you absolutely need to know these tips before you start a brand or business in Nigeria, if you want to be ahead of the majority
there are tons of tips online on what to do before starting your business or brand.
from legal advice, management tips, to structuring and writing your business plan.
all of these are great, but we are not trying to create a generic business start up article
we want to take a look at the aspects that you must come to terms with before starting a business in Nigeria, online or offline.
these tips will apply in any part of the world, they’re not just applicable to Nigeria.
Now the chances are you are reading this because you’re either running a brand/business or just about too start
which, I must confess, is really not that easy or “fancy” (like most entrepreneur’s make it seem), but definitely worth it.
here are some tips to know before starting a brand or business in Nigeria;
First up, when you’ve decided you want to build a brand because of the ostentatious life you’ve seen your entrepreneur-peers living
I must emphasize that:
1. it is absolutely NOT for everyone
2. if you’ve decided entreprneurship is for, you must solely do it for the passion, nothing more, nothing less.
pick an aspect you are most passionate about, not something you think will give you easy money
WHY FOR THE PASSION? because that passion lives inside you & will sustain you when the going gets tough & the money stops flowing.
Note: There is no entrepreneurial journey that doesn’t meet some type of rough patch during growth, at least, so be prepared.
Okay, chill out, I’m not here to scare you!
Secondly, when picking a name for your brand business
make sure its a Timeless-Name, I mean that kind of brand name
that makes people ask for the inspiration behind your brand/business Name.
that already makes for a good conversation starter and a great first pitch.
now we’ve got our passion in-check and a good brand name to follow, what’s next ?
I’ll advice at this point to get the company registered but this can be ignored, especially if your starting with zero capital
but please soon as you start earning under the brand name, make sure you do this (A lot of Nigerian’s tend to ignore this)
especially if you plan to grow the brand. At some point,, it just needs to be done.
All that legal stuff is important but you can get away with not setting it up at first especially in Nigeria.
You also have to identify which social channels will best suit your new business, Instagram for more visual content
Twitter for more Written content; Facebook for both visual & written content, Printrest, Snapchat, Tumblr; and the list goes on,
just depends on the characteristic’s of your new business.
granted, these tips are moving towards a more online inclined business
which isn’t as popular as the more predominant physical business structure in Nigeria
but never limit your business, the world is a global village, give your business as much visibility as you can.
with the right social channels now identified for your business, what comes next is brand Logo which should be done professionally by a graphic expert
Try and get the best you possibly can ( and not your friend, who you think can maybe give it a try).
Now Lastly, whether it’s a service, clothing, food, art, travel or whatever kind of business you are about to start, or just started,
you need to have a website, and by a site I mean an e-commerce website, ending with .COM, not a free site like what one of WordPress’es offers
this site should be accompanied with a Mail, again, not Yahoo or Gmail.
(a professional email with your company name attached, e.g., [email protected])
WHY DO YOU NEED A SITE? its simple, gives you a professional outlook, helps you stand out from competitors,
easily gain consumers trust, helps introduce potential consumers to the range of services your business offers.
it is more beneficial to your business than you can ever imagine I mean, imagine if we didn’t have this blog
we wouldn’t have been able to pass this info easily, get it?
so to sum it all up, what you need to know before starting a brand or business in Nigeria to stand out is;
- It isn’t for everyone, so if you decide it’s for you, it must be for something you are passionate about
- Pick a timeless brand/business name
- Register the company
- Identify the social channels that best suit your new business
- Hire a professional to design your logo
- Get an e-commerce website
Note: an Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat account is not just enough for your business, especially if you really want to be taken seriously, you just need that website.
Did you find this information useful? please don’t hesitate to share & join our mailing list.
For More on #branding101, please stay with us at EKPO, We will be giving more gems on How To Grow Your Brand The Best Way.
Need Help Starting/growing your brand/business, please give us a call lets have a talk – +2348162978712
Bonus tip; in the spirit of generosity, here’s a link to 15 tips you should know from pro’s in the game before starting your business anywhere.
Never forget, even if you are starting a brand, it’s still a business
no entrepreneurial structure can stay afloat without adequate funding, so you’ve got to make sales as a business that you are.
there you have it, folks, The basic things you need to know about starting a brand or business in Nigeria
