Bellafricana members gets 60 million naira export grant

Mr Olusegun Awolowo at the third edition of ACE Awards Africa by Bellafricana with Bukky Asehinde founder Bellafricana

Small and Medium sized Entrepreneurs across the country are putting in a lot of efforts to survive, scale the hurdles and compete favourably in different sectors.

To carve a niche for themselves they need support, encouragement and a business friendly environment.

The immediate past Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo has been a pillar of support to many. He recently supported Bellafricana members with a 60 Million Naira Grant.

This opportunity is meant to support their businesses through the Export Development Fund (EDF) via the Expansion Facility Programme [EEFP] which issued a 60 million Naira grant to the 15 awardees of the 3rd ACE Awards as well as a few other Bellafricana members that have shown export potential.

The opportunity unveiled during the 3rd edition of the African Creative Exhibition and Awards, held on the 29th of October 2021, at the BWC Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos will help to transform this businesses to the next phase with ease.

There Mr. Awolowo made clear the commitment of the NEPC to support and grow non-oil exports in the country.

Crude oil forms the major commodity that is being exported in Nigeria currently. In 2020, Crude petroleum topped Nigeria’s commodity export for the year according to COMMODITY.COM. Nigeria presently ranks as the tenth most petroleum-rich nation and by far the most affluent in Africa which makes the reason for being such an exporter of crude oil not far-fetched. This has in some ways made other industries take the back seat because, in recent years, there has been more focus on the country’s exportation of crude oil.

The Export Expansion facility programme, founded as a part of Mr. Awolowo’s legacy to grow Nigeria’s export industry has therefore provided a catalyst that supports the country’s active export businesses and export-ready businesses.

Speaking on this development, the CEO of Bellafricana, Bukky Asehinde could not contain her excitement as she spoke about how Mr. Awolowo through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has been supportive of the growth and expansion of not just Bellafricana but her members.

“Mr Awolowo has time and time again proven to be a huge supporter not just to me or the over 5000 creatives he has supported through Bellafricana but to many creative entrepreneurs all over Nigeria.

Since the over 5 years that Bellafricana was founded, Mr. Awolowo has been a strong pillar of support to this community, endorsing us fully and boosting our brand credibility”.

She added: “This 60 Million Naira grant by the Export Expansion facility programme will go a long way in pushing many businesses forward. I celebrate Mr. Awolowo for showing us who a true leader is and I know that his legacy will always be known for generations to come”.

Asehinde went on to express her gratitude to Mr. Awolowo for standing by Bellafricana over the years and thanking him for building a legacy through his leadership as the former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. “We are proud of his legacy and his support by helping and enabling MSMEs to get to the export level.”

Mr. Awolowo has always supported Bellafricana and her vision to give more visibility to African-owned creative businesses.

He has shown this through his continuous support at every edition of the ACE Awards held since 2017 to laud and encourage the work of highly skilled individuals who are making significant contributions to their respective industries and putting Africa on the world map with their creations.

He has through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council [NEPC] sponsored and supported over 5000 creatives and is now wrapping up with this grant so creative entrepreneurs can scale up their businesses while growing the country’s export industry.

He has also used his encouraging words to push not just entrepreneurs but everyone around him beyond their limits so they can achieve their goals and even surpass them.

It is no wonder Bukky Asehinde describes him as “The father of non-oil exporters.”

One of the awardees and a beneficiary of the grant also appreciated Mr. Awolowo for believing in Nigerian creative entrepreneurs and supporting them in scaling their businesses beyond the shores of the country.

“If we had more people like Mr. Awolowo in this country who have demonstrated true leadership, I have no doubts that we will see more Nigerian entrepreneurs succeeding and getting the visibility they deserve in the global space.”

The Export Expansion Facility Programme [EEFP], a flagship project of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council [NEPC] founded under the leadership of the now former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

The Export Expansion Facility Programme seeks to democratize the discovery of exporters and their access to relevant government incentives to grow. The initiative supports businesses in Nigeria, with at least one customer abroad, or working on acquiring customers abroad.
It also supports businesses in Nigeria that provide services that an export business might need and it offers these businesses a series of incentives to expand their reach and become an exporter.

Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides a platform for Nigerian and African Creative entrepreneurs in the Fashion, Arts & Crafts, Home & Living, Beauty, and Food produce & Snacks Industry to gain visibility, increase sales, and have the right business support and structure that gives them the capacity to grow their business.

Bellafricana’s vision is to become the biggest e-commerce company that promotes African products to the world and is on the verge of accomplishing this as it recently launched a Marketplace [www.bellafricanashop.com].

ACE Award third edition Winners 2021 Mr Olusegun Awolowo endorses Bukky Asehinde, the founder of Bellafricana as the zero oil ambassador to Nigeria Mr Olusegun Awolowo endorses Bukky Asehinde, the founder of Bellafricana as the zero oil ambassador to Nigeria Mr Olusegun Awolow receiving an award at the ACE Awards Africa third edition

Telemarketing tips you should know.

Telemarketing Tips You Should Know

Telemarketing should never be undermined, as it could make or break your company. It could even improve or worsen the sales growth of the business. Note, asides from physical and virtual communication,  phone calls are a more direct form of communicating. Understandably, not everyone can be good at telemarketing. Here are Telemarketing tips you should know.

Effective telemarketing campaigns are targeted to customers and prospects that are most likely to respond. They broaden the names of your products, services, or company to the prospects you want to reach.Telemarketing Programs

There are generally two types of telemarketing programs:
  • One that generates a sale or close.
  • One that generates a request for more information.

Which one works for your company, of course, depends upon what type of product or service you are selling. It may be possible to sell your products or services right over the phone. Or it could require an additional appointment for a demonstration with a salesperson. The type of product or service, its complexity, and whether it is hard to sell or not, will also determine the type of telemarketing program you should develop. So when planning your campaign, keep in mind all these factors.

I advice that if your product or service is relatively inexpensive and can be demonstrated easily, using the telemarketing campaign as a way of “selling” appointments or even the product or service, go ahead as it can lead to the conclusion of the sale right over the phone!

If the prospect feels that your product or service is expensive, they generally require more information before they purchase or even consent to a demonstration. In these cases, you may want to design a campaign that triggers a Request for more information.

You must also keep in mind that the more expensive the item you sell, the higher up on the chain of command the decision-maker will be. You need to find out who the proper decision-maker would be, and if they were willing to receive more information on the product or service you are providing.

Furthermore, try calling to verify addresses. Reminding them of your product or service. No hard sell involved, as you are just checking in.

 

Announcing Day X-A day of answers

DAY X

Announcing Day X-A day of answers. Softcom started 14years ago as a dream…

A dream to make instant access possible to the things that propel the growth of humans. This dream was earlier than the enabling infrastructure, human and financial capital required to bring it to life but we are now in a more advanced world. The internet is no more a place in an office or a cyber cafe accessible to only 9.9 million people(2007), it is now in the hands of over 100 million people(2021), the mobile phone is no more an exclusive tool, it is now ubiquitous and in the hands of over 100 million people in Nigeria.

On Day X – July 29, we will release intuitive solutions that address the long age problems faced by humans and entrepreneurs in powering their dreams.  Growth in life and business doesn’t have to be hard. Our world is about to change.

Announcing Day X-A day of answers

Announcing Day X-A day of answers

Date: 29th July, 2021

Time: 11:00am

Location: Online

Register to join us at this virtual event to learn more – www.softcom.xyz

Source: https://ng.linkedin.com/in/yomi-adedeji-b61991b7?trk=public_post_share-update_actor-text

Bellafricana to pitch at the Founders Showcase 2021

TOP ALUMNI OF FI AFRICA PITCH

Bellafricana to pitch at the Founders showcase 2021 by FI. This to be held on the 29th July.

Founders Institute (FI), the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator, is having a global session to highlight some of the newest, most outstanding businesses emerging out of FI Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa to be specific), along with the Directors of various cities who helped make this a reality.

