ROAD TO TEN: WE SAIL ON
BRAND REVIEW: “DON’T WAIT TO BUY LAND, BUY LAND AND WAIT” – BAMBOO
Throughout the history of the world, one gift man has never lacked is land; to walk, farm and build on. But with the passing of time, this originally free gift has become scarce and expensive, reducing the chances of one comfortably owning land these days. Still, man continues to strive to gather as much pieces of land as can be acquired.
Land….nature’s gift to man.
Awakened by the harsh realities of land acquisition in Nigeria, Bamboo Real Estate emerged to solve it and increase the opportunities for more aspiring land owners with the target client being young people. After being exposed to the idea of land acquisition and going ahead to acquire his first plots of land in 2012, the founder, Oseyomon Ighodaloh, would later conceive the idea to start the Bamboo real estate arm in 2014. Amazed by the opportunities that exist in real estate investment, he continued to nurse the idea until March 2018 when an opportunity presented itself for him to begin his entrepreneurial journey as a realtor.
However, within that period, Oseyomon focused on the energy and construction aspect of the Bamboo brand. In his word, “The Bamboo Company doesn’t focus on real estate alone; we are also players in the energy and construction sectors too.”
The Founder’s Office…
THE BAMBOO VISION
Bamboo Real Estate sees itself becoming Africa’s leading Real Estate and Service Company. The brand prides itself first as an African company, starting from Africa to the rest of the world, and would not just want to be seen as a global company.
A layman will assume that the brand name Bamboo was coined from their sense of Africanism but they are quick to mention that that the plant bamboo isn’t just African but could be found in virtually every continent. However the name Bamboo was chosen based on a deep conviction which connects all that they stand for.
Meeting Room…
THE BAMBOO MISSION
Though still growing into their mission, it is clear that their target is to give the youth market the opportunity of owning their first plot of land. To make them realise that investment in real estate is the best form of investment. They intend to achieve their mission by offering their clients convenient payment plans based on their income. They look forward to bringing development to underdeveloped locations and by so doing expanding the city.
THE BRAND VALUES
Like most unique companies, the Bamboo brand has its foundation laid on these core values;
I- Integrity in all their dealings.
I- Innovation in all their ideas and services offered.
E- Empathy towards their clients and business people.
A- Africaness in the strength of their brand.
THE BAMBOO CULTURE
They are a contemporary company that tends to strike a balance between playfulness and seriousness. They believe in the spirit of community, one that unites them and creates an attitude of oneness born out of a deep love for what they do.
TEAM SIZE
With a team size of six persons and some outsourced departments, the Bamboo brand keeps waxing stronger, deepening their impact in the city of Port Harcourt. They also highlighted that they have a team of over a hundred marketers which they continue to train in order to add value to lives.
Even though the CEO currently doubles the Marketing Manager, the Bamboo group indicated that they will be hiring a qualified candidate to serve in that position soon. They said the idea is to develop a system and structure that can stand the test of time.
The Founder and some Team Members…
CLIENT ASSURANCE
With just a small down payment, a client is one step away from acquiring land in a conducive environment with professional estate management. Clients are advised not to focus on the location but instead dwell on the future returns that come along with land investment.
They hope to bring back the green environment with lots of trees and flowers beautifully and strategically planted to aid more oxygen for respiration in the residential areas.
Bamboo Real Estate has gone the extra mile to ensure all registrations and documentations have been cleared with the communities and the Rivers State Government. Clients can be rest assured that there will be no misunderstandings and cases of fraud.
The Bamboo Brand believes that as development spreads, man moves with it and that has informed their catchphrase, “don’t wait to buy land, buy land and wait.”
LEARNING POINT:
The marketing drive of Bamboo caught our attention. From the recruitment of a robust sales force to the setting up of various billboards across the City of Port Harcourt, the Bamboo brand demonstrated an understanding of the importance of brand visibility. It isn’t enough to have lofty ideas and dreams, business owners and visionaries must learn to push their brand out there by all legit means possible.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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EMPLOYEE INSIGHT: YOU DON’T NEED A SIDE HUSTLE TO SUSTAIN YOU – Mr Abiodun
While most employees these days struggle to pursue a career and retain a job for a few years, Engr. Boladale Abiodun Adegbenro has followed his career through for over thirty five years.
“I actually started working before I left the university; I was doing a part-time job then. Ever since, which is over thirty five years now, I’ve always been working,” he said at the beginning of the interview in his office at Aero Contractors’ branch in Port Harcourt.
