Mohammed Mustapha Yakubu Is A Youth Ambassador For The Africa Youth And Talent Summit Held Annually Accross African Continents.
Mustapha Is The National Coordinator Of The African Students For Liberty In Ghana. He’s An Entrepreneur, A Youth Leader And An Event strategist.
He’s the co Founder Of Chosen FinTech Solutions, A Blockchain Start-up In Ghana.
Excerpts
Mr Mustapha: Business we all know is the economic activity one undertakes for profit or revenue by producing a product or rendering a service.
Technology is the use of the computers and the internet to facilitate human and business activities more convenient, efficient and effective manner.
Business takes the forms of sole proprietorship, companies, partnerships etc examples of businesses are shoe production, car sales, water production, contractual companies, petty trades etc.
These aforementioned businesses and among others are runned physically. For purpose of tonight, we want to look at how to start and build an online business.
Online business offering a service virtually to clients and getting paid for the job. It’s obvious that, the global outbreak of Covid19 has revealed the weaknesses of African economies and Nigeria and Ghana isn’t left out. Businesses has to adopt telecommuting approaches to serve clients due to social distancing measures, government bans on restrictions and travels.
Some business total collapsed because they could be adopt work from home methods. They lack the skills to be able to implement WFH Methods.
This has taught us the lesson of learning digital skills to prepare for future pandemics like this While some businesses and startups are shutdown, it is the reverse for others.
Some businesses had increased in sales and profits, examples are the telecoms, zoom, google, online payment platforms etc.
So, some of forms of online businesses or startups one can start are as follows:
1. Digital marketing
2. Graphic design
3. Bitcoin/ Cryptocurrency trading
4. Teaching/ tutoring online.
5. web development/ digital solutions services
1. Digital marketing
This involves the use of social media platforms to market products and services of a company or business. This is done by the creation of catchy and powerful contents with strong hashtags and pictures to attract buyers from the social media community.
These social media handles are Facebook, IG, Twitter, LinkedIn etc You set up your handles. Boost the pages for more likes and follows.
You then reach out to companies or high profile individuals with some proposals to market their products or market the Person ( celeb, politician) at an agreed fee or pay.
All you need to be doing is to sell the companies products or sell the person with the use of these social media handles. You then get paid for these services.
2. Graphic design
It’s the use of software applications to design graphics ( flyers, logos, t shirts etc ) for companies and people.
Softwares such as Corel draw, photoshop etc are used to do these In Ghana, logo design cost between 50-100ghs And even more. It depends on company or the brand.
You can sign contracts with celebrities or big companies to be in charge of doing graphics for them an agreed fee.
And you’ll continue doing this virtually. No need to even use an office. Your room is enough. Only your digital device, electricity and internet data.
3. Bitcoin trading
Bitcoin or Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies revolved 10 years ago. Somewhere 2019 by an anonymous person/ group called Satoshi Nakamoto. These currencies came to offer humans financial liberty.
You become your own bank; send and receive money at anywhere and anytime to anyone in the world.
Trading in these coins simply is the buying and selling of the coins for profit. You buy at low rates and sell high for profit. Just like foreign exchanges (Forex).
4. Teaching online
Teaching as word implies is tutoring a subject or topic on an online platform for money. This could be at Udemy, course era, etc.
You teach your favorite subject at fee. And you’re making money online.
5. Web Development
This is the recent and latest money making vendor one can think of. This involves coding/ programming languages for companies.
It includes building websites, software applications for people and organisations at a fee.
IDYIM: As a recipient of two consecutive Digital marketing trainings in this season it has been obvious that not all participants are able to apply the basic knowledge involve to help their businesses. Knowing that Digital Technology is the ‘Present & future’ of any industry what is your advice for individuals that finds it difficult to understand?
Mr. Mustapha: The first to starting has always been the knowledge or skills. So it remains so vital to acquire the knowledge and skills and then monetize from the skills from the trainings. Constant practice would help one to understand and to be able to apply what’s taught at training. These skills are practical and would require practice with your laptop, desktop or even the smart phone. Without the skills, starting would be cumbersome.
IDYIM: Okay so what’s the way forward? More Options?
Mr Mustapha: Yes, They can learn further if trainings are insufficient. There are platforms to go and learn such skills. Google digit skills training Etc.
IDYIM: Some Entrepreneurs have tried using Sponsored Advertisement Before Now And It hasn’t Yielded Any Impact.
How Can We Effectively Use this platform to increase our sales or is there something we need to do differently?
Mr Mustapha: These Whatsapp classes are one way. You continue to engage relevant stakeholders on the platform to offer trainings and teach knowledge to your audience.
Due to covid, no physical trainings can be done You can continue using the virtual platforms to execute your projects. for Whatsapp, there’s business version works well for marketing products.
IDYIM: We have seen alot of online training most especially with the advent of Covid-19 Pandemic that has kept people at home. For An Economy like Nigeria to bounce back due To the increase in unemployment and hardship rooming the society, What role will Digital Technology Play in Strengthen the economic strife of the Nation Currently?
Mr. Mustapha: The government and CSOs should invest in providing digital skills trainings to the youth.
The states should formulate Programmes to offer the youth the opportunity to get an intensive training on starting an online venture. Something like an incubation hub
Provide the youth with contemporary entrepreneurial skills that would allow them thrive and survive in the post covid era.
IDYIM: Any other additional suggestions to this? Do Ghana Run the Local Government system or Mayor Kind of structure? Because I needed your suggestions also on a community setting type of technological empowerment.
Mr Mustapha: In Ghana. We have 16 regions with each having the regional ministers We have the local government system as well called the Municipal, Metropolitan, District Assemblies ( MMDAs).
With Mayors for the metropolis, municipal and district chief executives as the heads. So Ghana has the ministry for Business development that works to provide job opportunities for the youth.
The government initiated the Covid19 alleviation programme ( CAP) to provide stimulus and relief packages for startup and SMEs affected by the impact of Covid-19.
This is in a form soft loans for Ghanaians. You apply, once selected you’ll get the funds to revitalise your business and make progress. Anything like that by the NG government?
IDYIM: I can say yes for the Lagos State Government!
Mohammed Mustapha Yakubu Is A Youth Ambassador For The Africa Youth And Talent Summit Held Annually Accross African Continents.