‘Entrepreneurship boot camp’ held in Dimapur
DIMAPUR, MAY 18 (MExN): As entrepreneurs, everything is a business opportunity and not problems, attendees of an ‘Entrepreneurship boot camp’ were told here today at Anaki Hall, Dimapur.
The boot camp was organised by ‘Nagaland Startups’ in collaboration with ‘YouthNet’ and Bangalore-based ‘Quest Alliance’ for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs. In the workshop, resource persons from the three firms gave advices and tips on entrepreneurship; their experiences; and problems and challenges faced by them doing business in Nagaland.
Director, YouthNet, Lezo Putsure, started his presentation by asking the entrepreneurs to list the problems afflicting Nagaland and the notable answers included unemployment, taxation, irregular power supply, bad roads and transportation problems, bad sanitation, corruption/nepotism, idleness and lack of skills.
The YouthNet director said for entrepreneurs, these problems should be viewed as opportunities as lots of business and entrepreneurial avenues can be opened through these problems.
“As entrepreneurs, everything is a business opportunity and not problems,” Lezo said and cited examples of Naga entrepreneurs making the most out of the so-called problems.
He said in Kiphire, two local entrepreneurs are doing brisk business by supplying drinking water through private pipelines to residents of Kiphire town. The problem of the government poor water supply system has proved to be a boon for the two entrepreneurs, he said.
Likewise, in Wokha town, Lezo said another local entrepreneur has converted the problem of constant power failures and blackouts in the town into an ideal business opportunity by selling inverters.
In Kohima too, a group of entrepreneurs have successfully entrenched themselves in pork business after people complained of unfair practices and not getting meat of their choice in the usual butcher shops. These entrepreneurs charge some extra money but they provide clean and choice meat with accurate weight so that customers are switching to them for buying meat, he said.
Lezo also said the business approach of Nagas and non-Nagas are quite opposite and said whereas the usual formula of non-Nagas is income-savings-expenses, the Naga approach is income-expenses-savings.
This approach of the Nagas to spend first before savings has proved to be the downfall of many Naga businessmen and entrepreneurs, he reminded.
He further advised the young entrepreneurs and startups to be thorough and know the “numbers” and figures of their respective businesses including investment, earnings and expenses if their business is to survive or make profit.
Earlier, Heiko Kent of Nagaland Startups delivered the welcome note. Nagaland Startups, a firm run by three friends Heiko, Akato A Rochill and Atohoto Zhimo, is a community of entrepreneurs specialized in branding, logo design, connecting and collaborating with entrepreneurs and act as accelerators between entrepreneurs/employers and funding agencies.
