Calling all entrepreneurs – CcHub’s Call for Ideas is open!

Remember +BudgIT NG ? In my early blogging days, I made quite a bit of noise about them, hehe. It was their success story that made me fish out the +CcHub Nigeria in Yaba. They recently graduated from the incubation centre and are doing great.

In case you haven't noticed, collaboration, co-creation is the new cool. Let's face it, if we want more companies to last, we need to work together, to find synergies, to build teams, to leverage on each other's strengths. This is why you can't afford to keep your idea to yourself. There are tricks and tips for protecting your idea though and you can listen here, to what Wunmi and I had to say about this on the episode before the last of strike the anvil. At the end of the day, you are better off sharing.

Anyhoo, so the Hub is calling for ideas again and if you have been looking for a platform to leverage on, here's your chance........

Read all about it;

Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) is a launch pad for start-ups, transforming ideas to sustainable ventures that solve real Nigerian problems. To date CcHub has supported the development and launch of more than 50 innovative technology startups solving social challenges in Nigeria.




Will the next golden idea come from you?

You can submit an innovative idea that solves a real Nigerian problem to the CcHub Call for Ideas for up to $25,000 in investment as well as networks and market entry support to get you kick-started.

The aim of the programme is to encourage the development of Nigerian led solutions for real Nigerian problems, focusing on six key areas – Governance, Transportation, Healthcare, Education, Food Security and the Environment.

We believe that by engaging a community of progressive stakeholders (end-users, subject matter experts, government agencies, businesses, academics, civil societies etc.) who bring their creativity and knowledge to play we can co-create solutions to social challenges faced by the average Nigerian.

These are our 5 tips for creating innovative solutions

• Solve ONE clear problem: focus on one problem and not many
• Understand the problem: observing the environment, infrastructure, culture and lives of people by being there.
• Think creatively: start big, use constraints as a filter and find the simplest solution.
• Identify a service gap: is there a service that isn’t being provided or not being provided to a satisfactory manner
• Deliver value: what are the benefits for people using the end product, does it improve a persons life?

Submit an Idea

Ideas should be submitted here by Sunday 31 May 2015. Ideas will be assessed by a panel, and those whose ideas are selected will be invited for an interview. Following this, the most viable ideas will be taken into the CcHub Pre-Incubation and Incubation Programmes.

1000 ideas have walked through our doors but is yours the one that will make it through and stick?

The Co-sharing office space trend in Nigeria #strikedanvil

On #strikedanvil this week, we are talking about one of the elements of starting small - office space! I listened to the CEO if an oil servicing company once who said when she started out with her hubby, they invested all the money they had into leasing a fancy office on Victoria Island, by the time they were done paying for the lease and maybe purchasing a table and chair, they had nothing left to actually run the business. I know a few others who have found themselves in this situation too. Many of us start out with so much zest and fire, we have our assumptions which sometimes we haven't tested, we have our start-up capital which should include the working capital for a year or two at least, but does not. Lol!! This is one of the reasons, many businesses grind to a halt or crash even before the second or third year.

The +Lean Startup model has saved many from this trend. The mantra for many these days is "have a big vision but start small". Even better now the is trend of co-shared spaces for start-ups where they can test their ideas and run a pilot of their ideas without necessarily investing so much money on acquiring office space. We have places like the +CcHub Nigeria in yaba, the Ideashub also in yaba, Venia business Hub, Enterprise Creative center on allen, +CapitalSquare Lagos in Lekki. See more here with full address and features. Someone might need it! This is the way to go for start-ups these days. 

I was in Marina recently and I visited the  +Etisalat Nigeria experience center there! Alas they have facilities for their customers too who are startups. I had a chat with the manager at the center and he'll be on the #strikedanvil show this tuesday to answer questions and share all you need to know about the center. Before the show though, I have a list of some of the features;

1. A dedicated Geek bar strictly for device related issues; 

2. A state of the art vip lounge with a well equipped library; 

3. A vip cafe; 

4. Free wifi for waiting customers; 

5. A game centre where customers can play XBOX;

6. Dedicated helpdesk for specific query types; 

7. A meeting room for 10 pple with projectors and for video conferencing.

They also give best deals on device purchase as we are in partnership with OEMs like Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Huawei, Tecno....etc With fantastic staffs to attend to all customers.

