₦airaland Forum

After receiving lots of email requests from my blog readers to write about the kinds of profitable businesses to delve into in 2014, I have decided to make this post on how to make money from transportation business in Nigeria. So yesterday I hung out with the guy managing my Dad’s LT bus over a couple of drinks and we had an in-depth discussion about the profit potential of running an intra state transportation business in Nigeria; I was amazed at the amount of money you could make from the business.

I found out that the transportation business is one of the easiest ways to make money since you render daily demand services to people which they cannot resist; it comes with its own risks and challenges as with every other business though. Imagine the number of people you see commuting to their places of work and businesses early in the morning, afternoon and evening; because the majority do not own a vehicle, they definitely have to pay a fare to be transported to their destination. What if you have a transport system that can convey them to their destination and get paid?

Do you perceive the profit potential in this business? Like I have always said, when you render services that people need, they will throw their money at you. Today, I would show you the business of public transportation in Nigeria using the LT buses as a case study. Just in case you do not know what it looks likes, see picture below:
THIS IS WHAT THE LT BUS LOOKS LIKE

LT bus
INCOME POTENTIAL……

money naira, money goals,

These kind of buses can take up to 25 passengers and make you anything between N6,000 to N8,000 per day if properly managed. Depending on the grade, you can purchase the Tokunbo version of this kind of bus for anything between N1,000,000 to N1, 200,000 this not including the cost of registration and putting the bus in order like fixing the chairs, glasses and any other item that needs to be fixed. I strongly advice you purchase a bus in a good working condition; you can have your mechanic check up on the vehicle before purchase. The aim of doing this is to ensure you spend less on maintenance and servicing the vehicle so you can easily get easily recoup the cost of the bus in about 6 months. Let’s do a little arithmetic here; let’s say you agree with the bus driver or manager to get paid N6,000 a day for 6 days ( Monday-Saturday), that’s N36,000 a week multiply by 4 weeks in a month; that’s N144,000 in a month. If you purchased the bus at the rate of N1,200,000 you would have recouped your money in about 8 months or lesser because you could collect more for daily delivery; depends on how much you bargain with your bus manager or driver. In order to make even more money, you could invest in another bus as soon as you recoup up to N1,200,000, this would increase your earning power. Please note the cost of maintenance is not included here; this depends on the managing company, they could offer to do the maintenance and servicing for you when the need arises.
RISK INVOLVED

risk-icon

You already know that there is risk involved in every business. If you are new to this business, I recommend you entrust your vehicle to a reputable managing company. There are lots of them around but you have to proceed with extreme caution so you don’t have your vehicle in the wrong hands. A good management would in turn give the vehicle to a driver after series of tests and assessment. In my own view, I think this reduces the risk. The managing company goes into an agreement with the driver to deliver a stipulated fee on a daily basis; the managing company takes their cut and then pays you an agreed fee on a daily basis. The money is usually paid to your account on Friday. In some cases, the managing company may take up the responsibility of maintaining to vehicle.

Another risk involved is bad roads and recklessness of drivers. I have seen most of these drivers handle these buses and believe me; they could be so rough; why should they care anyway, the vehicles does not belong to them. Also, operating within a certain route is more preferable.

This business is a lucrative business if the vehicles are handled properly by appropriate persons. It helps you make money on a daily business, all you need do is invest your money in the buses and hand it over to the right persons to manage.

I hope this information helps.

Source: - http://biznvent.com/how-to-make-lots-of-money-from-transportation-business/

Designs have class, and we are looking at those at the top?

Here they are. na dis ones dey carry first.

Stetas is especially my favorite.


see more: www.biznvent.com

The competition had 10 finalists after over 300 entries were narrowed down. And on Saturday at the live event at Terra Kulture, Charae Robinson’s ‘Rare Customs‘ walked away with Sheleads Africa entrepreneur competition first prize of $10,000 followed by Nour Drissi’s ‘Louvre1 Voiture’ and Taffi Woolward’s ‘Thandos’ in 2nd place and 3rd place respectively in a battle.

Rare Customs creates development strategies, products, and brands that shape the future of travel to Africa. They operate at the intersection of tourism and development focusing on modernizing the tourism value chain, engaging travelers in innovative ways, and ensuring that the industry grows sustainably.

Rare Customs is rooted in the millenial generation, and believes that digital is a huge part of our culture and as such leverage on social media, mobile apps, youtube into everything they we do. Their work creates value-building visions, plans, and assets that showcase “aspirational Africa” while promoting and preserving cultural heritage. For Rare Customs, they are all about the evolution of today’s traveler.

I didn’t hear all the contestants pitch, but when I did hear Charae Robinson’s pitch, well organised and designed presentation, well delivered, audacious, I knew she got game. She has nearly a decade of experience in international organizations, she has traveled to over 30 countries 10 of them being in Africa. Ms Charae has been featured in Huffpo, Essence, The Guardian Uk and Fusion. She is also known as the ‘Keeper of the cool’ amongst her team.

On the other hand, I was able to meet over 6 of the contestants on Friday night at the cocktail party before the competition, speaking to them one by one, I also saw they all got what it takes to win. Amogst all, Nour Drissi and Jade Mann were open minded, they personally told me they were prepared for whatever happens.

See more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/rare-customs-wins-sheleads-africa-female-entrepreneur-competition/

Recently some Nigerian industrialists and electricity generating companies look to import coal from South Africa, as a proactive measure against the lingering power supply crisis in the country. This move has reopened debate on the ‘abandoned’ coal deposits in many parts of the country. The firms claim this will enable them switch over to coal-powered turbines, due to frustrations being experienced by operators in getting gas to fuel their respective power plants.

This will go down despite an inferred reserve of 2.75 billion tonnes of coal deposit in Nigeria. Just as the country is a major crude oil producer but relies heavily on imported oil products, joining the league of coal importing countries is most unfortunate when the nation’s coal resources remain largely unexploited. Such mismanagement and poor attention to issues of national development planning is lamentable."

Nigeria is assessed to have about the largest gas reserves in the world, but the parlous supply infrastructure has compromised distribution to various plants requiring the commodity. Yet, the nation’s coal reserves remain largely unexploited, even after the Federal Government has sold out the blocs to prospective miners.

Besides, some power generating companies (Gencos) are in the process of converting their plants to coal-fired turbines, in view of unabated crisis in securing gas to power their respective facilities.

Mostly affected by the gas paucity crisis are the Gencos that are located inland, which have not got the close proximity advantage to the gas supplying facilities, which are located in the Niger Delta region. One of the operators, who spoke with The Guardian on condition of anonymity, pointed out that lack of distribution facility had been the bane of several power generating plants that are not located close to the source of the commodity.

Only recently, the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, disclosed that the government was disposed to developing alternative sources of energy, which abound in the country, and would include the exploitation of large deposits of coal for power in Gombe, Enugu and Kogi/Benue axis.

