The business world has taken a new dimension, with improvement in technology and newer dimensions of practical knowledge in business management. Many businesses have sprang up, thereby leading to tougher competition in the business environment. Those that haven’t learnt the dynamics of business nature are forced to exit the scene for those who understand the rubrics of business success and expansion.
Thus, the urgent need for acquisition of basic skills for business sustainability and consistency. This is why the Yali Network Lagos, recently organized a day’s workshop themed; Collaboration for Progress, to prepare young people to take space in the business world through collaboration.
The leadership workshop buttresses the inevitability of collaboration between two or more business entities to achieve greater success in business. According to the Guest speaker, Mr. Wale Olasoji, ‘Collaboration is about working with others and tapping in the resources they have to get bigger grounds’
‘Collaboration is the new competition in the world of business. The secretes of the big businesses you see today, is collaboration. You may not know this, but, these big organizations have people who have stakes in there. They contribute financially, and are the muscle which those organization survive on.’
‘When you are not collaborating, you are working alone.
‘For every business to grow, you need to get investors’
‘In collaboration, one plus one is four’
On the levels in which businesses or individuals are to collaborate, he said it is advisable to collaborate with people at all levels based on what they can offer, however he warned against setting up a business with people who will have little or no impart to the business.
‘ Collaborate with people lower than you, they will give you valuable information; collaborate with your contemporaries, they will support you; collaborate with people above you, they will be your muscle’
“Do your business with those who will add value to your business, if you start up your business with small people, the business will be small.”
Answering a question on how young people could get better knowledge on how to approach people for collaboration, and where such opportunities could be Identified, Mr. Wale said;
” It is advisable for you to attend events like this often. At an event like this it is easier to meet people with great experience on this issue. There are reputable speakers that you could work up to after a programme and you will be so shocked how they will listen to you , some of them would be willing to give you their email addresses and they will even chat with you. You must first have the mindset of collaborating and then look for opportunities.”
“The federal government has done quite a lot and we don’t expect them to do everything. There are quite some initiatives meant for young people. Young people need to take responsibility and take their destiny in their hands”
“There are opportunities everywhere in Nigeria. Think about this, why do we have influx of Chinese and Indians here in Nigeria. That is because they have spotted opportunities and they have fundings backing them. This is why I advice youths to collaborate. You may spot opportunities, but, don’t have the funds to back it, then search for those whom to collaborate with.”
“The youths need veritable partners and that is very important, too. The problem about youth is the decay of our educational system as greatly affected them. You get to see graduates that are not really grounded, so, in this case, they need to retrain themselves to be highly skilled.
“Nigerian youths are hard working, so my advice is that if you are a young person and you want to be on the global space you need to find a way of out, and collaborate”
‘ I am expecting to see a lot of strategic involvement as youths go into partnership, not just with local agencies, but, foreign agencies, too’
