Wake Up Take your Business Seriously: Understanding the Business Side of What You Do
You know your work; you can fry the crispiest plantains... but do you know how to sell, grow, and make money from that skill?
A quick one before we go into today’s gist. This is for applicants of the Caladium Strategy Skills Academy. If you are a Glo user, kindly siwtch to another network for a smooth and hassle-free application process for the Caladium Strategy Skills Academy. Don’t let network problems stop your opportunity.
You know your work. You have mastered your craft. You can sew the neatest dresses, make the best smoothies, fry the crispiest plantain, or bake the softest bread. But here is the real question. Beyond knowing how to do it, do you understand how to sell it, grow it, and make money from it?
This is where many people get it wrong. They assume that being good at something automatically means they will make money from it. They think that because they cook the best jollof rice or make the finest leather bags, customers should naturally find them. But business does not work that way. The people making money are not always the best at what they do. They are the ones who understand how to position themselves, attract customers, and build a structure that keeps money flowing in.
No matter how good you are, if you do not understand how to make people want what you are offering, you will struggle.
1. Think Like a Business Owner, Not Just a Worker
The first thing you need to change is your mindset. Stop thinking like someone who is just doing work. Start thinking like someone who is building a business. If you keep seeing yourself as just a tailor, just a photographer, or just a hairdresser, you will remain at the same level. The moment you start seeing yourself as the owner of a fashion brand, the head of a photography company, or the CEO of a hair business, everything changes.
You need to start asking bigger questions.
How do I get more customers without begging people to patronize me?
How do I increase my prices without losing customers?
How do I make sure my business does not depend on me alone?
Many skilled people remain broke because they refuse to think like business owners. They believe that as long as they are good at their work, customers will come. But the ones making money are not waiting for customers to come. They are creating demand for their products.
2. Branding and Perception Matter More Than You Think
In Nigeria, we like things that look valuable. People do not just buy a product. They buy how it makes them feel. That is why the same handbag that a roadside seller is selling for ten thousand naira can be sold in a boutique for seventy thousand. The difference is branding and perception.
If you sell plantain and you call yourself just a plantain seller, people will treat you like every other person selling plantain. But if you brand yourself as “The Premium Plantain Plug” and package your plantain neatly in a way that makes it look special, people will pay more for the same product.
Branding is not just about having a logo or a nice Instagram page. It is about controlling how people see you. It is about creating an image that makes people feel like your product is worth more than the others. If your business looks ordinary, people will price you anyhow.
3. Marketing: People Need to See You Before They Buy
Some people believe that if their product is good, it will sell itself. That is not true. The best product does not always win. The most visible one does.
Marketing is not just about posting “Buy from me” every day. It is about making people want what you are selling. The biggest brands in Nigeria do not just sell products. They sell emotions, lifestyle, and experience. They know that people buy with their feelings first before they think about the price.
Some key things to remember about marketing:
People buy emotions, not just products. Make them feel something.
Storytelling sells. Let people connect with your brand.
If people do not see you, they cannot buy from you.
If you are running a business and nobody is hearing about it, you do not have a business. You have a hobby.
4. Pricing: Stop Undervaluing Yourself
Many people underprice their products and services because they are afraid that customers will not buy if they charge more. But pricing is not just about the cost of materials or time spent. It is about the perceived value.
A plate of food at a buka and the same plate of food at a fancy restaurant are not priced the same way. Why? Because the restaurant has built an image that makes people feel like they are getting more than just food.
If you want to charge more, make your business look valuable. Improve your branding, position yourself as premium, and most importantly, believe that you are worth the price you are charging. If you do not believe it, no one else will.
5. Structure and Growth: Move from Hustle to Business
Many people run their businesses like a daily hustle. No records. No structure. No plan for growth. They work from hand to mouth, collecting money today and looking for the next customer tomorrow.
A real business is built on systems. You need to think about how to make your business run even when you are not there.
Ask yourself these questions:
How can I get customers without chasing them every day? (Think referrals, social media, WhatsApp marketing)
How can I make people keep coming back? (Think customer loyalty, discounts, and bulk deals)
How can I stop doing everything by myself? (Think hiring, training, and delegating tasks)
The goal is to move from hustling daily to building something that will last.
Wake Up and Take Your Business Seriously
Having a skill is not enough. If you do not understand the business side of what you do, you will always struggle to make money.
The people making it big are not necessarily the best at their work. They are the ones who have mastered branding, marketing, pricing, and business structure.
If you want to succeed, stop thinking like a worker and start thinking like a business owner. Learn how to position yourself, how to attract customers, how to charge your worth, and how to build a business that does not depend on daily struggle.
This is the real difference between those who stay small and those who grow. Which one do you want to be?