My Niche Contest: I still Regret how my wrong decisions collasped my promising Business Dream.

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Thanks for being here for me even throughout the times I took you through our steemit promo articles. Its my pleasure to write this story for you, it will be an honour for you to read it.

Thanks for being here for me.

Me in Mangu camp, plateau state.

Telling My Story
I had graduated from a Nigerian university (IBB University Lapai Niger state) early 2014.

I decided never to wait for government or to be posted before I start working. I am an active learner in my school days I spent more time learning all I can.

I had learnt building, bricks laying and interlocking before school, I had learnt cake making and various Nigerian meal. I had learnt blogging and a lot from the internet and even after schooling and serving my country I still film making. All these things I learnt I had passion for and had formed a base for my existence presently.

Me on site in sky blue shirt.

For the reason of this contest I would tell you one of my regrets today, and why I regret that step.

Recall I told you about me graduating from school, well I had graduated from the department of Geography.
So if you call me a man of many knowledge and arts you won't be wrong.

I am the man who loves to get out of the boxiness and do the untalented things people thinks it's weird, but most times I do them not from white paper but from the script of life and mostly the are undetermined, not predestined nor are they even thought of.

Filming with my crew

With Cyril stoner of NTA after a training session during one of my filming classes.

But this time I thought it would be wise for me to work with one of my friends, an engineer, with no hesitation I contacted him and told him my intention.

He asked me to check him out on a site in Asokoro so I hurriedly got their, luckily for me I got my own piece of cake.

I baked and ate that cake till finally I went for service.

Going to Serve Father Land
I was posted to serve in plateau state. I was very very angry with the posting, "this people want to bury me in the north o" I taught for a while "they for kukuma carry wife gime, mtceeww" but I had no option.

I consolaed myself with the stories of the coldest places in Nigeria and how it would be fun to experience it.

So the next day I arranged my luggage and set off for my journey.

I must confess, plateau state of Nigeria beat my imaginations. It has so many green lands and filled with the sahel savanna. Its weather and atmospheric temperature was amazing.

Plateau is filled with varieties

Occasionally there were few cyclic winds that just blew everywhere off. Before long I landed in Jos town( I love this town, I will visit it again this time to create a steemit community).

Let me tell you that I was received on camp with a frog jump and a 100 meter spirint carrying my luggage on my head😃 (quick advice for aspiring NYSC Students, don't carry too much luggage to camp, hehehe you will just end up leaving most of it yo the rightful owners).

Representing my platoon with meal making.

Camp was fun (some people will just go there and be behaving like say NYSC na their Father house, who e EPP?) If you ask me what camp is is to me? Here is my answer.

NYSC Camp is like a real life steemit experience, just socialize meet people, mix up but be wise, for Christ sake its over 2000 young people in same place at the same time, you probably won't have such an experience anymore. So bro, for me I was out to do the main thing, socialize, and you know, I don't dull hahaha.

What took me off my feet was not posting me to plateau, but posting me to a very deep village, that village is very far, it was 4hours(about 224km) drive from jos capital city. I did not even know how to feel. How can I forget that beautiful girl I have been eyeing and making connections with,(mhen this guys fall my hand😭 hahaha).

The beautiful girl I got my eyes on

My colleague that took her because of distance (lol😁)

Infact we were together all through until the posting they took her to Jos(Lobathan 😭😭🤣🤣🤣 hahaha, this girl fine scatter) I am sure it was because she contested for miss NYSC for my platoon. No need to tell you my awful feelings, they just dashed my hope into pieces(naso I finish service no babe all the babes they post to Langtang just ugly, lol like say them select them,hahaha).

My place of Assignment
They said plateau is cold but Lantang is hot, and everything about this place is just off, hahaha, when its hot, over hot, when its cold over cold, chai! what a beautiful Nigeria?

So (jejely) I accepted my fate(like say I get option before self). We finally reached the town where I was posted. The corps members would not tell you the truth, they will welcome you we and tell you is the best place to be, because they don't want you to leave(wicked people, ha haha). They told us about the town, their cultures, people and how they lived.

Then I asked of my primary place of assignment, they told me about it, how it was, lucky enough, it was the best place to serve in that local government (Federal Government Girls college, Langtang).

Since I had this information I said to myself, I must fight to to be retained in this place.
The day for screening corps members by the school finally arrived I just prayed they took me in.

The funny scenario was the guy who wanted to be rejected was accepted, he was begging for rejection, the principal told him "young man I can't reject you at all, we don't have nay computer teacher in the school except for one, hence your services will be greatly Needed" when the corp member pleaded that he can't teach the principal said "don't worry just sit in the computer library and developed apps or do something else( omo naso the guy no fit escape ooo 🤣, wait until you hear my rejection).

I was finally called upon, "sorry sir, we have a lot of geography teachers, you are not needed" (omo for my mind I just spark, "this man is talking yanyanpu🤥) " with all due respect sir, this is the place of my primary assignment, thus is where I have been posted to serve sir, and I can't be rejected, please consider I have no other plc's to go" I spoke to his empathy, he looked into my personality in words and saw my sincerity, he requested that I wait for him to find out if I could teach any other subject close to Geography( Naso them carry me say make I go teach Civic Education, I no get choice. After all, the school dey py allowed, and dey give use food stuff to share I no want make hunger marmar me, you know na, hahaha). finally I accepted civic Education.

