₦airaland Forum

graceyg:
hello scantee,my husband and i just registered our own business and we intend to go into contracts most expecially supplies.
Do we really need all this document to bid for a supply contract as an enterprise and how do i get a VAT certificate, QA, HS&E, pls help us out with d guidelines as all we have is d certificate of Incorporation by CAC and TIN
Please we need your help on this.

Yes you need all those documents and like i told some people, they can be found here www.officemanager.com.ng

As for your VAT certificate, you have to visit the Board of Internal Revenue closest to you and apply for it, you will fill some forms and it will be processed in two weeks. Also, note that if you company is less than 6 months old, then the process is free. But if not you will pay some fees (around N25,000).

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I have carefully outlined exceptional steps you can take when you want to establish a new business. No company pops out of the blue, instead the are built and most times from scratch. My purpose of opening this thread is to enlighten people on company building and becoming a contractor. And i have been silent for a while now because the serious ones are not here anymore. And i cannot continue to dish out my little knowledge to unserious peeps.

Thats why i created a mailing system and those who have subscribed to it are realy enjoying what i have to give. I have talked about how to raise funds to maintain running costs for your company so it wont liquidate or go down the drain, etc. It was incisive.

In the last mailing session, i greatly discussed steps to follow when you are trying to start a new business or company. So, if you want to really get established, if you are thinking of starting out but really dont know what to do, if you are looking for silent information on available contracts, if you want to learn more procedures, then i advice that you subscribe here; http://eepurl.com/51ycX

Whatever information you will get will help you in a very long way and the most important thing is that the whole package is free. Am not charging anything. People who subscribe are the really serious ones and those are the set i will be working with.


Again, you can subscribe here http://eepurl.com/51ycX

If you need corporate documents (HSE, CASHES policy, Quality Control Manual, Employee Handbook, etc) visit the website on my signature.

Bj5all:
This is an interesting thread and I am happy being part of it.
I work as a sales consultant for a multinational coy and I just want to add own contribution on networking and getting into to Company of ur choice and closing the Contract.

adding to what databoy has already said, the following can b an added knowledge:
1. for freshers whose cycle of influence are small and for those that want to increase their number of clients. u can take a day or two in a week and do good prospecting. As far as u have ur area of interest, mark out an industrialized area and tell urself that today I want to walk round and identify companies in this area that I can do business with. get urself dressed up, take ur catalog if necessary, com card and other things u think is necessary to convince a potential client and hit the field. You might b lucky to hit a gud lead, referral or even close a deal. We have made millions from this type of networking and still making money from it. Don't be scared to knock on doors of companies as far as u are not a fraud.

Thanks for this peice man.

@all, you can reach me via bbm 530B4FB8.

Am looking for my laptop charger, have you guys seen it here?

Create an account with VoguePay and you will get what you seek. A donate button is one of the tools in their tool-chest for merchants.

www.voguepay.com

NB: Am in no way affiliated to voguepay, i just love their services.

Cheers.

pelij:
Hello dear friend, i always recommend people to dhtml he is one of the best web-developers you can always mention on nairaland.

Contact him @ 0703 029 0746

that is one of the simplest job i know he can handle.

Seconded, he is good and this wont take time if you engage him. Mr Anthony Olajide Ogundipe AKA DHTML can be found here https://www.facebook.com/dhtml5?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

If you need direct information on available contracts, offers, multinational companies information, strategies, etc, fill the form and subscribe. You will get first hand information weekly. You need this if you need to grow.

http://eepurl.com/51ycX

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It seems nobody is sharing any tips on networking. You need to know that this is equally important like any other aspect of starting out as a contractor. @ Scantee promised to share some tips but people keep asking for stuff from him, i believe we should give him some time to share what he wants to share on networking. We are all learning. When you have learned all you need to learn, then you can start requesting for stuff (cutlass to go into the jungle).

My next networking tip is a well known strategy, but not many people take advantage of it. It's what i call "Social Hook Strategy". I will share this on my next post.

