I Am A Wolf
I was standing at the junction of the road, waiting for Tobi. It was my matriculation day at Obafemi Awolowo University in 2015. My mates were getting prepared to enter into Amphitheatre with their matriculation gowns. Parents were trouping in through Road 1 of the university.
Prior to that day, while everyone was thinking about how they will celebrate, take pictures and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime event, I was busy thinking about how I was going to make money from that event.
I had learnt event photography but I had no camera yet. I remembered Oloyede Tobi – my photographer friend whom I met during our UTME tutorials. He had moved to UNIPORT. However, he was the only option I had who could lend me his camera.
I reached an agreement with Tobi to rent his camera for that day. I agreed to pay his transport fare to and fro Port Harcourt to Ile-Ife. It was a big risk. I was also a fresher who was matriculating that same day. Besides, I have never done any photography business in Ile-Ife. I did not know if I would succeed. I was even told that the Association of Photographers in Ile-Ife may harass me and even seize the camera. I was really scared. But I had no option. I must at least pay for Tobi’s transportation.
While the matriculation session was going on inside the hall batch by batch, I was busy making money. I even used my matric gown for students who wanted to take pictures but had no gown. I beat my price so down that it attracted the ‘union’ guys. I was their major competitor that day.
They threatened to seize the camera and drag me to the Division of Students’ Affairs. Everyone who was around me pleaded to them to pardon me. I also showed them my student ID card to prove to them that I was not really an outsider.
My elder brother who showed up for my matric met me taking pictures and surprisingly he helped me to convince more people. Tobi also joined me to convince more freshers to patronize us. Mehn…we made money. I paid Tobi for his transport and rent. I had more money for myself. That was the first business I ever did on OAU Campus.
After the whole sèrèrè, I went to submit my matriculation oath to the Faculty Secretary. I did not step my feet into that hall for a second.
Dear, risk has been built into my DNA. I live by taking risk. I live my life every day like a wolf. I believe that everything is possible.
Although, sometimes I fail and sometimes I succeed. However, whenever I fail, I don’t sit and cry, I stand and try again. In this entrepreneurial journey, there is no giving up. I have just two options in life; it’s either I succeed or I die trying.
In business, if you don’t venture anything, you can never gain anything. Why are you afraid of starting, trying or failing? Listen, for every debit, there is usually a corresponding credit. In business, you do not lose. You either win or learn. For every loss you incur, there is usually a corresponding lesson to be learnt.
Life is a constant process of trial and error. Don’t exaggerate your failure and don’t settle for mediocrity. Whenever you fail, bury your past quickly and move ahead, no need for a prolonged burial ceremony. I do not guarantee that you will succeed if you strive harder, but I can guarantee that you will never succeed if you give up now.
Today, the event photography business has taken me to places. My first flight ever was solely as a result of photography. I have stood before kings and queens of high places. I have successfully trained 10 other guys in the business of photography.
I am not the best event photographer in Nigeria, I am just an amateur who has refused to give up. I am still going places. This is just the beginning.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How To Win The Hearts of Your Most Difficult Clients
Some years ago, I covered a burial event at Modakeke, Osun state. I worked from morning till the end of the event at evening – from church service to the reception.
After the whole sèrèrè, the Baba liked all the pictures I took but insisted that he was going to select and pay for 10 pictures only out of over 300 pictures.
The craziest part was when he said that I must edit and print the 10 pictures that same day.
Because I was a JJC in business, he manipulated me so much. He frustrated every initial agreement we had. As much as I tried to help him see how unreasonable his demands were, he proved too difficult to be convinced by anyone.
I wanted to ‘change it’ for Baba, but I chose to behave like an ọmọlúàbí. After deducting my transport fare and other costs, my profit was just ₦200 for an 8-hour event. The payment was very small but the stress was premium.
Who no like better thing? We all wish for big-paying clients that won’t stress us at all. This is everybody’s perfect client; but clients like this do not always come.
Sometimes, you may have big-paying clients that will frustrate you. In fact, you may even regret collecting the offer.
They don’t believe in the thinking process. They don’t believe that some projects are more technical and require more in-depth research and time than others.
To them, there is no big deal in thinking. This is why they often give you unrealistic deadlines.
Because they think less and act more, they assume that you should understand everything they say, irrespective of how confusing it may be. They even get irritated when you ask them ‘too much’ questions for clarity’s sake.
They usually do not care whether or not you understand the project. They will give you the details of the whole project in less than 5 minutes and expect you to get straight down to business.
They give you strict instructions and samples to follow, yet they will want you to go outside the box.
According to them, the customer is always right. This is why a project that should not last up to a week can be dragged to five months. They keep requesting unreasonable corrections.
