Bulk sms business in Nigeria is another internet based business that many people are very interested in .It is something everyone seems to want to jump into and from the looks of things, it is profitable.

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Update:

Finally, the first comprehensive course on how to build a “profit pulling” bulk sms business in Nigeria …starting with as low as N3500…that gets 1-5 paying customers daily, is ready.

Click Here for Details 

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I do not have a bulk sms business and is not planning to have one (this may change ,who knows) but I know a lot of people are very interested in starting one.

So to help people learn the ins and out of this business , I have brought in someone , a resource person, that will help us all understand this business.

Eno  Ebuh ,runs BeatSMS.com ,a bulk sms service in Nigeria and Is quite successful with it  .She will be educating us .

(by the way ,this is the first interview on NairaCow.com , I intend to do more of this so stay tuned)

BULK SMS IN NIGERIA

Q:        Please tell us about yourself and tell us why you went into Bulk SMS business?

A:         My name is Eno Ebuh from Akwa Ibom State and the owner of www.beatsms.com. I have a strong flair for communication and I am interested in any channel or opportunities that can enable me express it. The Bulk SMS business is basically a platform to enable me to do so and more so at a profit.

Q:        Am sure everyone wants to know this: Is this business profitable? What is the profitability like? How has it been for you?

A:         Personally I am of the opinion that every business has in itself the potential for profit, so yes it is a profitable business. However, the profitability of this business and any other business for that matter varies from person to person based on a combination of factors like knowledge of the business, competitive analysis, market knowledge, customer relationship,  focus, determination, consistency, passion, personal and business habits and drive. When I first started, I was making N20, 000.00 which is small but as I applied myself to the business and got more customers, my profit increased steadily. I have a goal to make a minimum of N500, 000.00 monthly and I am consistently working towards it. There are people in the business already making this and much more monthly, so I know it is possible.

Q:        What are the major challenges in this business and how have you overcome them, (If you have)?

A:         For me, there are basically only two challenges in this business: A. Getting customers and more customers who buy monthly or weekly and retaining them. B. Ensuring that messages are delivered in full and at the right time; in other words minimal or zero network failure. I am yet to overcome challenge B and I’m open to suggestions but for challenge A, it is an ongoing process for me but a workable one because I have been able to identify my target audience and I have set up a marketing plan which I am working daily.

Q:        Are there still opportunities for new comers to come into the business? Is the market saturated?

A:         Yes there are still many opportunities for new players. Before I started the business I used to think so too, not until I started marketing and kept meeting people who have absolute no idea about the usefulness of Bulk SMS for their businesses or personal endeavor. No serious business man should be afraid of competition, it is what keeps you on the edge and brings out innovations of growth. Every day new businesses are being established and events take place every day, these are all indicators that a new player can take advantage of.

Q:        How do I start my own Bulk SMS business, how much do I need? Apart from money what else do I need?

A:         To start you need to sign up with a dealer, this requires a lot of due diligence on your part. Before settling down with a particular dealer make sure you have compared his offer with as many other dealers as possible and his offer is the best in terms of pricing, services, training, support and opportunities for growth. This is an internet based business, so if you do a search online for bulk SMS dealers in Nigeria, you will see a lot you can choose from.

Here are a list of some; www.fastwebsms, www.bbnsms.com, www.smslive247.com, www.beatsms.com, www.smsgolden.com, www.smsforts.com, www.smsdam.com, www.ogbongesms.com and many more you will find online. This list is not in any particular order or importance, these are just some of the names that I can remember right now. Your responsibility is to make contact with these dealers and initiate a discussion until you find one that has the best offer.  Also you must invest your time and resources in learning all you can about the business.

The amount you need to start the business varies; you can start small or you can start big depending on your financial capabilities. You can start as a reseller, which was how I started with as low as N20,000 or even less depending on the dealer, or with N50,000, N200,000, or  N1 million or more and you can even start with other peoples’ money. If you can afford it, start with N200,000, this will afford you to buy more than a 100,000 SMS that way you won’t run to buy from the dealer each time you have an order and the good thing is that the more SMS you buy, the less you pay.

Apart from money, you need a plan, if you do not plan to succeed, then you are planning to fail. Find a business model that works and work it out daily.

Q:        What mistakes did you make when you started your own business?

A:         The mistake I made when I started out was not working out my plan daily due to distractions. I had a plan, still do, but unlike now when I first started I didn’t work out my plans daily. You must always do something in line with your dream, goal and plan daily if you must succeed.

Q:        If you were to start all over again, what would you do differently?

A:         I will do a more thorough research before choosing a dealer and I will work out my plan daily no matter the challenge.

Q:        Another big question: How do you get customers or how do you advice one to get customers?

A:         First identify those that need your services, find out where they are located, and go introduce your services to them. Word of mouth advertising is free and always a good place to start. Tell everyone you have ever known about it; offer a free service as an incentive in exchange for referrals. There are many free and paid advertising services, find which one works for you and go with it. What is working for me right now is the Referral method.

Q:        What is the most important advice you would give people who want to start this business?

A:         Make up your mind to succeed and to be willing to pay the price of success and find someone who is succeeding in the business to mentor you to success.

The end.

From what i have gathered from the interview the work here is really in the marketing ,not in setting up the business.By marketing i mean , HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS.

If you want to start this business ,you need to have a sound strategy about who your target market (customers) is and how you will get them.

So if you are interested in making money with bulk sms business in Nigeria , i hope this article has helped you.

Thank you.

Update:

Finally, the first comprehensive course on how to build a “profit pulling” bulk sms business in Nigeria …starting with as low as N3500…that gets 1-5 paying customers daily, is ready.

Click Here for Details