Erica Qin
My Business Consultant Training
Collaborated With A Business In The Developing World
Our team reviewed the economic, social, political, and environmental factors that impact our partner business to design a launch plan and identify how to bridge the gap between our business partner’s current and desired conditions.
Earned a Development Grant to Enact Solutions
In order to fund the proposed business, our team composed a detailed plan and pitched our proposal to request seed funding from the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee.
Collaborated With Business Development Experts
After researching the socio-economic conditions facing our business partners, our team worked with the Nigerian development staff to create effective solutions to the challenges our business partner was facing.
Shuaibu Yakubu
About Shuaibu
Shuaibu has had deep-rooted dreams of becoming a successful business owner. Despite the challenges he faced growing up, Shuaibu's determination and passion drove him to seek out an apprenticeship under an experienced barber. Through his apprenticeship, Shuaibu learned intricate techniques, attention to detail, and professionalism. Eventually, he was given opportunities for more hands-on training under supervision. Through this, Shuaibu was able to develop his skills in professionalism and customer service.
Though Shuaibu is deeply passionate about his work as a barber, he sometimes struggles with challenging customers and the physical strain that comes with the job. Despite this, Shuaibu persists because he finds immense joy in his work.
Shuaibu Yakubu
Business Goals
Shuaibu envisions a future where his barbershop business flourishes and becomes a renowned establishment in the community. His goals include expanding his clientele, establishing a strong reputation for excellence in barbering services, and creating a welcoming and vibrant environment for both customers and his future staff. He dreams of opening multiple branches, providing employment opportunities for talented barbers, and becoming a trusted mentor for aspiring professionals. Additionally, Shuaibu aims to give back to the community by actively engaging in supporting local initiatives and using his success to uplift others.
Shuaibu's business, however, does face some challenges such as obtaining the tools needed for a barbershop business, lacking much-needed marketing and advertising, and limited knowledge of tracking his finances.
Shuaibu Yakubu
Obstacles
Once Shuaibu establishes his own barbershop business, he envisions a brighter future for his family, such as attaining financial stability. Shuaibu wants to break free from the financial constraints he faced as an orphan, ensuring that his family can enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling life.
Shuaibu also dreams of providing his family with access to quality education. As an orphan, he understands the importance of education in breaking cycles of poverty and creating a brighter future. Shuaibu hopes to afford better educational opportunities for his children, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive academically and professionally.
Shuaibu Yakubu
Family & Home
Shuaibu is a 28-year-old man living in Bauchi with his wife and young children, aged one year and four months old. Shuaibu grew up an orphan with his uncle. Though Shuaibu was able to attend secondary school, he was unable to finish due to a lack of support. Shuaibu's in-laws have also passed on. In addition to his wife, he had committed to taking care of her siblings as well. As a result, Shuaibu's family shares a tight-knit bond. He values the importance of family and prioritizes maintaining a supportive and nurturing environment for his children. Their lifestyle is modest, but comfortable, and emphasizes personal growth and education. Shuaibu begins every morning with a prayer.
For a long time, Shuaibu and his family struggled to have enough food to feed everyone. Though they are doing better, Shuaibu is determined to keep working toward financial freedom. His wife takes care of their home and children, so Shuaibu is responsible for generating income to support their family.
Shuaibu Yakubu
Our Partnership
Shuaibu has faced numerous hardships throughout his life, starting with the loss of his parents at a young age. Without the support of a traditional family structure, he experienced financial struggles, as well as a lack of stability and guidance. These hardships have shaped his character and fueled his determination to create a better future for himself and his family. Shuaibu is very excited and honored to partner with Leadership Initiatives. He believes this partnership will allow him to expand his business, yield a greater profit, employ more young men, especially orphans, and give back to his community for many more years to come.
Shuaibu says "Working in a partnership with Leadership Initiatives and the interns is a great opportunity and I am delighted to be part of this organization. I will strive to create a legacy of success, where our barbershop not only provides exceptional services but also becomes a pillar of our community. My goal is to build a thriving business that uplifts those around me, embraces innovation, and leaves a lasting impact on the lives I touch."
