A few years ago, I decided I wanted to be a full time writer. I had seen everything that happened to all my writer friends so I decided I didn’t want to work under any body. ‘Be Your Own Boss’ was my own B.Y.O.B.
I thy no.
I realized that many of the ‘independent’ people making it big in the industry have a lot of daddy’s money.
If you watched Channel 4’s Lagos to London you’d realize that all these people chasing their dreams powered by some serious daddy’s money. If your daddy can’t give you a $200,000 themed birthday bash for graduating from Uni, you might want to look carefully before you leap.
I found out the hard way that Nigerians like to je gbese.
First rule of business is ‘no credit today, come tomorrow’ because Nigerians can use gbese to tie necklace, with serious pride.
And they don’t have shame.
You think you can disgrace a Nigerian by exposing that they are an Onigbese?
Then you don’t know Nigerians. If you take them to court, they will dress for court date like they’re going for thanksgiving service. If you try to shame them with music, they will dance. Just ask Ben Murray-Bruce.
1-I have been on an international flight and have only just landed. The situation is being resolved and things will be back to normal.
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) June 23, 2016
2-In 36 years, Silverbird has grown and like any body, it will face challenges. Tough times dont last. But we, as tough people, outlast them
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) June 23, 2016
I realized that country is cost.
When your mummy was paying for light and water and buying you Christmas cloth, you didn’t know that they were spending serious money. You go learn sharp sharp say, Money slow to enter, Money quick to go.
And that Banks consider quitting your day job without having an already running business as bad decision making.
But if you stay at your day job you won’t have time to start said business. It’s like being between a rock and a hard place, or two tribalist Nigerian mummies.
I realized that nobody goes into business because they want to be out of debt.
My sister, everybody is debt. EVERYBODY. Dangote, Ben Murray Bruce, the Nigerian Government, hell even the USA. And me with my tashere loan of N50k thought I was going coming in to make a profit straight.
And that there is no difference between KFC rice and Mama Put.
“There is rice at home.” – The wisest woman in the world.
You become a C.E.O (Chief Everything Officer)
Are you really an entrepreneur if you haven’t stayed up till 3am trying change the ink cartridge on your printer?
I found out the hard way that if everyone quits their day job, who will now work for you?
I stopped writing cos I wanted to start my own website. Then I needed writers, and guess what? Everyone’s starting their own website too. But seriously, if we’re all selling who’s going to do the buying?
You realize that you’re not too big to beg…
For your old job
And A.C
And Free Wi-fi
But that if you keep at it, and your business idea is solid…
In five years, maybe you too can become a success story.
So don’t quite give up yet.
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