LEADING the coal-import initiative from South Africa is Dangote Cement Plc, which has already placed an initial order of 30,000 tonnes of the commodity from the continent’s second largest economy to power its 60-megawatts plants, with another 30 megawatts generating facility on standby. The company has allegedly slated $250 million for power generating conversion, which would involve establishment of three plants at Dangote Cement’s facilities at Obajana in Kogi State; Gboko in Benue State; and Ibeshe in Ogun State.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Devakupar Edwin, explained that the company had to be proactive in resolving the lingering power supply crisis in the country, as ‘‘we cannot afford to compromise the objectives of promoting value addition and job creation in Nigeria.”

Edwin stressed that ‘‘no business can survive in an atmosphere of energy crisis. If we don’t have power and fuel, our operations would become endangered.” According to him, ‘‘Dangote Cement would be investing $250 million in coal-based power plants, due to increasing difficulties in getting gas supply to power our electricity generating plants. All our kilns will be powered by coal, with the new plants located in Obajana, Ibeshe and Gboko,” he said

Edwin, however, explained that the coal importation agenda was only scripted as a temporary measure, to forestall system collapse in their operations.

‘‘We are aware of large coal deposits in Nigeria and the allocation of blocs to prospective miners. But we have to take urgent steps to safeguard our investments in the country, more so as exploitation of the commodity has not commenced on a scale that can sustain our operations. Currently, we don’t have either gas or black oil (low pour fuel oil) to run our machines fully. We even had to resort to importation of black oil to do our business,” he said.

Nigeria is one of the top countries with huge deposits of coal. The largest deposit of coal in Nigeria is in Enugu. It was mentioned by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency as one of the options for new energy plans. Since all these years that Nigeria has been planning and investing in the energy sector, no one was doing anything to develop the large coal reserve in the southeast state of Enugu? Yet they want us to believe that the power reform plan is still on course. But when they commenced the building of gas turbines for power, they commenced plans to produce and supply gas.

"That did not materialise as many locations were judged as inaccessible for gas supply. We were told that the coal deposit in Enugu could serve Nigeria in the next twenty years. So what is the obstacle that stands between exploiting it and using it to improve our energy or electricity challenges?

See more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/nigerian-industrialists-and-electricity-companies-to-import-coal-from-south-africa/

Walahi, i can hear the shout from here sef... she haff vexxxx

shady26: Must you Shout?

What is GOOSE for Uganda... Is GOOD for PERU Word!!!!!!

Now my comment-------------

The biggest decision for women is choosing the right boyfriend or husband and the biggest decision for many men is choosing between ORIJIN and his fave beer before ORIJIN came to be.

OP to add this, most women especially the most beautiful ones have this issue because there are many guys after them. Guys who start chatting with them in this way; "Hi pretty, for a long time i have been searching for a soul mate, someone intelligent, beautiful, and God-fearing, and sweet heart, you fit this criteria". I want to marry you.

7 out of every 10 men use this line. I've put myself in their shoes many times and I know its not easy especially when the people approaching you are having the MOOLA.

For many of them, you are a trophy, mere trophy that they boast with in public, 'omo you no see how fine my wife is?"
That is what it is. And most times it gets to the head of many of these ladies that they don't even see that guy that means well even though he is actually there.

Moreso, the ones who mean well don't go after extremely beautiful ladies, because dem no sey na dia all man wan die put. You will never be at peace dating an extremely beautiful lady.

1. Racism will never end as long as white cars are still using black tyres.
2. Racism will not end as long as we still wash WHITE clothes first, then other colors later.
3. Racism will not end as long as we use black color to symbolize bad luck and WHITE color to symbolize peace.
4. Racism will not end if people keep wearing black clothes to funerals and WHITE clothes to weddings.
5. Racism will never end as long as those who dont pay their bills are blacklisted not White listed.
But I don't care, so long as I am STILL using the WHITE TOILET PAPER TO WIPE MY ASS, I am still fine.- Mugabe

Truth234: If you have all you stated above, there is no way you wont graduate with a First Class. Successful minds are always successful no matter what you throw at them.

If you cant successfully navigate your way to First Class or 2:1 with a good plan and strategy, how can you compete in a global business world where everything is ever changing?

I BEG TO DIFFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Strategy and plan that aids in navigating to the top of class just to get 2'1 or 1 is not the same as THAT BY WHICH ONE CAN MAKE IT IN GLOBAL BUSINESS WORLD.

YOUR COMMENT IS NULL AND VOID, BUT I DO NOT BLAME YOU FOR YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK AS YOU UNDERSTAND AND CHATTER WHAT YOUR MIND CAN FATHOM.

GO TO ALABA, COMPUTER VILLAGE, TRADEFAIR, BALOGUN, THOSE MEN DO BUSINESS EVERY DAY WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITH CHINA, TAIPEI, HONG KONG, UNITED STATES, VIETNAM, JAPAN, GERMANY.... THE WORLD LEADING BUSINESS COUNTRIES. THEY DO NOT HAVE 2'1 OR 1, YOU ARE HERE TALKING ABOUT 2'1 AND STRATEGY AND GLOBAL BUSINESS... YOU DON'T KNOW JACK.

I didn't need to read this article in its entirety before I knew it was full of bullsh1t. It is people like you that are the reason why Nigeria is where it is.
You cannot think beyond 1st class or second class upper degrees or masters. This article is misleading. Go out there and see how many 2'1 graduates that still do not have jobs. OVER GLORIFICATION OF GRADES.

I'm sure this article will enlighten you.

https://www.nairaland.com/1898271/these-4-cases-show-why

Fine, the companies you mentioned may be hunting for 2'1s, how many are they? How many 2'1s do we have graduating every year? How many times do these companies recruit? How many people do they recruit each time?

@truth234.... wait my comment.

They say many Nigerian graduates are not employable, you will beg to differ until you have gone through rigorous and time wasting recruitment process of trying to get the right person for the job.

Take this 4 cases.
Case 1: A media company needs to recruit staff for a target driven role; ‘we need you to get us 2.5 milion naira in sales by the end of the month’ the company says. Now during the recruitment process, 70% of the interviewees did not properly research the company so as to get in depth knowledge. When asked, one says ‘I think the company does….’ another says ‘the company is into…..’ but the look on his face shows he’s not even sure.

These are the kind of individuals firms see everyday at interviews, and at some point a firm desperate to fill the role takes on a staff with no track achievements but promises that the goal can be achieved. A month later, there is no result, no money, and the firm has no choice but to pay that same staff who in his first 2 weeks became complacent on the job, waits to be spoon fed rather than hit the ground running as promised. The staff who has continued to murmur on how some things are not achievable for a company that is looking to disrupt the market due to their uncanny approach and model. Didn’t he see these things when he was applying for the job?

Case 2: After the interview process, this same company finds another individual who promises heaven if employed. Now the company is skeptical about this move since the other recruited individual has produced nothing. Now the company starts thinking; “if this individual can do this, why is she waiting to be officially employed”.
Now if I was this particular individual I would request a form of identification and agreement with the company to get a certain percentage of any job I pull in plus my salary. But if I’m not able to get anything by the month’s end, I get nothing.

You see if one thinks this way, it gives one wings to fly, because the thought of not getting anything becomes your nightmare, for one its either all or nothing thus making one go all out. But on the other hand, if you are sure you will get paid whether you meet your goal or not, then subconsciously there is no real ginger to achieve it.

