₦airaland Forum

tyosho:
It will be nice if this thread is restricted to info about life in australia.Not questions on how to secure visa or gain admission.

My family and I made use of IOM to secure our travel tickets.We went with emirates and had a stopover in Dubai.Nothing special about the travel experience.We were entitled to 40kg per adult,40kg for a child and 23kg for infant.We also paid for 2 extra bags of 32kg each but i hear prices have gone up so cargoing is cheaper.You can cargo through certain airlines like saa,emirates and etihad.
All in all we had like 12 luggages.
I went with ALL kinds of food stuffs except beans(becos of weavils).With my food items,i put them individually in transparent bags and labelled them.Fish,egusi,dry pepper,garri,amala etc.
Got to melbourne,declared i had food items but was not searched and was allowed to go through.

We opened accts with NAB and commonwealth bank but didnt transfer any money from nigera.We went with some cash and left the remaining in a GT dom acct and transferred from there to our OZzy acct when we arrived.We also opened a dom acct in OZ(commonwealth bank was seamless) for ease of transfer.There might be a cheaper way to transfer funds but this is what we did.

We stayed with family in Northern suburbs initially but got our own place in the Eastern suburbs,somewhere not far from Dandenong.We settled for the East because its quite busy,more factories and industries in these areas.If i dont live in the East,I will go for the North and West in that order.West is cheapest but people say it has a history of crime.I however have friends who have lived in the West over 10years and have never had any incidents.Anyhow,wherever you decide to stay is fine.Just get somewhere close to the train station and mall.

In melbourne,you can use your naija license for 6months.My husband passed his victoria drivers test on first attempt,i havnt tried yet for my drivers license.People say though that it can be quite tough cos i know someone who failed 5times!I was able to start driving within 2months of getting here.Just remember,you drive on the left always.

No ideas on how mortgages work but when choosing a neighborhood,also consider ones with good schools if you have kids.If your kids are still of daycare age(below 5),use careforkids.com.au to compare prices,reviews etc.

Settling in was not bad for me cos i had friends and family here already.My kids settled fine as well.

Upon arrival;
Get a mobile sim(i use lebara)
Apply for TFN
Open a bank account or go and activate the one you opened from Nigeria
Go to centerlink and medicare for registration
Get a travel card(MYki card if in melbourne).

Update your linkedin profile and make it very appealing to recruiters.You can also search for recruiters on Linkedin.

With regards to work,there is always something to do.It might not be want you want initially but there is work.Some people start off working at factories,aged care homes,disability and support centres etc until they eventually get what they want.Some people also end up going into nursing,community welfare,policing etc.But like i said,if you dont mind chopping humble pie to start somewhere earning money with these blue collar jobs,you will be okay.I know people who have houses with money earned from these blue collar professions.
There is dignity of labour here so people dont care what job you do to earn money.

For transportation,if you can afford it,pls plan to buy a car asap(carsales.com.au,gumtreee.com.au).please buy cars with roadworthiness and valid registration(at least 6months).If no car,you can use the metro system until you can afford to get a car here.

For housing,a friend referred us to her agent who leased us an apartment even though we didnt have jobs at the time.She accepted our bank statements as proof of income.We pay just a little below 2k monthly as rent.

Then i also just found out about NRAS housing scheme from a colleague days back.Its for families who fall within a certain income threshold.IF your rent was like 350,you would pay like 260 and the govt will pay the balance.I dont have much info as i dont qualify anymore since hubby and I both work now.But im certain most freshbies would qualify.

With furnishing the house,we went across gumtree.com(for people who were selling their furniture due relocation or other reasons),kmart stores( for kitchen items),bestbuy.com(this is a company that sells new electronics at reduced prices because they have scratches or marks on them;there are plenty stores like that but this is the one i patronised) and ikea stores(for kitchen and beddings)

For people that dont mind as well,in order to save costs,you can patronise Salvos stores(its a charity shop that all kinds of household items in great condition)

During cold weather,you wear jacket and use heater(we paid almost 200 a month for heating during this past winter)

I do most of my shopping at Dandenong Market as food stuffs there is cheaper than everyother place I know.There is also Marmara market at Dandenong(all kinds of food items including shaki,cowleg,cow tongue etc) and an African store not far from the market(cant rememeber the name).At noble park is SUR african shop where i get dry fish,palm oil,egusi and stuff like that.

With departmental stores,woolworths is most expensive and aldi is cheapest.Coles is in between.
I know of only one nigerian restaurant that recently opened in the city and i have never been there before.
There is also another popular naija shop in the West called Fatimoh"s shop

With centerlink link claims,we were paid family tax benefit part A and B,family rebate and child care assistance.This all sumed up to $621 forthnightly for the first 4months,it came down to 550 and then now sits at $89 fortnightly.It reduces with every income increase.
Childcare rates was $113 for two kids initially (5days a week) and now is $370 a week.

