Africa Business Classroom (ABC)

Business University for Africans (Since 2007)

Haulage Business in Nigeria (How to Start + 7 Secrets of Success)

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Haulage Business in Nigeria
Image credit; Wikimedia Commons

Haulage business is one of the oldest businesses in Nigeria, suprisingly its also a futuristic business in our country and the whole of Africa. The future of haulage business in Nigeria remains bright, not until we could do the hard work of transporting heavy materials and goods from one place to another all by ourselves without the use of trucks or Haulage vehicles.

What is Haulage Business?

I will rather define Haulage to you as I will assume that you have less or no knowledge about Haulage: Forgive me for that…  So what is Haulage? Haulage is simply the process of transporting goods from one location to another usually by land and involves the use of large vehicles like Tippers, Trailers, Trucks, Or Vans, and other land transportation mediums like Trains. In this tutorial I am going to focus on Haulage with vehicles like Trucks etc. Not Train. Now i will bet that you don’t just understand the word “Haulage” but also, you basically know what Haulage Business is.

How big is the Haulage Market?

Haulage business is connected almost anything touchable and movable from sands, to goods, building materials, farm products, home appliances etc. This means that if you take a look at your surroundings, you will likely realize that 90% of the things around you got to where they are by means of one Haulage service to another.

For instance, the laptop am using to type this tutorial was assembled in China and exported to Nigeria within shipping containers. After arriving the shores of Nigeria every other journey that followed, starting from the seaport, to the warehouse were it’s been kept, to the stores were it was sold was all done by means of haulage services or business.

You can see how useful the haulage business can be. The haulage business is indeed a daily need thereby making its market a really big one much profitable.

The above example of Haulage services works mostly in urban areas. But what about …

Haulage business in the rural areas: does it work?

haulage business in rural areas
Image credit:gettyimages.

The answer is YES it does.

Think about rural farmers: they need haulage services to transport their products to the market. Without haulage business, their farm products will remain in the farm after harvest and that’s terrible for them.

Export products like cocoa, charcoal, palm oil, cassava, dried hibiscus and cashew nuts are all transported by haulage from the their place of production to the seaport where they will finally be exported.

The haulage cycle doesn’t just end within transporting of goods from their production site down to the market or consumers, haulage also take care of transporting old, condemned or damaged items back to the factory for the purpose of recycling. Therefore, haulage business has obviously helped and still helps us all in one way or the other.

3 Reasons: Why you should start Haulage Business.

If you are interested in starting a Haulage Business but still wondering “why Haulage” or you are still not too sure about starting, then consider the three reasons  I will be sharing below on why you should start Haulage Business;

  1. There is a need.

There is an ever-growing need for Haulage services in Nigeria. That’s the first truth I want you to have in mind, and the first reason you should begin to think of starting the Haulage business (if you haven’t been thinking about that). This is because the rail transport industry has been crippled by poor maintenance among others. Therefore as a country, the only real option we have for transporting goods is limited to “vehicles” leaving a large gap that needs to be filled. So by starting a Haulage firm you will be meeting a great need in Nigeria.

  1. There is a place for you in the Business.

The second reason you need to know is that “there is a place for you in the market”. In business almost every market in any sector has a place for an incoming player, because it’s easier to join in. No matter the number of players in the game, no matter how big and influential your potential competitors are, there is a place for you in Haulage business. If there are too many people in the business, find a niche and concentrate your strength on it. If they are too much in the cities, concentrate on the villages and small town, there are a lot of ways you can smartly find your place in the business!

Like I said to you earlier “there is a need” and even though you might probably think, “those needs have been met already” but that’s not always the case. There is always an unsatisfied need somewhere that YOU can satisfy if you start the business, do not think the current guys in the business are really meeting all those needs. There is a place for you if you can learn how things are done, and how to fly without perching.

Do not be afraid of starting!

  1. You can make good money.

More to meeting a great need out there and having a place in the market, with haulage business you can make good money, a serious passive income at that. Averagely, most Haulage businesses go home with #150,000 – #300,000 per haulage journey (it can be more and can be less; this depends on the location, distance to be covered, nature and size of goods).  However I must tell you that making money in Haulage or any other kind of business, making money is to a large extent dependent on your persistence and patience, knowledge on business and good strategy etc.

You cannot start making money from day-one; every good thing has a price, be ready to pay that price. Things might get ugly at first or along the line but if you persist and say no to giving up, then fortune will smile at you eventually. There is a lot of money to be made in this business which I believe you would like to be part of the-making of it.

Can anyone start haulage business?

If I should answer this question, then I will say “Yes” and “No”, which is same as saying “It depends”. If you have the right knowledge then YES otherwise NO.

One thing you must know.

You want to start the business of Haulage? That’s nice and I sincerely salute your interest in starting Haulage Business, However there is this one thing I want you to know: Haulage Business is capital intensive. Yes its capital intensive but that but doesn’t mean it is impossible for you to start!

Let me tell you something, the first thing you need is not money, it’s idea. That might sound crazy but it’s the truth, though in every business you will need money but it’s not always the first thing you need!

The next thing crucial thing to know is: Haulage Business is risky! this is not to scare you. This is because every business involves risk too, Haulage has its own risk and other businesses have theirs too. A good knowledge on Haulage, marketing, accounting or good use of numbers and business generally can help you minimize risk. If you are afraid of risk then you can hardly make it big in any business. However, a good knowledge is required in order to take smart risks.

What then do I need to do?

I will answer you in the next section;

7 Secrets To Starting Haulage Business In Nigeria.

Secret #1: Idea.

First you need an idea: like I said above, idea is the first and most important thing you need. What is your business idea? Are you just going into Haulage business like your competitor or you are going in with a difference? How much do you know about your market and how do you plan to win it? What are you improving in the market?

Except your answers to the above questions are positive, you need to re-think. Business goes far beyond selling of products and services; it’s a war which you don’t want to lose. Have a business idea!

Secret #2: Knowledge.

Secondly you need knowledge. You need to learn about Haulage (just like you are already doing that by reading this tutorial), read good business books, get mentors, learn from the top players of the game and you will find things a bit easier. You need knowledge and of course the right knowledge. If you don’t know how to start and run a business, learn how to start a business. If you don’t know how to raise capital, learn how to raise capital or how to find investors for your business. Just seek knowledge and you will find it.

Secret #3: Business Plan.

The next thing you need is a Business Plan!

This is a stage that involves creating plans and setting goals for your Haulage business. How do you want to execute your business ideas? What do you intend achieve in the next one year? How do you plan to achieve it? Etc. Here you need to put pen to paper and derive some smart and clear business plans and your business- war strategies.

Secret #4: Capital.

And then you need capital, very important too. Without capital, executing your plans will just be nightmares. In most cases you will need at least a million naira to start a one-truck haulage business. If you have the idea, and have gotten the knowledge about what you are going into (Haulage Business in this case), then capital will come to you with ease even if you have ZERO naira or dollars right now!

If you are still stocked about finding capital then you may want to take a look at this wonderful book titled “How to get capital to finance your business.”

Secret #5: Register your Business.

To avoid being penalized legally by the government, to ensure and improve trust from your would-be customers, you need to register your business. It’s important to register your business especially with the corporate affairs commission (CAC) as well as identifying your business with associations that matters. We have a tutorial written here on how to register your company or business in Nigeria.

Secret #6: Find a good driver.

When you are done with all the above procedures, you may then want to find a qualified and good driver which is very important too. You wouldn’t want to give your truck a drunkard who could fall off the bridge with your customer’s goods and cause your business to shut down.

You need to find a good driver who you can trust, who can maintain your truck and would cheat you. Even though most drivers would want to dupe you in order to earn more money than they deserve, but a smart administration can save you from that.

Secret #7: Take off.

Everything is now set and it’s time for you to get to work. Time waits for no one “the time is always right to do what is right” Martin Luther King. You now know everything you need to know in order to start your Haulage Business, which means you can start your business smartly, not in the same way a business dummy will start his or hers.

 

I wish you Good Luck. Much Love.

73 Business Ideas in Nigeria; Secrets of Making Millions (+PDF)

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Business ideas in Nigeria
Image credit; Pixabay


To so many Nigerians, Nigeria is a bad place, a dry place, a country without opportunity for wealth.

In fact, most Nigerians don’t believe they could discover profitable business ideas in Nigeria

This tutorial will teach you what you probably never knew before about discovering business ideas in Nigeria.

My objective is to share with you my years of experience in the business world, so as to help you start your own business in Nigeria

As you probably know, I started my first business before I was age 15.

I have started, make mistakes, failed and succeeded in business world, I think, more than most Nigerians, so I have so much to teach you about business in Nigeria.

This tutorial will cover both the small business ideas and large scale businesses.

Take your time as I reveal some hidden secrets about business in Nigeria to you;

Let’s get started with this;

3 Popular Lies about Business Ideas in Nigeria

Few days ago I visited google and searched for this phrase, “business ideas”.

I read some of those websites on the search results and felt like, this is misleading!

Why?

Because those websites are merely trying to list what they call ‘’profitable business ideas in Nigeria’’ you can start.

They are simply listing the products you can sell or the services you could render to make money.

This approach (of listing certain products/services you can start selling) is not business-wise, so I call it dumb.

Because of this, I will love to start this tutorial by listing what business ideas are not

1. Business ideas in Nigeria (or anywhere) are not new inventions

Invention for business ideas
Image credit; Wikimedia Commons

So many people, whenever they think about discovering a business opportunity, usually think, how can I get new business ideas in Nigeria?

They wish they could discover a hot, new business or invent one.

Well, they are wrong.

Business success in Nigeria or anywhere in the world do not have anything to do with inventing something totally new.

In fact, if you`re to invent a new product your possibility of making good money in business world is lean.

Let me explain.

