HARD LESSONS WHICH I HAVE LEARNT IN MY SIXTEEN YEARS AS A BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR IN NIGERIA (AND DID NOT READ IN ANY BOOK OR HEAR IN A CLASSROOM):
LESSON #1.
Never employ someone who you cannot sack or whose sack would have negative implications or unpalatable consequences because of the nature of the person's relationship with you.
When you employ the person, you will be celebrated by him/her and his/her family and friends as a hero.
When you sack the person, you will be called names by the person and despised by his/her family and friends as if you were never a good person in their estimation.
Employ staff based strictly on merit and not on emotional or sentimental grounds. If you must get a job for a family member or friend (or their family members and friends), do so in a company in which you have no significant equity investment.
LESSON #2.
Making money in Nigeria is very easy.....that is if you have no moral restraint and you do not really fear God.
If you are truly committed to doing business in Nigeria with utmost integrity (that means that you do not give bribes under any guise and that you will not act as a front for public officials or persons in private companies from which you are seeking business), you need more than a great business idea, wonderful products and/or services, adequate capital, great employees, an impressive profile, powerful connections, a wonderful business strategy, aggressive marketing, competence, great execution, legendary customer service (our training subsidiary, Pharez HCD Ltd., has a training programme on how to deliver "Legendary Customer Service" and go beyond Exceptional Customer Service. That should interest you. :-D)determination, focus, perseverance, great advertising, referrals, an impressive website and professionalism to succeed.
Of course, you need all those factors which I have listed. They are actually imperative. But, in Nigeria, they are not enough.
In addition to those things, and most importantly, YOU NEED GOD'S GRACE AND HIS DIVINE FAVOUR TO HAVE GOOD SUCCESS IN NIGERIA'S MURKY BUSINESS TERRAIN!!
LESSON #1.
Never employ someone who you cannot sack or whose sack would have negative implications or unpalatable consequences because of the nature of the person's relationship with you.
When you employ the person, you will be celebrated by him/her and his/her family and friends as a hero.
When you sack the person, you will be called names by the person and despised by his/her family and friends as if you were never a good person in their estimation.
Employ staff based strictly on merit and not on emotional or sentimental grounds. If you must get a job for a family member or friend (or their family members and friends), do so in a company in which you have no significant equity investment.
LESSON #2.
Making money in Nigeria is very easy.....that is if you have no moral restraint and you do not really fear God.
If you are truly committed to doing business in Nigeria with utmost integrity (that means that you do not give bribes under any guise and that you will not act as a front for public officials or persons in private companies from which you are seeking business), you need more than a great business idea, wonderful products and/or services, adequate capital, great employees, an impressive profile, powerful connections, a wonderful business strategy, aggressive marketing, competence, great execution, legendary customer service (our training subsidiary, Pharez HCD Ltd., has a training programme on how to deliver "Legendary Customer Service" and go beyond Exceptional Customer Service. That should interest you. :-D)determination, focus, perseverance, great advertising, referrals, an impressive website and professionalism to succeed.
Of course, you need all those factors which I have listed. They are actually imperative. But, in Nigeria, they are not enough.
In addition to those things, and most importantly, YOU NEED GOD'S GRACE AND HIS DIVINE FAVOUR TO HAVE GOOD SUCCESS IN NIGERIA'S MURKY BUSINESS TERRAIN!!
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