Networking cont'd...

As i have explained before, networking seems to be a major barrier for start-ups. And you definitely need it otherwise you will become stagnant. These networking techniques are not textbook models but have been tested and to a very large extent, they are effective.

Another method i want to talk about here is what i term "hi-there method", forgive me but i don't really have a catchy name for it. Lol. And i like giving examples because i feel that is the way you can understand it quickly.

The first time i entered NPDC in Benin, normally you would move around, ask questions and get directions as to the right office you need to enter. I went to the HR building to locate someone and while i was asking my way around, i was observant of the secretaries that will smile at me and be real friendly. After i was done, i went ahead to meet the woman i saw earlier to strike a conversation....she was welcoming, when i was also done with her, i searched for the young man (also a secretary) who went out of his way, got up from his seat and escorted me to the main office i was searching for. We chatted on the way, normally some other secretary would just point the way for you and that is it.

Before i left the company, i got the phone numbers of the woman and the young man. And i made them my friends.

What i am trying to emphasize here is that getting contracts from big companies, you should kill the idea that one of the managers or bosses will help you get it "if only i can get his or her contact". No oga in a big company will help you nail that contract. SIMPLE!

They have their own privately registered companies they can use to get the contract, plus the have direct family members on their neck waiting to be helped. So forget it.

If you need a real help, network with people whom you think don't matter. The secretaries.

These set of people, they cant authorize the contract to be awarded to you BUT they can give you priceless information. And in this business, information is everything. So when next you walk into a company or organization, look out for the most "friendly" secretary, befriend him/her, collect their phone number, send them recharge cards and you will be the first to know if anything is about to go down. Don't walk in with your face all squeezed up like a commando, look good, smile and you will make new friends in the company before you walk out.

Cheers.

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NB: For those of you who need these corporate documents, note that you can order it directly from the official website. We have added some new documents to the bundle; updated HSE policy manual, CASHES (Community Affairs, Safety, health, Environment, and Security) manual, Quality Control Manual, etc. The new documents are completely written, all you do is just add your company name and information and print.

You can place your orders here and it will be processed. http://officemanager.com.ng/place-order/

mmimahbub:
Thank you and I appreciate your help.
Please can you help me in detail how to register a company in CAC after name search? That's LTD type made of 3 people with a share capital of about N50,000: How is the process and duration? Is the service of agents or legal practitioners compulsory? thanks.

From my experience i don't think you can register a company (LLC) with 50,000 share capital. What is obtainable is 500,000 and 1,000,000 share capital (and above) and it costs a minimum of N90,000. The service of agents or legal practitioners is not compulsory as you can go to any CAC office closet to you and do it yourself. It usually takes at least one month for it to be done.

purplecircle:
Amazing thread. Please I have a question, can a small business enterprise registered as enterprise bid for any contract. Do such business do reg of dpr n the others as it is usually a one man business.

The answer is yes, you can bid for contracts but majorly contracts within the category of N25,000 vendor registration fee (some companies don't charge anything) but in this case you cannot go beyond contracts valued more than N5million naira. Though some companies restricts this to N2 million naira. If you are interested in bidding for contracts from oil companies, you need a DPR registration, NISTF and Nipex registration. And for DPR you can do it here https://ogisp.dpr.gov.ng/registration/

But bear in mind that the website was just upgraded and registration for Enterprise companies will begin from February this year (next month).

Cheers.

@ Scantee, it is well with you and your family and your pocket. Amen.

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@ All, while packaging your company in preparation for being a contractor, amongst the documents you will assemble together don't forget to include a CASHES policy document. It means Community Affairs, Safety Health Environment and Security. Very important, especially if you want to work with Oil and Gas Companies.

sthugo:
I greet you databoy247 and scantee,this thread its the best I have followed in a long while.my eyes are here,all the way.
Teachings of how to make more bread.
kudos

thanks

@ OP, i will advice you to learn more, practice more and understand the specs of website development. Sure it's a lucrative field but starting like this wont take you far. I have seen your website and truthfully you really need alot to learn. No matter the software you make use of, you MUST play with codes (and i wonder what software you used, maybe its pagebuilder........totally crap). And i guess you know nothing of responsiveness, and the likes. Also, your website does not display an organized layout and yes, it's not "sleek" or should i say you need to learn CSS more. Finally, your graphics sucks.

