Business solutions and ideas

*idea* Knowing what works and stick to it is what will keep you in business Many people are wired differently for entrepreneurship Some just wanna make money (regular business) Some want to make a remarkable input and in the end, makes massive money (creating a start-up and scale-up later on) Building a regular business is easy, you only need to know what works in your niche, know the right location, pricing and that's all. Building a start-up requires a special skill set and a tough mind of doggedness You're likely not making a profit for the first 5years of starting up To have a start-up, it's like an upcoming artist who is starting as a nobody, he must have someone spending hugely on him for the hope of when he blows he'll earn dividends There is no guarantee that he'll come to the limelight, it's just a game of chance That's exactly how a start-up is, if you don't have the fund to fulfil your dream in time, you might have to look for someone ready to gamble his/her money on your idea In the regular business, there is a 50/50 chance that the business will succeed if you put in the required work The only wahala you may have is that, if an investor gave you N5million while trying to know what works, you'll waste up to N2million trying so many businesses before you get the right one for you Let me share my experience Earlier this year, I was just on my own when someone enters my inbox and ask if I needed funds as he was always inspired by my post I said okay, he sent me N500k, I shared this on my timeline, that same month 3 others came and sent 500k each That was what gave birth to my frozen food business, when the fund came, I was willing to start a business that'll generate a quick return The only business I was doing actively than was catfish farming while I dropshipped plantain suckers I could have used all those funds to expand but since the land is not mine, there is a limit to what I can do I converted some abandoned snail pens into 3unit of 10by12 fish ponds, net all the ponds as birds, snakes, humans and some reptiles use to disturb me then Sales frustrated me at the frozen food shop I dash out a lot of frozen chicken, if you visit me, I'll branch you at the shop and dash you like 2 to 5kg of frozen chicken I studied my area and notice that many of the residents are backyard farmers, they prefer to buy little chicks and brood them to maturity I quickly open another shop at the farm gate selling 2/3weeks old chicks, their drugs, feeds & accessories I set up the new shop after 3month of setting up the frozen food shop and sales have been great at that unit till this moment In the 5th month, I removed all the frozen food banners at the shop and started selling soft drinks and liquor Before I did that I tried converting the frozen food shop into a food bank and organize an online monthly food savings plan The food plan went well but logistics and many other factors frustrated me All I need now is just to make money, I felt I'm not wired for that start-up stuffs cos the food savings plan was more like it At this moment, I'm just a businessman who wants to make money and live my life, I don't want to carry Naija while on my head 😂 If you have been following me keenly, you'll see I seldomly post about smoked catfish online After suffering yourself all day and night smoking fish for 1/2 weeks You'll deliver at the logistics or Cargo company, those will promise 5days but will deliver after 15days, they'll frustrate the order, the customer will frustrate you with calls, 50% of the fish will likely get spoilt before reaching its destination Naso, I Kuku make banners and start to network among local farmers in my area that I dey sell live fish ooo I have channelled all my business to a "walk-in and buy" except I have a special order online You want to buy fish, come in and point to the one you want to buy, we remove water, sell am for you. You want to buy small chicken, walk-in and buy, same with plantains and other items I'm selling I sell more live fish now except I have special order online or just feel like Today alone, I sold 50k worth of live fish, the woman and her husband stroll in, we sell fish without stories 2weeks ago, I sold 200k worth of live fish without any wahala I have been selling a bunch of plantains every day without making a single advert online Once the plantain is ripe, I just cut and dump them in the corridor of the drinks shop Customers will walk in and buy That's how I have been selling plantains oo That's my current plan of selling all our plantains in Agbowa when they are ripe, I'll just heap them in all my 3shops What am I even saying? Know your strength in entrepreneurship Not many of us will cover Forbes's list You might only be a good salesman while the person you're looking up to has that tough skin to fight every battle in entrepreneurship As I am now, I no get the strength to fight any battles ooo I quickly foresee the future and once I see it'll frustrate me I'll let the idea go and quickly look for another option especially when it's sapping my money and energy This my farm that I'm building in Agbowa, I could have easily gone to where I can get cheaper lands and start on a very large expanse of land, but as I no want wahala, my farm to the main road is just 2mins drive while to the main town is less than 10mins drive, in less than 5years, this place will become a town Albeit, I have a startup that I'm pushing more like a fun and hopefully set up another one soonest But for now, I no get strength ooo