Engr. Boladale admitted that during the course of working with both machines and human beings, he has learnt patience and to build relationships with several people from all walks of life. “I have worked with all kinds of individuals, some easy going and some as tough as a nut, but in all those experiences, I have become better at building relationships.”
He went further to share his first experience as a project leader, “another thing I have learnt while working is how to handle challenges. During my early years in practice, I was put in charge as a trainer to manage the assembling of an aircraft, Air Beetle, which was new in Nigeria as at that time. I had never done anything like that before and by far the most challenging project I had ever faced.”
The Growth Process…
When asked about his career trajectory, Engr Boladale admitted that he had to flow with the tides of change that came with his career and simply embraced the opportunities that came across his path.
“There is no straight way in life and that goes the same for career path. You can change your career and explore other options along the line if the need arises,” he said. “I was trained to be an Aerospace Engineer but later on, I switched to aircraft and helicopter maintenance engineering then went on to become an administrator of operations.”
“I have also had to change my location several times. I first relocated from the United States back to Nigeria, then from Kaduna to Lagos, and down to Port Harcourt. So you see, it hasn’t been a one way traffic,” he added.
His View on Side Hustle…
Unlike most people who believe one cannot live on a single salary income and that a side job is needed to sustain one’s self and their family, Engr. Abiodun begged to differ, “when you are passionate about what you do, it pays you and meets all your needs. You have to be satisfied with your job.”
He noted that the reason why most workers have financial issues is as a result of their way of life. “Your way of life will determine how you spend your money. Be contented with what you have, plan within what you earn, and go for things within your reach. For me, working has made positive impact on my financial life.”
And on Job Security….
From his confidence level, one would think Engr. Abiodun is one whose life is banked on job security believing that the job is always available. However, he debugged this ideology. “No job is secure,” he said. “From the first day you are employed, you should be prepared to pack up and leave as well. Which is why I say, ‘always have a plan for your life in case anything happens’.
Lastly….
To end his interview Engr. Abiodun shared some words of wisdom to young people looking a career path. “I think many young people are too ambitious and want to make fast money,” he pointed out. “They need to be ready to learn and listen attentively because there is no rush in life.”
Like they usually say, it’s different strokes for different folks. What’s your perspective? Please leave a comment.
Written by Jennifer Chioma Amadi
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DON’T DRINK THAT TEA ALONE!
The story was told of a man who was completely unconscious and hospitalized at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital [UPTH]. His Wife didn’t have a penny on her, but she had her husband’s ATM Card with her; that would have been helpful, right? Wrong! She could not use it because she did not know the PIN. So the man’s own money couldn’t rescue him when he needed it most. His Wife had to ask other people for money or possibly borrow.
Another story was told of a Carpenter who lived somewhere in Port Harcourt. The Carpenter lived in a compound with his wife and children. The compound had two plots of land with an uncompleted building inside it, but the man built a makeshift home with wood by the fence where he lived with his family. As time went by, it was gathered that the man was once a laborer in the said property which his “Oga” was developing before he died. The story had it that the original owner of the property was building a house as a surprise gift for his girlfriend; he was married and of course his wife had no idea about this. So when he died, both girlfriend and wife didn’t know about the property. Carpenter positioned himself as custodian and gradually started claiming ownership. He was the one who attended all meetings of Landlords and even Tenants.
Some level of secrecy becomes foolish if the right things aren’t done.
Why do folks treat even the concept of writing a will with levity until some terminal disease or helpless situation comes lurking?
Why are folks so adamant to think that nothing bad will happen to them, so much that they never bother about succession planning even in their business endeavors until it is perhaps too late?
Why is the concept of passing the baton even in the realm of political and social leadership such a big issue in Africa? Why do we like to sit on things till we kick the bucket and we deny generations of what could have been a blessing to them?
If you are the only one with the password to your business email accounts, there’s a problem, start working at fixing it. I guess this is why the request for next of kin is mandatory in most legal transactions, whether you like it or not the system compels you to present someone else to stand in should anything happen to you.
If you have no one in this whole world to trust with your ATM Card pin, you probably will need to re-evaluate your relationships.
Branding is much more than identity and marketing communications, it also has to do with how your business or organization is structured.
Written by Maple Dappa
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CORPORATE GESTAPO: A SILENT KILLER OF TEAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS
During the era of Nazi Germany, a secret-police organization was created to deal with persons suspected of disloyalty; they employed even crude means in carrying out this task.
While extreme measures may not be employed in their case, employers often treat their employees as corporate slaves. They pay the salaries, so employees should just keep quiet and do the bidding of the masters. Anything outside that is perceived as disloyalty or even treachery in worse cases. Such employers are not concerned about the reservations employees may have about the operations of the organization, and that is where they start missing out on crucial feedback that could help in shaping the organization better.
