The Founder and Initiator of She Learns Here (SLH), a platform for the training of business minded and professional women, Mrs Fajuyigbe has highlighted the importance of building and sustaining relationships in managing a successful business carrier. She stated this while fielding questions from our correspondents on issues concerning business development in Ibadan.
Mrs Fajuyigbe who is also the Founder of My Figure 8, a wellness and gym platform based in the city of Ibadan emphasized that, building, maintaining and sustaining relationships are essential factors that are indispensable in having a successful business in Ibadan and in Nigeria at large. She lamented the fact that though many people are smart enough to start a business, they flunked off half way because they do not understand the skill with which to sustain their businesses.
The former Banker expressed that business acumen, relationships with your client, as well as business skill lead to a successful business carrier. In her view, many people do not know what they are doing in term of business but they are selling because they know how to parley with people, they know how to sell and that is a skill set that many people nowadays do not have. They just believe once I have the knowledge and bring out the particular product, everybody will buy, No. there is a lot attached to having a successful business. Thus, relationships matter in business.
The Alumna of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, while identifying the problem associated with building successful business in Ibadan noted that there is a problem of mentality in Ibadan. For someone coming from Lagos, it can be a culture shock considering the business mentality of the people. Secondly, the fact is that most people are just dreamers. “A lot of people dream like, Oh I have this dream to do this, I have this dream to do that, but they are waiting for someone to bring the money that will enable them to live their own dream. This I think is very strange and largely impossible. However, if you are already living your dream, it is easy for someone to jump in and partake by donating towards the achievement of that dream. Just like with the analogy of a moving train. People have the urgency of joining a moving train than a stationary train. Therefore, people will only partner with you when they see that you are living your dream”.
oreover, many persons don’t want to start from where they are, and with the little they have. They have a big dream and they want someone to bankroll that big dream idea of theirs. That is a wrong approach to Business. It is rather better to start small with the little you have and let it grow big as people jump on the moving train”.
She further advised business owners and would –be business personalities to try as much as possible to develop specialization in their area of interest. “Most people want to do everything. According to her, there is a value chain in virtually everything. You do not have to be the one doing everything. People must be identify their interest within the value chain of business and be ready to specialize and make themselves masters in their area of specialization.
Report by Adefarati Abiodun and Victor Alagogooko for IbadanCity Announcer
