The Nation Newspaper

Category: Small Business and Entreprenuership

  • Making a better life in business

    Making a better life in business

    Mbuotidem Okorie dream’t of having his own business, but his disability forced him to beg for a living without hope of work. A Shell programme in Nigeria supporting young entrepreneurs has helped him and others achieve their ambitions.

    Without the use of his legs, and having no wheelchair or work, the 21 year-old paraplegic, struggled to get around the streets of his hometown, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on his hands, begging for food.  It was a stark contrast to his dream of owning a shoemaking business.

    “I was begging on the streets just to survive,” he said.

    Nigeria suffers from very high levels of youth unemployment. For those with disabilities, finding work is particularly hard, and there is little social protection on offer. He now makes and sells shoes in his own shop. He receives applause at the Shell LiveWIRE graduation ceremony in June 2014

    He was nominated by officials from his home state of Akwa-Ibom for the social investment programme called Shell LiveWIRE, which offers knowledge and support to young entrepreneurs, helping them to turn ideas into successful businesses. The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) broadened the scheme last year to include people with disabilities. About 180 disabled people took part.

    Mbuotidem trained as a shoemaker through Shell LiveWIRE, which also provided him with a wheelchair. When he completed the course he received financial assistance to start his own business, using his new skills.

    Now he makes and sells shoes in his own shop. “I no longer have to beg,” he said.

    Mbuotidem is one of the 5,700 young Nigerians to have benefited from Shell LiveWIRE since it was launched in 2003.

    “The Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria programme is a first step in an exciting journey to success,” said Nedo Osayande, Sustainable Development and Community Relations manager at SPDC. “This is the first time the programme is focusing on people with disabilities. We are sure they will continue the successes of thousands previous Nigerian participants.”

     

    • Culled from http://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/inside-energy/inside-energy-stories/livewire-nigeria.html
  • Local entrepreneur ‘beads’ her way to success

    Local entrepreneur ‘beads’ her way to success

    A Lagos woman entrepreneur, Amarachi Oparah, has made a success of beads making. Her attitude and tenacity sustained her. She is now a consultant to women entrepreneurs, helping them to organise their lives and businesses. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Dedication and devotion to work can go a long way in securing success for one.

    •Opara
    •Opara

    This is the case for Amarachi Oparah , Chief Executive, Graceful Beads, who  is now the proud owner of a company churning out beads  and hats.

    Miss Oparah had shown her entrepreneurial instincts from a very tender age and all signs pointed towards her making use  of that talent to becoming big in future.

    As a young girl, she was very fond of handicrafts and farming. And she  would arrange materials and turn them into something attractive. Her words: “I love growing things. I like to see little pieces group together to form a larger piece, and I take this as one of the major facts that influenced my choice of business. I remember planting any and everything in a bucket as a little girl and watching them grow. It gave me so much joy watching that  tiny seed of bean germinate into a number of pulses. Same applies to my line of business, from various tiny particles comes a beautiful design.”

    Besides, she said she   got  her entrepreneurial spirit, from her mum. “My mum is a retired nurse, but while in service she had a side business with employees.  I just loved the smooth flow of multiple income and me being a very active and creative person, I knew I wanted more than a white collar job,“ she said.

    To achieve her dream of not being restricted to white collar job, she, while pursuing her first degree in chemistry  and later masters (M.Sc.) in industrial chemistry from  University  of Agriculture, Abeokuta, she acquired  Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE) competence certification  with the Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals (NISP) and  Quality Management Certification from Institute of Certified International Quality Standards (ICIQS) to become  a business consultant.

    Her growing portfolio and client base didn’t  make her to give up  her  creative talent. This brought about her foray into bead making, which she began about three years ago..

    Her venture into bead making, fashion, millinery, seemed a natural path for her.

    “I am someone with a flair for fashion, colours and hand-made craft. No matter how simple a piece is, I always feel a little accessory can create a  spark. The creativity industry gives me the platform to express this spark.  It gives me the opportunity to work with fashion lovers, add colour to  clothing and make my own handmade craft,” she said.

    She decided to establish   Graceful Beads to   cater for high demand for beads.  Her determination to learn how to run a business and the support from her family have combined to make her dream come true.

    She recalled starting the business with less than  N4000. Today, the  business has grown to worth about N500,000. Not only that, she  has  two  additional hands to help her.

    According to her, her major challenges when she started were getting clients and finance. Along the line, she has discovered the most efficient ways to bead making and which designs and styles are most prefered.

    Through this, she was able to measure the pulse of the market and see what people like or dislike. Although, she  doesn’t  see herself as new in the industry, as she is ever eager to find out how to build her business.  She has also mastered how, where, and who to sell her beads to.

    While mastering her work, she also did not lose sight of accounting and auditing her expenses and incomes.

    Her philosophy of seeking knowledge has helped her a great deal. To her, there is no end to learning. What makes  her work unique is her desire for beautiful beads with their natural matrixes, or enhanced dyes.

