What matters most to an entrepreneur is not just a creative concept worth a million dollars but the ability to turn that idea into reality. Lacking financial resources doesn’t make one crazy, but failing to use every available means to bring a dream to life might make one seem foolish. A successful entrepreneur understands both the business realities and the financial challenges that lie ahead.

Richard, a 24-year-old with a passion for both faith and business, was admitted to the University of Ibadan. Shortly after matriculation, he joined the choir of a non-denominational church. His life seemed repetitive to his peers—seminars, private lessons, exams, and then choir practice. Yet, Richard found solace and purpose in his routine, especially in his service to God through the church. In Pentecostal churches, youth involvement is encouraged, and Richard embraced this wholeheartedly.

Every Sunday, Richard was the first to arrive at church. Whether it was a housewarming, infant naming, or any other celebration, Richard ensured everything was in order. His dedication earned him the respect of the entire congregation. But while serving the church, Richard also nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit, always tinkering with business ideas.

After completing his degree and serving in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for a year, Richard realized that his unwavering commitment to the church had also earned him a vast network of over two hundred friends and mentors within the congregation. Recognizing the strength of these relationships, Richard decided to approach a hundred church members with a business proposal. His idea was simple but ambitious: he needed $4,000 to rent land for vegetable planting and pig farming.

In just three days, the members responded generously, each contributing $50. Richard raised $5,000, surpassing his initial target. With a clear plan and small, deliberate steps, Richard rented the land, planted his vegetables, and started his pig farming venture. Six months later, his first harvest was ready, and with the help of local market vendors, he began supplying produce across the southwest of Nigeria.

Today, Richard is not only a well-educated farmer but also a British-trained entrepreneur, with a farm valued at over $70,000. His story is a testament to the power of positive relationships, faith, and persistence. Through his journey, Richard has shown that with the support of a community, dreams can indeed become reality.

A tropical cyclone, also known as a typhoon or hurricane, is a powerful storm that forms over warm tropical waters, characterized by strong winds, low pressure, and heavy rain. Just as a storm’s power can destroy, a strong foundation is essential to withstand its fury. The same principle applies to building a business—without a solid foundation, even the most ambitious ideas can crumble.

Temitope’s idea was as bold as it was innovative. He envisioned creating a database so vast that it would allow Africans to search for any company from their mobile devices, aiming to compete with the likes of Google. With this massive goal in mind, Temitope registered his business name and began his journey. He recruited a team of ten, providing them with generous salaries, personal cars, and bonuses, all funded by his bank loans. The future looked bright as his company quickly gained 6,000 customers in just two years—a promising start on the road to global success.

However, Temitope’s dream was built on shaky ground. Instead of focusing on solidifying his business’s foundation, he began indulging in luxuries and spending recklessly on side expenses, all while his company’s debt continued to mount. Despite the company’s success, with customers willing to pay $3 a month to be part of the search engine and even invest in the business, Temitope’s lack of focus on long-term growth and sustainability led to its downfall.

Subscribers, who had initially paid for a year’s service, expected the company to deliver on its promise to sell their goods and services globally. But as more subscribers came in, the search engine’s lack of visibility and promotion began to take its toll. Customers stopped renewing their subscriptions, sales plummeted, and within six months, the company went bankrupt, leaving Temitope with a staggering $35 million debt.

In hindsight, Temitope’s approach could have been different. By starting small, recruiting only a few key employees focused on marketing and distribution, and prioritizing the growth of the subscriber base, he might have attracted more investors and kept the company afloat.

Today, Temitope works for an oil and gas company, using 25% of his monthly income to repay the enormous loan. His story serves as a cautionary tale of the importance of building a strong foundation before chasing big dreams.

Suleiman, a graduate with an engineering degree from the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State, found himself in a situation far from his field of study. After completing his degree, he began his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) assignment in Abuja but soon decided to relocate to Lagos in search of better opportunities. He moved in with his uncle, who generously provided him with a weekly allowance of $25 to cover his commuting expenses and emergencies. With free access to food and transportation, Suleiman felt like he was living a life of luxury.

Instead of focusing on his job search, Suleiman found himself drifting into a lifestyle of indulgence. He spent his days applying for software developer positions online, but his nights were a different story. Bored and looking for excitement, he befriended locals and soon became a regular at the Lagos Cooperative Club. Every night, he and his friends would gather for fresh fish and drinks, and their weekends were filled with parties. It was a carefree lifestyle, funded entirely by his uncle's allowance.

