We’ve Made Delivery Process Easy For Diasporans

Adedoyin Akinnurun and Olumide Ashiru – Balogun are USA-based co-founders of HelpMeWaka, the much-talked-about online errand services platform. Armed with expertise in the field of I.T. and driven by transparency, competence, and dedication to the attainment of customer satisfaction, the duo has carved a niche for themselves and impacted lives positively. Akinnurun, a graduate of Computer Science from the University of Ibadan, with a Master’s from South- Eastern University DC, USA and professional certifications in Java and Oracle, has worked in Novell and Verizon. Balogun on the other hand, who bagged a B.SC in Computer Science and a Master’s in I.T. from the prestigious Bowie State University, USA, has worked in Fortune 500 companies and is a Project Management Professional. In this interview with MARY NNAH, they spoke about this unique platform and their entrepreneurial experience

What informed your decision to relocate to the USA?

Akinnurun: I had already made up my mind to pursue a Master’s degree long before I finished my first degree. During my time, the I.T field was just emerging and with the type of course I studied, I knew I had to be on top of the game, especially if I wanted to be relevant in the field. I knew I had to rub minds with the best across our borders because such international exposure would broaden my horizon sequel to accessing their knowledge bank, thus getting me adequately prepared for the real world.

Balogun: Like Akinnurun, I moved to the US for educational purposes. Students in Nigerian universities suffered from the plague of strikes which ended up prolonging their stay in school. If it wasn’t the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) going on strike, then it was the Non-Academic staff union (NASU) or Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). My parents didn’t want me to experience that and so they sent me off to where the educational system worked efficiently.

What is Helpmewaka all about?

Akinnurun: Helpmewaka, popularly known as helpmewaka.com, is an online errand service platform primarily tailored towards Diasporians who need competent and trustworthy hands to run unique errands on their behalf in Nigeria and Ghana. Locally based persons with busy schedules are not exempted from sending us on errands. From groceries deliveries to loved ones in Nigeria and Ghana, processing of transcripts and certificates from Universities, Polytechnics, to the legalisation of documents at the Foreign Affairs Ministries, Embassies, and other miscellaneous unique errands, Helpmewaka has grown to become the ‘go-to’ plug for efficient errand services. We’ve made the delivery process easy for Diasporans.

Was there a particular reason for choosing Ghana ahead of other African countries?

Akinnurun:  Our primary target market has always been the Diasporan population and of course, we had to start from our people. However, we noticed that apart from Nigeria, Ghana also had a huge Diasporian population spread across the world. After conducting our market research, we realised this was an untapped market that we could operate in as well.  

So what motivated you to start the business?

Balogun: The major challenge facing every Diasporian is getting things done in Nigeria. Back then I had to call my nieces and nephews to have groceries delivered to my mother. What about getting transcripts? I realised it was a nightmare for Diasporans. For the Records office to take your case, and transmit it to the appropriate person, you would need to knock on their doors repeatedly. How many of them had the time to spare to travel down, and run around to have the same done? Many were at the mercy of whomever they sent to help them process the same. Then there were sad cases of Diasporans who were scammed by their friends and even family members they trusted to build houses for them. I experienced issues getting things done, likewise Doyin as well. When I discussed with him about partnering to solve these challenges, he was all in. We did our market survey, conducted our research, and deciphered what the burning challenges were that Diasporians needed solutions to. At the end of the day we realized that groceries drop off to parents and loved ones, retrieval of transcripts, renewal of nursing license in Abuja, legalization of documents at embassies and foreign Affairs Ministry, Abuja, ranked tops on the list of their challenges. We started this platform to use our professionalism to effectively run errands above and beyond their expectations.  

What are your views on the “my family members and friends can run the errands” syndrome which is typical in Diasporans and how do you convince them otherwise? 

Akinnurun: In the short term or long term, it’s not a good idea and many still have this rigged mindset. A good number of Diasporans, maybe out of fear of not wanting to be seen as the family or friend bond breaker, subject themselves to going with the notion that they have people back home who can always run errands for them. It’s a huge blow upon being disappointed because friends and families tend to take things for granted because of the existing bond. So why would you subject yourself to that emotional trauma which we’ve seen happen repeatedly in the Diaspora?  Processing of transcripts in Nigeria or Ghana is not a walk in the park. It requires constant follow-up and paying attention to details. We’ve successfully done this countless times, so we know exactly what to do and what to apply for to make things seamless. Let’s even talk about the cost involved in using family members. It simply creates a channel for them to continuously ask you for money and you end up picking bills that you never bargained for.

