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An Open Letter to the Entrepreneur Who Is About to Give Up

In 2008, I was a struggling entrepreneur

My business (a job website) was making only N4000 a month which was barely enough for anything

I wanted to throw in the towel and give up

But I had already burned all my bridges

I already did a lot of “mouth running” to anyone who cared to listen that I was going to succeed big in business

So, I had no choice than to move on

Thank God for books like “Think & Grow Rich” and others that helped me to understand that it is normal for someone with dreams to go through several trials and obstacles.

It is called paying your dues

This is a moment when it feels like nothing is ever going to work

You may have tried business A, B, C, D etc that are working for others but they just don’t seem to work for you.

“Wetin happen now?”

Some people would even feel like going to a prophet for special cleansing.

Don’t be confused.

When things are not working, it usually means there are certain things you are not doing right

The faster you are able to learn, adapt and do those things right, the faster you will begin to succeed.

In my case, I learnt 3 things that helped me breakthrough.

Those 3 things are:

(1) Focus on ONE Business

(2) Focusing on the Right Things in The Business

(3) Master How to Sell

Let me explain:

For most struggling entrepreneurs, your problem lies in one or more of these 3

Let’s start with FOCUSING on One Business.

Are you trying to juggle 3 businesses at the same time with the tiny resources you have?

It is normal for entrepreneurs to get a lot of “good looking” ideas and we naturally want to work on everything at the same time.

Don’t do it

Please…don’t

You won’t go far that way

There is an old but wise saying that goes like this…

“He who chases 8 rabbits catches none”

That is what will happen to you if you keep chasing all those business ideas you have with the little resources at your disposal

Instead, here is what you should do…

Take the most promising of the business ideas you are working on…

Then FOCUS on that one and grow it to a stage where it is very productive and profitable

Then setup a system that allows it to run smoothly

You can even train someone to help you run most of it.

Only then should you begin to work on the next business idea

Still about FOCUS

There are certain TOP priority you ought to be focusing on in your business

Your focus should be on things like creating great products and generating sales & customers

Those should occupy 80% of your time

And that brings us to the skill of sales and marketing

You may also call it how to FIND customers

And how to PERSUADE them to try your products and services

You need to master this skill

OR FIND someone who is an expert on this and hire the person or partner with him

When I was just starting, I didn’t have any money to hire anyone

So, I sat down and I learnt how to market and sell

This SKILL is ONE of my Greatest Asset today

I can sell almost anything

One of the top reasons why a lot of small businesses fail is that they do not know how to find and get customers

Dear entrepreneur, learn how to market your products and service

Learn how to find and get customers for any business

This ONE thing will change your life.

It changed mine.

If you work on the 3 things I listed in this article accompanied with the right mindset, your business will progress.

It takes a lot of courage to do business.

That is why many people are scared to start.

You have already started.

Prove to yourself & others that you can do it.

May God help us all

PS: If you like this, then you should sign up for my newsletters on money, business and marketing.

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3 Comments

  • by Ruth
    Posted December 26, 2019 10:48 am 0Likes

    For you to become a successful entrepreneur, you must Focus on a skill
    – focus on creating great products and generating sales
    2. Master the art of selling. Know how to get into the mind of your buyers
    3. Learn how to get buyers for your products

    Valuable information
    Thank you for helping my business

  • by Dayo
    Posted August 14, 2020 7:34 pm 0Likes

    Great! Thank you

  • by Osazee Oni
    Posted March 9, 2021 2:37 pm 0Likes

    Boss Toyin, thanks. To even chase two rabbits is not easy let alone more than.

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