We also got a concession card which has now been cancelled since we both have jobs.With the concession card,we paid discounted electricity and waterbills,half price for transportation,free ambulance cover,susbsizied fees if we had done any studies at the time and my first kid who is in kinder got 15hours free of daycare weekly .

With jobs,for me,it was just God.I got a job in the Tier 1 team of an IT company with no technical knowledge whatsover.It was my 3rd video interview and i got the job two months after arrival.I commute 54mins by train to the CBD which is quite a distance by OZ standard.But i dont mind really.I got the job through indeed.com which i prefer to seek.com
There a couple of recruitment agencies i know and i will list as i remember.

Strategy one(blue collar)
Adecco
Hoban
Ozstaff(blue collar)
Randstad
Sharp &carter
Hays
Smaart



cc Bellong,vinsmuft,funkjo,oknee,hordunayo,incemay,abeg you guys should come and add o

How much is average salary for entry level graduate jobs in Australia? And what is the average total expenditure for a single guy in a month in Australia? Kindly help with my enquiries.

kelsberg007:
Is it good to have sex with a lady in her father's house?

Is it good for your sister to have sex with her boyfriend in your father's house? Wouldn't your father felt disrespected?

Op, you should include bank of industry. Fresh graduate is paid monthly salary of 350,000 naira with other bonus.

EMMAACHILE:
Rice farming is one of the most difficult to do. In Kogi especially Lokoja area, the rice must be timed to avoid disaster of birds consuming all the grains at harvest.
There are easier crops to cultivate.
If I must play in the rice industry, i will go for a rice mill where a 200kg rice paddy of 14,000 will produce a 150kg of refined rice (3 bags) which wholesales for 14,000*3=N42,000.
A return of at least 100% is guaranteed.

Please, how much does a small scale rice milling factory will cost to set up?

It's far cheaper buying your products from AliExpress.com. Try to less your process if you want patronage from Nigerians.

The governor of Benue state is a joke. The valuation of Benue as a state is not worth 50 billion naira. Is it not that same poverty stricken Benue state we are talking about? I am sure since the creation of Benue state, the state has not generate 50 billion naira as their internal generated revenue.

Don't just post pictures. Quote the price you are selling each too.

Ifylicious:
Any of the two. I am selling chinchin. Do you kno2 how one can get them?

What you need is sales canvassers to push your chin chin to your target markets. Your target markets should be shops in busy locations like motor garage, public and private schools, offices in business districts. If you need sales canvassers, there are lot of job agencies in Ikeja computer village. Kindly contact them for their services.

Ifylicious:
Good day, Please how can i get all these hawkers that are usually at strategic areas? Is there any associations for them or what? Thanks I await a reply

Do you mean sales canvassers or hawkers? What products are you selling? It will determine the one you need.

cj1080:
First off, who is your target market?

Are they
Restaurants
Bars
Families
Clubs
Supermarkets

You will need to find out what type of fruit juice they are buying?
How much they are buying them for?
Why they are buying them as against other brands?


Will credit sales help you brand reach?

If you sell on credit will more people buy or less?
If you don't sell on credit, how many buyers will you have?
In a test month of selling on credit and another of not selling on credit, what was the total sales?

I can't really advise you on credit sales as you will first have to test both to know which best suits you.

But I can tell you that if you brand is well received and liked, then the amount of credit sales will reduce.

Now to your final question

Marketing strategies?

What has worked in the pasted for other fruit juice companies?

Is it road shows?
Market surveys?
Or physical brand reps in sale locations?

Have you tested any of these strategies before?

I know I answered most of your questions with a question.

But what I want you do is, see these questions as likely tests or processes for developing a sales process for your product.

Selling on credit generates more sales than not selling on credit. But selling on credit affects our cash flow and production targets since we don't really have much money for working capital on ground compared to the big companies.

Sometimes, we had to wait between five to seven days to receive payment from our customers after supplying them.

I never knew Bars is also a target market for our fruit juice. Is it not only alcohol that is sold in Bars?

cj1080:
Your welcome bro.

Will be sharing books and audios that cover the process of selling and how to become a better sales person.

Look out for books from none names, I. E Brian Tracy and the likes

How do I introduce new product which is fruit juice to my target markets? How do I avoid selling on credit to my target audiences? What marketing strategies will you suggest to me on how to penetrate the markets in Lagos?

braine:
Its good you have planned your business.

I think you should venture into household furniture coz you'll have a large consumer base which would have cheaper making costs compared with office furniture which would cost you much to reach your customers.

The location of your business may be determined by how much you can afford for a showroom around the area: a showroom at Lekki will be costlier than that at Iyana Paja, obviously. So, stating how much you have in your budget would help you decide faster.