    Aside beads’ making, she   also produces hats, using different colours, depending on the season. She combines traditional millinery with fabric manipulation techniques, using high-quality materials to transform classic shapes into beautiful pieces.

    When asked if she had any other plans or ideas for the future?

    She said: “Yea, In the future, I look forward to having chains of business under  Graceful Beads. At the moment, I have two major lines of business and I look  forward to a massive expansion in the nearest future.”

    One thing unique about her is that a day does not pass without her  doing any creative work in beads.

    The satisfaction she got from creating something with her hands and the appreciation she got from her  family and  friends  have  made her an accomplished artist. They have kept her motivated and  determined.

     

     

  • Tackling SMEs’ online marketing challenges

    Tackling SMEs’ online marketing challenges

    Starting a business can be both exhilarating and intimidating because of its prospects and challenges.This holds true particularly when Small and Mediuim Enterprises (SMEs) face real online marketing challenges. Despite this, Chief Executive, School of Web Consulting Nigeria, Danis Isong, says SMEs need not lose sleep, as there are practical online marketing support and advice to help new and existing businesses stay afloat and win more customers. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Chief  Executive, School of  Web Consulting Nigeria, Dennis Isong, is not a run-off-the-mill web designer. The creative web designer is best known as the creator of blogs and websites using  wordpress.com.

    He started off designing cool themes for his clients before veering into something bigger: offering sucess tips to Small and medium Enterprise (SMEs) faced with on-line marketing challenges.

    The upscale web designer believes that such tips would revolutionise the overcrowded market.

    Isong   was one of the first internet  marketers to realise that facebook could be leveraged for marketing. Consequently, he  started web consulting and became a successful online evangelist.

    Along the line, he mastered social media marketing. As he matured in  online  enterprise  management , several ideas  came to  his  mind that  have  turned out to be savvy business moves.

    He is  on  the  online route to becoming   a big  time entrepreneur.  While there is nothing new in young Nigerians turning away from white collar jobs to start their own business, there is rapid increase in many of them turning to the online space to realise their dreams. The growing popularity and flexibility offered by the online platform is encouraging professionals such as  Isong   to look at this as a serious career move.

    While e-commerce had been around for some time, there was a sudden pickup in consumer adoption.This now prompts young professionals,such  as  Isong  to start their own ventures.  According to him, to succeed is important but  one must be consistent and adapt to the trend.

    To truly compete in the market place, he said small business marketing strategy requires an online presence. However, the challenge is that   thousands of new businesses emerge virtually everyday  seeking online presence.

    According to him, it’s no longer the choice of the business owner, rather, it is the demand of millions of consumers who drive the world’s economy that businesses have  web  presence.

    Having realised an opportunity  has  emerged  for  him  to make a lot of money on line, Isong  decided to expand his  web hosting business to make it a viable one and running smoothly with other online ventures.

    As a result, things are getting better with many clients asking him to either design or help them host their websites and blogs.

    He has  since   been taking advantage of the  opportunity  and the reward has been encouraging.    But he has learnt along the line that businesses have to market their online sites to be successful. He was aware that  a lot of companies with web presence were not achieving results, especially small business owners.

    A common mistake that many start-up owners make, according to him, is to engage in online marketing without full knowledge of their target markets and the online business environment.

    For him, it is wrong for small business owners to engage in online marketing for an untargeted audience. To prevent this, he adevised, requires creating a marketing strategy or plan that identifies potential online customers and presenting a winning  selling proposition to the potential customers.

    For him, a basic website will do at the onset, allowing customers to view one’s   products and place orders online, while creating business profile on social media websites such as face book, linkedin and twitter may help.

    Beyond this, he said companies can   use email platforms to attract more customers.  As  Nigeria  is  emerging as a hot spot for startups and global  organisations   trushing to invest in small, young companies, Isong  is  on alert  as  more  equity pour in to the e-commerce sector, especially  young, small companies.

    He has seen the flourishing e-commerce sector caught the fancy of young entrepreneurs. The sector has grown considerably with a sharp rise in smart phone penetration and internet facilities across the country.

    In-keeping with trends, Isong is ready to offer support to new businesses, as a significant number of young entrepreneurs try their luck in the sector. This is because the online space has become an emerging and lucrative field for both product and resource-based start-ups.

    Besides, the   market is always on the look out for fresh ideas and there are a plethora of new ones every day. But  not  all are  success stories because  they  cannot  use  their  email marketing  strategy  well.

    He has focused on proving new email and total online marketing solutions.  He is  as well tackling the online customers’ generation challenges faced by small business owners.

  • Empowering youths through social enterprise

    Empowering youths through social enterprise

    A young, successful woman entrepreneur is showing the way in social entrepreneurship, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Empowering  youths  in  the  communities with more  career and  self-help  opportunities is crucial to achieving a better future for all.