They are no-nonsense people and will never accept a single mistake from you. The craziest of them are those who tell you, “Am I not paying you?”
They are usually very confrontational and aggressive. Once they speak, their decision is final. They are very unstable. They tell you something this minute and another thing the next minute.
Sometimes, they hoard vital information from you and expect you to figure it out yourself. “I expect you to use your common sense.”
They are very bossy and love to take charge. If you are not careful, they can intimidate you. Because they are careless with words, don’t be surprised when they say words like “And you call yourself a graduate. And you call yourself a professional. And you call yourself a Christian.”
Because they are very egocentric, they will never accept or admit when they are wrong. Because they are very impatient, they will bombard you with phone calls, messages and emails.
They are always ready to fire you and may even threaten to terminate the project severally.
What if your breakthrough clients fall in this category? How do you win their hearts?
1. Have a written and signed agreement that contains all your terms and conditions.
2. Make it clear that you are on their side.
3. Be factual and brief. Compile all the facts you can and avoid too much talkie talkie.
4. Support all your opinions with accurate data.
5. Make an irresistible offer. If your offer isn’t irresistible, they will surely resist it.
6. Never argue with them. You can never win them, and that can be the end of the deal.
7. Always remain calm. Do not let their insensitive comments affect you or make you react negatively. Imagine you are the glass of water and your client is a small fire.
8. Be transparent in your actions.
9. Speak as clearly as possible, without jokes or sarcasm.
10. Reduce your mistakes to the barest minimum.
11. Never be tired of saying, “I’m sorry, Sir/Ma.” That is their mumu button. It helps them to temper down.
12. Offer assistance only when it is asked for. Do not go the extra mile if dem no send you.
13. Always be willing to walk away if the deal is not good for you.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
Creative Ways To Drastically Reduce Employee Theft In Your Business
Some weeks ago, I shared a dream with my friend regarding a major theft that took place in his workplace. Two weeks after, it happened.
Three colleagues ganged up to steal from the company’s store on a Sunday.
They were caught while trying to move the stolen item through the collapsed fence in the premises. They were handed over to the police and sacked immediately.
The most unfortunate part is that it was not their first time of stealing the company’s’ properties.
Kingsley, the dreamer. Right?
I was in a popular supermarket at Akure. Despite the CCTV cameras present, the employer still searched the staff at the exit door.
Yet, some of the employees still devised a strategy to steal some items from the supermarket.
Imagine hiring an attendant in your poultry who steals one crate of egg every day. That is, approximately, ₦730,000 lost annually (at the rate of ₦2,000 per crate). This amount may be equivalent to a staff’s annual salary.
My barber once told me that his apprentice often diverted some of his customers to himself. Sometimes, he takes them to his house to have their haircut and other times, he offers home service to these customers.
There are so many thefts that happens at the point-of-sale. There are petrol attendants who liaise with their family and friends to ‘buy’ petrol for free.
Some employees do not only steal your money, properties and products, they also steal time. E shock you?
Some employees manipulate the timekeeping data or do not work during office hours such that they are paid for not working.
Some employees may steal a vital confidential information such as your company’s product designs, client lists, business plans, banking details, customer contact information for personal use or sell to a competitor.
Your employee can forge the signature of persons authorized to make and process cheque payments or may set up fake accounts as vendors and bill the company to pay those accounts for nonexistent deliveries.
An employee may request reimbursement from the company for expenses that were not actually incurred.
When these ‘small’ thefts add up, they can lead to financial losses that can ruin your business eventually. Better Business Bureau reports that 30 percent of business fail due to embezzlement and employee theft.
Some employers have gotten used to employee theft to the extent that they even anticipate minimal theft in their businesses. “I’m not saying my employees should not steal from me, I don’t just want them to overdo it.”
Employee theft is a sad reality that you will always encounter as a business owner. About two-third of businesses owners experience employee theft. In fact, 10 percent of employees look for ways to steal from their employers.
Individual motives such as greed, financial hardship, addictions, unexpected bills and revenge against employer can cause an employee to steal.
A business without a structure can create opportunities for employee theft. Weak financial controls and cash management processes may open a chance for employee theft.
Some employees may justify theft with excuses such as “the business won’t notice,” “other people do it.” Some employees even steal because they believe they are entitled to a higher pay.
You have to think like a thief to be able to predict and devise creative tips to help you reduce stealing in your business without being invasive or make you employees feel like you do not trust them.
- Keep proper records
You should ensure that you keep record of every sale, expenses and inventories as often as possible. This will help you to know the state of your business with an earthworm’s view.
Regular, random and unannounced inventory audit will help you detect suspicious activities. There is inventory management software that can of help.
If you sell in bulk or store items for long periods, your warehouse workers may be tempted to steal some of these items.