You may need 3 years to sleep in the laboratory and on the road before you will successfully invent a new product.

You may need #10 million to educate your market about a new product

You may need 7 years to convince your market that your (new) product is good for them.

If you think I am exaggerating this issue, let me remind you about a man who invented sliced bread machine.

In the year 1912, Otto Rohwedder invented a simple machine that could slice bread.

He tried all he could but he couldn`t make a profit from his invention. Why? Because it was totally new … nobody was willing to try the invention.

Not until 20 years after when a new brand called ‘’Wonder’’ (not who invented the machine) started a new sliced bread machine, then the product made profit, huge profit I think.

Did you observe something in this story?

The original inventor was not the one who eventually make huge money from sliced bread, so really, you don’t have to be busy looking for what to invent, as a source of business idea in Nigeria.

One more story to prove my point;

The Microwave oven.

The inventors of Microwave oven invented it, wasted time and money on it … but never made profit from it. Why? People are usually skeptical about new things.

Now I have convinced you that innovative business opportunities have nothing to do with new product or invention.

When you are looking for business to start in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, you are not looking for a completely new product to invent.

Inventions are met for inventors. You are an entrepreneur, not inventor.

Your work is not to invent, but to sell inventions (yes, entrepreneurs are smart nigas who wait till inventors invent, then, compete with them on what they have invented. Call them thieves and you`ll be wrong. Call them smart, and you`ll be right)

Starting a business or discovering business opportunities is not about inventing something new.

Here is the second lie you don’t have to believe about business ideas;

2. Business ideas are not about what you sell

I am speaking from my years of business experience. Lucrative business opportunities doesn’t have anything to do with what you sell, but how you sell.

Let me explain with this quote,

“Any fool can make soap. It takes a clever man to sell it“ Thomas J. Barrett

Well, when it comes to business, the above quotation is perfectly perfect.

Anybody can make soap, and millions of people are making it. But only smart people can sell soap … and sell it profitably.

Any average Joe with little brain can make bread, nothing is big in the bread making process. How to turn bread making to a profitable business?

Only a smart John can do that.

I’m sure you’re getting what I’m teaching here.

If I want to do like other people out there, I’ll simply start this tutorial by listing out 20 profitable businesses you can start in Nigeria.

It would simply write something like;

List of Business Opportunities in Nigeria

My list may look like:

  • Football Showing Center
  • Bread Making
  • Soap Making
  • Poultry Farm
  • Snacks Making
  • Bead Making
  • Catering Services
  • Computer Repair Service
  • Private School Business  Etc.

Trust me, I can list 50 of those businesses you can start. But I know better. I understand that any foolish man can make soap, but it takes a smart man to sell soap.

I understand that business success has little to do with what you are selling… and everything to do with how you are selling it.

Before you decide any business to invest in, you have to understand these business truths I’m sharing with you.

Business is NOT about what you’re selling. It’s all about HOW you sell what you’re selling.

When you think about successful businesses, you’ll understand that it’s not actually about what they are selling, but how they are selling.

Mr. Big’s isn’t cooking the best meals or snacks in Nigeria, yet, Mr. Big’s has one of the most successful fast food restaurants in Nigeria.

Close Up is not the only toothpaste in Nigeria, non can you prove that it’s the best, but it sells far more than others.

What’s happening here?

It’s not about what you’re selling. It’s about how you sell what you’re selling.

Let’s continue please!

3. Business Ideas Are Not Profitable … themselves

So many people are searching for profitable business opportunities in Nigeria.

Well, let me tell you what most people don’t know.

Successful businesses are not successful by nature, they are MADE successful by certain people.

Let me show you these examples.

Facebook is a huge success. It now worth over $200 billion as at the time of writing this tutorial (November, 2014).

Should we then conclude that social network site is an innovative business idea?

Hell, no.

There are over 500 social network sites in the world (and probably someone is designing another one as you are reading this tutorial).

But, you get it … 99.9% of them are simply failures. Come on! Any foolish man can start a social network site. Only a smart man can make it successful and profitable.

Do you tell me that Cement is a great business to do because that’s what made Dangote rich?

You just go and research how many people have tried and failed in their attempt to make cement.

Do you believe that soft drink business is the best business idea because Coca Cola is selling over 1.7 billion bottles every day?

Many people think so and have failed … terribly.

I’m sure I’ve convinced you that business ideas are not about what you sell. It’s about how you sell it, when you sell it, where you sell it and who are you to sell it.

But how can you actually discover a business opportunity and make money in Nigeria?

Let`s go in to that!

How to Really Make Money From Business in Nigeria

  • Concentrate on how to sell what you sell

As said earlier, it doesn’t really matter what you’re selling or producing in Nigeria, it’s all about how you sell whatever you’re selling.

We here at the Africa Business Classroom started a facebook page in the year 2012.

By then, there were already tens of thousands of facebook pages in Africa (our target market).

These guys have been to some seminars on how to make money online or they have bought ebooks on how to make money on facebook.

They simple went ahead and try to make that money. But they were making near nothing.

Why?

Because any foolish guy can start any business in Nigeria, only a smart guy can make business successful.

We got to facebook and made some money while thousands of people who have been there long before us, who had multiply by ten of our fans, who worked harder than us … made near nothing.

How did we do it?

I explained in 13 Secrets School Did Not Teach You about How to Be Rich (click here to get it for free), but here let me tell you something.

Your business skills is what will make your business successful.

What are your business strategies?

What do you know about marketing?

What do you know about your competitors and how are you planning to kill them (Just losing my head here. Lol) etc, are what you can call business ideas.

These are the real things that make a business successful in Nigeria … not what you’re producing or selling.

Business is not about producing things or selling it … just anybody can do that … and millions of people are doing just that … without any success.

Business is not about what you are selling, but about how you sell it, how you cope and win the war in the market place.

If anybody tells you that selling crude oil is a great business to start in Nigeria, the person is dumb.

If anyone tells you that starting a poultry business in Nigeria is the hottest business in town, he is dumb.

If anyone tells you that starting a bakery is a profitable business idea in Nigeria, such person doesn`t understand.

In the battle field, strategy is far important than weapons.

War is 80% of tactics and 20% of weapons, do you argue with this?

Go and ask soldiers. Generals know that their major work is in working tactics, not in weapons.

Take for instance, if Nigeria and South Africa need to fight in a war (God forbid), who will win? The army with gun?

No. no. no.

Both countries can afford the most sophisticated guns and bombs … the army that wins Is the one with the superior tactics (I say tactics)

So it is in business.

If I tell you to go and start a xyz business because it is profitable in Nigeria, you can be sure that more than 50 people are already selling that xyz in your town.

If I advise you that the best business to start in the year 2017 is NYR, you can be sure that your friend is among those who are already selling the exact product/services.

Just as any country can afford to buy most sophisticated weapons to fight, any foolish man can start any business.

To make profit with your business in Nigeria, the name of the business ideas you need is called, ‘’business tactics’’.

What is this business tactics? Just as I said in how to start a business, it`s about killing your competitors.

How?

Let me show you by asking you some great questions:

What product can you produce better or cheaper than people who are producing it now?

What service can you render faster or easier than people rendering it now?

What talent do you have which you can easily sharpen and commercialize?

What is that product that made you angry the last time you bought it because it is substandard?

If it did made you angry, it probably made one thousand other people angrier.

How can you produce a better version of that product?

When last did you pay for a service and hissed because you were badly served? How can you render a superior service in this areas?

What products/services do you see people complaining about or in need of?

Go ahead and fill that gap!

Making money with any business idea is nothing but looking for ways to do it better, faster or cheaper.

Discovering profitable business opportunities is about filling a gap … nothing more.

Believe me, if you will think, and think very well, you will discover some brilliant business opportunities you`re looking for.

Why is this approach better than telling you what and what are the profitable business ideas in Nigeria now?

Because, take for instance, if I tell you that starting a private school business is a very hot business and you`re someone like me (who is not patient and who hates teaching), there is no way you can succeed or make money.

But if you start a business because you can produce a product better, you can render a service better or by turning your talent to a business, wow, a great business success!

A great business success because you are likely to love that business and who doesn`t know that you are fifty times more likely to succeed when you are doing what you love doing, than if otherwise?

Come on friend! Business is different from job.

You can be working a job you hate (though you won`t enjoy your life, you will be receiving salary). If you start a business hate because someone said it is profitable, you will hate yourself and make no money.

Now I want to address when of our equation.

  •  Business ideas in Nigeria, most at times is about when you want to go in

73 Business Ideas in Nigeria the time to go in
Image credit; Pixabay

Let me assume that someone comes to your home this morning and said, “hey, I’ve discovered a powerful business model. It is called GNLD. A lot of people have made millions of naira through it. Join this network marketing business and you too will make millions”

Is this man right?

Yes and no.

Yes because so many people, truly, have made millions of naira from GNLD.

However, he’s very wrong because of WHEN.

Let me explain.

Some business opportunities are like rain. Rain is seasonal.

Though GNLD had made many people very rich, as a matter of fact, every network marketing business grows, declines and dies. So you have to understand when part of this game call business.

Café business was very much profitable.

I remember in around 2003/4. I would go to café simply because I wanted to read about Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Bill Gates etc.

I would spend my money only to read about the world business leaders and who was then the richest men.

So many people like me had to go to café because of such things as I stated above.

Now, will you go to café because you want to read what someone wrote on the internet?

Are you right now in a café? Not likely.

You are reading this tutorial either through your phone or PC. Now think about it. If someone now tells you, “See, I made one million naira from café business in the year 2002. Go and start a café business now, you too will make millions”.

I can see you laughing. It shows you are now getting what I am saying.

TIMING is part of business languages so for any business idea to make you rich in Nigeria, you have to understand its timing.

This business that someone says is producing millions, what stage of growth is it?