FI FOUNDERS SHOWCASE 2021

This is the first time such a joint event is taking place. It aims to demonstrate how founders are addressing real-world problems in Africa. Furthermore, this event would have some of the recent graduates. They are to pitch to global investors, entrepreneurs and start-up ecosystem of leaders worldwide.

FI FOUNDERS REPRESENTATIVES

Here are the three Nigerian Start-ups that are taking part in the FI Africa Founders Showcase 2021.

BELLAFRICANA
Bukky Asehinde
Bukky Asehinde, founder of Bellafricana

I am exceptionally pleased to write that Bellafricana is a graduate of FI and been selected as one of the Founders to pitch in this first of its kind event.

Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides a platform for creative entrepreneurs in the fashion, arts & craft, beauty, home & living, food produce & snacks industry, to gain visibility, increase sales, have the right business support and structure that gives them the capacity to grow their business.

Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides an enabling platform for 10,000 creative entrepreneurs. This is to increase sales, provide visibility and capacity building for creative business owners.

We are on a mission to empower over 100,000 Creative entrepreneurs by year 2030 to start, grow and scale profitable and sustainable global creative businesses. Their vision is to help customers connect and discover creative and quality African-owned businesses; their aim is to become the best e-commerce company for African products.

AKOWE
Ayodeji Agboola of Akowe
Ayodeji Agboola. Founder of Akowe

Founded by Ayodeji Agboola (a tech entrepreneur in 2020), Akowe is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that issues digital certificates in bulk. It allows you to digitize and issue academic or professional credentials, all in a few clicks.

In three steps, Akowe enables the issuance of digital certificates:

  1. Certificate upload
  2. Recipients list upload
  3. Certificate sending
JOJOLO
Dr Yusuf Shittu of Jojolo
Dr Yusuf Shittu. Founder of Jojolo

Jojolo positions itself as a Mobile Sick Bay, aimed at reaching children in schools, homes, communities and public events with access to routine health screenings, vaccinations and emergency services. Secondly, they provide Virtual Consultations with Qualified Professionals. Aimed at redefining the way caregivers access healthcare for their children by connecting them with qualified healthcare professionals in real time to support the quality of care in school or at home.

The platform has a community forum for mothers to obtain answers to their questions from doctors, specialists, and essential services like dental treatments and home vaccinations.

Dr Yusuf Shittu, the CEO of the platform is a Global Health Innovator and Advocate and Medical Doctor. He is also the Co-founder and CEO of Neo Childcare.

Who should attend this event? 
  • Anyone interested in funding start-ups
  • People who are  interested in joining a start-up accelerator
  • Those who have an idea for a start-up or a growing company
  • Anybody interested in networking with entrepreneurs and advisors

To join in for an intriguing session and gaining insights on how Founders are building against all odds, kindly register here https://fi.co/e/256157 now.

Date: July 29, 2021

Time: 05:00pm – 07:30pm

How do you Respond when a client says “I’ll get back to you”

How to respond when a client says I'll call you back

“I’ll get back to you” 

Five dreaded words every salesperson hates to hear. Especially after you just spent 20 hours calling, and nurturing this client.

Then voila! They drop the bombshell.

How do you respond?

Some horrible responses to that line are:

“Oh Okay, I’ll be waiting to hear back from you”- When? Probably Never. Because those prospects will most likely not call back.

“Alright. When can I call back?”– In the prospect’s head, he’ll think ”Maybe, Never”

Well before responding hastily ( and losing the client all together), you must try to understand why the prospect used that line. The reason could be one of three:

 

  1. Prospect does not trust your product:

 Think about it: It’s much easier for a prospect to say “I’ll get back to you”, than to say “Hi! I think your product sucks and I don’t want to waste my money” 

  2. Prospect needs more time to make findings:

Some prospects aren’t going to base their decisions on some things you have told them. Instead, they would rather make their own findings, check out the competition, and weigh their options before making a decision.

3. They’re probably not the “Final say” in the hierarchy of the company’s affairs.

So, they will have to report to a “Higher Authority before making the decision to buy your product or service.

