36. Market Dynamics - Your Business Environment

In business there are always the market leaders and other players working to get a portion of their market share. A company with different services may be a leader with one customer group or service and not with another. It is imperative that if they are to continue being the leader that they are aware of the environment, who the different players are and strategically continually position themselves to provide on the next level of service. This way they dictate the market and the direction it takes especially if they are able to address the customers need. At Elan our core business is to set the trend because if we don’t someone else definitely will...



James drives from the club parking lot after making sure everyone can receive the E-frequency clearly. The following scenes happen simultaneously as the different team members are driving home or are at the club, while using the E-Eye system. Dan is to follow James after the group following on his bike.

James, ‘I am still being followed, well, let’s go to the airport I will join Mark in Abuja tonight instead of tomorrow. Dan you will handle the meeting with Al tomorrow and remember the team is not to be brought up. If possible get yourself sacked.’

Dan, ‘Ok, that guy doesn’t like me much anyway, have a safe flight. We will see where these guys end up. Maria, are the eyes working well?’

35. Team Work

One thing that's continuously amazing to me is the diversity of the different teams at the Elan companies. Though I am the same person, have the same values and vision and the companies are in different ways working to meet this, it, goes to show that a vision is accomplished  by quite a wide range of people and companies. A founders role is really to determine the culture that will work well with the type of business they are in and figure how you can get the best from each team and keep them motivated ...

James drives into the club parking removes his sweater, and then talks to one of his team members Jake. He had put him in the loop when he realized they were being followed. In the past, whenever a thing like this happened, he would notify the The Team and they would gather at this club to strategise. Naturally his guys started moving immediately he they got the message they might be needed. This club was one of their many meeting places. The team had been used twice before to rescue hostages. The first time it was by chance, by the second they had a modus operandi. James checks the recorded conversation with Elan to make  sure everything is working fine, then speaks to another party.

34. Business Models That Work

Business Models define how a business is going to make money and remain sustainable. They determine the scalablility and success of a business. A business model that works with one team may not necessarily work with another team. A business model should not only work for the industry and team to implement it but also for the different customer groups for it to be successful. If the different aspects of the business model are not in sync then the model will not give optimal returns. Often businesses, especially if they are transforming industry i.e.disruptive, will need tweaking several times before optimal performance is achieved...

After Dela leaves Elan explains the situation to James. With the different businesses Elan runs, her senior management have learn to be very conservative of their time just as Elan is. Work life balance has been a priority in the company since from the onset when the company was setup, Elan’s key staff were single heads of families or had little children (often desperate to take a job that was flexible to allow them care for others). Naturally the company’s growth strategy focused on the use of technology and highly qualified freelance staff and multi skilled full-time staff to bring it all together. This meant a lot more was done on typical day as different people worked round the clock from around the world. This resulted in great efficiency. Face to face time was gold. Meetings were short precise to the point and no one lingered to make small talk. If time was a gold ring, family time was the diamond on it. Business is fast at Elan Group because they operate in highly competitive creative industries, use technology and the team has a lot at stake both in their personal lives careers.

33. Right Man For The Job

Everyone has a unique skill they are really good at. As I have grown as a business person I have learnt to focus on getting the right people for particular jobs and often avoid crossing roles. it saves on so much time. It is not that I do not appreciate multi skilled people, my regular staff are all multi skilled team members that can handle several roles in our system. However there is always a time you need an advanced level of expertise to do a specific job fast and efficiently and this is where I often get a special team of people. For a couple of years I paid so much for little loses that came up as a result of inefficiencies in our system and production. Once we got where our problem was, we had experts come in and fix the problem. What would have taken my regular staff a half a year to sort out was done in less than three weeks. They were not the regular guys you would hire. since then 'The Team' as I call them has been growing. ...

Having let her sisters refresh before they meet at her house for dinner, Elan goes to the bar area of the hotel and waits for Dela. It’s been a while since they met each other and they are glad to have some time to chat. The two, having had a close working relationship, had established a routine of briefing each other of their different perspectives on the previous day’s happenings, and business environment. Dela always had the 411 from what their major competitors were dong thanks to her chairing the PA Association. They both have missed their morning talks.

32. No Pressure, No Diamond

True character is revealed under pressure. Different kinds of pressure reveal different character traits. Like diamonds, human beings are so multi faceted. The right kind of pressure, situation or conditions will bring this out. I suppose that is why experiential interviews and other behavioral interviews are increasingly popular. When not under pressure, as in normal day to day life, one can consistently display a certain behavior that would portray them a certain way. However pressure can reveal true character in seconds ...