Case 3: A digital company looks to employ a content developer and during the recruitment process comes across an individual who is awaiting youth service. Now this individual says is she’s willing to learn a few things but has developed great content in the past. So they give her the benefit of the doubt and then proceed with the second stage of the recruitment where she’s to develop a trial content, the exact type the firm needs. And on the day of this trials,the individual refuses to proceed unless she’s told of the other benefits the job attracts.

Its right to demand for what is ours yes? But what is wrong with this? Over confidence. This is the problem with many Nigerians today. We boast of what we can do even when we have done nothing, we boast of the big things we have done even though they are actually little. In many cases we over assume that we are bigger than certain things and are over confident when in truth we are far below it. For this lad, that was the end of the interview.

Case 4: A young lady looks to work in a broadcasting corporation. It is her dream job she says to a friend of a friend of hers named Esiab. She tells him that she has been told she must have a background in broadcasting or she can’t get that dream job. Now Esiab thinks for a moment and then comes up with an idea. He says to her; “If you are really good at this, then damn all the things people tell you and go all out, start Vlogging. Youtube is free and you have a smart phone with a front camera, so get on with it. Broadcast onto your phone’s camera capitalizing on the latest trends. Share your opinion clearly albeit being creative. If you are able to get upto 20 videos onto youtube, share it with friends on social media and a few months you’ll be a youtube star and if you still want to work for a broadcasting corporation, those videos are your CV, no employer would turn you down seeing your youtube hits and viewership. Because by then you won’t be saying to them ‘I can do it’, you’ll be saying ‘I have done it’, you will be more than the next individual with a paper resume.

Now as easy and great as this idea sounds, not many people will do this, 70% will rather sit at home and continue peddling their resumes to employers just like the rest of a thousand other people applying for the same job albeit walloping in despondent poordom. In today’s Nigeria, young individuals have become lazy, they wait till there’s an office seat, I.D card and promise of salary before they actually hit the ground running and prove their worth. They have become complacent and prefer to be spoon fed. As an emerging economy, as long we continue to think in this way, many will remain jobless, hungry and useless and this does not help the nation’s GDP.

See more; - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/these-4-cases-show-why-nigerian-university-graduates-are-still-unemployable/

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Regardless of your grade, 1. 2.1, 2.2, many Nigerian university graduates don't know jack sh1t.

I am posting this because of this article I read here on Nairaland....

https://www.nairaland.com/1896298/why-must-finish-least-2.1

------------------------------------------NOW READ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lagos Nigeria is arguably the largest city in Africa with the population standing at 17.5 million at 2006 and 21 million in the present day after growing at a rate of 3.2%. This state in Nigeria constitutes the bulk of the producers and consumers of goods and services and is also the prime beneficiary of development in the country perhaps the reason for massive influx of individuals from other states and countries.

In Lagos, population has been a rather sensitive, a conversation I had with a friend a few weeks threw more light on the dangers and the future of Lagos state if it continues to grow at this rate. It is said there are no more lands in the inner-Lagos and for this reason property developers are moving to the outskirts like Owode, Ifo, Adodo Ota, Ibeju, Sango, to create habitats. It is arguable that this is also a reason for the Lagos state government embankment on 'Eko Atlantic' land reclamation project aside creating a permanent solution for Bar beach's encroachment from the Atlantic ocean.

It is said that this dynamic new city would will house at least 250,000 people and provide a workplace for another 150,000, but that is still a long way shy of the 17 Million population, that is if we are talking about depopulation Lagos. And this does not still help the traffic caused by number of vehicles on the roads which according to Lagos State Ministry of Transportation is about 1.1 million.

Now what is the future of Lagos? I stumbled upon a some art works online, the urban future as foreseen by a San Francisco-based artist Michael Kerbow. The paintings are a series of acrylic and oil paintings depicting the inevitable result of human over-consumption, over-construction, and over-population of the cities, where things are headed unless we consider our actions and find a way of depopulation our cities .


Compulsive Actions
This picture clearly shows you too many cars on the roads and alternate highways constructed to cater for the increasing number of cars on the roads.


Churn
This features a "humongous churning mass of cars" To Kerbow, the painting "is a good metaphor for talking about fossil fuel usage." A Means to an End, meanwhile, is a "parable about human hubris." Also inspired by Bruegel, it's based on the story of Icarus. "Every day our lives are about getting from point A to B," he says. "When you're commuting, you’re not being mindful about what’s powering that way of existing." Hence the smoke stack fouling the atmosphere out beyond the traffic jam.


Empty Promises

A look at this image reminds me of how empty many towers and high rise building in Victoria Island Lagos Nigeria are. Most of the buildings were constructed with bank loans and promises that soon as they start to function, big firms and conglomerates would move in and perhaps after a few years, the construction money will start to be made back but unfortunately the rates of spaces in these buildings are so high that companies after moving in because of the posh and glamour start moving out because they cannot continue to pay the high rates, not if they want to stay in business.



Convoy

In Lagos Nigeria, everyone wants to own a car, oh well, that's past tense, now everyone not just in Lagos but in Nigeria wants to own a Private jet. According to punchng of Jan 2014, the Nigerian presidency has 11 private jets, and according to a Guardian publication, Nigeria tops lists of private jet owners in Africa. Now looking at this picture, I see danfo buses and ants of cars, a typical old oshodi image. This is the Lagos I know so well and I must commend this artist whom I doubt has never being to Nigeria, or Lagos for that matter.

Now when you look at the sky, you see the jets and planes. This is what will happen when we refuse to way the consequences of every actions we take.

See more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/these-apocalyptic-paintings-show-the-terrifying-near-future-of-our-lagos-city/

Who dash you, 10 nights....oh sorry, i forget say na juju money u dey use...

Okijajuju1: I agree..


Spent 10 nights in Four Points by Sheraton last Christmas... Nna MEN!!!! I nearly break-up with my wife that Christmas when I see the debit alert.

According to a story on the guardian newspaper of last week, despite the high number of hotels in Lagos metropolis, it remains the city with highest charges on hotel accommodation in Africa. The Lagos state hotel licensing office cites that there are about 2,500 registered hotels in the state. Now the guardian newspaper’s research finds out that five star hotels with branches in other African countries like Johannesburg, South Africa, Kenya, Nairobi, Maputo, Zambia, Lusaka, Da es Salam, Tanzania, Mauritius, charge very much higher room rates in Lagos compared to their other African cities counterparts.

It may shock you, but the price difference at times is at 1,48%. Guardian further explains that the standard room for Southern Sun Ikoyi, Lagos costs ₦62,000 but in Johannesburg South Africa, the same room costs ₦25,000. In Sheraton Hotel Pretoria, South Africa, a diplomatic suit with a king size bed costs ₦149,000/night but the same in Lagos, Nigeria goes for ₦248,000 with a difference in 65 per cent.

Why do these hotels cost so much? A hotel sales and marketing manager says this is because many visitors prefer branded hotels, especially the ones their companies are associated with. He also says the prices are hiked since demand is higher than supply in peak periods hence that the market forces are to be blamed.

