Phil. O. Ikponmwosa - 7 Business Lessons To Learn From Ants: The Parable Of Ants

7 BUSINESS LESSONS

TO LEARN

FROM ANTS

The Parable Of Ants

PHIL. O. IKPONMWOSA

(C) 2014, PHIL. O. IKPONMWOSA.

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. When quoted or excerpted, this book must be acknowledged and the author credited.

All correspondence should be addressed to the author on:

The Publisher, Rujoe Media

4, Governors Road, Ikotun, Lagos, Nigeria.

Email: phil4rl@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook://philikponmwosa

Twitter: @phil4rl

Tel No.: +234-806-386-1443, +234-806-736-6624.

DEDICATION

T

o all entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs all over the globe, and to every human being who is passionately yearning to birth his or her dream in life. May your dreams become great businesses, and may your great businesses out-live you.

FOREWORD

I

was once told that, The best kind of teacher is also a student. When I first met Phil, the few minutes we spent together, I discovered that he is as much a student as he is also a teacher. Why did I say so? It takes one who is teachable and loves to learn, and think critically to come up with all the insights you will find in this book.

If you think Ants are just ordinary pests that must be completely killed before they become a pain in the neck, wait until you've read this work that is full of practical details and lessons of successful business start-up.

With a well detailed synopsis of his anecdote, the author brings alive the insights that are imperative for us to start out our dreams regardless of what we have or don't have. He further emphasized on how vision is crucial for our upward mobility in life.

A visionary person has faith that it will happen, and that is what inspires him or her to drive his or herself as the author elaborated in chapter four.

I agree that knowledge is the stuff from which new ideas are made. Nonetheless, knowledge alone wouldn't make a person creative. The real key of being creative lies in what you do with your knowledge. You need self drive.

Phil's book is an expression of interest on the pathway to entrepreneurship, particularly from the perspective of starting a business from scratch.

At this time that unemployment is on the higher side, diligence and effort must be applied to bring dreams to reality. I therefore, highly recommend this book for every Nigerian, particularly the youths as a guide to their part to freedom.

Emmanuel Odoemelam

Host, SME Business Platform

92.3 Inspiration FM, Lagos, Nigeria

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I

t is an axiom that no man succeeds in isolation. Even if your name is Godman, you still need the help of God and man to fulfill your life assignment.

In view of this, I must say that I am eternally grateful to my parent; all the leaders (spiritual and physical), mentors, teachers (both in the formal and non-formal institutions), friends, colleagues, siblings, and family members that have inspired me in one way or the other to become who and what I am today. I am glad God brought you people into my life to fulfil those assignments.

The list is so numerous. But for the sake of space and time, I must never forget to mention just a few of them. To my Pastors and spiritual guides: Pst. Joe-Jesimiel Ogbe, Rev. Sam Adeyemi, Pastor Lucky Imasuen (of blessed memory), Pastor Poju Oyemade, Pastor Bankie Olushina, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, Pastor Amos Emovon and Rev. Olawale Ajayi-Stevens. I say a big thank you for impacting my life for good. Coming under your tutelage at different times and seasons of my life gave me a paradigm shift about life, and the Christian experience.

To Mr. Leke Alder (Principal Consultant of Alder Consulting), I say may God bless the womb that conceived you, and the breasts that gave you suck. Your insight to business development and style of delivery (both in prints and on stage) lives me in Messianic Awe for you (I am using your words). I will never forget the day I first listened to you during the Platform program organised by Covenant Christian Centre. I doff my hat for you sir (even though I dont wear hat)!

My bosom friend for more than two decades; Jerry Ikponmwosa you are indeed a destiny helper. Thank you for coming into my world, and you still remain very relevant in my life.

To my business mentor and role model, Dr. Sunny Obazu- Ojeagbase (publisher of Complete Sports and Success Digest), thank you for teaching us how to turn our hobby into a flourishing business, also for modeling the possibility of becoming a multi-millionaire in Nigeria without involving in shady deals. I must also say a big thank you to Pastor (Mrs.) Temitope Emovon, for encouraging me to bud the entrepreneurial seed in me, as at the time you did. Also, for allowing me to run the business. Ma, the desire to make the business succeed has made me to always surf for knowledge, and some of the lessons I have learnt while running the business have formed the basis of this business book.

To Engr. Sam O. Salau, my publishing mentor, I say thank you so much for those seminars you organised to demystify the art of publishing, and publishing as a business. Though free, they were loaded with great insights that have turned my publishing-intentions into publishing-action. This book is just one of the proofs. God bless you for your generosity with your ideas, time and money.

To you Laura, my best friend, virtuous wife and adorable mother of our great children, guess what? I purposely reserved this space for you because you deserve it. I am forever grateful to God for that day that He made our paths to cross. Thank God I attended that Convention at the Redeemed camp. Thank you for always believing in my vision even when the vision sometimes seems bleak to me. Thank you again for encouraging my decision to venture into this risky entrepreneurial journey, while we were about getting married. And for your support and understanding with me along the way. Thank you so much darl. I will choose you again, and again, and again. Eni darl, you are the best; I love you for real!

Finally, to God Almighty; my source of inspiration and infinite wisdom, I say be magnified for giving me life and for counting me worthy to be a vessel fit for your use to impact my generation and posterity. May your name be forever praised.