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A Smarter and Cheaper Strategy for Earning Foreign Exchange [Hint: It’s NOT Related to Crude Oil or Agricultural Exports…But It’s Cheaper And More Sustainable]

February 19, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It’s become more apparent that we as a people in Nigeria still refuse to GET IT, when it comes to identify SMARTER strategies for earning TANGIBLE foreign exchange on a sustainable basis to boost our economy.

Since I became a child capable of intelligent thought, growing up in Nigeria, most times the subject of foreign exchange earnings has been discussed, it has always been MAINLY regard to sales of Crude Oil, and Agricultural Exports.

Fast forward many decades later, and I’m approaching my 46th birthday, yet nothing has changed.

Both the leadership and followers in Nigeria still cannot see that there are MANY more reliable alternative ways today, to earn substantial amounts of foreign exchange, on a long term sustainable basis, at much less cost, using much fewer resources, and in much less time!

This is the Information Age we’re in for heaven’s sake. A time in which PC and Internet technology drives virtually every area of our lives – even including the exploration of our crude oil (which now commands pitiful selling prices in the market) as well as our agribusiness endeavors.

I recently got a browser error message displayed in my attempt to make online renewal payment for a client’s website hosting using my Debit card, linked to my Paypal account.

The message shown advised that my card been “denied by the card issuer”: I had no clue what that meant.

By the time I called the bank’s support arm, they checked and announced that the funds paid in by my client were insufficient. In reality however my hosting provider platform was working with Nigeria’s N200 to $ 1 USD official exchange rate showing that I have well over the required amount.

Long story short, by the time I voiced the above fact, the bank customer service operator told me that N300 to $ 1 USD rate was set for online card transactions, due to the continued fall of the Nigerian Naira, was responsible!

Yet, NO notification was sent out to card users to that effect.

So users discovered that fact only at the point of payment! By implication of the above, my client, who’d I only recently hit with a price increase, to adjust for an earlier value drop, now has to absorb yet another hike to make the payment possible.

My point however is that this is all happening because Nigeria’s major means of earning sustainable amounts of foreign exchange is via crude oil and agricultural sales, for the most part. With the former providing the bulk of the earnings, effectively making us a mono-economy for decades, we were NOT ready for the drastic change in fortunes when it happened.

Now that the oil market is no longer so lucrative, our leaders and people are turning to Agriculture – which is not bad. However, in doing so they are adopting the same mental attitude employed in handling our generation of Forex earnings from crude oil sales.

By this I mean, for instance, that they are working to setup large plantations, agricultural estates, farm settlements and the like.

To be fair to them, such models are proven to be viable and in some areas are already working. The problem I see, which many of those involved seem not to, however, is the fact that this adopted approach takes A LOT of time, money, effort and resources.

This is why despite the lucrative prospects of venturing into agribusiness, so many who want to, have not been able to. And since government itself is no longer exactly swimming in a pool of free-to-spend cash, they are unable to give out as much financial assistance as they would like to.

Add to that the massive hole smashed into Nigeria’s coffers, by the political looters, most still being chased for possible recovery, and it becomes obvious that this capital and resource intensive strategy used for so long is simply not worth making our main focus.

We need to put in place something that can work faster, with much less (if possible zero cost) requirements, while at the same time impacting a larger number of our people.

Such a solution exists and has been in existence for decades.

But it is ALIEN to our society, for the most part. We are simply not used to functioning in such dimensions.

That is why it is understandable that up till this moment, despite ALL the pain, suffering, and lack visited on majority of us, we and our leaders still choose to ignore it or pretend it’s not there.

Yet if we were to adopt it, massive benefits can accrue to us a nation, within a much shorter period, and on a much more sustainable basis compared to what we currently have in place!

This solution requires deliberate use of the Creative Mind, the brain, the thinking faculties – in as many varied ways as possible, to earn income.

To some extent one could argue that we have elements of that happening already in Nigeria. That would be with regard to our entertainment industry. I won’t waste time explaining much.

One example should suffice.

What do David O, Tuface, Olamide, Sunny Ade, Wiz Kid, Seun and Femi Kuti, Lagbaja and so many other musicians getting international recognition do to make money?

Simple. They think up songs and strategies to deliver those songs to their target markets in a way that gets them invited to perform, and also earns them royalties from records sales.

But let’s get real here. Most Nigerian artistes don’t really know what it feels like to live on royalty earnings. The system we have here simply does not protect their interests that well in the respect.

As a result, they depend heavily on LIVE shows for their living. However Lagbaja, the Anikulapo-Kuti Brothers, Asha and other Nigerian acts who have established themselves by traveling and recording internationally, can boast of such royalty benefits being significant. Fela Anikulapo Kuti did that so well, that his albums continue to generate earnings for his offspring toda, MANY years after he’s passed on.

Most people in Nigeria don’t get it but THAT is another way foreign exchange earnings enter Nigeria.

