Building business with Bejay #BBWB
Building business in times of adversity is never easy, but always possible. Not only is it possible, but necessary. I’ve learnt this throughout the course of my 10 years in entrepreneurship.
Even in adversity, my mission is to teach entrepreneurs how to overcome and get to the next level in their business goals.
But one thing that always struck me was how pervasive it was to be lonely. The number 1 unspoken rule of entrepreneurship was always this – you have to do it alone. The self-made entrepreneur was always the most respected.
Eventually, I abandoned it – and you need to do it too.
Challenging the Solo Entrepreneur: The First Ecosystem
I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, isolated or just plain busy. I think we’ve even gone as far as to normalise these traits as the essence of the entrepreneur. I remember feeling this way long ago in my own journey, all the way back in 2015 with one of my earliest business ventures, Supa Market.
Supa Market was the UK ‘s first teen pop-up market, which involved live demonstrations and events for young people in partnership with some of the world’s largest brands. The business was a huge success – but I was exhausted. What kept me afloat then were my colleagues, mentors and friends – my very own accountability group. I owe much of my growth to engaging with people, resources and community.
It was then that I realised the importance of working with others in periods of downturn. As soon as I realised the power of building ecosystems, I was obsessed with sharing it with other people. Later, I would go on to build and scale my own ecosystem to support other businesses and entrepreneurs. Supa Talent partnered with the Office Group, and I delivered over 60 hours of mentoring for 30 businesses.
When things fell apart in March 2020, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
Building Collaboratively in Times of Brokenness
Events were being cancelled, partners were dropping out, money was flying out of the bank…and my own mental and emotional state were fast deteriorating. Working out, taking baths and sleeping helped me de-stress, but it didn’t solve the reality of dealing with my problems. What I needed was an ecosystem – and I built one.
I reached out to my fellow entrepreneurs and was able to reimagine new income streams. Utilise and increase cash reserves, and most importantly – build once again.
There really is nothing that energizes me more than seeing others empowered.
During the coronavirus pandemic, my aim is to help as many other people as possible with their most ambitious business goals. My aim to build the next ecosystem for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Building An Ecosystem for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs need communities where they can access the support to thrive. I love creating these spaces and sharing my story, because it means I can give another entrepreneur the keys they need to excel.
Since the release of my last post, which garnered so much positive reception, it signalled the need for new ecosystems. The stories I’ve heard since have been astonishing. Fellow friends and entrepreneurs have been open and honest about their journeys.
Pivoting your Business
So far, we’ve had over 200 people join this entrepreneurial ecosystem and access an overfill of free business resources.The Building Business ecosystem is fast-growing, and this is your chance to access the resources you need. It features a wealth of content, opportunities and worthwhile engagement with myself and other entrepreneurs at the top of their game:
Online webinar series: I am hosting an exciting new series with upcoming entrepreneurs dealing with pressing problems facing entrepreneurs today – and how to solve them.
Last week, I was joined by Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO, Stemettes, Timothy Armoo, CEO, Fanbytes and Rachael Corson, CEO, Afrocenchix to discuss how business owners can go online. This week, I was joined by Anne-Laure Cunff, founder of NessLabs, and Andy Ayim, founder of Angel Investing school, to discuss how best to use your mental mind to improve business performance.
I have a number of upcoming free webinars with over 15 confirmed speakers where we’ll be addressing how to build an online community, utilise your personal brand, and more.
Peer to Peer coaching: I host peer to peer coaching on a Friday, which is dedicated to working with small groups of entrepreneurs dealing with highly specific industry problems.
I’ve already locked in 5 coaching sessions with five entrepreneurs.
Weekly free resources: I am also giving you the opportunity to join 1,000’s of creatives and entrepreneurs accessing free resources and life hacks to help them on their journey every week.
We need new connections, more resources and more transparent conversations. Are you ready to join the movement?