13 Lessons from BHM Group CEO

On Sunday June 21, 2015 at Protea Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, a room filled with some of the brightest young business minds in Nigeria was addressed by Nigerian entrepreneur Ayeni Adekunle.

A lot was said at that event, but in the interest of brevity, here are 13 of the most profound lessons encapsulated by quotes.

On Success

1. ‘I like to befriend people who are either older or younger than I am. Move with those who can hold you up or those you can hold up’.

2. ‘I don’t consider myself successful. I think success should be redefined beyond what people perceive as material acquisition and career accomplishments’.

3. ‘Start young. As a young boy I had big ideas I used to share with my older artiste friends who called me YOUNG PROMOTER. They all thought I used to think beyond my age; ambitious beyond my abilities’.

4. ‘The only thing I got out of university when I eventually got an admission was that I got access to the library where I could read everything about music and literature. Well, I met my wife there too’.

On Entrepreneurship

5. ‘The younger you are when you start your business the better for you because if you fall, it will be easier to stand again’.

6. ‘Do not be sentimentally attached to any business. Do all you can to make it work. Put all the effort you can but if it still doesn’t work, get rid of it’.

7. ‘In entrepreneurship you will fall a lot’.

8. ‘One of the most important problems that Nigerian entrepreneurs face is the quality of human capital’.

9. ‘Nigeria is filled with so many opportunities for everyone, and as individuals, if you don’t self-destruct, then you have an opportunity’.

10. ‘Before you start a business, take about two years just to understudy the business. Get trainings about what you want to venture into. Never invest in a business you know nothing about’.

11. ‘Any serious company must invest in trainings for their workers as much as they invest in their raw materials and marketing’.

12. ‘Never borrow money to start a small business. Learn to grow organically’.

13. ‘The soul of businesses depart because they are not prepared for what the future holds. Things like preventive maintenance will help keep the business in check’.