One day, Suleiman noticed that one of his friends had stopped coming to the club. This absence made him pause and reflect on his own habits. Curious, he calculated how much he was spending on alcohol each month—$10 a day, totaling $300 a month. The realization hit him hard: he had been living in his uncle's house for over a year, with nothing to show for it. He had wasted all of his allowance on fleeting pleasures, with no savings or achievements to speak of.

Determined to turn his life around, Suleiman recalled a proverb his father often quoted: "A young man will always waste his first revenue on something useless and stupid." Motivated by these words, he decided to make better use of his time and money. He invested in learning a practical skill—haircare—by hiring a roadside stylist as an apprentice for $100. For three months, he dedicated himself to mastering the craft.

Upon completing his training, Suleiman rented a shop five miles from his uncle's house and opened his own barbershop. After months of hard work and dedication, he finally shared his new venture with his uncle, admitting how he had squandered his allowance for over a year but had since turned it into something worthwhile.

Suleiman's story serves as a powerful reminder that it's never too late to change course. While alcohol and other forms of entertainment may provide temporary pleasure, they should never become a regular drain on one's finances. Instead, Suleiman advises setting aside even small amounts—like $1 a day—for the future. Over time, these small savings can grow into something substantial, proving that with discipline and foresight, anyone can transform their life from wasted time to thriving success.

There is much to learn about life, especially why individuals with substantial financial bases can suddenly go bankrupt. You might argue that the world is unbalanced or unfair in certain ways. But I ask, how would you describe the life of Mike Tyson? The greatest heavyweight champion of all time earned more than $300 million before the age of 35 and went bankrupt at 37. Think of Patricia Kluge, Sean Quinn, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Bernard Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, and liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya—all of whom lost everything and had no choice but to start over or spend their remaining time in prison. Nobody is immune to bankruptcy.

The truth is, being at the top of the wealth ladder and earning millions does not guarantee you will die wealthy or leave a legacy for your children. Failure is always lurking, waiting to catch up with you, just as success does. Only those with the MONKEY Mentality can overcome it. Mismanagement, trusting the wrong people, poor decision-making, and faulty sales projections are just a few reasons why entrepreneurs may go bankrupt before noon.

Take, for example, Dr. Raymond Anthony Dokpesi, a Nigerian media entrepreneur born on October 25, 1951, often referred to as Nigeria's Ted Turner. Dokpesi was the creator of the first indigenous shipping line in Nigeria, the first privately-owned radio station in the country, the first global TV station in Africa, and the first TV station in Nigeria to broadcast 24 hours a day. His media empire set the standard for salary structures, inspiring future generations to pursue careers in journalism.

However, Dokpesi faced claims of manipulating the balance sheet, employing deceptive business practices, and mismanaging funds obtained from investors and banks, which led to his bankruptcy. As banks pursued legal judgments to seize his personal and corporate properties, investors began to withdraw. For 17 months, DAAR Communications Limited, the owner of AIT and Raypower, couldn't pay wages, resulting in N1.1 billion in debt. Employees had no choice but to stage a national strike, demanding their wages. In response, the company laid off about 32% of its workforce and downsized top management staff as part of a cost-cutting plan. The company also went public to raise capital to pay off loans, settle wages, and handle legal battles. Like many other Nigerians, my mother donated over N100,000 to the company, as the situation was dire. Eventually, the parent company was sold for about N950 million to repay bank loans.

In 2014, Dokpesi stepped down from the board to pursue a career in politics, and since then, the organization has made a remarkable recovery, delivering high-quality television and radio programming once again. Dokpesi was fortunate to get his business back—you might not be so lucky. Think!

Guys!, I don’t know if I’m the only one feeling the unbearable weight of rent in this country. It feels like an endless struggle, working hard just to make it through the month, only to realize the paycheck doesn’t stretch far enough. The math isn’t adding up, and I keep wondering how long people can survive like this.

It’s simple financial logic: rent should be reasonable. If someone earns $40,000 a year, their rent shouldn’t exceed $1,000 a month. Earning $70,000? Your rent should be about $1,500. If you make $100,000 annually, you could reasonably afford $2,200 in rent. That’s how it should be, but the reality is a bitter pill. Instead of balance, we see people earning $40,000 a year being forced to pay $2,600 a month for rent.