Having said that however, even the music or entertainment creation model does not offer as much rewards to a large population like ours, compared to the solution I have in mind.

Among other things, getting started in music can often require having access to scarce funds. And this has caused some great talents to NOT take off in that industry.

The solution I advocate for adoption has much fewer barriers to adoption – even age is almost no limitation!

The fact that Nigerians in general have not adopted this solution I have in mind, does not imply we are dumb, blind or stupid.

No. It’s more of a problem of one-sided thinking caused by years of exposure to an environment in which VERY little critical thinking is done.

That is why we all think the same way about subject like these. We keep saying oil prices affect our dollar earnings. We forget some countries don’t even have Crude Oil to sell, yet they earn BILLIONS in US dollars annually!

A good example is India.

The Indians are leaders worldwide in software development and sales, and it earns them huge volumes of foreign exchange annually.

Unlike us, they did not sit around waiting for oil wells to be dug and oil to be drilled from them for sale to other countries at the huge expense we all know it takes to do it.

Instead, several decades ago they invested quality time and money to bring in top programmers to teach coding to Indian youths from primary school level on a formal basis.

It was a deliberate strategy that they diligently pursued until they began to turn our armies of young programmers, with the marketing skills to take whatever solutions they created and use the web to reach their target buyers.

Today, we know that many organizations in Nigeria use Indian software, which they often purchase RENEWABLE user licenses for – at premium rates in US dollars, all of which goes right into the Indian economy.

Yet I know of no single digital solution conceived and developed by Nigerians in Nigeria, that is purchased for use by Indians in India – whether as individuals or organizations.

It is also instructive to note that this happens with comparatively less effort and money being expended by the Indians – when compared to the costs we incur to get our crude oil to buyers!

In other words, the Indians (and other nations like them) are making low to zero cost use of the creative intellect of their nationals, across various age groups, to create foreign exchange earning solutions needed on a regular basis by people across the world.

[Hint: Note that I say the above as one who has made sales of my customizable Excel-VB Ration Formulator software to buyers in places like Canada, Philippines, England, Tanzania, Uganda and other countries but NOT ONE sale to anyone – so far – in India. Yet, over 90% of the enquiries posted under one of the most viewed videos for this aforementioned app were made by Indians who repeatedly request in their posts that I send them the app FREE…for some strange reason!]

If we in Nigeria are really serious about getting ourselves out of the mess we are in, with regard to having adequate foreign exchange earnings, we WILL have to look beyond the traditional capital intensive methods we’ve gotten so used to.

We will have to do something similar to what the Indians, Americans and many other developed countries are doing.

We will have to invest MORE time in using the creative intellect of our people, which comes at low to zero cost, to create solutions we can sell to a potentially unlimited global paying audience of eager buyers, just like the Americans and Indians have been doing to us for years.

Once we begin doing that, our own army of creatives will generate solutions that will attract buyers from abroad to pay in foreign currency.

Over time, that will add up like it does for India, giving us enough reserves to NOT have our currency fall so badly in value that prohibitive exchange rates stifle our ability to make online payments for what we want.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News

As Conventional Income Generation Models Grow Obsolete, We Need to Embrace Smarter PC and Internet Technology Driven Alternatives!

February 18, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This article is based on excerpts from another in my Performance Improvement pod cast series which covers a variety of subjects I have a business interest in.

Examples include my farm business software, built using custom Excel VB, and my other customizable software used by clients in other industries. Not only do I build and sell basic to highly sophisticated custom Excel Visual Basic software, I also coach individuals and groups in the business of optimizing and automating MS Excel.

You could be also providing Excel solutions as an employee in an organization or as an entrepreneur or independent consultant.

My Excel-VB club was launched to help interested persons.

Just today, an Associate Professor in a leading Nigerian university who teaches advanced MS Excel for business users, became a member of the club, by ordering my Home Study Video Tutorials on DVD.

Apart from the foregoing, I also serve clients by providing Web Marketing Systems, in the use of the Internet to find profitable paying buyers for their products and services.

So web marketing is not just about using email and having website.

It’s more about making the Internet work for you by bringing customers you’ve never met before, who have never heard about you, and who will come to you based on the intelligent marketing content you put on the web over time. So that they make enquiries about what it is that you offer, and ultimately (some) make purchases from you without even meeting you in the flesh.

This is the model I operate on. This is what I do for a living. I’ve done this for years. I get better and better at it, and I’m getting a lot of international recognition for my work as I continue. I sincerely believe others can achieve similar, or better results.

That’s why a key vision I have is to show more Africans especially and any other interested persons, how to make intelligent use of the zero cost Internet access s/he has.

Because I tell you what we pay for Internet – we still pay heavily in our part of the world (Africa) – is nothing compared to the value that the Internet can add to us if we know how to use it.

So I have a vision to help people in my part of the world understand that they can run around much less, and focus their energies on adding value to other people in a way that will make the latter send them money without having to meet them.

