Purit Abhulumhen is the founder of Spangler Market and Vent Sq, an online market place for Nigerians.
Purit was inspired to establish this platform owing to the constant frustration experienced by SMEs when trying to sell their products.
She was prompted to set up an online market platform where people could sell and buy anything and get them delivered to their choice locations.
“I started planning states’ trade fairs to support my clients to easily access the markets with their products while also getting more visibility,” she says.
“But at the end of the day we concluded that we can do better without spending money unnecessarily just to get buyers to come and buy,” she explains.
“In the quest for searching for something different, the idea of an online market place was conceived,” the young entrepreneur adds.
Since Abhulumhen launched her online trade fair in October 2019, she has had over 300 vendors showcasing their products and has held three editions of it.
She urges buyers to take advantage of the opportunity to shop at discounted prices.
She recently held an online trade fair that attracted many buyers.
The communicator-turned-entrepreneur has had over 148, 000 SMEs participate in the online fairs held by her organisation.
The entrepreneur started this business small from her savings and those of family and friends.
The business has expanded since starting and has continued to grow its return on equity consistently.
Answering questions on how she was able to convenience vendors to showcase their products, she says it was quite difficult at first as most on them found it strange.
“When I introduced it to vendors, it sounded weird. But I had to teach them how to go about it and also teach buyers how to visit vendors’ stands from the comfort of their homes,” she explains.
“The most interesting part is that vendors on the platform are from different states in the country and countries of the world,” she says.
She advises brands that are yet to utilise the online fair to take advantage of it, saying that the platform also gives brand visibility.
“These days, visibility is very expensive. Having to show yourself and your services to over 147,000 people is a wise business decision entrepreneurs should never miss,” she says.
“Through time, vendors have shared testimonies of how they have made huge money from the comfort of their homes, and this alone warms my heart,” she adds.
On the challenges limiting the business, the young entrepreneur says that huge infrastructural gaps have remained the major challenge facing the business.
She calls on the Federal Government to provide the needed infrastructure for businesses to thrive.
She also urges governments at all levels to support small businesses with grants and capacity building.
On her advice to other entrepreneurs, she says, “Do not give up because you can do anything you set your mind on.”