There is also an argument that the more expensive the hotel room is, the more standard their services would be and many travelers love standard. Now another factor is cost of operation, many hotel owners say this is the chief reason for the hotel rooms exorbitant prices. as the cost incurred in running a hospitality business in Nigeria is horribly high because of inefficient availability of basic amenities like power, water, as most of these hotels now provide their own power in form of diesel generators and of course dig their own wells.

More so, these hotel owners invest huge amounts of money in security which the government is presently failing to do and thus this further catapults the hotel rates. Many of these other African countries do not have the aforementioned problems. Presently Nigeria can only supply 4,000Mw, but that of South Africa is 45,700Mw. There is also the problem of multiple taxes and other charges like signboard fees, liquor license, tenement rate, water, electricity and parking bill.

Although it said that the labor costs in Nigeria is relatively cheap compared to that of other African countries, employee costs is also held as another reason for the exorbitant hotel room rates in Lagos.

see more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/lagos-city-hotel-rates-are-the-highest-in-africa/

I tried to hide the excitement on my face as we were ushered into the small, compact yet cozy office of this 6 ft 5 Polish gentleman that came out to greet us. I hadn’t proper prior knowledge of their business operations before now so I was enthusiastic to hear the details from the boss himself, Marek Zmyslowski, Managing Director of Jovago.com, Africa’s biggest, largest hotel booking platform.

I wasn’t alone on this quest, armed with an audio recorder was my friend, partner and business colleague Blaise Aboh, founder of TheBusinessaim. These two gentlemen shared one similar trait; the grit, gumption and glint in their eyes sparking like that flint that bore fire and desire to stamp a foot hold on the online start-up market.

Simple, calm and as warmly as he could, he gently took us down memory lane on the interesting journey of how he got to this hot seat as the manager of such a big and successful company.

Hear it from this jovial entrepreneur.

So please do tell us who you are and what are you doing at Rocket Internet’s Lekki office?

My name is Marek Zmyslowski, Managing Director of Jovago.com, Africa’s No. 1 hotel booking portal.

When did Jovago start their operations in Nigeria?

Jovago kicked off its operations in May 2013; I was their employee No. 1.
August 5th, 2013 was the official launch of Jovago, which was when our website went live.

Does Jovago have other branches? How often do customers patronize you on daily basis?

Jovago is in four (4) countries now. We have four (4) Headquarters. One of them is Lagos (we started Jovago here), we opened a HQ for East Africa in Nairobi, for West African French speaking countries, we have one in Dakar in Senegal, & also an office in Pakistan. On a daily basis, we have around 700 booking; about 75% are from Nigeria. That is the biggest grant we have here.

What’s the number of staff employed by Jovago in all these countries?

In Nigeria we have 30 people in the office. We have 1 or 2 representative in every state depending on how big the state is; so in total we have roughly about 70-75 staff in the country. When you combine Senegal, Kenya and Pakistan, we have over 200.

How many Nigerian hotels are registered to Jovago currently and how does Jovago register hotels?

In Nigeria, we have 4680 signed hotels but 4281 are live.

The reason for the discrepancy in the number of signed hotels to number of live hotels is as a result of the time it takes to complete the signing and verification process.
Jovago registers her hotel firstly by drawing up a contract document where all parties involved would have to sign.

Then we send a Jovago representative to inspect the hotel’s property and facilities available. He would take detailed pictures of the rooms, swimming pool, restaurant and other hotel facilities for proof and record purposes.

We want to ensure that our prospective customers actually get to enjoy all the facilities seen on our website, in reality. We carry out this process for every hotel that is to be listed on our online platform.

Since Jovago is just a booking portal, and not a hotel rendering services, how does Jovago make their money?
We make money by helping hotels make more money.

How do we do this? Simple; we send them customers. There are many customers who the hotels probably wouldn’t have found if Jovago didn’t find them. The hotel shares part of the revenue with us.

We can do it in two ways. A customer can choose the pre-paid option. He/she books for a room online and pays for it through our various payment gates like Simple Pay, Flow Cash, Global Pay using a credit card or Nigerian debit card. We receive the money and pay the hotel for the room whilst ensuring that the room is kept for the customer.

On the other hand, when the customer chooses a post payment option, he/she goes to the hotel and pays directly. When this happens, we send an invoice to the hotel requesting for our commission.

If the hotel does a good job by rendering exceptional services to the customer, there is a high probability he/she would patronize the hotel again.

Does the platform presently have an app for booking?

No, not yet. We believe in mobile first approach. So first, we are optimizing our mobile version of the website. For us, a mobile application is like a second stage.



What marketing strategy does Jovago employ to get the word out there? What is the company doing to sensitize the public about your business operations?

As we all know, Nigerians are yet to get a hang of the online buzz.

It would interest you to know that 5% of our customers are gotten online, while 95% are gotten offline. We are doing this huge amount of work that would prepare the market, so what we do is approach people who are not using the smart phones or laptops yet to order stuff online, and teach them how to do it.

One of the things we introduced was to meet airlines because they are qualified customers for us. For instance when someone is flying from Lagos to Abuja, he would probably need a hotel.

See more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/nigeria-is-a-paradise-for-adventurous-entrepreneurs-a-chat-with-marek-zmyslowski-md-jovago/

The outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa has captured attention—and stoked anxieties—around the world. With 887 confirmed deaths as of August 4, it is the deadliest outbreak of the virus in history. The World Health Organization (WHO) and national governments have implemented surveillance, containment and quarantine measures in several countries. At the same time, global businesses are assessing how the outbreak may affect their ability to continue operations while also protecting the health and well-being of their employees.

At the moment, most companies only face limited effects from the outbreak; though those operating in remote regions with high infection rates have had to take considerable precautions. Compared to the global H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, the measures in place to stem the spread of Ebola are relatively modest thus far. The WHO has not recommended any travel or trade restrictions on any of the affected countries. Instead, border closings and health screening requirements tend to be localized and restricted to the West Africa region. However, airports welcoming long-haul flights from West Africa have shown heightened caution, and may isolate passengers who demonstrate Ebola-like symptoms. British Airways announced this week that it would halt flights to Sierra Leon and Liberia for the rest of the month.

As the outbreak progresses over the next several weeks, businesses will likely feel an increasing impact. To date, the outbreak has been limited to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, but the WHO warns that infections will probably spread to nearby countries. Porous borders, weak surveillance, and insufficient and inadequate health services will facilitate this spread. Any confirmed cases in the wider West Africa region, or especially outside sub-Saharan Africa, could trigger more significant surveillance and screening at international airports. The spread would also cause organizations to re-evaluate their own measures for protecting personnel.

Businesses may also be adversely affected should the outbreak lead to social or political unrest. Limited government and healthcare capacities in the affected region, combined with misunderstanding and stigma around the Ebola virus, has aggravated public fear and frustration. The most notable incident to date occurred on July 25, when Sierra Leonean police used tear gas to disperse a large demonstration outside the main Ebola treatment clinic in Kanema in the east of country. Although unrest remains a limited risk for businesses, companies should monitor the environments where they are operating for signs of growing instability.

