By Ahmed Aliyu
Mohammed Yahaya popularly called Abba is a young Entrepreneur from Kaduna State in north-west Nigeria. He is 24 and the owner of a small business specializing in phone business. His small kiosk located along the busy Bwari Express way , opposite the conspicuous Emir’s palace is a beehive of activities on a daily basis.
This , I could testify to as a frequent customer to his lively business centre tucked among other similar shapes of makeshift shops doing various small business across Bwari Area council, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
I got curious to talk to the ever smiling and energized business entrepreneur who is the Managing Director of his popular Shugaba Abba Communication.
I was privileged to get some inside information from him on the thriving but risky phone business.
Below are my curious questions to him and his generous response.
I am from Enterprise News Global, It will be a pleasure to present you in our platform. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Mohammed Yahaya, known as Abba by most people. I am from Gazara Ward in Makarfi Local Government of Kaduna State . I am 21 and happy to be in the phone business.
What line are you in the phone business since there are various section in the trade?
I am into selling of phone accessories, like chargers, earpiece, power-bank, phone cables, and other small phone accessories on demand. I am also into phone charging as well as POs operation.
How long have you been in the business?
I have been in the business for more than four years.
What is your candid view about the business?
To be honest the business has been fulgffiling to me despite the numerious cahallnges. It has afford me means to pay my bills and also settle other pressing family issues. So I will say I am grateful to Allah for giving me the ways and means to do this small business so far. My family depends on me and I have a sick father and a mother to cater for including other siblings whose responsibility now rest on our shoulders both my senior brother and I. We are into same business and he has been able to guide and support me all along as we dive into the business proper.
How many phones do you caharge averagely in a day?
It depends on the situation. I could charge up to 400 to 500 hundred phones in a day whenever there is no light from NEPA, and an average of 200 to 300 when there is light. So it depends on the situation and time.
How much does it cost to charge a phone in your shop?
I charge an average of N150 per phone with generator and N100 with light.
What are some of your challenges?
Like any other business we have our own challenges as well . This include misunderstanding with impatient customers and scammers who daily patronized us to swindle us. You need to be vigilant and patient to do phone business.
Sometimes you come across some customers who are arrogant, some are simple and gentle and others smart and crafty. So you have to be smart and vigilant on how you deal with them. I have number of cases where a customer would claimed to have transfer money into your POs account and you pay him then realised that he was a dupe. So also others who come with lie to collect other peoples phone claiming its theirs or were sent by the owners.
Again, you sometimes have no choice but to let go of a customer who returns a phone accessory he bought from you and returned same a few days or hours later claiming it’s not working. All these are challenges that could scare you out of the business. But I am used to it, and I am surviving these challenges insha Allah.
I also have challenges with the high cost of fuel to power my generator and rising cost of electrical appliances used to carry out the charging of these power consuming phones. Then rent and daily survival. Apart from these all is fine and moving gradually.
In fact, my brother and I are now more like a consultant to others who are keen on going into the same business or have already established theirs. They come to us frequently for advice and guidance about the business. This I am proud of.
What advice do you have for youths like you who are interested in the business?
They should make up their mind and go into it with the fear of God and hope. They must know that nothing in life comes easy , so also doing phone business or POs business. They must be patient, smart and vigilant. So my advice to my fellow youths is to believe in their ability and embrace their dream. The business is profitable but challenging.
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