Just like human beings, business opportunities and sectors start, grow and decline ,then (sorry) die.

Take time to understand the stage of growth your intending sector is and play your game accordingly, if at birth, rush in with all your strengths.

If at growing stage, be quick and get in before the cake will be finished.

If at declining stage, you may have to specialize or relocate somewhere else where you can win easily.

I will explain.

You discover people who are having furniture businesses in your city are not making good or modern furniture. Since you have learned furniture making from your father and you`re current about modern furniture, here is an opportunity to take the stage.

Rush in and kill everyone

Secondly, they are making some good furniture and making it well, but you have better business skills, you know much about marketing and you are having information about where you can get cheap and good wood.

Go in. Fight and win.

The third instance is where you look around and see 15 giant companies already making furniture and competing hard. What will you do?

Two options. First, specialize. Market yourself as an expert chair maker and make chair alone. Your market, though sees 15 giant furniture makers, will see you as an expert in chair making so rush to you for their chairs.

If you don`t want to do this, change your business location to where you can dominate.

I explained all these business ideas and tactics in detail in our 9-day business training,

  •  Where can you make this business venture successful?

Most people don’t know that business opportunities have something to do with when and where.

Let me explain.

Permit me to use the analogy I’ve earlier used, rain. I said rain is seasonal. Here I want to say rain is vary in period, depending on locations.

It rains most in Nigeria around May – October, but not in Egypt. It rains in Egypt between Septembers – February.

Do you know? A business that cannot succeed in Lagos (West Nigeria) can make millions in Kano (North Nigeria).

Why? The market for that products or service might have been saturated in Lagos and nobody is actually doing the same business in Kano.

I was once managing a game business. It was called Snocker (I don’t really know maybe that was its name or someone nick named it).

This game has been in existence for years in some countries of the world.

But when it got to Nigeria and Nigerians fell in love with it, I was running a Snocker game business owned by my brother. We were making money (I then stole some money too, before I became a born again).

What I’m trying to teach here is, the countries where this game came from, it might not be profitable anymore, yet, the business became profitable when it got to a new territory.

I’m sure you understand this.

Are all these the same with the small scale business ideas? Yes and yes

Now to who side of the business game.

  •     Who Are You?

About 6 years ago I was reading a book called, what the rich people know and desperately want to keep secrets, by Brain Sher.

When Sher is listing four pillars that will make your business a mighty success, the most important of these four is you … what you know.

See business idea as you see a ball in the legs of two different footballers around box 18 (or what do they call it, because I don`t know anything about football?) when the match is very competitive.

As you know, one man may do wonder with that ball by scoring a goal with it … while another man may just waste that ball.

You have seen that many times.

This happens because, though both men are football players, who they are and what they know is different.

Who are you?

Now that you’re planning to start your own business, what do you know about business?

What do you know about marketing, about negotiation, about human relationship, about business positioning and competition?

If you know nothing or little, you cannot make the best business opportunities in Nigeria successful. Believe me, I understand what I am saying.

No business idea will make you rich in Nigeria, except you know how to play the businesss game.

Most men and women in Africa are dumb. The last thing they do is to upgrade their minds.

We have a great problem in this continent and it`s breaking my heart.

Our youths don`t value business knowledge.

Our older citizen are not better either. They even add to our problems when they advise the young ones to be serious with school.

Does school teach us anything worthwhile? Isn`t the school the source of our poverty and unemployment? Do you get better or smarter with formal, dogmatic and old theories of job and  life you learned at school?

No.

You have to build yourself up. Business is not buying and selling.

Business is a profession, the most honourable profession in the world … so the toughest one.

Who you are and what you know is what matters in business, not any decorated paper call certificate.

(If you don`t know that I hate school and I certificate, then, I suspect you`re new at the ABC. So read, the reasons why I hate school   and

the reasons why I hate certificate).

My noise to my fellow Africans is, we must upgrade ourselves!

They said if you want to hide anything from an African, just hide it inside a book because he will not read it.

That must change now!

Naturally if you come to my office and tell me you want to start a business and I ask you, how many books have read about selling, marketing, leadership, human relationship, negotiation, cash flow management etc and you say none, I will tell you, “Guy, go and get a job or go and read good books about business”

But why do I claim that you cannot get an authomatic success, even with the best business ideas in Nigeria, without adequate business skills?

Because;

Running a business is a battle; if you cannot kill, you cannot win

The truth is, business opportunities are like natural resources in Nigeria … it is everywhere.

Maybe you do not know, I will tell you. The natural resources in Africa alone is too much that it is enough for the whole world to rely on. Go and search google for “natural resources in Africa“ and you will ask, why then is Africa poor?

Profitable small, medium and large scale business opportunities are everywhere.

If I start listing them (just as I did at the beginning of this tutorial), you will simply tell me, “Steve, I know all these businesses, my real problem is that many people are already doing these businesses.

How can I win the market, please? “

Now you see, the real question is not about knowing the business to do, it`s about knowing how to do it to make it successful and profitable.

That is what I have being discussing with you since.

To summarize all this, don`t forget, business world is a battle field where thousands of people are fighting for the same consumers.

If anybody tells you that selling rice, beans or yam will make you rich, help me to tell such person that he is a liar.

If anyone tells you that producing bread or soap will make you rich, this is what I have to tell you, producing even phones, computer or even cars will never make you rich.

There many phone manufacturers and car manufacturers who have failed and get off from the market. Didn’t you know about Nokia, a multi-billions dollars company that went almost bancrupt before Microsoft bought it?

This should tell you something about your ntending business venture!

My Last Words;

There’s no magical business ideeas in Nigeria that can make you millions.

It’s not really about the business you want to start, instead, it’s about how you do your business.

What determines how you do your business is your business knowledge, skills and team.

Build up your business skills. Read many good business books, articles and websites.

After you’ve equiped yourself with the appropriate business skills, then you can think of a business to start.

The following are some of the quick business ideas in Nigeria;

(You can click on any of them that we have written about before to learn more)

  1. Poultry farming business
  2. Cassava planting and processing business
  3. Transportation business
  4. Importing and selling used clothes
  5. Cattle farming business
  6. Producing and selling furnitures
  7. Exportation business
  8. Beverage producction and marketing
  9. Goat farming business
  10. Bottle water business
  11. Fish farming business
  12. Haulage services
  13. Snail farming business
  14. Hotel business
  15. Plantain farming business
  16. Fast food restaurant
  17. Pig farming business
  18. Importing and selling electronics
  19. Rice farming business
  20. Private primary and secondary school
  21. Real estate investment
  22. Frozen food sales
  23. Online business
  24. Turkey farming business
  25. Used car sales
  26. Importation business
  27. Bulk SMS Services company
  28. Waste management services
  29. Animal feed production and sales
  30. Software and game development
  31. Website programming and designing company
  32. Sport viewing center
  33. Travel agency company
  34. Ice cream production
  35. Biscuit production and marketing
  36. Palm oil  plantation, production and marketing
  37. Fashion designing company
  38. Solar and invatar company
  39. Security training company
  40. Hair stylist company
  41. Online store business (like the likes of Jumia and Konga)
  42. Wine production company
  43. Party management business
  44. Laundry services
  45. Video and photography company
  46. Pharmaceutical company
  47. Trustworthy network marketing
  48. Electrical supply and services company
  49. Automobile rapairs and fleet management services
  50. Car hiring company
  51. Catering services company
  52. Computer training/ICT center service company
  53. Party rental services
  54. Mobile phones repair company
  55. Mobile phone/laptop selling company
  56. Mobile toilet company
  57. Blogging (if you know how to write)
  58. Information marketing (if you have valuable information Nigerians could pay for)
  59. Freelance writing for website owners and news sites
  60. Scool uniform making company
  61. Modern bread making and marketing company
  62. Day care services company
  63. Pet breeding company
  64. Modern block industry company
  65. Branding consultancy company (if you know a lot about branding)
  66. Management consultancy company (if you know a lot about business management)
  67. Affliate marketing business (selling other people’s products online)
  68. SEO consultancy company (like my friend at VTN Company)
  69. House paintaing company
  70. Tie making company
  71. Cooking gass supplying company
  72. Soap manufacturing (like Unilever)
  73. Just add anything here

By that I mean, any business could make you rich and no business can guarantee your business success, if you don’t know how to start, run and make business successful

Here at the ABC, our goal is to teach you how to make a business successful.

If you take time to learn from tons of things we have for you here, you will soon discover that you can sell water or air, or just anything and make money.

Lear from our wealth of experience.

Click here to get any of our great business books

or

Join our on-going 9-Day business training HERE

We Love You!

This Recession Time is the Best Time to Be Rich Because….

by

EConomy recessionThe day was Thursday, 24th of July, 2008.

I closed my eyes to the world of job (both good and bad ones) and went fully into the business world.

Everybody around me thought I was crazy (and yes, I was)

It wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t easy.

But now, I can connect the dot looking back (that’s the words of Steve Job)

But what made it possible for me to forge my way into business world against every odd?

Well, because I was having almost nothing.

As simple as that?

Maybe not. But listen to me.

The right time to try is when you have nothing to loose

The right time to fight a battle is when you have nothing much to loose.

As humans, our greatest problem is fear.

We’re afraid of trying new things, “What would happen to me?” “What if I lost all I have?” “What if I failed?”

Above every other enemy of success and progress, fear is the most harmful. However, at a time when we find ourselves in dangerous zone, we could easily garther courage to fight hard.

What happens to you when you see someone pursuing you with cultlass? What happens when you see fire burning in your home and your children inside?

What happens when you perceive danger around you and have to jump from a story building?

Those are tough times and (surprisingly) you’re likely to be brave in such situations. You’re likely to do impossible.

The reason is because you are likely to be desperate at the tough time than at the easy period.

