shortgun:

I was poor sir, but I made myself a promise to break every form of poverty around me.

I was dedicated, focused, honest with people that gave me their trust and I worked till my back broke.
What many dishonest people don't know is that when someone gives you a little trust and you didn't abuse it, same person will give you a bigger opportunity or recommend you for a higher position.... that's the way to grow when you don't have anyone to stand in for you anywhere.

Thats the point some of us are trying to make u understand. if the rich people u dealt with whn u were poor had ur mindset of "NEVER do business with poor people", who among them wud even look at u?
its never proper to generalize. its just like saying all nigerians are crooks.

Automolite:

It seems in Nigeria, being rich and stealing money is a lesser crime than being poor and stealing.
Atleast thats what those commenting who "think" they are rich seem to believe.

U dey mind them.? As if rich ones no dey surchange and cheat the poor. As a matter of fact, they survive and thrive on the financial incapacity of the poor ones.

One was saying whenever those struggling guys get small money they refused to come to work.
Who wants to do hard labour? If it is that easy, let him try it once, if he will not land in hospital the next day.

The simple truth about this is business management most of the poor people you are talking about doesn't know how to manage a business and for this reason the business get stagnant or have a short life span same is not applied to the rich the rich would have made consultation to know how to minimize his risk and make a resonance profit and while you were giving out the bike you did not involve the police and gurantors you made him too comfortable with the agreement .

shortgun:

This is not about generalisation, what am saying is that bulk number of people who are poor have made a choice to remain so due to dishonesty, laziness e.t.c..this is from my personal experiences and interactions with them.

As for doing business with the rich, it's easier to get back money invested in business with a rich person than a poor person,they will have assets that can be taken from them to recover your money,...this is the same thing banks do by way of collateral. What will you take from a poor person to get back your money if they decide to play a fast one on you?

shortgun:
There's a reason the street saying "fear who no get" will always remain valid till the end of the world.
There's this mentality that poor people have, once you go into any business transaction with them they will think you have more than enough and will look for ways to cheat you and collect from the " inexhaustible" money that you have stockpiled somewhere.
To them you have plenty money and losing a couple of thousands or millions won't hurt you in anyway.

They will see you as wicked or greedy when you try to recover even your capital from them not to talk of profits.
I've learnt this with poor people long ago but still continued to transact with them thinking they can't all be the same.
The last incident that happened made me to decide not to ever do anything business or transaction with people " wey no get" cos indeed you need to fear them.

There's a man that works as a bartender in one joint close to my residence that I use to chill.
This young man is married with a kid, I liked his dedication to his work and used to admire him and we became close.
He told me about his desire to own a motor bike so that he can quit the beer parlor job...due to the constant insults from his madam and his zeal to have a better life.

He said if he sees anyone that will buy him even a second hand bike on hire purchase, he will repay the money under 8 months and start off his life from there.
I was really impressed by his commitment to a better life. I didn't give him any response or say anything to him that day but took his number.

The next day, I called him to come to my house and he did. When he came I showed him a brand new bike I bought for him and told him to take it and pay me weekly until he completes the payment with a little profit for me, I made him understand that there's no free money anywhere, he has to work to his way to financial progress.

The young man was shocked and speechless, he said he didn't believe I will buy him a bike not to talk of a brand new one for that matter, he said we are not even from the same state.
He told me stories of how he had approached his rich relatives for the same opportunity but they keep giving him false hopes.
He thanked me and drove away with the bike...he couldn't even get a worthy guarantor to stand in as surety for him for the hire purchase agreement...he called several of his relatives and it was one story to another.
I told him to go with the bike without a guarantor cos I know how some relatives will not want to take responsibility when you fail, especially when you take steps they think is bigger than you.

He remitted the agreed amount for 2 weeks and told me stories on the last day of the 3rd week, how he took ill and can't meet up and promised to work harder the next week to make up for the lost week.
On the 4th week he came to my house in the morning and told me tales of how the bike was snatched from him at gun point the previous day. I asked him if reported to the police and he said no.

I took him to the station for him to report the stolen bike and he was detained. Later his people came and wrote undertaking to pay up the value for the bike in 8 months, the police officers objected saying it was too far but I told them to allow it.

It's been more than 10 months now and I've not recovered my money... almost 300k for the bike not to talk of profits.
I have several similar bad experiences with poor people but this one finally sealed my heart not to render any help or enter into any business deal with persons who are struggling to survive.

People will tell you of their rich uncles who have refused to help them but non of them knows or will tell you how many times their rich uncles lost money trying to lift poor relatives or friends.

Lack of TRUSTWORTHINESS is the reason for poverty..

He wants to keep the bike and be eating from it. Nobody stole that bike.

Assuming you took him to court, you will see the bike come out.

I have too many stories, mine were cars but I no dey tell.

In all sincerity I understand how you feel and to candid I agree with someone who said it's all about dishonesty in majority of the people.

One thing have learnt while growing was that I don't ever do thing's I can't afford to loose. Different experiences as taught me that.

Sincerely faith and luck doesn't smile with everyone in some choice of business while some thrive in a specific business some fail in same.

I will use myself as personal business, My Dad bought some mini buses and tricycle for some people on hire purchase and three of them did very well while the person whom will so much expected to thrive failed woefully but out of pity my dad allowed one of them to pay up and let go of the bus even though she could not recoup his investment of close to 1.2m for the bus and the second person he retrieved the tricycle from him.

Now you won't believe I tried doing this transportation business as well so I canake extra income with my work. The first day I tried it I had issues with lastma and a new tokunbo mini bus gave me serious issues that I parked the bus at a mechanic workshop on the first day. That same day I paid lastma 9k lol

I had to use my money to fix the bus because the alternator belt cut off. You see the two weeks I tried that business I almost had hypertension that I had to go park the bus back at my parents place that I can't do it.

So in summary what am just trying to say is that luck are not just on some people's side and that guy you bought bike for might have good intentions but luck and faith might just not be on his side on that particular business.

shortgun:

I was poor sir, but I made myself a promise to break every form of poverty around me.

I was dedicated, focused, honest with people that gave me their trust and I worked till my back broke.
What many dishonest people don't know is that when someone gives you a little trust and you didn't abuse it, same person will give you a bigger opportunity or recommend you for a higher position.... that's the way to grow when you don't have anyone to stand in for you anywhere.

Allow them to keep arguing.
The first 10M I made in a single deal was from a customer whose first deal for me was 25 thousand Naira profit.
Before that, a Customer who I made my first 2M single profit from first gave me a job in which I made 45 thousand Naira.

I tried to link up a welder to help someone I know do something. I paid him upfront in 2019 and refused to do anything. Used the money to drink alcohol and play betting. I used Mopol to pack his tools in his shop before I could recover some money back. The fool didn't know that the person I tried linking him up with is a very senior manager in an oil company. The day I told him, he burst into tears on the main road. Told him straight up that he will die in penury if he doesn't change.

Poverty is not sudden, so is wealth. They are. gradual and one grows into it.