 

Response 1: Frontal

In my experience, whenever a prospect tells me that, it’s either of 3 things (Proceed to paraphrase 3 reasons mentioned above). Which one of them is it right now?

 

What that response yields: Complete honesty. It’ll help you understand the prospect’s state of mind, and will give clarity on how to proceed from there.

 

Response 2: Defensive

 

X, I understand why you may need to take some time to rethink this. But let’s be honest with each other. The longer time you take making a good decision for your business, the longer that problem you’ve been trying to manage stays. Tell you what, why don;t you take XXX advice (give a free tip) and apply this to your business. I’ll be waiting for your feedback …

 

What this response yields: You have just reduced your prospect’s “think about it” time, without coercion, and helped him out at the same time. Chances are that you’ll be hearing from him soon.

Response 3:  Vulnerability

 

X, I really appreciate your taking time to hear me out. From your response, it might seem that I haven’t exactly communicated the value you’ll be getting from us well. So, why don’t you tell me what you would have loved to hear, that would have helped make a better decision? 

 

What this response yields: Again, you’ll take honest feedback which will help out …

 

Remember: These responses may not yield the results you desire all the time  It’ll however, help you perfect your sales skill, and help you work on areas that need adjustment.

 

Which of these responses are you planning to use?

PS: Want to join the Bellafricana family so you can grow and scale your business? Click on this link NOW

What To Keep In Mind When Running Discount Sales

It’s that time of the year again, when offering Discounts becomes the song on every business owners lips. And that’s not such a bad thing. On the good side, Discount sales are a great way to make more sales, while bringing in new customers.

On the flip side, a Discount sale can hurt your business really badly as it can lower your perceived value, as well as leave huge holes in your company’s pocket.

So, what do you do to ensure that discount sales work for you?

1. Strategize

Just before you run off slashing 30% off your product price, think.

What is the strategy for this discount tactic?
Is it to bring in more sales?
Or to get rid of old stock? To acquire new customers?
Or to retain present customers?

Having a thought out strategy will make it easier to run a discount without harming your business.

2. Do the Math

Have you worked out the financial projections for this discount sale?

What is your expected revenue?

What percentage are you spending on Marketing/ Advertising?

What is the financial risk?

What is the back up plan?

The importance of crunching the numbers just before you start a discount sale cannot be overemphasized (not to sound cliche, lol)

3. Plan

Now, you’ve figured out the strategy, and the numbers are looking good. But you can’t run a successful discount without an actual marketing Plan.

And by “plan”, if you’re relying solely on posting on Instagram, you might need to have a rethink. That’s not to say “that” doesn’t work, but imagine using other channels: Email Marketing, Influencer marketing, paid advertising, Cold mailing/ Calling etcetera.

Planning really does make all the difference, don’t you think?

REMEMBER: A discount doesn’t always have to be % off. There are several discount campaigns you can run this December.  Would you like to see these kinds of campaigns? Then register for the “Bounce Back December Virtual Bootcamp” and get your fully loaded business kit immediately!

Register for “Bounce Back December” and have access to:

-A two-day bootcamp on how to run a successful December sales campaign, as well as staying profitable (Bootcamp dates: November 27 & 28).

-A 30-day social media calendar (optimized for sales).

-Guides and templates for optimizing ALL your social media channels.

-A guide to strategic leverage on collaborations.

-A directory of over 100+ businesses you can collaborate with.

CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR SLOT AND DOWNLOAD YOUR KIT NOW!

How To Deal With Impostor Syndrome

HOW TO DEAL WITH IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

Ever Battled with Impostor syndrome?

Well, it’s something that every entrepreneur faces at some point in their business. And no, not just entrepreneurs are affected, but generally anyone who is a high achiever, or someone who is invested in growing. People who want to move a level up from where they are. Sound familiar?

They feel that they don’t measure up to their acclaimed achievement.

Which of these sound familiar to you?

“I’m not worthy of these achievements”,
“Heck, I don’t think I’ve done enough in my business”,
“I’m a failure”,
“I’m not good enough”
“Very soon, I’ll be found out as the fraud that I am” and lots more

See, “Impostor syndrome” can be a problem if not addressed, and can do harm to your business.