He who is on the ground cannot fall, so why not trying?

You could direct your desperation at this time to better your financial life.

The day I went fully into the business world, I had only about #8,500 with me (which was not even my money).

I was offered to work at a bank, my elder brother asked me to bring my CV, everybody around me thought I was brilliant and would get good job, but I told myself, “Even CBN cannot employ me”

That’s Pride, but it pays to be proud.

Having not much to loose gave me courage to fight hard.

Here we are at the middle (or beginning?) of recession. So many people have lost their jobs, so many others earn money that has been crushed by the inflation.

Everybody seems to be crying.

But I tell you, in the next few years, you’ll be hearing great stories of some people whose life have changed as a result of this recession.

Soon, you’ll be reading in the news how someone who lost his job in recession has ruggedly started a great business.

Soon, you’ll hear about people who become frustrated as a result of the recession and then decided to do something drastic about their financial life.

Soon, you’ll see that tough time never last, but tough people do.

But what if you’re not tough at this critical time? What if you’re weak?

I pity you!

Now is a financially tough time for most people in Africa and unfortunately, it would crush so many thousands.

So many people would be crushed by this recession, but for some, it will end up being a blessing in disgguess.

If you want this tough economic period to be a blessing, what would you do?

The Bible says in the book of Prov. 24; 10 “If you’re weak in the day of adversity, you’re weak indeed”.

This is the day of adversity. This is a tough period, financially.

If you’re weak now, you’re weak, indeed.

This reminds me of a woman who called me last two months and later told me something like, “You inspired me to start a small Agric Business in the year 2014 and now I am expanding and it’s now a good success”.

Listen to me.

I am NOT advising you to go and start an Agric Business (though it’s the next oil).

But I am challenging you.

Be strong!

Stop Complaining!

Get Busy!

Get your hands dirty!

Start something!

And as you’re starting something, seek knowledge, business knowledge, technical knowledge of whatever business you’re going into.

If you have heard it before that “knowledge is power”, come and ask me and I will tell you my stories.

In my life, I have experienced the great power of knowledge.

That story is for another day.

Bad economy could be a very bad time for most people, but it’s going to end up being a blessing for some, those who decide to be strong and fight hard.

You have a choice to make.

Complaining and accusing government is very easy and you could continue doing that.

Standing up and doing something with your life is hard and only few people would ever take this dogged road.

But I wish you’re one of those few people.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Here at the ABC, our joy is to help you, and that’s why we have various business programs that could raise you from where you are to where you hope to be.

From the past 9 years when we started this journey, testimonies of people who come in contact with us seems to be our greatest joy.

I remember a man by the name Mr. Okwuchukwu Achochi saying, “I have started two businesses after I read your business books”

WOW!

That (to me) is success.

You have no excuse!

We’re now giving you one of our most popular business books (13 Secrets School Did Not Teach You about How to Be Rich) for free.

Download it now HERE

If you’re actually serious about starting your own business, do any of these three things;

Visit our bookstore and pick two or three books >>>> Click Here

Join our Agric Business “Do-it-for-me” program and let our experienced farmers help you to set-up and guard you to succeed in your poultry, piggery or fish farming business >>>> Click Here

Or if you have any questions or think you need me to know about your unique situation and be of help in any way, call 08100446044 +2348100446044

I love you!

Steve OlorunNi
The ABC CEO

How to Start a Business: A Step By Step Guide for Nigerians

by

how to start a business in nigeria

This is a comprehensive guide that will help answer your question about how to start a business in Nigeria from scratch (or anywhere in Africa)

I will not just tell you how because I know you need more than that.

I will also tell you some deep truths (or you call them secrets) about starting a business, growing a business and making a business successful.

This tutorial is a little long because I will love to reveal a lot of things to you about how to start your own business.

Can we start please?

What is a business?

Dear friend, forgive me for asking you a silly question (as above).

My experience over the years has shown me that most people in Africa really don`t know what business is all about.

Many people think that business is ‘’buying and selling of goods or services’’.

No.

Business is not buying and selling.

Oxford Dictionary too is wrong when it defines business as ‘’commercial activity’’.

Business is not just a commercial activity.

Now that you`re thinking about how to start a successful business, I will love to tell you what (truly) business is.

In my own experience, business is putting together of all the available resources (humans and materials) in order to win the battle in the market place.

Hey, don`t struggle to remember the above definition.

The most important phrase I want you to remember is, win the battle in the market place.

Why do I disagree with people who think that starting a business is as simple as buying and selling?

Why do I disagree with the almighty Oxford Dictionary that defines business as commercial activity?

Because if business was a merely buying and selling, everybody would have become a millionaire. If business is a mere commercial activity, then, most people who started business would have succeeded.

Unfortunately, over 90% of the start-up businesses never succeeded.

Why?

Because business is not just a buying and selling of goods and services.

Business is a battle, a struggle between many soldiers (competitors) and a war.

business competitionI have no intention to scare you my fellow African. In fact, I am here to help you… that`s why I dare to tell you the truth.

But why do people find this simple truth very hard to believe?

Because most people are product of school.

School is dumb, and so do her products.

It is easier to believe what your Commerce teacher taught you 15 years ago than to search for reality, you know.

(If you love to know how dumb school is, please, read our free book, 10 secrets university cannot teach you about business and how to make money)

Another question people ask is,

How can I start a business in Nigeria with little capital?

Or in South Africa, in Ghana or anywhere in Africa.

I will answer your question.

First, I will love to tell you that how to start a business is (except in few cases) not very different from one geographical location or country to another.

Starting a business has an already tested and universal principles … just as the law of gravity is a tested and proven law.

The only exception you may find is, for example an ice cream business that is very much lucrative in the Northern African countries may be less lucrative in the South. Why? There is hotter weather in the North.

Another exception may be that starting a particular new business in Nigeria may not require any official registration, while such same business requires a strict compliance and regulation in South Africa.

Do some people assume that how to start-up a business is different in Nigeria than in England in terms of challenges?

Wherever you`re thinking about how to start a small business in Nigeria, Togo or in Geriani (if there be any country with that name), you`re going to face similar odd situations, only at a different rate.

Do you think it`s easy to start a business in America? You can think again.

I am sure you`re getting my point here.

After you have understood that, let us proceed as I will give you some other tips.

How to start a business in Nigeria that is profitable?

Since (I guess) profit and money is the reason why you desire to start a business, may I ask you, how do you think successful entrepreneurs make money in business?

They do so by

  • By giving value to people.
  • By improving people`s life.
  • By making the world a better place.

Unfortunately, we are living in a continent (Africa) where the rich are seen as liars, thieves and fraudsters.

But the truth about making money is that, people who make a lot of money in business, first (I mean first) give values to people.

Now if your intention is to make money in business (which I am sure it is), then, we have to start by identifying a value you can render for people to give you their hard-earned cash.

Money is very hard to get and people don`t just waste it on any product or service … except such a product/service adds value to their lives.

Think about any successful business owner today and you will discover that they become successful and wealthy … simply because they render services (or create products) that is valuable to the humanity.

Let me give you an example.

Facebook started by giving people a chance to connect with their friends and family, to meet new friends and to share their thoughts and views with the world.

That is a value.

Because this service is so valuable, millions (and now over one billions) of people embrace facebook joyfully.

Since there are so many people active on facebook at any giving time, the owners (Zukerberg and others) could sell adverts to people and become billionaires.

Your phone gives you a chance to make calls, send SMS and surf the net.

That is a value.

You cannot possibly use the money you used to buy your computer to do the work your computer is doing for you.

I mean, you cannot (for example) put #70,000 on a table and start typing words through it as I am using this my laptop.

That`s how my computer gives me value.

Money is nothing but what we get after giving something out. What do we give out to get money?

Value.

Someone may ask me, Stephen, but you`re telling me here about the giant businesses (facebook, computer and phone examples I made), but I am only thinking of how to start a small scale business from home?

Well, the rule remains the same.

Whether your goal is to start a small business or a large scale business, your primary goal is to answer, what value can I render to better humanity?

Business is just like rearing chicken.

When you rear chicken, you`ll feed her, shelter her and take care of her, first, before she will give you eggs.

rearing chickens

Beginning your own business starts from identifying how you can add value to people`s life… feeding chickens.

If you feed your chicken, she will give you the eggs (money) you need

What do you bring to the table?

What are you bringing to the table?

Your chickens will give you eggs, don`t worry.

You will make a lot of money, worry not.

But we have to first identify how you will feed your chickens.

Here I am asking you, what is your business idea? What do you want to sell and how do you want to go about selling it?

This is the next step.

To help you on out, we have a comprehensive tutorial. Click … how to discover business opportunities and ideas

(If you wonder, which business can I start? or what does it take to start a business? the above tutorial will help you)

  • I have revealed to you the true meaning of business… it`s a battle between many soldiers (competitors).
  • I have told you how we make money in business… by making people`s life better with our products or services
  • I have told you that you need a meaningful business idea and I advise you to read the above tutorial about business ideas

After all the above three is understood, the next step is…

5 ‘’people’’ you must understand before you start a lucrative business

There five ‘’people’’ determine whether you`ll make money in your intending business or not.

You have to understand them.

1. Understand your product/service:

I have told you earlier that you`re going into business to fight (that`s just the truth). To win this ‘’battle’’, you must understand your weapon very well.

Your primary weapon is your product/service.

You have work to do!

You have to know, master and perfect the value you are bringing to the market.

Allow me to site some examples.

I am a born writer (this is a lie anyway, though I started writing when I was age 13/14), but when I wanted to turn my writing skill to business, I had to start learning (like mad) how to write like a professional.

I have to start reading as many books as I can find to teach me about how to write and how to let the world know me as a writer.

As at the time of writing this tutorial I think I have more than 50 books in my digital library, teaching me how to write and how to turn my writing to money.

