Business can thrive in Nigeria’s tough economic environment, if they are well focused. This is according to Sonia Omon-Obehi Ovuehor, one of the most enterprising entrepreneurs in the country, who supported her assertion by citing Sonaira Business World which she built from scratch as an example.

“There is no denying that Nigeria is extremely tough for businesses due to the country’s deprecating economy,” she asserted. “Nonetheless, we have imbibed an optimistic culture at Sonaira Business World. Our eyes are focused on the future, and we strive to move forward regardless of the situation. This mindset and vision has kept us going through the toughest times.”

Indeed, Sonaira Business World which is an online and offline retail business started in 2017 with focus on beauty, health and fashion products but has since expanded exponentially to incorporate real estate management, sales and supply of construction equipment, local and international trade and global courier and logistics services among other things.

The CEO of Sonaira Business World, who regarded herself as “a lifetime entrepreneur” further avowed that she derives pleasure in buying and selling major commodities. “This has given my business the remarkable alias of ‘the jack of most trades’,” she affirmed.

The growth of Sonaira Business World, according to Sonia Omon-Obehi Ovuehor was due in part to the strategy of keeping up with the time by upgrading the types of goods and services it offers.  “We also have a non-competitive mode of operation whereby we focus on our strengths, eliminate our weaknesses and try not to imitate the general market. What works for another business might not work for us, so we always stay focused on our lane,” she disclosed.

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According to her, the founding, the direction and the growth of Sonaira Business World epitomized her business philosophy: “My business philosophies are simple: From little acorns do great trees grow.  Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. All great things started from a small point.”

Sonia Omon-Obehi Ovuehor added: “I believe an entrepreneur is one who can make something out of nothing, whether with a big capital or not. It’s better to start small, make small mistakes and learn quickly rather than starting too big and make mighty blunders. This is one of the factors of having a sustainable business in this time and age.”

What is today Sonaira Business World had its fair share of challenges in its formative years and it was only by scaling those hurdles did it become a viable entreprise, she claimed. Her words: “One of the earliest challenges we encountered was how to gain customers’ trust since Sonaira Business World started as an online store. Secondly we also had the challenge of getting reliable logistics companies. But we overcame the first challenge by proving our authenticity and making our prices moderate. With time, we got referrals from previous buyers.  As to the second challenge, we partnered with reliable courier companies.”

The success of Sonaira Business World came with lessons on how to do business in Nigeria, said Ovuehor: “I have learnt to always have a plan B and save for the rainy day; and also, I have learnt the importance of leveraging emerging platforms like social media for marketing and sales purposes.”

And to aspiring young entrepreneur, she offered a nugget of wisdom: “My advice is:  develop a passion and make money out of it. This is the first step of breaking the cycle of poverty.”

Vanguardngr.com