ONBOARD YOUR NEW EMPLOYEES RIGHTLY

branding and marketing company in Nigeria

We read the employment letter of a certain business some time ago and it sounded more like a court judgment sending someone to imprisonment.

No life in it, no line saying welcome, not to talk of the company’s vision and how new recruits fit into it. Basically, it’s a “this is what we employed you for, just come and do it daily and have your pay” kind of letter, not bad at all if that is how the business wants it.

However, we once had a discussion with the owner of the same business and she was lamenting how the employees weren’t diligent enough. They quit without prior notice a lot of times. She had lost a lot of good hands, “just like that”, and the process of rehiring for the same positions was draining.

Reading through the employment letters she issued, we saw exactly what the problem was for many other businesses. It’s the hiring process and how we onboard those we expect to “own the business”.

Many business owners don’t realize it, perhaps due to the prevalent job scarcity, but you also have to market your business to potential recruits, especially millennials and generation Z. You have to give them reasons why your business is a COOL place to work and WHY they should give their best to it beyond just earning their monthly pay.

Recruiting, motivating and retaining good talents is serious work. You don’t wish it into existence.

#DoBusinessBetter

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HORRIBLE BOSSES: AN OUTCRY ON WORKPLACE TOXICITY IN NIGERIA

branding and marketing company in nigeria

Written by Janefrances Ibezim

 

There was a social media outburst recently triggered by an article published by TechCabal and a session on Twitter spaces. Tech giants like Kuda, Bento Africa, Prospa, Life Bank, Ulesson, Wallet Africa amongst others were called out as toxic workplaces according to documented records by Trendinalia, a social media monitoring platform. Bosses like Sim Shagaya of Ulesson, Ebun of Bento, and the founder of Kuda Bank were accused of being high-handed and abusive towards employees in their organizations.

 

Techcabal did a detailed report on this issue of tyranny and toxicity at the workplace and put Bento Africa as their major focus. Bento Africa (formerly known as Verifi.ng) is the brainchild of Ebun Okubanjo and Chidozie Okonkwo his friend, business partner, and Bento’s chief operating officer (COO), headquartered in Lagos Nigeria. Bento provides payroll management software to 900 businesses, including Hygeia, Paystack, Kobo360 and others. Ebun who was the CEO and co-founder of the company was described as a “narcissistic boss” who dictates the day-to-day operations in the company while his co-founder Okonkwo is rarely around or heard from in the company.

 

Sim Shagaya is described as one of the champions in the tech world, he has built many businesses such as Konga, eMotion, DealDey, and Ulesson, which is his recent start-up. He was said to be born to military parents in Jos and equally has a military upbringing which many saw as one of the factors that led to his success but also contributed to his tyrannical behaviour.

 

A Twitter user identified simply as Deji accused his former employer, Goodness Kayode, CEO of Sprinble, of making employees work overnight. Responding to this; Kayode admitted that working late and overnight is a possibility to get things done. In his words, he admitted to shouting at the employees for reasons which he described as “pressure from clients”. Kayode responded to Deji and mentioned that it was stated clearly before employment that overnight work may be required sometimes when deadlines are pressing.

 

Also, Daniel Emeka, a founding partner and creative director of Surkreo was also accused of maltreating employees and going as far as sacking someone for not singing him a birthday song. Thirty ex-employees were allegedly said to have accused him of harassing them both physically and emotionally while working with him. Responding to this; Surkreo CEO said his methods were different and his passions could be misinterpreted, he equally described himself as “a young experimental genius who makes mistakes”. Benjamindada.com, a publication that reports events across the African tech space, highlighted the need for more active and influential boards that check the excesses of and hold the founders accountable.

 

On March 24, according to The Will, the chief executive officer of Bento Africa, Ebun Okubanjo in the “Toxic or Horrible bosses” saga, has apologized to former and current employees of the company. Earlier Ebun was said to be known for using abusive and derogatory words on his workers and never seeing their opinion as useful or needed in the company’s decision-making process. According to an ex-employee described as “Pascal” by Techcabal, Bento Africa took everything from him – his sense of humanity, sanity, confidence and trust. Just like Pascal who’s an ex-sales executive, other employees like Kunle, Bola, Tare Johnson and others stated that they worked around the clock and there was no rest for them or break from work. And the present employees despite being diplomatic in their responses as contacted by Techcabal agreed that everything the publication exposed about Bento Africa’s work culture “was not false”.