For most global organizations, the likelihood that the Ebola outbreak will pose a major business interruption remains low. However, it does provide an opportunity to review business continuity plans. Everything from travel security protocols to knowledge transfer systems to redundancy in supply chains can help organizations continue to function should Ebola—or some other disease—develop into a more substantial disruption.

See more: - http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/this-is-what-ebola-means-for-businesses/

Certain places are designated as enclaves of commercial activities, exclusively for business concerns in many commercial cities around the world. These hubs usually house big corporate organisations that help drive the economy. In this first post of a series, Ibemesi John paints a picture of ‘Broad Street’, the good, the bad, the hagglers, the heart pacing hustle for goods and services in the commercial nerve centre in the former capital city of Nigeria, Lagos.

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The sun was at its brightest, crowd of people breezing down the street, buses blowing their horns, traders hawking, different kinds of music bursting through the street, containers in numbers arriving simultaneously, it was Monday morning, a new week, a fresh start for the rookies and continuation of business for the veterans. Monday’s meant a bright start, many believed if sales on this day is good, the rest of the week will be overflowed with success.

A beautiful jeweler, light skinned female with a beautiful smile, always had her own style of fashion and gave the other women on “Abia line” something to ponder about and a perfect distraction for the men. Her shop always had people clustering, making their way in just to buy with hope of re-selling while others came to take close looks at her with in pretext of buying. Her charm fetched her loads of customers, daily business for her was good. She was rumored to have properties all over the state.

Another glance across the street, had groups of people quickly packing up their merchandise, the little they could gather, running in different directions screaming “awon fashola ti de o”, (Fashola’s men have arrived) while scampering and disappearing into shops and narrow path ways . The task force always came unannounced, they impound goods of traders that are oblivious of their arrival. It is illegal to sell standing on the streets, yet must still pay for any good standing spot you find. The touts called this “security money”, yet are always the first to run off upon the arrival of the men from the Task force.

On this day, the inspector was in no mood for jokes, with his tribal marks fiercely drawn on his face, looking more like a scar from a street fight. His complexion was very dark and mean, eyes blood shot, belly big and formed like a pot. He instructed that the goods be taken to the office, while shouting a big warning to other sellers before taking a sip from the bottle of Alomo bitters he carried with affinity like a purse on himself. After he entered his truck and zoomed off, an air of mystery blossomed on the street.

Before task force men came, I was about purchasing a mobile phone pouch from a teenage boy who sold his wares from a wheel barrow. We weren’t done with the bargain, I still had the pouch in hand and sighting the young boy who stood arms folded and watched his goods as they were carted away he was in shock, I could he was in shock. I approached him as he still stood motionless in awe and gently handed over the phone poach back to him and then he walked helplessly towards the task force office, disappearing in the crowd .

In this time of constant labour and hustle, I can recall very few particular incidents that separate themselves from the surrounding that made this street, this was a deeply disturbing moment ,one that collapsed a dream .The good, the bad ,the “pitiful”.Not everyday is a good day but everyday remains a healthy opportunity. The struggle continues.

Read more: http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/the-mug-on-broad-street-the-day-fasholas-men-came/

An Innovative Magazine is in need for campus correspondent, interns and feature writers.

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An Innovative Magazine is in need for campus correspondent, interns and feature writers.

How good are you in developing ideas or materials, commentaries analysis?

How much can you determine a story's emphasis, length, and format, and organize material
accordingly?

Can you research and analyze background information related to stories in order to be able to provide complete and accurate information?

Can you literally interpret news, current issues, or personal experiences?

Can you review copy and correct errors in content, grammar, and punctuation, following prescribed editorial style and formatting guidelines.

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Send them a cover letter not more than 500 words of the;
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email; yourstory@thebusinessaim.com.ng

The recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is a prime example of Mother Nature stamping her authority on the human race .With 1,607 cases of illness reported and more than 887 confirmed deaths, Ebola is an efficient and horrifying killer.This disease sent waves of fear around the globe. It’s seen airlines screening passengers with heat detectors. And it’s even seen Emirates cancel a flight route to Guinea.
The US pledged $200 million to the Ebola stricken West African countries in a bid to eradicate the disease before it spreads.

And it’s the sheer ferocity of the Ebola disease that’s triggered a race for a cure… A race that could see shareholders, who back the right company, bank massive profits.

The race to treat Ebola is on!
Right now it appears that a small US company with just nine employees is leading the race.
According to Bloomberg, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc has developed a treatment that has already been used on two US citizens who contracted Ebola while working at Ebola treatment stations in West Africa. And so far, the results look hopeful. Both patients are showing signs of recovery, a good thing when dealing with a disease that can kill in less than two weeks.But two patients are not enough to claim a cure. And pharmacological companies around the world are rapidly testing different treatments to either contain or vaccinate against Ebola. And as an investor, one thing’s for sure…
You need to know which company to back in this race Revealed: The Law of Inevitable Profits
To get extraordinary gains, you have to do something extraordinarily different.
Which is why I want to show you how you can use this law to bank 416.25%… In just a few weeks! If you want these gains, this law is the ONLY way to make this happen! Now you might be thinking, how do you invest in a company like Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc?Unfortunately, for the most part you can’t. The company is a closed company that’s not publically traded. But that doesn’t mean you can’t profit.
You see, although the company that discovers a cure for a deadly disease is usually the one that makes the biggest profits, it’s not the only one. That’s because, often these companies will license out their patented discoveries to allow other companies to produce the vaccines or treatments. And this means that as an investor, you can buy shares in a pharmaceutical company with drug production facilities. These companies are the most likely to profit no matter who discovers the cure for Ebola or any other dreaded disease for that matter. Looking at our local market, there isn’t a massive selection of pharma companies to invest in. But for my money I like Aspen Holdings (JSE: APN). The company has good international backing and an aggressive growth plan which could see you bank great gains over the next few years.
On the international scene, a company to look out for is Cipla International. This company already has strong routing in Africa and India. And it’s has good expertise producing vaccines and drugs like Anti Retro Virals to treat AIDS. This positions the company well as a distributor of drugs to treat Africa.
So keep a close eye on the news headlines to see who’s leading the race to treat Ebola. And when a clear winner emerges, look for the companies that’ll help get that drug to the people who need it. Do this, and you’ll be on your way to great profits. After all, the scarier the disease, the more people will pay for a cure.

see more: http://thebusinessaim.com.ng/the-race-to-cure-ebola-is-on-and-theres-big-money-for-investors-who-back-the-winner/

Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and storytellers, as have most past and present peoples around the world who are rooted in oral cultures and traditions. They have created amazing works from time to preserve/promote our culture, inspire and motivate.

They are being celebrated so much today. Take the likes of Chinua Achebe, Kofi Awonoor, Ama Ata Aidoo, Teju Cole, Alain Mabanckou, Chibundu Onuzo, Tope Folarin, Christie Watson, Wole Soyinka, Chika Unigwe, Chimamanda Adichie, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Makuoma wa Ngugi, Wainaina Binyavanga, Chinelo Okparanta, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Noviolet Bulawayo, Lola Shoneyin, Taiye Selasie, Siddhartha Mitter, Victor Ehikhamenor, Wana Udobang, Ikhide Ikheloa and many more.

