the path you have chosen?

Janet Andoh:   Too often we get caught up in making our business “perfect” before we announce it to the world, working out every possible scenario or problem so we can be prepared when it happens.

Most entrepreneurs will agree that business looks a lot different one, two or three years in, than it did in the planning stages. We are only here for a certain amount of time. Ask yourself what you want to achieve. What would you want it to look like? It’s your life, not a dress rehearsal. Trying to think everything through to the nth degree before you start is simply wasted energy. “Ready” is a state of mind, one you can condition yourself to overcome with regular deadlines. “Don’t go on because you’re ready; go on because it’s TIME!”