 

Bento’s board of directors has opened an investigation into the workplace culture of Bento Africa under Okubanjo. A statement jointly signed by Obinna Ukachukwu, Manpreet Mann, and Adedayo Amzat on behalf of the board said it was reviewing the HR and people practices and guidelines at Bento while working with HR consultants to make the company reflective of “human values” that drive sustainable performance.

 

The #HorribleBosses hashtag started trending after a Twitter space hosted by a journalist, Kiki Mordi received massive contributions against alleged toxic behaviours of founders and chief executives in the Nigerian tech ecosystem. Others mentioned are the CEO of RadioNow 95.3fm, Mrs Kadaria who was also called out by her former employees for being toxic.

 

“In many tech startups, the founder usually wears too many hats (for a long time), so what happens is that there is a lot of pent-up frustration, pressure, and inadequacies that the founder is dealing with,” reports Benjamindada.com. “The founder might have his own core functions — like business development or partnerships — so he is now probably managing a team of business development associates and maybe the business development targets are not being met, so he’s already frustrated.

 

Now, where inadequacy comes in is that he might not have even been trained as a people manager and was just an individual contributor in his previous employment and that is if he has even worked elsewhere. The average 20-something-year-old founder has never worked anywhere, and founders who are older might have been used to toxic workplaces growing through their careers. So, they don’t know what the expectations of a good manager are, and nor do they have the right training.

 

The blogger, Benjamin Dada advised that “when you start hiring past 10 employees, you should start critiquing your competence — find out what you are stronger at, and where you could use some help either by going for coaching or hiring a People Lead or both.

 

It is also important to get more awareness about people management. But the active and influential board comes in when they need to help founders point out areas of weakness, and suggest the training/coaching, discipline and hiring components that could save the future of the company.

 

“I think there’s a lot the tech ecosystem (including future employees) stands to gain, as I think it’s a lesson for everyone involved to assess themselves through the lens of the recent revelation,” Dada added.

 

The happenings in Bento Africa and other places are not a new thing nor are they surprising, the various interviews carried out showed that it’s been happening, still happening and will continue to if these red flags are ignored. And this shows the fact that most people are used to this toxicity and would prefer to work in such places for the payment instead of leaving for their own peace of mind.

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As young people continue to redefine work culture, how should business owners and leaders respond?

the great resignation and the lie flat movement
Written by Maple Dappa

My experience with Winny opened my eyes to the gradual shift in the work culture and aspirations of young people, especially those who have great work ethics and discipline.

 

Winny was earning NGN40,000 at the time as an entry-level salary. She moved from Asaba to Port Harcourt to take up the role. Eventually, she moved back to Asaba to be self-employed after fourteen months on the job.

She mentioned to me that she was learning how to make hair via YouTube. I didn’t hesitate to encourage her initiative because I knew she deserved better pay but the business could not afford to pay more at the time.

 

She focused on a particular hairstyle and started making it pro-bono for her friends until she perfected the craft and started charging 5,000naira per client for home service. Within a short time, she was getting a minimum of 8 clients each month. She provided this service mostly during weekends. The implication was that she was making as much as her salary just by providing this service on weekends alone.

 

This new reality boosted her confidence to return to Asaba since it has always been her utmost desire to be closer to her family. We steered these conversations further till the point where she notified me of her intention to resign. That was three months ahead of the resignation itself. We got walking through things together as the business employed someone else, whom she trained. Her hand-over was smooth. That was a few years ago.

 

