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By Zainab Tanimu<\/strong><\/p>\n Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria<\/strong><\/p>\n Rotary clubs in Kaduna have intensified efforts towards youth empowerment and self-development through a business training programme designed to equip young entrepreneurs with practical strategies for building, managing and sustaining successful businesses.<\/p>\n The training, held at the premises of Jam’iyyar Matan Arewa, provided participants with insights into business planning, budgeting, proper record-keeping, financial discipline and innovative approaches to attracting customers, leveraging social media and expanding business operations.<\/p>\n One of the facilitators, President of Presidents, Rotarian Ramatu Ibrahim, an experienced entrepreneur, emphasised the importance of budgeting and accurate financial records as essential tools for business growth and sustainability.<\/p>\n In her presentation, she explained that budgeting helps business owners plan effectively, set achievable targets and monitor progress over the short, medium and long term.<\/p>\n She stressed that entrepreneurs must develop financial discipline, understand their business goals and manage resources carefully rather than spend without proper planning.<\/p>\n According to her, business owners should treat their businesses as separate entities, noting that personal finances must not be mixed with business funds.<\/p>\n “Treat your business as an entity of its own. If you don’t think about your business, your business will not think about you,” she advised.<\/p>\n She encouraged participants to cultivate the habit of saving before spending, distinguish between needs and wants, prepare realistic budgets and maintain records of all income and expenditure.<\/p>\n Rotarian Ibrahim further advised entrepreneurs to identify unnecessary expenses, minimise wastage, train their employees and deliberately explore ways of increasing revenue.<\/p>\n She noted that proper record-keeping enables business owners to determine whether they are making profits or operating at a loss, while also helping them identify areas requiring improvement.<\/p>\n Emphasising the importance of financial accountability, she observed that accurate business records could also attract potential investors and individuals willing to support promising enterprises.<\/p>\n She likened a business without proper records to a farm without harvest, explaining that without documentation, entrepreneurs may find it difficult to measure their performance or demonstrate the progress of their businesses.<\/p>\n She urged participants to believe in their abilities, continuously seek knowledge, read books by financial experts and build relationships that could positively influence their business journeys.<\/p>\n On developing the right entrepreneurial attitude, she distinguished between a hustling mindset and a business mindset, explaining that while hustling may focus on daily survival and immediate gains, a business mindset looks beyond the present towards long-term growth and sustainability.<\/p>\n She described a hustling mindset as the ability to recognise possibilities where others see limitations, create opportunities where none appear to exist and remain committed to growth despite challenges.<\/p>\n She also challenged the participants to develop a clear vision for their businesses by visualising where they wanted to be in the future and deliberately working towards achieving those goals.<\/p>\n A key business principle she shared was that entrepreneurs should not only work in their businesses but also work on their businesses.<\/p>\n She explained that working in a business involves handling everyday activities, while working on the business requires developing strategies, building effective systems, attracting new customers and creating opportunities for long-term expansion.<\/p>\n In another presentation, the second facilitator, Aisha Adeyemi, founder of IHR Skin and Wellness Lounge, Kaduna, focused on leveraging social media for business visibility, customer engagement and increased sales.<\/p>\n Adeyemi explained that social media offers young entrepreneurs opportunities beyond sharing personal activities, stressing that it could serve as a powerful platform for promoting products, reaching wider audiences and generating income.<\/p>\n She noted that the interactive session generated considerable interest, with participants asking questions and sharing experiences that helped them understand the business opportunities available through digital platforms.<\/p>\n According to her, young entrepreneurs should learn to take advantage of the positive opportunities offered by social media to promote their brands, attract customers and grow their businesses, despite the challenges associated with its use.<\/p>\n Her advice to the youth was to develop the confidence to showcase their businesses online, remain open to learning and use available digital platforms strategically to improve their market reach.<\/p>\n The programme also provided an opportunity for practical contributions from participants and other entrepreneurs in the community.<\/p>\n A Kaduna-based fashion entrepreneur, Aisha Mustapha, and founder of Noorul Biath, a Nigerian-made abaya brand, who attended the programme to support Adeyemi, shared some of her business experiences and offered useful suggestions to other fashion entrepreneurs present.<\/p>\n She explained that having operated her fashion business in Kaduna for about three years, she had gained practical experience that could help others navigate some of the challenges associated with the industry.<\/p>\n She said her interaction with some of the female participants, particularly those involved in fashion, prompted her to share strategies for improving their businesses and addressing some of their challenges.<\/p>\n Beyond running her brand, she disclosed that she had ventured into skills development by offering training to others, adding that she had enrolled three students under the internship programme.<\/p>\n She also expressed interest in exploring further opportunities to extend her contribution to entrepreneurship development and positively impact the community.<\/p>\n During the interactive session, participants explored factors that could prevent entrepreneurs from developing a sound business mindset, the benefits of strategic business thinking and how young people could establish and sustain viable enterprises despite prevailing challenges.<\/p>\n The facilitators encouraged them to understand the principles of sound business management, embrace innovation and put the lessons into practice, noting that continuous learning and participation in similar capacity-building programmes would strengthen their entrepreneurial abilities.<\/p>\n In her remarks, the Assistant Zonal Coordinator, Zone 3, and Economic and Community Development Chair for 2026\u20132027, District 9127, Rotarian Aisha Ismail,<\/p>\n explained that the training was designed to benefit everyone within the community, particularly young people, including young Rotarians.<\/p>\n She described the programme as impactful, noting that its broad approach provided participants with valuable knowledge and practical lessons applicable to their personal and business 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