MSME DIGEST With Kola Owolabi
(Reverse Entrepreneurship © Series (1))
Author’s note:
This post is the commencement of a series of posts on the concept of Reverse Entrepreneurship ©, something that I have been developing over the past twenty years, that is already turning into a movement. It is wrapped around a customer-centred approach to starting and building businesses, a strategy that is bound to help start any business with minimal stress and result into unending growth of the enterprise.
Part One: Start with a Sale
I will start the introduction of this concept using the experience I had while working on a brief brought by a client while I was the Chief Operating Officer of a consulting firm.
The client wanted to go into the business of manufacturing plastic closures (caps for pet bottles). He wanted us to conduct a feasibility study to guide him on whether he should go ahead with the idea. At the end of the feasibility study exercise, I called him in and told him he should not venture near the business. He was shocked by my answer. He replied by asking whether he paid us to say no to him.
I told him that a feasibility is a guide to help one arrive at a yes or no. To open his eyes to the state of the industry he wanted to go into and decide whether it was safe for him. I told him that there was only one condition, that if he met, I will allow him to go ahead. I told him that he should take steps to procure confirmed buyers of the output of the proposed factory for five years. In other words, he should have buyers ready at the onset willing to pick up what he will produce for the five years. This meant he should have a market ready, from the first day, to patronize him for the time he will use to pay the loan he was going to take.
Most people who dream of becoming entrepreneurs begin their journey by chasing money. After the business plan preparation exercise, they proceed along the tortuous path of pitching to investors, or looking for loans. They believe that once they secure capital, the business will naturally take off. Unfortunately, the opposite is often true. Many ventures that start with capital fail because they never solved a real problem for a paying customer.
Reverse Entrepreneurship flips this logic. Instead of chasing money, you chase the first sale. Instead of building a company first, you build a customer relationship first. The philosophy is simple: if someone is willing to pay you, you are already in business.
Starting with a sale forces clarity. It compels you to answer the most important question in entrepreneurship: Who is willing to pay for this, right now? This question is more powerful than any investor’s cash or financial projection. A sale proves demand. It validates your idea in the real world, not just in theory.
When you focus on making the first sale, you naturally simplify your idea. You stop worrying about office space, logos, corporate structure, or elaborate systems. Instead, you ask: What can I deliver today that someone will pay for? This approach reduces risk and accelerates learning.
For example, someone who wants to start a catering business does not need a fully equipped commercial kitchen from day one. They can start by supplying food for a small event, church programme, or office meeting. A fashion designer does not need a big boutique to begin; one paying client for a custom outfit is enough to validate the business idea.
The first sale accomplishes several critical things:
1. It proves the idea works.
A paying customer is the strongest form of validation. It means your product or service solves a real problem.
2. It builds confidence.
Nothing motivates an entrepreneur more than seeing money come in from a real customer.
3. It generates cash flow.
Even a small sale can fund the next step; materials, marketing, or delivery.
4. It reveals what customers actually want.
Customers will tell you what they like, what they don’t, and what they’re willing to pay for. This feedback is more valuable than any theoretical market research.
The focus on the first sale also helps you avoid unnecessary expenses. Many entrepreneurs spend heavily before earning a single naira. They rent offices, hire staff, and print promotional materials; all before confirming that customers exist. Reverse Entrepreneurship prevents this by making the sale the starting point.
To implement this approach, follow these simple steps:
Identify a specific problem you can solve.
Find one person or organization experiencing that problem.
Offer a simple, practical solution.
Close the sale, even if it is small.
Deliver excellent results.
Once the first sale is complete, the next goal is the second sale, then the third. A business is not built on capital; it is built on a sequence of satisfied customers.
In Reverse Entrepreneurship ©, the first sale is not the end of the journey; it is the true beginning. When customers start paying, capital naturally follows. Investors, lenders, and partners are attracted to businesses that already have proven demand.
In other words, the sale is the seed from which the entire enterprise grows.
Kola Owolabi is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC.CMC). David Solomon Consulting Limited is based in Igbesa, a suburb of metropolitan Lagos, in the vicinity of Crawford University. The organization, whose expertise lies in preparing bankable business plans for entrepreneurs and organizations, has executed landmark business development and market research briefs for organizations within and outside Nigeria. The company has been helping entrepreneurs, both new and highly experienced, plan and execute market entry with speed and minimal resources. The company can be reached via phone or WhatsApp at 08023203198
