Before Ali signed up for the Jobs for Youth, he already had an entrepreneurship plan he had been working on; UrbanLands which would deal in the sale of litigation free lands as well as provide land registration services. He however had felt clueless about transforming the business from an idea in his head into an operational phase. He signed up for the Jobs for Youth programme after seeing the advert on a site which regularly blogs about opportunities for young Africans.
Ali, who is 31 years old, had gained his first degree in Integrated Development Studies and his MSc in Land Policy and Administration. Even though he is yet to acquire an office space, Ali’s business is now in operation. He has had 10 customers already and employed 2 people. He credits the Jobs for Youth training for helping hone his entrepreneurship skills and providing clarity for his goals.
Asked about how the training helped shape his business plans, he said, “It uplifted me and gave me a practical road map to follow. I no longer feel clueless because I have a business plan to follow which has received an 'okay' from my facilitators, trainers and coaches. The training was very informative though I had to commit just a week to complete it. With the incubation it sometimes conflicts with work and some appointments due to how lengthy it is. It's however worth it and the way and structure it's run, leaves no one behind even if you are not able to make it in a particular week or session.”
He also said, “I feel my business has made progress. I have learnt how to get my business investor ready, networking and making sales. With what I have learnt, I have been able to build a solid business and also in a good position to minimize the risk of failure. I will prefer to describe it with two important words as a result of my participation and that is; I feel Empowered and Optimistic.”
Ali is indeed optimistic about the future. He intends to acquire an office space soon after closing a deal he is working on and after that start thinking of establishing satellite offices all over the nation.