Former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika has charged women entrepreneurs to reinvent their businesses to remain relevant in the present changing world.
Gatekeepers News reports that Awosika gave the charge while delivering a keynote address at the 2023 Women High Achievers Trybe, WHATrybe conference held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
The Boardroom maven noted that innovation is imperative as it has become the major strategic tool for business survival due to changes in the world.
Awosika said, “Your business must be able to reinvent itself per season in today’s world. You must have the courage to discontinue something if it is not working.”
She noted that there are three key stages in entrepreneurship and the ability of an entrepreneur to effectively deploy each will determine how successful they will become in the venture. She listed the three stages as the ideation process, the planning stage and the execution stage.
Awosika, who is also the Chairman of The Chair Centre Group, then urged female entrepreneurs to be open-minded and to find the right human capital for every stage of their business.
She said, “You must determine that you are aware of what you are called to. This means asking if your interest, passion, skills, talent and resources match the market you want to function in. In theory, every business looks right, but in execution and real life, there might be few surprises you need to contend with. This will help you to make amends at a low cost of losses in any way if you were wrong.”
In her welcome address, the convener of WHATrybe, Kiki Okewale, said the conference was organised to build a community of women who would support, promote and patronise one another in life.
Okewale, also a life coach and entrepreneur, said she disagreed with the notion that women do not support each other in life or business.
The Convener said, “From childhood, I have seen the strength of sisterhood and I choose to only see the positives. I have encountered friends who gave me shelter in my times of need, cousins who opened their doors and countless other women who have lifted me up when life dealt its blows.”
She noted that WHATrybe is not another random community but the brain behind it is for women to make money together, share opportunities, travel the world together and be a great example to every woman out there.
Okewale said, “I welcome you to be part of this beautiful community. We need your uniqueness. Let us move forward with this purpose in our hearts, knowing that together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.”
In her contribution, ace broadcaster and Chief Executive Officer, WFM 91.7FM, Toun Sonaiya, further urged women to collaborate in their various capacities to improve their lives, careers, businesses and families.
The Chief Executive Officer, Folake Aya Akanni Essentials, Folake Kehinde charged women entrepreneurs to maximise the various social media platforms to market their brands, services and sell their products.
On her part, President, the Professional Insurance Ladies Association, Margaret Moore enjoined female entrepreneurs to allocate a certain amount of their resources to take care of their lives, vehicles, burglary and fire, among others.
Moore said this was important for them to transfer their risk to a third party through the premium paid and indemnity that would be paid in case of any loss.
The WHATrybe Conference attracted over 1,000 participants.
