Beulah Chinemerem Chigbu: Nine-year-old entrepreneur

My name is Beulah Chinemerem Chigbu. I am nine years old.I’m a 5th Grade pupil, and I like selling in order to make money.I started by selling cookies during The IREDE Foundation Annual Charity walk tagged ‘Out on a limb’ – A walk that lasts about four hours and participants only have water and a snack as refreshment afterwards.

I thought people might like to have other options of what to snack on after the walk. So, I spoke to my Aunty, who baked cupcakes and cookies and I sold them during the walk. They were a huge hit, as we sold out very quickly, because it was on availability and people needed them.What really motivated me was that I really wanted to provide alternative refreshment options for people, especially children like me during the walk and I must say it was worth it.

My role models are my Mum and Dad. They are characters to emulate, and I am glad to have them as my parents.When I see other kids who do similar things or perform wonder in their own fields, I feel motivated to do more in my field also.

There are lots of challenges in doing business. Yes, really and they are just the challenges you face in doing what you are doing. Examples include lack of time to do the selling full time. I can only sell during holidays. There is also the challenge of lack of resources to increase production.
One of the ways I overcome these challenges is by asking for help from my parents and my best friend.

I make money from my business, since the sole aim of business is to make profit. A business that does not make profit will eventually collapse. I invest my profits back into the business, and spend the capital on making the business grow bigger.In the next five years, I see myself becoming the most famous entrepreneurial teenager in the world. I am working towards motivating other young ones that are coming up.

My advice to other kids is to never give up on their dreams, and they should keep trying. Quitters never win and winners never quit. They need to understand that the principle to keep going is to be resilience. They should be resilient in all they do to get to the top.
See you at the top.