Chinonso Ogbogu: Entrepreneur making a mark in writing

Many people have a natural talent for words but turning that talent into writing is not always so easy.

Chinonso Ogbogu, founder and chief executive of Sabi Writers is helping businesses and individuals take off the burden of writing by taking control of their writings, editing, and book launch.

Chinonso who is on a mission to build leaders and make a mark globally is inspired to establish Sabi Writers owing to his desire to impact his generation and the yearning for change after suffering from a failed business.

Narrating how he came up with the idea for Sabi Writers, the young entrepreneur says his willingness to help a friend with a tight schedule write her manuscript for a book helped him identify gaps in the industry.

“I had a Facebook friend based in the UK who wanted to write a book but didn’t have the time to get it done. She struggled to get her manuscript ready, because of her pretty tight schedule as a single mum,” he says.

“So, I volunteered to help her. It was in the course of writing for her that it dawned on me that many other professionals and business leaders like her had a thing or two to write and share with the world but lacked the time, energy, or skill for serious writing,” he explains.

To fill the gap and support other working professionals to meet their writing needs, Chinonso established Sabi Writers.

“It was at that moment I knew I was sitting on something big and impactful. So, I decided to pour my whole attention into the idea and that was what led to the establishment of Sabi Writers as the go-to place for all your writing needs.”

Since starting, the business has grown steadily with its client base increasing steadily as well. He started the business with an HP laptop and zero capital.

“Interestingly, my startup capital was an old HP laptop, my small bedroom that I turned into an office space and had to sleep on the bare floor, and a ton of pig-headed determination to succeed.”

“Our clients have grown, from just a handful when we started to spread across Africa and beyond. Today, we enjoy the trust and patronage of some of the biggest individual and corporate brands in Africa who use our writing services,” he says.

According to him, the business has quality talents of writers, editors, designers, presenters, transcribers, voice-over artists, and managers among others.

Today, Sabi Writer has diversified into other aspects of the public relations and communication business, he says.

“We have expanded from writing to other value-adding divisions like brand designs, state-of-the-art video and audio production studios, publishing, education, and e-commerce, still around content and storytelling.”

Speaking on how Sabi Writers is disrupting the communication landscape, he says the business is providing a supportive learning environment for aspirant writers to develop their talents and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

“What we have done as an organisation is to go a step further to set up Sabi Writers School – a training institute for raising and equipping young writers with the necessary knowledge, tools, and exposure needed to become professionals,” he says.

Also, he says the business goal is to bridge the gap in the industry through its maiden Open Writers Programme. “We believe the African writing space has a large pool of untapped talents.

“Our goal is to scale this initiative and bridge the gap in the industry, allowing young writers to not only learn and grow but also earn a good living doing what they love.”

On the strategy the business adopted to survive the inflationary environment, Chinonso says Sabi Writers’ ability to deliver unmatched value to its customers enabled it to survive the difficult moment.

“When it comes to surviving and thriving through tough times, nothing beats the act of delivering unmatched value to one’s customers. When your customers trust and experience real value working with you, they would, in turn, most likely retain their patronage and refer others to you,” he says.

“At Sabi Writers, we pride ourselves in constantly striving to be the go-to brand that individuals and organisations can trust for all their writing needs. For us, this will always remain our basic winning strategy,” he adds.

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In evaluating the country’s communication industry and where opportunities lie, he says Africa still has countless untold stories that would require sharing creatively.

According to him, the industry has the potential to create jobs for Africa’s young talents.

In his projection for the industry, he says Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change the industry narrative, noting that Sabi Writers plans to invest heavily in the tech.

On major challenges facing the business, he says the business has suffered from hurdles limiting entrepreneurship in the country, adding that his ability to take and retain control of his mindset has helped the business overcome the challenges.

On his advice to other entrepreneurs, he says, “Be prepared for the surprises of entrepreneurship when they come and by all means, protect your mind, because that’s all you have to draw from their vicissitudes to navigate your way to the top.”