‘I started my business with N200 and now it has grown to N2.5m’

Oluwadunsin Fatuase is an ICT expert and founder of Footprint Enterprise. Fatuase told JOSEPHINE OKOJIE, in this interview, what inspired him to establish a tech business and how the business had grown since starting.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

My love for technology inspired me to start my business. My family has a business centre that handles desktop publishing services. At a tender age I had already started operating the basis in a computer and my thirst to know how machines worked drove me into hardware troubleshooting and repairs. I also went into different programming, languages, database management networking and security. This led to the establishment of my technology business in 2011.

What are some of the challenges you face?        

Our major challenge is the limited access to tools and devices that would quickly aid my development process while learning. Another challenge is power supply.  We need electricity to power our computers, and prices of fuel and diesel has increased. This has made our production cost higher. I always refuse to see problems as problems but as opportunity to drive myself beyond the usual.

How do you think the government can address some of these challenges?

Things are far better now, but truth to be told, we are still far behind in bridging the technological and digital divide. I am of the opinion that those who have seen the light should help the situation by doing what we can do, rather than waiting for government interventions. We have hubs around now absorbing youths who are willing to learn: DevDestrict in Akure, Ondo State, CC-Hub in Lagos, iDea Hub, Sabi hub and lots of programs around the country to support technological developments. For the government to address these issues, it must provide key infrastructure for technology to grow and give more support to entrepreneurs and technology which will help address the problems of unemployment and job creation.

How have you been surviving recession?

First is to live by higher principles which recession cannot catch up with and then turn the hyperbolic idea of the recession into a tool of advancement. Recession is considered to be a public phenomenon. The worst that can happen to an individual is to have a personal recession. With principles, I don’t try to survive, I already did.

 What would you tell your younger self?

Hey younger Dunsin, get into the battle earlier, fail faster, learn quickly, and grow stronger from hands of the experiences you have gone through. Pursue, treasure and nurse strategic relationships more. Let your dreams chase you out of sleep. Act faster than you talk and do not aim small and guide your mind more than the United States protects her president.

When did you start your business and what was your initial start-up capital?

I started my business with N200 in 2011. I already had computers and office space before starting.  I registered my business in 2015 as Footprint Enterprise and the business is worth about N2.5 million currently.

Do you have employees?

Yes, I do. I have seven full-time staff members working with me.

The government is talking about diversification. What role can technology play?

I truly hope that it doesn’t stay as a mere talk. Should the government press seriously beyond talks, it would be an honourable and wise decision to diversify through technology and not into technology. We have lamented enough about the relegation of agriculture, and we would see remarkable results when we use our resources holistically and then use technology to jump-shoot the productivity of the diversities the economy would be spread into. For example, how about using satellite imagery in developing irrigation strategies for the northern part of Nigeria to curb dryness and ensure that they have year-round food production. Therefore, technology can play the role of productivity enhancement and give lot more dynamism to the results gotten from the planned diversification, rather than seeing it as a focus.

Why do most promising start-ups fail after been birthed?

The journey is long and there are many obstacles but as gold is tested by fire, so does the market test start-ups. There are a whole lot of reasons why start-ups or even established companies fail but the usual suspect is the market force, if everything else is equal. For promising start-ups to thrive, they have to capture the market and defend it by disrupting themselves or else competition will disrupt them and force them out of the market.