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BUKKY GEORGE: Queen of Retail Pharmacy
By: IMPACT360 Date: November 21, 2014, 8:05 am
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Excellence! No short Cuts! Best Boss! Super
human? These words have been used to describe
Mrs. Bukky George , CEO of HealthPlus, Nigeria’s
first Integrative Pharmacy. She is a Registered
Pharmacist with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
of Great Britain and the Pharmacists Council of
Nigeria. With a passion for retail pharmacy and an
energy and drive to match all she has taken on
and much more, she is indeed a force to be
reckoned with. She speaks to Exceed about her
background, her passion, her business and her
thoughts on entrepreneurship.
Growing Up Years
If family fortunes and the environment one is born
into is the determining factor for future success
and recognition, then maybe Bukky George may
have missed out on greatness and relevance in
life. However it is certain, as sure as the sun will
rise tomorrow, that the common denominator for
great accomplishments is the willingness to give
life your all and be a risk taker. Bukky George is
your ideal personification of this notion.
Raised by a single parent, with two other siblings,
George describes her growing up years as tough.
These conditions did not break her but rather
served as the foundation on which her life is built
today. According to her, “I learnt to use my hands.
I enjoyed sewing and baking. I grew up being
dependable, competent and able to find solutions
to problems. We did not always get new shoes so
repairs were a must. Till today, I know the best
shoe maker in Lagos. My personal mantra is ‘To
every problem, there is a solution.’ … We did not
get all we wanted but our home was full of
laughter. My mother told me that one day at the
age of eight, I placed my hand on my hips and
said “why is there never any money in this house?
When I grow up, I will make lots of money.” A
sense of humour characterised our house hold, we
found joy and laughter in many things.”
The Journey To Realization
George describes herself as restless, independent
and a bit of a rebel. “I like to be “in control” of my
destiny and cannot thrive in a bureaucratic
environment. I like action. I thrive on stress. I am
blessed with high energy. I believe in change,
positive change. I believe these are the hall marks
of an entrepreneur.” Making the decision to
become her own boss was easy enough; she
always knew she would own her own business.
George qualified as a Pharmacist in the early 90′s.
After completing the mandatory twelve month
Internship and National Youth Service she started
her career as a Medical Representative, first at May
& Baker and later at SmithKline Beecham now GSK.
However, she was always conscious of the gap
between the theory and practice of retail pharmacy
or community pharmacy as it were. At the time,
there were not enough standard pharmacies in
terms of shop fitting, personnel, professionalism,
knowledge base and range of healthcare products
on offer. In particular, she has a passion for
natural remedies and feels an application of both
orthodox medicines and natural remedies lead to
better treatment outcomes. All of these, including a
clear direction from God, motivated the
incorporation of HealthPlus in 1996 four years after
she graduated from the School of Pharmacy,
University of Lagos as the best student of the
college. The company started operations in May
1999.
HealthPlus Pharmacy is thus the first Integrative
Pharmacy in Nigeria with a mission to help people
achieve optimum health and vitality and a Vision to
be the Pharmacy of Choice in Nigeria. The
company turned thirteen in April 2012 and for
George, “It has been a remarkable journey of baby
steps, blessed with divine favour and the most
committed staff.”
During the first few years of establishing
HealthPlus, George travelled to the UK. She says,
“My UK experience was illuminating. I had the
privilege of working in London’s Landmark
Pharmacy – John Bell and Croyden.”
HealthPlus, The Brand
HealthPlus Pharmacy has indeed become a
household name in its communities. The company
started with three staff thirteen years ago. George
says the first six years were the digging deep and
foundation laying years. From their first location, a
modest store located in GRA Ikeja area of Lagos
State, the brand now has over two hundred staff
and seventeen strategically located retail outlets
and a head office, which provides back-end
support.
According to George, “today we have established
ourselves as Nigeria’s leading retail pharmacy
chain. We have distinguished ourselves from
inception as the pharmacy of choice through
commitment to scrupulous sourcing,
professionalism, innovation, excellent customer
service and a comprehensive range of quality
medicines.”
George also runs CasaBella Beauty, a retail beauty
business and according to her, a logical addition to
HealthPlus.
Scaling The Hurdles
Of course the road to accomplishment is fraught
with challenges and obstacles to be surmounted;
Mrs. Bukky George knows this all too well.
“Business owners face similar challenges,” she
says. “As a retailer, one critical challenge is
location. If you get that wrong, the business is set
up for failure. It is important to look out for foot
traffic. Organized shopping complexes and malls
provide this. Second challenge is finance. I had
personal savings and my husband supported me.
Sources of supply are also a challenge in retail.
With the prevalence of fake and adulterated drugs
in Nigeria at the time, we decided to source
scrupulously. We guarantee the quality of our
medicines and healthcare products.”