Won't you rather be an etisalat subscriber?! Hehe

Make it a date on the show this week, Tuesday, 9am - 10am, ask your questions via twitter or our dedicated phone lines - 09090000061, 09090000062!

Cheers!

Budgit - Oluseun Onigbinde (Co-founder) #inthespiritofenterprise

Finally, we got budgit to share their story. I know some of you would have been wondering, who is this budgit that Mofolusade is always talking about sef! hahaha. Well here they are....

Enjoy....

Tell us about yourself 

My name is Oluseun Onigbinde. I am the Team Lead and Co-Founder of BudgIT. I am really confused what to call myself. Maybe I should say data analyst, data journalist, data scientist, citizen scientist or even budget expert. Actually, I did not set out to be all of these. I graduated from the University of Agriculture Abeokuta as an Electrical/Electronics Engineer. Since my days at the university, I knew I won’t practise engineering because I felt the kind of knowledge passed was not what works in fast-paced, viral and technological driven world that we live today. I worked in two banks – Access and First Bank - for four years before leaving to fully focus on BudgIT. That’s what I have been doing since then as well as other consultancy for DFID and sub-regional projects. I am also a Knight Foundation Fellow, which requires me to teach creative tools that can improve storytelling.

What is BudgIT about?
BudgIT is what makes me tick and it is a product of an idea with huge assumptions that if we shows citizens regardless of their literacy class and level of interest how the budget works and how it affects them, hopefully they will become active participants and strive to be vanguards of budget performance. These assumptions are what we are testing by looking for all means to explain the budget to citizens. This includes infographics, interactive applications, games, apps, sms and other tools. We just want to deepen access of the budgets, as we believe that this is key to civic engagement and institutional reform. We also act as a catalyst for all stakeholders such as media, government institutions by providing support in terms of capacity building and data access.

How did you conceive the idea for BudgIT?
I was sitting in my desk in First Bank and I thought about a new offer made by Co-Creation Hub to look for new ideas that can strengthen governance. This was an intense hackathon that was meant to build prototype of ideas. I put in for the hackathon in February 2011 and we came second. It was at the hackathon that I met Joseph Agunbiade who co-founded BudgIT with me. However, I know BudgIT was out of the desire to do something that reshapes the paradigm.

How did you bring it to life?

I wondered if I would be able to do it all alone and keep paying my bills. I decided to combine my work in the bank with BudgIT for a year before I decided to face it fully. This is about a lot of toil, hardwork and discontent. I just feel like I am a steward of an idea whose time has come. The online availability of the data, the evolution of social media and also Co-Creation Hub that provided mentorship, space and seed funding all showed that this idea appeared at the right time. Like I said, I am just a steward accountable to the work committed to my hand. 

What has the experience been so far?

Amazing experience so far. As an entrepreneur, you lose your steps momentarily which makes you to nearly doubt if you are on the right path. I have gone through those times before but today I count it all joy. Leading an organization is a mind building exercise. It makes you think, innovate and also want keep winning. It’s been more work but I am enjoying it. Right now at BudgIT, we are thinking of building products, which might also be profit-oriented as we don’t want to run BudgIT as an organisation eternally dependent on grant.

How would you summarize the social impact of Budgit in Nigerian Governance today?

We can take a cue from the comment by Reuben Abati that roadside mechanics and okada riders are analyzing the budget. I don’t want to take the full glory for that but we have a made dent somewhere and you will agree that the interest is getting deeper. We have trained officials of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office. We have held data journalism classes and provided funds for citizens. We are doing our best to make impact at the social urban and rural grassroots level.

What challenges do you face and how have you been able to overcome these challenges?