Where is that extra money supposed to come from? I’ll tell you where: working 18 hours a day, barely living, just surviving. It’s a vicious loop—work, sleep, work, repeat. This isn’t living; it’s existing. And it’s driving families apart. The financial strain breaks marriages, dissolves relationships, and leaves people isolated and exhausted. How can a couple nurture their bond or be present for their children when every waking moment is spent chasing rent?

Take my Ghanaian friend as an example. He works at Amazon, earning just over $43,000 a year. His rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in New Jersey? $2,400 a month. Now, imagine paying that and still needing to cover utilities, transportation, groceries, insurance, and loans. Like everyone else, he has to pay for electricity, gas, water, and internet, keep his car running, and buy food. Don’t forget about student loan repayments, credit card bills, and emergency savings. And if you have children, the expenses only climb higher with childcare fees, school supplies, and medical costs.

Where’s the breathing room? Where’s the hope? It’s not just about rent - it’s about the whole real estate sector squeezing people dry.

Let’s be real: the average American earns around $49,000 a year, which means rent should be $1,041 a month at most. But what do we actually see? A one-bedroom apartment today costs $1,700 on average, which is almost 70% more than it should be. This isn’t just unfair - it’s dangerous. It’s pricing people, especially immigrants, out of stability and into a life of relentless struggle.

It makes me wonder: when did greed become the norm? Landlords and companies hike rents with no accountability, squeezing people until there’s nothing left. They say it’s “just business,” but gouging those who are already struggling isn’t business - it’s cruelty. How can a person save for the future or invest in themselves when they’re drowning in rent payments? Immigrants, in particular, come here with dreams of building a better life, only to find themselves trapped in a system that gives you numerous opportunities, but some individuals take them away with the other hand. 

This isn't just a financial problem, it’s a human problem. It drains people emotionally, physically, and mentally. Working endless hours leaves no time to build relationships, pursue passions, or simply rest. And the worst part? It doesn’t even feel like there’s a way out. Rent control should be a priority, not just a policy idea. Without it, the cycle continues, corporations keep squeezing, and people keep suffering.

So here’s the big question: How are we supposed to build a life - let alone a future - when every step forward feels like two steps back?

Imagine arriving in a foreign land - a place brimming with opportunity, freedom, and the possibility of building the life you’ve always dreamed of. This is the reality for millions of immigrants, people who leave behind the familiar to embrace the unknown, seeking better opportunities, education, reunification with loved ones, safety, or simply a better quality of life. But the journey is rarely smooth. Immigrants must adapt to new cultures, learn new languages, and navigate complex legal systems. Despite the challenges, many make meaningful contributions to the economy, culture, and diversity of their new home. However, I’ve noticed a distinct difference in how people handle these challenges, and I’ve come to view immigrants in two ways: proactive and reactive.

Proactive immigrants are those who take action from the very beginning. They find jobs, learn the language, build connections, and set financial goals. Their sense of purpose guides them as they move steadily towards the life they envision. In contrast, reactive immigrants get lost in the thrill and distraction of new experiences. They make poor personal or financial decisions, drifting without clear plans or priorities, and often pay a steep price for it.

Let me share a personal experience that made these two paths painfully clear. I live in New Jersey, but I recently had to visit the Nigerian embassy in Washington, D.C., for some important paperwork to facilitate my travels. Since an old schoolmate lived a few miles from the embassy in Maryland, I decided to combine the trip with a chance to catch up. He had been in the U.S. for 24 years, and I was excited to reconnect. I imagined a warm welcome, a delicious meal, and some time to relax before my appointment the next day.

When I arrived at his home, what I saw was a complete shock. His situation was dire - words like “terrible” felt like an understatement. I was stunned, but instead of dwelling on his living conditions, I invited him for a drive so we could talk. As we drove through the streets of Maryland, I told him how disappointed I was to see him struggling after spending nearly a quarter of a century in the U.S. I asked him what had gone wrong.

He opened up and told me his story. When he first arrived in America, the freedom overwhelmed him. He started partying and got deeply involved with a gang, moving from state to state, causing trouble. At one point, he participated in an armed fight that landed him in serious legal trouble. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison. After serving his time, he was released on parole with an ankle monitor to track his movements. Eventually, the monitor was removed, but he was placed on a permanent watch list with the warning that if his name ever appeared in police reports again, he would face much harsher consequences.

