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By Chukwuma Umeorah
Amid the challenges and opportunities of Nigeria’s dynamic business landscape, the CEO and Founder of AN Global Consulting, Avinash Nichkawde, says businesses in Nigeria, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) deserve all the help that they can get to grow and expand their operations beyond the country’s border.
As the company recently established its presence in Nigeria, Nichkawde in this interview gives some insights into his entrepreneurial journey and the vision behind his company’s innovation and integrated verticals. He explains how it empower businesses and his commitment to making positive impact on the global business landscape, particularly in Nigeria.
Excerpts
Tell us about your entrepreneural journey and what inspired you to start ANGlobal Holdings
I started as a young accountant in Australia, where I initially specialised in tax returns. Over time, I established a successful mobile tax service and became the number one tax service provider in the country within just four years. However, I always had a passion for entrepreneurship.
This spirit of entrepreneurship and my dedication to being self-employed led me to run nine companies with over 200 employees. All the experiences I gained throughout my career is what I brought into AN Global Holdings. Our goal is to become a truly global company, currently operating in 10 countries with plans to expand to 25 by 2025. Our fundamental philosophy is to excel in everything we do.
You recently launched operations in Nigeria to help local businesses and entrepreneurs. What attracted you to Nigeria and how would you address challenges businesses face in the country?
As an entrepreneur, I am always looking for solutions to challenges. Nigeria presents a significant opportunity for us. It is the largest economy in Africa after South Africa, and where there are numbers, there is great potential. I believe that Nigeria is ripe for investment, and we are here to help local businesses and entrepreneurs overcome challenges and seize opportunities.
How do you hope to achieve this?
Basically, we have seven verticals upon which we render our services. These verticals form the backbone of AN Global Holdings, and they are; Business Brokerage, Franchise Sales and Development, International Business Consulting, Technology, Education, Business Migration, Trade and Investment.
They are integrated, meaning they work together synergistically to provide comprehensive solutions to businesses. They encompass everything from helping businesses expand internationally to providing training, consulting and even assisting in business migration processes. This integration allows us to support our clients holistically and create a substantial impact on their growth.
When we do international consulting, we provide strategies, structure, local directorship and all that. The training is one of the big areas.
For business brokerage and franchising, if you are a business owner that wants to grow, you may think about opening ten offices, go through the headaches of managing them with thousands of employees and other problems or through our help, you may simply make it a franchise zone, put all the businesses and ideas in a box and welcome other individuals, entities to benefit from it while they pay you some franchise or royalty.
For successful businesses in Nigeria, we have the capacity to take them overseas, leveraging our presence in countries like the USA and Canada to facilitate expansion while bringing other good companies from abroad to Nigeria. This integration helps to foster collective growth and positive impact to the broader economy of each country. To achieve this, we have set up a great team headed by Nwali Tochukwu, CEO of AN Global Consulting in Nigeria.
What are your criteria for choosing local businesses to work with? Our focus is not primarily on large corporations with extensive resources; we are interested in startups and SMEs that have innovative ideas but lack the capital to execute them fully. They are the ones below the economic cycle, but if you study them, you will observe that they have some proven concepts, they have some numbers on the board, they are the ones who need help. We aim to bridge the gap for these businesses by providing customised solutions.
We would welcome all businesses that are willing to work with us, however, as time goes on, we begin to classify each of these companies based on their values, ideas, and potential. This would ensure that we do not waste time and resources on businesses or entrepreneurs that are not serious about growth. The whole idea is the meaningful contribution that we can add to that business.
When a business or individual approaches us with a concept or idea, we perform a thorough assessment, understanding their entire business model. From there, we create practical strategies for growth, set realistic targets, and develop comprehensive plans.
How would AN Global act as a facilitator between Nigerian SMEs and international markets, to FDI to Nigeria?
Through our business migration and integration model, we would create a synergy for like-minded businesses in Nigeria and abroad. Through this, many foreign investors would be wooed into bringing their businesses to Nigeria. This of course would bolster the Nigerian economy and boost its FX earnings.
Most businesses in Nigeria are facing challenges arising from unhealthy government policies… How do you deal with such?
Understanding government policies that affects businesses is a never-ending process and this is because all over the world, policies are dynamic as they are always reviewed by the government to mirror economic realities.
Rather than pass judgment on these policies, our approach is to thoroughly understand each business’s unique model and adapt to the existing policy framework. If your business model is excellent and maybe, you are having difficulty in Nigeria today, it does not stop you from becoming successful in other countries using the same concept.
I focus on ‘holding your hands’ as a business owner and taking you to the next level. In life I believe in being positive. Don’t just cry about the problems but think beyond that as you manage what is in your control.
Given the trust deficit often associated with doing business in Nigeria, how does AN Global plan to build trust with local and international partners and clients?
Trust is crucial, and we understand the challenges associated with it in Nigeria including negative perceptions related to corruption and unstable government policies. However, we have built a strong reputation over the years through our professionalism and commitment to excellence. We can leverage our existing business associates in other countries to vouch for our presence in Nigeria and our ability to deliver results. Building trust is a gradual process, but we are determined to correct that perception and demonstrate the potential for successful investments in Nigeria.
Which sectors in Nigeria do you think will benefit the most from your comprehensive suite of services AN Global Consulting services are versatile and adaptable, offering potential benefits to businesses across various sectors. Regardless of the industry, our analytical approach delves into fundamentals and scrutinizes the numbers. By thoroughly examining a business’s records, we can pinpoint areas for improvement and tailor strategies to foster growth.
What does your company stand to gain?
While profit is undeniably a vital component of our business, it is not our sole motivation. We take immense satisfaction in seeing businesses flourish and evolve into iconic brands. Our efforts to nurture these businesses constitute a significant contribution to society. From a personal perspective, I have always aspired to be recognized as the best in my field, and this drive has attracted highly skilled individuals to AN Global Holdings. Our ultimate goal is to effect positive change in businesses and communities.
What is your projection doing business in Nigeria over the next 5 years We place a strong emphasis on quality over quantity in our pursuit of promoting businesses overseas. While we are committed to growth, we are equally dedicated to providing substantial support to the businesses we engage with.