Another challenge she identifies is Human Capital.
According to her, “this is also a big issue.
However, HealthPlus has succeeded in attracting
Pharmacists and support staff who are passionate
about providing pharmaceutical care to our
communities and helping in achieving our vision,
to be the Pharmacy of Choice in Nigeria. I call
them heroes of their communities.”
“Retail Management is rudimentary in Nigeria,” she
goes on to say. “Inventory management and
shrinkage prevention are major problems.
Technology has helped us here. CCTV, retail
security, security guards, regular stock taking all
help minimize shrinkage. Shop fitting and Point Of
Sale assessability are hard to come by. As we
expand our chain, we face several challenges but
divine favour and direction, business astuteness,
the right people and a compelling vision that
meets the needs of our communities will see us
through to our next levels.”
She also identifies Government regulation as a
major factor in the business. “This is very
important as medicines can heal or kill. This
regulation can however be a double-edged sword.
Some of the policies can be stifling but with
dialogue and co-operation without compromising
controls, all stakeholders can achieve their aims.”
On Family Responsibility
For Bukky George, marriage is a commitment. She
says balancing the work and home front is not a
piece of cake but she uses deliberate methods to
cope. The home is structured with strict schedules
of duty. Meals, shopping, cleaning, even work and
school runs are all structured. “Every Friday
evening after work, my husband and I usually have
our time together. We often see a film at the
cinema, or have dinner out… Every year, I aim for
three breaks, one with the family, one with only my
hubby and the last one, my own time alone.
Structure is the key. This works for me. So despite
my busy work schedule, I multitask, juggling my
many roles of wife, mother, sister, aunty, niece,
friend and entrepreneur. I am very dependable.
You can count on me.”
Her Thoughts On Being One’s Own Boss
George believes that entrepreneurship is not for
everyone. “Some people need the apparent
stability of a steady pay cheque and the structure
and discipline the corporate world provides. When
you have a good fit with a company, a long term
career can be challenging and rewarding. Some
folks should absolutely work for somebody else.
Others should definitely work for themselves.
Others a little bit of both. Really, do what works for
you!”
Speaking from her experience, she says success is
enhanced by the following: “First, start a business
for the right reasons not because everyone is
doing it. Observe an opportunity, a need or a gap
you can fill with your products or services; make a
difference and raise the standards in that industry.
In addition, the ability to attract and retain skilled
talent is fundamental. Furthermore, clearly
articulated business practices and procedures is
the life blood of any business.”
For young graduates, she has these words or
encouragement “While working as a Medical
Representative, I learnt excellent selling skills,
presentation skills and exhibition skills. There I
became confident and learnt to hold my own. I will
encourage every young graduate to experience
some years of corporate engagement before
venturing into Entrepreneurship.”
Future Plans
George plans to take HealthPlus to the next level;
institutionalizing the business, strengthening the
policies and procedures and building a superb
management team. She says “Succession Planning
is also key in order to ensure continuity.” George
is passionate about sharing her knowledge and
experience. Mentoring programs at Women In
Management and Business (WIMBIZ) and the Fate
Foundation have been and continue to be avenues
to carry this out. She believes in empowering
people at different levels by speaking at
conferences and seminars and training emerging
pharmacists. She has plans to truly transform
HealthPlus into a learning organisation.”
Five Lessons From Her Life
1. Passion
Bukky George exudes passion. Her desire to
succeed obviously goes beyond seeking wealth
and relevance for herself. She is passionate about
helping people achieve optimum health and
vitality.
2. Small Is Beautiful
Grandiose dreams and lofty goals must be broken
down into small achievable tasks and steps.
George was willing to start small. With only one
retail outlet and a staff of three she stepped out
and ahead with HealthPlus, today, seventeen retail
outlets and two hundred staff later, the results
speak for themselves. Notice also, the time lapse
between the incorporation of her company and
start of operations. A lot goes into getting your
dream off the ground. Persistence is key. You
either stick with what you want or fold your arms
and give up because you are not ready to risk it.
No middle ground.
3. Strong Value System
Knowing what makes you tick, what you believe in
and hold dear is key to achieving relevance in life.
George learnt values from her mother which drive
her to this day.
4. Willingness To Give Back
Mentoring, teaching and equipping emerging
Pharmacists is George’s way of giving back. It
pays to find a reason beyond you. Napoleon Hill
said “It is literally true that you can succeed best
and quickest by helping others to succeed.”
5. A Can-do Mindset
Knowing you can face any challenge and handle
any task is the first step to getting it done. George
believes in her ability to find solutions to
problems. This makes her ready and willing to face
any challenge. He who starts with doubt and
disbelief in himself may as well not continue. It is
really that simple.
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