Business, Family and Friends

A Nigerian man after many years in Diaspora decided to return and start a new company. After making a lot of research and interviewing different persons who are based in the country online, he came to a conclusion that he would start a printing press. He landed in Nigeria towards a time when elections were near, he knew politicians printed lots of things during this season to share to the poor masses to buy their votes and support. The young Nigerian man landed in the country and made a few market surveys before sourcing out for a warehouse to rent. Then he began acquiring his necessary equipments, he employed a few labor and just in time for the time of the biggest printing market in the country. He made a lot of cash during that season and went on to run his company for seven months, it was a big thing. People attributed his success to different things, probably the European brain he acquired during his stay outside, the large amount of capital he had and invested or probably some strong Indian voodoo. Nevertheless, the success was alluring and here to stay.
But as life can be very unpredictable, he was called from his home in Europe. His wife had been admitted for a while and was diagnosed of a stage III ovarian cancer. He should have been informed earlier but the wife being concerned about her husband’s commitment prevented all health staff from contacting her husband. But her health has deteriorated badly, the kids were called in and their father clued up. Turned his wife had been treating cancer for five years and kept it a secret all this while.
Now the business man is faced on how to handle his business when he goes back to be with his wife in Europe to give her all the emotional and financial support she needed. He called his brother who was in another state from the establishment to come take over the management of his business till he returns. Who else is in the right position to take care his business than his own blood brother, “He should look after it like it belongs to him” the businessman thought to himself. After handing over to his brother, the businessman traveled oversea to meet his family. Within a space of three months, the manager of the printing press called the rich man to explain to him that the business was dying as the brother was not doing a good job. Not just attributed to his lack of expertise in the trade, he possessed poor financial attitude. His expenses were much as he lived a large life in the streets of Lagos. This was bad news to the businessman as his wife’s health was not improving. He had made constant contact with his brother but who unfortunately kept the detail of the company’s situation from him.
Eventually, the businessman had to come back to the country but the business was received back with loads of debt, in the course of trying to revive his business, his wife died and the business also died.

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Family and friends are people we believe are the closest to us, they hold special places in our soul and we can get really attached to them even to the point of death. We trust them with our fears, insecurities and secrets. Yet we are advised never to get them involved with our financial stream. Always put a line between family and business. Let them pay for the services they render, never put the whole family members into the staff as a way to please. This lesson can’t be overstressed but people tend to follow the same pattern, we learn by experience, usually very bad ones.

In Nigeria, we complain about the government being a family business that is why the growth of the country is on a slow pace. Professionals who can fill positions are not appointed, they go into villages to bring a cousin, uncle or aunt who sometimes might not have a tertiary education to head a office of elites and university graduates.

Family and friends have a place, in our social life, but their placement is different when talking about money and money multiplication.

Thanks for reading through!!