    •Ogoko
    •Ogoko

    This holds true for 23-year-old Miss Chinenye  Ogoko, president, Future Blueprints, a social enterprise based  in  Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    She is empowering youths by building their skills as problem solvers and to  succeed in a rapidly changing world.

    She caught her teeth in social entreprenureship from role models from a variety of backgrounds who have been running viable social enterprises.  In impacting skills, she hopes to close the gap in  entrepreneurship training among aspiring social entrepreneurs, especially as  most of them do not come from business backgrounds.

    Besides, Ogoko is encouraged by the fact that embracing the ideology of economic liberation particularlly for youths is one sure way of reducing  unemployment  and  banishing  rural  hunger and poverty.

    The budding entrepeneur tells whoever cares to listen that  acquisition of skills holds the key to  sucessful business enterprises capable of creating  jobs for rural youths.

    Intrestingly, Ogoko is not going it alone. She is in collaboration with partners to offer trainings in youth entrepreneurship and self-employment. Consequently, the project is using volunteers, with each volunteer contributing  specific expertise. More importantly,  she manages to integrate training, post-training coaching and access to funding  information, which are key aspects of her success story.

    Future Blueprints, the child of Ogoko’s resourceful brain, targets youths with the objective of reducing unemployment, underemployment and poverty.  The programme promotes education as well as technical and vocational training. The objective was to offer young people the opportunity to increase their skills, giving them the tools to seek employment or become self-employed at the end of their training.

    In doing so, she appreciates the fact that  opportunities for economic empowerment such as starting a business or obtaining a job beyond the home are few and far between.

    As sign of Okoko’s success in social entreprenurship, she has since spread her tentacles to the  United  States, where she is now  providing  information  on   international  organisations  that  can    assist  young  entrepreneurs  access  seed funds and microcredit.

    Experts like her believe that this is one of the issues compounding  rural poverty in Nigeria.  She is working on drawing more  facilities  to   prospective women and youth entrepreneurs, equipping them with resources and opportunities needed to launch their small businesses.

    While  the  programme  provides a holistic approach for people to learn new crafts and earn income, she  also direct her  energies    towards  empowering  young women to gain confidence in their abilities and skills and raise their voices to advocate for change and negotiate on stronger terms.  She enables young women to form and articulate their career goals so they are better equipped to seek and leverage business opportunities.

    Future Blueprints  has  helped her earn  recognition  for  helping  youths gain a deeper understanding of the key issues facing their communities and nation and nurture their civic and political awareness and activism.

    Miss  Ogoko admitted that her   empowerment programmes  have created  positive and progressive change throughout the  village where she has taken her passion to.  She sees this, and rightly so, as a huge accomplishment. Indeed,    entrepreneurship  has  become a tool to achieve more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies. Though  young Ogoko went into   youth work quite  early  at the age of 16 after being trained as a HIV/AIDS peer-educator by MTN Foundation., she   started her first social enterprise ‘Youth of Purpose Network’ (YPN) in 2008.

    With YPN raising over 100 youth volunteers and organising motivational cum educational programmes for youths in Irete, Owerri West Local Government Area; Awo-Omamma, Oru East Local Government Area and in Owerri Municipal Council all in Imo State, Miss Ogokon became the toast of existing and prospective social entrepreneurs across Africa.

    For instance, she was selected from Africa to represent Nigeria in the Mobilising Youth International Summit of the United Network of Young Peace Builders (UNOY) in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2014.

    Those who did the selection  were  not disappointed. Ogoko emerged first prize winner in the Pitch for Peace contest held in the same summit.

    The prize was a shot in the young entreprenure’s arm. Right now, she is planning on creating an after-school career building and mentoring programme for girls in Nigerian high schools.

    Her organisation has trained over 150 young people on entrepreneurship and community development.  “We train generally on business development, social entrepreneurship and purpose-discovery. We also connect them to career mentors for guidance. The mentors report to us and even the trainees themselves. We have staff volunteers who check up on them regularly,” she said.

    That is not all. As her work continues to grow and spread across the country, she   is beginning to use the platform to raise health, gender, and other social issues. As such she is ensuring that young people she is serving are empowered not only to be confident and independent business people, but also socially responsible citizens.

    Since she relocated  to the  US, Miss Ogoko has  been interacting  with the Nigerian students community there. ”I was just nominated for the African Youth Excellence Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

    ‘’African Youth Excellence awards young people of African descent who are doing amazing works in their country and Africa but resides in the US,” she explained.

    The Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State born Miss Ogoko, who earned her first degree from the University of Technology, Owerri, currently serves as a Peace Child International’s task force member on Conakry-Rabat Commitment for full youth employment 2030. She is also a scholar at Watson University in Colorado, US.

