I am extremely delighted to welcome those of our network members who for one reason or another survived our sledgehammer and made it into 2021. It was like surviving the coronavirus pandemic in business. Although I made serious threats to delist the businesses of all our financial defaulters from our website and all our social media platforms, I discovered that some people misunderstood us when we said registration of businesses was free. In reality we don’t charge anyone who wants to join the group for wanting to do so. But we definitely charge a token sum of just N12, 000 a year for our services. We too have salaries and NEPA bills to pay, fueling of generator in the absence of NEPA and so on. We are into the serious business of softening the demand and supply needs of our network members.
When I started this project six years ago with the Rev. Fr. Ray Nzereogu who was then Director of Assumpta Press, Owerri, the intention was to move our business men and women to the next higher level by saving them time, money and stress. Rather than waste time to go to the big city to look for what you want, you could now stay in the comfort of your home or workplace and get all the information you need, as to cost, quality and availability. You could even compare costs with various dealers or service providers, right at home or workplace.
Rather than spend time and money on transportation to the big city to find your need, you could simply log on to our website and get all the information you want and either go just once for your need or you can ask for home delivery. The risk associated with frequently commuting on the road is minimized and that also is very important. In such a way, not only will our people save money, they also save time and enjoy the fun that modern business is supposed to mean.
I am aware that not many business men and women are familiar with this innovation in business development in this part of Nigeria. But it doesn’t have to remain so forever. Nigerians are very clever people and would easily adapt to changes that elevate their spirit, place them on the next higher level and make business life more enjoyable. So, we added new spices into the menu.
As a matter o fact, there is no magazine anywhere in the world today that is exactly like Imo State Business Link Magazine. A look at the Categories column on our website (www.rolultd.com) will show you the A to Z of what areas we cover at the moment.
We are essentially an advertising agency, making our clients’ businesses known world-wide. But we also feature “From the Publisher” where the magazine’s focus and direction for the year are explained in some detail. On our Blog, we feature Health News. We offer tips and news on how our business men and women can keep healthy. We know that only a healthy person can effectively do business. We feature Business News to acquaint our network members with modern business trends within the country and the African continent. We feature Educational News, for the interest of the young-adult family members of our clients. In addition, we have Group WhatsApp and Group Face Book where network members interact and patronize each other across categories.
But I need to make it clear that we are not miracle workers. I have experienced some clients who said they had not even had a call from any network member, let alone sell their articles or commodities. I told them the same principle applied. You are discovered when you are discovered. You can also discover others when you need their services. It is not a one-way traffic. It is a two-way traffic.
You must, therefore, help make yourself discovered by making good use of our facilities at your disposal. Upload your advertisement as often as two or three times on our social media platforms every week. People will notice it invariably. But they will not, if you wait for us to do everything for you. At the moment, we have more than 1,680 members who can patronize each other across categories and we are still growing. And it is important to recognize that people only buy when they have a need and the money.
Despite the fact that most network members are not using their opportunities well, I am glad to note that many are making good use of the facilities we have made accessible to them, especially the fashion designers, property developers and boutiques. I urge every network member to be more committed to building up this organization, particularly as we have opened up to all the 36 states of the country. It is a very important way of developing your Post Covid ’19 business strategy.
Finally, I would like to appeal to all those members who have not subscribed in the last couple of years to do so now. You never know the value of what you have until you lose it. May lost opportunities not be our portion in the coming months in Jesus’ Name! AMEN.
Thank you and God bless.
Chief Sir Emeka Asinugo, KSC
