Infant and Toddlers Corner - Olufunke Oluyemi #Inthespiritofenterprise

Hello Fam! As promised, I am starting my entrepreneur showcase today #inthespiritofenterprise. I had a Skype chat with the Director of infant and Toddlers corner. I hope this inspires someone. Keep the faith!

Enjoy....

Tell us about yourself

My name is Olufunke Oluyemi, MD infant and toddlers corner. I have a B.Eng in information and communications technology from Covenant university and an M.Sc in information systems from the university of Portsmouth. I am currently studying for a diploma in early childhood education with Montessori center international, UK. I am a member of the national association for the education of young children in the US. I am happily married with two lovely boys.

Tell us about your business

Infant and toddlers corner is an education resource provider in Nigeria that focuses on the developmental needs of children in the early years.

We offer;
- Convenient online shopping
- Guidance and training on use of resources
- We partner with schools and organization to provide resources at events
- Special orders from schools from schools and organisations
- Value for money (discounted prices and guaranteed quality on all our products)

What Inspired you to do this?

The idea was inspired by my love for children. After I had my first son, the observations I made and the results I got from the interaction and time spent with him led me to realize that there was so much a child could learn during their early years. I taught him to clap at 7 months, it was amazing to see how fast he picked things up.

The journey

On completion of my M.Sc, I returned to Nigeria to look for a job. While looking for a job I volunteered with a start-up company and this exposed me to the benefits of building your own business. I enjoyed the experience and the freedom to create, think, innovate and stand up to challenges. I took time off to take care of my first son. When he was weaned, I resumed my job-hunt. I got two offers, one from a bank and the other from Mansard Insurance. I chose the latter because I believed I would achieve a better work life balance with them.

Training school in Mansard lasted for about three months. During this time, I realized I was in the wrong place, not because of the company itself but because it did not align with what I wanted out of life. In one of the training classes, we were asked to write and share where we saw ourselves in the future. I said I saw myself as an early childhood Education consultant. The facilitator took one look at me and asked "then what are you doing here"? It was at this point that I made up my mind to start working on my dream. I had always known deep down what I wanted to do, but the mindset of going to school and getting a job kept me from making a move.

Before the end of the training school with Mansard, I started the company registration process then enrolled in a part-time course in early childhood education. This was the beginning of my journey. By January, training school was over and I had to resume full time at Mansard. However, I continued to work on building my dream without relenting. At some point, the work pressure got to me and I had to defer my course. Around this time too, I got pregnant for my second son and took some time off work. My time off helped me put things in perspective and think about what I really wanted to do. I decided to turn in my resignation later once the baby came. Of course this wasn't easy, I kept postponing because of fear. I finally made up my mind a few days before I resumed from my maternity leave and I turned in my letter on resumption.

Building my business full time has not come without it's own challenges; for one I am yet to start receiving a salary. However, the benefits for me are far more than the challenges, which I believe are temporary. I have control over my time, I have more time for my kids, I feel a lot more fulfilled.


Visit our website - www.infantandtoddlerscorner.com
For consulting services contact info@infantandtoddlerscorner.com; 08103232749

Creativity