The Nation Newspaper

Category: Small Business and Entreprenuership

  • Coaching for a living

    Coaching for a living

    More Nigerians are turning to business coaching for a living. One of them is Steve Harris. Daniel Essiet reports.

    HIgh demand for services to  improve business performance has opened the gateway to business coaches and  entrepreneurs providing guidance  on lifestyle management.

    One of them is Steve Harris, chief executive officer, EdgeEcution, who aspires to take business coaching to important markets and in the process, encourage young entrepreneurs to explore the  opportunity.

    He  started his coaching  business in 2011 with N17,000, but today, Harris has become a household name in several organisations, including West African Portland Cement (WAPCO), Guaranty Trust Bank, FinBank, Access Bank, Skye Bank, Diamond Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Zenith Bank, and Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company.

    In most of these places, Harri said he has managed streams of customer service management, leadership,passion infusion and workforce activation training programmes and retreats.

    Addressing  a  conference in Lagos, a small and medium enterprises enterprises (SMEs) Development Conference for chief executives officers and business executives of start-up companies, Harris said, it was an unstoppable mindset that drove him to business coaching. He realised that motivating people to bring out the best in people and this came naturally and he  did  it best.

    His business involves helping others to make the transition that they have: living the lifestyle they want to lead.

    Lifestyle, he said, has been awesome since he chose to go into coaching.

    While business coaching may  not be the only way to make money, Harris said there are a lot of opportunities for would be entrepreneurs as long as they can  offer products and services  that can   solve their problems.

    His  advice, however,  is  that they   must be willing to do the work and learn the skill set to provide solutions. In fact, from training to seminars, books and coaches,  Harris said he  has spent a lot  of money on professional development coaching.

    The firm specialises in: one-on-one coaching, a group coaching and seminars. His challenges at the beginning were  lack of funds and  not  being  able  to  sell himself  to  reach out to people who do not know him  but may be looking for support.

    He  has  had  amazing clients who have given him good referrals. He  has tried out some ideas and questions which have worked brilliantly.

    He  has  spoken in front of many different groups and have created a specific coaching programmes, that takeclients step by step to build the confidence, belief, motivation and  mindset to make more money in record time, every time.

    For  every  entrepreneur who want to succeed, Harris said a positive  mindset  will help  to  accelerate results. According  to him,   it’s not about the type of business  one  is in but  combining the belief, mindset and marketing  to bring about the results one is e looking for.

    The Founder, Watermark Academy Miss Victoria Adewunmi said the conference was aimed at  developing individuals and build their capacities through entrepreneurship as a tool for societal advantage.

  • ‘All an entrepreneur needs to succeed is stay focused’

    ‘All an entrepreneur needs to succeed is stay focused’

    Emeka Ikwuagwu is the Chief Executive Officer, Holmes Viu Properties Limited, with interest in property development, mortgage and brokers. Interestingly, he started the business about fifteen years ago from his living room with little resources. The road to success was very rough but with determination and perseverance he conquered poverty. Now, the most important thing on his mind is how to give back to the society and he wants to catch them young. He shared his vision and mission with Yetunde Oladeinde

    How did you start the business?

    The business started from my living room. Then, I did not have the resources to rent an office. The business is a service oriented business and the experience and connections that I had built was very crucial. Also it was at the point when mobile telephone came on board and it made things easy for me. I started small, made some profits and gradually the business began to grow.

    I was the only the only staff and I did virtually everything on my own. Today, I have about 40 people employed in the organization and I have not reached the limit, we are expanding all the time. It was also easy because I wasn’t married at that point and there was little or no pressure on my time and the little resources at my disposal. My house didn’t have much traffic and I had a lot of energy to pursue my clients, did the adverts and pushed the business from zero to something big and better. When we were getting bigger, we had to move out to get a better space.

    What motivated you to go into this line of business?

    I studied Estate Management and did my Youth service at the Ministry of Lands and Survey in Taraba state and from there, I got a contract job with Shell in Warri. I was there and learnt some things that I later found to be useful on the job. Interestingly, it had nothing to do with real estate. Like every young man when you get out of school you just want a job with good money. When I worked there, I saw the money but I was not inspired. Then I moved to Wokom Estates in Owerri, where I was able to put the things I learnt into Action. I also worked with Diya Fatimilehin and another company before setting up my own company.

    Like every other business, it has it challenges but you must be dedicated and have a focus. Property business is an entirely different ballgame and it is different from other types of business. The most important thing is the person behind the property business. I would say that the inspiration came when I was doing my Youth service in Taraba State, where we did some community service and we were involved in small competitions in school but on a very small scale.

    There are a lot of non professionals in this sector, how do you cope with them?

    When we started in this area, we had an association called (ERCAN) Estate Rents Agents Commission Association of Nigeria. The touts were on ground in other local government areas but in Ago Okota area, it was a dead zone for them. Then the founding fathers came together and made it more formal and I became the president of the organisation. That was about five years ago. We worked with the national body of the association and we got support from the police and other stakeholders in the area. Those who were not registered came on board and my regime brought a lot of changes and a lot of transformation was achieved.

    What advice would you give young people who want to start a business of their own?