Organisational Stories

Organizations use stories to create and develop their image in the market place, build their brand and make their advertising campaigns more memorable. ‘The essence of a good brand is a good story’. – Tony Cram

The Nigerian breweries for instance have created an excellent story along with series of TV commercials for one of its beverage brand ‘Gulder’. For years they have kept on with the ‘Gulder Ultimate Search’ reality TV show, a story telling of tradition, history and conquests.

Creating series of epic, captivating and thrilling story lines which helps the brand stay relevant and fresh in the competitive market and on people’s minds. If you search ‘Gulder’ on Google, ‘Gulder Ultimate Search: The 10th Symbol’ comes out tops. On the highways you see billboards with the tagline ‘Touch Respect’. Using storytelling in business life is all about making something memorable to create differentiation and also begin an emotional connection with others. Many of the best known brands in Nigeria are excellent at telling a compelling story. Take for instance the Guiness brand with its ‘1759 – Time to be friends’ and ‘Udeme’ ad, Gtbank’s ‘Soccer Lady or Inter Galactic’, MTN’s ‘I don port ad with Saka the comedian, Indomie noodles ‘Mama too good’ ad, Pepsi ad with Tiwa Savage and Wizkid competing for a can of Pepsi, the Cowbell ‘oyo-yo’ ad with one the best voiced jingle in recent times. An amazing recent one is the ‘Robots dancing skelewu’ in MTN’s Caller Tunez video ad.

They are all deliberately telling a story and creating a directive to go with it. As result, they have a more emotional connection with their customers. As well as having a clear and compelling story they also have clear values connected to their story.

Storytelling, relationship building and influence

The art of storytelling as we have seen affects relationship building and influencing at two levels. The first is the interpersonal level; the second is the company or organizational level. At interpersonal level we need to be able to relate and connect emotionally through the use of stories, analogies and metaphors. Stories not only deepen the emotional connection, they also are memorable – that is to say, sticky.

At company level, organizations use stories to try to connect with us every day and try to influence us. Thus when we understand this process, we can create stories in order to better both our internal and external customers.

So what is your organization’s story? How does your organization connect emotionally to its clients and its employees for that matter? What is your personal story and what are you communicating? And if you think you are not trying to communicate, think again! Others are aware of you, and if you are not telling them your story, they are definitely creating a story when they see and hear you. If you don’t tell them your story, they will invent one for you anyway, and be sure it won’t be as positive or as accurate as your own.

‘If you don’t tell them a story, they are making it up for themselves’.

The implications for your influencing and your relationships are clear. What stories are you telling about yourself, your department, your product, your service, your brand, your company? It is a well known fact that compelling stories lead to compelling facts.

Good stories paint a picture of a desired state or future. They tell you about the roots of the company or product, its background and where it’s coming from. These stories are what differentiate the company from their competitors. Stories can range from low cost word of mouth stories through multi-million naira brand campaigns.

The message needs to be clear. Look back to the history of your company, the values, the founders or any key present day value. Remember that stories can be explicit or implicit. Tell us what you do better or differently. If you create an explicit story, make sure its connected to reality which is the match up to the story. And if it doesn’t, and that the story is just a story with no link to reality, you will loses influence, relationships, credibility and customers.

Implicit stories can be positive or negative and they are the ones customers tell about you. If they are negative, make sure you do something about it. Hiding bad stories away and pretending they don’t exist is not a very good thing to do. Always build on these stories and make people aware of both internally and externally.

The future for influencing others lies in making a distinction between your products/service and those of the competition. One of the keys of doing this is to tell or invent a story.

- See more at: http://thebusinessaim.com/the-art-of-story-telling-ii-its-usefulness-to-people-brands-and-businesses/#sthash.lQIt2zpw.dpuf

Story telling is a powerful technique for leaders, it adds to your repertoire for relationship creation, development and building. It can also be an effective aspect of influencing as it is an extremely powerful way to of helping you connect emotionally to others.

Take for example ‘Invictus’ (Unconquered, Undefeated), by William Henley. The great African leader Nelson Mandela (Madiba) was inspired by the poem, and had it written on a scrap of paper on his prison cell while he was incarcerated for 27years on Robben Island.

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul, Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be, For my unconquerable soul”

We all have the ability to tell stories which connect to others. Stories have always been with us; you may call them parables, fairytales, legends, myths or fables. They have affected all of us since our youngest years, take example the ‘Tales by Moonlights’ which most of us looked forward to watching every Sunday evening back in the days. Story telling is not just for kids, it can also be beneficial in organizations and business life.

Why is Storytelling Important?

When told effectively, stories tend to stick in our minds and remain memorable. I bet most of you can remember some off the stories you heard during your childhood from parents or grandparents. Perhaps you remember the stories or funny tales about your family that have been passed down through generations. Take for example my dad always told me tales of ‘Ogbujuaboh’ my great grandfather who was pleaded with by the King of Awkaetiti to fight on their behalf just as they were being defeated by the Nnewi people. Big as an iroko, strong as a fortress, the tale told he was the greatest warrior that ever lived in my place and across distant lands. This story and others like it are memorable to me, and often I embellish it. Someday it’ll be told to my children and grandchildren.

“Stories continue beyond the war and the warriors. They outlive the sound of war-drums and the exploits of brave fighters. Stories save our progeny from blundering like blind beggars into the spikes of the cactus fence. Stories are like our escort; without it, we are blind. Does the blind man own his escort? No, neither do we the story; rather it is the story that owns us and directs us.“ –Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah (1987)

“I will tell you something about stories, they aren’t just entertainment, they are all we have to fight off illness and death. You don’t have anything if you don’t have the stories.” –Leslie Marmon Silko, epigraph to Ceremony (1977)

Story telling in this context is an active process and is no different to the way you can develop stories in relation to your work life.

When to use stories

As an individual, you will in all probabilities use stories when you:

Meet someone for the first time, and you tell the other person a little about yourself.
Are conducting a new member of staff, you will no doubt tell them organizational stories to help them fit in by understanding the organizational culture.
Are at job interviews, as part of the process you will tell of your experience which will involve story telling.
Socialize or gossip with others, you create and tell stories to add interest, provide examples and make a point.
Influence others about a change you want to bring out, you will no doubt tell stories of the current situation and the changes you envisage.
Personal and Interpersonal stories

Creating a personal story will help you create an emotional connection with others and too differentiate yourself. Stories are not the only way to build connections, but they are a useful, effective and creative way of doing so. Facts are important but they are really never for effective relationship building and influencing. People want more than just facts; they want informal information to back up their facts. They are interested in your story and when they ask about it, they don’t want to hear a chronological explanation of your career.

Always explain what is unique and different about you and your ideas, keep your family, heritage, values and passion in mind. Infusing these elements into the topic, people and situation that you are in always makes a great story.

One of the proof that we as humans love stories is the addiction to prevalent rumors and gossip blogs. We stalk these blogs and grapevine readily, soon as we hear or read anything, we repeat, re-share and embellish them so that when the story gets back to people concerned the story has taken on vast new dimension that can be very far removed from the truth.

