As I was doing rounds on facebook, I came across a facebook page of a friend who happened to be doing some noble work of mentoring the youths into entrepreneurship.
Ndindi Nyoro, the CEO & MD Afrisec talks about the stages of entrepreneurship and here they are.
Stage 1 - Those desperate hopeful but hungry years where no one knows you and don’t want to know you especially if you’re borrowing money or looking for some help. The days begin early and close late at night. Here, you worry about bills amidst a lot of pain, frustrations and hardships..
When you doubt whether your idea is really as good or would make any business or profit sense.. When almost all avenues are closed and you’re yet to close any deal.. If any, very few. When you almost want to quit and go hunting for a job – whatever the salary.. When you think, a simple, quiet and average life is where you belong..
The biggest proportion of entrepreneurs/Businesspeople quit at this stage not knowing how close they were to stage Two…
Stage Two - At this point, you start closing deals, I mean DEALS. Not flimsy deals. Money start dropping in.. Your foundation of hard work and perseverance in stage one start to bear fruits, and sweet ones for that matter. You start delegating some of the duties that tied your hands to your new employees..
Ndindi Nyoro – CEO & MD of Afrisec Telecoms
At this stage too, you move the office from your home to a real office. If you had an office, you move to a bigger one and in a more upmarket building.. The banks that turned you down several years ago can’t help but make overtures to become your new friends. Your bank manager is tempted to call you and he gives in; to give you a loan..
The fellows who scorned you and never wanted to associate with you start requesting you to attend their functions. People who forgot your name somehow remembers your three names and start calling you for appointments to share their new ideas on how to make money and others asking if you have opportunities for them in your thriving entity.
At this point, you’re able to fly to some hotel and drive an average car at least to “thank” yourself. This is a very interesting stage to many businesspeople..
Some allow themselves to be carried over by the new status and remain in that stage forever since they can take care of their lives pretty well. Others are mesmerized beyond repair and squander all their wealth and go back to stage one.
A good number who get to this stage progress to stage THREE which will be shared tomorrow.. But if 100 of you read this SECOND stage and prove it right here, I’ll share the third and last stage immediately.
Stage 3 - This is the eventual stage for those who wait. Those who are patient enough not to give up at stage one and stubborn enough not to get contented at stage Two. This is the stage where your money works for you. What you’ve attained materially or character wise in the former stages work for you too..
At this stage, the risk is big but the reward even enormous. Your investment of the undying entrepreneurial spirit exhibited in the earlier stages give loads of cash in return. You simply can’t count all your money.. You don’t even know exactly what you own. Not even the exact number of your employees..
People especially those who despised you line to get a chance to talk to you especially about money and Business. Your demand is definitely up there.
This final stage attracts all manner of expression of passion and emotion from your former PEERS – I mean the people you schooled together, brought up together. Those who know you as a normal common person. They can’t understand how a common fellow can be that successful… Envy and jealousy become the top emotions directed at you by the same category of people. You immediately become a figure of controversy to them… Your peers start questioning how and why you own too much.
On how you actually became rich. About the kind of business you do. Whether they’re legal or illegal. Whether clean or otherwise.. Often people see you as a villain, like you became rich at their expense.
They forget your former days.. When you struggled in the First stage.
The beauty about this stage is that you become an inspiration to the bigger proportion of the masses.. Those many people who aspire for greatness.. You start becoming a mentor even passively.. At this stage, you can own many things. You start riding in fast top class cars. You even decide to own a private jet or a small helicopters. Some decide to own an island just to feel nice. You buy your 3rd, 4th and 5th homes specifically designed for specific seasons. Many give a lot to the society at this stage.. And the more they give, the more it comes back.
At this stage, your work is that of attending board meetings of the many companies you own.. Attending National and international Business Forums. Buying more companies.. Expanding what you’ve already built.
At this stage, you don’t even remember there are bills. Most of them are paid for by your companies as “Directors’ expense”…
At this stage, your actually buy out the bank that turned you down in stage one. You also buy the building that hosts your offices.
Almost all entrepreneurs who reach this stage NEVER slide back in their lifetime, some never at all… What they’ve built remains intact even for generations. The foundation is strong enough to cross generations.
Here marks the final stage of entrepreneurship.
Post below your current stage and your preferred stage in the next 5 years??
We are African and Africa is our Business……
0 comments:
Post a Comment