So next time you want to design a website for N10,000, understand that it sickens some of us because there is alot of work involved which if you know about you won't even charge that amount. You wan kill our business

You are degrading website developers and it's really annoying, am not trying to spoil your business but anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you want to start earning money designing websites then learn it properly, and you will make money. And please if you are searching for clients, do not display that website of yours cos dem go pursue you.

N10,000 ni

kllinxman:
Interesting and educative, pls i hv bin trying 2 register my thrift business wit CAC since june last yr, b d process is disappointing. pls how do i go abt it 4 easy nd quick registration, because am loosing som of my customers. And again under whch category do u advice i should register it ??

When you say thrift do you mean osusu business? If that is the case then you register it as a multipurpose co-operative society. It's easier that way and i don't think it will take more than 2 weeks. And it's cheaper also.

scantee:
Better person your head is there!

Wait first! i guss you run an ICT firm? well i own an IT company as well, that is really my area of specialization, though my main company is into Oil and Gas.

i head an IT department in spdc, so we can get along well u never can tell.

What's your IT company website? So i can peruse. Also, i think am getting interested in branching into Oil and Gas....integrating IT services into Oil and Gas operations like 3D and 4D modelling and rendering, nanotechnology application on anti-corrosive stuff, bio-hazard detector wristband production and supply, etc. I have even read about Optogan light emitting diode lamps which makes it possible for power consumption by light equipment to be reduced to 34 percent. There are so many things to be achieved in IT here in Nigeria.

scantee:
Note this: shell comes for inspections of office and eqiupments own by your company after registration, so before submiting any profile containing equipments own by you make sure they will all be available or at most hire them just for that day of inspection.

Secondary make sure in your profile that you listed all the equipments owns by your company even the ones you dont have but must be needed in the type of contract you will be needing from shell.

Reason.they believe contractors with hiring materials and equipments tend to tender a bid at high cost due to expenses they incured hiring the equipments. So they dont fancy giving them better contracts.

Make sure your company practices QA/QC because such things can hinder you from registering with them.

For those who dont understand the bolded, it means that you should have equipments listed in your profile as your own. If you dont have a bulldozer for example and you are bidding for a job that requires one, Shell may not give you the job because it means you have to hire a bulldozer to do the job and that is more expenses or payment from them. So even if you nor get, talk say you get but make sure you have where to go and hire from in a moments notice.

I will be dropping a new networking strategy today, and this one is something you will never expect, so stay tuned.

As for those requesting for a @scantee's company documents.....hmmm make una nor put am for trouble oh. Company documents are confidential and distributing it especially to strangers can cost him his job. When i resigned from where i was working, i later visited them sometime later and documents i would casually pick up and browse through before, i was not allowed to touch them on the grounds that i am no longer a staff. So, if you need a company profile, ask a professional to write one for you. There are so many people out there who can help you, rather than putting someone in trouble.

Anyway, please if you have your own networking strategies please you can share here for us to learn too.

dwag:
Nice one op!! Been following like crazy!!..............I just know dir must be a place where I will come in..............contracts use to come myway buh have nt been able to excute one....from building project to loans worth millions maybe its because am a beginner in it . . Am recently battling on one am been contacted about ..........buh price has been d major challenge.........................am talking about iron scrabs ( ship/vessel scrab)............need like 30-40tonnes to supply for a start..........I came across almost 50,000tonnes of ship been butchered in my two eyes!! And been supplied to companies via truck buh d dud doesn't want to reason my price. ...... Am all scattered up!

Wow...tell me more bout it.

