Hello people. Hope you guys had a good day? Before I go on pls I'd like to say a big big thankyou to Chairman, Olorogun, Oga Mi sir KKB. He really made my day. Thankyou so much sir. I'm really encouraged. And a big thankyou to everyone of you that's reading this. You really encourage me. You give me reasons to make efforts to ensure that I have something positive to tell you everyday.
My day was soooooo *i really don't know how to describe it* fantastic.
It started out bad because I woke up with financial issues on my mind. I couldn't even go to work because I was down to my last kobo. Couldn't contact anybody because there were no units on my phone, and I was off BBM too, my subscription expired at midnight.
so I occupied myself by thinking of more names to add to the list of people I want to send samples to for them to help me with recomendations and refferals.

By midday, I came to the thread (with my sister's) phone to see what's new, and then I saw Oga KKB's post, and tried to contact him. We discussed the business. I was very happy to hear from him. It lifted my spirit and made me feel a lot better.

Then there was a little hitch. I was supposed to send him some details via Instant Messaging, and for the life of me I couldn't subscribe. I tried with both sims over and over again, for hours, my siblings kept wondering what was wrong with me. Finally when I did get online, oh, I heaved a big sigh of relief.

Around 6:00pm, someone called me to make samples ready for friday for him to show someone at Lekki against a wedding in january. I wrote that down in my diary, for reminders.

Meanwhile, I'm still looking for someone to print out the stickers for me at a good price, and hoping to hear from the man who made the sunday order. (He's my mom's friend so I cannot pressurize him unduly).

Looking forward to a busy day tomoro. It is well with us all. Goodnight

Wow! Great! Glory to God!

I see you're into the hamper business, let's talk please.

You sent me a message and I can't view it oh.

Alright ma'am. 08087437919 is my number ma. I don't really know what's wrong with the nairaland email function

Interesting...

Very quiet day. Just kept advertising to everyone I meet and speak to. Other than that, the day was on the very laid back side

sisi....well done .....just try to be innovative....and look for ways to do more for less.....cheers!

The week has been great. Although I'm really sorry I've not been able to update in three days. The owners of light have really not been nice to us, so both batteries went flat at a point.
Yesterday, I went to lagos market to buy foil plates. They look better for packing stuff compared to paper plates, though a little higher in price.
I bought foil plates, some of which I used to send samples to a woman art lekki through a friend of mine who was going in the same direction. I hope to hear from her.
I also made a list of 40 people to send samples or pictures to, basically for them to help me get referals.
@ this juncture I'd like to ask if anyone knows how I can approach hotel owners. I'm aware that on christmas day, they share things like this to their customers who are lodged in the hotels. Christmas and new year I think.
Hope you guys had a great week. I really missed you.

bodashee: The week has been great. Although I'm really sorry I've not been able to update in three days. The owners of light have really not been nice to us, so both batteries went flat at a point.
Yesterday, I went to lagos market to buy foil plates. They look better for packing stuff compared to paper plates, though a little higher in price.
I bought foil plates, some of which I used to send samples to a woman art lekki through a friend of mine who was going in the same direction. I hope to hear from her.
I also made a list of 40 people to send samples or pictures to, basically for them to help me get referals.
@ this juncture I'd like to ask if anyone knows how I can approach hotel owners. I'm aware that on christmas day, they share things like this to their customers who are lodged in the hotels. Christmas and new year I think.
Hope you guys had a great week. I really missed you.

Well done Sister. You are making progress. As for how to reach out to hotel owners, I don't think there is any special way apart from meeting them in person or by letter in form of proposal. One-on-one contact is more effective but maybe difficult because of their busy schedule. But whichever way, you need to go out to them, at this point you have a lot to do. And please don't allow any MD/Chairman of any hotel waste your time unecessarily. When they start giving you unecessary appointments, please move on. I'm talking from experience ohhh. But don't worry God will surely grace your efforts. Like I said earlier, there is profit in all labour.

I will suggest you post some nice picture of what you do here. Please make sure that the pictures are very nice and presentable, because you won't have opportunity of explaining after you must have posted them.