Until Elan’s comment Tekla had not forgotten or rather tried to forget Mzee and Meline’s conversation on the day their journey started. Now it came back to mind and not so sure what it all meant she decides to confront Meline. It could have been nothing – just Uncle trying to get influence as he normally did but if it was something there could be some gains with this information. She follows Meline to the bathroom. As soon as Meline finishes and is drying her hands she approaches her.

Tekla, tries to be calm but eventually blows up. ‘You know, I did think there was something wrong with the way your dad insisted on you being on this trip. But now Elan said it, it seems obvious, you have a hidden agenda. That is why each time there is someone important around you try to cause a fuss and shut us up. But you know I have been observing you. I also heard uncle talking to you before we left. I may not know what your whole agenda is lakini whatever you are up to, let me tell you usithubutu’

31. People Are Who They Are

When people show you who they are believe them. They say is someone is gossiping with you about someone, chances are they are gossiping with someone about you. This I believe goes for many other things in human relationships; if together you are scheming against someone, chances are they are scheming as well against you. It all has to do with character; leopards don't  change their spots  ...

Elan, ‘I see you have discovered this peppered chicken. Most people talk of jollof but I think pilau is much better. Sfor many other things. However this chicken - This is just out of this World and there then there’s another called suya, basically mshikaki but the spices are slightly different’

They all node in agreement. They had tried suya the evening before going to the party and had loved it. They continue eating, chatting and laughing, Meline so comfortable now that she is almost nice. Finally Elan brings out the elephant in the room that everyone has been asking since Tekla raised it during the family meeting almost a month earlier.

Elan, ‘I must say it was quite a surprise seeing you all yesterday. A beautiful surprise too!’

Meline, ‘We have been wanting to visit for a long time but ...’.

Elan, ‘You too Meline? Meline in all honesty, that statement did not include you. If someone else said that, I would have believed it but you, why are you here? To swindle me once more? Put the final nail in my coffin?’

30. Where You Headed?

There is no favorable wind for a ship going nowhere. Many people don’t know or understand who they are and live from day to day totally dependent on people opinion of them. It makes it hard to not only build networks but make decisions as each person you encounter will have a different view. If you have 50 people in a room and asked each to write their opinion on something, chances are, without hearing others opinion, there will be 50 different opinions, Knowing who you are and what you stand for or want – your personal vision is the first step to being a successful entrepreneur. It gives you direction and a destination  ...

It was a great party, lots of gifts for Mich and Tunu and the grand-parents were more than elated. As usual Leila’s parents stood in for Elan as hers had long past. Her sisters were pleasant to them and the conversation was easy all evening - except for the little incidents with Meline. She eventually blacked out and was taken to the hotel and everyone had lots of fun after.

With all the excitement of meeting after so long, the sisters stayed on late. However given Elan had so many guest and the her newly acquired friends and family felt the need to get to know them, they hardly got time to catch up. Eventually they decided to meet for brunch next day at the hotel and spend the rest of the evening being good hosts.

29. Beyond the Sixth Sense

An understanding of the people around you is important for your success and survival. As a business leader sometimes people tend to tell you what you want to hear not what you need to hear. Pushing them to tell you staff only courses them to withdraw. Before your gut feeling and facts come to play, just understanding your key team members helps with your information gathering or decision making if their opinion is important - not that you want to impress them but so you know what to do where there's disgreement or conflict ...

Elan is having the same dream once again. She is sitting under a tree with fruits. However this time when she picks them and puts them in her basket one after the other they start having worms so she has a basket with good and bad fruit. She screams and throws it and immediately wakes up. She has disturbed Al slightly but he doesn’t fully wake up. She goes to the bathroom, washes her face and heads over to the nursery to check on the babies.

Mich is awake playing with the hanging toys on his bed. He immediately lifts a hand to be carried when his mother comes in. Tunu is fast asleep. Elan carries him and they go sit outside on the veranda watching the day break. She starts talking to him not aware that Al, who has by now woken up to go get Tunu, is at the bedroom door listening.