An accurate business record will show you the quantity of items supplied, sold, refunded and remaining.
2. Go cashless (if possible)
You should make sure that nobody controls too many parts of your business finances. Going cashless may not come so easy for you, but it will be so helpful if you can.
If you cannot go cashless, then ensure that the person who prepares purchase orders, receives cash, issues receipts is not the same person selling to customers.
3. Monitor transactions closely
There is a greater chance that your employee may be tempted to steal if left alone for a long period.
Sometimes, you need to actively participate and supervise some transactions that happen daily in your business. Having a supervisor or manager is not an excuse to be absent always from your business.
However, you must understand that there is a thin line between monitoring and breaching the privacy of an employee.
4. Offer discounts and incentives
If you own a restaurant, try to offer your employees at least one meal for every shift as a form of incentive.
This will prevent them from stealing from you. Whatever business you do, give incentives or discounts to your employees.
5. Pay salaries early
Overworked and underpaid employees are potential thieves in your business. In one company, the HR Manager discovered that theft was common whenever employees were owed salaries.
Financial hardship can desperately push even your most trusted employee to steal from you.
Don’t just pay salaries early, pay quality salaries (above average), if you don’t want your best employees to lose their moral values to hunger and desperation.
6. Create checks and balances
Give your employee the liberty and authority to do his job but don’t give one employee a sole control over an aspect of your business without a backup.
For instance, your accountant may steal for years, knowing that no one else closely goes through the accounting book.
Learn to split major tasks among different employees. Whenever you pair your employees for shifts, do not pair close friends together.
When you assume that every employee is a potential thief, you put controls and preventive measures in place. Some decisions should be made by collaboration of two people only.
7. Be at alert
When you trust your employees too much, you may close your eyes and turn deaf ears to the handwritings on the wall. You may be blind to their secret moves.
Sometimes, the thieves among your employees are those you see as the heroes in your businesses.
For instance, if your employee suddenly becomes defensive, it is time to be keep a close watch on him. Be at alert whenever you observe an unexplained drop in sales.
Be at alert when you observe sudden punctuality or late closing. Be at alert when an employee becomes possessive about others using their workspace. Be at alert when your employee becomes reluctant to take vacations.
Be at alert when you observe an expensive lifestyle well above the salary level.
Keep an eye on trash removal. This is the cleverest place where some employees hide stolen products.
8. Hire with recommendations
There are some roles where you need to hire based on recommendations, referrals and guarantors. An employee who have had theft cases in his previous workplace will most likely steal from you too.
Do unbiased background checks before you hire some employees. Hire attitudes and train skills, not the other way round.
This is not a perfect process because looking into a person’s past may not reveal all you need to know. That an employee has no record of theft does not mean he won’t steal from you.
However, a simple investigation into a person’s past can give some degree of peacefulness when hiring an employee.
9. Have an anonymous report system
An employee is less likely to steal if he knows that others will report him. You should have a policy in your business where employees can anonymously report suspicious activities via phone, email or text.
This should be carefully done to avoid signaling you don’t trust your employees.
10. Install CCTV cameras
CCTV cameras create fear in some employees who have ulterior motives. It prevents theft before it happens.
However, these cameras should be placed in strategic positions only. Bathrooms and break rooms are private locations in your business vicinity.
There are some surveillance cameras that you can pair with a mobile app so that you can monitor your business wherever you are.
Other cameras are able to detect motion and can alert you if someone is inside the premises when the business is closed.
11. Develop a solid relationship with your employees
Dictator parents breed liars. Dictator leaders breed eye-service followers. Dictator employers breed frustrated employees who eventually steal without remorse.
Frustrated employees who care about their salaries more than the success of your business are more likely to steal from you.
Almost all employees hate their employers. It is a continuous war in the workplace across the world. Nevertheless, employers should try to create a work environment where employees are happy most of the time.
Happy employees who genuinely love and respect their employers are less likely to steal.
One of the ways employers show empathy to an employee experiencing a financial constraint is by helping them (if you can) to find solutions that will dissuade them from stealing.
12. Deal with the scapegoat
When your employees know from the onset that they will be fired without a second chance if they are caught stealing, they will think twice before perpetrating a theft. Put in writing and let your employees sign.
When you catch an employee stealing from your business, no matter how small the theft and no matter your personal relationship with him, do not pardon. Have a zero-tolerance for theft.
Don’t underestimate the abilities of a ‘small’ thief. I have personally discovered that it is almost impossible to tame a thief. What you tolerate, will continue. When you take a serious legal action, it will serve as a deterrent for others.
However, be very careful about conducting investigations to verify suspicions and making false accusations that may tarnish the image of your employee, if they turn out not guilty. It can also have a legal implication for you and your company.
