Why It Doesn’t Make Sense to Be Pessimistic (2)

Welcome to part 2 of this article. In the first part of this article, we deliberated on the need to apply the principle of sowing and reaping. One leg of this principle which we discussed in the first part of this article borders on the requirement of planting/investing as a prerequisite for great Returns on Investments (R.O.I.); we also deliberated on the fact that we must not use the present economic situation as an excuse for not planting/investing.

PLANTING ON FERTILE GROUND

Now, in this second part of this article, we are going to look at the second leg of the principle of sowing and reaping. This second leg borders on the need to plant on fertile ground.

It is not enough to dash into the field and plant/invest. There is an Igala proverb that says: “It is not how wide the sky is that the bird flies.” Every successful farmer/business person knows that it is not every land/business he sees that he can plant/invest in. There are lands/businesses that he will never plant/invest in.

This calls for acquisition of knowledge. You have to be well informed about any project or business you wish to invest in before you take step to plant/invest. To be informed is to be empowered and to be uninformed is to be deformed.

We are living in the information age where everything you know can be assembled, packaged and sold for high profit. The Internet is awash with information marketers who earn huge income constantly from the sale of packaged information.

So also are consultants. We have on the Internet an avalanche of consultants in various fields including finance, personal development, divorce, relationship, real estate, law, business, psychology, investment, and wealth creation. These consultants are charging high fees for their services. And you know what? Their clients are not complaining about the high fees. This is because they know the importance of the information they are paying for.

Dear friend, information is essential for your success in any venture you want to embark upon. You may not know anything about the business you wish to invest in, but you can still invest and prosper in the business, provided you are willing to acquire the necessary information about the business and you are willing to act on the information.

As Sydney N. Bremer said: “There is no surer road along the way to success than to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us.” So, before you think of planting/investing, you must first take the pain to acquire the necessary information that will enable you to succeed in the business.

Even the banks require concrete information before the offer you loan for your business. Before granting any application for loan, the banks will, among others, instruct their customers to furnish them with detailed feasibility studies and business plan about the business their customers want to invest in.

I am not saying that you must become an expert in the venture you want to embark upon before you embark on the venture. No, no, no. You don’t have to be an expert before you venture into the business. But you need basic knowledge about the business you want to establish.

This knowledge will enable you to avoid risks, bumps and costly mistakes that can destroy your business. Just as a successful farmer will not plant without first finding out whether the land he wanted to cultivate is fertile enough for the crop he wants to plant, you should not invest or start a business without first finding out the viability of the business.

True, other people may be making it in the kind of business you wish to venture into, but the question is: is it the kind of business you can venture into? Can you bear the risks inherent in the business? Can you remain in the business for the long haul?

In the business world, you don’t jump into a business simply because your friends, relations or someone you know is doing it. Set up a business because you have a passion for the business. Let your passion for the business drive you to set it up and run it.

And as Sam Goody said, “IF YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT, THERE IS FUN AND FORTUNE TO BE FOUND IN ANY BUSINESS.” Your passion for the business will stir you up to find out enough information about the business and how to successfully run it.

LOCATE THE FERTILE GROUND

The location of your business determines the level of success you will achieve. Just as it is difficult to sell ice cream to the Eskimos, and just as it may not be so viable to “carry coals to Newcastle,” it is equally difficult to achieve high level of success when you operate in a place where the market (demand) for your products/services is scanty.

You need to understand the nature of the business you are embarking upon. Like a fertile ground for agriculture, the nutrients required for the growth of your business must be abundantly present where you intend to locate your business. 

Market (the demand for your products/services) is one of the major nutrients that is essential for the growth of your business. There must be prospects (enough of them) before you can hope to thrive in a particular location.

How many people in your industry are operating in the locality where you are doing your business? What can you learn from them? Are their businesses booming? Are you satisfied with the size of the clientele they are commanding? Is there any likelihood that you will make meaningful progress in the locality you are doing your business presently?

If you want to achieve high level of success in your business, there are no two ways about it. You must ensure you are operating from a fertile ground.

WHEN LOCATION DOESN’T MATTER   

In some businesses, if you are an expert, the location of your business may not be that relevant. This is because as an expert, you are already a brand. People are more concerned with the quality you deliver. They know you are there. They know you for the quality you deliver. They know you because you have been in business for a long time.

There are professionals like medical practitioners, legal practitioners, etc that run their private practice from their homes. They never bother to rent an office/shop or apartment because client patronage is not a problem. Such professionals have already built their brands.

When you are into this kind of business or any business that is in high demand worldwide, anywhere you locate or relocate to, prospects will seek you out because you are a brand that is known and patronized.