About marketing strategies; I think you should start with the traditional flyer printing and distributing around the area for awareness and then taking it from there.

I am thinking of getting an open space in middle class neighborhood such as ilupeju, Ikeja GRA etc. I believe residents in those neighborhood will have the purchasing power to buy good locally made furniture compared to low income neighborhood like Agege, iyana ipaja etc. The cost of renting an open space in those middle class neighborhood in Lagos is too high.

Guys, I intend to start a small scale furniture business in Lagos. I need advice on how to position the furniture business to be profitable.

Between home furniture and office furniture, which do you think will sell fast? Where in Lagos do you think it should be the location of my furniture showroom? What marketing strategies will you suggest to me in order to boost sales? I am starting the business on small scale with start up capital of 500,000 naira only.

Kindly make a suggestion or comments.

OP, you forgot that the poor and lower income earners constitute the larger percentage of Nigerian population. Whatever you are selling, if the poor and lower income earners can not afford it, it will be difficult for your business to succeed in Nigeria. How many people are rich and wealthy compare to the poor and low income earners in Nigeria. ? You forgot that business is about turnover.

Patience has taught me many things are not always in our hands, sometimes our goals can be achieved only if and when others move forward. You have to wait and watch.

Also, It has taught me to give time to everything to unravel themselves and not jump to conclusions regarding how pathetic life or a situation seems right now.

I trust nigerians. They can't buy any drink that is above 100 naira. That's why carbonated soft drink sells more than fruit juices or yoghurt in Nigeria. And everyone knows soda drinks is not healthy. Too much poverty in the land is the cause of it

powerfulG:
Less than 100 cartons can only make you a Sub Distributor.
What is your location?

Can you send some sample of the chin chin to my shop in Ogun state to taste the quality of chin chin firstly?

JODELL:
Instead of renting a store, why not built a website for custom built furniture, where you go to clients and get their other and your guy built the furniture according to the customer custom specification and your website at as your showroom and you can market to the whole Nigeria than marketing only to your store location, and spend the 30% of the cost of the store to built an online store and move around to market your products to prospective clients. If you needs further advice you can reach me on 08033761664. We are technology and management consulting firm.
Thanks

Having an online furniture store is a good idea. The problem is the awareness of the furniture website (traffic) by Nigerians. Or else the online furniture store will just be unpopular and redundant.

Also, I have a doubt about creating online furniture store. I believe people will always prefer to buy their furniture from physical store. They want to see what they are paying for. Not all business can be done online. It's just a like a person trying to sell block or cement online. Nobody will buy it online.

JODELL:
Instead of renting a store, why not built a website for custom built furniture, where you go to clients and get their other and your guy built the furniture according to the customer custom specification and your website at as your showroom and you can market to the whole Nigeria than marketing only to your store location, and spend the 30% of the cost of the store to built an online store and move around to market your products to prospective clients. If you needs further advice you can reach me on 08033761664. We are technology and management consulting firm.
Thanks

Having an online furniture store is a good idea. The problem is the awareness of the furniture website (traffic) by Nigerians. Or else the online furniture store will just be unpopular and redundant.

vladimiros:
anybody praising this OP is just as foolish as the op

op is a madman, I fvcking mad man

30k salary and he wants to get married .

op let me make u feel bad.

I am 23 and last month I made over 800k, what do I do? agro trading..simple

I started with 50k. I currently have 3 employees..

and the 800k even small sef.

op u better fing money or else..

I have warned you

What kind of agro trading are you into? Can you please explain better? Maybe I could be interested.

ugomnaanny:
Nice one. Everything depends on location and advert.

Can you suggest good location for the business in Lagos and how to advertise it?

Don't just view. Make a comment.

I think 35,000 naira can raise a family in Nigeria. If you doubt it, kindly ask security man, company drivers, factory workers etc in Lagos how much they are paid as monthly salary. Majority of them are paid less than 30,000 naira yet they have a wife and children at home. It's not how much you earn but how you utilize it.

I also noticed the price of beverages in ShopRite are twenty percent higher than the price in our regular corner-shops in Nigeria.

The increase in their price could be as a result of high overhead costs. It is not easy to run diesel 24/7 and also pay workers's salaries.

I will like to know if the sales of ready made furniture a profitable business to embark upon in Nigeria. I have a very good furniture maker that want to partner with me in the business. He will be making the furniture at his workshop and supply me at a discount price while I will be selling the furniture at showroom in a good location.

His furniture are very good, durable and attractive. He is very good in furniture making and he is not educated but he can read and write . He believes that as I am a graduate, I can market and sell more furniture in my showroom.

Do you guys think the business idea will work? Cause I am ready to start with 500,000 naira.

