The Missing Key to Building a Mini Importation Business that Outlasts the Competition - Jade Sulaiman Digital

The Missing Key to Building a Mini Importation Business that Outlasts  the Competition

...Give me 5 minutes and I will tell you what no one has dared to reveal about building a lasting eCommerce business in Nigeria

missing key

“Building a successful business anywhere has a little less to do with money.”

If Building a Lasting eCommerce/Mini Importation Business is Your Dream then, Read This

One thing I have observed and experienced over the years in business creating, sustaining and growing a business is that most people who invest into a business model pay little or no attention to building an actual business that stands the test of time.


In the next few minutes, I will share with you a few things I learnt from my mentor on building a profitable eCommerce/mini importation business 

But, wait a minute: is building a business a crime?

 

Does it have to be so destructive?

If building a business as a machinery for wealth creation was a crime, then most of the world’s renowned rich men would be criminals. But these folks took great personal risks to get to their current stations in life.

We know names like:

-          Walt Disney

-          Bill Gates

-          Aliko Dangote (Africa’s richest man and world’s richest black person)

-          Folorunsho Alakija (world’s richest black woman)

-          Oprah Winfrey

-          Mike Adenuga (Globacom)

-          Wale Adenuga (Wale Adenuga Production/Super Story)

-          Jeff Bezos (Amazon)


-          Mukesh Ambani (Asia's Richest Person and India's Richest for 12 years in a row)


-          Jack Ma Yun (Alibaba)

... and a host of others who globally renowned not only for their wealth but also for the value they have created.

These guys got to where they are today by creating real value... by doing exactly what Zig Ziglar said a while ago: “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

The truest path to wealth creation or building profitable businesses is in creating pure value: something that people would part with their money just to have a slice of.

How do you create value?

Engage any of the following assets in your possession -

Your time

Your skills

Your creative ability

Any of these could lead to the creation of value as products, services or both.


You must make value creation your number one priority if you seek to outlast your competition and create lasting wealth.

A Real Life Example of How Creating Value Can Change Any Man's Fortune and Create A Lasting Business Empire 

Have you heard of Jack Ma Yun?


No?

Any idea who the founder of Alibaba.com is?

Oh. You know Alibaba. That’s good. Jack Ma Yun is the founder!

He failed his Primary school exams twice; Middle school exams thrice; university entrance exams thrice. Ten times, he failed his admission exams into Harvard.

He once said, “when KFC came to China, 24 people went for the job. Twenty-three people were accepted. I was the only guy who wasn’t.”

He failed 30 job interviews. One of them was a Police recruitment interview. Five applicants showed up; 4 got selected. He was told, “No, you’re no good”.

Two of his initial business ventures failed. That was until his first visit to the US where he got introduced to computers and the Internet. Out of curiosity he searched for “China” and got no result. Yeah, “beer” was more popular on the Internet than China back then. An idea was born: Time to get China and her people on the Internet.

With the help of 17 of his friends, Alibaba - a new eCommerce start-up, began in his apartment on April 4, 1999 at age 31. Getting the people to trust online shopping and online payment was no small challenge. Jack Ma became China’s richest man trying to “get China and its people on the Internet”!

Today, Jack Ma’s venture is richer than Facebook, eBay and Amazon. Alibaba.com is the top global eCommerce site after Walmart.

Jack Ma Yun spotted an opportunity and went all out to create wealth out of it. He saw beyond his failures and rejections through to a future where his ability to dream changed everything. His first venture into buying and selling provided him with the platform to realize this dream.

What’s your dream?

A Quick One About Myself

My name is Jade Joseph Sulaiman, and I have always been a dreamer. I am an eCommerce merchant and trainer... aside other things I do.

Faced with nail-biting poverty, I experienced endless episodes of cashless-ness. Being a graduate of Political Science from Bayero University, Kano and from a humble background, the odds against me succeeding, in a highly competitive society like ours, were high. That didn’t mean I can’t wade my way through… and I waded.

