OLADAPO: EVERY BUSINESS TAKES THE SHAPE OF THE OWNER’S MIND

Oladapo Olaniyan is a Lifelong Learner, Personal Development Enthusiast, Personal Trainer, and a Serial Entrepreneur. He is the founder of 7100 Limited.

He described 7100 Limited as an established new generation design and print company in Abuja, Nigeria. blending compelling technology with over 15 years of industry experience to offer a wide selection of unprecedented image branding and general printing solutions.

According to Oladapo Olaniyan, his investment in technology has enabled 7100 to provide Reliable, Fast, Environment friendly, and top-notch itch-free printing service.

Below is an exclusive interview conducted with him via the Business Icon Interview platform:

Question: What is your background? Education, Work Experience.

Oladapo: I hold a degree in Accounting from the University of Abuja, and I have always been in the business of branding and printing. I have no other work experience outside the branding and printing sector. Though I have invested in other businesses. But I am not involved in their daily activities.

Question: What inspired you to get into this line of business?

Oladapo: Well, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have always wanted to do my own thing. But then, I would say my getting into this line of business is due to the fact that in my early years, while I was still in secondary school, my mother enrolled me in a Graphics / Computer Training Center where I obtained a Diploma in Desktop Publishing and Graphics Design.

Question: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Oladapo: The opportunity to create more employment opportunities. I feel happy and fulfilled when am able to expand and give another person a chance to add value to their lives and contribute to humanity.

In 7100 Limited today, we have highly creative and experienced professionals comprising but not limited to Designers, Developers, Brand Strategists, etc.

Question:  What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs to invest their time in?

Oladapo: Personal Development. Because every business takes the shape of the mind of the owner. No business can out-grow the level of personal development of the creator(s) of the business. If you work on your mind, you are indirectly working on your business.

Question:  How do you define success?

Oladapo: Success for me, is a journey and not a destination. It is a progressive realization of a worthy ideal. It is more about the person we are becoming through the growth process.

Question:  What piece of advice would you give to fresh graduates or other people who want to become entrepreneurs?

Oladapo: To Fresh Graduates, your education is just about to begin. Invest more time and effort in your personal growth. Attend Seminars, Read Books, just keep developing. And to other intending entrepreneurs as well, Keep Re-inventing yourself. Never stop learning. Knowledge is the only asset that creates other assets. Be Teachable. Be Coachable.

Question:  What has been the most challenging part of your responsibility as a Small Business Owner?

Oladapo: That would be the issue of funding. Raising Funds for expansion

Question:  Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Oladapo: My Business Mentor Hyeladi Haruna.

He is a young man like myself but whose level of success inspires me a lot. I remember my first encounter with him and one of the things he said to me that revolutionized my life was that “There is no mountain anywhere, your ignorance is your mountain”.

He’ll always say a man’s age is not the number of years he has lived on earth but the number of lifetime in his years. His quality of thoughts really amazes me and often times I am in total awe how such a young man radiates so much level of wisdom.

He has thought me the importance of having a mentor to model because you see, you can get knowledge from reading books but if you do not have any figure to model and have not witnessed first-hand the discipline it takes, it is very difficult to practice that which you have even read or studied. So, he really thought me the importance of having a mentor. What mentors do for you is they make your journey faster and avoid unnecessary mistakes.

He’ll always tell me if you know where you are going, your journey is short. If you have someone who has been there and is willing to direct you, your journey is shorter. But if you have someone who has been there and is willing to hold your hand and take you, you are already there.

Question:  What main skills do you possess that have helped you and your business?

Oladapo: Learning. My 4C’s (Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Communicating, and Collaborating skills) has helped me and my business a lot.

Question:  What keeps you going in business tough times?

Oladapo: I remind myself that tough times don’t last, only tough people do.

Question:  How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?

Oladapo: It has been mostly via referrals, you know as a printer, you do a good job people see it with your client and ask for your contact and you also include your imprints in your work and then people get to reach you via the contact provided. But with the recent development in technology, we have also been using social media and it has also been helpful.