     

  • Training small scale fish farmers for success

    Training small scale fish farmers for success

    Fish farming is profitable if farmers have the right resources, which include good management skill and sufficient capital, say experts.The Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan (UI) has introduced a sustainable aquaculture entrepreneurship practices and agricultural techniques course for fish farmers. The focus of the UI’s one-month training, supported by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria), is to assist farmers to succeed, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Segun  Oke, an  Abuja  resident’s dreams is to raise fish and make money from the venture. Many people are in the  business. So, he thinks about starting his one.

    But his job and other activities will not allow him realise his dream. He knows that if he starts a fish farm, he may not be able to  manage it well, especially as he lacks the skills.

    He has read, seen and heard  of grounded fish farms. Nigeria faces vast aquaculture entrepreneurship challenges with so many fish businesses closing shops, the reports added.

    However, the University of Ibadan (UI) has come to the rescue of these people. To develop entrepreneurship in freshwater aquaculture and provide entrepreneurs a platform to acquire ideas, its  Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, has lend a helping hand by holding  a  workshop on sustainable aquaculture entrepreneurship  practices and agricultural techniques. The aim is to help Nigerians practise profitable fish  farming.

    The workshop is attended being by entrepreneurs drawn from across the  country. Oke is one of the 30 participants.  He is satisfied with the training that will  launch him into a successful aquaculture business.

    So far, 120 Nigerians  have  been   selected by West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) to  benefit from the training, which will be done in batches.

     

    •Oluwarotmi
    •Oluwarotmi

    Head  of  Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, UI, Prof  Bamidele Oluwarotimi Omitoyin, said each participant would be given a fish-smoking kiln. They would also get free seeds to enable them start their businesses after the  programme. The  kilns,  according  to him,  have the   capacity to smoke  50-kg fish.  New  farmers, he  said, could do fish   smoking for others while they  wait for their stocks  to mature. During the event, new farmers were linked  with successful farmers to share ideas on how to run their businesses.

    He said they would be taught   how  to build fish ponds  and make  money from offering  such services  in  their  communities. The pond  construction segment, he said,  holds special potential for the nation’s aquaculture system— as many Nigerians would benefit   from a more efficient, higher-yielding practice for fish farming. The training on pond construction take cues from local techniques of maintaining natural water flow. He said the future for profitable aquaculture  appears bright with  fish farming and associated industries expanding  across  the  economy.

    Omitoyin said the essence of the training was to prepare the entrepreneurs for the domestic market with the curriculum aimed at developing new technologies and fostering new profit models for aquaculture.

    Omitoyin also said the workshop   was intended to instil confidence in the entrepreneur on technologies and hand holding which would be carried on till the goal was achieved and the value chain operation completed.

    He said entrepreneurs should use  proven fish culture technology, including  pond  construction size, storage reservoirs, to fill properly constructed fish culture ponds.

    Omitoyin said fish farming training had successful at  the institution and that  they  train people  to start both small and big businesses. He said the  institution  has helped  the industry  to  overcome major challenges.

    He said so far, the institution has made  farmers to use  local materials to prepare their feed, and that it is becoming  easier  for the aquaculture sector to achieve additional gains to maintain production growth and earnings.

    He also said the  institution was  seeking solutions for increasing value creation in the seafood industry. He said the institution was  ready  to  provide  new  entrants   detailed economic analysis of various fish culture enterprises, including start up and operating costs. These estimates of return, however,  vary depending on the skills of the fish farmer, actual cost of production, prices, and, most importantly, marketing strategy, offering   opportunity for reasonable profits on investment.

    •Chikwendu
    •Chikwendu

    The National Project Coordinator, WAAPP-Nigeria, Prof. Damian Chikwendu, said the  programme is sponsoring the  training   to  create  jobs and a new  generation of  aquaculture entrepreneurs.

    Chikwendu, who was represented by Dr  Oludare Adeogun, said fish farming, like other business enterprises, requires adequate entrepreneurship training to make informed economic decisions on purchases of feed, fingerlings and related items or strategies to optimise returns from the market place.

    According to him, fish farming  is central to addressing food  needs. At the same time, producing affordable food for Nigerians  is a cornerstone of the programme’s  plans.

  • Making a living from wheel alignment

    Making a living from wheel alignment

    Computerised wheel alignment businesses are on the rise.There are opportunities for freelance technicians to meet the surging demands of the market. There are also opportunities for new entrants in the sector. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    ONE startup is carving a niche in the computerised wheel alignment  market.  He is  Alhaji Lukuman  Garu,the Managing Director, Guru  Technologies  Limited.  He pioneered auto diagnostic services business in the country.

    Launching an auto diagnostic services business after sparking a revolution in cellular  phone repairs has put him on the path of success.

    Always in search of new technologies, Garu  is  appealing  to  Nigerians  to explore  opportunities in the computerised car  alignment  business  which  he  believes  can  lead  them  into  financial  prosperity and  be reckoned  with  as  successful entrepreneurs.

    Garu said  there are  business and  job  opportunities  for unemployed  Nigerians  who  are  ready  to  train   in  computerised  car  alignment  services.

