Angela Itambo Company

To further reduce poverty in Nigeria from 59% as published by the United Nations, the small business/entrepreneurial ventures must be up and doing this can be done by the need to change the mindset of why one is in business. The I alone syndrome should be stopped for the well being of all the stakeholders in the sector as well as the polity as a whole.

This will witness a drastic reduction in failed or abandoned businesses. It will reduce unemployment because more jobs will be created, the standard of living will increase and a spread of wealth will be experienced. However this cannot be wished for rather a lot of hardwork, commitment on the part of the small businesses must be done such as the following :-

• The foundation must be checked and if need be; corrected, by foundation we mean the essence of being in business, this can be achieved by a reevaluation of the business as a whole

• This is necessary, because a business/an entrepreneurial venture is a building, if it is not properly laid it may look beautiful, however any slight climatic change can cause a collapse to it the same as regards a business. As your business consultant of which I have taken as a profession with the best of my abilities so help me God. I suggest you take time out now and access your business to do so means to ask yourself the hard truth.

• Are you pleased with your business as it is?

• What gives you the greatest concern? Is it that it isn’t generating income? Or it is generating income but not as you will expect?

• You dread going to your office wherever it may be or the thought of waking up the next day to resume where you stopped the previous day, what could be the reason for that?

• What of those around you, what are their views, are they in support or most cann’t quite understand where you are heading especially, your family including parents if you are single, spouse if your married, financiers, suppliers, business partner that assist you one way or the other as well as the community as a whole?

• What is this cause of this misunderstanding? Does the blame fall at your table or it is externally induced?

• Did you bootstrap your business meaning starting with inadequate capital than that was required? However due to passion, favour you were able to kick start the project(which is the lot of many small business ventures not necessarily restricted to the Nigerian polity

This exercise is to evaluate thoroughly your business as a whole with the view of putting in place the right structures to ensure it achieves the following: a winning brand which is driven by the most ideal business system to bring the most needed value for its target customers. This can not be achieved alone, the business consultant is inevitable to any business whether a small business or entrepreneurial venture at whatever phase it may be.

The business consultant should be on hand to assist you evaluate your business on regular basis to proffer useful workable suggestions to ensure the business is on the right track. However as a result of the bad experiences of some in the hands of these individuals this has robbed negatively on those who have the passion and skill to assist entrepreneurs as regards business management advisory.

In any case this shouldn’t discourage you reader, to seek professional advisory from these individuals, the key to derive maximum value for your money are as follows; you must have enough information on the business consultant intended on his or her competence to assist small businesses.