Recently, a child of about 3 or 4 years picked up a yellow paper from the ground, gave it to an adult and said: “Take, MTN. MTN.” When the adult collected it, he looked at it. The child was right! It was MTN logo! This is a testimony to the power of branding for you! Even a child of about 3 or 4 years can recognize a popular brand!

Dear friend, there is a stage you will reach in your business where your business will become a household name in your community, locality, country or the world. And when you have reached that stage, fortune will smile on you. And the secrets of building a brand that will stand the test of time are:

1.   You must be an expert or seek to be an expert in what you do. Try the best you can to deliver quality products/services. Let quality do most of the advertisement for you.

2.   Enter the market early. There is an Igala proverb that says: “One who comes to the market early, takes the better position.” MTN is one of the telecommunication service providers that “opened shop” for business in Nigeria. This gave them the upper hand in the telecommunication industry in Nigeria. In fact, it is on record that MTN recouped her investment in Nigeria within the first few months of operation! Since then till now, it is profit all the way! WHEN YOU ENTER THE MARKET WHEN IT IS ALREADY SATURATED, IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE YOU FIND YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND. There is an Igala proverb that says: “The animal that is in the forefront can never drink a dirty water.”

3.   Stay long in the market. To be a brand, you must remain in the market for a long time. Market leaders are those that maintain constancy in production, quality and delivery. If your focus is on making money and getting out of the market quickly, you are not likely going to build your brand. But if your focus is on producing and delivering quality products/services for a long time, you will end up building a brand that will become a household name in your community, town, city, country or the world as a whole. The key is consistency of purpose.

GET PLANTED FOR THE LONG HAUL

Sometimes, some soil may not look like or be a fertile soil, but with time, they become highly fertile grounds. In practical agriculture, a piece of land may not be fertile for growing crops at the moment, but after 5-8 years when it is left for fallowing, the same land will become highly fertile.

The same thing applies in the business world. In a particular village, town or city, a particular business may not be viable presently, but with time, as the locality develops, the business will turn out to be viable. This is one reason you must never despair when it appears you are operating your business in a barren land. Time heals. Time changes everything.

If you have the foresight and you are patient enough, even the very locality you are complaining about that it is not a fertile ground for the growth of your business will turn out to be highly fertile for your business years to come.

It all depends on where your heart is. As Jesus said: “FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO” (Luke 12:34; Matt. 6:21). If your heart is in a particular locality, even though the locality may not look fertile presently, it can become highly fertile for the growth of your business years to come. This is because as the locality develops and its population rises geometrically, so the demand for your business and products/services will increase exponentially.

So, whether it is in the village, town or city you want to set up and run your business, the choice is yours. IF YOU CAN PLANT YOURSELF THERE FOR A LONG TIME, YOU WILL PROSPER IN YOUR BUSINESS.

Before MTN and other service providers started business in Nigeria, the telecommunication sector was nothing to write home about. The sector, then, was a Federal Government parastatal. The sector looked like a barren land. Things were not working in that sector. Later, it was privatized.

MTN and other service providers rushed in and invested in the seemingly barren telecommunication sector. After only few months of operation, they discovered that the seemingly barren sector is a fertile ground – second only to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

So, sometimes, what you think may not be a favourable climate for your business may turn out to be the best climate for your business. A soil may not be fertile for now, but it may become fertile years to come.

What is bad is operating from a barren land. “Barren land” here refers to a locality where a product/service is in very little demand or is not in demand at all. Again, “barren land” refers to a locality that is so primitive or unsophisticated that decades to come, there is not likely going to be developments that will ginger business growth there.

FINALLY, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO BE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU WISH TO EMBARK UPON. ALL YOU NEED DO TO GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS IS TO OPERATE FROM A FERTILE GROUND. WHEN YOU OPERATE FROM A FERTILE GROUND, YOU HAVE NO CAUSE TO BE PESSIMISTIC AT ALL.

Even if appears the ground doesn’t seem to be fertile for the growth of your business presently, never despair. You may relocate, if that is your utmost desire. On the other hand, you may remain planted where you are operating your business presently and wait patiently for a positive change.

Yes, the wind of change is blowing and nothing can stop it. As it is said, “The only thing that is constant is CHANGE.” The change that will ginger your business growth will blow across your business. This change may not come as quick as you want, but rest assured: A POSITIVE CHANGE IS COMING! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR IT!

And please consider the words of Alexander Dumas, the Count of Mount Cristo: “ALL HUMAN WISDOM IS CONTAINED IN THESE TWO WORDS –“WAIT AND HOPE.”

Until I come your way soon, remember: You must not just plant/invest; you must plant/invest on fertile grounds for high returns on investment. Go and live victoriously!

P.S. 1: Part 3 of this article will be coming your way soon. Watch out for it and make sure you don’t miss it!

P.S. 2: Please watch out for CFVL’s Christmas message for you. CFVL wishes you a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!