    Upon completion of the training, he  said there are auto repair shops ready to   them    employ them.  Over the years, he  has built clientele everywhere he went and worked for other people in  need for  car diagnostic  software. He realised there were enough customers for anyone who go into the sector.

    There is a market for auto repairers, who offer automotive services, including tires, tune-ups, light bulbs, transmissions, motors and brakes and  computerised wheel alignment.

    Garu  said the challenges  in the  business are keeping up with the latest tools and technology.

    He meets these challenges by getting training offered by their suppliers. But to him, successes in the business far outweigh the challenges.

    Besides having a solid clientele base, Garu    has  his  own  brand  of  computerised  wheel alignment   and tracking products. The  company, he  noted, believes in bringing the best  products and services to  valued customers.

    He said  the company  is creating  opportunities  for  new entrants to  get into the business to meet the surging needs of the customers, adding that there is room for  small scale   independent  wheel  alignment  shops.

     

  • ‘Beekeeping is an untapped goldmine’

    ‘Beekeeping is an untapped goldmine’

    Victoria Folasade Ojebiyi is Chief Executive Officer, Alpha-Cedar Corporate Company, which is involved in beekeeping and honey processing. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she speaks on the prospects and challenges of beekeeping among others.

    I’m a graduate of Marketing from The Polytechnic Ibadan. I had my beekeeping training at the Bee-craft Vocational Institute, Abeokuta. I had my entrepreneurial training with the National Directorate of Employment, programme ‘Start Your own Business’ (SYOB). I was on scholarship from Goldman Sach Corporations in the USA to study entrepreneurship at the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos. I was also discovered by Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) empowering women entrepreneurs who handed us over to Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where I happened to be among the first set of mentees of the LCCI.

    Inspiration

    for beekeeping

    I have always loved nature and agriculture was something I loved so much. Many a time when I was growing up I had a little garden at the back of our house and every morning I will sit and imagine how the plants grow and I always appreciate God for His works. At a point, I learnt from a friend that there is a way one can keep bees to get honey. I was so fascinated and I desired that one day I will learn about it. My journey into beekeeping started when I got employed at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Consult, as the marketing officer to market all their products including honey which they produce and processed. It was the week I resumed that the staff in charge of the honey unit resigned. I had no option than to assist the boy who was assisting him then. It was also at that time that the Consult organised a three-day workshop on beekeeping which I was opportune to be part of, and that was where the passion for beekeeping was unlocked and I longed to have a hive of my own. I told the consultant about it and he told me that whenever I’m ready, I should get in touch. I started out with three hives and these have increased with time.

    Milestones recorded thus far

    Today, what started out as a hobby has been a blessing to me. I will share three of these achievements that I hold so dear to my heart. First and foremost, after I started out, I intended keeping bees as a hobby but as God would have it, it has become a big business today.  I later discovered that this is the business I’m cut out for and when I heard that NDE (National Directorate of Employment) was having a training for graduates that want to start their own business, I applied and was selected. After the training, I was empowered with some funds as loan which I paid back to start my business and that was when the confidence came and I started planning my exit from the Federal University of Agriculture to go into my own business.

    The second one was when I won the Goldman Sach scholarship for Women Entrepreneurs in July 2011 to study at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University. This was exactly a month into my resignation and the third one was when I was given a space at the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), Abeokuta where I am now. Also I was selected to be among the first set of entrepreneurs to be mentored by the entrepreneurship unit of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industries (LCCI)

    Memorable moments as a beekeeper

    There have been so many but this particular one, when I look back, I always thank God. It happened that I was working with the bees one hot sunny day with my husband in the apiary. We were well kitted-up but I was sweating inside the bee suit so, I left the hive I was working on to get some fresh air and then I forgot that the bees were still around and I removed my veil to get some fresh air and the next thing I saw was bees bombarding me and I was having braids on then, it was not a funny sight, but thank God for my husband who came to my rescue, else something terrible would have happened and this is one of the risks involved, though it was due to my carelessness.

    Challenges on the job

    The major challenges that are peculiar to beekeeping are bush burning and pilfering by honey robbers. This has been so predominant among beekeepers and it has been a great pain. I have lost so much to bush burning and honey robbing and I know this is also the plight of most beekeepers. Another challenge is the policies and subsidies from the government affecting inputs to honey production, which includes access to finance, infrastructure, farmland and technologies useful for beekeepers. I have tried and still trying and I know one day I will get there.

    Coping challenges

    Coping with these challenges has been so painful but one thing is that as the challenges surface I get to know of better ways within my ability to handle and overcome them notwithstanding the little capital at my disposal and that is where innovation and creativity comes in. I have positioned myself to solve problems and thereby gain more customers. I tried to work round situations and come up with solutions that will be beneficial to all stakeholders within my field of operation. I want every entrepreneur like me to know that the more people’s problem we solve, the more customers we gain, hence the more money we make. Never be burdened down with any problem, see it as a challenge and release yourself to tackle it headlong and when you do, more laurels are added to your cap.