Moderator, help me push this topic to front page please for comments.

Evaberry:
...

A million naira Monthly and he doesn't own a house or have any tangible investment


Give that money to Mazi Ebuka and watch how he transforms himself into a billionaire


Frank is a disgrace to all hardworking men

How are you sure he doesn't own a house? It's not possible to earn such an amount of money and not be able to build a house in Nigeria.

tiredoflife:
How long will this continue....when will I marry my bride....I love family life....I watch married peeps and dream its my home.....but I come back looking at myself....will it ever happen
To marry these days no be beans
I ve nothing
How will I marry
Years dey go
Dem say get hope
Which hope
Where is to
I buried a 21yr old boy a few months back who killed himself
I clothed him up
I felt so one with him
I kept saying to myself he is a bold man to do it
I wished I was the one lying there that day as we poured sand over his grave
No food
Nuffin
Na life be dis

Marriage should not be your top priority for now. What you should be thinking is a source of income. Seriously, 38 years is not that old for a man. There are a lot of men who are in their 40s in my estate still living with their parents and trying to sort their life issues.I am 30 years old and have my own apartment. That doesn't mean I look down on them. The challenges of everyone is different and we hang out and talk as men.

So at 38, you should not put yourself on undue pressure rather think of getting a job or acquiring a skill or handiwork to start your own business. Once you do that, you will be earning a living and have your own apartment. Trust me, ladies will always be available for marriage in as much as you are financially independent.

ginikagreene:
Years ago, I told my husband to go for his PGD and MSC but he blatantly refused with one excuse or the other, l ran to my parents, his parents and everybody I know but I was labelled a nag.
Now appointments were made and he was denied due to his result (Third class), his boss told me that personally that Third class graduates cannot be considered (it's a rule).
This hurt me so much because I recall how I ran everywhere asking people to help me tell him to go back to school, his sister and friend that always tell him I'm a witch and I don't mean well for him they've started their MSC.
I am so devastated to hear this, his friend even asked my husband to be his reference, I am so angry because this man does not want to do anything meaningful with his life.
A grown ass man will just be playing games all day, he is good with this DJ stuff, I told him let us set up that but no he won't accept.
I believe he is cursed because I can't believe someone can be this stupid, oyaaaaaa...my mom introduced him to her business but no he won't go out and hustle, all he does is play games and womanize.
He is ten years older than me and I earn less than him but I started a little business with my salary, bought two cars, furnished our home and take care of our kids.
He has nothing to show for all the money he has earned working, all he has is shoes and clothes.
I strongly believe there is a curse somewhere, please what more can I do.
I don't want my children to grow up seeing him like this. I'm worried

You need to have a deep conversation with your husband. You should ask him what are his plans and ambition in life? How he intends to achieve it? Tell him you are ready to stand by him and support his ambition in as much as you can see the drive and passion to fulfill his ambition. I am sure when you do that, he will open up to you about what he really wants in life. It is not compulsory that he must enroll for PGD/MSC if he doesn't want it. Also, your husband graduating with third class honours is not an obstacle in being successful.

hoyze24:
Starting is always the hardest part. Funny enough, some guys did something similar with groundnut in Taraba state and parted with farmers' produce. There's been so much distrust since the incidence.

Do you supply on credit to your customers (market traders) in south-south and south-east on credit? Or is it strictly cash before supply ? If you do supply your customers on credit, how many days credit do you grant them to pay up their invoice? Also, do your customers honour their credit payment as at due date?
Expecting your response.

I can never sponsor another man's daughter to school. What kind of family did your fiancée come from if her parents can not sponsor their only child's education.

It's show her parents are lazy and irresponsible. For God's sake, she is not yet your wife.

DeRay98:
Mister man, you have seen the opportunity to become a Multi millionaires is pineapple business yet you're waiting for govt to start a company and employ you.
Stop wasting opportunities and criticising govt., Dangote started from buying selling Sugar now he owns sugar factories.
Go and find how to utilise the pineapple to as business to become rich make hate and bitterness no kill you.

I hope you are ok? Did I say l reside in Edo state even when I am an indigene of Edo state? Do I look like an unemployed youth looking for a job to you? Instead of the governor to set up industries that will provide employment for the numerous jobless graduates in the state, you are here encouraging the governor for wasting tax payers money on needless traffic agency.

Which traffic is in Edo state that the governor is creating traffic agency? Must Edo state emulate Lagos state in everything? Is it the farmers, traders or civil servants that have no cars that will create traffic on the road of Edo state?

As far I am concerned, this is a waste of limited public funds. It could have been utilized in establishing an agro processing factories in the state and employ the youth. Edo state is the largest producer of pineapples in Nigeria yet there is no single fruit juice factory in the state in operation.