04/04/2026
If you want steady customers in your shop, you must be doing at least one of these two things: either selling recharge cards or offering phone charging services. If you can do both, then that’s a perfect combo. Put a small banner outside that shows you are charging phones or selling recharge cards — believe me, people will notice, and customers will start coming in.
But here’s the key: selling recharge cards is not your main plan. Your main plan is to get more visits to your shop. Every person who comes to buy a recharge card can also become a buyer of other items. Maybe they remember their charger is bad or their power bank is low — and suddenly, they are buying from you.
When I was in Akwa Ibom, I used to notice this clearly. The days I got the most visits were often when NEPA refused to bring light. I would see 10 or more people in my shop at a time, all charging their phones. Passersby would ask, “What’s happening there?” and just like that, my shop was getting advertised indirectly. Every person who charged their phone would go back and tell others on their street where to charge, and more people would start coming — often buying other items as well.
I know many people say there’s a lot of risk in charging phones. But the truth is, business itself is full of risks. Nothing is really new. You just have to be careful in everything you do. I charged phones for 5 years while running my shops in Nigeria, and in all that time, I never recorded a lost phone.
**Advice to my fellow engineers:** Think beyond fixing phones. Use every service in your shop to attract customers. Even small, indirect strategies like charging phones or selling recharge cards can grow your customer base. Be careful, be consistent, and always look for ways to get people in your shop — the more visits, the more sales, and the stronger your business grows.
BBT