    The advice I would give young people is that you must understand the nature of the course that you have chosen or studied. Then the next thing would be to know what is required to set up a business in that line. Of course, there are some businesses that you just cannot practice on your own after school without capital. Then there are others that like estate management which is service-oriented and would not require too much capital at the beginning. So it is important to know and understand the nature of the business that you are going into as well as how to make the best use of the resources available to excel. We all know that employment is difficult and so if you can have a focus, get serious and start planning early instead of using all the time writing applications here and there. If you have the opportunity to become an employer of labour, you must also be hardworking and consistent. It is the consistency that you show that would take you to the next level and make others to have confidence in what you can do or offer. The trying period at the beginning is just a temporary phase, never give up but always be determined. If you do this the sky would not even be you limit as you go on with your dream and passion.

    So how do you intend to give back to the community?

    Now, we have grown to become men and God helping us to assist the environment where we have grown in the past 15 years. So we are going to give back to the society as our social corporate responsibility. And of course, this is another way to help the government because the government cannot do it alone.

    The company has done a number of things for the community. But there is a project we are working on and it is powered by Holmes Viu Properties Limited. It is tagged: ‘Interschool competition’ and it has three categories which included educational, sports and culture. Under education, we have debates and essays. Under sports, we have football, high jump and table tennis, hundred meters dash and four by four hundred meters. Then we also further categorise it into male and female. It involves both the public and private schools, all within Isolo and Oshodi local government areas. The educational sector would also improve the reading culture which a lot of people have been talking about and trying to improve.

    When we have interschool and intra school competitions, a lot of talents would be discovered. If you are a champion in your school, you get more skills, improve your level and get prepared for more competition. While the students are improving, the teachers’ skills are also enhanced because learning is a continuous process. Once you have been selected, you would also go through some training that would help to take them to the next level. We have cups, medals, plaques, certificates, financial rewards and it is going to be an annual event. When we do this successfully then we can replicate it in other local government areas as well as take it to other states like Abia where I come from.

    Who would you consider as your mentor or role model?

    My mentor would be very surprised. He is the CEO of Wokoma Associate. He has his head office in Port Harcourt and he gave my first job as a residence manager. I had no experience but he told me that he had known my record from school and he wanted me to manage his Owerri branch which had a contract with Shell. I was an inexperienced young man who was given a big portfolio and that opened my eyes to a lot of things. That was when computerization started and Shell was converting their manual library to electronic library. I worked with the company that got the contract and it opened my eyes to the opportunities available via internet.

    Apart from him, another great influence in my life is my wife. She always gives me the push when things look dull and discouraging. God is the father of all and He works through somebody, I am sure God is the one using her for me.

  • IT graduate finds solution to damaged, bleached skin

    IT graduate finds solution to damaged, bleached skin

    The high demand for human hair and finding a cure for damaged bleached skin are creating big business for young entrepreneurs. Daniel Essiet  reports. 

    At a time when many of her contemporaries are making money selling dangerous skin-bleaching formulas, Adenike Erinkitola,  a young IT graduate of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, is promoting products, which emphasise  the beauty of the black skin And while graduates like her still roam the streets searching for employment, she is making a fortune selling and marketing human hair and skin restorative products for damaged skins arising from bleaching. She started last year.

    With her savings and family support, she was able to raise N13,000, which helped her to make her first importation of human hair. Exploring her skill in online search, she discovered suppliers in China and Brazil, selling human hair at good prices, which further increased her profitt margin.

    But the margin was not much because a of the very small volume she was importing. Erinkitola  gradually started building loyal customers made up  of ladies, who wanted human hair to make extensions, braids, custom wigs and hair pieces.  The  other  group  are women with short, kinky, curly hair, who wanted long and straight locks.

    With this increasing demand came an expanding market, which brought about competition, especially from bigger companies with  huge financial muscles to prosecute importation of the products directly from Asian vendors.

    Erinkitola, aware of the changing dynamics of the hair business and the potential danger it poses to her income, immediately thought out of the box. She realised that a lot of women   were  suffering from  damaged skins. She was later to trace the cause of this to be mostly from  the use  of   skin beauty and  bleaching products.

    After some interactions with a number of ladies suffering from damaged skins arisng from their exposure to bleaching creams, Erinkitola subsequently realised that such ladies were in need of help to reverse the situation, which has now become a social problem.

    Smart and intelligent, Erinkitola saw an opportuity to make good revenue from this scourge. But first, she realised there was a need for her to be equipped for this venture if only she was to make an impact.

    In a way, this discovery changed the course of her life and career. And in her drive to find a solution that will not  be expensive. This prompted her to enroll for a training in body cream mixing.

    Consequently, she began  a skin treatment business  directed at not only women with  damaged skins, but at those seeking or desirous of keeping their skins in top condition. And with just N7,000 capital investment in 2014, she has grown the business  to worth in excess of N150, 000. As  a way  of making  more money,  she   trains  people  on how to make body  and  facial cream. Though still operating  a micro enterprise, her dream is  to  own her  skincare line.          Although she claims it has been a lucrative business, the challenge, however, is   enough  money  to expand it to what she wants.