    Antecedents, why you chose this career line as well as the first job that you did?

    When I got employed to the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta  consult as a Marketing Officer, I never had it in my wildest imagination that I would end up in beekeeping but when I was faced with the challenge of assisting the boy in charge I discovered that, that was what I wanted to do. I began my research on honey and bees and what I learnt about the curative and medicinal properties of honey really fascinated me coupled with the demand on the product, my love for it increased. I also discover the various areas in the business that revenue could be generated, which could also create employment opportunities and above all adding value to the lives of my consumer through the consumption of good quality honey and its by-products.

    Greatest influence

    God has been the greatest influence in my life. He gives the inspiration, courage and strength to continue despite all odds. My husband also has always been there giving all the support that is humanly possible. Another influence over me is excitement.

    I’m excited doing what I love doing and I think this has helped me achieve the little, little successes I have recorded so far, even when I go to people seeking for their assistance and they turn me down, my excitement does not let me down. I remain happy while I explore other means.

    Life as an entrepreneur

    The Oxford’s learners’ English dictionary defines entrepreneur as a person who makes money by starting or running businesses, especially when this involves taking financial risks.

    It takes rugged and determined individuals to weather the storm of entrepreneurship as the business for many years seems to be taking everything away from you without giving anything back in return and this could be frustrating. From statistics, it has been proven that just a third of new businesses survives till the tenth year and those that survived are fond of doing some things that others failed to do. This is a major challenge.

    I would say being an entrepreneur is a great privilege especially when you are just coming up. One thing that keeps me on is the passion I have for what I do and with perseverance and hard work I know I will achieve my goal.

    There had been times, when it seems I should pack up and look elsewhere, probably take up a paid employment but each time this happens, God gives fresh inspirations about how to add value to my existing products and ideas about entirely new products and I am very grateful for this.

    Opportunities for women in beekeeping

    I have met with few women in my sectors that are beekeepers which they do as hobbies and they are really trying their best but as you would agree with me, finance to fund this business is a big challenge and I am using this medium to call on well meaning Nigerians and investors to start looking towards this branch of agriculture to invest and for concerned government agencies to consider giving grants to boost this branch of agriculture in order to encourage more women to go into beekeeping and that is part of my future plans to go into the grassroots and encourage more women to come into the business.

    Prospects of beekeeping in Nigeria and abroad

    I would say we are far from been there, with all the challenges we are facing here which is drawing us back. In other developed countries of the world, beekeeping has really gone far with the use of modern technology in keeping bees, thereby making it more interesting and profitable. We now have hybrid bees which give rise to the high honey yield and profitability. But I know one day we will get there, because Rome was not built in a day.

    Support for SMEs

    I would appreciate government effort for SMEs but at the same time how many SMEs are there that can say this is what they are enjoying from the government, securing funds are not easy, taxes are not SME-friendly, the power situation is nothing to write home about, not leaving out the difficulties involved before one can access farmlands from the government. I hope this new administration will visit these issues because lots of businesses are at the verge of collapse and I would advice this new administration to look into beekeeping as a means of generating employments for our teeming unemployed populace especially the youths.

  • Not despising the days of small beginnings

    Not despising the days of small beginnings

    Tolulope Aladesuyi-Amusan’s story may well serve as a roadmap for aspiring entreprenuers. It gives an insight into the requirements for building a successful business, such as having a clear understanding of what success means and being confident to achieve success. It is a story of not despising days of small beginnings, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    •Aladesuyi-Amusan
    •Aladesuyi-Amusan

    Tolulope Aladesuyi-Amusan is a young Nigerian whose tale will inspire you to aspire for greatness. A graduate of Crop, Soil and Pest Management from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Aladesuyi-Amusan is  an energetic young lady, action-oriented and a lover of God and fashion.

    She   runs  a costume-jewelry outfit called EsoAra (Body Treasure) and runs the Make-A-Future project, an initiative for teenagers. Aladesuyi-Amusan, started   her costume jewelry business  with  N15,000 in 2011 during her national youth service.

    “ I started with a seed capital of fifteen thousand naira {#15,000} which was given to me by my mentor and I will never forget the remarkable way in which my first sales turned out. I made back my business capital in 4hours 30minutes on my very first outing with a total sales of #15,750. It was so encouraging for me because this was a time I knew practically nothing about how to do business plus my knowledge as related to my line of business was also little. That capital has multiplied in tremendous folds today by God’s grace.”I started out in 2011 in my final year days at the university. However, I registered the business and started out with a sense of seriousness in 2012.” She was inspired to start up the business as a result of her independent, creative spirit and love for jewellery, which is unique and showcases quality workmanship – plus its greatly priced.

