Wrap Your Business Around Your Passion

By Ola Emmanuel

When people call on God for financial blessings, he may not answer by raining down naira. Naira is only the currency of the Nigerian economy, not heaven’s currency. A good response from God may be a release of ideas or giving of special ability, talent, or skills to do certain things uniquely and without stress. God doesn’t spend naira or dollars, He has none of these. His own economy only expends ideas and talents, and He releases them to mankind immeasurably so that they can add value to whatever economy they choose to trade in.

Many people are in a quandary about what business they should invest in. But embedded in their respective personalities are unique abilities that can be harnessed and specially packaged to become good businesses. This unique ability most times manifests as a passion for something. A case of something great out of somewhat unhealthy passion is that of Nathan.

Nathan loved going out and late nights, especially by visiting restaurants. It later occurred to him that it would be a great idea if he could get paid while he was still enjoying himself. Such an idea of getting paid to go out was an incredible opportunity for him. He is so passionate about the hospitality business for as long as he could remember. As a student, he joined a restaurant as an intern where he was earning stipends to help him raise money for part payment of his school fees while also enjoying himself.

Nathan made the move to own his own hospitality business when he believed he had learned a lot and had known what it required to run such a business. According to him, he made the leap to becoming his own boss as soon as he felt he had learned all he could at the various restaurants he worked. He gained knowledge of a business along with his passion at the expense of the organizations that engaged him. Now, he’s the President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Hospitality Group, a local taste-maker and one of the leading restaurant experts. He followed up his passion when he was a student and now owns a chain of restaurants in some towns under his Choice Hospitality Group.

The issue with many Nigerians is that before they think about what opportunity and benefits an idea may bring, they see problems and challenges first. Engage a young man or lady in discussion on why they have not started their own business, the first response is always: ‘I don’t have money’. What they fail to realize is that the only difference between them and those who are presently successful in their businesses is that they took the entrepreneurial plunge.

Many started without money, support, or deeper knowledge: to make their decision based purely on hope. What they knew they had is their passion or innate ability – what you call talent. Using today’s slang: they realized what they are cut out for and they follow it anticipatively. What these successful entrepreneurs have in common, though, is the courage to turn their passion into their livelihood.

How to turn your passion into a successful business:

Ensure it is a real passion, not just a hobby: It’s easy to mistake a mere interest or a hobby for a passion. A hobby is just a pastime that may be let go with a change in status; but a passion is something you enjoy doing any time, any day irrespective of what you become in life. Having interests and hobbies is fine, but in order to create a business out of what comes naturally to you, it has to be something that you are passionate about – what you can do and keep pursuing even if you are not getting commensurate compensation for it initially.

The passion should be broad in scope and full of opportunities: A good business is one that has the potential to grow. The passion should not be narrow in focus so that its various angles can be explored to launch a thriving business. Every step you may take to enable you to discover the totality of your passion will go a long way in identifying how you should create a sustainable business from your passion.

Start pursuing your passion as if it’s a real business:

Whatever is done absent-mindedly will never come out with a result befitting its full potential. You will be able to build your capacity and see your passion in a different light if you go about it as if it is a matter of life and death. If you want to wrap a business around your passion, you must endeavor not to treat the passion as a hobby. When you treat your passion as a business, you commit yourself to serious action, and you are able to pursue it or work at it like a real job. When you aim to get the most out of your passion, you will be able to work for hours to develop capacity and grow it. It will also allow you to think more freely and confidently from a business point of view to earn profit from it.

Punch