BusJPLaBadia
JP LaBadia
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.
Muhammed Usman
About Muhammed
Mohammed received his training as an apprentice for several years, starting when he was in secondary school. Among all the trades, Mohammed found himself drawn to painting. He discussed his interest with some friends who were apprentices in painting, and they agreed to speak with their boss on his behalf. Their boss requested to meet Mohammed, and after the meeting, that was how he started his apprenticeship. Over the years, Mohammed learned how to mix different types of paint to create the most beautiful colors and gained knowledge about various paint qualities. His boss taught him the business ethics essential for success, emphasizing the importance of honesty in the trade. Through dedicated practice, Mohammed became highly skilled in painting. He is now ready to pursue his painting career and contribute positively to the development of his community.
Muhammed Usman
Business Goals
Mohammed has always wanted to learn a skill since childhood, encouraged and inspired by his friends. He chose this path knowing that his father could not afford his fees later in life, so he needed to do something to support himself and his siblings. Mohammed worked for his former boss, Mallam Kabir Sule, as an apprentice in Angular Jaki, Bauchi, for a few good years. He learned everything about painting from Mallam Kabir.
The three main challenges Mohammed faces in his business are his inability to afford the essential tools and equipment for his startup, his ongoing financial struggles, and the difficulty of getting the business off the ground due to limited income. Additionally, he doesn't track his finances, which hinders his ability to grow the business.
Muhammed Usman
Obstacles
Operating a painting shop in Bauchi State, Nigeria presents numerous challenges for a small business owner. Firstly, securing consistent access to high-quality paints, brushes, and other supplies can be difficult due to irregular supply chains and price fluctuations. Secondly, navigating the bureaucratic process of obtaining business licenses and permits from local authorities can be cumbersome and time-consuming, potentially delaying the start or expansion of operations. Thirdly, attracting and retaining skilled painters and decorators may be challenging, as skilled labor can be scarce and competition for talent fierce.
Muhammed Usman
Home & Family
Mohammed, at 36 years old, resides with his wife and two children in a modest room and parlor-rented apartment within the tight-knit community of Anguwan Doya in Bauchi. As the sixth among 14 siblings, Mohammed's mornings begin with devout Islamic prayers, a ritual deeply ingrained in his daily routine. Following his prayers, he indulges in a brief 30-minute nap before embarking on his rigorous exercise regimen at the nearby football pitch, a practice he faithfully observes both in the morning and evening hours.
Muhammed Usman
Our Partnership
Mohammed has encountered numerous obstacles throughout his life, stemming from his family's financial struggles. With his father, a driver lacking formal education, and his mother as a stay-at-home wife, resources were scarce, hindering Mohammed's educational pursuits. Despite these challenges, Mohammed remains hopeful for a brighter future. He sees a partnership with Leadership Initiatives as a transformative opportunity, one that could alleviate financial burdens and enable him to provide for his family. With aspirations to expand his business, employ more individuals, and offer support to his parents and siblings, Mohammed is eager to seize this chance for positive change.
In his words, “Partnering with Leadership Initiatives and working with the interns presents a great opportunity for me to learn and apply new skills to my business. This partnership will help my business grow, increase my earnings, and enable me to better support those around me.”
My Grant
Proposal
Nanu’s Paint & Supplies is a paint supply and painting service business dedicated to offering high-quality paint products and services while providing exceptional customer care. Muhammed Usman, who previously stored paint at his home, has now secured a new storefront to better serve his community. With a loyal customer base already established, Usman is poised to expand his customer outreach.
What sets Nanu’s Paint & Supplies apart from competitors is its unique combination of paint sales and rental services. This dual approach not only increases revenue potential but also meets diverse customer needs. Additionally, Usman’s emphasis on high-quality work and excellent customer service helps him stand out in the Bauchi market. He is known for his meticulous attention to detail, which results in clean, lasting paint jobs with fewer cracks, distinguishing him from local competitors.
At Nanu’s Paint & Supplies, we focus on high-quality products, exceptional service, and effective marketing. Through these strategies, Nanu’s Paint & Supplies is well-positioned to meet its short-term goal of increasing revenue and its long-term ambition of expanding across Bauchi and potentially throughout Nigeria. Optimistically, Muhammed will attract new customers, but also rewards loyal ones, fostering a strong, engaged client base.
My Grant Proposal
Presentation
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
- Ugandan Embassy
- Embassy of Switzerland
- Expert Assistance
Our team began the business development process by having a one-on-one Zoom call directly with our business partner, Muhammed Usman, and our 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 their 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 Ugandan Embassy, where I learned about diplomatic relations between Uganda and the United States.
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.
Ugandan 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 Embassy of Switzerland to learn about the role that Switzerland plays in domestic and international development work. We discussed critical topics including investments, international trade, and human rights.
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.
My visit to the Embassy of Switzerland was not only educational, but inspiring. It allowed me to see Switzerland’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.