    For now, beauty is   the central focus of her business. Her  goal  is to deliver a must-have line of products that  will  have  healing effects on  those  with  damaged  skins. In an economic climate that’s slowly creeping towards recovery, it’s fascinating to see how small  businesses   prosper. Combining a lean business model and savvy business sense, Miss Erinkitola  is learning how to succeed during recession and  how  to be truly self  employed.

  • From banking to herbal cosmetologist

    From banking to herbal cosmetologist

    Despite challenges faced by entrepreneurs, producers of herbal products are developing strong businesses that are benefitting the economy, Daniel Essiet reports.

    •Jimoh
    •Jimoh

    Mikail Jimoh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Products, as an entrepreneur, started very small. And through sheer hard work and perseverance he has made it to the top. He runs one of the most successful herbal cosmetics and household products in Lagos.

    But he did not start  as a health  entrepreneur. He  began as a banker after graduating in banking and finance from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 1991. After his National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) service, he had a stint with Nichebel Merchant Bank where he earned over N25,000 per month. Being a banker with all the perks that go with the job, Jimoh could be said to be comfortably engaged. That notwithstanding, he resigned in 2004 to manufacture a range of herbal products that earned him Products of the Year 2014 Award by the Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN). His  flagship  product, after he started, he told The Nation, was  Jim Aloe Vera Dental Powder. He called it his cash cow. He has 30 other products, all registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), including Jim Herbal Toothpaste, Jim Herbal Skincare Soap, and cream.

    His idea for natural cosmetics with healing properties came from his  father,  who  is a herbalist, had  shown  him how  to use herbs to  treat ailments. Jimoh said he has herbal practice in his lineage, which he integrated into cosmetics production. He acknowledged that he is not a chemist or scientist; he only acquired the technical know-how and infused his in-house knowledge to get the formula for the production. While on the banking job, Jimoh manufactured the products on skeletal basis at weekends, manufacturing them in his apartment. He then noticed the high demand for the products.

    As at that time, there was no mobile telephone and it was difficult to know when customers paid into his account. He went on leave from his job and never returned, having been enthralled by the huge demand for his products.His start up capital was his salary of N25,000. His wife and their first son, now a university undergraduate, were his only employees, offering services he could not afford to pay for. Driven by a common passion, Jim, his wife, and son worked late into the night to get the products ready for supply to customers the next day.

    As  the business grew, he  started engaging workers. But due to incessant harassment by the police and customers’ debt burden, everything went down the drain. He was left with huge debt from customers. However, his wife rose to the challenge and gave him a life-line of N1,500,  which  he  took to Ojota to pick his materials to resume production.

    Along the line, he got  a credit facility of N76million without collateral, from GROFIN, a South African non governmental organisation with an  office in Lagos.

    He  said the organisation  assisted him without  going through  any hassles Nigerian banks would subject any entrepreneur  to.  Securing machines and  equipment, courtesy the  GROFIN,  he was able to engage 75 employees in his factory at Sango Otta, Ogun State.

    Today, the company  has become a successful business model, with tremendous goodwill and demand for its products. From a  small operation   to a business worth millions  of  Naira, it has been a phenomenal journey.  Having adopted a totally new concept of herbal care and cures, Jimoh   took time to increase his  knowledge  of  the  healing powers of herbs and the dangers of chemical and synthetic ingredients. He did this be reading   articles in leading newspapers and magazines.   As  obstacles and hurdles come up in life, he  tried to see them as challenges. With  his  desire to excel, his  relentless determination to succeed, a strong will and sheer hard work, Jimoh   believes nothing is impossible.

    According  to him,  awareness of herbal   products and treatments, are at an all-time high. This is attributed to exposure of global trends and lifestyle changes, higher disposable incomes and the trend towards fitness and youth.  Right  now, product innovation has helped the organisation to remain dynamic.

    Walking into his  factory  is   a delight  with  processed   herbs  and  other materials lining shelves and ingredients for producing  soap, creams, lbalms and bathing goodies. And everything is made using natural products, herbs, flowers, natural colourings and  other body nutrients.

    As the company got bigger, so was the range of products – a variety of soaps and fragrances, creams and lip balms, shampoos and bath bombs. The soaps are made using a mix of oils, which are mixed with essential oils, natural colourings or clays. He  has   master recipes  and is set to customise them with various scents, patterns and ingredients. Locally produced ingredients, including honey are all sourced and used.

    He never imagined he would be doing this. He changed the rules of the business by trusting his instincts; introducing business norms that were ahead of their time and by investing in strategic relationships. He built a series of bonds and networks with hundreds of family members, vendors, dealers and employees. These networks are now the glue that holds the group together. He  has been personally responsible for rekindling a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst his employees.

    Recognising the potentials of the agricultural sector for economic development,  Jimoh  is making  efforts  to  establish an  agro processing  unit  in Kwara State.

