REPORT OF BSB MEETING HELD ON FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST 2018
The meeting started at exactly 12:00 noon with a prayer and worship session.
By way of introduction, Fola Ogunsola , the convener of Believers in Sustainable Business spoke on the Networking & Referral Groups (BSB NRG)created on Whatsapp, emphasizing the purpose of the referral groups for the benefit of new members and to encourage old members to get active in their NRGs. She advocated business growth through referrals and partnership which is what the NRG will accomplish.
At the end of her session a question was been asked ‘what should someone who has been into a business for while and has some of the items listed on the Business Checklist for accessing funds but not completely, how can such a person get it right?”
In answering, Fola said, the checklist is made up of simple things to do to get the right results in growing, financing and expanding your business. She also mentioned that the platform has qualified people who could render services on the Checklist helping members achieve proper documentation at this point she introduced a specialist in accounting services in the person of Tolu Fadulu.
Thereafter, Wale Ogunsola came up to deliver a paper titled “MARKETING STRATEGY AND BUSINESS METHODS” a buildup on his presentation at July BSB Forum. He started by saying marketing starts with a good knowledge of the products and services you are offering. When marketing to people lots of things run through their minds you should be the one to get them to concentrate on what you are selling to them.
He highlighted the following steps to effective marketing;
- Planning: Marketing involves planning and it aids you in selling your products well. The success of your selling is as a result of how you do your planning.
- Prospecting: You must know your customer/prospect, a successful marketer must know the needs of his customer.
- You must be customer conscious; marketing is about finding a prospective customer who can buy you product, you must able to identify those who will value your business and readily invest in or buy your product.
- You must have scale of preference for your customers.
- You must qualify them, you check if he/she is in the right state of mind to buy your product.
Fola then came up to round up the meeting as she asked members who had the required loan documents to wait and meet with her, emphasized the adjusted date for September meeting as Friday 14th and announced that NUSA will be around for that meeting, then she called Mrs. Ogunshe to say the closing prayer.
Registered attendance at the meeting was 115, 63 of whom were New Members.