I love scrab business

NETWORKING

As a starter you definitely need some form of networking to be able to get contracts or jobs from multinationals or government institutions. There are some tricks and techniques i have come to understand believe works for me, so i will try to highlight some of them.

1. OPN.
This is what i call Other People's Network. You have a friend who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, etc. Sometimes you are opportuned to have friends who are "highly placed", or just some casual guy who has so many friends, make use of such a guy. Let me tell you how; A friend of mine has some rich uncles who are involved in politics. But they dont really help him so he got himself close to their aids or PAs. He gradually built a network through these people and finally got directly involved with the majority leader, House of Assembly Delta State. Now one thing you should learn today is that when you find yourself involved with someone with a higher status and wealthier than you, DONT ever beg the person for financial assistance. If you want to make friends who are highly placed, DON'T BEG THEM FOR MONEY. No matter how bad your situation is...don't. People tend to run away from friends who always "ask" for financial assistance. Whenever my friend is doing anything, even as small as a birthday party, the caliber of guests who comes around surprises me. When i asked him, he said these kind of people will honour your call anytime when they know you are not a burden (financially). They key is: don't try to benefit from some people you have as friends, make it your mission to key into their network, that is where you will really benefit.

Like my story goes, this my friend now needed a contract from ministry of environment, he went to his friend (or contact) who is the Majority Leader in the state house of assembly and requested for a letter. And the man said, so all these while you have known me you never requested for financial help but a letter?? That is no problem, and he gave him the letter which he took to the ministry of environment. Now he has the contract which he has been enjoying for the past 2 years now and not only that, he has made some new friends in the ministry including the Director, commissioner and several aids, including the commissioner of police. Now this same friend of mine, i never beg him for money (even though is way richer than me), so he is always comfortable coming around me. Recently i told him i want to hustle something from the same ministry of Environment and before i could finish my statement, he took his phone and made a call to the director telling him my needs.

What am i trying to emphasize? Utilize the network your friends have. You might be surprised at how heavily that your "common" friend might be connected if only you just ask him/her. Always ask; do you know anyone who knows someone in that ministry? Do you know anyone who works in that company? Do you know anyone who might be related to Mr Commissioner? Do you know anyone who have some access to that guy in house of assembly? Keep asking questions around your friends and you will see notice that connection you are seeking might just be a stone throw from you.

To be continued.....

Hi all, am back.

Sorry for the absence, i have been busy with some stuff. For those of you who have contributed in one way or the other, thanks...believe me, am also learning from you guys. And for those of you who have tried contacting me via email, you can check now as i have responded to all emails.

So back to business.

Nelton:
Databoy thank you very much for this thread. You are a blessing to so many people. Pls come back and tell us about networking which is key ro success in contracting business. We will also need you to place your contact here because a lot of people would love to partner with you on so many things. Once again thanks
and God bless.

I can be reached on 09050951360 or nwakstar@gmail.com, my website is www.fivestarglobal.net

scantee:
@op God bless you nice thread. Though i just want to point out few things from ur post so far, many of what you listed (documents) here is not really neccessary for freshiers, especially the Nipex registration, i have pratically worked with at least 5 big oil coy, and still with them now, at same time my company (personal) runs a lot of contract jobs for spdc, nlng, agip, mobil, cheavelon etc without all that documents listed, and i am a bit confussed that some of the prices of some registration you mentioned differs here in Ph. Any way keep the good work coming, i will be contributing bit by bit as we progress, with time i would'nt mind given out a comprehensive contract profile for free here, it contains all the polices, method statements, it contains over 20 polices,

I am familiar with contractors who don't really have those documents and yet they get contracts. It happens because those are the big boys of the industry. The company i worked for before i resigned is owned by the former (retired last 2 years) Delta State coordinator of NDDC. Now this person practically sits with someone,a white man (i can't mention his name), who is one of the top guns of Chevron not here in Nigeria, but all the way in Texas, United States. Now this person, she does not bid for projects neither does she submit tons of documents. When Chevron needs a job done, they just email here requesting her company to submit a quotation. And that is all! But for upcoming guys like us, we all need these documentations.

