Meet The Nigerian Building An App That Is Changing The African Business Ecosystem Forever

Have you ever thought about what it will feel like, to access everything you need within your comfort zone? We have a new episode for you from Building from Africa! Our guest is a young and ambitious Nigerian businessman, who is on a quest to transform the lives of local business owners through his E-Commerce platform called Hala, on which he has a product called ShopsApp. Being a problem solver right from the inception of his high school days, he saw a dire need and decided to create a solution for underserved entrepreneurs who lack access to digital connectivity with customers. His name is Marvin Uche, the CEO and Co-Founder of his company Hala, and ShopsApp, a product on Hala. In this conversation, he gave us an extensive breakdown of the many business ventures he tried his hands on before founding his company, Hala. For example, being a tech enthusiast, he had once learned many hacks in fixing PSPs and sought for opportunities to create and exchange value. Talking about his journey, in retrospect, Marvin shared about a trade fair he once attended, and what he observed about the local business vendors at the event. They had great tendencies of selling out, yet did not have direct relationships with their buyers, thereby missing out on the likelihood of future patronage. His take home from that trade fair was to figure out a way to enable people connect over payment and it was this that birthed his E-Commerce Startup called Hala. His vision is to build a community where business owners that are not on a digital platform can connect and exchange value with their customers effectively. Are you an entrepreneur or looking to be one? Learn from Marvin’s lessons below: -Do not define your company based on other companies. Be authentic! -Do not be quick to call your company a startup. Ensure you understand what you are trying to build first. -Get a lawyer that will help put you through terms of agreement, so that you don’t fall prey. -The major thing you should think about is your product and business. As an entrepreneur, ask yourself “how can I find customers, who are the people who care enough to have pain points that can be paid for?” -Build with inclusivity in mind. When you do this, it will make people more drawn to the value you give. -100 million users does not mean 100 thousand customers. Ask yourself “how can I serve my customers alone?” -Ask yourself these questions: “Is the point to advertise myself, to keep selling my products or to get customers?” Don't just watch, be a part of the inspiration by liking, sharing and subscribing if you find this video worthwhile.