How I Started AccountingHub – Chioma Ifeanyi-Eze

WHEN I COULDN’T SEE ABUNDANCE

In 2016 when I started Accountinghub,  I didn’t have the type of courage that I have now.

My mind couldn’t imagine big numbers.

I just couldn’t process some type of big dreams.

My mind could only imagine a certain limited size of things.

At that time, I couldn’t see myself teaching a class of 5000 paid participants. I couldn’t see myself doing bookkeeping for over 700 businesses.

I could see 10, maybe 20 clients in my mind’s eye.

So, as a young and afraid entrepreneur, I applied to a group of investors to invest in my business.

At the time, 10million was a lot of money so that was my intended Ask.

I was going to ask them for 10million Naira to get a big office, hire and train bookkeepers, do marketing and grow Accountinghub.

Luckily, they liked my submission, selected me from over 150 others,  and invited me to pitch my idea physically to them.

They are a group of ‘Lagos Rich men’ who pull their monies together and invest in young promising entrepreneurs.

On the day of the pitch event, I arrived at the club house, owned by these rich men. That was the venue for the pitch event.

I sat in my car and prayed 1000 times.

I got out of the car entered and sat at the reception waiting for my turn to be called in.

Praying, shivering, calling my husband severally, this was my first time ever to ask anyone to invest 10million Naira in me. It felt so scary.

While I was still waiting for my turn, my big brother friend, Simeon Ononobi called me. He wanted to know how the pitch went.

I told him I was still waiting and I was scared.

Then he asked me, “How much investment are you asking for?”

I said 10million.

Simeon wanted to slap me from the phone.

“Are you mad? Do you know who you are and what you carry? What is 10million? Do you know the price of a brand new generator for the office? Only the generator will take more than a quarter of that. Listen, you will ask for 30million. Do I make myself clear?”

I responded, “Yes”

I dropped the call and ran into the toilet.

For 10million, I was shivering, now he says I should ask for 30million, I need to faint please.

Long story short, I got into the room where the rich investor angels were.

I made my pitch.
They loved me.
I asked for 30million.
They accepted.
I made it!

They did their commercial, financial and legal due diligence within the next 2 weeks.
I scaled through every test.

I was qualified to get their money.

But eventually, I didn’t take their money.

I didn’t want to lose so much stake in Accountinghub so I had to decline taking their money.

I deceided to run Accountinghub as a sole owner, bootstrap and grow myself.

But here’s what I learnt from that entire activity.

If I had entered there and asked for 10million in exchange for 20% of Accountinghub, they will give me.

If I had asked for 30million, they will give me.

If I had asked for 50million with justifiable reasons, they will give me.

I soon realized that it was about the level of abundance that my eyes could see.

If my eyes could see how to deploy 50million to generate 200million in a year, the investors will gladly give me the money.

If my eyes could see how to deploy only 10million to generate 40million, they would give you.

The investors would never force you to see what they can see.

They invest in what you can see for yourself.

A person is only able to execute at the level of abundance that his mind can see.

When your mind can only see 10 customers, your execution plan will focus on 10 customers.

It is because your mind sees only 10 customers, that is why you say we should chat up on Whatsapp to buy.

The day your mind starts seeing 100 customers, you will build a website and ask us to buy online.

The day your mind starts seeing 1000 customers, you will not only build a website, but you will employ 3 customer care staff to attend to issues.

Unknown to you, you live each day, executing according to the level of abundance that your mind can see.

If only you would pull back a bit today and deliberately start to function and execute at a higher level of abundance, you will see how things will change for you.

Yes you can start small.
But remember to ask your mind to keep dreaming bigger and bigger.

Mama James and Mama Peter started selling rice the same day in the market.

Today, 4 years later, Mama Peter sells 4 bags of rice a day while Mama James still sells one cooler of rice.

Mama Peter was the one who remembered to constantly keep increasing her abundance mindset and abundance execution.

While Mama James was employing only her sister, Mama Peter was employing more women and training them. Mama Peter was buying bigger pots and more cooking equipment while Mama James kept using the same size of pot.

Only a mind of abundance can experience growth, because you can only execute what your mind can see.

I pray for you this day….

May your mind be able to see abundance.
May your mind be able to process large numbers.
May your mind be able to plan for 100 instead of planning for 10.

Let me stop here.

The Gospel of Abundance is clear.