Now if you observe clearly, most major contracts are announced in the Nipex website, visit the site and you will find listings of most contracts, which means they are making those information to their registered members. Some of these companies now do not send emails as per when there is an available contract. They post it on nipex website and nipex in turn will make it available to you. But these are really not compulsory if you are hustling contracts from a manufacturing industry or perhaps a construction company, etc. It's only mandatory if you want to work with oil companies (from the best of my knowledge).

When you mentioned price difference in ph, i believe it should be on a higher side over there.

If you need direct information on available contracts, offers, multinational companies information, strategies, etc, fill the form and subscribe. You will get first hand information weekly. You need this if you need to grow.

http://eepurl.com/51ycX

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Now, lets talk about networking

bigx:
@databoy247 have you read all?

Currently reading the e-myth revisited and learning so much

I have not read one tenth. I am becoming a slow reader and i really need to buckle up.

Are you ready to become a better entrepreneur? Are you ready to boost your results? Are you ready to make fewer mistakes? Are you ready to become the best?

Entrepreneurship is a constant journey of self-improvement. Those are the most successful get busy and focus on self-growth much more than an average person. After you check this list out, don’t forget to order some of the books right away.

Must Read Books For Every Entrepreneur

“The Four Steps To The Epiphany” by Steve Blank
“Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street” by John Brooks
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
“The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses”
by Eric Ries
“How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
“Good to Great” by Jim Collins
“Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way” by Richard Branson
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
“Business Model Generation” by Alexander Osterwalder
“The Start-Up Of You” by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
“#Girlboss” by Sophia Amoruso
“From Resource Allocation To Strategy” by Joseph Bower
“Rework” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
“My Years With General Motors” by Alfred Sloan
“The Practice Of Management” by Peter Drucker
“Founders at Work” by Jessica Livingston
“The Zigzag Principle” by Rich Christiansen
“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely
“How To Win At The Sport Of Business” by Mark Cuban
“Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises” by Timothy F. Geithner
“The Smartest Guys In The Room: The Amazing Rise And Scandalous Fall Of Enron” by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
“The Startup Game” by William H. Draper
“Playing to Win” by Roger Martin and A.G. Lafley
“Innovation and Entrepreneurship” by Peter Drucker
“The Ascent Of Money: A Financial History Of The World” by Niall Ferguson
“The Signal And The Noise” by Nate Silver
“So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love” by Cal Newport
“All Marketers Are Liars” by Seth Godin
“The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene
“The Innovator’s Dilemma” by Clayton Christensen
“Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh
“Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig
“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
“The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz
“Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman” by Yvon Chouinard
“Winning: The Ultimate Business How-To Book” by Jack Welch
“Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy” by Bill Gates
“Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” by Howard Schultz
“Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar & Co.” by Gary Erickson with Lois Lorentzen
“The Four Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferriss
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill
“Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg
“The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber
“Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
“The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki
“The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau
“Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki
“The Dip” by Seth Godin
“Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion” by Gary Vaynerchuk
“The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World” by Niall Ferguson
“Giants of Enterprise: Seven Business Innovators and the Empires They Built” by Richard S. Tedlow
“Liar’s Poker” by Michael Lewis
“The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business” by Josh Kaufman
“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink
“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen
“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
“Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist” by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
“The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” by Charles Duhigg
“Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Innovation” by Larry Downes and Paul Nunes
“Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age” by Paul Graham
“The Wisdom of Failure” by Laurence G. Weinzimmer and Jim McConoughey
“Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity” by Hugh MacLeod
“The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
“Entrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery that Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths” by Joe Abraham
“The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham
“Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work)” by Stephen Schiffman
“Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” by Gary Vaynerchuk
“Socialnomics” by Erik Qualman
“Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson
“Freakonomics” by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
“Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson
“The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson

rydow:
How about first tile bidder that has no previously executed contracts.
How do we cope here?

