Almost one week after the CEO SUMMIT which held at UST, Port Harcourt, I have had barrages of questions coming from Young Entrepreneurs (all undergraduates). Many of them want to know how to identify the kind of business to do and others who have identified what business to do are asking on how to start such business?
As an aside:
Last week was a blast for me. I was encouraged by the turnout of students who wanted to be different. Yes, different! from the over 400,000 annual graduates who carry about their CVs looking for a job. These ones came to know how to work and become an employer of labour even before they leave the university.
As a Business Consultant and Leadership Coach, I understand the difficulties that can be associated with navigating the minds of these greenhorns. Getting them interested in business on the other hand is a herculean task because of the falsehood that lies in the potency of good credentials. And like I said at the SUMMIT, my task that day was like trying to convince a person to use the staircase instead of the elevator in getting to the 18th floor!
But guess what?
When I finished speaking, I saw a number of people who wanted to walk the stairs with me. They were willing to do the grind, knowing that no matter how long it took, they will arrive at the 18th floor!
So, back to the questions……
Identifying a business to do will depend on:
1.Knowing what your natural passion is.
2. Knowing what drives your interest in any activity you find yourself in and how it can be used for business.
3. The make up of your immediate/ proposed business environment. Note: There are plenty variables to analyse here.
4. How much you have vis-a-vis how much is required
5. How much of your time will be required without necessarily affecting your primary objective of being in school.
How do I start?
Once you come to a good conclusion from the above, then start! You don’t however need to have all that is required before starting; you need the Will and the Courage to just begin once the desire reaches its penultimate height.
There are so much to talk about…but for space and time constraints. I will be giving you snippets on this platform from time to time on what you need to do or know while in business.
My name is Dr Festus Odigie-Erewele, The Coach. Founder & Managing Partner, Excel & Grace Consulting. I create and manage business leaders.