Listening to his story, I couldn’t help but think how differently things could have turned out if he had stayed focused on his goals. His experience taught me a powerful lesson: as an immigrant, you must never forget why you came. The distractions will always be there, tempting you with parties, easy thrills, or quick money. But success only comes when you stay committed to your goals, no matter how hard the journey becomes.

The key to thriving as an immigrant is not just ambition but preparation. You must find a job, no matter how humble the beginning. Learning how to manage your finances is essential, including budgeting, saving, and investing for the future. Credit and debt can be useful tools, but they require careful management to avoid pitfalls. Without a financial plan, the future becomes uncertain, and progress can slip away before you even realize it.

What I took away from my friend’s story is that the choices you make when you first arrive in a new country will shape the rest of your life. Whether you take the proactive path or fall into the reactive one, the outcome is up to you. The key is to stay hungry for success and remind yourself every day why you made the leap to start fresh in a foreign land.

I hope this story resonates with you. If it does, or if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m more than happy to discuss, help, or offer support. You have my attention!

The college graduate College graduation is an exciting time for students. After years of study, they are now free to choose from an infinite amount of life paths. Majority of students graduate yearly, but still do not Know which path to choose because they find themselves in the cycle of poverty.

The cycle of poverty is about more than a simple lack of resources. It has a complex issue that requires digging a little deeper for sustainable solutions.

The cycle of poverty can be traced to the families of individuals. “we find that individuals who grow up in poor families are much likely to be poor in early adulthood” – Robert Lee Wag miller and Robert M. Adelman from the National center for children in poverty (NCCP). Nevertheless, no matter the family you come from, no matter who you are, building wealth and overcoming poverty can be a challenge, but it is possible. Here are some tips for what college graduates can start doing now, to break the cycle of poverty and take control of their financial situation.

Educate yourself

Education is beyond the walls of an institution that is why this one comes first because it is the most important. The simple truth is the less you know, the easier you are to get taken advantage of especially when most schools don’t currently provide educational opportunities in financial literacy. To be financially free, ensure to educate yourself and understand:

Basic financial literacy

How credit works and how to build credit responsibly

Cash flow

How money works and

Where money is.

Expand your knowledge base by:

Reading personal finance books

Listening to podcasts

Watch videos on personal financial education

Attend financial seminars if you can

Change your mindset towards money.

“When it comes to improving your finances and achieving financial wellness, it is 20% skill and 80% behavior and mindset “Bola Sokunbi from clever girl finance. Consider asking yourself these questions.

How was I raised?

What money habits did I inherit from my parents: how did they handle money?

What triggers me to spend my money?

What are my current money beliefs?

How much do I owe?

How much do I own?

What are my money goals?

What small steps can I take now to start changing these beliefs for the better? When you think about your financial situation as a temporary status, you start to understand it’s something you can change. If you make the right decisions and get smart with your finances, you can start to move up the “ladder of wealth” creation. To break the cycle of poverty; you must break it from your mind.

Find helping hands

The next step to mindset change involves finding the helping hands you need to be successful. That’s where the resources available in your community come into play. Don’t struggle alone in silence, take advantage of the resources available in your local community.

Surround yourself with like-minded people

Another key to breaking the cycle of poverty is to surround yourself with people who inspire you, and people who are on the same path with you. They might not be in the same location with you, but you can follow them up/ connect on the internet. When you join a community of likeminded people who are on the same path to break poverty, you'll fell Motivated

Learn from others

Learn from people who have broken from the cycle of poverty. These people could be friends, family members, those around you or you can even search (online and offline) for those who have broken the circle of poverty and learn from their insights and mistakes.

Finally, use the skill and knowledge you gained in college like creative thinking, self-motivation, and time management to turn a passion into a job.

“Empty pockets never held anyone back, only empty hearts and heads can do that – Norman Vincent Peale

“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledged, both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought – Napoleon Hill

“It is not about your resources, it’s about your resourcefulness – Tony Robbins

“You’re not poor, you’re just in a lower wealth status – Sharita M. Humphrey.

Leverage on these and break the cycle of poverty

We would love to enjoy what youths in other parts of the world are experiencing, like having meals in luxurious hotels, driving fancy cars, tour cities and having the time of our lives. Nevertheless, there is more to life than luxury, in fact the simple things in life are what makes life interesting. What could these simple things be? This article sheds light on things the Nigerian youth would like to have access to make their lives on earth more meaningful.

