Hey Reader
Sometimes when I ask people new to buying and selling what their motivation is, the answer is almost always the same:
“I want profit. I’m tired of 9–5.”
I usually just smile, not because they’re wrong—but because they haven’t seen this stage of business yet.
The first few months are different.
There’s energy.
There’s momentum.
There’s hope that things will move fast.
Then Quarter 2 comes and reality starts to show itself.
Sales slow down.
Expenses don’t.
Light bills… yet no light.
Fuel prices rising.
Shop maintenance.
Salaries to pay—whether customers come or not.
Then taxes, owo ile, and all the small expenses that quietly add up.
And in the middle of it all, you’re still expected to convince people—and more importantly, earn their trust.
I remember a period when business was slow. The kind of slow that makes you question opening the shop at all. That's the kind of period Quarter 2 can bring.
But I still showed up every day.
Opened.
Arranged.
Waited.
Not because it made sense immediately, but because I understood something many people overlook:
Consistency is tested when things are quiet.
There was a young guy nearby—very sharp, always chasing deals. Everything was working… until one deal went bad.
Payments were delayed.
Debts piled up.
He stopped opening regularly… and eventually stopped completely. People asked about him for a while, then they moved on.
That’s how it happens.
Not always with a big failure—but with small, inconsistent decisions.
One afternoon, a customer walked into my shop.
“I’ve been checking for you,” he said. “Thought you’d close early these days.”
I laughed. “If I close, how you go take see me?”
He nodded. “That’s why I came back.”
He bought without much talk. Then added:
“I even sent someone to you.”
That moment stayed with me because in business, people are always watching—especially during periods like this.
They notice if you show up.
They notice if you’ve reduced your effort.
They notice how you carry yourself when things are not moving.
And slowly, without announcing it, they decide who they can trust.
Now here’s the part many people don’t think about:
We’re entering a new quarter and Quarter 2 is where many people start adjusting their commitment.
They open less.
They try less.
They wait for things to improve before showing up fully again.
But business doesn’t reward that. People don’t trust what they cannot consistently find.
Profit is important, yes. But what keeps a business standing—especially in seasons like this—is trust.
And trust is not built when everything is working.
It is built now—
in the slow days,
in the quiet hours,
when nothing seems to be happening,
and you still show up.
Because in this stage of the year, showing up is not just routine—it is strategy..
Josh 🙏🏼
