BusMelanieVicioso
Melanie Vicioso
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.
About Hamza
Hamza Ibrahim
Hamza has this passion for building and construction, and you cannot be a successful builder without concrete blocks, hence his mindset on how to become a concrete block molding businessman. Hamza enrolled in an apprenticeship program that allowed him to work with concrete block-making shops. He worked with a molding business for three years before finally being certified to run his own business. His elder brother encourages him in his business and believes that his shop could be very rewarding.
Hamza believes in self-development through hard work and commitment. His father has also been instrumental in pushing him to reach his potential. This spring, he has seen positive changes in his business and its community engagement, and he is excited to work with Leadership Initiatives to continue enhancing his community presence.
Business Goals
Hamza Ibrahim
Hamza has a strong passion for building and construction, which motivates his concrete block-making business. His father encourages Hamza to explore all business avenues in hopes of a greater profit. Hamza’s father enrolled him in his three-year apprenticeship and monitored and supervised his progress until he was certified as a concrete block molding business owner.
Hamza wants to provide his people with low-cost services that would attract people from the nook and cranny of Bauchi state. Thus, with the needed support from Leadership Initiatives and International Business Internship, he can achieve his desired result of positively impacting the lives of his community members.
Obstacles
Hamza Ibrahim
Operating a concrete block shop in Buachi State, Nigeria presents several daunting challenges for a small business owner. Firstly, sourcing quality raw materials such as cement, sand, and aggregates can be a constant struggle due to fluctuating prices and unreliable supply chains. Secondly, obtaining the necessary permits and licenses from local authorities can be a bureaucratic maze, often requiring time-consuming processes and fees that strain limited financial resources. Thirdly, skilled labor for block production and construction may be scarce, leading to delays in fulfilling orders and maintaining production schedules.
Moreover, frequent power outages and unreliable electricity supply in the region disrupt manufacturing operations, necessitating additional investment in backup generators or alternative power solutions. Additionally, competition from larger companies with established reputations and economies of scale can pose a significant barrier to market entry and expansion. Furthermore, inadequate infrastructure, including roads and transportation networks, can hinder timely delivery of products to customers, affecting customer satisfaction and retention. Lastly, economic volatility and inflation can impact pricing strategies and profit margins, making financial planning and budgeting a constant challenge for the business owner.
Home & Family
Hamza Ibrahim
Hamza came from a humble family with both parents working in education.His father was once the head of the local community education authority.His father is a very disciplined and believes in teaching good manners and behaviors for peaceful co-existence among the community
dwellers. He has three wives and twelve children. Hamza is the fourth of those children. Hamza graduated from Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic. He is married to a woman named Hafsa and is blessed with three children, two boys and one girl.
Our Partnership
Hamza Ibrahim
Hamza has really struggled to keep his business up and running. He started the business after completing his three year apprenticeship program. It proved to be difficult and intense to get the shop set up. However, with encouragement from parents and loved ones, Hamza was able to secure some basic items needed for a business start up. That start up has taken him to where he is now. He believes with the Leadership Initiatives program teams, his business will witness a new re-birth that will transform not only his business but his family’s lifestyle.
In his words, “I want to appreciate this kind gesture and for being considered a YDP business partner. I will ever remain grateful for Leadership Initiatives for giving this opportunity."
My Grant
Proposal
Raudah Blocks Enterprise is a concrete block making business, providing high-end concrete bricks for housing and buildings. Hamza Ibrahim has a passion for his craft following an apprenticeship with a similar company. As the sole provider for his wife and three children, Hamza is determined to establish a successful business.
Raudah Blocks Enterprise distinguishes itself from the competition due to its production of superior and high-end concrete blocks. In the future, the ability to mass produce, use advanced machinery, and advertise effectively, will aid Hamza in growing the business and attract many more customers. The emphasis on quality and strategic planning to overcome obstacles will allow Hamza to meet the increasing demand for reliable concrete blocks.
At Raudah Blocks, we want to offer high-end production at a competitive price. Hamza has the expertise and vision to effectively create these products and execute his vision. His commitment to community support through his business is a testament to his long-term goals. Raudah Blocks Enterprise aims to successfully deliver value to its customers and local community.
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, Hamza Ibrahim, 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.