  • Fabricating for success

    Fabricating for success

    Small scale machine fabricators are dominating the domestic market for machine spare parts production. They are gradually breathing fresh life into the once moribond sector of the economy, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    While in secondary school, Anietie Nelson, Chief Executive, Emedion Technical, Industrial and Metal Fabrication Company, Owode-Onirin, on the outskirt of Lagos, took interest  in creative arts. In everything he does  one thing is common: an entrepreneurial spirit. Although his thoughts were tilted towards being self-employed, especially as a result of his creativity, but he was not primed for such at that time. He, therefore, opted to work with private firms to enhance his knowledge and acquire more experience.

    Although he holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology, working with several firms has since proved very useful to him as it exposed him to challenges  organisations face, especially with acquiring and maitaining equipment. This exposure was the motivation he needed to bring out the entreprenuerial spirit in him.

    Consequently, he developed a business plan and sourced the initial fund that helped  him to move  his  metal fabricating business into a rented facility.

    Observing the trends  in the market, he discovered  that there was a boom in the popcorn making business. However, the cost of buying a popcorn making machine was too huge to bear for an average popcorn maker.  And while  the demand for popcoorn was on the rise, vendors of the snack still found it  hard  to  make   good profit from its sales.

    Nelson took   advantage of this and decided  to fabricate locally affordable popcorn machines. This was  to give popcorn makers, who couldn’t  afford  imported  machines the opportunity to remain in business and increase their profit margin by a good proportion.

    Apart from providing  low cost  pop corn machines, he also  counseled prospective entrepreneurs  on  the financial   criteria  for creating  a  simple production  business.

    Many of his clients are individuals, couples and  families,  who  now  operate from  both single  and  multiple locations.

    To  the vendors’ advantage,   his   products  are  compact and easy to operate. The machines comprise accessories such as removable ice pan and drain tube for easy cleaning.

    Business for Nelson has been very good for the past 10 years. He has produced more machines on yearly basis. And as a research strategy, once he sees  complex  engines and  machine  components, Nelson tries  to  strip them  down for study. This has helped him to continually improve on his production. Today, he  is   able  to  fabricate  everything from basic accessories to a complete  machine set.

    To make production easier, he  divides  the process into many parts like sheet-metal fabrication, structural fabrication, paint delivery, quality control and creative design. He does his own part and gives the rest to other specialists. For entrepreneurs, who like to set up agro and food based industries, his  company  provides machineries, technological assistance, servicing of the machineries and  proper guidelines for better production for  aspiring entrepreneurs. He assists farmers to fabricate milling machines to produce  flours from   maize, cassava  and  yam. He  has also developed  smoked  fish  machines.

    There are  great business prospect in machine fabrication. This has been further buoyed by the surge in the agro-allied and food industry because there is an increasing influx of entrepreneurs in  sectors like bakery, noodles, packaging, and processing among  others. Operators in these areas are believed to place a high demand on locally fabricated machines to enhance thyeir productivity. Nelson’s  goal is  to become  the most-sought after fabrication  firm   by entrepreneurs, enterprise community and food industry sectors.

    With his daring spirit to act as a catalyst for a change and industrial development, Nelson believes he has a lot to offer new comers in food processing in designing machineries to suit their business.

    He also said many new projects are in the pipeline to assist those who want to produce products from corn,  maize, beans, custard seed and  soy beans .

    With  the boom in the agric  sector, he is hopes to help farmers   transform seasonal fruits and vegetables into a new zest of taste  with  locally  fabricated  machines.

    But  there are lots of challenges in making the business viable due to socio-economic and political situations.

    Right  now, the  business  is  dependent mostly on power supply, transportation etc.

    But, in spite of the huge prospects and seemingly high demand for his works, Nelson still has challenges. Some of these come in the form of a slow economic growth, and the rising cost of sourcing raw materials.  Besides, as consumers grow more sophisticated and demanding, so are firm’s looking for perfectly made fabricated components. Besides, consumers still see locally fabricated parts as lower in quality compared to imported  ones.

    With the government emphasising inward integration, the likes of Nelson, who have made efforts on their own, can further be assisted by government to develop the industrial base of the economy.

  • Hostel system: The new face of livestock farming

    Hostel system: The new face of livestock farming

    An innovative livestock hostel system brings farming into the 21st Century and creates income for agro entrepreneurs. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    A fresh group of livestock entrepreneurs are emerging  in Ogun State. They are  supported  by Sliden  Africa, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), to  establish  sustainable  livestock  enterprises.

    Sliden  Africa  provides a support structure for those who want to get into livestock  farming, but  don’t have enough   money to buy land and equipment.

    •Olayimika
    •Olayimika

    Speaking with The Nation, the NGO’s Programme Officer, Olufunmi Olayimika,  said  her  organisation provides technical and business development assistance to  farmers who  want  to go into  livestock  businesses.

    At  its livelihood support and development centre, Olayimika  said, the  organisation  assists livestock farmers with housing  to  keep their animals.  Once the farmers are registered with the agency, she  said they are  free  to bring  their animals  to the place. They  keep  the animals  until  they acquire land to relocate  them.

    According to her, aspiring  entrepreneurs  face a lot of challenges  raising  fund to  start  mini livestock businesses.

    A major  part  of the expenses, she  noted, is in the area of   feeding  the  livestock.

    Under an agreement, she explained  that  the  organisation takes  the burden from aspiring entrepreneurs, including providing  feed, labour and veterinary aid.

