The dynamics of the Nigerian economy will only make entrepreneurs smarter, and not necessarily kill their passion. This is the view of Salami Bolatito Elizabeth, beauty therapist and CEO of acclaimed zanzeespabeautynstyle.
“A serious business person should not focus on the frustration of fluctuating foreign exchange. Indeed, the problem is enough to discourage anyone; but then, entrepreneurship is not a stroll in the park anywhere in the world. The good thing is as you continue without relenting, you become smarter and learn to handle the whims and caprices of the economy in which you operate. No matter how difficult or uncertain the Nigerian economy is, there will continue to be entrepreneurs and they will continue to achieve success.”
Salami, who started her boutique, spa and skincare business in 2014, said other teething problems could give an entrepreneur a tough time. The ability to brave the odds, according to her, is the hallmark of a good entrepreneur.
She said: “If you check my Instagram page, @zanzeespabeautynstyle, you will see that I usually display new arrivals of bags, shoes, ready to wear items of clothing and abaya. We made our creations, but pirates are waiting for us to make the display and then off they go to put out imitation, thereby undermining our profit. That is another huge challenge. But we, @zanzeespabeautynstyle, refused to be intimidated. Instead, we found a way to beat the competition and claim our place as the king of the niche.”
She continued: “We back our creativity with excellent customer service and therefore, we are able to build an army of loyal customers across Nigeria and beyond the shores of this country.”
Business is not easy, she avowed. “But as they say, tough times never last, but tough businesses do,” she stated.