Hey! You must bear in mind that this post is not about eliminating employee theft completely, rather it is about reducing it to the barest minimum.
This is because no matter how nice or smart you are; you may never be smarter than some thieves.
In conclusion, you must lead by example by ensuring that you are not the one showing your employees how to steal.
Deal with every business transaction with integrity and transparency. Your employees are learning from you.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How to Lose Your Registered Business Name to Another Business
Do you know that another business can still legally use your business name even after you may have registered your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)? E shock you?
Even after registering your business with the CAC, your registered business name can be deactivated. You can lose your business name.
When you don’t file annual returns, CAC assumes that your business is not active any longer and will delist it from their register. What this means is that another business can use your business name legally.
I am sure you are not aware of this. Well, “I don’t know” is not an excuse.
There are so many businesses in Nigeria that though registered, have become inactive on the CAC portal.
Getting your CAC certificate is not the end of the process. Before you get too excited, remember that you have to continue filing annual returns to CAC, or else you risk losing your business name.
If your business name is inactive, it means that you are owing CAC. Your debt is accumulating every year. The CAC agent who registered your business for you may never tell you this.
To know whether or not your business is active, visit the CAC website (www.cac.gov.ng) and type in your business name. Select “business” and click “Search.”
Annual return is a legal, COMPULSORY payment made to CAC every year to keep your business name in their register and to also notify them of how your business is doing.
It is NOT a Nigerian thing. That is how it is done all over the world.
If you don’t file your annual returns, not only will CAC deactivate your business name, you will be fined a ₦5,000 for every year you missed, plus the applicable filing fee you were meant to pay.
Once your business name is inactive on the CAC portal, you cannot get any government or company contract.
For those planning to japa, when you present your CAC certificate at the embassy, your visa application will be rejected. You cannot apply for a loan with an inactive business name.
You cannot get a tax clearance certificate if you do not file annual returns. You cannot upgrade from a business name to LLC or make any changes to your business if you do not file annual returns.
If you refuse to file annual returns for a long time, your business name will be delisted totally.
After making your payment, you will get a Remita receipt of payment, Acknowledgement slip from CAC, and Evidence of reactivation.
It takes between 3 – 7 days for your status to change from inactive to active.
Please note;
- You do not file annual returns for the year you registered your business.
- Filing annual returns is NOT a tax. It simply means updating your records with the CAC and stating your operational status in terms of net asset and annual turnover.
- Even if you have not made a profit in your business since you got your CAC certificate. Whether or not your business is currently in operation, you have to file annual returns.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How To Keep Basic Business Records Without An Accountant
Irrespective of your business growth, keeping financial records is important.
Record keeping will help you to know whether your business is profitable or not. If you do not know the difference between profit and revenue, you may start to spend your capital unknowingly.
These records will help you to know when to hire more employees and how to determine their salaries/wages. It will help you to detect theft earlier.
Whether or not you are able to hire an accountant, you should understand these basic financial statements.
Every business has 3 financial statements that answer 3 different questions.
1. Income Statement (Are you profitable?)
2. Balance Sheet (Are you healthy?)
3. Statement of Cash Flows (Where is cash going?)
- INCOME STATEMENT
This statement tells you whether or not you’ve made a profit over a given period of time.
The formula is: Revenue – Expenses = Profit
Expenses can be further broken down into two buckets:
- Cost of Goods Sold (cost related to revenue)
- Overhead expenses (cost required to run the business, but not directly related to revenue)
The income statement helps you to:
- Identify how much revenue you’re bringing in
- Understand if you’re making money on your product
- Identify if your fixed or overhead costs are too high
- Itemize your costs to make better decisions
- BALANCE SHEET
This statement tells your company’s financial strength at a specific snapshot in time.
The Formula is: Assets = Liabilities + Equity
Assets are what you own:
- Cash
- Accounts Receivable (money owed to you)
- Inventory (product in your possession but not sold)
- Fixed Assets (property, equipment, machinery, or vehicles)
- Intangible Assets (software, licenses, trademarks, or goodwill)
Liabilities are what you owe:
- Current Liabilities (owed in < 1 year)
- Accounts Payable (money owed to vendors)
- Credit Card Payables (just a different accounts payable)
- Short-term debt (obligations to pay)
- Long-term liabilities (owed in > 1 year)
Equity is how much the company is worth on paper:
- Money put in the business
- Money taken out of the business
- Earnings retained in the company
From the balance sheet you learn:
- How strong your business is financially
- Whether short-term obligations can be met
- The amount of debt your company has
- The book value of your company
- STATEMENT OF CASHFLOW
This statement helps you understand how cash has been spent over a period of time.