    She had passion for beautiful accessories and an inbuilt creativity that was looking for an outlet. The result is a jewellery business  that  is well  positioned  in the market. Today, she has  built her costume jewelry business into a sought-after enterprise in South West Nigeria.

    “ I have a team of three people who work with me,” she began.

    Her   Eso-Ara brand is associated with excellence and has  carved a unique niche in the beauty industry in Nigeria in the sales of fashion accessories and costume-jewellery and  has  a growing chain of distributors who deal in the same products. Beyond sales, she ensures the business delivers  unmatched customer service.

    “The creative industry is where my passion and strength lies. And it’s quite interesting that the creative industry is a huge one now and it is really adding to the GDP of our nation. It is an industry where anyone who can properly position himself will thrive, it is really an interesting industry. More so, anything fashion comes alive to me naturally (chuckles).”

    In terms of her entrepreneurial background, her parents set a really great example for her as business people.

    “While growing up, I watched my mum venture into business of all sorts. She was my first role model. As I advanced in age, she went into sales of men clothing and I was really involved in it back then in Amuwo-odofin, Lagos. I assisted her with sales after school hours while I was in senior secondary schools. Though my parents were hardworking, it was obvious that their little income could only take care of little of the family needs. I decided to take up the challenge of not over-burdening them with my personal needs and this made me venture into business quite early. I sold eggs in the hostel in my 100 level days at the university even though students were not allowed to sell in the hostel. During the break, I sold cold water starch’ and also did ushering jobs. I finally started the jewelry business in my final year in 2011 and it has been worth it.”

    As  an  entrepreneur, she   naturally identifies problems and needs and provide products and services to meet these needs in a creative and profitable manner. “I will also call myself an entrepreneur because of the innovative way I have been running my business. At EsoAra, we have created a system that empowers other young people who want to start their own jewelry line through our distributorship plan. We also have an A-LIST artist who is one of our brand ambassadors. We are not just selling jewelries, we are gradually carving a niche for ourselves in the beauty industry.

    Aladesuyi-Amusan is also a valuable sounding board when brainstorming new jewellery designs, or identifying and researching markets or events to attend in Nigeria .

    She  faced some challenges when she started.She spoke about how she was able to overcome this

    “ Basically it is access to funds and breaking new markets. I believe one of the reasons why our customers stick with us is our ability to bring latest and unique products to them firsthand at affordable prices. The  major challenge was  accessing funding resource to expand and travel to shop in new international destinations and source for outstanding items for our customers.

    Apart from the Eso Ara brand, she  also run the MAKE-A-FUTURE (MAF) ,an initiative targeted at building visionary teenagers to think  positively about  becoming  entrepreneurs. “The Eso Ara brand also powers the MAKE-A-FUTURE (MAF) initiative. Our vision at MAF is delivered through skill acquisition, peer mentoring and experience sharing.We also have a new commerce platform where customers who are not within our reach can get to buy our unique collection of products.”

    MAF assist youths through skill acquisition, peer mentoring and experience sharing. So far, the programme   has taught over 200 teenagers in skills like  cake making to snacks making and Ankara accessories training.

    Her source of  inspiration comes from God and passion for change.

    She  believes women can help to make a difference by first discovering themselves and  developing  such potential to help the economy.

    Her  immediate plans are to grow a loyal customer base, and   be best positioned to offer women the most authentic, beautiful and affordable jewellery range.

    “I have big dreams,  we are building a very strong and enviable franchise model thus empowering more entrepreneurs, maintaining high service standards and contributing significantly to the Nigerian Economy,” she submitted.

  • Bank manager dumps job for kids’events

    Bank manager dumps job for kids’events

    One year after voluntarily resigning from a leading first generation bank, Madina Sanusi made a foray into kids’ events management. She shares the story of her transition from the financial sector to catering for kids with Assistant Editor Dada Aladelokun.

    For over 12 years, Madina Sanusi remained an exemplary treasure to First Bank of Nigeria Plc. In the various branches where she handled banking and finance, especially in Lagos, she distinguished herself as a quintessence of hard work, industry and goal-getting.

    Joining the frontline bank as a graduate trainee after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Masters in the same field (specialising in Marketing) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Madina rose through the ranks to become an Assistant Manager, a post she held between 2010 and 2014.

    Sources from the bank’s branches where she served disclosed that she was a rare breed of a workaholic as she remained implacably committed to her duties. At a point, she got a letter of commendation from the bank’s Group Managing Director, Mr Stephen Onasanya. Not a few, it was gathered, thought she had her eyes on the topmost position in the bank as a career staff. But they were dead wrong!

    While she donned the toga of a Trojan horse in the process of earning her pay, she jealously harboured a burning passion in her mind: To actualise a long-nursed dream of breaking new grounds to take her destiny into her hands!

    However, who is that adventurous person that would dump a lucrative job and take a risky plunge into an uncertain terrain – thick darkness of sorts? This poser remained a dagger in the heart of Madina until she summoned the courage to say final bye to the job that put sumptuous meals on her table for over 12 years!

