I combine running bar with plumbing job – Chibueze

Mr. Joseph Chibueze has been able to combine his plumbing business with running a bar. The owner of Sharp Corner Gardens, in Kugbo, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says the venture has been worth the while, PAUL OKAH writes.
Running a bar is unarguably a profitable business, as many people visit to unwind after a hard day’s work.
It also provides an avenue for meeting friends, establishing contacts, getting information and sealing business deals.
Upon completing a five-year apprenticeship with his brother-in-law, Joseph, who hails from Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, was assisted by his brother-in-law to establish a bar which he uses to provide food for his family on daily basis, as contracts for his plumbing job come once in a blue moon.
When Business Starter visited his ‘joint’ recently, Joseph was busy taking orders from his numerous customers with his pregnant wife lending a helping hand where necessary.
Joseph came to Abuja in September, 2011 after spending sixteen years in Lagos as a food stuff retailer. According to him, on the invitation of his in-law he came to Abuja after his business packed up in Lagos. He had to serve as an apprentice with his brother-in-law who ran a popular plumbing outfit known as Mic Mac Plumbers at Building Materials Market in Mararaba, Nasarawa state.
After completing the training in 2016, his in-law settled him by procuring the needed tools for the trade for him. Not yet done, he also established a bar for the promising Joseph to complement his income whenever there was a slack in getting contracts for his plumbing work.
According to Joseph, “I served him faithfully for five years with my brother-in-law, so he established the beer parlour business for me after I was through with my apprenticeship.
“I started my beer parlour business in January 2017 and got married on 1st December, 2017. My wife was a teacher, but later resigned to support my restaurant business. With the help of my wife, I combine my plumbing job with operating a beer parlour and restaurant business.
“I undertake contract to carry out plumbing work in any kind of house either with my client supplying the materials or my buying them myself, but I prefer to buy the materials myself to prevent buying fake products. If a client complains to me, I take my time to trace the fault and recommend either a repair or outright replacement of the Sumo or machine. If the borehole is not flushing well, we’ll make use of water tanker to flush it and correct any fault,” he said.

Challenges in the business
In every business there is a challenge and young Joseph as no exception as he had to combine running the bar and his plumbing work. According to him, if not for his wife it would have been difficult to get by.
According to him, “We have to be careful on the pipe to avoid breaking. If there’s no water in the borehole, the Sumo or water pump may burn. High voltage may also damage it. Sometimes, clients pay me by installment or owe me for a very long time. Some even start avoiding me after I am through with working for them.
“Light is a challenge too, as we use a generator to operate, because of the power supply situation. Challenge of the beer parlour is that the power supply is not steady to chill drinks. Again, some customers run away after owing me. Some, after drinking, claim there don’t have money to pay.
“There is also the challenge of not having enough money to buy as much drinks as I would like. As a result, I run out of drinks quickly. Some customers don’t patronize me, because they now believe that I don’t have a particular brand of drink, even when I have it. I also spend a lot of money on light bills and fuel. Just last month, I was given a bill of 10,000 for a light I didn’t use, because of epileptic power supply.
“Also, the nature of my plumbing job is not a steady one, because people don’t build houses easily, so I sometimes use up the money I made from the last job before another contract will surface, which makes it difficult to save money or achieve something tangible.”

How the business started
Joseph explained to our correspondent that he was frustrated living in Lagos when his food stuffs business packed up and he had to survive by joining motor park touts to harass motorist for a living. However, he joined his brother-in-law in Abuja to continue his business and rehabilitation from the wasted years in Lagos State.
He explained that he came to Abuja after his elder sister convinced her husband to take him under his wings so he does not end up like other motor park touts.
“I did not pay for registration like other apprentices. In fact, my brother in-law took me like a younger brother and taught me the nitty gritty of the profession. I was given rare privileges not granted other apprentices and I greatly excelled under my brother-in-law’s tutelage.

Light at the end of the tunnel
“After training for five years under him, I had mastered the profession and there was the need for me to set up on my own, because I was not getting any younger, neither did I envisage spending the rest of my life as an apprentice.
“My brother in-law did the needful by procuring the needed tools for the trade and I was ready to take on as many clients as were able to afford my services. As the vocation depends on people needing my services occasionally, my brother in-law provided a fall back for me by opening a beer parlour business for me. There is also a large space used for events like wedding reception, child naming ceremony, etc.
“If someone buys about 7 to 10 crates of beer from me, he will use the venue for free, but if he buys less than seven cartons, he will pay me #5000 for using my venue. He is also free to buy drinks from outside and then pay me for the venue. I have a space that can take in three big canopies and about two hundred people.
“We sell a plate of goat meat for N300, while chicken is N500. A bottle of Life or Hero beer is sold for N250, while a crate with 12 bottles is sold for N2,500. I always make sure I chill the drinks for customers and celebrants
“In my plumbing work, we have Sumo of various categories and prices like 0.5, 0.75, 1 horsepower, 2 horsepower, 3 horsepower. They transfer water from the water underground to the overhead tank. The depth of the water determines the Sumo. From 80 metres depth to the overhead tank. There is a difference in price between the original product and China product. My job starts immediately after the water has been drilled and discovered.”

Future ambition
Joseph believes that any man can attain to any level they desire in society if they only believe in their capabilities. He says that he is very good at his job as a plumber and hopes to get contracts from government, top businessmen and politicians, because he can handle just about anything thrown at him.
“Last month, I flushed a borehole for a client in Asokoro. It was blocked with dirt, but water started coming out after I finished working on it. Since then, he has not complained to me. I hope to get connections to work for Ministers and anyone that has a structure and requires my services.
“No matter the time of the day or night, I have a ready answer to any plumbing question or problem, because I am really good at what I do. Hopefully, I will buy a land and own a house with this business and my plumbing job because I am an expert at what I do.”

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