In recent months, young people across the world are taking control over their work-life with some even going overboard with it. In the United States, this phenomenon, which has become a movement is called “The Great Resignation” and according to a Bloomberg article, more than 24 million young people resigned from their jobs between April to September of 2021—and many from that number are staying out of the labour force entirely. Websites for freelance jobs are experiencing a surge in membership subscriptions.
The article submits that incomes have stagnated, job security has become precarious, and the costs of housing and education have soared, leaving fewer young people who can build a financially stable life. Millennials (born between 1980 and the late 1990s) and Generation Z (the demographic cohort after them), tend to marry, buy houses, and have children later than their forebears—if at all.
Some statistics were shared last year – out of 2000 millennials that were interviewed in Nigeria during a survey, approximately 90% still lived with their parents or family while 90% were yet to own their cars. The poser “God when?” may seem like just a social media fun thing, but it indicates an underlying concern by young people who are putting in the work and wondering when they will be able to rent a home at least, afford a car, get married, and live a life of better quality. The more these dreams stay unfulfilled, the more these young people lose the zeal for work. Forget about the lazy ones, when hard-working young people grow disenchanted, we should be concerned.
In China, young people are choosing to “lie flat” as the phenomenon is named. They are damning the fear of being unemployed and opting out of a gruelling 996 work schedule where they work from 9 am to 9 pm for 6 days of the week. A post made on the Baidu Tieba platform by a user called ‘Kind-Hearted Traveler’ triggered the movement. The user posted “I haven’t been working for two years, and I don’t see anything wrong with this. Pressure mainly comes from comparisons with your peers and the values of the older generations. But we don’t have to follow them.”
The Bloomberg article reports that almost half of the world’s workers are considering quitting. According to a Microsoft Corp. survey, about 4 in 10 millennial and Gen Z respondents say they’d leave their job if asked to come back to the office full time, a global survey by advisory company Qualtrics International Inc. found—more than any other generation.
I have tried recruiting for some clients recently in a few Nigerian cities and the first question the most eligible candidates ask is “Can I work remotely?” You can imagine all that is veiled behind that question. Young workers want more control of their time and how they work; they don’t want to keep being boxed up so long as they can deliver on their tasks.
“Jack, a 32-year-old tech worker who gave only one name for fear of reprisal from his employer, was full of ambition when a telecommunications company hired him five years ago, but a punishing workload failed to translate into the success he’d hoped for, and over time his enthusiasm fizzled out. He’s still working, but not as hard. “Even for well-paid professionals like me and my girlfriend, it’s still crazy,” he says. “The down payment for a flat in Shenzhen is 2, 3 million yuan [about $314,000 to $471,000]. That’s like both our savings, plus very huge help from our parents.”
In October 2021, thousands of employees at companies including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. participated in an online campaign branded “Worker Lives Matter” by posting information on when they start and end their workdays on a public spreadsheet. ByteDance has since mandated a shorter workweek.
Nate Mann, who at 40 is among the oldest millennials, spent almost half his life as a bartender in Washington, D.C. He put up with late nights and high stress in return for about $80,000 a year. But when Covid closed the bar at which he worked in March 2020, he decided to focus on something he’d been doing on the side for a while: painting. “I all of a sudden had all this time, so I just hunkered down and focused on the art,” he says.
His story is the same with Chioma in Lagos, a young woman I interviewed for a position. She resigned from her position in a school and went into the painting of artworks. Ngozi, also in Lagos, lamented working from 7 am to 9 pm daily including Sundays. She had to quit even without an alternative because it was taking a toll on her two children and husband.
The more young people chase their dreams, the more things like economic downturn make it unrealistic and they are wondering if it is all worth the effort. Betting is fast becoming a norm and many would argue that there is nothing wrong with it. Beyond our complaints of loan sharks sending us messages, have we thought about why even decent and well-mannered young people are increasingly borrowing money and digging pits of debt all around them? Let’s leave the judgmental side of things first and think about it.
These were the thoughts on our mind when we published the book “Money Making Ideas”, it was a compilation to answer the questions young people were constantly bombarding us with via inbox.
I had a conversation with my mentor a few days ago and she said young people today have been overly exposed to the opulent lifestyle of the haves through reality TV, Instagram, etc, so contentment has become a strange concept to these young people who are now constantly under pressure from themselves, peers, family, and society to level up. Prior to this time, you didn’t need to know what the bedrooms of the rich looked like, what they ate for breakfast, etc but today, all that and more are constantly in the faces of young people.
Let me conclude with a statement by one young worker thus; “No matter how hard you work, you won’t be able to buy a house,” he says. “The threshold is always rising, so it’s becoming more unobtainable. What’s the point?”
A few are able to beat the odds, but what happens with the majority, particularly the ones who want to stay legit and achieve success ethically?
I think businesses face the brunt and it is naïve to think the solution is simply to replace those quitting with others. We are not talking about lazy people quitting, we are talking about quality talents who are hard-working throwing in the towel. You should be futuristic and think of what you can do within your ability and resources in your business to address these concerns.
If you can review pay upwards, do it.
If you can review work hours, do it.
If you can adapt to a hybrid, do it. People must not come to the office to get work done.
Our Admin Staff is currently undergoing her NYSC at Ogun State and she is retaining the position and working from there.
It is beautiful when you post your new home, new car, Dubai trip, etc on social media, but are you keen and working towards your workers also affording the good things of life?
It is tough, no doubt. The economy is tough, no doubt. The question is are you keen on it? That is the key differentiator between modern-day day slave masters and those who cannot sincerely afford it at this time.
This year, employee turnover will be one of the toughest challenges for businesses. Do well to draw the loyal and quality ones closer. Do all you can to retain them. Create incentives and give concessions as a reward for diligence and commitment.
If this post triggered you in some way, then it is a call to #DoBusinessBetter
Image Credit: The Economist
Your Co-Traveler,
Mister Maple
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DOING BUSINESS WITH PARTNERS