Until 2 years ago, I ventured into several businesses that crashed faster than it took me to start them:

-          Pay phone or call centre

-          Books salesman (during and after my NYSC)

-          Bakery (chin-chin and plantain chips. This one lasted longest of them all)

-          Business centre. My first employee helped me to get the business into the ground within the first month. I had to raise money from my daytime job to pay him off.

I always had some business ideas but, most of the time, either there’s little to no capital or I worked with insincere employees/partners.

During my undergraduate days, for example, I ran a relatively thriving business selling vegetable oil with a start-up capital of N700.00... way back in 2001.

I started my chin-chin business with N5000.00 in 2008. Yeah, the business centre cost me about N150,000 to set up. Of that amount, about N80,000 included loans from friends.

I didn’t realize there was a pattern until I sat down to do some research on how most wealthy people stumbled upon their wealth.


According to Business Insider by Pulse, there are 4 paths to lasting wealth creation. Of these 4 paths, 51% comprises Dreamers-Entrepreneurs and 27% of this 51% has failed at least once in their business adventure.


I was never alone. Let me ask, “have you failed in business before?” If your answer is a YES, then know that you are neither alone nor jinxed.


In October 2018, an ad jumped at me. The content of the ad kick-started my current story. That's how I met my mentor, Jonathan Melody. 

How Are You Creating Wealth? 

By getting a job? I don’t hate paid employments. In fact, part of the money I began my present eCommerce venture with funds from a salary advance I got from my 8-5 job. However, depending only on your salary to create financial stability will take ages to yield the desired results. And the job must be really paying well.

By “investing”? In Nigeria today, we have twisted the concept of investment out of shape. People believe that putting money into schemes that promise doubling, tripling or even quadrupling their “investment” within 24 to 72 hours as a legitimate way to investment. However, investing in high yield stocks, bonds and mutual funds is a legitimate way to invest and has proven to be a good mechanism to create wealth over the long haul.

By creating value? This involves putting your time and skills into producing a much-needed product or service. Buying and selling or starting your own business is foremost in this category. This wealth creation mechanism dates to times immemorial. Remember barter trade? People would exchange what they have for what they need…  every time.

eCommerce is about creating value in a digitally driven environment like the Internet. You look out for a need and strive to meet it with a product or a service. Simple!


My eCommerce Story

2008
While I was preparing to set up one of my failed businesses with a friend in 2008, I started seeing these ads on mini importation all over the internet. Prior to this time, I had signed up for several PLR-affiliate programs that yielded nothing. So, I dismissed the mini-importation hype as just one of those internet wealth creation opportunities that held no good. I kept passing over the opportunity…

And I kept striving hard to make ends meet. The ends were so hard to pull together!
 
2017
Almost 10 years down the road, I still needed to multiply my streams of income.

Then, these mini-importation ads started popping up all over the place again. Low on funds, I registered for one training on WhatsApp. The free training was so skeletal I almost quitted. I paid the fee for the resources, hoping to get more light. It disappointed me.

The second of such trainings moved us to Telegram for the paid masterclass. At least the trainer could get some of us pumped up to start with some products he was selling. My first N40,000 or N50,000 investment melted away like butter in the fire.

I persisted. I registered for another training. I wished I had seen this one first. It was enough to get me started with less than N15,000 by locally sourcing for the product I wanted to test. I made my first eCommerce profit ever.

Convinced that I now have a true blueprint to succeed at eCommerce, I went to put in another N30,000 and made nearly a 100% profit. This thing sweet o!

After testing this blueprint for a year and moving from 0 sales to at least N3,000,000 in sales and profits for two products, it’s only normal for me to share this blueprint and other resources I have consulted in the past year with you. More on that soon.

My first year selling physical products online using the blueprint I am about to share with you

- I found my first product on a website provided in the blueprint after about a week or more of an agitated search.

- I bought 8 pieces of the product locally and got my money back with the sale of 3 pieces. I used one to test the product and gave out 3 as samples. The first logistics company I used misplaced one... those guys ehn!

