Perhaps the greatest
invention in human history, the internet has really altered the shape of the
universe from an egg-like sphere to a flat entity (do not start thinking a ship
or an object is going to drop and fall off any time soon like ancient
sailors thought a long time ago). All barriers to communication across borders
have been leveled; you can just sit in your house and reach out to a friend or
crowd across the world and be sure to be heard.
The internet has also
reshaped the way business is done. Now you can easily source for materials and
even man power from the comfort of your office with just a few clicks. You can
also put your business in the faces of potential customers all around the world
without necessarily leaving your domain. All you need to be able to do this is be
aware that you can do it. Once you are aware, bang!
Growing up through the
90’s and early 2000’s in Nigeria I remember very vividly how cumbersome it was
for one to ordinarily check an e-mail (owning an e-mail account itself was a
thing to show off with). You had to book a space in a cyber café and to get it
cheap it had to be overnight. Access to the internet was more difficult than
gaining admission into your choicest Nigerian university. Now fast-forward to
the second decade of the 21st century, internet access is the
easiest thing; much easier than having access to public electricity in Nigeria.
Statistics have shown
that of the almost 180 million folks in Nigeria, over a hundred million have
access to the internet and be rest assured, it can only get more plenty. So
what does this translate to for your business in Nigeria? Easy access to
potential customers! Of course it does not matter if you already have enough
customers, more customers to meet their needs only means more income for you as
a business owner and who doesn’t want that?
To make it even more
compelling for businesses to join the internet band-wagon, the world has
already gone cashless (well Nigeria has just started embracing this), meaning
most transactions are now done over the internet and I promise you it is a
sweet experience. In few years from now almost all transactions in Nigeria –
local or international – would be initiated and concluded on the internet (mind
you it has already started happening). It’s not me soothsaying; it’s Nigerians
(and Africans) following the global trend. You must have noticed that Africa is
always the last to catch in on trends. Remember the mobile phone phenomenon? Or
the paradigm shift from dictatorship to democracy across the world? These
should give you some belief.
As it were, the
internet was built for a different purpose but it is meeting a whole lot of
needs today. Businesses are getting huge patronage from online customers and it
would only get better in the future. And with the internet the future is never too distant; it is now!
Do not say you were not
warned; get your business on the internet.
