BusAmritIlindra
Amrit Ilindra
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 Shafiu
Shafiu Bashir
Shafiu initially sold charcoal before switching to the laundry business when the charcoal business collapsed. He trained as an apprentice for just one year under Mallam Saidu Bako of the Miri community in Bauchi State. Known for his hard work and desire to earn money legitimately, Shafiu learned valuable skills from his boss. He mastered dedication, commitment, honesty, and customer relations. He also learned to pay attention to detail and various fabric-washing techniques to ensure customer satisfaction. Now a professional laundry business owner, Shafiu is well-prepared to serve his community and build a successful career.
While Shafiu is happy with his business, he faces several challenges. First, dealing with difficult customers is stressful, and hand washing large quantities of jeans and tough fabrics is often painful. He frequently returns home tired and exhausted. Secondly, hand washing is very time-consuming. Despite these challenges, Shafiu remains committed to his work and finds satisfaction in serving his community.
Business Goals
Shafiu Bashir
Obstacles
Shafiu Bashir
Home & Family
Shafiu Bashir
Our Partnership
Shiafiu Bashir
My Grant
Proposal
Sh-Bash Laundry Services is a laundry business committed to providing efficient and affordable laundry solutions, with a focus on utilizing modern technology to enhance service quality. Shafiu Bashir has over thirteen years of experience in the laundry industry and aims to turn his vision into reality by offering a state-of-the-art laundromat.
Sh-Bash Laundry Services stands out from other local competitors due to its use of advanced washing and drying equipment. The business will feature modern machines and this investment in high-tech equipment positions allows Sh-Bash Laundry Services to become the first laundromat in the area to offer such operational efficiency and reliability. Unlike competitors who rely on outdated methods like wires and buckets, SH-BASH will deliver a service that is over 20 times faster.
At Sh-Bash Laundry Services, we strive to support Shafiu in establishing a profitable laundry business that will serve his community and improve his family’s quality of life. Sh-Bash Laundry Services aims to revolutionize laundry service in Nigeria by combining modern technology with competitive pricing and strategic location. Shafiu Bashir’s extensive experience and commitment to providing high-quality, efficient laundry services will set his business apart in a market where speed and reliability are key. Sh-Bash Laundry Services is poised to become a leading provider of laundry solutions in the area.
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, Shafiu Bashir, 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.