We are all likely to be victim of rumor or gossip at some point in our life or careers, but the fact is that;

‘If you don’t tell your story, many people are quite happy to make up a story about you and tell others that story’.

Another aspect of storytelling is framing it in an appropriate way. On occasions people have unhelpful experiences which they translate into a negative story about themselves. This can lead to loss of confidence and self-esteem. In situations like this it can be helpful to reframe the story in a more helpful and useful way.

[To be continued in part II]

- See more at: http://thebusinessaim.com/the-art-of-story-telling-and-its-usefulness-to-people-brands-and-businesses/#sthash.oOBD7XKa.dpuf

Like Martin Luther King, I have a dream; a dream where every man & woman, boy or girl would have access to free WI-FI, just as free as the air we breathe. Whoever says this is not possible should consider the case of the presence of Blackberry Messenger on even low end Chinese phones now.

I have always had this dream of free WI-FI. Yes, Free! Free!! Free!!! i say. You can call me stingy, I don’t mind. Remember they say the good things in life are free. I long for that perfect scenario where I wake up, yawn, turn on my laptop, connect to a network and VAMM!!! There I go, surfing the world wide web in lighting speed. A WI-FI that never gets used up. Where I never get to pay to subscribe. hehehehe.

Every time my internet data gets used up, every time I shake my head, sigh & curse. I consume data more than I consume anything else in this world because my business is based online & sadly, the network providers here in Nigeria keep extorting us by hiking the price. But will you blame them? NO! All their base stations & offices run on diesel powered generators 24/7, & you expect them to bring down the price of internet subscription. I don’t think so. I haven’t mentioned the huge bribes or commissions they have to pay secretly to corrupt officials.

Nigeria is corrupt, so is the United States. But if they can have free WI-FI, why can’t we? Just yesterday the city of New York launched the nation’s largest free public Wi-Fi network in a bid to improve the city’s internet access, especially in lower income areas. This Wi-Fi network is said to blanket 95 blocks of Harlem and will serve approximately 80,000 Harlem residents, New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The network will be completely free of charge and will have speeds of at least 2mbits. ”It will provide free, fast outdoor internet connections for portable devices 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Bloomberg said at the press conference.

Now here’s the catch, the network is not supposed to be a free alternative to expensive wired networks provided by companies like Time Warner Cable, as New York City’s chief Information & Innovation Office Rahul Merchant, yet subliminally it will be. Who will pay for WI-FI when there are free alternatives? My Ibo people say; “Mmadu agahi arapu ebe ana echi ozo je ebe ana aru akwu”. Meaning, one does not forbid a coronation party only to attend a palm kernel making session.

Now my question begs, when will we have one like this in Nigeria, or at most Lagos, the city of excellence, the city with technology, the hub for business, entrepreneurs, start-ups? The zone with millions of people tinkering and tapping gadgets connected to countless personal WI-FI networks?

In many countries when you subscribe for any broadband package you receive free unlimited access to their global WiFi network, as well as thier Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK. You bid goodbye to restrictive mobile phone data allowances and say hello to a brave new world of unlimited Internet on the move. You connect to the Internet at public wireless broadband access points called ‘hotspots’ – just like the way you connect wirelessly at home. Easy peasy.

Many public libraries even offer free WiFi — not to mention a quiet atmosphere to enjoy it –Imagine WiFiFreeSpots at places like airports, gyms, petrol stations, courthouses, bus terminals.

I know not what the government of Lagos state is doing on their own as regards to this matter or if they have ever placed into consideration, but I know that the Lagos state government has granted CcHub Nigeria (an Incubator in Yaba) to dig up roads and lay WI-FI cables. This will create an incredibly fast WI-FI zone running from Unilag area to Sabo, and straight down Herbert Macaulay way. This would enable folks who are walking through the neighborhood access to anything they want on the web. That whole zone will be lit up with un-visible the colours of wi-fi network. This is a pure public service but of course you’ll have to pay to subscribe, its not free but then its a step in the right direction.

This new public Wi-Fi network should be running before the end of Christmas and would make the city even more appealing to entrepreneurs and startup-ers who live in the zone.

In the U.S, notable people are pushing for this Wi-Fi networks. In January, Google announced it would provide a publicly available wireless network around its headquarters in Chelsea. Its high time big companies start doing the same, let them give us free WI-FI as their own contribution to our personal ministries shikena.

By Blaise Aboh

- See more at: http://thebusinessaim.com/when-will-we-have-free-wi-fi-in-lagos-like-that-of-new-york-city/#sthash.E5UBDILg.dpuf

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It all started when a very close friend of hers told her to leave an imprint on the sands of time. And coming from a family where skills and independence are the bedrock, it didn’t seem impossible. A while later the ‘Purple Fashion Show’ was born.

Joy Eneghalu or ‘Purple’ as she’s fondly called is a final year student of Mass communication department Nnamdi University, Awka who owns her own company ‘Purple Creations’ of which the fashion show is a mere offspring. Being her own boss was a thought she nurtured while growing up she tells me.

Joy loved to watch fashion programmes; the runway, the sashays, glamour and glitterati, lights, camera, action all appealed to her heart. She felt she needed to bring something of that class (or almost) down to where it was lacking. She also realized that in Awka there wasn’t a fashion brand and the models go through extreme difficulties, from sexual harassment to extortion. She decided to do something about that. The first Purple Fashion Show or rather ‘Face of Purple’ was held on November 11 2011. It was the first ‘major’ fashion show and first show hosted on a Purple Carpet in Anambra State.

“In 2011 I began planning the first show, she says; “I had a fashion party for models and designers in May to pave way for what was to come in November. Convincing my family to back me was not that hard because they are very supportive, my mum especially. It was she who took me fund-seeking to meet a few people to help out on the project of over 600,000 naira.”

I requested clarification on the difference between beauty pageants and fashion shows because to me somehow they had the same elements; beauty models, beautiful costumes, sashays, glam, runway, lights, camera, action. And of course for many who are reading this and don’t know the difference. Joy was quick to give me a reply on this one like a lady who knows her stuff, beauty, brains, and the works.

“In a fashion show, the models are not selling themselves; they sell the costume of the designer, and perhaps the models messes up, the designers are on the receiving end”. And in beauty pageant, it’s the other way round. The idea of the ‘Purple Fashion Show’ was to create a competitive platform for these upcoming designers to show case their designs which will be adorned by well tutored and nurtured models.”

Her second show came with a higher budget of about 800,000 naira. A few features that weren’t in the first show were to be added. She needed to build a runway, get a very good venue, camp and feed the contestants, acquire resource persons, DJ e.t.c. The finalists were eventually camped for 5days so as to provide them a secluded space for concentration. She was able solicit the help of few resource people. A lady who helped prepare their mindsets; public behavior and carriage were they to become celebrities. She also got others who helped out with photo shoots, cat walking tutorials, makeup sessions e.t.c.

Her first show had great turnout than the 2nd, a hall with maximum sit capacity of 1,000 plus had people standing. But despite the crowd, there was still poor gate taking. The admittance fee for the show was 600Naira, but due to the mentality of the people/students not wanting to pay the money in full, some causing fights in turn. I honed more on this ‘mentality’ drama.