    Presently, she  said, the  group  has  a thriving goat unit with a stock of 12 goats.

    Apart from feeding them, she   said the goats are  offered  free grazing.

    Regular attention are provided, including periodic deworming of goats.

    The  arrangement, Olayimika explained, is benefitting start up farmers, who are getting into animal husbandry, but  don’t have the time and resources  to run the business efficiently.

    In his  contribution, a member of the supervising team, Mr

    Adebayo Kareem  saidthe initiative is  relief  to poor  farmers who  want to get involved  in cattle rearing but  are constrained  financially.

    For abeginning farmer, he said  housing isvital and that goats need a well-built shelter and some additional fence in the area to move around freely.

    He  said Sliden Africa is   providing farmers with a large grassland to support variety of livestock.

    To  fortify the  land, he  said the centre  has  provided  concrete  fencing to  keep predators and other unwanted elements away from the  goats.

    For him, the project has come to help goat farmers, who  started with a pair of goats without any preparedness, for a venture.

    The  goats are reared without much difficulty in arranging feeds and fodder and providing them shelter.

    The environment provided the animals enables them to grow.

    The goats also repay with respect. A farm attendant, Mrs Florence  Abolarin, demonstrated  this.

    She  called and beckoned on the goats and they responded immediately  running to  her.

    Apart from when they  come  to feed, Abolarin said  the goats spend their days wandering  on the farm  and come home in the evenings on their own.

    The relative success of the project  has pointed the way forward for farmers who are ready  to bring their  goats and cows to  the farm.

    With this programme, Sliden Africa is creating a dynamic and thriving agricultural community of new and established farmers .

  • Ideas, colour matching as new frontiers in fashion business

    Ideas, colour matching as new frontiers in fashion business

    The fashion industry has become a huge sector beyond the conventional art of ‘cutting and sewing.’ The influx of well educated Nigerians into the industry has created opportunities for talented, young entreprneurs with creative ideas to explore other concepts in fashion This has not only resulted into fantastic designs, but swelling their bank accounts. Daniel Essiet reports.

    The evolution in the nation’s fashion industry over the last three decades has been phenomenal. From the traditional ‘cutting and sewing’, to exquisite designs by specialist, which is subsequently translated into sewn clothings, the evolution has not ceased. Now, entrepreneurs and idealistic Nigerians are cashing in on a growing phenomenon in the sector, matching fashion with their clients’ lifestyles and needs.

    One of such early birds in this emerging trend is Mr. Gbenga Samuel Olasele, Chief Executive, Fashion Concepts Abode Limited.  Olasele, a graduate of Botany from the University of Lagos(UNILAG), may not have had a formal training in fashion related vocation, his ideas, concepts, and incredible talent, have now endeared him to many in the industry and other fashionistas.

    Olasele’s journey with the art started when he was young. He  discovered  he was fascinated to fabrics, designs and splashes of colour.

    Motivated by this, Olasele started learning  fashion with his mother’s machine. After mastering how to sew, he  got two machines  from  an aunt.  While the interest was the burning, he  had to contend with  a bigger  ambition of reading medicine. Since he  couldn’t  meet  the cut-off point,  he settled for botany.  This   didn’t  diminish his  love  for  fashion.

    His talent was further honned while  in the university, as he was   making dresses for his colleagues,  which captured the attention of people around. In the process, he  learnt  skills  that  have helped  to  elevate  him  to a higher level of style.  He  began  to  pay attention to   artisanal details, luxurious fabrics and designs that flatter the form and spirit.

    Olasele can be described as an artist at heart, who works with several media and derives joy using them as means of expressing himself. These later   characterised the easy to wear, sophisticated and modern shapes which he seeks to achieve through his works.

    Now, his mentality about fashion has changed. Not only does he  sees the business  as  both  rewarding  and offering ample opportunities to work with  different  specialists, he  considers  the  business from a socio-cultural and economic aspects, including the whole gamut of delivering production capacity, quality control and management of workers. And to remain competitive and on top of his game, Olasele  kept  himself updated on current trends, including anticipating upcoming styles and creations in order to stay competitive in the field.

    When he graduated in 2002, he was already experienced to start something on his own. But he had to overcome the challenge of strong competition as a starter.

    His talent in colour combination  gave  him incredible  leverage, standing him out among the crowd..

    This is because when it comes to fabrics and colours, he ensures they gel well with the theme of his collection. He appreciates colours which carry a statement, and uses  colours that matches the mood of the collection or occasion. His words: “Colours are shining droplets that add to your mood illumination.”

    According to him, it is  “a serious work recognising colour trends and helping people make a statement by what they wear”.

    This is why Olasele has tried to create designs that  not only  reflect  a geographical location, but  connect colour to the environment.

    As  customers want  outfits  showing many moods- sunshine and happiness, whether at funeral, weddings and anniversaries, Olasele said  it is important to produce something  that  will  positively   lift  spirits, add the  luminosity and an ethereal qualities that undulate and vibrate.

