How to Succeed in Business

After 13 years of working with business owners, I've found that success comes from following a clear process. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need to do to build a business that works.

How to Choose a Business Idea That Actually Sells

Your business idea needs to meet three basic requirements to be successful:

1. Solve a Problem People Already Have

The best businesses fix something that already bothers people. Think about corner shops in neighborhoods - they work because people don't want to travel far for basic items. Or a new cooking gas station in an area that didn't have one - it solves the problem of driving far to get cooking gas.

How to check your idea:

• Are people already paying for this type of product or service?
• What complaints do you hear about current options?
• Can you make something easier, faster, or better?

2. Don't Try to Educate the Market

If you have to explain to people why they need your business, you'll waste all your money on marketing before you make any sales. People should immediately understand what you do and why they need it.

3. Have a Clear Advantage Over Competitors

You need to be able to answer: "Why would someone choose me over what's already out there?"

Good reasons include:

• Better customer service
• Lower prices for similar quality
• More convenient location or hours
• Features that competitors don't offer

Imagine a new soda company entering a market already full of big competitors. They have two groups they must win over at the same time: supermarkets (B2B) and soda drinkers (B2C). Their job is basically to remove anything that might stop either group from choosing them.

For supermarkets, they need to reduce the risk of trying a new brand. They can do that by offering things like free samples, bonus packs for larger orders, lower but still profitable prices, or even a recall/buy-back guarantee. These steps take away the usual reasons a store might say “no.”

For customers, they need to make choosing the new drink feel worth it. They can add value by offering a larger bottle size (like 65cl instead of 50cl), introducing fun new flavours, and using eye-catching, exciting packaging that stands out on the shelf. This reduces the hesitation customers feel when switching from a brand they already know.

How to Choose a Business Location: Online and Offline

Your customers decide your location, both physically and digitally.

• For Physical Businesses: Your price point is your GPS. An affordable brand belongs in mass markets. A luxury brand belongs in urban centers where your ideal clients live and work.
• For Online Businesses: Your "location" is the digital platform where your ideal customers already spend their time. Don't try to sell everything everywhere. You must strategically choose channels based on the content you can create and the audience you want to reach.

Where and How to Reach Your Customers Online

Channel / Platform	Ideal For Business Types / Goals	Primary Content Type That Performs
Instagram	Lifestyle brands, Fashion, Beauty, Restaurants/Cafes, Creatives (Artists, Photographers), B2C Personal Brands.	High-quality Visuals (Reels, Photos), Short-Form Video
TikTok	Youth-focused brands, Viral products, Entertainment, Education (quick tips), Behind-the-scenes content, Brand personality building.	Authentic, Trend-Driven Short-Form Video
Facebook	Local Businesses, B2C Services, E-commerce, Niche Communities (e.g., "Moms in Lagos," "DIY Home Repair Nigeria"), Customer retention.	Community Posts (Groups), Video, Link Sharing
X (Twitter)	Tech/SaaS, News Publications, B2B Networking, Customer service, Experts/Thought leaders building an audience.	Real-time Text-based Conversation, News, Memes
LinkedIn	B2B Services, Recruiting, Corporate Training, Consultants, Freelancers (e.g., Web Developers, CFOs).	Professional Articles, Industry News, Company Updates
Pinterest	Wedding Planning, Home Decor, Fashion Inspiration, Food & Recipe blogs, Travel, DIY/Craft businesses.	High-quality Inspirational Imagery (Ideas, DIY)
YouTube	Educators, Tech Reviewers, Entertainers, How-to Brands, Complex product explainers, Building authority.	High-value Long-Form Video (Tutorials, Reviews)
Google My Business	All physical location businesses (Stores, Restaurants, Clinics). Critical for "near me" searches.	Business Listings, Reviews, Local SEO
Search Engine (SEO)	All businesses seeking organic growth. Especially info-based sites, SaaS, E-commerce, Service providers.	Text-based Articles & Blog Posts (Problem-solving)
Email Marketing	All businesses. Best for customer retention, nurturing leads, direct sales, and building a loyal audience.	Personalized Text & Promotions, Newsletters
Niche Communities (WhatsApp, Reddit, Discord)	• Women-Centered (WhatsApp/FB): Beauty, Parenting, Relationship Coaching, Female Wellness. • Career (LinkedIn/Slack): Recruiting, CV Services, Professional Courses. • Hobbyist (Reddit/Discord): Gaming, Tech, Photography, Investment Clubs. • Adult/Unfiltered (Reddit/Telegram): Dating Services, Adult Products, Sensitive Health Topics.	Discussion, Q&A, User-Generated Content, Trusted Recommendations
WhatsApp / Telegram Broadcasts	Local Services, Consultants, B2C brands for order updates, exclusive deals, and building personal customer relationships.	Personal Text/Voice Notes, Images, Direct Offers
E-commerce Marketplaces (Jumia, Amazon, Etsy)	Physical product sellers, Artisans/Craftspeople (Etsy), Brands looking for an existing customer base.	Product Listings with Reviews

