January In Review

As the month of January rolls away, it is clear that some of the stories on the blog have made more of an impression than others. Our most read story in January has definitely been  What I learned about Negotiating Buying Food in Ibadan. This post on understanding the value of your product when negotiating terms with your clients has been a run-away hit since it was published late in the month. Below is a run-down of the most popular posts in the month of January. If you missed anything, it is worth taking a moment or two to read it.

• If you are wondering if a business plan is a good idea, I have definitely had the same dilemma. Here is where I stand on The Business Plan Dilemma!

NdaniTV presents Tara Durotoye, CEO House of Tara

There is this lipstick that my sister loves; for her, it is perfect.  The first time I saw the lipstick on her, I expected her to tell me that it was a MAC or a L'Oreal. Alas, the lipstick was House of Tara 'Orelekelewa'. Just the name alone was something so distinctive and captivating. I asked her how much she bought it and she told me it was about N1500. I was stunned. Here was a Nigerian brand selling a superb product at a price that was really affordable and accessible. I just had to know more. It is since that moment that I have been intrigued by House of Tara, brand conceived and developed by Tara Fela Durotoye. Personally, I am a massive fan of a reddish-bronze eyeshadow from the brand because it works so well with my skin tone and the texture is divine.

NdaniTV interviews Lisa Folawiyo of JBL

I admire Lisa Folawiyo, the founder and creative director of Jewel By Lisa. As an entrepreneur who has dabbled in the fashion industry in Nigeria, I respect her. I respect her because I understand the amount of work it takes to take your vision from your head to a drawing on a piece of paper to something executed in fabric. This last sentence cannot express the sheer amount of hardwork it takes to produce clothes. Fashion as an industry demands passion, tenacity and the ability to keep pushing. I respect Lisa Folawiyo's success because it means that she is doing the hardwork she needs to do to keep her company growing.

One of the things that struck me in this presentation is that her business was born out of her passion. In entrepreneurship, with the amount of challenges one faces, it is important to be passionate. On the worst day in business, a business owner still needs to be able to see some token of goodness.

Watch and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

NdaniTV Young: Tayo Oviosu, CEO Paga

I first heard of Paga from my sister, who is also my business partner, when we were discussing payment options for an ecommerce site we were developing at the time. I did not realise then that Paga was a start-up; I just thought it was another company branching out into Nigeria. One of the things I like about Tayo Oviosu after watching this video is that is understands start-ups not just as business ownership but as a culture. Start-ups are machines for innovation. Most innovations come out of small businesses that are willing to take risks and develop new ideas because they don't have much to lose. I also like that one of his visions is very similar to mine; professionalising the start-up environment in Nigeria by providing infrastructure. 

NdaniTV Young CEO: Ola Orekunrin/ FlyingDoctors Nigeria

Often, the best ideas are born out of personal tragedy. That spirit of "Never Again" can really push individuals to come up with solutions that might seem daunting if not for the tragic context. Take for example the work that Ola Orekunrin is doing with her organisation Flying Doctors in Nigeria. After the death of a sibling, she decided she wanted to tackle the problem that contributed to the death by starting an emergency service that allows patients to be moved safely to places where they can receive the care that they need. Her business solves a critical problem within the Nigerian healthcare sector. Watch her interview with NdaniTV below.

NdaniTv Young CEO : 3Invest's Ruth Obih

I just discovered this series on Ndani TV that profiles Nigerian entrepreneurs. I like this series because it gives me a vision of what is possible. I am able to see other young entreprenuers that are Nigerians that are making it in Nigeria. I really enjoy reading Forbes Lists and such because they give me an aspirational view on life but things like this Ndani TV series give me a realistic view of life. This is important because I can tell that it is possible to overcome the many obstacles one faces with doing business in Nigeria.