You can’t go wrong with furniture business –Eke, MD, Great Unbeat Allied Company

Individuals, no matter how poor they are, would always budget to get pieces of furniture to enhance the outlook of their interiors. This definitely creates an immense opportunity for the jobless Nigerian youths, who could embrace the vocation and learn the craft of qualita­tive modern furniture making.

Prince Eke George Nnaemeka, Manag­ing Director of Great Unbeat Allied Com­pany Limited (GUACL), is one furniture dealer that is ready to confess to anyone that cares to listen that furniture business is indeed one line of venture that would never disappoint anyone that ventures into it.
According to him, running a furniture shop is a very lucrative business because home and office decors are endlessly in demand. “You can never run out of cus­tomers business because people will al­ways be looking for something to deco­rate their homes and offices with.”
Prince Eke, initially like a rolling stone, was doing all manner of jobs to survive. According to him, he started fending for himself at the age of 18 when he sojourned in Lagos. Although he came to Lagos with nothing, he ab­horred being a liability to any of his relations hence he took up a menial job of a dish washer in a restaurant at Toyin Street, Ikeja.
“My father was a teacher and a re­tired headmaster. I lost my mother at a very young age and I feel her death con­tributed a lot to my shortcomings in life. I made my papers in secondary school­ing but I had nobody to sponsor my edu­cation at tertiary level, so I went on to face the struggle of building my future. I started fending for myself at the age of 18. So, I decided to come to Lagos on my own, and I was employed in a res­taurant at Toyin Street, Ikeja as a sales boy. My relations in Lagos didn’t like the idea of me serving in a restaurant, so I was urged to go into trading.”
He first delved into sales of textile materials, shuttling between Aba and La­gos. At a point, he travelled to Benin Re­public in search of greener pastures. Over there. he traded in bicycle spare parts. But fate seems to have laid his turning point in furniture business.
“I started up trading with only N13, 000. I was struggling until I pleaded to be given goods on credit to one woman who is a major dealer in lining materi­als at Aba. Later, I met a friend who is based in Benin and begged him take me to there. He agreed. When I got to Benin my friend suggested that we run a joint busi­ness. In Benin, we traded in bicycle spare parts and other industrial material. Until we mutually agreed to split the business, after which I decided to switch into the furniture business.
My fortune changed when I started up in furniture making and sales. This is the business that God has used to turn my life around”, Prince Eke confessed.
Another small scale furniture dealer, Mrs Comfort Ubah, of Fab-Furnitures Limited highlights that glamorisation of tastefully furnished interiors beamed from TVs and splashed on magazines and newspapers, has resulted in people’s de­sire to beautify their living spaces and ex­press their identities through their décor.
She continues: “Nothing quite com­pares to the rewards of having your own successful store. Among the benefits of opening your own home décor store is being able to choose the products you will sell. No matter what you choose to sell, your store will be an expression of your creative spirit and business savvy. You can create a beautiful place that you are proud to call your own. You might choose to fill your store with home and office accessories, furnishings, or oth­er household items – from artful furniture, to cabinets, linens, fancy lamps, pillows, paintings, rugs, curtains, chandeliers and many more. I also advise you sell prod­ucts on consignment as you’ll have less risk than most types of retail businesses because you can fill your home store with inventory without paying until it’s sold.”
Another essential tip needed to get a head start in this line of venture is to “build up a solid contact base so you can get to work quickly after opening”, says Julius Obikwelu of Czar Furniture.
Some of the contacts, according to Julius, may include interior designers, Home and office builders, architects, art gallery owners, carpet companies, paint entrepreneurs, thrift stores.
Further, Mr Obikwelu harps on the need to secure an ample space to serve as the showroom and office where “as a furniture entrepreneur, you transact with your clients and potential customers”.
Some other vital start-up tips, ac­cording to Prince Eke, is to register the venture with the necessary government agency like the Corporate Affairs Com­mission (CAC). “This is very important, or else your company will be considered illegal which will greatly hamper your op­erations.”
Calling out on the need for youths to embrace entrepreneurship, Prince Nnae­meka Eke urged those aversive towards starting their small business to think twice and start up something because that could the avenue God wants to use to bless them. Eke upheld that one sure means to excel as an entrepreneur is to imbibe hon­esty as a policy.
“Our youths should aspire to be re­sourceful and believe in themselves. Many fold them choose to fold their hands looking up to somebody to help them, but I believe God would do just that when you start up something. They should be creative and endeavour to hang out with friends that they can learn from, and are better than them. That is one way to learn, grow and be successful in life and in busi­ness.”
He adds: “I believe it is not secure going into paid employments because it could end one day. And when it termi­nates it could be too late searching for another job. So it is far better to go into small businesses like furniture making and sales. It is very easy to do business if you have honesty as your watchword. It’s not wise to be focused on making money rather it is truthfulness that makes a busi­ness grow.”