- I ordered for 40 pieces for less than N30,000 on the product and shipment. I ran a Facebook ad and after spent only N700 as at the time I received my first order that cleared the entire 40 and I made nearly a 100% profit.

- I ordered for another 220 pieces of the same product

- Within 2 weeks, I made sales of over 200K and nearly 370K by week 3, from an initial capital of N30,000 (minus the cost of the blueprint) - using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. My website was still being designed at my pace.

- I sold nearly 500 pieces of that product within 3 months

sales
diabetic patch

Over N1m in orders between late June and mid-July, 2019

Note: In 2019, I was testing out the niches to see where I could fit in and offer the most value. I made these sales on a shoestring budget and a low startup capital. Sometimes, I would partner with some persons to either boost my capital or just improve on my knowledge about the trade.


Yes, I gave no room for excuses!


Ecommerce could be a viable and legitimate way to build a strong business that can stand the test of time and outlast your competition.


ECommerce is buying and selling with the aid of the Internet. The original idea dates to 1979 by Michael Aldrich who invented and pioneered it in the UK. The first online transaction happened in 1994!

The Internet went public in 1991. Amazon.com was one of the first eCommerce businesses to open in the US, in 1994; eBay opened in 1995. Alibaba.com, the first in China, opened in 1999.

There are thousands of businesses on the Internet. There's no shortage of tools to make that lucrative. The Nigerian eCommerce market set to hit $75 billion by 2025. The current value is $12-$13 billion.

Potentials of eCommerce in Nigeria 

forecast



The current value is between $12-17 billion. That’s a lot of zeros to go round.

current value


Evidently, eCommerce holds great prospects for the Nigerian economy.


How eCommerce - Works

Here is how eCommerce works:

  • Identify a pressing need and find a matching product or product combination that meets that need.
  • Source for the product or product combination at a dirt cheap price
  • Sell your product (or services) using various digital platforms like Facebook and Google for high returns (ROI)

What Next?

My first eCommerce venture tanked right out of the door. I worked with the first two trainings I told you about earlier. That made me to withdraw until I implemented the principles my mentor, Jonathan Melody teaches. I realized I was using the wrong methods: my product search method was wrong; my ads were wrong… almost everything was wrong. I was building on a faulty foundation.


Someone said, "if you play the Nigerian game, you get the Nigerian outcome [result]". If you seek to build to build a business that will outlast you and the competition, then you must improve on your game. 

Most times, when people are failing at something worthwhile, it’s not because the venture is not profitable. It’s usually because they are busy doing the wrong things while expecting the right results. A great number of Nigerian eCommerce merchants I have interacted with have been using the wrong methods.

They go:

  • Buy products they thought would sell only to realize that nobody needs the product
  • Import a product without having an idea who the buyers would be
  • Lack a sound knowledge of how to advertise or sell the product. Some try using Facebook marketplace groups, spamming other people’s ads or blog posts hoping that someone would see their spammy comments and call to place an order.

Any of the above mistakes can drive your eCommerce business or any business model into the ground long before it begins. Assumption is a major business killer.


I made at least one of those mistakes several times and I paid a huge price each time. It's the fastest way to turn your house into a warehouse - storing products nobody needs, not even you.


The story could be different.

You Can Build A Business Empire that Outlasts the Competition

You can have a different narrative, a different story from the rest of the pack. You can make your way into the top 51% class of Dreamers-Entrepreneurs, even if you have shared experience with me and the other 27% who failed at least once.


To do that, you must learn the right ropes.


Building a durable business that keeps your channels of wealth generation running doesn't have to be so difficult. Starting and running a successful eCommerce business in Nigeria is possible. But wait a minute...

