STARTING AND RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS IS NO EASY FEAT! EACH MONTH, WE'LL BE HIGHLIGHTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEIR TIPS ON HOW TO MAINTAIN AND GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS.

See More of Ms. Neequaye's work here: Instagram: @hanifaofficial or @_ir0nee_Twitter: @officialhanifa — See More of Ms. Neequaye's work here:
Instagram: @h anifaofficial or @_ir0nee_
Twitter: @o fficialhanifa

Meet Irene Neequaye. Managing Director at Hanifa, a Maryland-Based Fashion Brand + Project Administrator at John Hopkins Medicine in Maryland.

You have a day job? Would you ever quit it?

It's funny - I actually love my day job. I get the opportunity to immerse myself in the project management and business aspects of health care. Some of my work involves improving inefficiencies in health care management and service provision at Hopkins, and improving the overall patient and provider experience. It's always been my dream to either work at Hopkins and/or complete my doctoral degree here (which is definitely on my radar) so I thank God that He has granted me this opportunity. With that being said, I remain open to whatever course He has for me. I would like to run my own healthcare business one day.

What triggered your interest in fashion?

Hanifa Co. Apparel - Click Here For More about Hanifa

While I have a natural eye for art and fashion, I'm very interested and involved in the business and operations. Much of what I have learned about service and management in other sectors, translates to the work I do with Hanifa. I will say that the fashion industry is its own animal but there is nothing like seeing our designer's dreams come to life, or the feeling you get when people love how they look, or even when you hear celebrities telling you they love the brand.

What is your favorite part of owning your own business?

I think getting the opportunity to build up a brand-new business has been instrumental in preparing me to own my own businesses. I love the independence associated with a start-up business. You really get to tap into your creativity and put to use best-practices along the way. I love collaborations and I love completing tasks. More than anything, I like writing the rules, creating systems that work, and leading through a Christ-led lens. For me, that is important. Your mission and vision should represent who you are, and hope to become.

What is the most difficult part of owning your own business?

Failure is inevitable. You will get some things wrong. It's all about how well you bounce back.

If you are not committed to being the best and to setting up systems that work for you and your team, you will end up more frustrated. You have to make the most of every situation and have fun, because this is a journey. Celebrate often! You will need motivation and you need to know where you can to find the effervescence to keep pushing through.

How did you create a business plan?

Actress Karrueche Tran pictured wearing Hanfia.  See More of Ms. Neequaye's work here: Instagram: @hanifaofficial or @_ir0nee_Twitter: @officialhanifa — Actress Karrueche Tran pictured wearing Hanfia. See More of Ms. Neequaye's work here:
Instagram: @h anifaofficial or @_ir0nee_
Twitter: @o fficialhanifa

Honestly, Google is my best friend. I searched and searched until I found one that I thought was thorough and pushed us (Anifa - founder & designer - and myself) to think through all the important components of business. There are a large range of business plan templates online that are really useful. You don't have to use just one. I recommend assigning sections of business plan to your partner(s). This makes it less overwhelming.

Make sure that you revisit the business plan often! Don't just create one and have it create dust somewhere.

A business plan is essentially a forecast, a vision, so you should take your time with it and really use it as the foundation for your operations.

How do you manage your finances for your business?

I keep a personal excel sheet that I created to help me track my finances. I wasn't as committed to keeping up with it before because I wanted to keep track of everything in my head, but now I make it a point to use my excel sheet often. It helps with future planning and also for backtracking to see what was spent and where I can more cost-saving. Luckily for us we have software we use to keep track of our orders and our finances, which is helpful. Concurrently, I strongly believe it is important to have an external financial planner/accountant. This goes back to what I mentioned about not trying to do it alone. It helps to have an extra eye and it also helps to restrict your spending.

On your darkest day, how do you stay motivated?

Jesus. He's my everything. I am very close to God and I am very grateful for our relationship. I don't always get things right but He's my go-to man. He's always there to counsel me, to empower me, to laugh with me, or to cry with me. I thank my mom for instilling in me at an early age a relationship with God. I am so blessed to also have a supportive family and close-knit group of friends who are my extended family as well. I am never lacking in motivation. I keep beautiful-spirited people around me.

What projects do you have going on now?

Singer Fantasia pictured wearing the MARA suit from Hanifa Co.

Well Hanifa overall has been doing really well, and I am grateful and excited to see us meet all of our goals this year. We've gained tremendous exposure in 2016 and even had stylists for celebrities such as Fantasia, Karrueche, Angela Simmons, Ava DuVernay, Cassie, Mel B, and more reach out to us. This year, we'll be adding more to that list.

Outside of this, I have been working on an initiative I began working on when I was conducting health research in Ghana. I am also collaborating with a close friend on a project that really pushes us to create a space for first-generation millennial Africans to tap into their network and utilize a unique platform to share their gifts, talents, and expertise.

I am certain that any initiative God has me working on will gain greater traction over the next few years. I am really excited for those defining moments that will take each of these to the next level. In the meantime, I am enjoying the journey - working hard, seeking wisdom, and being very prayerful as things unfold.