Access to data is a key challenge especially procurement data that can be used to deepen conversation. Most states still treat the budget as state secret making it difficult for citizens to get. We are also trying to validate government projects by demanding accountability. A big challenge is also getting funds to scale. For such scale we are still dependent on grant and we want to ensure that we build a strong financial model that is sustainable.

Given the chance, would you do this again?

Another chance? Maybe this idea might come to early or might be too late and be of no value. Right now it is what our democracy needs and I am enjoying it. Another time? Depends what works for that season. One day, I will quit BudgIT and handover to someone else. That’s the mindset I carry.

Want to know more? Want to get involved in promoting accountability and good governance in Nigeria? 

Visit - http://www.yourbudgit.com/

follow - @budgitng

Read - http://www.yourbudgit.com/blog/view/4

Have an opinion? Speak out, it just might help make a difference.

Cheers guys!

Baptism of fire...... Some great news

FCMB 2004……

I was posted to the IT department, just where I wanted to be. The orientation for the bank’s newbies was great. Fela Durotoye was one of the facilitators, it was my first time of really considering entrepreneurship (imagine that! At a bank’s orientation training), Fela is one hell of a talker! He didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear nor what the bank wanted him to tell us, he told us what we needed to hear. Well Fela, if you do get to read this ever, just want you to know, I heard you!

I once again found myself in the midst of men, but I felt at home, I was one of the boys, more or less J. It was fun fixing people’s IT problems. I was assigned to the helpdesk and loving it until aunty Kareemat (she managed the stock broking software) decided to resign! The mantle of receiving the hand over note fell upon me, barely 3months from joining the team!  Breaathe, don’t panic, she gave 3months notice, surely that’s enough to get a hang of the software and take it on, I consoled myself with this. Only for aunty to take her leave days in lieu or whatever it is they normally do. Gbaga! This was how the stock broking software became my baby, prematurely. It was my baptism of fire; I thought I knew pressure till there was an AGM or IPO or Dividend payment. I lived through this till Ayo Anegbe was re-hired ( I mean it, re-hired, they went to fish him out!) to take over. Life was good; I went back to the helpdesk and just did support work for Ayo.

Life skills learnt

You think you’ve reached your limit till you are stretched a little more. You’ll be surprised what you can live through (said in Yago’s voice, from Aladdin). My boss then would say, “it’s not rocket science”, I used to hate hearing this back then, but it’s true, you can deal with anything, just remember “it’s not rocket science” and if it turns out that it is indeed rocket science you have to face, then….. Run! Just kidding.

2013…. 05 June 3, 2013

Good news came in today; my application to become a ccHub member has been approved. God knows I could use some of that after the youwin and BET disappointments (story for another day). I heard about the ccHub at some training and I knew I had to join that community, there’s something about being surrounded by brilliant people (especially techies, I am biased, I know). You want to be surrounded by people who are doing great stuff rather than sitting back and complaining about the government (boo hoo!). The things those young fellas are churning out from there kwa! Budgit is there, efiko mobile is there, smids animation, name them, I must rub shoulders and minds with them. I am so happy and can’t wait to start working from the hub.

So today I started compiling my list of corporate communications and branding people’s contacts. I need to mention here that I supply corporate gifts, so if you are reading this and know someone I should be talking to, please send me a mail. Tell me where and when and I’ll be there in a flash. I am humble like that. Lol!! I need to expand my revenue streams before I run down. I know there are a million and plus one people doing corporate gifts, but I refuse to be deterred; I will find innovative ways to deliver value.

I logged on to Xero (my newly subscribed to, online accounting software) today to update invoices and payments. I think I am getting a hang of this. Oh accounting, where is thy sting?

P.S
No mention of business today, because there was no business!! Sighs…  One of those days

Entrepreneur tips

1. There will be good days and not so good days, whatever happens, keep moving.
2. The people your surround yourself with matter, find an enabling environment and key in to it. It helps keep you motivated which is really important.