The formula is:
Net Increase or Decrease of cash during period + Cash at beginning of period = Cash at end of period
The net increase/decrease is broken down into 3 categories:
- Operating Activities (cash collected from sales versus cash paid related to sales)
- Investing Activities (new equipment purchased or sold)
- Financing Activities (change in debt or inflow of capital)
Analyzing this statement will show you:
- if your cash flow positive or negative
- why your cash flow is positive or negative
- whether operations is carrying its weight
- what investments or financing is costing
Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How To Handle Families And Friends Who Ask For Free Products And Services
Becoming a business consultant with a track record of significant successes has been an uphill battle.
On several occasions, I was broke and penniless that I had to take some loan from friends and even from the Branch App. I borrowed money to buy books, attend trainings, and enrolled in some courses.
I also hosted several masterclasses and skill acquisition programmes for free. I offered free business consultations.
I spoke at several events without charging a dime. Although, it was my own strategy of gaining audience and becoming a trusted authority, these were my own sacrifices and contributions to humanity.
My being sound today is not a product of giveaway. I paid through my nose. I did not get it freely, so don’t expect me to give it out freely.
If after putting all my years of experience, knowledge gleaned from trainings and books and taking my time and hard-earned money to publish a book, yet you are begging for a free copy. Haba!
If you think I am loaded enough to meet your needs, please do not come to me empty handed.
If you cannot think and solve your business-related problems yourself, then you must be ready to pay people who can do that for you.
When you drain someone of their physical and mental energy for free, you are taking away the time that could have been used for something else. By so doing, you become an unprofitable distraction.
There are many eBooks in your mailbox that you have never opened simply because you got them for free.
When family and friends pay, they will appreciate it; but when they get it for free, they will always feel entitled and downplay it.
If you continue giving your products and services to your friends and families for free, you will soon be out of business.
If your family and friends want excellent products and services, they should learn to support your excellent work by making sure that they pay for it.
By so doing, it shows that they are willing to invest in your long-term business success.
If your family and friends have been psychologically conditioned to receiving free stuffs, it is time to speak to them in the language they understand. Time na money.
If they want any special consultations, or enquiry; as long as it will require you to pause and lend a portion of your time, they will have to pay.
If you feel guilty whenever you turn down a family or friend who has asked you for free products and services, think about this; you have responsibilities and commitments too.
You have bills to pay too. You need money! You pay for knowledge. You pay your employees. You pay for utilities to operate your business daily.
You have invested heavily in your business, let the returns start coming in. “Thank you, God bless” no dey buy food for market.
Unless you are led to help or give a discount, don’t sell your product or services for free. You are building a business, not running a charity foundation. So, business is business.
Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How To Die Before Your Time
In 2014, when I was preparing for OAU Post-UTME, I read like a mad man so that I could meet the cut-off mark to study Pharmacy. Not including Past Questions and other textbooks, I read Essential Biology textbook 12 times back-to-back.
I read Lamlad Chemistry 10 good times, to the extent that my friends nicknamed me ASUBIOJO (which was the name of the author – Rtd. Prof. F.O.I Asubiojo).
Till date, I can recite the table of content line by line with their corresponding pages. I took several caffeine (Nescafe) so that I could stay awake to read longer.
Las las, I no reach the cut-off mark, but I was offered admission. I cried my life out that Sunday night when my result was released.
I entered OAU in 2015 with the ultimate goal of graduating as the Overall Best Graduating Student. But, having read over 40 ‘aspire to perspire’ stories of best students across various universities on Saturday PUNCH Newspaper, I was also motivated to achieve this feat. So, in my first and second year, I read to the extent that na small remain make I get skio skio.
I consumed Nescafe to the point that it disrupted my biological clock. There was one day I slept off at the Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library all through the night.
At another time, my roommate was already breaking the door before I woke up in my room at the Post Graduate Hall (Don’t ask me how I could secure accommodation at the PG Hall as an undergraduate. Student get level).
Guess what? Not only did I not graduate as the Overall Best Graduating Student, I narrowly escaped the sword of ‘White and Yellow House’ courses.
Before I got to my third year, I knew that I would not even graduate as the second-best student in my department.
The business environment is highly demanding. Successful or not, your business will face challenges. Whatever it may be, these problems cause high-stress levels in you.
In addition, being an entrepreneur puts a lot of pressure on your mind. This is because you are constantly trying to come up with new ideas that would expand your business.
Every day, I see entrepreneurs who are sacrificing their health in exchange for building a profitable business. Young people are growing grey hair due to stress and overthinking. People are dying young because they do not want to die poor.
Not everything is the handwork of your village people. Some of the cases of people who collapsed in the office or crossed from sleep to death are àfọwọ́fà. Eré àsápajúdé is one of the reasons why the cemetery and mortuary are full of corpses.
