The Chief Executive Officer of Smart Cafe, Mr. Jesuride Israel is a graduate of Biochemistry from Crescent University, Abeokuta. He started the business as a small business centre in 2008.
According to him, the urge to expand his business was borne out of demand for internet services by his numerous customers.
He raised N100,000 to convert the business centre to a cafe in 2013. Israel added that he didn’t have to search for white collar job after graduating from school because of the passion to nurture his business.
” I started the business because I realised the need to serve the community here in Gbagba, area of Ilorin, having noticed that people were always going to town for photocopy and type their documents.
” We began as a mere business centre in 2008 but later converted it to a cafe to meet contemporary demand,” he explained.
He said one of the challenges at the onset of his business was the issue of poor power supply.
” There was the problem of power supply and I did not have a generator, so people saw me as an unserious businessman,” he added.
In addition, he said the high exchange rate, custom duties and recession are challenges posing threat to the business.
On his advice to budding entrepreneur, he said “They should never give up, have the zeal and should have it at the back of their minds that failure is the way to success and when you fail it strengthens you to move on to greater heights.”
He called on government to encourage investors by providing conducive environment for businesses to thrive, urging graduates to explore their potentials instead of searching for limited white collar jobs.