business partners and cofounders
If you come together with someone or some persons to start a business venture either as partners or co-founders, please make sure that the duties and responsibilities of each person are clearly highlighted.
That’s a brainer and everyone knows, yes, but document it with all parties having their copies of it.
However, there is something very important to consider. Agree and state clearly from the ONSET what will happen if any partner fails to meet up with their own duties and responsibilities.
Too many brands are suffering because, the workload and burden of building is left on a particular partner(s) while the other(s) carries on with the tag of partner, co-founder, director, etc and expects full rights and privileges.
Keep friendship and whatever aside and spell things out clearly.
If necessary, go solo until you find (if you must) the right and suitable partner to roll up your sleeves with you.
Your Co-Traveler,
Mister Maple
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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T AFFORD HIGH SALARIES

small business branding
Salaries aren’t determined by what the employee desires, it’s ultimately hinged on what the business can afford to pay.
Where the affordable amount is poor, the employer should make room for some level of flexibility to get good productivity.
Create shifts, reduce work hours, give off days, allow remote work if and when possible/necessary. Make room for extra bucks and bonuses.
Your business may be struggling, but you cannot build a great business with a team of people constantly grumbling and edgy.
A lot of people don’t mind low pay but to give their best, they need to be sure you care about their own welfare and growth.
Another way to deal with the issue is to reduce the number of employees to the barest minimum, so you can pay the few better for the much work they do.
Our HR strategies and models need to adapt to changing realities, and not just principles gotten from textbooks and classrooms. Streetwise also matters.
In the Igbo apprenticeship system, people even work for free for years, but in exchange, they are fed, trained in the trade and set up to run theirs in a few years.
Take better care of people if you want people to take better care of your business. Simple but not easy to grasp.
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DERIVE MORE VALUE FROM YOUR TEAM!

improving team performance
Dear Business Owner,
Do not expect your workers to be super performers if you have not clearly outlined your expectations from them in the form of a job description.
And even when you have a job description, do not leave it at that. Create key performance indicators (KPIs) derived from the job description. In other words, have a way of measuring if each worker is on track with their duties.
The KPIs are like specific goals tied to the individual tasks a worker has to execute. It keeps them on their toes and you don’t need to worry much about them doing TikTok instead of working, their performance will be evaluated based on the KPIs.
The performance evaluation enables you to know whom to promote, whom to drop, whom to sponsor for further training, and so on, without sentiments.
This also addresses the concern of remote workers being distracted.
If you need help with implementation, come home to Mapemond. We are experts at this as part of our commitment to building profitable, sustainable, and reputable brands.
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WE STARTED SOMETHING AMAZING!

business support group

Drawing from the lessons of 2020, we decided to start a support community for entrepreneurs and those aspiring to be one sometime soon. It will be a full-blown business community (in the form of an Academy) for those who are seeking to go beyond mere hustle and survival to building sustainable companies and reputable brands.

Many business ideas will be shared.
Statistics and data from various sectors of the Nigerian economy will be shared.
Even foreign networks and opportunities shall be shared.
Hacks and contacts for funding and other access will be shared.

But being a part of this community will not be free. So we can have only committed people on board.

We will learn together without anyone lording it over.
The many questions of members can be answered by different persons, not just one person.
We will have breakout groups according to areas of interest and unique challenges.

There will be an exchange of experiences, resources, and support.

It will be a community for those who want to be inspired and pushed beyond their limits without feeling less of themselves.

There will be hand holding for the weak or inexperienced.
There shall be no talking down or shaming of anyone.
Both the sprinters and crawlers are all welcome on board.

Do you think it is a good idea?

All members will have access to the following:

– An overflow of business tips and insights
– Answers to business questions and challenges
– Access to our resources (ebooks and online courses) at no extra cost
– Discount on our MBA courses in the works
– Access to professionals in various areas (Legal, Accounting/Finance, and many others)

Members of the community will set goals for 2021 and be paired for discipline, focus, and accountability:

– Saving goals
– Investment goals
– Business objectives for the year (You want to attend a global conference or change office or just get the business started? Etc)
– Travel goals
– Self-development goals
– Compliance goals (Your personal tax, company taxes, contract eligibility papers, annual returns, etc)

As we mentioned, it is a full-blown business support community.

Does this interest you?
Do you have someone to sponsor?

Click on REGISTER to enroll.

We can achieve more, one day at a time, with the right community.