You want to achieve in one year what another company achieved in 10 years. No be juju be that? Listen, CONSISTENCY BEATS INTENSITY every time.
The people who are hailing you as a workaholic today are the same people that will fight for food at your burial tomorrow.
Do you know that one of the reasons you have become irritable and frustrated at your employees is because you are emotionally stressed? Because these stressful thoughts are inevitable when running your business, the only better option is to learn how to effectively manage such stress.
- Hustle with caution
Stop acting as if your body is powered by a Mikano engine. What shall it profit a man if he builds a great business but dies prematurely? Think am well. There is no award for being the most successful entrepreneur in the hospital or in the grave.
2. Go for medical checkups
High Blood Pressure and hypertension no dey show for face. Don’t wait until you are sick before going for medical checkups. Check your blood sugar.
Check your eyes. Glaucoma and cataract no sabi CEO. Don’t use ‘faith’ to camouflage your ignorance. There is a difference between faith and foolishness.
Do breast cancer test and prostate cancer test. These medical tests are not expensive. Prevention is better than GoFundMe. Don’t turn your family members and loved ones into emergency prayer warriors.
3. Leave work at work
Your profit is directly tied to your productivity, and your productivity is tied to your health. Working longer hours is counterproductive. Even WHO warns that working more than 55 hours a week can literally kill you.
4. Train, Delegate, and Trust
Try to hire a Personal Assistant or employ additional staff if you can. That spirit that is telling you that you have to do everything yourself is the spirit of premature death.
5. Learn to say NO to some offers
The business world is about tradeoffs and exchange. Don’t sacrifice your health for the sake of business. Sacrifices have consequences, and money cannot remedy all health consequences.
6. Take a break or vacation
Breaks are not distractions; they are opportunities to refocus attention. Breaks and vacations do not necessarily have to be expensive. If all you have to do for two weeks is sleep, eat and have fun, it’s an investment in your health.
7. Sleep well
If you think that it is your sleepless nights that make your business grow, you are matching silently to your grave. Whether you sleep or not, your business will face challenges.
Learn to give yourself some rest, else you will be laid to rest soon, and your next of kin will squander all you have built.
8. Set time for yourself
Sometimes, you have to switch off your phone, disconnect from the internet, and shut down your laptop. It is not a must you reply to all emails and messages immediately they pop in.
The reason everyone feels they can call you anytime is that they know you will always be available to answer their calls. Until you draw the line, your customers will not adhere to your business time.
9. Bad days are inevitable in business
There is a difference between expectation and reality. You have to understand that not everything will go as you planned. There are bad days in business. This is why you have to be flexible with your goals. When you embrace this truth, you will be more relaxed. If you focus on what went wrong, you may lose your health.
10. Stay away from Nigerian news
The Nigerian news is all about bad news – newspapers, television, and social media. If you are based in Oyo or Osun state, put on your radio by 1 pm or 2 pm, it’s all bad news. When it comes to Nigerian news, just read and pass. Let it enter your right ear and leave through your left ear.
Resting is not a waste of time; it is an investment in wellbeing. Relaxing is not laziness; it is a source of energy. Play is not a frivolous activity; it is a path to connection and creativity.
Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Entrepreneurship is a journey. Don’t kill yourself before you get to your destination. Enjoy the process.
Na living soul dem dey call CEO. Making hay while the sun shines does not mean that you should work yourself to death before sunset.
All die na die is the fastest way to die before your time. Every dead body on Mount Everest was once a highly motivated person. Take am easy.
When your business is not the problem anymore, may your health not start troubling you.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How to Create Adverts That Command Massive Results
I hardly watch TV. I can count how many times I sit before the TV every year.
Lately, the Russia-Ukraine War has made me a fan of Aljazeera, BBC, CNN and EuroNews. When I’m bored, I switch to other channels.
Nothing is as annoying as watching an advert that makes no sense. How do companies waste money on jingles and commercials that are not interesting?
We can recall our favourite Nigerian adverts while growing up. We knew all those jingles, songs, slogans and phone numbers by heart.
ST Soap, Gulder, Harpic, Chivita, Panadol Extra, Skye Bank, Royco Maggi, and Always Sanitary Pad gave us one of the best adverts.
Peak milk’s “Papilo, I know say one day you go make us proud” advert by Kanu Nwankwo remains a legendary advert.
How can I ever forget that Ribena advert where that guy was chased by a Cheetah?
“Milo kpa kpa, kpa kpa kpa kpa Milo!” Good old days!
Can you recall “I’m walking on sunshine oh oh” by Ovaltine and “My friend, Udeme is a great man” by Guinness?
MTN 10 years’ anniversary song was lit.
Omo Detergent gave us that funny advert by Mama Edema “When I cut am, the blood go come out, e go stain my body. When I put am for fire, the smoke go come out, e go stain my body.”