Balogun: In addition to what Doyin has said, let’s not forget that accountability is key. Accountability is thrown into the bin with family and friends, family friction is rife, and chances of being deceived that work is being done are high. We on the other hand uphold the principle of accountability, eliminate family friction, provide evidence of payment made, send proof either as pictures or videos after groceries drop off, and give you regular updates on the progress made in the course of running designated errands. This has invoked trust and transparency between us and our customers. In fact, for those who are blown away by our efficient errand services and find it unbelievable, we allow them to verify our reports. This has further helped in increasing and strengthening customer loyalty.

When did Helpmewaka officially kick off and how was it funded?

Balogun: Helpmewaka started in December 2019. The initial funding came from our retirement savings.

Retirement savings! Wasn’t that a risky move?

Balogun: Well, there’s no entrepreneur and even founders/builders of blue chip companies who didn’t venture into risk-taking. Business is all about taking risks especially if you have an envisioned future for it and want to attain the set goals. When you’re starting, typically no one will believe in you or what you’re doing until they start seeing results. We couldn’t get the funds that we needed and have exhausted all options but nothing came out of it. After deliberating extensively with Doyin, we mutually agreed to use what we had i.e. our retirement savings to start operations. Looking back I’m happy we made that daring move.

What challenges have you faced over time and how did you successfully weather the storm? 

Akinnurun: We have faced a lot of challenges. As Olumide said, there was a funding issue needed to hit the ground running. We were also going into a novel terrain, one that was virtually non-existent back then, so we learned and re-learned things as we went along the way.  Then there was also the technological headache of making things work because as pioneers we had to prove to our customers and potential ones that they could trust transactions carried out on our safe platform. In all, diligence, resilience, mutual respect and views, frequent brainstorming sessions, making joint decisions, passion to deliver optimal results, and ultimate customer satisfaction time and time again, helped us weather the storm.

What would you say makes it unique from other errand businesses in the country?

Balogun: Our services are very unique and we employ a solution-focused approach in executing given tasks. Where there are obstacles, we see possibilities. For instance, we’ve had some Diasporians sending groceries to loved ones in remote villages across Nigeria that were impassable and our field team had to think and look for alternative ways to get to the designated delivery drop-off abode which was done. This further endeared us to their hearts and they helped spread the word about our brand. At Helpmewaka, we go above and beyond to provide customer satisfaction and exceed their expectations.

How has the market responded to your services? 

Akinnurun: The market has responded to us very well. We are grateful for the journey that started three years ago and has grown to become the number one errand service in Nigeria and Ghana for Diasporans.

Which of the errand services do people tend to frequently opt in for? 

Balogun: People tend to often opt in for grocery deliveries, transcripts retrieval, and legalisation of documents

How has your company fared so far when weighed alongside performance indicators?

Akinnurun: We can categorically say that we are getting better every year and the feedback from customers have helped to create a strong word of mouth in thrusting our brand in the faces of more Diasporans.

What are the changes your company has gone through since inception and what do they mean for the business?

Balogun: We started by just offering three services, now we have more than ten. We first started with Nigeria, then Ghana followed. We started with a few states, now we can run errands effectively across all the states in these countries. It means that as a business, we have evolved within a short period and recorded a good level of success.

Does Helpmewaka support other businesses by way of events or otherwise?

Balogun: Yes we do. For instance, we have partnere a good number of bakers and caterers across the country to deliver birthday, anniversary, valentine’s cakes, and food platters to loved ones. We have also supported events hosted by other brands in the Diaspora.

Are there any plans to further scale up the business?

Akinnurun: Oh definitely! We are thankful for what we have achieved thus far but our vision transcends just operating effectively in Nigeria and Ghana. Our long-term goal is to extend our services to the entire African market.

What philosophy guides you daily in this competitive world of business?

Balogun: For us, it’s being Trustworthy and Transparent.

What’s your advice to those seeking to start a business?

Akinnurun: Conduct your market research to see if it’s viable, then overcome the fear of starting.  Jump in the ring, take calculated risks and see how it goes. Run the business as a side hustle to your primary job until the business can stand on its feet to handle all your expenses.

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Our services are very unique and we employ a solution-focused approach in executing given tasks. Where there are obstacles, we see possibilities