Kleos Africa Blog

BRIEF BIO

Glory Enyinnaya is an international business consultant and corporate change agent who has consulted for a diverse range of blue-chip companies, including Accenture, Nigeria LNG, British-American Tobacco, Access Bank, FCMB, and MTN. She has also advised over 200 entrepreneurs for clients such as the Centre for Global Enterprise (New York), the Entrepreneur Scan (Netherlands), and the International Business Accelerator (United States).

Tell us a bit about yourself

I have a keen interest in entrepreneurship and helping entrepreneurs. This passion fuels my consulting practice and led me to create Kleos Africa, which is Africa’s pioneer consulting platform. I’m a Regional Partner for Faster Capital, a venture capital fund in the UAE which funds entrepreneurial projects around the world.  I’m a founding member of the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative (AWEC). I facilitate sessions on strategy and entrepreneurship at Lagos Business School and Regenesys Business School.

What made you to choose your specialization in business coaching?

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Africa leads the world in enthusiasm for business. At the same time, Africa is the world’s poverty capital – with the highest percentage of poor people in the world. I find these statistics paradoxical – since entrepreneurship is actually the creation of wealth, then by building business acumen in entrepreneurs, we can make a dent in Africa’s poverty problem.

Why did you choose to start the Be Your Own Boss challenge?

 Through my years as a business consultant, I came to realize that many businesses fail in their early years because they are fundamentally flawed. A building that has a poor foundation has little chances of survival. Through my experience coaching over 250 entrepreneurs within and outside Nigeria, I created an entrepreneurship roadmap. The Be Your Own Boss challenge grew naturally out of the entrepreneurship roadmap.

What is an entrepreneurship roadmap?

An entrepreneurship roadmap is a step-by-step blueprint that guides the entrepreneur on his journey. It’s useful for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start a new business as well as existing entrepreneurs who want to launch a new business line.

Why is it important to use an entrepreneurship roadmap?

Just as it’s imperative to have a map before embarking on an arduous journey without a map, the entrepreneurship roadmap acts as a blueprint for the often-convoluted entrepreneurship journey.

What are the elements of the entrepreneurship roadmap?

The four elements of the Entrepreneurship Roadmap are the Idea Stage, the Planning Stage, the Launch Stage and the Growth Stage:

1. Idea Stage: You begin by setting expectations for the journey. Understand entrepreneurship, assess your skills and identify key success factors. Then you acquire critical skills – communications, negotiation, accounting, personal finance and business law. Finally, you create an innovative product or offering.
2. Planning Stage: Here you conduct initial market research and size the opportunity to determine the ‘’size of the prize.’’ Then you conduct a feasibility study and develop a business plan.
3. Launch Stage: At the launch stage, you create an MVP (Minimum Viable Prototype), engage in test marketing, assemble a team and incorporate your business.
4. Growth Stage: After launch, you begin to focus on managing your customers, managing your employees, managing your records and managing your money.

What advice do you have for an entrepreneur who is considering business coaching?

I feel as though any entrepreneur who has a business idea should not make their dream a reality without a credible and experienced business coach. Many people are extremely innovative and have incredible ideas but lack the business knowledge to implement these ideas. If you find yourself falling into this category, you should undoubtedly seek the help of a business coach who will provide you with the expertise necessary to getting your business started on the path to success!

Like what you see thus far? Book Glory for the Be Your Own Boss challenge on Kleos Africa today!