I was home for a break in school so I looked for something to do to earn money for the main time. A friend of my mom was selling bar soaps then and according to my mom, she was swimming in the money though she didn't look it o. I met her and she told me how she was making millions by taking the soaps to other States to sell, she advised I went to pH since they had high purchasing power.
I used to hustle street trading in pH so I was familiar with the environs which was an advantage or so I thought. I did my calculations and was in high spirits as I was going to hammer this time.
I borrowed 100k from my dad, bought about cartoons of bar soap, and set off to pH on a faithful Wednesday because I targeted the oil mill Thursday market. I first dropped at obigbo junctions and set my cartons of soap by a corner that the owner was absent and started screaming on top of my voice soliciting for customers...buy your original soap here, only 100 100 nairas, e don dey finish oooo, eleme dey look bayelsa dey buy oo, after today no more ooo....I kept shouting....
I got some occasional glances by passerby's as they proceeded to their destinations, one hour turned to two hours yet no one has asked me whether na sample I sample abi na sell I dey sell. I got exhausted from my fruitless shouting and sat down, I realized it was getting dark so I called the number of the person I would pass the night in her place at mile 1....ghen ghen number no dey no reachable .... I shaa packaged my cartoons of soap and set off to mile 1, after all, I came for oil mill so I'm sure I would sell all the next day.
Getting to mile 1 around past 8, everywhere was dark and deserted. I was scared so I had to proceed to mile 3 that was livelier. I packed my goods in one park and started looking for a place to pass the night, I went to a police station but they were questioning me like a criminal even after narrating my ordeal to them. I left and went the church and the security turned me back that they only allow people to sleep in the church during vigils. I ended up sleeping in an uncompleted building in the state university.
The following morning I set off to oil mill market, I remember when I dropped a barrow pusher came to carry the goods to a place I would keep them but since I was running low on cash I asked him to help me place it on my head....haa oga this thing heavy o e go break your neck o, just give me 3h make I carry am for you.....he exclaimed, don't worry I'm fine I replied.
Five minutes later I was sweating like a Christmas goat with my neck now at 180 degrees, it was remaining just two poles to my destination when I gave up and dropped the bag. I called another barrow pusher and he quoted 250 naira.....chai see penny wise pound foolish, I barely had any strength left to haggle price so I agreed.
I found a corner outside the market and set my cartons of soap, I took one carton and went inside the market screaming on top of my voice, as usual, three hours later and I had just sold only 5 bars of soap to make matters worst it started raining and my cartons of soap was in the open.
I ran like a mentally deranged man to where I kept my wares trying to save it from the rain, while I tried to carry the cartons to a shed some gave way throwing some of the soaps on the road with tricycles running over them. A barrow pusher came to my rescue and helped me save the rest.
After the rain subsided I went back into the market and started selling the soap at a 50% loss yet I was unable to finish one carton, while I was struggling to sell my kaya those agberos came with their wahalla and collected #300 from me, I went to a different section of the market to try my luck and 4 different agberos surrounded me with different tickets each not less than #200 . Oga abeg I never sell anything I tried to explain to them, come on give me my money joor one of them roared.
By now I was close to tears as they made away with my goods, heiya its unfair o, you people should pity this poor boy naa, see he's even crying, some market women pleaded on my behalf. They finally collected #500 from me.
I managed to sell two cartons just enough to get my transport back home and set off to the park. I was looking very dirty and unkempt, at the park, I bumped into a girl I was wooing when I was in ph, she kept staring at me probably trying to deduce if I was actually the person she was seeing. I kept a straight face and went to sit at the back of the bus away from other passengers' glare.
At home, I took the remaining goods to the woman I bought it from and sold it to her at over 60% loss and gave my dad the balance, though he complained I carest not.
Even though I'm beginning to feel that business is not for me. I still want to try more.
I'm still broke and I've got more ideas though no capital but something keeps telling me I will get a breakthrough in business one day. I will still come back to testify here.