My breakthrough was here. I believe the same can happen to you.

I wish you all the best.

Thanks bro. I appreciate. I'll take action on that and let you know how it goes

well done....its a new week we are entering,just be making sure to update your list of prospective clients daily,and ensure you are reaching out to them.....also take advantage of your networks and friends networks.....facebook,bbm,whatsapp,personal referrals....

Thanks for the advice sir. I sure will pay attention. Madam spicy, I'm missing you oooooooo

Darlyn sis, how are you?

What are your plans regarding the hamper line of your business, this christmas?

Also, regarding your question, do most Hotels not already have a pastry section?

Why not focus on schools instead? You know they will surely have christmas party.

I'm fine ma. And you? How's business going?

Yep you have a point, tho I think there's no harm in trying with the hotels too. I'll add the schools to my list of prospective clients.

Hey babe, good to catch you online

Okay, so any plans for your gifts basket line of business?

I WILL be doing that this season

So much abundance! The blessing is speaking

Keep up the good job.

@blink. Thanks a lot.

Sometimes it gets funny how hostile people can be towards honest business people.
I walked into a supermarket today, to ask of the manager (I'll prefer not to disclose the identity of the store) and see if I could reach customers by holding 4 hours of free sampling in their store. I'd seen something similar being done there before when Johnny Walker was giving free samples in Lagos.
The secretary vehemently refused to let me see the man because I only brought samples for the manager. I was dumbfounded. I just left the place jeje before someone else comes in and hears her raving and ranting about how nobody appreciates secretaries.

On my way now to Somolu to ask how much I can get the stickers done. I have a lot of samples to send out next week and I really need those stickers so that people can always get back to me if they like the pastries.

I'm also hoping to start my rounds at schools and supermarkets next week. So help me God

secretaries are known to give top classified information,if you have them,very close to you

Yes o sir cheksbry. I've been advised by a close family friend to overlook the embarrasment I felt and go bac with something for her. And it only follows since I'm the one who needs their assistance.

Ha! Bodashee!!! Please do NOT make the same mistake made by a lot of people! How do you expect to gain favourable audience with the MD if you can't win the favour of the receptionist?

Infact, you must treat the receptionist/secretary specially, make them feel like the MOST important person in that office! Reason is, they already feel inferior because of their designation and frankly they are almost always overlooked, which is really unfair and annoying!

When I need to propose a service, I go to the office, charm the secretary, call him/her, sir/ma. Then, I start talking to them like they are the ones I came to see and ask (like I do not know) who they would advise me to speak with in that office, whilst adding that I would appreciate an audience with the person in charge.

It always works! Treat the security and front desk personnel with extra respect and they will treat your proposal with extra favor

If you walk into an office all haugty, feeling that the only person that can attend to you is the MD, the secretary will rudely show you the way out or more wickedly, trash your proposal the moment you step out of the door.

My advise? If you are going with five samples, give the secretary three

The doorman strategy. Always take care of all stakeholders. Receptionist, front desk officer, secretary are stakeholders. Treat them with care. If they have your interest at heart you have crossed an important huddle.
@bodashee...looking forward to great reviews on your supply this weekend.

Thanks sir and ma.

I do treat them with respect and greet them the same way I'd greet my mother-in-law if I get one today, even though I'm always straight to the point to avoid extremely long conversations about sundry issues like the colour of my shoe or the reason why the Nigerian flag should be painted another colour.
Truthfully, I carried one pack of samples for the secretary and three for her boss. But I'd hoped to give it to her on my way out. Giving it to her before then would make me feel like I'm bribing her instead of saying thankyou. I was too embarrassed to even remember that I brought her anything. I just wanted to find my
way out of the place.
But then, there is always room for improvement. I will ensure that I pay more attention to being respectful to everyone I meet.

Finally I've gotten someone to print out stickers!!!! Yaaaaaaaay!!!
Pls put me in your prayers. Lots of samples would be going out next week. Till I briing you positive reports about this weekend's job and the preparations for it. Stay blessed.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Oh great! Congrats...