It is important to note that currently, over 33.6 million (16.8%) Nigerians are regarded as youths (aged between 15 and 35). It is obvious that if close attention is paid to these group of persons and their needs are met, it would have a positive influence on the lives of others in the country.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: In 2022, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is estimated to reach 33 %. One would likely conclude that Nigerian youths aren't educated and so don't qualify to be recruited for professional jobs. This isn't really the case. Yearly there is an outflux of thousands of graduates into the job market that doesn't have sufficient job space for them. Yearly too there is an influx of students into the higher institutions who will finally graduate and have limited jobs to be hired for. This has become a cycle yearly.

We have seen situations whereby just one vacant space opening is advertised in an organization, but hundreds of graduates apply to get this job. Even most of the ones available come with a paycheck that isn’t sustainable. This is really appalling. It has become so bad that many persons now use this colloquial expression (School is a scam). They wonder how they would invest 4-6 years of their lives in obtaining a degree and have nothing as a reward for their due diligence. This has led many of these persons to engage in fraudulent practices and been used as tools to achieve the interest of political leaders, all of these which tarnish the image of Nigeria.

Nigerian youths want a country where there are high chances, they would get a job after their dedication to study for years. Jobs that will help them start a life for themselves, raise a family, support their parents and siblings.

Little wonder lately we have a large number of Nigerians leaving the country searching for greener pastures leading to the loss of valuable talents that can be utilized in our country.

ACCESS TO FUNDING FOR ENTERPRENEURAL YOUTHS: If jobs in the market aren't enough for youths, they can pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. A sizable number of Nigerian youths have great business ideas that have the potentials to provide solutions to national and worldwide problems. These ones are willing to work their heart out and their ideas can blow up to become Unicorns. Where is the access to funding to scale up these ideas? These business ideas can even create job opportunities for the unemployed and increase the Gross Domestic Product of our country.

Nigerian youths want easy access to grants, loans, and acceleration programs to build their businesses. They want a situation where a common man can have access to all of these, they don't need to have a family or friend in the seat of power before they get to know of such opportunities and are able to access them. They want to be able to access loans with moderate interest rates and free of bottled neck(delayed) processes.

A SECURE NATION: In March 2022, a medical doctor, Chinelo Megafu lost her life to an ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train tragedy caused by terrorists who detonated bombs that brought the train to a halt. This is so heartbreaking. Imagine spending years in medical school, hoping for a promising future and her life was cut short. How would her family feel about this sad news? They likely had big dreams for this child but all down the drain. Why? Insecurity! Can the terrorists even be traced? Is there any provision to track them down easily and be brought to justice?

This is just one in a hundred of tragedies that happen in Nigeria, what about the ones that don't get to hit the news headlines? It’s traumatizing that despite living a simple life in Nigeria, no one is ever sure if they will be alive the next minute, hour, or day not because of a disease or an accident but because they can be kidnapped and lose their lives. Is living in a secure nation too much to ask for?

A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF STEADY POWER SUPPLY: It is embarrassing that many times after the close of work or at home, we pray to God that we have power supply and whenever it is restored, little children get to scream in unism words of excitement. Isn’t that laughable? Many parts of the country experience power shortage or low current despite paying high bills and some haven't had power supply for years.

Power supply has a powerful impact on the growth of businesses as these businesses rely heavily on it to carry out day to day tasks for their customers. With the advent of remote work, steady power supply will help persons who work from home to do that free of stress.

We don't want 24 hours of power supply. We just need a reasonable amount of power daily. We want to be able to get home after the day at work and be able to put on our electric fans or air conditioners, stay updated with news on television or be able to relax by watching movies. We want to have a good life before we die.

EASY ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE: Quality health care shouldn't be accessible only to the rich. Quality access shouldn't be available only when we travel out of the country. This is a basic human right. Many persons lose their lives because diagnosis and management of such sicknesses are expensive. For example, the cost of an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan ranges from 50,000 naira for a cranial scan and 800,000 naira for a full body scan depending on the body part been examined. To be realistic, only few persons can afford to get this done and tests like these are crucial for proper diagnosis. How easy would it be for a Nigerian who struggles to have a 3 square meal daily to access this health care and manage the diagnosis afterwards?