Why People Leave Competitors (and How to Make Them Stay With You)

Understanding why customers switch helps you attract and retain them.

• Poor customer service is the top reason customers leave
• Inconsistent quality drives customers to alternatives
• Lack of innovation makes businesses appear outdated
• Price increases without added value trigger shopping around
• Inconvenient processes or locations push customers away

How to Think Like a Competitor and Still Win

Strategic thinking helps you stay ahead in competitive markets.

• Regularly analyze your competitors' strengths and weaknesses
• Anticipate market shifts and adapt proactively
• Differentiate through quality, service, or specialization
• Build barriers to entry through brand reputation and customer relationships
• Focus on continuous improvement in all business areas

When to Hire Your First Employee and How to Hire the Right Person

This is one of the most terrifying and rewarding leaps you will make. The wrong hire can sink you; the right one can make you soar.

The rule is simple: Hire for the gaps you cannot fill and the tasks that consume your "money hours." If you're a creative who spends 15 hours a week on accounting, you are burning revenue. Hire a bookkeeper.

But here's the critical part: You are hiring character and competence, in that order.

A skilled salesperson with a bad attitude will poison your culture. How do you find the right person?

• Don't just interview; test them. Give them a real-world problem your business faces.
• Check for cultural fit. Do their values align with the company you're building? Are they a "we" person or a "me" person?
• Hire slow, fire fast. Take your time to find the right person. But if you realize you've made a mistake, act quickly. A bad hire is a cancer to your team's morale.

How to Sell and Market a New Business on a Limited Budget

You can have the best product in the world, but if no one knows about it, you have a very expensive hobby.

• Be Shamelessly Visible: Your business must be in the faces of the people who need it. Word-of-mouth is your best friend as a small business. Deliver an experience so remarkable that your customers become your marketers.
• Sell by Removing Friction: As a new competitor, your job is to make switching to you a no-brainer. Let's go back to our new soda company. You don't just sell to supermarkets; you offer free first cases, a recall guarantee, and bulk discounts. You preempt their "no" and turn it into a "why not?" Online, this is your free delivery, your money-back guarantee, your seamless checkout process.
• Your Customer is Your Partner: Listen to them. Their complaints are free consulting, telling you exactly how to improve. Their praise tells you what to double down on. Fall in love with the problem you solve for them, not just your product.

The Core Principles of a Successful Business Owner

The most successful business owners I've worked with live by these:

1. "Show up for your business like every day is a sold-out day." Your consistency, especially when it's hard, is what builds trust and momentum.
2. "Excellence, always." In the product you ship, the email you send, the handshake you give. Mediocrity is a quiet killer.
3. "The customer is the hero, and we are their guide." Frame your business around serving their journey, not your ego.
4. "Nothing is off the table when you're in business to win." This is about agility, not ethics. Be stubborn in your vision but flexible in your tactics. Pivot when you need to.