There was a time I thought I had finally conquered the world of business; that was when I finished my service and had a little cash in hand. I decided to start up a business. I noticed that there were no flip-flop sellers around my vicinity. So I decided to start one, and at first deals were flowing in, my plans were working out perfectly, and I felt like nothing could stop me. I stop buying from those big retailers in my state and head to Abia State to buy it in bulk.
Success made me confident, almost too confident. There is nothing you want to tell me that I will listen to, and I started to believe the hard times were behind me. But life has its way of humbling us. Suddenly, things shifted: clients started backing out because I now have a rival who buys in a larger quantity than me and sells at a cheaper rate, unexpected expenses showed up because I was trying to keep up with the price of my competitor, and the same strategies that once worked seemed to fail. At first, I was frustrated and even questioned if I had lost my touch.
Over time, I realized that the ups and downs are part of the business journey and competition is another part of business. No matter how successful you get, challenges will always find their way to your door. The key isn’t to avoid them but to face them with patience and resilience. I stop trying by all means to get my clients back but focus on buying quality.
I stopped reducing the price just so I could show who was in charge because, honestly, I was losing money, imagine buying goods at two thousand and planning to sell it at three thousand or two thousand five but your neighbor decide to sell hers below the cost price just to pepper you, Every setback has taught me something new about myself—that I'm stronger than I can ever imagine—about people, and about the market itself. I learned that growth happens more in the valleys than on the peaks.
Today, I don’t see challenges as roadblocks but as stepping stones. Business isn’t about conquering once and for all it’s about learning, adapting, and moving forward, no matter how many times you rise or fall. You can't always be on top of your business, and there will always be rivals. Just believe in yourself and look out for what is invoked; that's how business works.But thank God I didn't learn in a hard way and I try not to be over confident again.
Image is Ai generated
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