We can #DoBusinessBetter

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HANDLING PROBLEMATIC WORKERS FOR YOUR BRAND.

marketing and branding in nigeria

When we took over the management of a restaurant brand, most of the staff were problematic and gave the outgoing manager headache, particularly the cleaners and cooks.

Over ten months after, the same workers are mostly well behaved and improving daily. What changed? Leadership style. We will use a story to explain what we mean.

A few years ago we had a conversation with a restaurant owner who was frustrated by the attitude of her workers. When we inquired to know the grooming process for her employees, she revealed that they were trained by an international expert. We got further information and discovered what the problem was, the workers were trained with the standard template, not bad, but not enough.

These workers live in ghettos and slums. They fight to use the bathroom every morning. They even quarrel to empty their bowels. Then drama with yard people, keke driver, bus conductor that abused them that morning, and the underlying challenges of life they grapple with.

You cannot rework their attitude without addressing the underlying influences of their background. What works in Milan, Madrid, or Copenhagen, will not work the same way in Nigeria. You must adapt to local realities.

So for our restaurant client, we paid close attention to the background and environmental influences on the workers and gradually established a new way of relating to them.

One thing that provided this insight to us was a song by Phil Collins titled “both sides of the story”. In one line of the song, a ghetto kid with a gun grabbed a passerby by the shoulder and asked “would you respect me if I didn’t have this gun?”

We’ve had very personal experiences with three ghettos and could relate to that question, it is the same mindset behind most low cadre employees in businesses. They want to be respected, they want to be heard, they want to know that they matter, they don’t want to be trampled upon, that desire for dignity in humans is also in them.

When next you feel frustrated by your workers, also do a self-evaluation on yourself.

Do you treat them with disdain or respect?

Do you let them talk or you always hush them?

Do you pay attention to where they are coming from or it doesn’t concern you?

Their presence WILL rub off on your brand, it is a guarantee!

This matter is a major hindrance to the transition of many businesses into fabulous brands. You are putting in the effort but workers are messing things up, it is a real struggle and you have to find a way around it if you want to grow. Some of these workers are set in their ways and I advise for such, you work towards easing them out of your system.

We hope these perspectives will enable you to handle your workers better.

#DoBusinessBetter

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WHAT WE OBSERVED AT FIFI’S FOOD HOUSE.

marketing and branding company in Nigeria

A few weeks ago, we spent some time with the CEO of Fifi’s Food House, Onimim Fifi Karibo, at her kitchen hub in the city of Port Harcourt where she treaded us to a three-course meal. While we sat in her office, we noticed her people were at work preparing the meal. At some point, a customer called to order a meal, Fifi was still with us all the while as her people brought the message that the meal was ready. Evidently, she had taught her people how to prepare the meals the same way she does.

About a year ago, Mapemond had multiple training jobs at the same time for various clients. We delegated different team members to each of the training and they all did a great job. One of the training had about a hundred and fifty participants and it was handled by a Staff, not our principal.

Even if you are a one-man business, for now, develop the consciousness of raising others to do what you do because you cannot keep doing it all by yourself and you cannot be everywhere at the same time. Yes, some people you train will disappear without first giving value to the system that raised them, but that is not a valid excuse to not raise others at all.

Some people you train will falter and make mistakes, especially if you have the traits of a perfectionist, but be patient with the grooming process and they will become well-primed. Instead of finding reasons and justification to do it all by yourself all the time, fight those excuses and raise your army unless you are fine with being a one-man business perpetually.

If your dream is to build an amazing brand, you cannot escape building people, against all odds.

Build your people. And trust them with the work.

#DoBusinessBetter

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THE HAIR COURT. A JOB WELL DONE!

starting a salon in nigeria

From when the idea was conceived, we were engaged to work with the owner in birthing this lovely brand. Covid-19 and lockdown obstructed the process a great deal, but the baby is born now in the city of Port Harcourt.

The salon received over 40 new customers (excluding personal friends and relatives of the owner) within the first two weeks, our marketing and sales strategies worked!

Here is a quick rundown of our work with this brand:

1. Brand strategy development
2. Marketing strategy development and implementation
3. Recruitment of stylists, technicians, and front desk staff.
4. Training of all members of staff
5. Setup of social media pages
6. Management of social media pages
7. Running of targeted social media adverts
8. Creation of free e-book for promo
9. General business support and advisory

The clients are already falling in love with the brand, but the journey just began. Branding is one thing, brand management is another.

We loved the client’s open-mindedness, nothing is as important as giving your business the right foundation.

We don’t do mere branding, we ensure that branding coincides perfectly with business model and strategy.

It has been an exciting project and it is another job well done!

Let’s work on your brand and position it better for the market.

#DoBusinessBetter

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