“Student enterprise yields success”

Gabriel Antwi, 23, a Correspondent from Ghana, talks to Miss Lugu, a student of University of Ghana who dreams of being an entrepreneur. She has started on that path with a venture on campus, selling coconut on a wholesale and retail basis. 

Gabriel: What is the name of your business?

Lugu: The name of my business is Wazuri Enterprise. Currently I am into the wholesale and retail of coconut.

Gabriel: What inspired you to enter into the coconut business?

Lugu: As a young lady, I needed money to cater for my needs. Since I did not want to go to my parents all the time to ask for money for some petty things. Not that they couldn’t provide it for me but I wanted to do something on my own to cater for those petty things.

Gabriel: What are some of the experiences you have adopted from your previous jobs which is aiding you in your current job?

Lugu: Well, there are a lot of things that I learnt from my previous jobs which are helping me now. I used to find it difficult separating business money from my pocket money since I kept them together. But through the book keeping I learnt from my previous jobs, I can now give vivid accounts of all the amount that goes into business and that which does not. Good customer relation is another experience that I have adopted from my previous businesses. I now understand costumers and their need for distinct products.

Gabriel: How did you acquire resources for the business?

Lugu: Basically, I didn’t start this business with a huge sum of money or a bank loan or something of that sort. It all began from the experience I had in my previous jobs and how I was able to re-invest the little profit I had. While in the pure water and shirt business, I had an interaction with a coconut seller one day and asked how much profit he made a day. I imagined how much he would earn if that amount was tripled. I then started dealing in the coconut business and with the help of my parents and some people, I made it through. Now I own a coconut farm and produce on a large scale.

Gabriel: How are you able to market this huge number of coconut?

Lugu: I find diverse ways through which the coconut can be consumed at affordable prices. For instance, making coconut drinks and selling them at functions like weddings and others at affordable prices to customers. Once the customers like it, they become the marketers by spreading it. The husk and copra of the coconut is usually bought for making fuel and oil, creating additional sales. The media has also been of great assistance as well as some friends.

Gabriel: What are some of the challenges you have faced in your current and previous jobs

Lugu: As at now, the cost of transportation of the coconut from the village is very huge and makes the pricing of the coconut a challenge. Some of the employees also need direction. They always want to be told before they do.

Gabriel: What are some of the catholic values that was installed in you as a child which has helped you to this stage?

Lugu: Prayer is the key to my success. I put God before everything I do. Honesty and integrity is also a backbone to my success. A business cannot stand if there is mistrust in its transactions. Respect as part of the values is one thing I hold dear.

Gabriel: How are you able to blend work with academics?

Lugu: That is mystery I myself cannot understand. I try my best to allocate time for both since all are demanding. God does the rest but I don’t know how.

Gabriel: What are we to expect from you (Wazuri Enterprise) in five years to come?

Lugu: I expect to see my coconuts and drinks in every corner and at every event.

Gabriel: What message or advice do you have for today’s youth?

Lugu: There is nothing like free lunch in this world. To have something, you must work hard to achieve it. Money is not the solution to everything. If you have an idea, put it on board and you will be surprised where your success may come from.

photo credit: #Food via photopin (license)

Photo credit: Daniel Forson.

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About me: I am Gabriel Asempa Antwi, a level 400 student of the University of Ghana Business School. I am also an affiliate of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, UK.

With a high interest in writing articles for publication in magazines, among others, I desire to write on matters relating to business, politics and matters of sociocultural nature. I love to report on spontaneous news that becomes viral in my country and across the world.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/

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