When the employers eventually get to ask employees if they have any comments or opinions to share, the employees opt to stay mute for fear of being victimized unless such a comment is in favour of the powers that be, just like the Gestapo operated. Supposed team members would rather stomach their reservations than risk being in the black book of the masters, that’s if their jobs aren’t even threatened. This is so because the culture of feedback is in actual sense non-existent in the organization, and I daresay many Nigerian and African organizations. Our understanding of power seems be a function of might and self-assertion.
And so, the unexpressed reservations eventually reflect in the form of nonchalance, it’s sometimes the reason why customer care representatives don’t give their all in serving clients, asides personal attitudinal flaws. A team that is less passionate about driving the organization’s vision, functioning in a more or less dispirited environment, and working the job just to earn a living and nothing more, truly cannot be as outstanding as the organization desire.
Let’s consider the personal relationships in our lives. It is at the point people no longer feel free to express their reservations that our relationship starts going awry. Our associates, friends and family owe it to us as a duty to express their reservations in line with the terms of engagement, so adjustments can be made where necessary and corrections taken as well and we also have the responsibility of giving them our ears so they can let it all out.
Stronger relationships can only be forged when we can freely express both the pleasant and unpleasant observations and also be willing to listen to others when they do same. This should not be mistaken for being swayed by the expectations of others, no. It also doesn’t mean organizations should pander to the dictates of their employees, far from that. What this means is that we value relationships, even with organizations, so much that we don’t take for granted anything that could possibly threaten it.
There should be a feedback system that ensures no one is victimized for expressing concerns that doesn’t conform to the soothing desires of management. Corporate organizations must have that moment of truth within its team, that’s how solid and well bonded teams are built.
It is profitable to harness strength out of divergent viewpoints instead of bludgeoning people into acquiescence.
Written by Maple Dappa
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EVERYONE’S WORK MATTERS
Building a loyal and effective team is one of the most critical factors in building a sustainable brand, but there’s a silent malware constantly disrupting the process of building a team. Let’s call it the Superiority Complex.
The idea is yours or originated from you, so everyone else is a Lilliputian around you, almighty Gulliver. You may have conceptualised the venture, you may have even built the product, but you must see the value of everyone in your team and their importance to the vision.
Illustration 1
If your business will succeed, so many things must fall in place to make it happen beyond ideation and product development. The person who writes marketing content is important, the person who takes care of everyone’s welfare is important, the person who keeps the work space tidy is important, no work should be described as “just” — just to clean, just to write a copy, and so on.
Putting an effective business system together is like having a super functional automobile; from the gear system to oiling to air conditioning, and so on, all systems have to be in shape. Likewise your business, all units need to be in shape for you to have an effective system. Everyone’s work matters.
Illustration 2
I see many young entrepreneurs basking in the euphoria of having a “great idea” with no grasp on the basics of practical business administration, so the attached photos are from a basic course we usually offer for a fee, but I am sharing it here for free as part of the commitment to encourage those who need the knowledge. What we call “basic” could be a “breakthrough” to someone else. There is love in sharing, right?
Illustration 3
If you need help with organizing your business or organization, we are here to provide custom solutions. Let’s hear from you, send an email to wecare@mapemond.com
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By All Means, Mitigate Key Man Risk
One major reason, amongst others, why it is difficult for brand owners and founders in Nigeria to establish sustainable and effective systems/structures is KEY MAN Risk.
The core of the venture is centered around one man without whom far too little or nothing happens. While this is the case with many who have been trying to build something from ‘nothing’, you must desire and work at creating systems that can run even without you. Key Man Risk is often a consideration even for big time investors.
What happens to your clients’ projects if you are indisposed for an extended period of time for any reason? Asides that, as you aim for more clients, you surely will need help, not just in terms of hiring people, but at the decision making level. Otherwise, your employees will all go home once you are no more available.
Yes, there are issues of distrust and poor commitment with some persons that you bring on board your venture, but there are ways of dealing with those issues. Find the approach that works for you and adopt it.
The question you must keep asking is, can the venture run without you? Can you sell it off (even if you don’t intend to) and it keeps running well? By all means, mitigate key man risk. It draws investors, bigger clients, and gives your venture a solid base.
A sustainable structure is one of the core essentials for strong brands. Don’t just desire to be like Google, Coca-Cola, Facebook and the rest, constantly seek to think and act like them, or create your strategic path.
If you need help with organizing your business or organization, we are here to provide custom solutions. Let’s hear from you, send an email to wecare@mapemond.com
#BuildYourBrand #TheRightWay