Daylight Robbery 🤦🏾‍♀️💵

First blogpost of the year.... Aren’t we excited? Whoop whoop🎊🎉

I know you guys are upset that it took so long, but I wanted to give you premium sturvsss. Sadly, my best friend, Greatness, can never be rushed.

I was working on something else but this topic came to me like a thief in the night and I thought, "why not?" In the course of writing this post, I might drag a couple of people. I’m sorry if you’re one of them. I guess the Holy Spirit wants me to use you to teach others to be better.

So a few days ago, an acquaintance messaged me to request my makeup services for her forthcoming traditional wedding. She wanted her brows extra perfect but with a calm/nude makeup look (for non makeup enthusiasts, the process of doing a loud look is the exact same one as doing a nude one. The only difference is the colours used. It is even more technical. Stop that “but it’s nude makeup I’m doing now” talk). The location is somewhere in Ikorodu (I stay at Yaba). I would be required to stay for touch ups, tie her gele and it’s scheduled to hold on a Thursday morning (meaning I’m going to miss a day of my 9-5). Since her message came in the wee hours of the morning, I told her that I was going to get back to her after confirming transportation and other logistics.

In the morning, I informed her about how much I would charge and all hell broke loose. She started by saying “for what?” and called me after a while. She told me how it was out of her budget and I should help her out as a friend. I asked her how much her budget was and she told me 15 thousand naira. In a bid to convince me, she said that even though I would be waiting to touch up her face, I would still be at her party, eat her food and enjoy the ambience. To be honest, I found the whole thing comical.

Being an entrepreneur in Nigeria is one of the hardest things ever. The country wants to ruin you, and at the same time, you barely get any support from your friends and family members (except you have really amazing ones). Everyone in your life is so quick to ask for a discount and yet so reluctant to push your brand to the world. Getting people to repost your business sometimes seems like a war. We all want friends that would talk about us in rooms where opportunities lie for us but are we that friend?

It is on rare occasions that I patronise people that I don’t know. No matter what it is (except selling human parts), I know someone that does it. I always patronise my people and never have I ever asked for a discount (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). I Dey ask last price because some people dey add extra because they know how Nigerians can be in beating down prices, but never will I ask for a discount if you’ve told me your price. If I am given one, all well and good but I always make sure I pay in full and hype all vendors. It’s the least I can do.

I am not trying to hype myself but I am only speaking the truth. You see those your social media accounts, hype your friends on there, post their flyers, refer them to people, tag them in business posts, post their works. When you patronise, don’t ask for a discount. Pay the full price. You don’t know if their entire profit is N100. On occasions you can, send them money/food/gifts just because. A lot of people are struggling but mask it with smiles. Forget “a whole CEO like you” when they come to you to unburden themselves. Randomly send them words of encouragement. Just be a good friend. Even if your friend no be entrepreneur, you can learn a few things to do. It isn’t just your partners that deserve love and affection from you.

Eyin entrepreneurs naa, don’t rip your friends off in the name of business. We might know someone who does/sells it cheaper. We are just patronising you outta love sometimes. Stop putting outrageous prices on your wares. I wanted to order some eatables from an acquaintance last week. For some reason I forgot to text her to place my order. Later that evening, I stopped by the supermarket to help a friend get something she requested for and I saw the exact item I wanted to buy for N700. The supermarket price isn’t even my concern. The main problem is that aunty acquaintance kept hers at a price of N1600. I no kuku buy again from both her and the supermarket. Like that wasn’t enough, she even subbed me on her status when I sent her the February self care list. She say if I no fit patronise her, make I no send any BC. Aunty wa, sorry o but I cannot even post your goods knowing that you are trying to rip off innocent people who work hard for their money. There’s also another friend of mine who is selling something we both got for N700 on her business page for N3500. My dear, that’s daylight robbery. Desist from it.

I no kuku call anyone’s name but if your spirit is pinching you, you should actually evaluate your actions and do better. Don’t be a wicked person. That I’m saying your friends should patronise you doesn’t mean you should kill them with your price. Ahn han!

It is a new year please. Let’s work on being better people for ourselves and others.

Tainks and God bless.

P.S: All of you that we Dey buy/make cloth from, abeg e don do. Let us wearing the cloth be publicity for you. Las las, if we take pictures, we can send or you screenshot. We are tired of having to intentionally take pictures because you asked for them. We go even take the picture finish, you’ll hear “the detailing on the kini didn’t show well. Can you take another” or “the background isn’t good”. You don collect my money already. Why you dey stress me still? That’s how dog almost bit me the other day nitori picture.