28. Sense of Urgency

Often when people feel you not doing or behaving the way would like you too, they ask you to take it easy, to go with the flow. I have learnt this is never  an option for a man (or woman) going somewhere. A man with a purpose or goal has a sense of urgency. It could be because they have energy to get things done, know the opportunity will not be there for ever, or just don't want to see another person suffer because they slackened. Whatever it is, you know they are committed because they don't feel they have forever, and this does not mean they are not patient but even when they are, they are doing something. It is a sign of an entrepreneur, of purpose ....

Mzee Zablo has been talking to Shaddy while outside the Governors' House. He is here for a very important meeting the result of which could set the course of his legacy. He now gets out of his pickup, straightens his Kaunda suit and top hat and gets into the house. Mzee Zablo is the son of the youngest wife of Elan's grand father. He was born well after Elan's father, his half brother, had finished college and was looking to get married. Though not quite old, being the only Uncle alive, he is naturally accorded the most respect, thus the prefix Mzee to his name. He does look like a Mzee though, the result of many years of laboring in the farm before he was introduced to easier ways of making money by his nephew, Nadia’s husband Otieno. Currently, the business is not so good so he is on to other avenues – politics.

27. Analysis Paralysis

They say entrepreneurs take risk. That sounds like a gamble. I think good entrepreneurs are just good at seeing an opportunity and analyzing data quickly. Based on whatever information they have, they act fast. If they did not take the time to analyze data they would be taking risk and that would make them gamblers. If they over analyze information on the other hand, they are cowards. It can lead to not making a decision for. fear of failure. I think entrepreneurs, though not gamblers, are brave. They have courage because they are willing to go where others may not have If one is continually looking for more information they may be a good manager but entrepreneurship was never their calling in the first place as it requires often making quick decisions on the fly ….

The party is still on. It is early evening and Shaddy is with his gang in a van parked outside Elan’s compound. They are mean looking guys in official gangster uniform; black hoodies and too much bling. Though the street is practically empty with most of the late arriving guests having parked in the compound, and earlier guests in a common secured parking a block away they are trying to be as discrete as they possibly can. The van is cloudy as they are smoking inside the vehicle with windows closed to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Shaddy’s phone rings. He looks at suddenly and suddenly sits up

26. Your Business Can Only Grow As You Grow

One of the key services I offered as a business advisor was strategy and business plan development services. This was one of the most grueling mindshift processes for entrepreneurs I was advising. Most of the time entrepreneurs feel since a business idea is theirs the development of the plan does not matter as long as they got investors in. They assume they are the person to implement in and they can have majority share ownership. One thing they don’t realize is there is no right to ideas, the circumstances that lead you to think of something applies to millions others. Ideas are common real estate. Implementation is king. Sadly, though those who do not really appreciate the process and develop their plans based on this are rarely able to implement or even attract investors to their business. Reason? Lack of congruence between the business idea and entrepreneur. However beautiful a business opportunity is, it can only be implemented by the person who has grown to the level and complexity of the opportunity....

Elan and her mother-in-law Shamim are playing with the babies as they talk while the party is going on in the garden. They have been good friends since Al got married and she realized he was not going to change his mind. His father took longer accepting Elan but eventually he came round. His brother Sam was eating from her palm from the word go. He had taken a liking to her straight away, probably would have made an advance had Al not been the first to get to know her. The two brothers had a tendency to like the same kind of women. All in all, the animosity that was there before their marriage had completely disappeared which was rather strange to Elan. She would have expected some reservations to continue lingering on but there was nothing of the sort.

25. Opportunities Abound

I believe there is no saturated sector in this continent. Opportunities for business abound every where in our environment. Often they are glaring yet we miss them. Sometimes because we don't know better, other times because we are afraid or intimidated, most of the time because we are living in our own little world. The one thing one can do to open up their eyes immediately is be personable, mingle, talk to people, listen and network ....

It is a few minutes after Al has informed everyone that Elan is fine and will be joining them shortly. He invites their guests, who are now about fifty to the barbecue in the garden. The ladies from Kenya prefer to wait till she comes down despite Al's request that they join him. They are in the living room whispering amongst themselves; so worried and embarrassed. By now most of the party has moved outside

Jenny, ‘That was too much of a surprise. We should have notified - her it’s been too long. 

Meline, not knowing when to stop says spitefully, ‘Oh please, it doesn’t matter. It is the guilt enjoying all this wealth when---’ 

24. 6th Sense

One of the first successful entrepreneurs I had the pleasure of listening to told me about trusting my guts. He was a man. I found this strange because till then, I was made to feel gut feeling was not a good way to make decisions and a sign of weakness or, in sheng, ‘umama'. As it were, I ‘killed’ my guts. But after some major failures I realized my guts had warned me in one way or another contrary to logic or emotion (yes gut and heart are different). With listening more to my gut, aside from facts and back ground checks, my decisions have led to much better results ...

