The second half of 2019 is here. The Victorious Praying Women Ministry (VPWM) has held a business summit in Lagos where participants were given successful business tips and enlightened on the power of mentorship. The Premium Business Luncheon presented an opportunity for participants to network and strategise on how to maximise opportunities in the remaining part of the year and beyond, and to grow their businesses. Facilitators from banking, real sector and investment coaches made a case for multiple streams of income and the need for quality customer services, reports COLLINS NWEZE.
Successful businesses are not built overnight. They take painstaking efforts and planning to be established, nurtured, and sustained.
That explains why the Victorious Praying Women Ministry (VPWM) last week, organised business summit in Lagos where facilitators from various segments of the economy coached women entrepreneurs on ways to grow their businesses.
Speaking at the event, which held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Investment Coach, Sola Adesakin, said women need to make the best use of business opportunities in the second half of the year and beyond. She said: “As you go into the second half of the year, getting the right information and knowledge on how to run a successful business, will guide you through the year and beyond.”
According to her, women can make a difference in building successful businesses, adding that achieving exploits in one’s business requires knowledge.
“In your personal finances, you need to know the right things to do. For you to do well in business, you need to have deep knowledge of what you are doing and the opportunities in the sector. Becoming financially successful is not about academic qualification, but knowing the right step to take at each point in time. It is about being financially literate and investing wisely,” she disclosed.
Adesakin added: “You need to have oversight on your business. You can outsource certain areas of the business, but you also need to know the job. Achieving exploits is time-sensitive as there is always need to take timely decisions. If God is putting something in your heart, go ahead and do it. There is no need to delay or sit on your ideas,” she advised.
She said challenges can also push one to achieve success. “In the Bible, David, Joseph exploits were challenges-induced. Some of us want to do exploits, but cannot handle challenges. You need to take risks, as there are no exploits without challenges. You need to move away from your comfort zone. Exploits require action. Women entrepreneurs need to take action to realise their goals. They also need people and build quality friendship to drive and achieve their goals,” she added.
Another speaker, Mrs. Funmi Arowo-ogun, said women need to be active members of the society. She said: “There are three sets of people: people that make things happen, people that observe what is happening and people that did not even know that anything had happened. People that make it in life will always be problem solvers and focused individuals. You also need to be multi-tasked and explore opportunities in multiple streams on income. Always have work-life balance.”
She said women entrepreneurs need to take additional responsibilities, and increase their knowledge levels. She also advised participants not to allow their homes suffer because of the business they are doing.
A public speaker, Olufunke Fajimi, spoke on customer-seller interaction. She said: “ The way you handle your customers determines your success level. You need to ensure that your business relationship with customers is symbiotic. You also need to give your customers value for their money.
“Once your customers are not getting the desired value, they may not continue and the business will suffer. Always go the extra mille for your customers, but not at the expense of the business because the business also needs to stay afloat. More so, never fight your customer and ensure that you target the rich,” she advised.
Another facilitator, Dr. Bukola Adewakun, spoke on the opportunities in the agricultural sector. She said as an entrepreneur, she is into cocoa farming and palm oil production. She said women have so much capacities to be successful and should work hard to realise their life goals. “We have so much in us. There are too much power when pressure is put on the human brain. Put pressure on yourself and you won’t believe the result that you will achieve,” she advised.
Former banker, Mrs. Ope Wemi-Jones, spoke on customer services. She said: “You need to use service to drive growth. You need to be clear about where you started and where you are going as well as find the best route to your destination.”
Convener of the summit Pastor Mayokun Oreofe, said the event was meant to inspire women entrepreneurs to greater heights. She also used the opportunity to open mentorship opportunities for the participants.
The participants were given the opportunity to pick one of the facilitators as their mentor at zero cost. “The conference is for business women, who want to go the extra mile in their businesses. We are committed to ensuring that women achieve their life ambitions and we guide them on that path to success,” she said.
Oreofe said the conference was also a great opportunity for women to succeed in their businesses because in a competitive business environment, one needs determination, knowledge, skills and quality customer services to achieve desired goals, adding that these are issues that were addressed in the summit.
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