“B without BB is like a train without an engine” by Blue Band is an epic advert.
“Mama Do Good” and “To me, to me” by Indomie are classic adverts.
When Saka (Afeez Oyetoro) did “I don port o” for MTN, everyone felt the hit of that marketing campaign.
“Boom sha sha” by Mimee Noodles was an unforgettable jingle.
You may forget Galaxy TV News, NTA News and AM Express advertisement songs, but you can never forget A.I.T’s “African Independent Television…A.I.T…A.I.T…Daar Communications…Ogbonge TV…For this country…Mama, Papa o…A.I.T na good station…Sister, Brother o…A.I.T na good station.”
That advert by Baba Blue (Lemon Vicks) had a very funny end scene. “I swear, I no go do am again”
Cowbell’s Oyoyoyoyoyo awa milk is one commercial that we cannot forget in a hurry.
Dettol adverts gave us the “If I don’t take care of you, who will?” slogan.
In Ile-Ife, almost everyone knows the phone number of APEX TUTORS by heart.
Lately, Airtel has been giving us interesting adverts back-to-back. Coca-Cola and CloseUp Toothpaste are not sleeping either.
The golden rule is this;
Whether you are running a TV advert, radio jingle, social media campaign, newspaper advert or advertising on billboards and fliers, every advert should be memorable and creative.
Your advert must be able to create a lasting impression within a 30-second time slot.
Your advert should be simple and brief. Every advert must connect emotionally with your target audience.
The intended message must yield the intended result. That is, it must influence their buying decisions. This is what copywriting is all about.
Adverts are not for entertainment. If your advert is not driving massive sales, you are wasting money.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
How To Build Occultic Relationships With Your Customers
During the COVID-19 lockdown when all public places and religious centers were restricted, my neighbor still went to church for Sunday service. How?
She leaves for church on Saturday night. She treks long distance to church. She sleeps in the church till 5am when the service began.
I could not believe that people could risk their lives and disobey a government order just to attend church service during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Haven’t you seen people who find it extremely difficult to attend Sunday service in another church or denomination simply because they have become so entangled with their church? You call it commitment, but I call it an occultic relationship.
I used one barber all through my 5 years at OAU. I have been using one Phone Engineer since 2014. When it comes to laptop accessories, sales and repairs, Del Survive has been my only plug since 2016. Everyone around me knows how much I brag about my tailor.
My relationship with my tailor is ‘occultic.’ If not him, no one else; not even for free. Since I was born and now I am getting old, I have always bought my crayfish from Mama Stanley at Bodija Market.
There was a POS guy in my street in Ile-Ife. One day, I went to use the POS but he was not around. There were at least five other POS shops along the road but I decided to wait till he returned. There were four persons waiting for him also.
In 2010, when Ola Mummy Food Canteen became very prominent in Bodija, some people thought she used juju on her customers. Because once you tasted the food, you would always go back again. It was always a very long queue. It takes a very disciplined person not to request for an extra plate at Ola Mummy Food Canteen.
The good thing about loyal customers is that they are the best unpaid marketers. They keep referring people to you for free. They also make up large part of your revenue. It is easier to convince them to try a new product. They give less headache. They cooperate easily when you increase your price.
Do you have loyal customers abi na soldier-go-soldier-come approach you dey take run your business? It is one thing to get new customers, it another thing to retain them.
If you are only concerned about getting new customers and not focused on retaining the old ones, you will soon be out of business.
It takes a lot to earn a customer’s loyalty, especially when there are several competitors out there. Loyalty is expensive, you have to earn it.
- Be credible
Don’t be like the average Nigerian tailor. Only promise what you can deliver. Do what you say you are going to do and when you say you are going to do them. In case of any hitch, communicate as soon.
2. Pick calls
Return customer’s phone calls promptly. Since so many Nigerian business people don’t return calls, you automatically gain an advantage when you do.
3. Apologize and Compensate
Don’t be like the Nigerian airport services. If you make a mistake, just saying, “I’m sorry” is not enough; you need to compensate. Even though customer is NOT always right, you do not need to argue with your customer or defend your mistakes. Better still, explain your point of view politely.
4. Be accessible
Stay in touch. Remember the best clients are your current ones. Don’t take them for granted. If I come to you shop and it is closed and I call your phone, you no pick, even if you sell the best and cheapest product, I won’t come back to you.
Show customers that you are available. Your business should be open to meeting their needs. Nigerians are the most impatient creatures on earth.
5. Always give change
I was in Ile-Ife last week, I went to three different restaurants to buy food or snacks, but none of them had change. Even if they have, they won’t give you. There are some shops that you will never patronize because you no say dem no dey everly get change.