I had direct contact to our state coordinator who.had already asked me to change if I wanted on my way coming back from Abuja to plateau after the two weeks leave.

The funny thing was, when I got home, I was in my sleep when I dream that I had arrived to serve in Jo's and then a lion chased me all around till it tried to devour me( omo no be person tell me say make I reject Jo's ooo hahaha). I decided go(jejely) to my beloved langtang hahaha.

Seeing a Business Opportunity

Before I left for home, I had studied the environment and found they needed a Mini eatery. So I decided to come back with my gas oven.

When I came back I also met the bankers around, they were only two banks at the time, so I found out what they loved and did not get, i saw they needed lush foods, same with other big guys in the community.

My first allowance was paid, so I decided to add it with what was remaining with me after my so many spending on camp and miscellaneous expenditure I was left with only #40,000 it was about $200 dollars then. So I ventured, I went to jos town, got all the Irish potatoes, all the cabbage, salad cream, ketchups, bag of rice oil, chicken and all I needed to set up my food center.

My food centre banner.

I started right away, that first day, I sent out souvenir to perceived customers, I made about #5000 close to $11.

It was prospering, I bought a bicycle(omo that time I come dey fit die) and later a bike for home and office delivery. What I sold was convenience.

I continued my business, I baked cakes, made various kinds of foods, fried rice.
My menu were:

Fried rice
Spicey rice(jellof)
White garnished rice and stew.
Egusi soup,
Goat meat leper soup,
Plain cakes
Potatoes biscuits
Custard and milk with fried egg and plantain
(Mehn they plenty, just leave matter)

A birthday menus for a customer

One of my so many menus (friedrice, goatmeat and Coles law)

By end of the year(6months) I had made a turn over of #248,500 about $1000 by then and two staff working with me(they just dey very frustrating village girls wet don't know any thing, spoil business for me tire, mtcceeww) only me can't do the job, it was tedious, don't forget I am still serving.

The effect, I was invited to by skill aquiziation enterprise development to coach new corps members on food processing.

My students during saed programme

Some of our products we made.

I had already decided to stay here for sometime to see how the business would work (this was my first regret).

My First Regret and Failure

I was doing so well that people in the town started noticing my shop. Did I forget to tell you that the state coordinator also lunched my shop as nice it was still under construction.

In talks with the state coordinator during the commissioning of my shop

Sooner enough, I was invited by one of the the rulers in the community to help him mange his hotel kitchen section, this was my first mistake, the distance between my shop and the hotel was very far, about 5kilometre drive from town so it was a big problem for my customers to reach me, despite that some followed me there, but my deal was for the ruler to hand me the hotel, he refused, so I had to go back to my shop. My first regret was going to that hotel I loosed sizable amount of customers.

My Second Regret and failure
Finally I saw one whom was willing to lease me a place. I was to pay #120,000 for a year I hustled the money and gave him, then I started the business.

I inherited his staffs and I kept them, about a two of them.

I was doing well for some time, I attracted more customers, and demands was much, sometimes I had to serve myself, less I forget it was now a full blown bar.

I had problems with the staff because they don't attend their duties the way i wanted.

I spent #30,000 about $110 then for furling my gen for 30 days, this was really killing. I had no option, but the annoying part was I began to short moneies, I was trying to find out where this was coming from until finally I found out it was from my staff. What do I do?

She is a native I can't prosecute, it was. Lear to me that this business would collapse except I tried a magic, all I tried was vain.

But then another opportunity from one of the most wealthy men of the community came again, for me to manage his hotel. I waited for it. I tried but he was not forth coming, then I liquidated and bailed out.

After about a week I had left, I got a call from them, then I just felt I could not return.

I had already believed that I would get a job with my extended family member in his company I was disappointed.

I Regretted that I made the the move for an expansion, I would have moved out with my little cash I had then to jos and start better.

My regrets was leaving that town not being patient enough, I could have built something from it. Obviously I made decisions am not proud of.

My Dreams
My dream was to have restaurants in all corners of Africa starting from Nigeria. Its a dream I still hold dear, bit my decisions at the time I could have used my life line to climb, after all my hard work I lost out.

I still feel so bad, but everyday in my life, I still look forward to fulfill this dream.

Conclusion
I may look like I can hardly do this right now, I still have it in mind, I have many dreams and passion s I have picked the mostly achievable ones to start with.

I am not giving up on them, I shall work till I get there.

I saw my failure as a learning process, today I am better at all I do in my business. I hope that on no distant time steemit will be a vechile to our dreams.

I urge everyone to dream dreams, go for it, and when it fails its a challenge and starting point.
My regrets has being a challenge to me.

Thank you for this contest.

Yours loved

@iconnelly

Appendix and Reference
©All write up and pictures are original works of author click here for proof

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