Following.

Op why not implement all these yourself na just to talk you sabi too many talkative these days that dont implement what they are making noise about

Princepri:
Op why not implement all these yourself na just to talk you sabi too many talkative these days that dont implement what they are making noise about

Thanks for voicing your concern. What you find irritating, others might find useful. When next you see "too many talk", just pick what you find valuable and move on. Cheers.

databoy247:
When I started my journey of being an entrepreneur, I focused my interest in web development, designing websites for businesses, companies, private individuals, etc. Freelancing with this skill rocks but personally, I think it does not help you become a businessman or should I say an Entrepreneur. being an entrepreneur means taking control of your outcomes, income. and transactions.

Its very difficult being a full entrepreneur working as a freelancer. While it is good to provide such freelancing service based on your skill like website development, in a country like ours, this translates to feeding from hand to mouth. A lot of businesses operate without the need for a website, a lot of organizations who actually owns a website do not really understand the intricacies of having a website. The norm of “my business owns a website kind kind of feeling” prevails amidst these business owners. They do not care for lead generation, they do not care for closing deals funneled in through a website. Hence, they do not appreciate the value provided by websites.

With the above mentality conversant with existing businesses and new start-ups, I can categorically say that freelancing as a web developer sucks and might make you bankrupt sooner than you think.

This awareness by freelance web developers started brewing over the years and they began to realize that to survive the murky waters of this harsh Nigerian economy, you have to improvise. You have to quit being a freelancer. You have to think “tech start-up”.

This is an emerging trend in global entrepreneurship. Freelancers in a more stable and balanced economy have begun to massively diversify towards and shift their focus in this direction. There is a wave of paradigm shifts. Tech startups can be defined under two spectrums though I cannot categorically say one is correct than the others.

First, a new business that makes use of the internet to deliver a set of solutions can be called a tech startup. They might just be simple solutions.

Secondly, a new business built on technology as its core engine. In this instance, the core component can be a complex new software or hardware. This is also referred to a tech startup.

Now as a freelance web developer, how can you become a budding entrepreneur where your business, transactions, traction, growth metrics can be measured? You can start by doing the
following;

1. Conduct a feasibility study.
Do some asking around about a particular problem, ask some people about something they are experiencing and find out if they will be happy if a solution is made available for such problem. You can also ask yourself, what is that thing you wish to do or have BUT cannot do because there is no website offering such solution. You can conduct your survey on social media. And know that if you can talk to 50 people, you can draw your results from this which
can enable you decide on what to do.

2. Create a website (and app).
Now you have an idea, why not set up a website that sells this idea or product to prospective end users. If you can’t do it yourself, pay a professional to do it for you. Make sure you emphasize the nature of the problem, how your (digital) product which is also a solution can solve that problem, and how much it costs (include discounts where necessary).

3. Setup your customer service channel
As your project is launched, ensure you have a valid medium of communication. Customer service is one of the items that can make or marr your business, so do it right. Have dedicated custom email addresses in place, have a phone line, and more importantly, try to be online at all times. Because people would start making inquiries sooner than you think.

3. Create a budget.
A budget is very necessary for you to commence and grow. You will have expenses like internet connections, phone bills, and more importantly, advertising (which is key). If you do not have enough cash, then you can prepare a budget for the first 3 months. If your service/solution is good, after the first 3 months you should have some income to extend your budget.

4. Accounting
Always keep records of your transactions. It will help you in the long run with your budgeting, expenses, and your profit and loss account.

5. Client database.
Don’t forget to start packaging your client database from day one. Make sure your website is constructed such that orders land in a particular email address so you can have access to client information anytime. Create a list of these clients, add them to an email subscription system. Here you can send them periodic updates and don’t think that because you have concluded your business with them, then you don’t need them anymore. No. You need them. Studies have shown that a majority of your past clients always come back for more. So, create a database and store.

6. Recruit.
As time goes by, the business will become larger that what you can handle alone. At this stage, recruit helping hands. Teach them how it's done and watch your business expand.

Source: http://thenigerian.com.ng/index.php/2015/09/20/the-journey-of-tech-startups-in-nigeria-and-how-to-establish-one/


Cc: Lalasticlala

In my case I’ve created an MVP(minimum viable product) app first, which I intend to use to carry out the survey. The only thing now is since the app is supposed to cater to a specific demographic of people(in my case chefs), where do I go about finding chefs to test out the value metrics of the product.