Not just that.

My mentor told me that I have to write every day if I want to be a great writer. Now I write every day (except for few exceptions).

It`s a lot of work, but I have to do it, if I truly want to turn my idea (writing skill) to money.

What is your own business idea?

What is that service or product you want to bring to the market?

You have to work hard on it.

Why do you need to work hard on your business idea? If you don`t, you will be another ‘’me too’’. You know what that mean, I’m sure.

There are lot of ‘’me too’’ people in Africa, so there are lot of ‘’me too’’ products and services.

People simply look at what everybody is selling and start selling it.

What is wrong about this? Nothing, except you are selling your products or services just exact way everybody is selling it. That is why you have to first, understand your product/service you`re about to start selling… as if your life depends on it… because it does.

The reason why you will want to understand your product/service in and out is because you want to do it better than your competitors.

I am glad you understand this.

2. Understand your market.

Who do you want to sell to? How do they behave? How do they buy? When and why do they buy? All these questions have to be answered by you. Understanding your market may be the difference between winning and losing in the game of business.

Think about this.

MTN and glo are both telecom companies, fighting for the same market in Nigeria. But at a time (maybe 2005) MTN, with their understanding of their market, that most phone users in Nigeria are youths (and jobless, you know. Lol), MTN came up with what they call ‘’extra-cool’’.

You can make free call from 12:30 am to 4:30am.

From there, everybody bought MTN line. All of us started making extra cool, you remember?

We fell in love with MTN. If you`re a Nigerian and you don`t have an MTN line, then, (don`t let me talk).

You got my message here.

You have to know people you`re about to sell to, who they are, how they behave, what they believe, how they buy, what they know etc, or else, you won`t know how to make money from your business idea …because you won`t know what hooks them.

3. Understand your enemies.

Enemies? You didn`t read me right. I mean, your intending competitors. I have spent time online today to search for what my competitors are doing and how they are doing it. I did the same yesterday … and always. Why? It`s simple. You`re on the battle field. You need to know their strengths and weaknesses.

Why do you need this? So you`ll know how to play your game.

‘’take them by their weaknesses’’ is a military practice and tactic, so it is in business.

As you`re wondering … how can I start a successful business? the answer is, take them by their weaknesses.

Attack them from their weak points.

Do they have a poor product? Make yours good.

Do they render good service? Yours have to be better.

How do they attend to their customers? A poor customers` service is a weakness which, if you do yours better, can win the market for you.

I know you get my point here. Spend as much time as you can, to know those you`re about to compete with and ‘’take them by their weakness’’

4. Understand yourself, especially your weaknesses and play your game accordingly.

If you`re a general and know that many of your men are having problem with their sights (just for instance), you may not want to attack the enemy at night.

Understanding yourself also will help you to employ your weaknesses.

For instance you`re very poor in record keeping (just like me), since this weakness may kill your business, you may have to employ someone who is meticulous enough to deal with your business records (now or as soon as you can afford to)

5. Understand the law.

Hey, fear not. You won`t need to go to the law school. You just have to understand what your country`s law says about your intending business. Will you need to register your business? Are there some names you must not use (i.e national) in your business` name? Are there some taxes and levies? This is not a big work. Just ask the right people near you and you shall be told.

After I have told you what business (truly) is… a battle for customers.

After I have told you that the way to make money (a lot of it) is to provide value for your clients and customers.

After I have told you the importance of bringing something to the market…. And ask you to read about business ideas

After I have told you about five people you must understand: your products/services, your market, your competitors, your strengths and weaknesses and the simple laws that guilds your intending business,

Then, what is the next thing in the process of starting a small scale business or large scale?

Choose a suitable business name.

If human beings are rational, names will not actually matter (just as certificate would not have mattered), but because human beings, all of us, are weaker than we think, we judge the book by its cover.

Take time to choose your business name. It matters more than you may want to think.

Guess what? Sometimes when I want to measure the strengths and weaknesses of my competitors, their names is one of the first things I look at.

Believe me, if you are doing exactly what we are doing here at the Africa Business Classroom, but your own name is, Bozone, you have more work to do if you want to compete with us.

Choose your name wisely. Read this tutorial about how to choose a good business name.

What next?

Write a simple business plan

Don`t let the noise you`ve being hearing about business plans scare you.

Because most people are not educated about business, I call them ‘’dumb’’. Because they are dumb, they make noise on some simple business stuffs. Here is one of them.

They think that a business plan has to be formal or ‘’well-written’’. Some even say that it is a business plan that determine whether investors will invest in your business.

I disagree with all the above.

Business plan is nothing but a business goals and how to achieve them.

The last time i wrote a business plan, it is all in a sheet of A4 paper, so you see how simple it can be (I will write about business plans very soon, always check our site)

What next?

How to raise capital to start your business?

After you have done all the above, diligently, you`ll want to raise capital.

How hard is it to raise capital?

This depends on how you go about the above steps. Believe me, when people get worried and ask, how can I get finance to start my business, they`re simply revealing how little they know about business world.

Capital is not scarce.

Sam Walton has said it (probably before I was born) that, ‘’capital is not scarce, vision is’’

Napoleon Hill said, capital is plenty in the world… for anyone who knows how to use it

What are these men saying?

If you do your homework very well (as stated above), you`ll not find it hard to get finance for your business.

I know. I know. I think I know what I am talking about here.

From the first time I started my first business at my age 15 till now, I have find myself getting capital again and again.

At a point I came to the conclusion that getting capital is as simple as getting a lady. While I am not saying that ladies are cheap to get, I mean, men have mastered the art (or science) of getting ladies.

Getting capital is an art.

You can master this art. I have gotten capital again and again, even from total strangers. But because people don`t know anything outside what school (that prison) taught them, they usually have problem believing certain things are possible.

you can Get our training about how to get capital here.

Starting a business proper.

If you have followed this tutorial till this point, you have finished 70% of the work you need to make your business a successful one.

Really?

Yes.

Most people don`t know, but I need to tell you. Wars are won before the battle start.

Football games are won (or lost) before the game starts.

When does a student pass exam? After writing the paper? No. before the examination starts.

Running nay take a runner 30 minutes to do, but believe me, he has spent 30 days (sometimes 30 months) to prepare for this running.

Preparation is the key to business success.

Listen to what Will Smith said, ‘’I’ve always considered myself to be just average talent and what I have is a ridiculous insane obsessiveness for practice and preparation’’

‘’Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure’’… CONFUCIUS

Also listen to this, ‘’football teaches you hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to have spectacular results in business and football’’ Roger Staubach

Around December, 2013, I told a friend of mine that I will love him to partner with me on a business project and he accepted.

But till March, 2014 I have not launched the said project, so my friend kept on asking, how far?

The far is in preparation.

You have to be diligent in the above steps.

Most at times, business success (or failure) is determined even before your product/service gets to the market.

I once found myself in position to consult for and make some changes for a certain business.

Looking at the market we were trying to win, I discovered there are simple (but courageous) business moves we should have made at the begging that would have given us a nice share of the market.

Unfortunately, the begging was 7 years ago and to make those moves as at the time I got in would be expensive… very expensive, so the higher authority would be afraid of making such risky moves.

Sometimes when the foundation is faulty, the righteous cannot do anything to make it right.

That what Bible says in Psalm 11:3

Get your foundation right, friend.

Then, what is the next thing?

The remaining 30% include:

  • Set goals to grow. Most people are concern about, how to start a small scale business. When there is no problem about that, you have to set goals to grow.
  • Be strategic in your approach. To think that business is just about buying and selling is to think that football is just about running with ball. Read as much as you can about business and you will be more strategic.
  • Don`t expect quick riches. Dangote has already told you that, didn`t you hear him? He advised Nigerians (and Africans) to forget ‘’quick-rich’’ thinking. Your business, I repeat, is like a hen you buy in the market. It requires that you`ll feed it, nurture it and take good care of it … before it starts giving you eggs.
  • Have courage to launch. Just launch … even when everything is not perfect. Waiting will kill your vision.
  • Believe in who you are. Most Africans don`t  believe in themselves. They are suffering from low self-esteem. They will rather remain an employee than to push themselves out and start their own businesses. Believe you can succeed in business and you will.

Thanks so much for reading this.

Please, read other tutorials we link to above.

Click here to read our free book

Click here to register for any of our business training

Africa must be free!

Doing Business in Nigeria; Challenges & 5 Secrets of Success

by

Business in Nigeria

Doing business in Nigeria could be a wonderful experience when your business venture succeeds, however before success there could be sorrows.

Contemplating starting a business in Nigeria could be compared to contemplating joining an army.

It’s not a joke. It’s a rough journey, a war and sometimes a wilderness.

But why?

Because doing business in Nigeria is like fighting a battle. There are challenges, headaches and fires to pass through.

I have been there before. I think I know what I am saying. 

It’s not easy.

You have a whole lot of obstacles that will threaten your business success, starting from bad economy to extremely poor infrastructures (from power to road, water and other things that could help ease your pains).

It could be very tough, sometimes intimidating.

But, I have two things to tell you quickly;

First, business is not easy anywhere in the world.

Yes, doing business in Nigeria could be tough, I agree. But you see, doing business in the United States, United Kingdom or France is not easy either (maybe easier anyway)

I need to let this sink inside of you because so many people in Africa (and in Nigeria) usually exaggerate the problems of our continent (and countries)

They talk (and think) as if there is hell here and heaven out there.

So, get my first point right.

Though starting or running your own (small or big) business in Nigeria could be tough, it’s not bread and tea anywhere in the world (if it were, everyone would have been millionaire )

Here is my second point;

There is always a way out of any closed room, for the stubborn souls.

If there is a will, there is always a way.

“Where there is a will, there is a way… Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open”

Pauline Kae

Yes, starting or running business in Nigeria could be very challenging, there is always a way out, for the dogged (stubborn) souls.