So, what can you do?

Understand that it is a sign of Growth

Yes, Impostor syndrome happens to people who aren’t complacent in their business. It shows that you’re someone who will keep doing more and more So, embrace this as a sign of growth.

 

Write down your accomplishments

 

Have a journal where you write down all that you’ve been able to achieve in business, no matter how minute. This will help give the reassurance that you’re worth your salt, and that you’re in charge. It’s a way to say to Impostor Syndrome “You say, you’ve I’m not good enough, but look at all that I’ve been able to do”.

 

Talk to someone about it

Instead of bottling things up, and letting the thought fester, it’s recommended to talk about it.

You’ll be surprised how much you’re not alone in this, and how many people can relate to this internal struggle we all face.

 

Draw strength from your source of Positivity

What are those things that make you happy? That remind you how awesome you are? Affirmation quotes? Words of encouragement from loved ones, uplifting music? You can have a folder for these, and have them handy whenever that “feeling” creeps in.

Like earlier stated, this feeling of being “inferior” or “not measuring up” is something we all face from time-to-time. What’s important is to ensure that these feelings don’t stifle your growth. So when next the “Impostor Syndrome” creeps in, I want you to slay that dragon with these tips listed above. You’re amazing. Don’t you ever forget that.

 

6 Business Lessons Business Owners Learn From Crocs

Business lessons from Crocs

 

The shoe above must look very familiar.

It is called the “Clogs” by Crocs. The design is modeled after a crocodile. The company was started in 2002 and the shoes were initially made for boating use.

The company has had a roller coaster movement in the past decade and there is so much we can learn from them.

 

Stick around, and let’s explore them!

In 2008, investors wrote the company off as a passing fad. Crocs lost over 185 million dollars within this time.

However, after a decade, they were able to bounce back and sell over 700 million shoes. What lessson can we learn from this?

Lesson 1:

Always stay true to your dream. Never give up, crisis are temporary.

 

 

Crocs were able to infuse their shoes into fashion shows/runways.

This drove huge acceptance for the product, which was formerly one of the most hated shoes.

Lesson 2:

Look for new channels to create acceptance for your products

 

bieber_crocs_05Crocs created limited editions in partnership with celebrities/top brands like Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber,etc.

They also invested heavily in influencer marketing.

Lesson 3:

 

Partnerships always create more exposure and sales opportunities. No matter how good your product is, if you don’t make noise about it, no one will.

Crocs contextualized their product as consumer preferences varied. They manufactured clogs with different colours, designs and shapes.

Lesson 4:

It is always good to listen to the true wants of customers and re-adjust your products as their needs evolve.

crocs-kids-classic-lined-clog-slippers

 

Get Full Case Study and more, on the Bellafricana Membership Platform.

Click on this link to sign up to the Bellafricana community.

As a Bellafricana member, you get access to:

  • Masterclasses
  • Guides and templates
  • Tools
  • Courses
  • Special business discounts…

and lots more.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn firsthand how you can grow and scale your business.  Sign up to the community now.

 

E-Commerce Store Alternatives Business Owners Can Try for Free

E-commerce Stores

 E-Commerce Store Alternatives Business Owners Can Try for Free

Whether you’re a startup or a small business owner, you’ll agree with me that having an e-commerce store/ website is very important for business. An e-commerce can help broaden your brand in ways beyond imagination.

What are the benefits of having an e-commerce store?

 

1. An E-commerce is like a 24-hour sales person

Unlike humans that close up shop, your e-commerce website will be there 24 hours. And people can shop and visit all round the clock, without you being there to coordinate the shopping process.

2. It Increases your Brand’s Visibility

If you’re thinking of expanding your brand’s outreach, an e-commerce store the way to go. With a well-optimized website, your brand’s chances of being found through SEO will increase. The more your brand comes up in the search engine, the more likely people are to buy from you.

3.  It is a healthy option these days

With the inception of the Corona Virus, physical contact is not advisable, right? An e-commerce website is the best way to ensure this. There is absolutely no need for physical contact, as the entire transaction will be done online.

