By Ahmed Aliyu
Abubakar Ubale is the Managing Director of MashaAllah Phone Accessories
Below are his interesting narration and views.
I am from News Global Enterprise,com and Kauwanci Duniya.com, we are promoting mall business owners across the country?Tell us a brief background about you?
My name is Abubakar Ubale, I am from Kano State. I was born in Sharada phase 1in Kano. I did my nursery and primary school at Sharada. I then enrolled in Islamic school at Jigawa State. I returned home to Kano after more than 10 years of Islamic studies. I then came to Abuja in the course of looking for greener pasture.
I first stayed in Tafa, from there I moved to Maje, then finally I moved to Bwari Area Council.
I started with business of phone charging in Bwari , then gradually graduated into selling second hands phones. But God brought the time that I stopped charging phones and selling seconds hands phones because of the danger involved. I realised that I was facing a lot of challenges at that period. I am grateful o Allah for bringing me out of that period and uplifting me into the fold of those selling new phones and direct London used phones at the moment. So I have nothing to say than to thank God for His blessings.
When did you start this business and how long have you been in the business?
I have spent almost 20 years in phone business?
What is your candid views about the phone business?
In all honestly, I am grateful for the opportunity to do the business .It is a very profitable business that also entails lot of risks and challenges. But the most prominent attributes one has to have in the business is patient and avoid being greedy and self-centered and most importantly being very careful. You might think the cheap second hand phone you buy from a customer is profitable. But in all honestly that deal will not give you happiness but sadness and trouble.
Are you saying buying second hand phones is dangerous?
Yes, very dangerous with lots of problems. Buying second hand phones comes with a serious problem. So I have stopped dealing in it due to the various problems associated with it. For instance, you might buy a second phone and when the issue get to the police station or other security agencies it turns into another problem with different dimension. You might buy a second- hand phone for ten thousand naira and once it get to the police you might be accused of buying a phone used for robbery or other crime.. You would later find yourself spending much more than ten thousand naira to free yourself if you are lucky. So what is your profit in the whole transaction? This is part of the reasons I don’t deal with second hand phones. You buy cheap second phones for five two, five to ten thousand naira and suddenly find yourself in trouble. Sometimes it is usually a set up. A strange customer could come and sell a second hand phone to you today and the next day another guy come to your shop and claim he owns the phone and before you know it you will find yourself at the police station and from there your trouble grows. These are part of the big challenges we face and why I decided to leave that aspect of the business . It is a top challenge we face in the business. I am more comfortable selling London used phones at the moment.
Tell us more about London-used phones?
London -used are phones imported directly from London. We have Products like Hopo,Bivo, Haiweil, Redmi, Zte and others.
These phones are imported into the country by recognized dealers and brought into the Nigeria Market. You go to these markets and select the types and how many pieces you want, buy and pay them and then bring them to your shop, package them and also sell to your customers with written receipts after the whole transaction from beginning to the end.
What is s uprising and exciting about the business?
Well, I think I am grateful for venturing into the business. I thank Allah for His mercies and generosity. I started this business as a bachelor, I got married through the business, I married both my first and second wives through the phone business. I am now blessed with two wives and six children. I also have two houses , all built through this business. So you see, I am very grateful and contented in the business.
What are some of your challenges in the business as someone with over 20 years of experience ?
One of the major challenges we are facing is the lack of corporation and coordination within our association. We have an association of phone sellers here in Bwari but faces internal crisis due to leadership and minor misunderstanding among members. So, if for instance we needed assistance from the government our association would not be able to access these supports because of the internal crisis going on in the association which is not good for us. The major issue we are facing in the group is the difference in ideology and business transactions. We have a situation where those who deals in second hands phones caused lots of hindrances to those selling new phones through the aforementioned problems with second hands phones I earlier mentioned. And most of these members don’t adhere with advise and caution given them.
So your association don’t corporate effectively. Why don’t you try to resolve the isuue amicably?
We have tried severally but its not working. For instance, I can work with any group and association but I cannot do it alone without support. So I have no option than to isolate myself and do my business to the best of my ability with the fear of God.
How many phones do you sell on an average day?
It all depends on the market dynamics and luck. Some days you could sell ten phones or more in a day and other days you might sell not a single phone. But things are changing gradually, phone is like food now to everyone. So its very usually not to sell a single phone in a day once you open shop. The fact is no day is the same.
What are your major challenges?
The top challenge is our location. If we have a robust location the business would have thrived more than this, but all the same I am contented and grateful with where I am. Again if we had a coordinated association things would have been better. But still I am happy with the position I find myself. I am now more at peace with myself unlike before when you have to deal with various problems selling second hands phones, dealing with various characters with fraudulent intentions. Buying second hand phones comes with a serious problem. We were doing it for survival in the past and in the course we fall into problem. But right now with million of naira worth of goods in your front you don’t have the time to go after cheap second hand phones .You are now more cautious and prudent in your dealings.
What advise do you have for others who are into this business or interested to go into phone business?
My candid advice to anyone who is into phone business is to be careful. I am not saying they should not sell second hand phones, no, what I am saying is that they need to be careful and suspicious. They should ensure to buy these phones with their receipts and cartoons to avoid problem. Nobody would bring you out of it but God and yourself at the end of the day. While my advice to those who have interest to go into the business is to first of all ensure that they learn the ropes of the business. That is learn and educate themselves about the business by becoming apprentice or sells boys under those who have established and have experience in the business. Let them calm down and learn all the tricks first. If not they might find themselves falling into the dangerous holes of phones business.
They must first understand that phone business has a lot of challenges, it has many faces of greedy people, many fraudsters and self-centered people as well. These bad characters only goal is making money by all means from the business. So my advice to them is to learn the business first before venturing into it.
Tell us about your customers.
I have different types of customers and different types of transactions with them. I have those who come to swap their phones for new or top graded ones. I study what they have , see if it aligns with what I have and strike a deal. Some have their money and want to add to pick another brand, we strike a deal after negotiation and agreement. And I also have customers who come directly to but new modern or latest phones in the market. All in all I have different categories of customers and I have have never had a cause to quarrel with any of them since I stared this business twenty years ago. None of my customers have ever taken me to the police for breach of trust and I have never had cause to take anyone of them to the police station for any offence. No DPO that has ever headed Bwari Police Division has ever seen me reported to him for breach of trust or any offence all my stay in Bwari Area Council. This I am very proud of and grateful to Allah for. It is a big victory to me.
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