Yes, you may be faced with the challenge of raising capital to start your intending business, you may have a big headache about the epileptic power supply or bad road network.

You may be concerned about the unvafourable business environment and government policies, if you’re willing to fight hard and fight through, you will succeed in your entrepreneurial journey, even in Nigeria.

How can you go about it? What is the way out? What and what should you do?

Pay attention to the following 5 helpful points;

1. Stop dreaming it’s going to be easy

When I was going fully into the business world (on July 24th, 2008), I knew quit well that business world is not a joke.

I knew starting a business in Nigeria (or anywhere in the world) is never a joke.

I knew I WOULD (not might) pass through hell, especially because I had nearly no capital to start my intending business venture.

But I was determined. I was dogged. I was willing to go through the hell (in fact, I was willing to die rather than becoming and employee)

This is the kind of mindset you need to start, run and succeed in Nigeria business environment.

If you’re not willing to be a soldier, you can continue searching for “good job”.

If you’re not prepared to fight hard, you may consider being an employee for 35 years.

Doing business is tough
Business is like a war (Image credit; Pixabay)

But can I tell you the truth?

Even job isn’t easy, is it?

We all know what it means to be an employee. We know what it means to be serving someone (or a company) who doesn’t have our interest at heart.

We all have experienced what it means to be used (sometimes like slave)

(That’s one of the reasons why I wrote that I hate job)

So, being and employee is by no way a solution or a good alternative to owning your own business (even as running business in Nigeria is tough)

If you forget everything, don’t forget the fact that the company you’re working for is not your own and you may be sent home any time, even without notice.

I man called me yesterday and told me how his boss just called him last Friday and told him, “Your service is no longer needed”

No prior notice, just sack letter.

This can happen to any employee and it’s happening everyday.

The bank workers are loosing their jobs in thousands, the oil company workers are crying in tens, so, what makes being an employee attractive?

Starting your own business in Nigeria, running your enterprise and making it a success could be tough, yet, I think it’s not as tough as being an employee (my opinion)

My Advice;

Don’t call a spade another name. Don’t expect your business journey in Nigeria to be easy because it won’t.

2. Put on your pride

In our society today, being proud is seeing as a bad thing. However, we have good and bad pride.

We all need (good) pride to succeed in life.

This reminds me of one day in 2008 when my elder brother (older than me by about 10 years) asked me about what I want to do with my life. When I told him about my plan to be a successful business owner, he reminded me that it’s not easy, especially (according to him) because we were not born rich or have anyone who can give us capital like Dangote.

Out of “pride” I told my brother, “I’m going to become a successful business owner!”

It was a pride because there was no outward evidence to signal its possibility.

Be proud of your ability. Believe you can, because, truly, you can!

If your self-esteem is low, if you do not believe in yourself, the heat of the Nigeria business world will chase you back to the labour market (where you’ll continue searching for job)

My Advice for you;

You see, most people who achieve entrepreneurial success in the world are common men and women like you.

The difference, most at times, is that these people believe in themselves and pursue their business dreams.

At worst, if every man that has acheived something in life is extra ordinary I don’t think I am.

I was born a sickler. I spent most part of my first 17 years on Earth on the sick bed, using drugs and herbs or worrying about my ill health.

I was born in a very poor village and was never able to attend what you can call “good school” in today’s definition.

Here I am today. Though I have not become a millionaire, nor have I become the richest man in Nigeria, I think I have done something great with my life.

Why am I telling you all these?

Because I want to encourage you that you can.

You can start that business in Nigeria. You can run and make that business successful in Nigeria. 

You can!

My Advice for You;

If you believe in yourself and are willing to pay the price, you will succeed in running your own business in Nigeria

3. Stop listening to the pessimists

So many Nigerians (and Africans) believe their country is the worst in the world, and that there is no hope of success or prosperity as long as they live there.

That’s the reason why embassies are filled with thousands of Nigerians who want to move out to the “greener pasture”

You can’t be part of this pessimists and hope for business success in Nigeria. As I advocated in the previous point that you have to believe in yourself, you must as well believe in your country’s ability to give you a chance to be rich.

You can be rich in Nigeria! But you have to stop listening to people who think it’s not possible.

Your can become a successful business owner I Nigeria, but you have to stop listening to the thousands of negative people who want to make you believe otherwise, this includes the media; the news paper, TV, radio and their negative news that tend to discourage you about the possibility of your business venture’s success.

My Advice for you;

Don’t believe those who are trying to convince you that Nigeria is hell or that businesses in Nigeria can only be made successful if you’re Dangotes

4. Be willing to fight, till the storm is over.

Tired business man
Image credit; Flickr

I was on phone, I think last week, with one of my proteges (who I am mentoring) 

You will not like the kind of advice I gave him.

“Don’t expect any big success for the next 5 years”

This is hard to swallow but it takes time to excel in business, either in Nigeria or elsewhere.

That is the reason why Anthony Robbins says you must be able to pass through several frustrations, if you want to succeed in life (and business)

You will fail and make mistake, many times.

You will loose money and get stranded. 

(Please note my word; “WILL”, not “may” because you cannot escape it)

I woke up one day in 2009 with my little business and behold, I slept at night with nothing. An unexpected failure has happened. I had lost my business, all of it.

I have invested money and time in wrong things and ended up regretting.

Your own portions of errors and mistakes are waiting for you. Don’t dream of escaping it because you cannot.

The solution is to be willing to continue fighting, even when the battle is hot.

You must be willing to endure.

You must be willing to start again, again and again, until you write your name among the Nigerian successful business owners.

My Advice for you;

Persistence is your only hope of success. You can never become a successful business owner in Nigeria, or even do business in Nigeria, if you’re not dogged, stubborn and persistent!

If little setbacks make you turn back, go get a job!

5. Weapons alone do not win battles;

Most Nigerians who wish to start business usually think in terms of the money to use to start a business venture (capital). 

Well, I’m sad to announce to you that weapons alone cannot win a battle.

Capital to start a business is like weapon. You cannot go to the street and give raffles to a 25 years old men and then ask them to go to the war front. You will kill those young men!

So it is that you cannot become successful in the business, just by having money to start a business.

I once told a man something like, “see, if today I give you #5 million and you go into the business world, in this next 3 years, you may be poorer than you are now”

Most people will find this extremely hard to believe but it is the truth.

Thinking that money alone is what you need to start, run and become a successful business owner in Nigeria is like thinking that all you need to win a war is a weapon.

No. You need battles skills.

You need to learn how to fight.

How do you learn how to start, run and make business successful?

Sit down with people who know how to.

Get connected with people who have been in the business world before, who have passed through the heat and the battles before.

How do you get these people?

Seeing them physically isn’t that easy and sometimes impossible.

So many people have asked me over the years (even yesterday), “please how can I meet you?”

My answer is usually, “It’s not that easy”

Consider the location and time barrier and you will understand what I am saying here.

However, there is a way out.

I have “met” and learned from many of the world’s leaders, from virtually every continent on Earth, simply by reading their books.

In fact, some of these people are dead and I even don’t see the photographs of some (like Herb Cohen, Peter G. Getty), yet, they thought me wonderful things about how to start, run and succeed in the business world.

Go and sit down with the great minds and learn the secrets of making a business successful, by reading their wonderful books.

Go to the nearest bookshop and invest some amount in good business books.

If you think you can trust the ABC, check out some of our wonderful business books here 

If you need to speak with me for anything, give me a call on 08100446044 /+1238100446044 (If my P.A answers your call, tell her you want to speak with me)

Though starting or doing business in Nigeria could be tough, there is always a way out, for the stubborn souls

I wish you best of luck!

7 Virtues to have in business adventures

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1.Planning-You have already planned to fail when you don’t plan at all. Planning is what gives clarity of direction. There are many roads that leads to the market. And I’m not talking about the modern market which has few gates that leads to it but a traditional market where everywhere leads to it.If you don’t plan your entry point into it which could be based on how near what you want to buy is , you’ll end up wandering in the whole market. Even what you have to buy must have been planned before going there. It can be confusing not knowing what to buy and yet knowing that you went to the market to buy something. Planning gives order ,direction and measurement to what must be done. When your journey is planned you have already made half of the journey and the rest is a smooth right .Don’t only plan , do a good and thorough planning. Plan your time, your resources and your nife ( nife is life in a typical Nigerian warri woman’s tongue).

2. Discipline– I have an adage that I value much it reads ” the race is against yourself to be what you ought to be” . We must be saved from ourselves to really make significant impact .The sport stars you see today had to be very disciplined at a point in their lives to be where they are now.They have had to subject their bodies to strenuous exercises, obey rules and their coaches. Discipline comes with self denial to a large extent. You make profit in business and you start jumping around town spending it, the business will soon crash if there is no discipline in reinvesting your profit into it. Must be disciplined in paying your bills to avoid government interferences.Discipline is the backbone of any venture in life.Be serious about your moves. Be serious about your business so that your team,stakeholders and your customers will be serious in their dealings with you.

3. Sacrifice– A hen physically loses weight while sitting on her eggs resulting from decreased feeding. Success in business cost what it cost. You’ll pay for your business growth and progress .What is sacrifice? It is going beyond what is required of you. There are parties you’ll ignore. Clothes you’ll refuse to buy all because you want to reach your goals. A farmer who plants some corn seeds only sacrifice in order to reap a large harvest of corn. Sacrifice is one of the hardest but fastest way to reach your goals.

4. Taking Risk – You probably have read “it is a risk not to be risky ” .If you are not taking risk then you are very risky you should be avoided. Risk are decisions taken in which the outcome can be favorable or unfortunate. When a risk is successful it can be a major milestone. You are advised to take risk but it’s not every risk that is what taking .Take measurable risk. Don’t take risk that you can’t afford.If the battle is bigger than the spoil of battle you had better drop the battle.