My Grant
Proposal
Advertisement teams utilize visual content in order to transmit specific messages to a target audience. In order for Mr. Yakubu’s business to succeed, a long-term advertising plan must be implemented that will garner the attention of potential customers and increase customer loyalty.
This advertising plan, as outlined in the proposal, will detail our brand’s logo, name, and marketing materials. These materials include a storefront sign, flyers, and business cards, which will be located in areas of high traffic and spread throughout the community. Ultimately, our job is to create a comprehensive plan for Mr. Yakubu that will increase the traffic he sees in his shop and allow him to properly expand his customer base.
Our plan as the advertisement team is to provide Mr. Yakubu with the resources needed to properly advertise his business. The resources we will be providing are the logo, flyers, business cards, and signs.
My Grant Proposal
Presentation
Leadership Initiatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to creating future leaders across the globe through experiential learning. In the International Leadership and Business Internship, I worked directly with some of the world’s leading developmental experts in order to build my partners business and brand.
At the conclusion of this internship, our team pitched the final proposal to a panel of esteemed judges from the Leadership Initiatives Nigerian Development Team and the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee. This formal pitch allowed our team to practice our skills and utilize our entrepreneurial toolkit, all while showcasing our efforts to transform the business we partnered with.
At the end of the pitch, we were able to receive feedback on our proposal for our business partner. Over the next year, our business partner’s venture will be made into reality and monitored for sustained success and growth.
Internship Highlights
- Business Meeting
- Swedish Embassy
- International Monetary Fund
- Expert Assistance
Our team began the business development process by having a one-on-one Zoom call directly with our business partner, Shuaibu Yakubu , and Nigerian project coordinator to ensure productive collaboration.
We learned more about their life, family, and desires for the proposed business venture, as well as the challenges they were facing. By discussing first-hand the challenges our partner faced, our team successfully and efficiently began to brainstorm solutions to launch her business.
Each morning we held constructive discussions about our ideas, the advice we received the day before, and the timeline necessary to begin implementing our ideas in real-time.
The on-staff project coordinators and business development experts helped facilitate the ideation process and ensured our team asked the right questions to produce tangible results.
I had the unique opportunity to visit the Swedish Embassy, where I learned about diplomatic relations between Sweden and the United States.
While touring the embassy, I learned about the wide range of policy issues and gained a better understanding of the embassy’s role in international development through sustainable and inclusive initiatives.
The embassy serves as a hub for collaboration with partner countries and international organizations, which facilitates the creation of solutions to address global issues, such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate change.
Swedish diplomats and officials work closely with local communities to identify needs and design programs that empower individuals and enhance overall societal well-being. This community-centered problem-solving is something my team and I aspired towards while crafting our business proposal.
I also visited the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which plays a crucial role in promoting financial stability throughout the world, facilitating trade, and providing financial support to member countries during economic hardship.
For over 50 years, the IMF has provided capacity development programs that drive effective economic management and policy implementation through technical assistance and training.
The IMF’s research-driven policymaking and dedication to sustainable economic management has established it as a key power in addressing global economic issues.
My visit to the IMF was not only educational, but inspiring. It allowed me to see the institution’s pivotal role in advancing international development and how I can implement their ideals into my own work.
Our team met with leading experts in the fields of business and economic development from Johns Hopkins University, the State Department, and GlobalGiving.
One such expert was Carla Brooks, Business and Development Officer at Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Program. She provided us with a crash course in advertising and marketing, in which we learned essential components of an effective marketing campaign.
Our work with Ms. Brooks was essential in preparing us for our culminating pitch deck presentation. With her and other expert guidance, we streamlined our initial ideas to further our efforts in launching the venture our business partner envisioned.
By the end of the week, we had incorporated the advice of leading experts from across the globe for our business proposal to empower and transform the life of our business partner.