    His experimentation and sense of what is current and modern, yet traditional, is what makes his combination remarkable. He endeavours to showcase class with cuts and colour combinations that are catchy and memorable to  survive  in an  industry  that  is not only glamorous and elegant but vibrant, dynamic, vigorous, challenging and competitive. Olasele does everything  to welcome innovation, creativity and freedom of expression.

    He  does not   shy  away from experimenting with  clothes and accessories. Above all, he  tries  to unleash the entrepreneur inside him.

    Beyond this, his   mission is to offer quality, colourful, creative, conscious, responsibly made clothing to people who are determined to bring about a positive change and spread their message through artfully designed and carefully handcrafted pieces of fashion that encompass peace, love and freedom.

    He  wants to  be   well-known for distinctive use of colours, quality of fabrics, intricate embroideries and gloriously rich aesthetics.

    From his look, the future of glamour business is bright, therefore it is attracting thousands of youths to make a living.

  • ‘Self discovery key to business survival’

    ‘Self discovery key to business survival’

    The renewed drive in the micro and medium scale business sector has created jobs and revenues for Nigerians and the government. More people are now capitalising on these prospects by rendering niche services aimed at moving the sector forward. Daniel Essiet reports.

    When Doris Onwugamba, Chief  Executive, Green Pearls Services, Lagos, graduated from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with a degree in Estate Management, her joy knew  no bound.

    Full of expectations to turn around the property market  and make quick  money, Onwugamba secured employment with an estate surveying firm. She, however, lost interest in the job a few months later and opted to work in her family business of  producing bean flour. However, getting  customers to buy  bean flour  was then   a challenge. She then deviced the strategy of  bringing samples to potential clients who didn’t understand what she was offering. Months later, people  were impressed and more customers came.

    Onwugamba repackaged the bean flour and before long  she  was   supplying  a lot  of  people  and  sales were growing  astronomically. The  idea was revolutionary.

    To boost the business at that time, there were  public  enlightenment programmes  to  enhance nutritional value, appeal and consumption of beans  and  bean-based products. All these actually worked  for her.

    This was the beginning of her idea of having something for   the working women. This breakthrough was godsent and Onwugamba and her team  have been working with many  customers. The   allure for her products was more than just the flour.  It’s about the customer service that comes with them.

    Enjoying a  burgeoning market for  she  responded by  employing  more  hands  to  market and promote the product. It was apparent to all that there was a  potential market for products processed from  beans.

    The potential for bean market growth, in addition to the explosive growth in the foods industry, offered a promising outlook for the  company.The surge in sales came as more consumers realised  its  health benefits.

    Although, she prided herself in the fact that her products were nutritious and wholesome, she couldn’t  cope  with the   cost of  meeting food regulatory agency’s  licensing fees. Dealing with appropriate regulations was too high  for  small businesses such as hers.

    Consequently, the  pressure was too much and following incessant harassments  her business eventually  packed  up.

    But that didn’t mark the end of  the road for her. Not discouraged by her relatively failed business attempt, she saw another opportunity  and started taking on random projects for businesses.

    She tried her  hands on  investment management  consultancy and  made some money. Gradually, she discovered her skill in business  restructuring and took the  challenge  of  helping to reposition  a company on Lagos Island.

    She  was satisfied  she helped to do  something for the firm    to achieve  growth.

    She then started another business with N15, 000. The  money  took care of letter head paper, business registration and corporate envelopes. And since 2008 when she started  her consulting business, Onwugamba has    helped a lot  of   people to hone their skills and launched their businesses.

    She  assisted  them in doing what they want to do, instead of just working for someone else. Her business thrive  on word  of mouth  as  passionate customers  have   recommended  her  services  to others.

    The common trend in all her assignments involve building businesses through innovative approaches in market, product, and organisational development.

    She has also  been successful at growing sales, coaching organisations, establishing new business ventures, and  setting up distribution channels.

    She    connects  emerging entrepreneurs to the resources, talent, and funds they require to enter the market place, facilitating wealth and job creation.

    Assisting  business owners and entrepreneurs, she said, is  critical because  they   are the driving force behind a nation’s economic growth.

    She explained, however,  that it is  important  to  start a business  defining or knowing what one’s   passion really is.

    This, she stressed, is important otherwise, the satisfaction will not be there.

    According to her,  making the decision to be an entrepreneur with the aim of  making  more money is good; but it only goes part way to giving one lasting motivation.

    Having  passion, she  added, will keep the business going and create a strong momentum.

    According to her, it is important   entrepreneurs step back and consider the deeper reasons for starting their businesses, and   they will  begin to uncover what they truly love about the work they do.

  • How NEPC, SURE-P, OPS boost employment

    How NEPC, SURE-P, OPS boost employment

    A tripartite partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), a component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and the organised private sector has helped alleviate the unemployment crisis in the country in no small measure, reports Assistant Editor, Nduka Chiejina

    The Nigerian Export Promotion Council in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance recently organised a stakeholders’ interactive forum on Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), a component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), with the theme: ‘Integrating GIS in Non-oil Export Development.’

    The forum was organised to sensitise export sector stakeholders on the benefits of participating in the SURE-P Graduate Internship Scheme.

