Hundreds of Moms on 5th of April attended the 3rd edition of the moms start Business Seminar which held at Elca Crest Hotel, Aba. 
It was also a get together for mothers who came with their children to learn how to be able to manage their homes and businesses effectively at the same time.
In her introduction, Editor of Moms Africa Online and founder of Momstartbusiness seminar, Mary Ikoku said: “This seminar will give each woman the opportunity to own her purpose -and to create solid income and peace of mind, while still getting to be the lovable, nurturing woman she is.”
Mrs. Ikoku noted that more women want to work but are concerned with the amount of time they need to be away from their children in order to create a solid income.
She said mothers in a service oriented or a product based business, who want to clinch their true value and grow their profit (without giving too much of their time) will be the top beneficiaries at the seminar.
Resource persons who spoke at the event include Christian Obasi, an expert in Entrepreneurship who told the mothers that whatever business or work they create for themselves, they must make it unique and different to make customers chose it above many others “There must be a value proposition. If you don’t add value, you will just be like any other person running the same business. From time to time, you have to keep upgrading your business.
“The customers have to say that your business is different. If you are doing it so well, they will pay whatever you tell them just to get the best deals”.
He also reminded them that the customer is the most important factor in you business, and therefore deserves the best
Akudo S Nwabughogu, on the topic “Funding Fundamentals for your Business” took time to discuss methods of getting finances to run business.
She offered advice on how to run a great business while also running an even greater, happy home.
Her words: “You can’t talk about business growth without talking about finance. In business the only thing that can keep you afloat is finance. It’s like blood in the human body.
“You don’t just say you want finance. What kind of finance do you need? You won’t take a short term money for a long term project. The finance must also be in the right quantity and the right type.
“Evidence shows that the major cause of business failure is inadequate finance. Ability to raise business for your business remains a major skill for the business owner, and it’s entirely your responsibility to do this”.
She advised: “You must stand up and say you won’t be an ordinary house wife. You can do anything the man can do. You must develop that passion.
“But remember, every man likes respect. If you respect your husband, every other thing will fall into place. Make sure there is food. Make you give him sex. Don’t go and do that thing they say you should do on Facebook”.
Ngozi John Nta, CEO of Graceland Amusement Park Aba harped on the importance of having an alternate business while working on a job. She told of her experience at UBA and how she built her park to become talk-of-town.
She also pointed out that pursuing one’s passion is even more rewarding than just doing a business “I love seeing kids playing around me. And I asked myself, how can I turn this passion to make money? That was how the Amusement Park was born”.
Two other facilitators went practical with their topics. Chiso Tessy Obinali gave practical lessons on methods of using discarded materials for other fashionable purposes.
Ngozi Obi Chukwuma, CEO, Heles Cake and Events, Aba taught the working moms how to make unique kpof kpof, and she demonstrated it. She also distributed the delicious snacks to the delight of the participants.
She told them:”The way you package your product will tell if it will be bought or not. The eyes eat before the mouth, that’s our adage. You must package your product in a way that customers don’t look twice before they buy.
“Are you a seamstress, a baker? New methods come out. You must learn how to improve on what you used to know. I use my mothers oven. I learnt how to bake from her, but I had to improve myself beyond what she taught me.
“If you tell some people to make puff puff, they will ask you if this is what they will be doing. But there are those who have trained their kids in the university and have even become landlords all from making and selling puff puff”
Some participants who presented business start up plans were issued with cheques by Moms Africa to begin their own businesses.
