Many of you see big businesses and big plans and think that is the only way to succeed. But the real wisdom is to find a way to win where others are not even looking.
My hotel is not in the city; it is in a small community outside Ughelli, in Delta State.
As small as it is, it makes more money than many big hotels inside town. Let me tell you why.
The Vision That Looked Foolish
When I was building this hotel, the vision was very different. It looked very stupid to people then.
I had to build the swimming pool far from the hotel itself, so if you lodge here, you must take a bike just to get to the pool.
People thought I was crazy. But today, the idea is paying off.
This hotel is now one of the most popular in Delta State. People come from all over—from Edo State, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Anambra—just to come and see the place.
They ask, “Why is this place inside a forest?” They come here just to observe nature and the quiet environment.
You know that Lekki in Lagos is somebody’s village? But due to development, it has turned into a city.
This place is now serving as a home, a retreat for a lot of people who want to escape from the noise of the city.
Start Where Your Competition is Low
As a financial expert, the best advice I can give you is to start your investment journey very early and in a place where your competition is very low.
If I had started this business in a place like Lagos or Abuja, my chances of failure would have been very high.
Why? Because in those places, I would be competing against billionaires who have real money to spend. They have a better experience and have smarter people working for them.
In this small community, my hotel and my presence have brought life to the area. We are a home for a lot of people.
You will see husband and wife, and boyfriend and girlfriend, they will come here for a day or a week just to observe the nature and the environment.
They will go back and tell others, and the next time, you will see new people coming to the place.
The Financial Wisdom
You know that a hotel with 15-20 rooms that is booked every day is better than an 80-room hotel where only two people lodge per day. The money I make here daily, some hotels in the city don’t make it. It costs me less to run, and I make more profit from it.
Let’s do the math: a room costs ₦30,000 per night. If two people lodge in an 80-room hotel, that’s only ₦60,000. But what if the cost of diesel for that night is ₦150,000? You will run at a huge loss that day.
When I was building my hotel, I could have built a much bigger one, but I chose to build what would be easy for me to manage. My biggest vision is to get a five-star hotel, and we are still working to get to that level.
As a young person, you must start from somewhere. Start in a region where the competition is very low.
That’s all for today’s lecture, students.
The three ways money comes from a hotel are lodging, drinks, and food.
You must understand your business and your market. If you want to go into something like this, I really encourage you, but seek mentorship and experience first.
