2022.
I almost closed my car wash.
No customers. Debt. Loan apps were calling me morning and night.
I was tired. I told God: "Should I just quit?"
But God didn’t let me quit. He taught me 3 lessons.
Not big school grammar. Not MBA.
Just street lessons that work in Nigeria.
If you’re doing business in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, or anywhere in Nigeria, these 3 lessons will save you too.
Lesson 1: No Pity
Lesson 2: 9-5 + 5-9
Lesson 3: Buy Low, Sell High
Let me break it down for you.
LESSON 1: NO PITY IN BUSINESS
Egbon, Nigerians will pity you... and still not pay you
Early days of my car wash, customer will say:
"Egbon, abeg manage this ₦1,000. I go balance you later. God go bless you."
And because I had pity, I would say "Okay no problem".
Guess what? He never came back to balance me.
Another one: "Egbon, my salary never enter. Wash my car first."
I washed. Till today, I’m still waiting.
I learned the hard way: Business is NOT charity.
Be kind, yes. But set your price. Collect your money. Give good service. That’s it.
If you keep pitying people, 2 things will happen:
1. Your business will die
2. Your family will suffer
Pity will kill you faster than NEPA bill.
Today my rule: Price is price. If you don’t have it, come back when you have it.
And guess what? The serious customers stayed. God sent better customers.
LESSON 2: 9-5 + 5-9 = YOUR ESCAPE PLAN
This is the one that saved me from loan apps.
I still do 9-5 - washing cars for clients, doing jobs. But 5-9 is for MY business.
After work: I’m at the car wash, washing, talking to customers.
Weekends: I’m posting on WhatsApp, cleaning, learning new things.
Nights: I’m writing for Investment4Business blog.
Why? Because your salary alone cannot build wealth in Nigeria 2026.
9-5 pays bills. 5-9 builds your future.
If you close work and go and sleep or watch TV till morning, you’ll always be stuck. If you use 5-9 to build something, in 1 year you’ll see result.
That’s why I have car wash + blog.
That’s why today I made ₦7,000 from cars on top of my salary.
If you don’t have a 5-9, create one this week.
LESSON 3: BUY LOW, SELL HIGH
This one is simple but it’s the secret of all rich people.
For Car Wash:
I don’t buy soap when I’m desperate and price is high. I plan. I buy soap, towel, bucket, brush in bulk when it’s cheap. Small saving on each item = big profit at the end of month.
For Blog:
Right now I’m "buying" with time and stress.
Writing, learning SEO, publishing. Later I will "sell" it through traffic and AdSense.
Don’t buy when price is high because you’re desperate. Wait. Plan. Buy low. Sell high. That’s how you keep profit and not waste money.
FINAL WORD FROM ME TO YOU
Egbon and Sister, these 3 lessons didn’t make me a millionaire overnight.
But they stopped me from going broke.
2022: No customers, debt, loan apps.
2026: ₦7,000 day, blog growing, peace of mind.
What changed? I applied these 3:
1. NO PITY- Be kind, but collect your money
2. 9-5 + 5-9 - Use after-work hours to build
3. BUY LOW, SELL HIGH - Plan your buying
Write them down. Put them on your wall. Put them in your phone.
FAQ
Q: But Egbon, if I’m too strict, won’t customers run away?
A: The customers that run because of price were never going to pay you anyway. Let them go. God will send your own.
Q: I’m too tired after 9-5. How do I do 5-9?
A: Start with 1 hour. 1 hour daily = 30 hours monthly. That’s enough to build something.
Q: What if I don’t have money to buy low?
A: Start small. Save ₦500 weekly. In 1 month you can buy in bulk. Or sell service first, use profit to buy stock.
Comment Below: Which of these 3 lessons hit you hardest?
No Pity? 9-5 + 5-9? Buy Low Sell High?
Let’s learn together in comments 👇
I’m Oluwamuyiwa from Ibadan. Car wash boy and blogger. If God can save me, He can save your business too. Share this if it blessed you. Someone needs to hear this today 🙏
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