5.Patience – If you are not patient you can’t make anything. There are people who can’t be patient to watch a business succeed in 4 years time but are willing to work a job for 44 years. Every good thing takes time. Taking short cuts to get a hit in business will only cut the business short . You need patience to reap your sacrifices. You need patience to persevere . A hen sits on her eggs for 21 days ,patiently waiting and even if they don’t hatch she will still lay eggs again.

6. Sensitivity and Discernment– Not all business offers are worth your consideration. Be smart enough to pick the real and drop the counterfeit. I can tell a dubious business or moves from afar. Sensitivity and discernment looks somewhat similar. Sensitivity is to detect and perceive while discernment is to recognize what is what after much deep thinking.

7. Purpose– Purpose is what determines how you plan and which direction to go. That one purpose is broken down into objectives or missions and goals, that’s why there are many department within an organization. All are gearing towards one purpose .Help your team to maintain focus at all time. Without purpose people aimlessly do things. They don’t know what to expect from their engagements .Define your business purpose and let your team understand it.It will help you as the team leader to pass down quality directions as needed. Purpose is what determines how you plan, the kind of risk you’ll take and the kind of directions to give.Purpose is what empowers you to be disciplined.

See how partnership is the secret of your business survivability

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Partnership is the act of pairing up with another person or company who has some leverage or features to offer that you don’t have but need for profiting. Partnership as always been there , when you employed your team ,you employed them to partner with you. They came to offer you their skills and time which you can’t give your business . They partner with you for the amount of productivity you want and you in turn pay them .

Partnership looks like trade by barter kind of operation.You bring what you have to get what you need from somebody who has it.

How did Facebook reach it first $100 million mark in revenue? In 2006, Mark Zuckerberg and his team were more focused on coding Facebook than growing revenue. Mark hired Dan Rose from Jeff Bezo’s Amazon.com as VP of Business Development to help grow revenue.

Dan had learned from Jeff Bezos that one big partnership can make all the difference to revenues. He watched Myspace how the started doing big deals in a grand style of it’s new Deal Maker Owner, Rupert Murdoch.

The problem was, Facebook was growing but was not as big or as established as Myspace so its marketing partnerships were still small. Within a month of Dan joining Facebook, in August 2006 , everything changed. Myspace announced a $900 million deal with Google. Myspace had the traffic and Google had the ad network.

It was a perfect partnership where Google would manage Myspace’s ads and that deal single-handedly made Myspace profitable.

Dan Rose asked ” who has the most to lose from this deal” ? The answer was Bill Gates’ Microsoft MSN ad network, which had lost out to their arch rival Google. Dan jumped on the phone to call Microsoft and asked them if they wanted a similar deal with Facebook. Microsoft’s answer? ” Okey, we’all be down there tomorrow to iron it out.” That one deal , wrapped up 24 hours later, doubled Facebook’s revenues in 2006 from a forecast $22million to over $40million .

The year after, the Microsoft deal was worth over $100 million in revenue to Facebook. You see what partnership can do? Go out and get what you need to get your business growing .”if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” .

Importance of Business Partnership

1. Partnership engenders business survivability – Many platforms and businesses would have collapsed if not for the partnership deals that came along the way. The likes of Facebook , Google and Yahoo would have become history if not for partnering with the best of talents and skills. Your business survivability depends on partnership to a large extent .Some top companies partner with celebrities in order to turn their fans into their customers. They hire the best in the field to perfect their products or services. That’s partnership .This operation result in business survival and thriving .Don’t downplay partnership in your dealings because it’s the life wire of business .

2.Partnership is the gateway to business growth -Business growth is achieved by the combined effort of a team in a company. Team in terms of the whole body of people from the top to the bottom working together in a company .Every body from the CEO to the gateman , all are partnering with the company’s owner or shareholders to make the company what it should be and how it should grow. Business growth is not the result of the business itself, but the combined effort of the people behind it. An object remains in a state of rest until a force acts on it before it can gain motion.So is business.Business can’t operate itself and can’t grow itslef .Even automated businesses needs people to set it in motion. People bring concepts, systems, method and strategies to bring about growth. It is in partnering with such people and companies we experience business growth.

3.Partnership increases revenue– From the story of Facebook, we can see how their revenue doubled because of partnership. They have the social media ( traffic) while Microsoft owns the ads network.But both of them wouldn’t have experienced growth in revenue if they hadn’t combine forces. If you want your revenue to skyrocket , leverage on partnership .You can be a manufacturer but a company out there is good or expert in marketing products, when you join forces , the revenue only your company couldn’t have grown in 5 years can be reached in just a year. That’s the power of partnership.” If opportunity doesn’t knock, you had better build a door”.

Too old to start again? See how KFC was launched by a 65 years old man.

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Welcome ABC friend,

Today we want to share an inspiring story of a 65 years old man with you, a man, who as at the time his mates were planning how to start living on government, he had a better plan.

Many people die living on pension.

It is tough for the old people who have no financial support of any kind. Some have been neglected by their children. Many can no longer be employed. Some don’t have any means of livelihood, not even pension.

I feel sorry seeing some old people around a premises trying to get their pension out.

It is a cold world.

Well, if you are old and it seems you are tired of trying again, let this story inspire you to be who you were meant to be again.

Colonel Sanders was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC). His whole life before founding KFC made him look like an epitome of failure.

At age 5 his Father died of fever . Sanders’ mother obtained work in a tomato cannery ,and he was required to look after and cook for his siblings .

By age seven , he was skilled with bread and vegetables, and improving with meat. The children foraged for food while their mother was away for days at a time for work.

When he was 10 , he began to work as a farmhand for local farmers.

In 1902, Sanders’ mother remarried. Sanders had a bad relationship with his stepfather.

In 1903, he dropped out of school and went to live and work on a nearby farm. At age 13 , he left home by himself.

At age 17 he had already lost four jobs.

He got married at 18 to Josephine King and they had a son who died from infected tonsils and two daughters. He then found work as a fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad

He then moved with his family to Tennessee. Sanders lost his job at Illinois after brawling with a colleague.

Sanders moved again to work for the Rock Island Railroad while Josephine and the children went to live with her parents.

After a while, Sanders began to practice law in Little Rock, which he did for three years, earning enough in fees for his family to move in with him. His legal career ended after a courtroom showdown with his own client.

He joined the army and wasted out there.

A lot of failure, you will say, but Sanders would not give up yet.

He became an insurance sales man and failed again. He was fired for insubordination.

He moved to Louisville and got a sales job with Mutual Benefit Life of New Jersey.

In 1920,Sanders established a ferry boat on the Ohio River between Jeffersonville and Louisville. He canvassed for funding , becoming a minority shareholder himself, and was appointed secretary of the company . The ferry was an instant success.

Sanders cashed in his ferry boat company shares for $22,000 and used the money to establish a company manufacturing acetylene lamps. The business failed after Delco introduced an electric lamp that they sold on credit.

Sanders moved to Kentucky to work as a salesman for the Michelin Tire Company. He lost his job in 1924 when the company closed their manufacturing plant. In 1924, by chance, he met the general manager of Standard Oil of Kentucky who asked him to run a service station in Nicholasville. In 1930, the station closed as a result of the Great Depression .

He became a cook and dishwasher in a small cafe. He later ran cafeterias for the government at an ordinance works in Tennessee, followed by a job as assistant cafeteria manager in Oak Ridge , Tennessee.

At age 65 he retired.

On the 1st day of retirement he received a cheque from the government for $105. He felt that the government was saying he couldn’t provide for himself. He decided to commit suicide.

It wasn’t worth living anymore; he had failed so much.

He sat under a tree writing his will, but instead, he wrote what he would have accomplished with his life. He realized there was so much more that he hadn’t done. There was one thing he could do better than anyone he knew.

And that was how to cook.

So he borrowed $87 against his cheque and bought and fried up some chicken using his recipe, and went door to door to sell them to his neighbours in Kentucky.

At age 88 Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC empire was a billionaire .

KFC was one of the first fast food chains to expand internationally, opening outlets in Canada and later in England , Mexico and Jamaica.

By the time of Sanders death at 90 , there were an estimated 6,000 KFC outlets in 48 countries worldwide , with $2billion of sales annually.

Sanders remains the official face of KFC and appears on its logo.

Inspired by this story?

It is never too late to be what you ought to have become.

Get to work.

Dream tthat dream.

You’re not too old yet.

Start that business!

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How to Make Money in Nigeria: 5 Practical Steps

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How to make money in Nigeria ?

make money in nigeria: the 1000 naira currency.
image sorce: gettyimages.com

 

Yes! There is a how in making money, even in Nigeria. So you are interested in making money in Nigeria? Congratulations! But please note that making money in Nigeria has no magic attached, it just as similar it will be in Kenya, South-Africa or Congo, but still the need arose to teach you how you can make money in Nigeria because of some vital reasons.

One among those vital reasons is the fact that Nigeria is a unique country, so unique in a lot of ways which makes the way things happen (including making money) in Nigeria slightly different from the rest of African countries and the world. That was why this tutorial was written to tell you how to make money in Nigeria. However, some of the tips I am going to be sharing with you are global in nature, and so they are tips and ideas that can make you money weather you are from Ghana, Zimbabwe or Cameroon.

At the end of this article, you will have understood how to make money in Nigeria legitimately. But wait a minute, did I ask you why you want to make money in Nigeria?

The truth I must tell you is the fact that making money in Nigeria or any other country will be almost impossible without you stating a clear reason why you really want to make money or become rich. Why did I say that? There is this old saying that goes “where there is a will there is a way” I believe that because I have never seen or heard of a tremendous success ever achieved without a strong will born of desire. What you need first is not the way but the will, deciding why you need to make money is one key thing that automatically brings your will to life and sets it ablaze. And finding a will now creates the motivation you need to follow the way.

