How to be a business owner
*PRINCE T. MONNA | Friday February 22, 2008 00:00
The question that a lot of people then forgot to ask themselves was: 'why go to America when most if not all of Europe, including America; the land of 'dreams and opportunities' were all flocking to Africa especially'? In any case psychology, especially the psycho-linguistic ability of some people to hypnotically induce a craving for and a desire so incongruent most often than not with absolute reality, on the part of the unsuspecting often prone to 'temptation' individuals by virtue of their current status quo, has a stealthy ability to silence any attempt to reason or even the mere remembrance for one to engage one's faculties especially in huge matters where life-altering decisions are to be made. For example, if you don't have money, the language you want to hear is 'money, money, money', and those who purport to have it knows what you would like them to tell you, and they tell it to you and you believe it without reason and wake up swindled if you dealt with a conniving brute of an individual.
I have on numerous occasions, especially now than ever before in my life time been bombarded by a seeming 'philanthropically guised' gesture to exploit or need I say a proliferation of Advertisement purporting to wield the 'magic charm' or the long sought for answer to the question or as a friend puts it; 'Life: the only equation without an answer'. There exist in the market place a myriad of advertisements on jobs and accommodation, on education and 'a better life abroad' in most of our print media today, than I can remember seeing a decade or so ago. What surprises me is that often such jobs are for people with 'no experience required...' exactly what manner of jobs could these be? I ask myself.
Anyway, I was just passing through this phase. My main concern is this: the 6:4:2 strategy, exactly what on the face of intellectual sphere is this? I recently encountered this concept at a workshop or at a presentation whose aim is to cultivate in those attending or more specifically those who have bought into the concept, fish-line-hook and sinker into 'Business Owners' and not employees or self-employers. As I sat there in the well air-conditioned boardroom, in the midst of well-dressed and immaculate to-be-Business Owners (BO's), a few questions raced through my mind. This paid off at least to some extent.The presenter/speaker of the day, an equally immaculately dressed man in a jacket and tie; a look that displays high CALIBRE business etiquette, a man of about, I'd say late fifties if not early sixties, spoke with such a conviction that completely wielded a power that had a capacity to utterly obliterate ones the walls of skepticism. He (the speaker) was introduced as Dr. J. Sakala, a University of Botswana Engineering lecturer. His credentials added more weight and value to his presentation. However, I couldn't help but wrestle with a thought that almost convinced me that this gesture was just a strategy that was deliberately employed so that the attendants especially the new ones, of which I was, could see this organization in that self-same light as its patrons would have us see.
There is no such a thing as 'little money' no matter how much it is, as long as it is transacted between two parties, if all parties don't end up enjoying the benefits or getting the intended utility expected from that very same transaction vis-a-viz the opportunity forgone by engaging in such a dealing, then the deal went stale before it begun. To avoid such outcomes one has to deal astutely in business. Questioning the other person's motives is absolutely justified; in fact it is the only unwritten rule for great business acumen. Questions birth answers, no questions birth no answers, and ifs become a terrible aftermath later on in business if the transaction has already been closed.
ECOS 101:
'The 6:4:2 strategy' this is quite an elementary business model, that is employed by this company (let's call it company X like the speaker called it for arguments 'sake). Indeed an ingenious appeal to relaying often complex economic principles to a variety of people some of whom have never encountered even the barest of economic principles in their life times. I must admit the strategy did get the better of me; it is indeed a strategy of value to say the least.According to Dr. Sakala, it works like this: one individual joining this business, is to invite about six other clients to come and join, in which case they all become seven in total. Now what this means is the first to join gets 'points to the value of 3 percent and 30 percent discount on merchandise bought from the Business (i.e. buy to sell)', he added.
Then the six people that the first person brought on board will each bring four (4) clients, thus (6+1 =7) and 7+24 = 31; 31 + 48 =79 people altogether, he continued. What has happened here, explained the speaker, is that from the initial 3 percent that person 1 (p1) brought, the 3 percent grows each time a person joins either through (p1's) direct initiative or indirectly through his/her invited colleagues (I.Cs) initiatives in which case they both earn points. For example, these points ranges from 3 percent to 21 percent. And with these points from the persons joining through (p1) or (I.Cs) the first person (p1) is now entitled to a monthly allowance. For example a 15 percent point holder earns seven thousand five hundred and sixty pula (P 7.560.00) a month.
A 21 percent holder earns P18.072 a month.Honestly speaking, this seemed to me a very lucrative business deal and a very near-profit earning business venture for one to consider venturing into. 'You are a profit sharing partner', reiterated.Dr. Sakala, to the audience who could not believe their ears. Dr. Sakala furthermore gave statistics to further concretise the argument for the company's credibility which he has already given. The statistics done by the renowned Alexander Forbes magazine sought to find out 'which American companies made the most millionaires?' According to the unflinching Dr. Sakala, Company X came out second, with 2200 millionaires after Microsoft's 3000; quite an impressive track record.Needless to say, to the now astute economists and soon to be business owners, the announcement of the P680.00 registration fee, which comprises, among other goodies, some goods of the client's choice delivered at the client's door step with no added costs became almost like asking for a sand particle from someone standing on the sea shore. It was absolutely nothing and everyone was by now ready to launch into their new careers as business owners or (BOs) as they are referred to in this setting.
Quote of the day:
did you know?
'Employment is a 40-year business plan' Dr. J. Sakala (Lecturer, UB)
Prince T. Monna is a graduate of Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies. He Holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies Degree (Honours equivalent), specialising in television production.