  • Lack of focus
  • Lack of motivation, commitment and passion
  • Too much pride, resulting in an unwillingness to see or listen
  • Taking advice from the wrong people
  • Lacking good mentorship
  • Lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge: finance, operations, and marketing
  • Raising too much money too soon
  • No market need
  • Ran out of cash
  • Not the right team
  • Got outcompeted
  • Pricing/cost issue
  • Poor product
  • Need/lack business model
  • Poor marketing
  • Ignore customers
  • Businesses that Succeed (on the Internet and beyond)


    • Founders focus on making  impact (creating value), resulting in passion and commitment
    • Commitment to stay the course and stick with a chosen path
    • Willingness to adjust, but not constantly adjusting
    • Patience and persistence because of the timing mismatch of expectations and reality
    • Willingness to observe, listen and learn
    • Develop the right mentoring relationships
    • Leadership with general and domain (niche) specific business knowledge
    • Implementing “Lean Startup” principles: Raising just enough money in a funding round to hit the next set of key milestones
    • Balance of technical and business knowledge, with necessary technical expertise in product development

    Businesses that have stuck to their guns, doing things the way they used to do them in the past and refusing to master the demands of the times, have remained really stuck... in their rut.


    For example, the Retail Gazette reports that "10,000 retail jobs already lost since the start of 2020". This is remarkable if you note that this is a January 2020 report for the UK! The USA is not doing differently as widely reported by the Financial Times and on the News Lagoon.


    Guess what's causing the large-scale closure?


    It's "the shift to shopping online".

    So, here's your opportunity to make your business creation story better ...

    If you could work or find your way to the league of businesses succeeding online and beyond. Businesses with an online or Internet presence conduct eCommerce. That's what I have been trying to bring to your attention. This would be a lot easier if...


    • You knew how to find a hungry market to sell to.
    • You knew how and where to find products (or create services) people would eagerly pay for.
    • You knew exactly how to get your products out there for people to buy.
    • You knew how to pick a profitable niche to pitch with.


    How long would it take to come to such a discovery: 1 month? 3 months? 1 year? 6 years?


    Since 75% of new businesses die within the first 5 years, wouldn't it be sensible to work with a set of methods that have done well in the recent 7 years and has helped nearly 8000 individuals to create wealth online while building a value-driven business on the same platform rather than just striving to make money online


    The same battle-tested blueprint has helped me to realize anyone can create wealth and succeed if you are on the right side of doing things.


    Competition and a tight budget may seem a big deal if you are running on the wrong track. These factors wouldn't be a real threat if you knew the right places to dig.

    So... would you need me to share with you what I learnt from the Blueprint that made all the difference in my life and in my eCommerce business?

    Yes, the exact blueprint with which I made sales worth 3 million from selling physical products online in 2019!

    Then, just type your name and email in the box below -

    See what users of the blueprint have to say:

    "I am now a big time importer..."

    For a while now, I needed a means to take my business to the next level. I didn't know how to go about it until Mr. Jade introduced me to the Blueprint in early 2019. I wasn't sure what I was getting into until my goods [first shipment] arrived in late 2019. Thanks to Mr. Melody and Mr. Jade, I am a big time importer now.

    innocent ozi

    INNOCENT OZIE

    Water Engineer

    Want to Know More About the Blueprint? I have put together a short training for you. Hit the Button Below and Fill the Form to Access the Training:

    "I am glad to recommend this"

    This Blueprint is for the serious-minded. If you seek to start a successful business online this year or even take your current online/offline business to the next level, then you need to listen to what Jade is saying.  When we talk about ecommerce in Nigeria, Jade Sulaiman learnt from one of Nigeria's finest and I have watched him selflessly help several others find their footing in the industry, I am glad to recommend him to anybody serious about sustainable wealth creation in 2020 and beyond.

    sunday adedeji

    SUNDAY "Sunnel" ADEDEJI

    eCommerce Merchant

    Want to Know More About the Blueprint? I have put together a short training for you. Hit the Button Below and Fill the Form to Access the Training:

    "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” - Chinese Proverb

    "Not everyone who works hard is rewarded. But all those who have succeeded have worked hard."- Kamogawa Genji

    P.S.: Prior to my first encounter with the blueprint I mentioned above, I fell prey to some so-called wealth creation opportunities. Almost gave up. However, I remain thankful I didn't. I only saw the offer once, and I grabbed it. Now is the best time to take that leap and make today count!

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