Well-equipped hospitals should be made available, and fees subsidized for the common man who struggle daily to put food on his table.

GOOD GOVERANCE: A leader most of the times is responsible for the affairs of a group of people and determines whether things go well or not. The Nigerian youths want accountable, tenable and vision driven leaders to take charge of the affairs of the country at all levels of the government. They don't want leaders who buy their way to the seat of power. They want leaders who will put the interest of their citizens into consideration before enforcing certain governing rules.

This want is saved as the last because it plays a crucial role in achieving most of the other wants of the Nigerian youths stated above.

Truth be told, the request of the Nigerian youths isn’t insatiable or over demanding, they are wants that can be met and will lead to the betterment of the country and the future generations of Nigerians.

A popular idiom says: how you lay your bed, so you lie on it. We can lay this bed of ours well enough for us and our offspring to lie on comfortably.

Clean water is a fundamental and basic need for human beings. Our systems are set up in a way that drinking water every signed day is non-negotiable, just as food and breathing is. Though in past times, we all source our drinking water directly from sources like wells, borehole and other natural sources of water, the advancement of technology over time has given us the opportunity to access clean, germ free water. This helps prevent diseases like typhoid which may result from contaminants inside water from natural sources which we used to drink. Clean water also brings us a balanced body system and good health.

In recent times, sachet water business has continue to become one of most promising and popular businesses in the country today. This is of course a result of its high demand and the need for people to get a pure source of drinking water and also for an affordable price. Sachet water is very popular in Nigeria.

The stringent requirements of safe drinking water add to its scarcity and shows that in most cases the problem is not availability of water but inability to obtain quality water. Safe drinking water is water that has been treated and tested for harmful and potentially harmful substances and has met or exceeded drinking water quality standards or water with microbial, chemical and physical characteristics that meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines or national standards on drinking water quality and this is where the sachet water comes in.

Sachet Water Business is a common form of selling pre-filtered or sanitized water in heat sealed bags (polyethylene sachets) and are especially popular in Africa originating from Nigeria and spreading to other West African countries. Sachet Water are cheaper to produce than plastic bottles, and easier to transport.

Many years of neglect by government and inadequate investment in public infrastructure has left the public drinking water supply in Nigeria in an unreliable state. The society has therefore taken to several adaptive measures of alleviating this stress. One of these is dependence on sachet water, popularly referred to as ‘pure water’.

How sachet pure water was invented in Nigeria: You remember DIL pure water? DIL means Deagbo Industry (Nigeria) Limited.  It is Nigeria’s first ever sachet water producing company. Late Ibadan born entrepreneur, Sir Isaac Adeagbo Akinpade, pioneered sachet pure water business in Nigeria. In 1994, he became one of the pioneers in manufacturing of water packaging in sachets popularly called “DIL PURE WATER”.

STARTING A SACHET WATER BUSINESS IN NIGERIA: In Nigeria today, there are quite a number of companies involved in the business as individuals are keen to tap into the promising business option which also boasts of a large market for the sachet water. Sachet water is the simplest and easiest source of clean water for the average Nigerian. And for the business, there are quite a number of options that can be selected from. For example, you can decide to be a manufacturer and own a sachet water producing factory or deal in the wholesale aspect of the business where you’ll be one of the large scale suppliers of the product into the market after receiving them from the producers. There are also options for retailers who eventually help with getting the sachet water to the consumers.

Starting a business like this comes with a high cost especially if you’re going large scale and you’ll be producing the sachet water on a large scale with many bags to be produced in a day. The cost could be a lot lesser if you’re not going into large scale as there are options for equipments that can be used for small scale production and still get the desired result even though it requires even more work. This operating costs of the business prepares the mind of the entrepreneur to look for ways to get sufficient funds that can help with properly running the business.

Also, there will be need for workers who might not need to have any special skills relating to the production process except they will be in charge of any machine or equipment to be used in the company. You don’t neccesarily need a lot of workers to get the business running and even in some cases when people decide to start small scale, they might choose to do the work alone and do everything involved in the business with little or no help. It is very possible as the small scale aspect requires just few equipments though it can prove to be very stressful and at the end of the day, you’ll still need people to help with distribution.

