Boosting women’s businesses with smart phones

The smart phones has also made it easy for them to meet people they would normally not have had the chance to meet as it creates a level playing ground for communication and socialisation. Fatima Abubakar Brigade, is among those harnessing this opportunity, being a dealer in different types of wrappers, men and women’s shoes, […]

The smart phones has also made it easy for them to meet people they would normally not have had the chance to meet as it creates a level playing ground for communication and socialisation.
Fatima Abubakar Brigade, is among those harnessing this opportunity, being a dealer in different types of wrappers, men and women’s shoes, bags and even men’s materials. She is constantly tapping her mobile phone and uploading new products, and checking comments and orders on old stock.
She says the smart phones is an angel in disguise as she has benefitted immensely since she downloaded the Whatsapp and blackberry applications on her phone some years ago.
According to her, “I handle my orders in both ways, either pay before delivery or after delivery depending on the amount of goods and the credibility of the customer. You know in every business, there are customers that are credit worthy and there are those that are not, that is the criteria that I use to know how to handle my orders.
She said she also faces business risks, “Sometimes if orders are delivered before the customer pays for the goods, she might decide to change her mind and say she no longer wants the goods.  Or after delivery she might not pay as promised at the right time agreed, and there is nothing you can do since it is a lucrative business. You just have to put that aside and continue with life because people will always try to put you down, but you have to find a way of rising up again.
Brigade said smart phones help customers see goods as one displays the pictures on blackberry and whatsapp  and also chat with the seller adding that this has spared sellers the stress of always taking the goods to the buyers.
Highlighting some of the challenges she has encountered in her business so far, she said, “A major challenge is when people say your goods are expensive even though you try to be as lenient as possible, or when customers say your goods are substandard but it is always good to sell goods with a good price so that buyers can patronize the business.”
She advised new business men and women to have a very strong business relationship with their customers saying, “you know very much what building a business relationship is and the good it does to your business because it is difficult to get the attention from people who are in the same field of business because of tight schedules, distance, and mostly the natural difficulty that’s in reaching people of a particular status.
“You have nothing to lose from building and creating a healthy business relationship through the smart phones as it just might be the easiest way to earn that referral, endorsement and recommendation you need to give your business a boost.”
Another business woman who uses smart phones, Fatima Ismail Mudashir said, “It is really nice doing business on smart phones because you will be able to advertise your goods. You can also show people that are not close by your goods if they are interested in buying by sending pictures to them to see and chose what they want through Whatsapp, blackberry and even Facebook.
“For instance, recently I got a customer in Malaysia through the Whatsapp and she linked me with her business partner and she has been patronising my caps and veils since then. With smart phones, you do not need to rent a shop. From her husband ‘s house, every woman can engage herself in one trade or the other and be making cool money,” she said.
She said: “I take my order as pay before service to new customers since I do not know their character, but for old customers, I give my goods to them on credit, the WhatsApp is just a link and after that the business will be one on one.”
Asked on the risks involved in the business, she said, “Like all other businesses, this one also has its risks, one of which is that customers refuse to pay for goods given to them when they ought to which is a breach of contract.”
She maintained that it is lucrative and profitable  saying the smart phones allow room for you to connect with your customers/clients at ease; it is very effective and you never miss a call or  become too tired to reply to a bulk mail.
“The smart phone is a place we hang out in the most relaxed state of mind, and handling customer/client issues would be of no stress as questions, inquiries or complaints could be treated with ease, timely and in a right frame of mind,” she said.
She said one does not require millions of naira to have a budget for advertising, because the smart phones provides one of the cheapest form of media advertising.
“Smart phones publicity is one way you can create the desired media buildup for your business. It is imperative to create an image for your business through the smart phones, by creating the desired buzz or noise online. This increases your business’s visibility. Whatever information shared in smart phones can easily and readily be accessed, and also increases your chance of being discovered through the search engines,” she said.