    The forum was conceived to mobilise export-oriented firms to participate in the GIS as a means of building capacity of interns to be engaged in setting up and managing export-oriented businesses; open up opportunities for job creation in the non-oil sector, especially export business; sensitise stakeholders on the NEPC’s Youth Empowerment Export Skills Acquisition Programme (YEESAP); revitalise the non-oil sector of the economy towards increasing its contribution to GDP growth and provide greater non-oil export job opportunities, focusing on youths as the bedrock of a sustainable national economic development and ensure that the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) scheme, as a fiscal tool, is also used for implementing government economic policies aimed at ensuring capacity building and creating enabling environment for employment generation.

    The speakers were happy with the idea of the partnership between the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the Federal Ministry of Finance’ Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) and they viewed the integration of internship into the export business as a platform for producing future managers and professionals for the non oil export sector.

    The resolutions reached by the participants commended the federal government for introducing SURE-P and especially the Graduate Internship Scheme, which was viewed as an important intervention in the life of unemployed graduates.

    YEESAP was also commended as a well-thought out project and participants agreed that the interns should be trained on export skills before being deployed to the organisations in order to enable them contribute meaningfully to the participating organisations.

    Challenges

    It has been alleged that some firms and interns were engaged under fraudulent circumstances, with several cases cited in Ondo and Osun states. These cases have been investigated and culprits – both firms and interns – were said to be expunged from the scheme. Monitoring has also been strengthened in all states. In order to address the problem of delayed uptake of graduates by firms, internship firms have been identified and organised in all states to facilitate swift selection/matching and documentation of graduates.

    The Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Olusegun Awolowo, expressed happiness with the partnership formed between NEPC and the GIS.

    In his words, the NEPC boss stated that: “this is a clear effort at encouraging government to government partnership and by extension public private partnership (PPP) as well.

    “The NEPC-GIS partnership is an attempt by our two organisations to work together towards discharging our statutory responsibilities as well as achieving some of the targets set out by federal government in the Transformation Agenda in the areas of reducing unemployment, skills acquisition, capacity building and creating pool of trained graduates, capable of adding value to participating employers.”

    Speaking in similar tones, the Project Director, GIS, Mr. Peter Papka, stated that “Graduate Internship Scheme, which is one of the interventions of SURE-P, is a platform that provides young graduates with a one-year temporary work experience to make them stronger candidates for job openings in the labour market as well as boosting their chances of being self employed.”

    According to Papka, “among the objectives of the scheme is the resolve to enhance the employability of at least 50,000 unemployed graduates in the 36 states of the federation and in the FCT by improving their skills through work placement.”

    He emphasised that the “graduate internship scheme is providing a platform for the reduction of vulnerability among unemployed Nigerian graduates. Internship from our experience provides soft landing for many such graduates in finding direction for their lives either through jobs or entrepreneurship. It is our hope that this scheme will be sustained as a veritable bridge between school and the job market, so that Nigerian graduates would disrobe the toga of despondence on completion of national service.”

    Mr. Peter Papka noted that different partnering firms around the country indicated that many graduates were willing to excel, while utilising the GIS to do so. The firms, he added, were also utilising the scheme to determine prospective candidates for their employment, without having to search wide.

    To engender more interest in the GIS/NEPC partnership, Papka said government was planning to “review conditions of service for the interns, especially by increasing their monthly stipend and provision of insurance cover has also endeared serving interns to work harder, and other graduates to register; while also stirring interest of more firms/organisations or firms have come to appreciate not just the benefits derivable, but the national implication of their participation, that is why they play their roles by opening their doors to mentor these graduates for 12 months. We have partners among multinational corporations, financial institutions and SMEs, NGOs and government institutions.”

    Special partners

    Partnership has been established with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to integrate GIS into the export trade with a view to encourage and train graduates to key in and participate in government’s divestment into the non-oil sector. The objective of NEPC’s Youth Empowerment Export Skills Acquisition Programme (YEESAP) is to train 500 graduates on export trade, while the outcome expected is that they will be export-ready after internship. YEESAP has been established to achieve this and over 3000 graduates are to be engaged at the first instance.

    Emerging trends

    There are already several lessons emerging from the GIS which are reaffirming the objectives of its establishment and others which would guide future direction of the educational curricula.  One of the key results emerging from the scheme is the high rate of retention of interns by their employers. Many interns have also found employment with other organisations as a result of the skills they have acquired and improved personality they have developed during internship.

    Besides, GIS is gradually emerging as the bridge between educational institutions and the labour market, providing a pool of skilled, trained, experienced and work ready graduates for firms to select without having to go through a formal, costly process of recruitment.

    To analysts, there is need to take a look at school curricula at all levels and introduce mandatory courses of entrepreneurship, thus preparing school leavers at all levels with a capacity to start and run their own businesses and not seeking employment.

    This is even as more Nigerians are calling for the institutionalisation of the scheme beyond 2015, so that results are sustained and expanded to cater for more graduates and firms. There are also calls for academic reviews of the opportunities that GIS can create for national development in the execution of its mandate.

    Registered graduates who may never benefit from matching to firms are being targeted for an online employability training in order to avail them an opportunity to develop skills through online modules, which are to be developed, in collaboration with and certificated by sector professional bodies.