    Her colleagues’ jaws dropped in utter shock when in May 2014, she did the unbelievable. She dropped her resignation letter and walked away. Wasting no time, she joined the world of event management by establishing what is known today as Sanus Kiddies, a flourishing event entertaining outfit for kids, based in Ilupeju, Lagos.

    Explaining her transition into the private venture, Madina, who is in her early 40s, told The Nation: “My belief is that whatever you vividly imagine, sincerely believe in and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong and there are always difficulties which tempt you to want to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage. My longing for greater challenges and the zeal to follow my heart/passion caused me to resign from the banking world where I excelled.”

    When asked if it was an easy decision, Madina drew a guttural breath and said: “I had wanted to leave but the fear of the unknown held me down. But one day, I just took the leap of faith and resigned; today it is history with no regrets!”

    But how rosy has it been in your new business world? “I encountered roadblocks being a newcomer into the event management world without any training, but the passion I had for the job kept me going. Today, I thank God for following my heart and daring to hop from the world of the known to the unknown,” she explained.

    She reflected further: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. One must always remember that one has within him the strength, patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. I chose to be hardworking, determined and focused on delivering results. Since my days in First Bank, expertise and competence are non-negotiable ingredients for success in this highly competitive world. I was a change agent and brand champion for the bank. These are parts of what prepared me for my today. And I believe that when you have a dream that you can’t let go, trust your instincts and pursue it. But always remember that real dreams demands work, patience and sometimes, they require you to dig very deep. Be sure you are willing to do that. These constitute my driving force.

    Are you among those that are still in the grip of indecision regarding your passion or interest, Madina, mother of a practising lawyer son has this for you: “Resist your fear; fear will never lead to you a positive end. Go for your faith and what you believe in. I am a goal-getter who never believes in the word “impossible.” To me, it is an anathema.”

  • Entrepreneur recycles plastics into home products

    Entrepreneur recycles plastics into home products

    The growing utilisation of plastics in industrial and consumer applications, combined with increased consumer awareness surrounding solid waste recycling, has led to an increased demand for plastic products. To this end, entrepreneurs are competing for sources of recyclable materials, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Chief Executive Officer, T. Cynthia Nigeria Limited Mrs Cynthia Saka, is versatile in the waste management business, which she started 25  years ago.

    She produces domestic and industrial products from wastes. About 15 years ago, Mrs. Saka began a small recycling operation. But the number of companies engaging in recycling business now reflect the success story of the business.

    Her company has grown from a small machine to a big operation with machinery capable of handling more than 400 kilogramme/hour of plastics.

    The company has many full-time employees and is looking forward  to different wealth streams. Though there are people looking  at the business from different industries, she said the opportu-nities are huge and fascinating.

    Housed in an open  space, her  factory is stocked with waste ready to be  made into plastics products. The pickers collect hundreds of kilos of plastic waste to her factory where  they are  recycled into products.These are wastes that would have remained  in the streets or be burned, producing dangerous fumes. she  is satisfied currently with making domestic products from waste.

    If there is a downside to recycling, it’s the inefficiencies related to organising, moving and storing the supply.

    For her, regardless of how cheap collected waste  materials seem, they can represent a huge waste of energy and time considering the number of collectors,especially if one doesn’t  have a purpose in mind on what to do with such waste.

    Besides,some waste may become  useless when left unused for a long time.

    To prevent this, her company collects  waste plastic through individual  vendors and  industries indirectly,thereby  supporting job creation  and income for hundreds of workers.

    For her, recycling is an  oppor-tunity that the government  should seize to create large numbers of jobs, provide a spur for industrialisation and help create a sustainable future for the next generations. Nationwide, plastic bag waste is one of the problems the government  faces with no  outlets to reuse or recycle them. It is perceived that the government cannot do it alone,so  there is a need to collaborate with private individuals who have the knowledge and possess the skills and resources required.

    Mrs  Saka, a member of the Ogun State Chamber of Commerce and Industries is open to collaborate  with different government departments, such as environmental affairs, trade and industry, solid waste or public works, to jointly develop ways of giving the local green economy a jolt.

    She belongs to a group of small business entrepreneurs who are  promoting  a green economy. It is a strategy aimed at creating environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic growth.

    She wants to empower local women, offering them decent work and a sustainable income, while also improving the living and environmental conditions of those in the neighbourhood in which they work.

    Currently, Mrs Saka said  she faces  the challenge of  poor   electricity supply, which also is a peculiar problem to the nation .

    The sector,she noted , also is not witnessing proliferation of curbside collection bins and public awareness campaigns.  Running the company has always had its intimidating moments even after years of success,she added.

    She wants the government to make laws and develop initiatives that will encourage indigenous individuals as opposed to the foreign investors overshadowing this area of business in the country.