Meet Nigerian businesswoman who doesn’t employ friends nor relatives

Lariat Alhassan never mixes business with pleasure. One of the success tips of the CEO, LarryGold Business Link Limited, makers of Larclux paints, is not to employ relatives and friends, except as consultants.

In this interview, Lariat Alhassan reveals that her determination to succeed in a male-dominated field has kept her going for years now.

For Lariat Alhassan, it wasn’t easy to start up her paint company. She had to put in an extra effort to make sure her dream became a reality.

Even though most women feel intimidated going into that line of business, Lariat Alhassan wasn’t intimidated going into paint business. She saw it as an added advantage to be a woman who was determined to take the lead in a perceived male-dominated business.

While employing staff, Lariat Alhassan looks out for their enthusiasm for the job. You can’t do well if you are not enthusiastic and passionate about your work.

Her typical day with observing her morning prayers. She then takes a cup of Chinese green tea with ginger and lemon. She also does 100 sit-ups, takes her bath and goes to work. She then moves from one site to another depending on how many sites her company is working on.

As the day progresses, Lariat Alhassan drops by first to supervise what the painters are doing and then proceed to meeting with her clients. After all the necessary meetings for the day, she heads to the office where she does some work or have meetings if it is scheduled already.

God has been faithful in helping Lariat Alhassan overcome some of the challenges that come with this terrain of business. She usually thinks through every challenge she faces in any particular moment. She broods on tactics to employ in overcoming her challenges usually between 1 am and 3 am. At that time, she is able to think out solutions and so far, it has been working. She also prays a lot.

In addition, she communes and relates with other female entrepreneurs to brainstorm about certain issues. From their different experiences and perspectives, solutions could arise.

Moving forward, Lariat Alhassan would love to see more women in her line of business and is also ready to encourage and mentor women who will be ready and enthusiastic about this business.

Some of the success rules that keep her business going are no employment of relatives and friends, except as consultants, but never as permanent staff. For her, it is no mixing of business with pleasures. Business is business, she keeps it that way.

Lariat Alhassan is used to unpleasant sites because that is what brings the money. And there is usually no need for me to form a big woman when visiting these areas. What she does is just equip herself by wearing shoes or clothes that befit these sites and she fits in without stress.

Lariat Alhassan says: “If I have the power to change the world, I will place more women at the helms of affairs in this country. I will make all women see themselves as sisters, and there would be no need for envy. They will be so happy with themselves that there would be no need for one woman to be responsible for another woman’s tears but to be the cause of her laughter.”

“I will make things so easy that if two women were to share a man or share something important to them, it will be with so much love with one woman watching the back of another and not bringing her down. I will promote the true strength in womanhood and sisterhood.”

Her rules for living life to the full include taking each day as it comes and living each day as if it were her last. Also, she tries not to give up on things that are truly important to her. “It is never over for me until I know I have achieved my aim for good, she added.”