What you must understand is that as a startup, you cant go ahead bidding for contracts. Bidding process is complicated to an extent and you must be in the game for a period of time to start doing that. One thing i do know is that before you submit a bid you will spend money, sometimes over N100,000. And if it didn't scale through, then you have lost some money. You must be able to handle such loss (without crying..lol).

Having verifiable work experience or previously executed jobs is still possible as a newbie. All you do is lobby for contracts that do not call for bidding. Or you work as a sub contractor under a major contractor. Let me give you an example.

I worked for an organization who was a contractor with ExxonMobil. Now sometime ago, we were called upon to submit a quote on the procurement of speed boats to be donated to a particular community as one of their CSR (Major contractors get called or emailed when there is any job, they really don't bid). After our quote has been approved and funds released, the boss called one of the managers and told him "look for someone who can help us get these speed boats according to specification". Before we submitted the quote we contacted some of our vendors who we know can give us some information, and when we got the contract, we sublet the procurement to the same vendor who gave us the right specs and prices. You see, the guy didnt actually bid for the job but he got it and he made about N1.3 million.

There are big contractors out there who are actually lazy. They keep getting jobs and then they pick upcoming guys and sublet the jobs to them. Of course you might not make millions but you are making money and more importantly, building your profile. The most important thing here is your ability to build good rapport with these guys so they can call on you for anything. Go to their offices, gist with them, send text, spend some money buying beer for some of the workers, and while doing this always whisper; "i can do this, i can do that, so call me if you need me".

**Edited**
Least i forget, i am a website designer and i have been building professional websites for contractors and corporate organizations for a while now, so if you need my help i can do something for you too (affordable). Afterall, it's one of the major prerequisites of becoming a contractor. If you can't afford to set up one (no matter how cheap i charge you), then you have no business here. Some of my clients are;

www.obrusoilservicesltd.com
www.seablueinterlogistics.com
www.theodawnltd.com
www.afrooffshore.com
www.famdoresources.com
etc.
My contact is on my signature

rydow:
The very first day i sign up to Nairaland. I dreamt it saved me, now the saviour is here...
God Bless yhu more OP.
Am 100% following.
But my question is can one bid for a contract which is not stated or related to the nature of bussiness stated in d CAC certificate.

Yes, because what matters most is your area of competence evidenced by previous work done, project completion certificate, etc. If you are bidding for a job on I.T, at least your corporate profile should carry enough of that plus your staff must be competent in that area too (talking about their professional profile).

tooltip:
Hmmm
Databoy I just dey observe! Well done!

What do you say about govt parastatals/ companies that require you to be in business for at least 3 years before you bid??

While choosing a name for your company did you use a generic name that will give you the leverage to bid for jobs in unrelated sectors?

As for government agencies that requires you to be in business for at least 3 years before you bid, then you do it. But while at it, you can still do small jobs with them which you may not actually bid for. If you have good rapport with officials there and you have at one point in time submitted your application to be a vendor, then who says you cannot supply paints to be used in re-painting their building. I don't believe you need to bid for that. Or supply stationery.

Then as for the company name, i always advice people to not only use generic names BUT names people can spell and remember. Some people keep using their native names or most of them will combine the first 2 letters of all their kids and at the end even them cant event pronounce it.

Personally i have observed 4 different types of networking strategies that works. I will share them in my next post. Stay tuned!!!

matrixx:
Hapi new year folks..
Please I am in need of a sample of a business proposal format. Any style would suffice. Please email or post here. Will b very grateful. Thankx. emxfive@yahoo.com

I have sent you an email.

Insurance is good quite alright especially health insurance. BUT the issue right now is that i cant find a single insurance company that partners with any hospital. You are supposed to pay your health insurance premium monthly and if there is any issue, you go to the hospital affiliated to that insurance company, present your card (or whatever they gave to you) and you get treatments which will be billed directly to the insurance company if you have sufficient cover. This does not work yet in this country. The only insurance that works (as i have been told) is motor vehicle insurance.

tkyl:
Back to business.

