BusMatthewMcCormack
Matthew McCormack
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.
Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa
About Abdulahi
Abdullahi Aliyu Hardawa developed an interest in house electrical supply at a young age when looking at the epileptic electric supply witnessed among community members. He enrolled himself as an apprentice in an electrical supply shop as soon as he could and worked for 18 months, where he was thrown into the deep of end electrical repair and maintenance and emerged himself in the knowledge.
His internship equipped him with the necessary skills to know the way and manner in which the business is to be run. The apprenticeship enables him to learn the skills, management procedures, and customer relationships for an enhanced performance that will lead to favorable outcomes.
Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa
Business Goals
Abdullahi hopes, more than anything, that his business will positively impact the lives of people within his community. He plans to become the primary electrical supplier to his community members and solidify himself as a reliable resource for others.
He hopes to empower the younger generation in his community with the skills they need for their self-reliance and development. Abdullahi will ensure he provides his people with high-quality products at low cost; this will enable people who require these items to easily purchase and use them accordingly. He will ensure he provides the youth with in-depth training encompassing all aspects of the house electrical supply business within and outside his community.
Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa
Obstacles
Running a House Electrical Shop, Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa will face several obstacles. Firstly, he may encounter challenges in maintaining a consistent supply chain for electrical components, which can affect inventory levels and customer satisfaction. Secondly, competition from larger, well-established electrical shops could pose a significant threat, making it difficult to attract and retain customers. Thirdly, managing operational costs such as rent, utilities, and employee wages can be demanding, especially in the early stages of the business.
Additionally, staying updated with the latest electrical technologies and products requires continuous learning and investment. Marketing the shop effectively to create brand awareness and drive foot traffic will also be crucial yet challenging. Finally, adhering to safety standards and regulations in the electrical industry is essential, necessitating meticulous attention to compliance and quality control.
Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa
Home & Family
Abdullahi is a 36-year-old businessman and believes he has the capacity to use his business for good and to assist others. He came from a polygamous family, as his father had three wives and twenty-four children, fifteen females and nine males. His father was a successful business owner, and he used the income he had earned from the business to shoulder the family responsibilities.
Abdullahi completed his national certificate in education but was unable to further his education due to financial restrictions. In this process, he found his drive to start an electrical supply business. The business has empowered him with needed income to assist his parents as well as immediate family. He hopes to be able to provide for his family the way his father has for his entire life. Coming from a large family, he understands the importance of stretching a dollar and plans to bring this expertise to his business, both in pricing and budgeting.
Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa
Our Partnership
Abdullahi has had a very challenging upbringing, coming from a polygamous family was not easy, as his father cannot provide all the siblings with their basic needs. Thus, Abdullahi has to face this challenge and find a means for survival. This drove him to join the house electrical supply apprenticeship to empower his dream of self-sustainability. Abdullahi is very focused on giving back to the community through his business, as he does in other areas of life. He believes he can assist himself, his family, and those around him with the addition of his business.
In Abdulahi's words, "The opportunity offered me to partner with Leadership Initiatives was a lifelong mean, that will positively change my business, my life and my community members."
My Grant
Proposal
A.A. Hardawa Electrical Supplies is a house electrical business, providing your everyday electrical needs in one easy shop. Already having a reputable name in the community, the owner, Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa has the goal of providing affordable products in order to grow electrical accessibility in the surrounding community.
This electrical supply shop is different from others due to the priority of affordability and reliability. Abdulahi has competitive pricing, especially in an area with limited competition, and already has a customer base eager to conduct business. Abdulahi also plans on effectively marketing his store with various business cards, signs and flyers, which work very well in this area.
At A.A. Hardawa Electrical Supplies, we want to help make electrical supplies readily available for anyone who may need them. The local area in which the shop will operate is a low economic area, but has a dense population and is growing rapidly, providing plenty of consumers. Abdulahi wants to help his community in any way he can, and he sees this storefront as the best way to help his area. After some sustained succession, Abdulahi wants to expand his operation through shop expansion and employee additions. This store is a passion project for Abdulahi as he, in the long-term, wants to hire his son and do everything he can in order to fill the demand in the surrounding 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, Abdulahi Aliyu Hardawa, 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.