The Lord will help you, you will experience favour every where you go. Men and women see you and fall over themselves to help you. You shall NOT be at a disadvantage or stranded! Divine resources will be available to you and your results will NOT be commensurate to your labour by reason of the blessing of God upon your business.

Come back rejoicing n testifying of Hiis goodness, in the name of Jesus!

Watching!..and listening.

.

Thanks so much for the prayers madam spicy.. Oga cheksbry, I sight yuo sir.


Gooday to everyone. I'm so sorry about the delay with updates. BIS tonz first, then I got reaaaaaaly busy with personal stuff nd business. Right now, I'm on my way to make a delivery. Once I'm free. I'll tell you all about this weekend. Its been packed full of hurdles which I enjoyed scaling.

Whoa!!!
Its really been an eventful weekend.

Took thursday and friday off work. I told my boss I needed to attend to personal matters.

On thursday I had to take two speakers to the Seme border to meet up with someone there. I got to mile 2 around 9pm, so I decided to pass the night inside festac town.

The next morning, I was ready to face a new day and prepare for saturday's order and the samples I planned to send out in the coming week. So I took my beautiful self to 512 in festac, hoping to get a BRT bus to CMS because I was supposed to go and pick up the stickers on the island.
I had already called the printer dude to tell him I was coming, nd he said the stuff was almost ready, that they'll be ready by the time I get to the island.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a BRT bus, so I took regular danfo. This was around 10:00am. I didn't know I had entered trouble.

The bus met mild traffic at Alaba (Eleganza bustop). Instead of the driver to wait, he turned and started heading the opposite direction looking for somewhere where he could join another lane, he did this till he got bac to festac. It was so annoying. He had wasted my time and I was right back where I started. And to make matters worse, he was going to pass orile again, even though we had seen traffic there already. Me and one other man decided to come down and asked to be refunded. The man was refunded and allowed to alight, but the conductor kept blocking me. When I tapped him to ask for my money, since I wasn't going their way again, the next thing I felt was a crazy slap at my back, followed by several punches. The conductor beat me up. He complained that I shouldn't have tapped him. I felt so humiliated. When people tried to speak up for me and stop him from hitting me, he left me and faced them. I'd never met anyone so troublesome in my whole life. With hot tears in my eyes, time and money wasted, and the humiliation of being beaten by a conductor, I got of the bus quietly @ mile 2 and took another bus going to oshodi so I could link obalende.

My day got worse when I got to the island. The stickers weren't ready. I got to the island around 2 pm eventually. I had to wait till 6 pm before I could get the stickers. The guy knew he had messed up so he made up for it by doing 550 stickers for N2,500 (instead of the agreed 200 stickers for the same price).

Now I had to head to isheri oshun to go and fry the chin chin because I wanted it at its freshest the next morning. From igbosere to oshodi. Oshodi to cele. Cele to jakande estate. Jakande to isheri oshun. I finally got home around 8:30. Then I found out I had left my phone at the place where I stopped to buy flour and other things to fry the chin chin. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Bodashee jog. Jog. Finally I got back there, picked the phone. Jogged back home. Had my bath, had some food.

Finally by 10:30pm, we started the mixing and kneading and cutting. ( I came to fry the pastries here at isheri cuz the kitchen is tiled from top to bottom, and very spacious, very hygenic to work in because its always kept neat and dirt is easy to notice and get rid of. And my sisters there would help out in the preparation). Finally, by 3:30am, we finished everything.

Went to sleep. Woke up by 5:00am. By 6 I was left the isheri. I still had to get to Palmgrove to go and pack the pastries into their containers. So off I went, with 75 people's chin chin and coconut candy and conconut chips and all that is sweet. isheri to estate gate. Estate gate to cele. Cele to oshodi. Oshodi to palmgrove. Got into the house by 8:15, no thanks to the bad roads and buses stoping every thirty seconds . OMG. The delivery was for 9:00am.

Sharp sharp I got to work. And I got my younger ones to help me put the stickers on top of the plates. By 9:00am I was done. Luckily for me, the place I had to deliver the stuff to was two streets away. Got there for 9:25am. For me, punctuality is of utmost importance and I'm glad I got there in good time.