Lets talk about networking. You dont have an inside man in the company, no problem. You dont know anyone who works there, no problem. get ready to learn some tricks and strategies.



This part is the main koko of the matter!

Spill it bro.........

Following and watching like a hawk!

Nice thread!!

LOL

Goodmorning peeps

Questions are welcome.

Lets talk about packaging a little bit.

To become a contractor with a difference you have to do some packaging. You dont have a choice. Truthfully, this is not a small boy's game. No matter how low you are on cash, you must be ready to spend a minimum of N200,000 for a start excluding office environment. And an office environment is a MUST if you want to make it fast. If you cant afford an office, then pair with someone to rent a space, i believe its cheaper that way.

Now you have done all the necessary registrations, and least i forget, here are some of the prices;
DPR registration - N30,000
TAX clearance - N25,000 (picking up your TIN number is free)
Nipex registration - N30,000 (This is compulsory if you want to get contracts from Oil companies).
Insurance (Workmen compensation) - N10,000, this is what i paid the last time i did it for someone using one of the insurance companies.

Now all these are set, there is something you need more than necessary. Corporate Website.

You must have a website if you want to position yourself properly. Last year when i was processing my vendor registration with APIN in Abuja (Aids Prevention Initiative in Nigeria), i was told that i MUST have a corporate email address and website. The organization will NOT contact you if you present your yahoo or gmail address.

This is one of the important aspects of packaging your company. Secondly, do you have a complimentary card? Do you have a beautifully designed pamphlet? Do you have a corporate profile designed as a brochure? Do you have a "previous jobs done experience"? If you don't have these then get them. They wont cost much but they will speak for you.

If you have an office, do you have a secretary? You really don't need to have so much money to retain one. Let the secretary do other stuff like typesetting, etc so income can be generated from those to pay him/her at the end of the month. Simple but effective strategy.

Do you have a dedicated office phone line? Nokia torch light is N3,000 and am hearing of a new package from Glo whereby you buy a line and pay N2,000 monthly, then have access to call any network for free though out the month. These are not really expensive but will package you to an extent.

And most importantly dress well at all times. You never know who you might run into especially in the bank. PSquare once said people tend to step out of their way and shiver when they walk, it's not because they are pompous or proud, but because of the way the package themselves. A popular saying goes "dress the way you want to be addressed" - Arch Bishop Idahosa.
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[b]In the previous post, i talked about documentation. Pardon me cos i want to do some marketing, you can consider it my incentive for dishing out information on this thread nobody will give to you. These documents are compulsory and if you cant write them, pay a professional to write them for you. And trust me, they are not cheap. Sometimes i charge almost N70,000 just to write HSE policy document and HR manual which culminates to almost 100 pages. A guy i know did some packaging including writing these documents for a company and he was paid N450,000 (i was like: WOW, this guy don hammer).

It's not easy to cough out money for these and thus making it hard for people to set up companies as contractors. I setup a solution sometime ago and people who have requested for it are really smiling cos the solution really cut down their expenses almost 100%. The solution is the Office Manager Bundle Pack which contains over 200 official documents including HSE policy documents, Employee handbook, HR manual, proposals, business plans, financial documents and templates, Contractor's documents, Agreement documents, etc. If you want to become a contractor with a difference and have a piece of the local content chop, then you MUST possess these documents. You will thank me later.

The whole pack of documents is being sold for N8,000 in the official website www.officemanager.com.ng BUT my intention of opening this thread is not to make money but to help. I know if some of you guys here get established, you will definitely give me a call one day for JV or to work with you as a sub contractor in some projects (happy ending). So, if you need these documents i will give it to you for N3000 but it's for people following this thread. Send me an email on nwakstar2020@gmail.com or text me on 09050915360. To start this race in this year 2015, instead of spending over 100k for documents which are a necessity, am helping you get them for 3k. [/b]
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Back to business.

Lets talk about networking. You dont have an inside man in the company, no problem. You dont know anyone who works there, no problem. get ready to learn some tricks and strategies.