The rejected warnings

Greetings!

Starting a business of my own was what was on top of my mind when I was about to graduate from the university in the year 2018.

Though I have different options to choose from when it comes to the choice of the business I wanted to do then, having observed very well, I chose to go with selling raw foodstuffs. To me, this was the best idea ever, as I believed people would always prioritize eating over any other thing in life.

So, in lieu of this, I opted to sell raw rice, beans and other uncooked foodstuffs. So, immediately I decided on which of the businesses I wanted to do, so I went around to look for a good shop at a very good location. The first agent I met promised to help me get a very good shop at a very good location. He said,

“Mr Sam, I would make sure I help you with the shop at a very good location, just make sure the money is ready.” “ Okay sir, I would appreciate it if you can help me get it at a very good location,” I replied. “Since I have promised you, just go and put your mind at rest,” he said. “Thank you sir,” I appreciated him and left.

So, the following day, which was a Thursday, the agent called me and said he had helped me get the shop. When I got there, I saw the shop and to be sincere with you, the location of the shop was in a very good place, a commercial center of the town.

“I'm happy to have got the shop at this rightful location,” I said. “ It's my pleasure,” the man replied.

So, immediately I showed my appreciation to the man. I paid 120k for two years’ rent plus another 30k which is for the agency fee, totaling 150k.

After paying the money, I locked up the shop with my own padlock and went home with a happy mind. When I got home, I called my younger brother and I told him,

“ Josh, I have just paid for the shop. So, let's get set to starting the business next week.” “Okay, no problem,” he responded.

Still in my joyous mood, I went around my neighborhood to advertise my business. During my house to house advertising, I met a woman, who could be a potential customer.

When I got to her, I told her about the business I was about to start in a week time, but the woman would not let me finish talking before intercepting saying,

“Young man, who introduced this kind of a business to you. “ I replied to her and said, “ Nobody, but with my keen observation as to what's going on in our economy, I believed people would go for food rather than going for anything else.”

When the woman heard me say this, she burst into laughter and asked,

“Have you done your research about what you're about to invest your money on?” “hmmm, not really ma,” I answered. “It's better you do a thorough research as to what you are about to embark on,” she said. “Thank you ma,”

After the woman had said all these things, I left her place with confusion. Though, I have already made up my mind that nothing would change about my plans and the take off date, but even at that, I was still having this kind of a reservation as to what the woman had said concerning the business.

So, immediately I got home, I went to asked one of the woman customer who was living very close to our house and told her what the woman said, we she heard this, she said,

“Let me tell you the truth, what the woman told was true.” “How ma?” I asked.

It was when I asked this question that the woman helped me shed more light on what the other woman who I first met meant with what she told me. She said,

“Ah, what Mrs Akinye told you is nothing but the truth.” She went further and said, “ Mrs Akinye was only talking from her past experiences about the business, she has collected a series of loans to run the business but all to no avail.”

After she said this, I asked her saying,

“How did you know so much about her and her business?" It's then she continued and said,

“Mrs Akinye and I are very close friends and we are even members of the same cooperative society. At one point, I was the treasurer of the cooperative and back then, I used to help her with her loan application. It's during this time that I got to know about her plight in the business she does.” “Ah!” I exclaimed. “You haven't heard anything yet,” she said.

The woman continued and said, “though, it's not actually her fault to run her business that way, in fact, she tried to run it the best way, but customers would not even allow her to do so as they would always come to buy from her on credit and with that, owe her at the end.”

When I heard this from her, I asked her if it's possible not to sell on credit. But the woman responded by saying,

“It's possible but quite difficult, especially for those people that are compassionate and care for others,” She said. “Is being compassionate now a crime?” I asked. “That I don't know,” she replied.

The woman continued and said,

“When Mrs Akinye, first started the business, she was so tough and determined not to sell on credit, but after few weeks of her starting the business, she changed and was selling on credit, maybe because of low patronage, that I don't know, but I knew she changed from being tough and determined to being soft and this really affected her.” “I appreciate your insight ma,” I said and left.

After hearing this, I felt confused and instantly, I didn't actually know what to do again, maybe I should abort the plan or to continue.

Given my investments in rent and other preparations, I decided not to look back but to continue with the plan, as I would not want to lose the rent fee that I have paid to the agent. Though, if I had told the agent I'm interested in the shop again, he would have returned to me my rentage fee of 120k, but the 30k agency fee would not be returned.

So, for me not to lose the 30k, I proceeded with the plans with the determination that I would not sell on credit. Though I maintained this for some months, but later, when I saw that people were not that patronizing me, I changed my mind to be selling to my faithful customers on credit, but unfortunately, it was when I started this that I got to know that, no one is a faithful customer. That's the genesis of the collapse of the business.

It's when the business finally collapsed that I remember the warnings and the advice given to me by the two women that I met with before starting the business, seriously it's a painful end to the business and had it been I followed the advice of those women to the letter, maybe i wouldn't have found myself in such situation. But because of me trying not to lose the 30k agency fee, I lost all my investments.

Thanks for reading.

Picture sourced from metaAi.