Why you need to make money in Nigeria is a product of your will, so find it. How to make money in Nigeria is the way, I will show you!

Below are the five (5) practical things which you can do in order to make money in Nigeria. They are not just things but are ways, not just ways that are obvious to the common man, they are secrets! Above all they are ways that almost everybody can follow.

Also note that they are not arranged a specific order. Shall we? Alright let’s gear in…

1. Start your own business.

image source: onlinefiling.in
image source: onlinefiling.in

 

This is the  ultimate way to make money and to make it exponentially. The richest man in the African continent Aliko Dangote is rich through his businesses and he is still making more money because he is an owner of businesses. Strive Masiyiwa, the richest man in Zimbabwe is a business man too, and yes he owns a lot of business like Dangote. Mike Adenuga, the second richest man in Nigeria is also a business man. Patrick Ngowi, the Tanzanian Helvetic Solar CEO, was named among the youngest millionaires in Africa by Forbes, oh common the guy is a business owner too. If I keep listing the names you will get bored along the line, do you know why? This is because the names will be too much for you to read or count.

None of these guys would have been so rich if they had become or remained the employees of the government or other rich people of their days.

You might be there asking me or saying “but all these men you mentioned are owners of big and gigantic companies or businesses, is that not why they are rich?”

The answer is “yes” but it will be “No” if you think that was how they started. Aliko Dangote started by selling sweets and mints in class when he was still a small boy in school and later he started helping his grand-father in selling goods in the northern city of Kano. Today he is the owner of Dangote group. Similarly, Strive Masiyiwa in one of his stories said that he started selling sweets when he was in school. Today he is the owner of Econet Wireless and  KweseTV . During the days of his life’s wilderness, Mike Adenuga was once a taxi driver and a security gateman, and today he is the owner of Globacom popularly known as Glo, the second largest communications company in Nigeria. Patrick Ngowi, started his business by selling recharge cards and the later mini-importation of solar power banks and similar appliances. Today this 31 year old is the owner of Helvetic Solar, a big company that provides solar electrical solutions to millions of people in East Africa.

All of these men started from almost nothing, but there was a will and a vision which all of them had. So if you are there saying that they are rich because they own big companies, always remember their stories about how they started with almost nothing.

I was watching a movie the other time and the key character of the movie was saying to a lady (who was advising him to start his own business after being fired from his job) that “I don’t like starting a business or a corporation, starting a business is such a big work to do” Can you imagine that? Starting and running a business can be tough if you don’t know how, or if you refuse to get guidance.

Do not be like that guy that said starting a business is a big work. Be optimistic!

There is no better way to become rich than being a business owner. Start your own business, become your own boss or the boss of others rather than working for another person. That is how the rich become rich and even richer!

2. Acquire assets not liabilities

asset

Assets make you rich, if you want to make money in Nigeria learn how to gather assets. That is one major secret of the rich, they spend all or most of their lives acquiring assets and then those assets pump money into their accounts even while they sleep.

Again this is an idea that works anywhere in the world one it is applied wisely and effectively. It is important for you to understand that anything bringing no money into your account is simply not an asset but a liability.

The rich understand this secret which is why they become richer day by day. Becoming a business owner makes it even easier for you to gather more assets faster than you could ever do. Let me tell you one secret, do you know that despite the fact that our economy in Nigeria is currently bad, it has being an advantage to a lot of smart businessmen and entrepreneurs?

I will explain why. You see, now that our economy is at the verge of crashing and our currency is dangling, things are becoming more expensive in the market, have you noticed that?

Alright have you also noticed that it’s only the poor that lament over this unfortunate situation?

Why is that happening?

Because anytime a country falls in such economic situations, a lot of people (especially the poor and middle class) sell out their assets to the rich at cheaper prices out of despair because they want to ensure survival of the fittest. All with the hope that sooner or later the economy will turn out to be favorable, thereby making it possible to get some of their assets back. But that is not always the case.

So you can see that even when a nation’s economy is bad buying assets become easier and cheaper. That’s why the rich do not complain, only the poor do.

Acquiring assets is obviously one of the major secrets on how to make money in Nigeria. Get more assets and fewer liabilities.

3. Read good business books

businessbooks

Reading books is inevitably one of the ultimate secrets of wealth. The significance of books cannot be over emphasized. One of the reasons why only few people are rich in Africa is because we take business lightly and we don’t invest in business books. If you believe the lies that school taught you about life and wealth, then it’s nearly impossible to make money in Nigeria or any part of the globe. You can never be rich working for another person, to make money you need to learn how money is made. To learn how money is made you must learn from people who made it before you by reading their books. Why because after so many years, that person might die without you having the opportunity to sit down and have him mentor you live and direct. But by buying their books, you hear them speak to you, teach you and mentor you in business. Educate yourself about business.

Business in Nigeria has its own pros and cons, but by reading a business book from businessmen In Nigeria, you are sure to be guided by the hand. If you want to make money in Nigeria, then you MUST develop a habit of reading, else other reader will out-smart you.

4. Discover business opportunities in Nigeria to make money in  Nigeria.

business opportunity

This is a must do and do you know why? Because business opportunities are hidden to the average man, only the financially smart discover those opportunities. For you to make money in Nigeria, one of the first and basic things you must do is to discover those opportunities and business ideas from which you will make your money from.

Solid wealth that is powered by smart business ideas cannot be seen with your two eyes. You need to be trained on how to see beyond your two eyes before they will be exposed to you through your mind. When you discover and explore those business opportunities in Nigeria, then making money in Nigeria will be fun for you.

5. Visit this website at least twice a week.

abc logo

This is one simple and practical thing you can do to educate yourself about business in Nigeria and Africa. All over this website you will find tons of tutorials about every aspect of business ranging from how to start, run and make money from a business. Visiting this website at least twice a week to read our tutorials can make you achieve all other four ways to make money in Nigeria stated above. All the tutorials are free to read and share to your friends.

Africa Business Classroom is not just a website but an organization and a movement. Africans must take responsibilities for their own life, is what we are advocating for. Teaching Africans like you to become successful business owners is what we do here. Please click here to read more about us.

We love you, and we want you to make money in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. That can only be achieved if you decide to become a business owner, do not worry about how to go about it, that is why our tutorials are here to help and guide you.

Take that decision today!

Caring for your team the easiest way to thriving

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Today we have bosses and not leaders. We have people who set up businesses so as to lord it over people. Some people went into business for ego display.We even have people who love their customers that their team.

Team care is very essential to customer care. Treat your team as you want your team to treat your customers. Treat your team like a piece of trash they will in turn treat you,your business and your customers like a nobody. This is what happens when a boss in quote treats his/her team like they are nobody. The team gives I don’t care attitude to the boss and his/her business.

They think they are doing people favor when they work under them. They are there to offer you service and get paid for it. You can’t because you pay them salaries make them feel they owe you their lives or that you are the means of their survival. They are working with you to make your business progress and thrive.

Working for and working with means a leader working together with a team to achieve something. Working for you means you don’t have any input in a work you give somebody to do. The first one gives no room for anyone to be bossy while the second one has no right to even come near being bossy. But people confuse the two and make people’s live miserable. People bosses others off their self esteem. Nobody has the right to make anyone look inferior. It is a crime to attack somebody’s dignity and self esteem. Bossing as never been good but leading as always pave the way to organizational development and business growth.

A team can be defined as a group of people who work together to achieve a definite chief aim. Treating your team well is a gateway to exciting experiences in business.

                   Three Areas of Caring for your Team

1.Resources – Give your team the tools they need and get out of their way. Like a chef, a team wants all the ingredients needed to accomplish a task. When they are deprived of those tools be it money or machinery, they will not be productive . You will cripple their enthusiasm and creativity. Don’t make your team suffer before resources they need to carry out what you have assigned to them. It it is money , give them enough. You only kill their moral when they are accused of mismanagement when obviously it is not so. Instructions are resources too.Directions are resources too and guidance. Don’t deprive them of these things . Their happiness is your peace of mind and success. Care for them by providing for their needs per time to achieve the set goals. Don’t kill their energy and passion. Give them all they need for creativity and productivity.

2. Be Patient with them – Patience is the key to know your team more deeply. Patience allows you to be able to tolerate peoples weaknesses .Patience they say bears a richer virtue .Your team will come to respect you for your patience in handling them.Some people can be very difficult but patience will enable to handle them in a right way and still get the best of their input. When you are impatient in your dealings they may turn bad by Intentionally trying you out.They will get use to your anger and shouting then prepare to give you back in return someday or they’ll just make the whole of your being around them miserable from time to time. Don’t transfer aggression to them in any way. Your customers comes to blame you, don’t directly turn it to your team making it their fault. Customers are always right but what about your team? Their care should come first before the customer’s’ care. Take the blame for your team , don’t put it on them. If they have to get the blame you can as well do it in the midst of praising them. Let your criticism be sandwiched with praises.

3. Salary – please note that people don’t come to work because they have great skills they want to show, they come to work in order to to be paid. A lot of wickedness is happening today in the business world where they don’t even pay workers at all. How will they pay their bills. I watched a program on the TV where someone was lecturing top professional on business management. He was having a nice time until a group of people with a megaphone disrupted the program protesting and shouting ” pay us our salary of 2 or 3 month”. It was a live program and I wonder whats the teaching for when you can’t even pay your own worker. No matter how people love you or your business don’t mess with their payment and don’t delay it.The worker is always worthy of his/her wages. Pay them when it’s due.

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Started since September 2007, Africa Business Classroom is a registered organization in Nigeria under the Federal government of Nigeria's Companies and Allied Acts. Our mission to train one million Africans to be successful entrepreneurs.

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