Al is pating Elan’s forehead with a damp cloth after she fainted. Nurse Kate is standing aside after checking for her vital signs and establishing she had just fainted. Elan wakes up after a minute to their relieve. She tries to get up but Al tells her to take it easy.

Elan realizes that this is what her dream meant. Hand on her chest, she mutters The dream! The dream!’

Feeling guilty for having  caused her the stress, Al comforts her, ‘Sorry honey, it wasn’t a dream. Your family is down stairs.’ 

23. Discipline and Self Control

You will fall, how do you get up? Self discipline and especially the ability to control your emotions will give you more mileage than you can imagine. Al is the master of self control. Me, I wear my emotions on my sleeve, a rookie at my best. I know you are surprised. My greatest loses and mistakes happened when I lost control. I am learning to keep myself together. It is not always easy especially when I am surprised but I am better every day at this. No one practises for surprises, but it is not about how you fall but how you get up ...

Elan and Al’s close friends and family are gathered at their home. The garden looks beautiful and everyone is drawn to it, they are talking outside and a few are walking around the garden amongst the well manicured hedges. The gateman, Saeed, is looking outside the gate impatiently. He eventually gives a signal and they scurry inside. Moments later, the reason for the flurry, Al’s car, is driven into the compound. The housekeeper Njeri, cook Mustafa and Saeed all come to the car to welcome their madam. In the car is Al, Elan, Nurse Kate and the babies.

As soon as it stops, Saeed hurries to get the bags. Elan, so glad to be home, can hardly wait for her husband to open the door. Her staff seem to have equally missed her, despite their formal greetings, as required in their training from Al's mother, their big grins show they are likely to have hugged and joked around if Al was not there. 

Saeed, ‘Welcome home Ma’

22. Inlaws, Outlaws and Customers

One cannot avoid being interrupted in day to day operations. Having systems that work, training employees to take on senior roles and learning to delegate is crucial if one is to manage the various interruptions that happen in the course of the day. These are skills that every entrepreneur needs to learn to survive or you will die on the job. I have no problem delegating, but Al, he had to learn it the hard way when each day at work became a nightmare, he finally got the hang of it and delegates with ease though sometimes still struggles and looks over peoples shoulders ...

Al received a call from Dela yesterday evening informing him of the surprise guests in town. This would be the first time he would meet any blood relative of Elan's. He wanted to make a good impression give them the very courtesy Elan would have if she knew they were in town. He had all his meetings cancelled to free up his day for them. Right now he was engrossed finishing the days' paper work before their arrival but the phone rings. He picks it while still preoccupied with a document on the computer. 

Al, ‘ Hello?’

Dela, ‘Elan’s sisters are here.’

21. Schedules, Rituals & Routines

With my busy life and the unpredictability of each day, having a schedule or ritual may look like a dream. However it is a necessity for every entrepreneur. Wherever I go, I stick to my ritual. It helps me stay focused and remain grounded ensuring the most important things are addressed and never forgotten. Al also has a ritual, being an athlete required it, and joining me in business while overcoming his injuries made it mandatory if he was to get back to a healthy life and pull his weight in the organisation. Occasionally our routine is interrupted and this often means we are not as productive or miss out on things  we had planned. However this is rare. I cannot over emphasise how much having a regular schedule, ritual or routine (depending on what word you want to use) has helped me move steadily towards my goals and maintain sanity in this entrepreneurial rollercoaster ...

 It is early morning and Elan's second last day at the hospital. Elan is still in bed. The babies are also sleeping in their cotts next to her they had woken up earlier, around 4 am, after being changed and getting comfortable they went back to sleep. This has been everyone’s routine since they were born. But today is slightly different for Elan: she is not just sleeping early morning but is dreaming. 

In her dream she has a basket and is looking for fruits. She gets tired and finally sits under a tree. She realises it is a fruit tree when she sees lovely juicy fruits hanging down. The fruits hang closer to her so she can pick them. She happily takes her basket and starts picking them. However when she takes one from the basket to eat, it suddenly turns rotten and ugly and there’s a big fat worm. She screams throws it down then wakes up.