The sachet water business is highly profitable and it is something that might not need any kind of passion or motivation or even skills except to run the business and make profit. You don’t need any educational qualifications for the start of the business. It’s not something that is studied in school, just a knowledge of the basic entrepreneurial skills that can make you understand how to run the business will be enough to help you run and sustain the business. Factors like location and marketing strategies will also prove to be useful in the success of the business. It’s not an easy business but at the same time, nothing good comes easy and poor management might plunge the business into failure.

What are the challenges in the pure water business?

Some of the difficulties facing the production of Pure water in Nigeria are:

Abundance of drinking water: Many people don't patronize the commercial water dealers especially when they have good sources of water in their neighborhood. This is another challenge that you might encounter, but you'll still sell to the consumers if you connect with suppliers. The market places, schools, bus-stops and event centers are all good places to distribute the water to the consumers.

Lack of Adequate water access: Most pure water companies have to travel for a very long distance to get quality and hygienic water. This problem has greatly influenced the overall production cost of pure water in Nigeria.

Increase in Price of materials: With the rate of inflation in Nigeria, Pure water producers have complained several times that the production of pure water has gone far above the roof and many of them have been forced to close down their businesses. An increase in prices of commodities such as fuel, nylons, and other materials has greatly influenced the production cost of table water.

Double taxation by the government: This is a sector-wide problem that most stakeholders have been complaining about. The taxation laws in Nigeria are not unified leading to duplicity in tax payments, which eventually led to an increment in the cost of production.

Regulatory Bureaucracy: Pure water business is a very sensitive business that requires strict monitoring, however, most times the regulatory agencies engage in bribery and corruption instead of their constitutionally legal duties.

Vehicle Maintenance: This is one of the most difficult challenge faced by pure water companies, as a pure water company, you can not survive the business without a distribution vehicle. This vehicle will work round the clock and will constantly require maintenance and repairs.

Power: This is not restricted to pure water business alone. No business can also survive in Nigeria today without plans for an alternative power source. Due to the epileptic supply of electricity, you will need to purchase a strong generator that will be capable of running your business.

Other challenges include:

Insufficiency of storage space

Limited loan facilities for dealers in pure water

Mistrust between the producers and distributors

Increase in production rate

High market competition

Risks of thieves and criminals

High cost of maintaining the company at large

How do you succeed in the pure water business?

Success in this line of business depends on several factors. Below are the steps you need to take to succeed in this line of business.

Choose a good location: One of the most important hallmarks of any business is a good location. Pure water business requires good layout with access roads in a hygienic environment. Also, it is important to locate your factory near residential areas like estates where the demand is higher.

NAFDAC registration: This is one of the most difficult hurdles intending businesses in this sector face. To produce pure water in Nigeria, your brand, products, and process must be certified by the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Hire staff and pay them well and on time: You are not going to be running this business alone, therefore you will need the services of about 5 staff including a driver and a motor boy. Pay your staff a bit above the industry standard and on time, to motivate them.

Unique taste: Water should be tasteless right? However you should make yours very much unique from others. It could be packaging. I remember a new water industry that went viral March 2018, the packet alone looked like it was a drink. Till date many people still patronize the brand.

Attractive label: As I have said earlier, you should make your label attractive. You can use amazing graphics to design it and you will see it selling itself. People love beautiful stuff and would soon become your customers for life.

Use an easily remembered name: Names like Logos Table Water, Eva Water and the rest of them are easily remembered right? In anything you're doing, always make sure your name can be easily remembered.

Always ask for feedback: Drop a customer care line and if possible make it toll free. Facebook and Twitter are also awesome for getting feedback, since almost everyone has an account now. Hire polite staff for that and make sure to put into consideration whatever people say. There might be millions of complaints but only those who love you will actually reach out to you.

Water remains a basic necessity for human survival. What is sad about this is that not much of the available water is drinkable, and the government does little to meet the demand for clean water. A good pure water company can thrive well in filling this gap. A pure water production business in Nigeria is not without its challenges, but with a good plan and management, it will rake in surprising profits.

Due to advancement and awareness created to the general public, alot of people now prefer bottle water to the regular sachet water as they see it to be more pure than the sachet water and without any hazard to their health or the environment and this has in some way reduce the consumption of sachet water but it is still very much a profitable business as demand for sachet water still remain high among the poor and middle class and quenching of thirst comes first in their eye even before the health or environmental hazard the sachet water may cause.

So it is fair to say the sachet water is still thriving and will still thrive well as a lucrative business in the foreseeable future if the challenges are tackled.