“A lot of people are struggling out there because they lacked the knowledge of what they can do. You can make it without nothing; you can make it if you change your thinking to that of success; you can make it if you have the courage to go out and do what you need to do.” Those were the encouraging words of Temitope Haastrup as she brought her amazing story of how she came from contemplating suicide, to starting a business with practically nothing, and now an employer of labour, to an end.

I have heard so many mind-blowing stories from readers of SuccessDigest of how the publication changed their lives for the better since I joined SADC some years ago, and I can assure you this one is amongst the best of them.

Sometime in 2008 Temitope was heart-broken and emotionally tortured over a serious family challenge that confronted her. It was so severe that she contemplated taking her own life, and actually bought some poisonous piles to use. Somehow, she decided to attend that day’s evening Church service before taking the piles. By the time the service was over she was a changed person. The message from the Man of God was as though was specially met for her. He spoke that she shouldn’t kill herself because she has a glorious future ahead.

Temitope decided to pick her life up again and to look for what to do; she had neither job nor business. On her visit to a friend, she came across SuccessDigest, and after flipping through its pages, she knew she had found the companion she needed to achieve her goal of a successful life. She became a regular attendee to many of SADC seminars and programs, learning as much as she could about starting and running a business.        

In May 2009, she decided to stop looking for job that never came and concentrate her time and effort on applying what she had been learning from SADC and SuccessDigest even without any money to start a business. That decision started the process that eventually brought her to the success that she desired. She narrates how she hit success:

“When I decided to do something with the knowledge that I have gained from SADC, I went to see one of the people I came in contact with at an SADC organized seminar at her office in Ikeja. She and her husband were into importation of air freshener.  She agreed to be giving me the product to take out to sell and bring money later.

“I started taking the product out to offices to sell and then bring their money after removing my profit. From this I was making enough money to take care of my feeding and to save. From the marketing tips I learnt from SuceessDigest and the SADC seminars that I attended, I summoned courage and also started going to super markets.

“My breakthrough came when I went to my Church’s Administrative office to introduce the air freshener to them. To prove to them that my air freshener was of high quality and last longer than the others in the market, I gave the man in charge of the Church maintenance one to put in his office and see for himself how good it is.  The man was impressed with the quality of the product and bought some for the Church to be used in the toilet and other places. He also referred me to the man in charge of their Bookstore.

“I was asked to supply some quantities. And I was to be paid every two weeks on the sales they make. Having gotten the approval to supply the Church’s Bookstore, I went to the importer in      Ikeja to ask them to give me the quantity to supply. They accepted to give me the product on credit since I’ve been remitting their money back to them without delay after I received payment.  With the deal with the Bookstore going on, I was still going to offices and other places to market the product. I sold inside buses, and at Church Camp venues.

“From there I began to let my customers to also know I was a trained computer engineer and could repair computers.  One day, that same man in charge of my Church maintenance told me he would like to buy a computer for his daughter, whether I could give him advice of the one to buy. I said to him, “Sir, I can help you get a fairly used system for as low as N30,000 - N35,000.” And he was interested.

“I remembered there was a man I used to meet at SADC seminars who was into computers. I went to meet him and I told him I want to supply computers but I didn’t have money. I asked him to allow me take his computer to the man that wanted to buy it, and that if he liked it and bought it, I would come back with his money. He agreed and gave me the computer.

“The man liked the computer and paid for it. After taking my profit from the money, I quickly took the rest to the computer seller as promised and we became friends from there. The buyer did not take the system home, instead he was using it in his office. As people came to his office and saw it, they liked it and wanted it too. So I was asked to bring another five pieces. From what I made as profit from the deal and my earnings from air freshener, I was able to raise money to rent an office.

“After getting the office, I had no money to equip it. I prayed to God to give me something to put in the office. I went to price photocopy machine and I saw a fairly used one for N60,000, but I had no money. I came back and said to God, “Lord, I don’t know how I can get this machine, but I know that you that gave me the money for this office will also provide the photocopy machine I need to do business.”

Shortly after, I got a call from the people I sold computers to that they love it, and that I should supply them another eight pieces. I got the computers from my source on credit, made the supply, and got payment two weeks later. After promptly paying the computer owner, I had made N60,000 profit. I quickly took the money to the photocopy machine seller before I was tempted to spend from it.

“I started making photocopy for people with the machine. Then I got a camera and was going to wedding venues on Saturdays to take pictures of people there. I will take them when they are arriving to the occasion, and before they start leaving the pictures would have been ready, which I sold to them for N50. At the end of the day I would have made from N4,000 to N5,000.

“From my savings I was able to buy a computer system and printing machine, and started operating as business centre. Then I realized I could teach well, and so I thought of providing computer training service to secondary school students and other people who want to learn how to use the computer. I started with the only computer in my shop. Today, I have five computers and four staff working for me, and I have graduated 12 students from my training centre.

“I started practically without any money and I didn’t borrow. I achieved what I have today with the knowledge I got from SADC and SuccessDigest and the help of God. I want to thank SADC for the transformation of my life. From three clothes that I had when I started, I now give out clothes to people and also give free computer training to those who cannot afford it. Thank you SADC, thank you SuccessDigest.”