20. Home Away From Home

Delighting customers is a part of every business if it is to survive. It is not always obvious what will delight a particular customer but after you have done everything that is generally expected by your target customer, taking it a notch higher requires that you give your team the leeway to make some impulsive decisions that will not influence the bottom line adversely but pleases the customer. Given, some customers will still want to drive you up the wall to proof whatever ...

The ladies arrive at the hotel. It is a small Hotel Apartment – hardly 20 units by the look of it. The Apartment units are set on two blocks behind a 3rd long two story  building that houses the recreational areas; a restaurant, the lounge and a spacious gym above. This third building is the front of the complex so outside guests can also use the recreational facilities. A blooming garden with a large sparkling blue pool separates the recreational block from the residential areas. Being a small outfit with few walk-in clients, the front office staff is limited however the facilities are exceptionally clean and well maintain – obviously the handiwork of a larger efficient back end team. 

Their apartment is beautiful but only has 2 bedrooms. It is decent, actually nice, but Meline, ever fussy, will not pass an opportunity to criticise and so asks for extra beds in the most arrogant tone she can master after the long trip.

19. Corporate Structures and Laws That Govern

Your business structure can enable you do a lot and stay focused or get you no where – even hinder you or keep you where you are. Most people will take any standard copy of the legal documents of a similar business and copy paste on their articles of association. After being duped by my cousin and losing all I had worked for in the first half of my life, I did different this time round. No one, not even myself would be able to dupe me this time round. While my business structure  and the laws governing are stiff on me, they have enabled all my businesses stay focused and continue to benefit all stake holders. Most importantly we have been able to survive economic turmoil that has made larger companies fold up. Strategy is good, structures that support good strategies, very good, entrepreneurs willing to stop their ego interfering, better, partners who support such decision, best ...

Zan continues, ‘He has always wanted to impress him though the things he desires are always the exact opposite of what his dad wants. They have this love hate relationship. He is Chiefs only true son but his half brother has more the characteristics of Chief and is more obedient. Chief hoped he would take over after him, when Uncle passed on the legal documents to me, Chief was going to make him his sole hire but his persistence on marrying Elan changed all that. His father did not disinherit him outright but gave him a condition on how he can get his half of the inheritance.’

He is interrupted by Zippy bringing in their food. They wait for her to leave. After she unpacks the bags and serves the food,  Zan continues talking.

18. Past Collections Helpful Data For Today?

We all collect all manner of data and information as we go through life. Often this is informed by what we need, the situations we go through and the questions we ask. Our desires play an integral part of data we collect. The quality of data we have determines the decisions we make, how well we are able to adapt and how strong we are mentally to handle issues. Ofcourse other biological factors and our genes come inyo play, but an informed person with quality information makes better decisions ...

 It’s a beautiful day. Leila has invited Zan to come over to her shop and see how they can work out her plan to bring Elan and him together. Though Elan’s best friend, Leila is so fixated on bringing the two together even though this is not going to work in favour of Elan’s marriage. This is because Leila's family is closely knit and when Zan brought her home they were elated. 

They had never accepted Nina, Zan’s wife who had ‘accidentally’  gotten pregnant and her bad attitude towards their son and grandson did not help matters. They continued to hope that Elan would one day go back to him and be part of their family officially though in every way they already treated her as a daughter and she as her family in Nigeria. Their breaking up was a big blow for them. Not just because she is a good woman, but because she is the only woman Zan truly loved or even spoke about to his family before the mishap with Nina.

17. Delighting Internal And External Customers

Part of being a good entrepreneur is pre-empting what customers want and allowing your team to dare try new things and ways to impress the customer. Often as startups we are willing to try out new ways to engage the customer but larger organizations tend to become less flexible and stick to processes and procedures that are tested. Thenjoy of working for a startup for most staff is the personal relationships that are built. Staff, should feel free within their authority to come up with new ideas whether this will enhance work relationships and team work internally or impress customers. However sometimes such experiments can  come at a cost – and this should be budgeted before ...

On the other end Olu is trying to get in touch but being a roaming Kenyan number, it does not show on her office line. In her frustration she starts talking to herself and doesn’t realize Dela has just stepped out of her office and can hear her.

Olu, ‘Oooo!, what do I do now! I cannot get Junior either! Can’t get the lady’s number on my phone. Ohhhh this is trouble Oluwaseunbabaralaiyemi! why do you get involved in these things eeehe? Why? This desire to impress Madam always puts you in trouble!