6. Don’t cheat your customer
While garri is sold at Bodija Market at 250 naira per congo currently, it is still sold at Academy Market (Iwo Road) at 400 naira per congo. The most annoying thing is that you will meet 8 cups in a congo instead of 10 cups.
If na you, shey you go patronize a disloyal seller again? Even if your customer does not know that the price has reduced, don’t take advantage of their ignorance. Don’t sell adulterated products. Don’t mix your ground pepper with kolanut or your sugar with honey.
7. Don’t look down on your customers
The same customer that buys one cup of egusi today can buy 4 bags of egusi tomorrow. In fact, the house maid that buys half bottle of palm oil from you toady can refer you to her boss tomorrow.
8. Be there for them in terms of need
Once it rains in Ibadan, a transport fare of 200 naira becomes 500 naira, especially okada riders and micra drivers. All my life, I have never seen a people as extortive as Ile-Ife people.
Don’t doubt it if I tell you that Ile-Ife is the headquarters of extortion in Nigeria. Dear, don’t extort your customers in their time of need. This is the unique selling point of BOVAS Filling Station.
9. Have a great attitude.
Most of your customers buy from you because of your personality. Either you are so funny, so caring or so educated.
10. Treat your employees well.
If you treat your employees poorly, there is a good chance they will treat your customers badly.
11. Reward your customers
Give back to your best customers. If you run a special price or product offer for first-timers, make sure to offer a promotion to your current customers also. Send them a gift, at least once every year.
Send ‘happy new month’ message to them. Call them to check up on them if you don’t see them for a long time. If your customer attends Jehovah Witnesses, all you need to give him is one umbrella and he becomes a loyal customer for life.
If a customer doesn’t feel appreciated, all it takes is a “better opportunity” with a competitor for them to jump ship.
12. Be a resource.
No matter what your customer needs, try to find it for them, even if it has nothing to do with your business.
13. Eliminate the hassle factors
One of the reasons I switched from Nigerian banks to fintech apps was because of poor customer service. A lady will be sitting down ordering you around.
“Go downstairs. Pick Form A. Make a photocopy. Stamp it. Check back after 10 working days.” Haba!
Make it as easy as possible for your customers to do business with you. Do things for their convenience, not yours. The easier you can make it for them, the more loyal they will be. Determine all the ways you can eliminate the “hassle factor.”
14. Give ‘jara’
Some customers are loyal to you because of the jara (extra) you give to them while some will never come back to you if you do not give them jara. Jara has a psychological and pleasurable effects on Nigerians.
15. Offer customer service “surprises”
There is a reason why your bank remembers you on your birthday. It makes you feel special and appreciated even when you feel you are not a big customer. If you can record your customer’s birthdate and give them a call or send a message, it will go a long way.
I can never forget the day my tailor surprised me with a bottle of coke for me. At another time, he gave me an Ankara tie and a customized nose mask for free. Don’t wait until your customers make a request. Step out and surprise them.
16. Evolve
No matter how caring you are to your customers if the only hairstyle you can plait is ‘shuku with curve’ very soon, your customers will move to another stylist that can make Butterfly locs, Crochet braids, Jungle braids, Knotless braids and Passion Twist.
Like I would always advise “Don’t just sit down in your shop idle, evolve. Learn the new trends in your field.” Don’t be an old school tailor. Don’t be an old school mechanic. Africans are too impatient to forgive your reluctance to evolve.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant
Customer Is NOT Always Right
I have seen a customer push a banker just because he could not get his transactions done on time. I have seen parents slap teachers. The truth is, the customer is always right mentality has been taken too far.
It means different things to different people. Some customers are what you call toxic customers. They are bad for business, reputation and staff morale. They also create a terrible environment for other customers.
‘Customer is always right’ can be taken too far at times, often to ridiculous extents. Abusive customers can just demand anything, yet claim to be right.
Most often, they get away with it. Nevertheless, treating customers like they are always right, can be self-destructive for your business.
In fact, it is risky to give customers the liberty to think that they cannot be wrong. It gives power to offensive customers and allows the impolite ones to dictate the rules.
You are unconsciously training them that if they shout and scream, they will get what they want.
At the end, we see that it is a waste of time and energy trying to satisfy a customer who does not intend to be happy. It would be irrational of you to continue pouring your resources into one customer, at the expense of others.
To stay in business for a long time, entrepreneurs need to avoid unreasonably disgruntled customers. Getting rid of a bad customer may cost you a little profit but it is healthier in the long-term goals of the business.
I believe it is better to let go of a persistently complaining and abusive customer who only ends up creating stress for you. It is sometimes sensible to lose a customer for protecting your inner peace, the company’s image and your employees’ sanity.
© Kingsley Ndimele
Your Reliable Consultant