    Nigerians are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of internship in the life of graduates, especially those that are unemployed, in terms of the value they can add during this waiting period as well as the benefits and skills they will develop. Katsina has shown more appreciation to GIS and commitment by establishing its own version of GIS, deploying 600 graduates for a year and paying them N30,000, just like GIS.

    There is a clear need for synergy between all tiers of government in a programme like this for optimisation of benefits and for greater impact. States and local governments are therefore urged to key into such initiative as demonstrated by Katsina State.

    The prospect for this graduate internship is huge. However, there is need for improvement in business environment for the private sectors, who invariably are the greater employers of labour.

    Young graduates are becoming more interested in setting up cooperatives to raise capital and build partnerships, and are thinking more of building their own businesses rather than rely on white collar jobs.

  • ‘Why I left Poland to start a business in Nigeria’

    ‘Why I left Poland to start a business in Nigeria’

    Marek Zmyslowski, managing director of Jovago, a popular online hotel booking site in Africa, believes some of his biggest successes have been a result of taking chances. And leaving his home country Poland to move to Lagos to start an online company is no exception.

    “At that time, my knowledge about Nigeria was the so-called Google knowledge. So, I knew what Boko Haram was and 419,” says MarekZmyslowski.

    “At that time my knowledge about Nigeria was the so-called Google knowledge. So I knew what Boko Haram was and 419,” says MarekZmyslowski.

    It all started when he decided earlier in his career that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Speaking at a recent TEDxIfe event in Nigeria, he admitted his first attempt was a complete flop.

    “Whenever an entrepreneur hopes to start an idea, he thinks about solving his own problems. That’s mainly how it works. So I built a dating website. And in six months I had failed tremendously, in a spectacular way.”

    However, despite the failure, he realised he still wanted to be an entrepreneur in the online space. And although he was broke, he decided not to give up and started searching for investors for his next big idea.

    “I remember it clearly like it was yesterday. I was going to a conference hoping to pitch my idea and didn’t have money for my train ticket. I was actually sitting in the toilet of the train, because I was hiding from the guy who was checking to see if you have your ticket or not,” he highlighted during his speech.

    Fortunately, his pitch caught the attention of a venture capitalist, and within two years they successfully managed to build and exit two online businesses.

     

    From Warsaw to Lagos

    But Zmyslowski had his eye on the US, admitting he had been drawn in by the depiction of the American dream in Hollywood films and MTV videos. However, before he made the move he was approached by the founders of Africa Internet Group’s online shopping site Jumia, who told him what they were doing in Africa. He was invited to Nigeria to set up an online travel website.

    Zmyslowski admitted he knew very little about Nigeria prior to this. “At that time my knowledge about Nigeria was the so-called Google knowledge. So I knew what Boko Haram was and 419.”

    He managed to find a Nigerian restaurant in Warsaw, run by a Nigerian, who told him a bit more about the country. The result: he decided to take the plunge.

    “After a couple of weeks, I landed in Lagos, not knowing anything about building businesses in Nigeria but having one goal: I want to build the biggest online travel agency in Africa in the next few years. And it took me some time and some pain to understand what it really means to build businesses here.”

     

    For example, he learnt the hard way that being told “I’m coming now” could mean waiting five hours for someone to show up for a meeting. He also struggled getting hotel owners to trust his online marketplace in a country where people are wary of online scams.

    Yet, today Jovago.com is a popular online hotel booking platform, with over 15,000 hotels listed across the continent and more than 200,000 worldwide. The company now has offices in Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and Pakistan.

     

    A greater opportunity

    Zmyslowski, who now calls Nigeria home, said opportunities on the continent are far-greater than elsewhere, especially when it comes to inspiring change.

    “And what I really believe is that this is the time for young Africans and other people to do something in Africa. Not only can you make money building businesses, but you actually have the ability to change your community, society and environment in a much bigger way than in Europe right now.”

    One of the biggest challenges in Nigeria, and across the continent, is unemployment. To solve this problem, Zmyslowski believes professionals should be encouraged to become entrepreneurs. “You cannot just be a lawyer, you have to be an entrepreneur lawyer that is going to build a law firm and hire people. You cannot just be an architect; you have to be an entrepreneur architect… and so on.”

     

    The greater the risk, the greater the possible reward

    According to Zmyslowski, taking risks, even when they lead to failure, is essential on the path to entrepreneurial success.

    “Whenever you want to change something and solve a problem, you are going to have to take risks. You are going to have to go out of your comfort zone.”

    However, he said the most important thing is entrepreneurs must learn to trust themselves. And he emphasised there is a difference between trusting in yourself and believing in yourself.

    “When I came to Nigeria I trusted in myself because trust comes from experience and I have failed many times. But I always know how to get up. Believing in yourself means you are just young and optimistic. Trust comes with time,” he continued.

    “When a bird lands on a tree and sits on a branch, he is not scared that the branch is going to break. Not because he trusts the tree but because he trusts his wings. So solve the problems by taking risks and if your branch is going to break use your wings to fly and search for another branch that hopefully will be stronger this time.

    “So, I encourage you to move on, and let’s break some branches together.”

    • Source: howwemadeithappeninafrica.com