Young entrepreneurs and small business owners have been advised to leverage technology, customer feedback and proper business structures to improve productivity, attract customers and build sustainable businesses.
The advice was given by Mr Olatunji Oseni, founder of Strynder, during an interview on Trade FM’s Breakfast Business Briefing, where he discussed the challenges facing startups, student entrepreneurs and solo founders in Nigeria.
Oseni explained that his decision to establish Strynder was influenced by his experiences working with a financial technology company that provided services to financially excluded Nigerians, as well as his personal struggles while running a writing agency as a solo founder.
According to him, he observed that many individuals and small businesses struggled to maximise available solutions because they lacked the necessary structures and support systems to manage their operations effectively.
This, he said, revealed an opportunity to provide practical business and technology support to small businesses, new entrepreneurs and solo founders.
He explained that Strynder operates through three major areas: business support, technical support and knowledge transfer. These include business development resources, incubation support, website development, process optimisation and training programmes designed to help entrepreneurs understand and maximise emerging technologies.
Oseni noted that adopting technology does not necessarily require expensive or complicated software, explaining that simple tools such as Google Sheets, email platforms and basic automation systems could significantly improve business operations.
He stressed that entrepreneurs must first identify the specific challenges they want to address before investing in technology, noting that a business owner seeking to automate operations may simply need a system for recording daily customer enquiries or tracking payments.
On the importance of research, Oseni said many entrepreneurs make the mistake of developing solutions before identifying the actual problems affecting their target customers.
He explained that businesses should prioritise understanding customer needs through direct conversations, rather than relying solely on industry reports, market trends or assumptions.
Using the example of a shawarma business owner, he described how the entrepreneur was losing potential orders between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. because she was occupied preparing earlier orders and could not attend to incoming enquiries.
He said such challenges could only be properly understood through direct engagement with customers, adding that research helps business owners identify gaps and develop solutions that address real market needs.
Speaking on the challenges facing student entrepreneurs, Oseni identified the pressure of balancing academic responsibilities with business operations, inadequate mentorship, lack of supportive communities and poor business structures as major obstacles.
He explained that while many young people have promising business ideas, their inability to establish the right structures often makes it difficult to manage and scale their ventures.
He also encouraged solo founders to document their daily activities, identify repetitive tasks and introduce simple technological solutions to reduce their dependence on personal time.
Drawing from his experience running a writing agency, he disclosed that he used Google Workspace, Google Sheets and email integration to develop a dashboard that helped him monitor client payments and receive automated reminders about outstanding obligations.
Oseni further identified creativity as an important factor in helping small businesses distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive market.
According to him, businesses are constantly competing for public attention, making it necessary for entrepreneurs to develop original approaches to their products, services and communication.
He encouraged young founders to learn from people outside their immediate industries, interact with different communities and expose themselves to new experiences that could broaden their perspectives and inspire creativity.
On customer acquisition and business expansion, he advised entrepreneurs to prioritise genuine relationships with customers, stressing that showing genuine concern for customers’ needs is essential to building trust, increasing sales and sustaining business relationships.
He also warned against adopting technology simply because it is trending, noting that purchasing popular digital tools does not automatically translate into increased sales or business growth.
He advised entrepreneurs to consider their business size, available resources, technical capacity and actual customer needs before investing in new platforms or software.
Reflecting on his experience since establishing Strynder, Oseni identified spending too much time planning internally without sufficiently engaging customers as one of the mistakes entrepreneurs should avoid.
He urged business owners to spend more time speaking with their customers, understanding their challenges and learning from their feedback rather than becoming overwhelmed by business structures and elaborate plans.
Addressing the Nigerian business environment, Oseni called for improved electricity supply, affordable internet access and government partnerships that would make technology more accessible to small businesses and young entrepreneurs.
He suggested that the government could introduce subsidised software subscriptions and provide productivity and artificial intelligence credits to startups, similar to support programmes available in some other countries.
He also advocated partnerships between the government and technology-driven support organisations to strengthen the infrastructure available to emerging businesses.
Offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by the requirements of starting a business, Oseni recommended breaking down their ideas into manageable steps.
He said entrepreneurs should begin with one problem, one customer group and one solution instead of attempting to develop an elaborate business model from the outset.
He added that Strynder provides business starter resources, free templates, community support and other tools to help entrepreneurs navigate the early stages of building their businesses.
Oseni maintained that starting a business becomes more manageable when entrepreneurs conduct proper research, engage their customers, use appropriate tools and seek the right support.
He disclosed that interested individuals can reach Strynder through its social media platforms or via email at info@strynder.com.