“Some claimed the CEO was their friend and thus refused to pay the gate fee. Others felt they could actually get bargain to enter a show whose admittance fee is 1,000 for 700 naira or less, and somehow with numerous tricks and stratagems some of them did. This affects a lot of shows. Take for instance last year, a media company featured 2face in a music show but could not realize up to half the money spent, because the people of the town were like; ‘How I go take spend 1000 naira on top sey I wan see 2face, him dey feed me?”

The success of the 2nd show was also hampered by the resumption date which was postponed to the 11th of November 2012 whereas the show was schedule to hold on the 2nd. The show was heavily dependent on the students of which not many had resumed at that time.

Joy talks on the difficulties she encountered while trying to put the 2011 show together. “Firstly we wanted publicity, we needed to get the word out there and the radio stations took advantage that we were new in the game to charge us more. I also had to paste posters myself since the people I approached for assistance also billed what I couldn’t afford. And of course by the next day I would see my posters torn to shreds, and I would begin posting all over again.”

Another difficulty was in team building. I needed people who had passion and drive, I was just starting up, I didn’t have money to pay them, so I sought out peeps that would believe and drive this with me. I must say my team members did a lot to help me. I couldn’t have done it without them.

“I needed to make the 3rd show bigger. One of the advices I got was to change location to Enugu State precisely. I’d the popularity, learnt lessons and gained experience, it didn’t seem hard to startup. I’d already done an audition before ASUU went on strike and this was a big blow. My team members left town to their homes while I stayed back, so communication proper was a bit of an issue. So I had to put up a new team in Enugu.”

“For my show to run in Enugu, I sought the support of the government but was told I had to get to the Culture and Tourism Board first. On getting there, the commissioner said he wouldn’t allow my event to hold because it would affect his which was coming up in December and thus told me to postpone mine till next year and then he would grant my request. He specifically told me to tell my contestants to come and purchase his form since he had much to offer, after all he was giving out a car, but I wasn’t’. He then referred me to the GM who in turn said he would get to me through his workers. Later the workers approached me saying I had to get signed letters from my sponsors and 70,000 naira ‘board fee’. The workers were more interested in the money than in helping me out I later got to find out.”

“I’d managed to get Glo as sponsor among others that would take care of the modeling contract, free wardrobe allowance for one year, trip to Dubai for the winner amongst other things. But as the Enugu state tourism board continued to frustrate my advances, the sponsors became unsettled and in order to save face, I cancelled the event totally”, she lamented.

So Joy put the fashion show on hold and began thinking of a much bigger playing field, a better mentality and environment that didn’t depend solely on students. She says she got a call from someone to bring the event to Akwa Ibom, but says, except she gets major sponsors, she wouldn’t do it. “My next step is clothes business, I call it the ‘Purple shop’, a complete fashion house” Joy says smiling exposing all 32s and revealing sparks in her eyes as one who has been bedazzled by a starry night.

Her plan was to make beautiful clothes and sell, “if she couldn’t go on with the show now, she may as well run with the shop idea, no backing down. The clothes would be a walk in the park as she plans to team up with her younger sister who lives in Ghana and is exceptional at designing clothes. Instagram, BBM and twitter would be their market place. Her sister made good stuff, and people liked good stuff, so idea seemed feasible.

Joy says she cherished the experience garnered from her shows but in all her greatest moments was in 2012 when one of the contestants expressed thanks to her for the belief, exposure and inspiration gained through the show. She sees her failure but also her success. What she enjoys most is motivating and encouraging people to be everything they can be.

She’d always thought running and keeping a business wouldn’t be that hard but now she knows better. She understands that for her to go places she needs to keep focused and wonders why men seek to take advantage of ladies.

With a stern face she said to me; “I approached a male friend who was into business with my funding plan for over a million naira and he said he would help on a condition being that I had to sleep with him”. ‘Money for hand, back for ground’ the man had said. I vowed not to do such thing”.

Just like every entrepreneur, her greatest fear is failure, yet the travails of her fashion show wouldn’t stop her from her next venture. She knows there’s no time for tears when you’re fishing for dreams.

- See more at: http://thebusinessaim.com/meet-purple-the-young-lady-who-has-no-time-for-tears-when-she-is-fishing-for-dreams/#sthash.XR4AkgZ5.dpuf

Many journalists and news houses express a commitment to producing accurate and informative reports. Yet there is a reason for concern...

Share your thoughts...

But on nairaland they will answer you amidst insults,,,looool.. maybe i should even try it lol...

XLR8: Cos people dont post the latest of news and info on facebook.

If you post "where can i get firewood?" on facebook..who will answer you?.

Once upon a time Facebook was the opium of the masses. And then came a time the tides turned. The same facebook addicts found a better way and more delicious way to socialise on a not-a-social network platform [nairaland].

I have had a couple of friends admit that they are NL addicts.

Now this got me thinking.. Why Do You prefer Nairaland To Facebook? Lets get talking.

Pls Seun.. Lets here some real truth, if you could front page this.

According to Businessinsider, Hypo’s ‘Damn Good White’ Campaign lunched an ad recently with Obama, South African civil rights leader Desmond Tutu, Ellen DeGeneres all In White.A poll last year, suggested that a whooping one in six Americans believed President Barack Obama is a Muslim. To these folks thus, this Hypo bleach ad running in Nigeria would make great sense. In it, Obama is dressed like a sheikh, a Muslim man of stature.

But the ad is not making reference to some Americans’ diehard distrust of Obama’s assertion that he’s actually Christian. The campaign’s creative director, Abolaji Alausa of Nigerian agency, Noah’s Ark, explained to Business Insider via email his Obama-Islam connection.

He said; “The bleaching power of Hypo has a force that attracts the most unsual personnels to get addicted to adorning white irrespective of their strong social beliefs,”.

The slogan “Damn good whites” is meant to hit as the punchline, whether it’s referring to America’s quaky relationship with most of the Muslim world or the fight against apartheid in South Africa by civil rights leader Desmond Tutu, whom Hypo dressed up as a member of the (KKK) Ku Klux Klan;

Adding to the mix was another ad with Ellen DeGeneres in a wedding gown, which but seems a little harder to explain.

“Although DeGeneres’ wife Portia de Rossi wore a white gown,” Alausa said, “Ellen would not be caught dead in one.”

This last bit hits into the gay marriage debate, yet a chance is for Alausa to show off his deep knowledge of U.S. pop culture.
Alausa further said that the concept of the campaign was a simple one Nigerians would grasp easily, and it’s based on the bleach brand’s affinity with the color white.

“White signifies peace ..In every part of the world, and it’s the same in Nigeria, therefore our target audience grasped the message of setting aside hate regardless of different beliefs systems,”

- See more at: http://thebusinessaim.com/hypo-bleach-unveils-ad-with-president-obama-dressed-as-a-muslim-sheikh/#sthash.BfRiM0un.dpuf

So lets say You Buy Your Woman a 1.4Million Naira Car as a gift And She hugs you and immediately Says; '' Honey please can I have 500 naira, i need to call my friends to celebrate the car".

If you were the man what would you do.

Why are u asking us ni

Jasi7: AM I MAD...?