Once again many thanks to MR KKB. I really do appreciate sir.

May the new week bring us all good things.

Whoa!!!
Its really been an eventful weekend.

Took thursday and friday off work. I told my boss I needed to attend to personal matters.

On thursday I had to take two speakers to the Seme border to meet up with someone there. I got to mile 2 around 9pm, so I decided to pass the night inside festac town.

The next morning, I was ready to face a new day and prepare for saturday's order and the samples I planned to send out in the coming week. So I took my beautiful self to 512 in festac, hoping to get a BRT bus to CMS because I was supposed to go and pick up the stickers on the island.
I had already called the printer dude to tell him I was coming, nd he said the stuff was almost ready, that they'll be ready by the time I get to the island.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a BRT bus, so I took regular danfo. This was around 10:00am. I didn't know I had entered trouble.

The bus met mild traffic at Alaba (Eleganza bustop). Instead of the driver to wait, he turned and started heading the opposite direction looking for somewhere where he could join another lane, he did this till he got bac to festac. It was so annoying. He had wasted my time and I was right back where I started. And to make matters worse, he was going to pass orile again, even though we had seen traffic there already. Me and one other man decided to come down and asked to be refunded. The man was refunded and allowed to alight, but the conductor kept blocking me. When I tapped him to ask for my money, since I wasn't going their way again, the next thing I felt was a crazy slap at my back, followed by several punches. The conductor beat me up. He complained that I shouldn't have tapped him. I felt so humiliated. When people tried to speak up for me and stop him from hitting me, he left me and faced them. I'd never met anyone so troublesome in my whole life. With hot tears in my eyes, time and money wasted, and the humiliation of being beaten by a conductor, I got of the bus quietly @ mile 2 and took another bus going to oshodi so I could link obalende.

My day got worse when I got to the island. The stickers weren't ready. I got to the island around 2 pm eventually. I had to wait till 6 pm before I could get the stickers. The guy knew he had messed up so he made up for it by doing 550 stickers for N2,500 (instead of the agreed 200 stickers for the same price).

Now I had to head to isheri oshun to go and fry the chin chin because I wanted it at its freshest the next morning. From igbosere to oshodi. Oshodi to cele. Cele to jakande estate. Jakande to isheri oshun. I finally got home around 8:30. Then I found out I had left my phone at the place where I stopped to buy flour and other things to fry the chin chin. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Jog. Bodashee jog. Jog. Finally I got back there, picked the phone. Jogged back home. Had my bath, had some food.

Finally by 10:30pm, we started the mixing and kneading and cutting. ( I came to fry the pastries here at isheri cuz the kitchen is tiled from top to bottom, and very spacious, very hygenic to work in because its always kept neat and dirt is easy to notice and get rid of. And my sisters there would help out in the preparation). Finally, by 3:30am, we finished everything.

Went to sleep. Woke up by 5:00am. By 6 I was left the isheri. I still had to get to Palmgrove to go and pack the pastries into their containers. So off I went, with 75 people's chin chin and coconut candy and conconut chips and all that is sweet. isheri to estate gate. Estate gate to cele. Cele to oshodi. Oshodi to palmgrove. Got into the house by 8:15, no thanks to the bad roads and buses stoping every thirty seconds . OMG. The delivery was for 9:00am.

Sharp sharp I got to work. And I got my younger ones to help me put the stickers on top of the plates. By 9:00am I was done. Luckily for me, the place I had to deliver the stuff to was two streets away. Got there for 9:25am. For me, punctuality is of utmost importance and I'm glad I got there in good time.

Once again many thanks to MR KKB. I really do appreciate sir.

May the new week bring us all good things.

Pictures of yesterday's job

@chikeorji123, I'm really sorry that you haven't seen my reply. I really don't know what is wrong with the Nairaland email function. You can reach me at abodashee@yahoo.com

I've been trying to post pictures of yesterday's work too but I dunno what's wrong

I'm posting on behalf of Bodashee since she's having issues uploading the pics.

Enjoy.

Wooow!!! Bodashee, woow!!!

Really great job! Mehn, the challenges you had to go through.