4. It is convenient

Another great thing about an e-commerce website is the ease of doing business. The consumer doesn’t need to go through the hassle of physical buying, and can shop from wherever, whenever. You the seller, also have the convenience of making sales right from the comfort of your home.

Now, that we have established that an e-commerce store is important? What if you can’t afford one just yet?

 

Well, keep reading. Because I have compiled for alternative e-commerce stores that are free, and are resourceful. Ready? Let’s start.

1. Paystack Commerce

 

Recently, Paystack launched an e-commerce store, packed with resourceful tools complete with product links, where you can add images, vides, prices, GIFs and lots more. It also comes with easy delivery options, an inventory/ order tracker, and lots more. The best part? It comes at Zero cost. Yes, it’s absolutely free.

To get started, click here 

 

2. Flutterwave Store

 

Flutterwave store also launched a store in light of the COVID-19 occurrence to encourage  people to #keepthelightson seeing as business owners might have a hard time bouncing back. This store is absolutely free, and convenient. Want to register? You can try it here

3. Visa.com

 

Visa.com.ng also launched an amazing e-commerce store that business owners can get for free, plus an additional $200 in advertising. Fantastic right? I agree too. You might want to give it a try

4. Whatsapp Catalogue

 

This isn’t really an e-commerce store, but the catalogue option gives you the opportunity to get your products, along with their prices all in one place. And with the addition of a catalogue link, it’s much more easier to have your potential customer glance through all your products and make a selection. No stress, no hassle.

We recently had a hands-on, practical session on how to setup your Whatsapp Catalogue. The session was hosted by one of our talented Bellafricana Members, Dara, (Founder of Just Journal Ng)

Guess what? Almost all in attendance had their catalogues up and running. That’s the essence of a community you know? Having members who are willing to share and uplift one another because of the strong belief that we rise by lifting others. That is simply the heart of Bellafricana.

PS: We also have lots of useful resources on the Bellafricana Membership Platform which all business owners could really use. You can access it once you become a member of our amazing family. To sign up, click on this link here

Which of these tools have you tried, or will be willing to give a shot? I’ll love to know.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Bellafricana Membership Platform!

Hello there, how are you doing today? I’m doing fine, thank you. Did you know that we launched a Membership platform for Bellafricana members? Oh yes, we did!

Why? Because for a very long time, our focus has been to make our members products globally accessible. While that is still our aim, we got to realize that we were ignoring one key thing: The fact that creative business owners lacked the empowerment, and the right resources, to help their business grow fully.

And so, we rolled up our sleeves and worked tirelessly until May 11, when we launched the platform.

See Launch video below:

👇🏾👇🏾

Now, we also anticipated (and have been asked) some questions about the platform which we would like to address. Are you ready?

1. What exactly is this Membership Platform?

Well, It’s a website that gives our members access to a vast library of masterclasses, tools, Guides and Templates, Checklists, and other resources that will help business owners make better decisions.

2. Is this Membership platform open to everybody?

Unfortunately, this membership platform is one of the many perks of being a member of the Bellafricana family. So, what that means is that you have to become a Bellafricana Member to use the platform.

3. How can I sign up to the platform?

Visit www.bellafricana.com/members-signup, then click on the “Click to join the family now” button.

Membership platform joining

4. Does the membership platform access come at a cost?

Yes it does. However, we have very flexible subscription packages so that you can select the package that is pocket friendly. To check out the packages, click here:

5. Is the membership platform an App?

No, it’s a web-based platform, and once you’re on-boarded, you get your unique login details for you to gain access to the platform.

6. You talked about webinars . How can I get access to the past webinars I missed?

Well, the good news is that you can get to watch masterclass recordings, as they are regularly uploaded to the platform.

7. What’s the period for subscription?

Well, we have quarterly, bi-annual and annual subscriptions.

These are some of the questions we get. See below some testimonials from our members who have used the platform.

You got some more questions that you would like answered? Then leave a comment, or send a message to +234 909 367 0222. You can also sign up here.

 

STEPS TO MAKING

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