And so for today’s pod cast, my focus is on the subject of job creation by organizations and governments.

It is also on the fact that in Africa, the Internet is a grossly underutilized platform that offers the massive benefit of basically helping to eliminate what you might call unemployment – IF it is used in the proper way in Africa.

Unfortunately those in charge of government and those in organizations that could even do some form of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects, don’t even have this insight and understanding, because a lot of people are so used to the traditional ways of earning income.

The result is that they just cannot conceive that it is possible to provide jobs or to empower people to be employed, without their having some physical interaction with job providers.

I am saying that we need begin to look beyond the conventional models of employment, and understand that the Internet offers us an opportunity to create from what never existed before. Create what never existed before, and transform it into something that enables individuals and groups to generate income for themselves, without a need to resort to the conventional models that we have.

The reason is that the conventional models we have are tired. They’ve been overused. They are overloaded. They are too much in demand. And the truth of the matter is they don’t even reward financially and otherwise as well as the Internet models do.

So if people can work and earn money while doing a lot less running around, then it means they get to keep more money in their pockets.

They spend less energy. And yet at the same time they can do a lot more work that gives them a lot more money. And let’s remember this, the Internet allows you to have access to what we continue to call a global audience.

And therefore if you create something that adds value to people that are beyond the shores of your geographical location, it automatically means that you will be able to earn income internationally.

Consider what that means for a person in Africa, in Nigeria for example, with the crazy exchange rates we’re currently having to endure, in which the Naira is converting officially about N200 to $1 USD, and a point it was about 1 GBP at about N300 (The rates in the parallel market are much worse).

I mean, if you were able to train your own people, whoever needs to be employed, to have skills, knowledge, competencies, that would enable them to earn income using the web in foreign currency. The result would be that if a guy were to earn 160 GBP for instance, that translates to between N40k to N50k.

Now if this guy is just a young person, a graduate, living alone and yet to get married, you can imagine what that can do for him or her.

Now this is not some kind of fairy tale scenario I’m trying to paint here. This is something that is happening LIVE, real. And it’s not the Yahoo Yahoo nonsense. This is something that is based on real life proven income earning models. And I’m not talking about starting some pyramid scheme and start telling people to pay some money to join your bottom line.

I’m talking creating value like I do, selling applications to people, writing books in various forms…

Both print and digital that people from all over the world can place orders for and receive in their homes or download on to their pcs. Building web marketing systems writing articles on behalf of clients on websites that I build, and blogs that I setup for them.

Things like that and a lot more too – such as ghostwriting books for experts in various fields. You can even sell your own handicrafts to people locally and internationally. This is done in many many African countries today, but not at high enough a rate to address the problem of unemployment, because there is no strategic intent on the part of the people who are in authority, to make intelligent use of the Internet in the way I describe.

What individuals are doing for themselves in pockets all over the continent, and earning a living by it, using the Internet, is what a government that has critical thinking stakeholders in it, can use to create a special system that will enable people to empower themselves to have jobs.

We could probably call them job creation centers, but they would based on a self=employment model, and there are so many variants that could be explored.

The thing is the thinking has to be done to see what is most suitable to your unique socioeconomic environment. To the nature, the culture, the habits of your own people. What do they need to be taught. What habits do they need to unlearn, what habits do they need to learn, to live this new life?

We’re in a new world. The 21st century is a different world from what it is we used to know before. The industrial age is gone and what we have today is an information driven age. We keep talking about that. People say it, but they don’t act like they understand it.

Even the need to get a university degree is dying. It’s no longer the ONLY or most relevant model – at least not for everyone. Indeed, for the majority, that need has diminished.

Look around you as you listen to me. Think of all the thought leaders that we have today. Even the ones that are being chosen by the United Nations as “ambassadors”. Most of these guys are entertainers and other people who have used technology and the Internet to make themselves well known and the media has supported them. And at the end of the day they become “celebrities”.

Because of that, organizations want to use them to sell their products. So they make them ambassadors of their brands and all of that. And therefore they become role models. They are the ones you see hogging the attention of the media. You see them getting interviewed al the time.

And then you with a degree, Mr. Professor, what attention do you get? Let’s look at it this way: Look, we’re saying we don’t have jobs for our young people who are leaving school. The question is:

“What does the person leaving school have to offer the world?”

Nobody is going to just dish out money to anybody. People want you to solve their problems!

If you are a problem solver in the real sense of it, people will want to engage with you. If they need to pay you they will, because they know you can solve their problem.

What are products of our schooling systems capable of?

Most of the time all they have is book knowledge and even the book knowledge they have is often very watery these days, because of the poor or degenerated quality of the education provided.

The alternative is to empower people to build on their own talents, gifts and natural skills sets. And then find ways to leverage to provide value to other people using those abilities they have, and then earn income in the process. So yeah, you can go to the university and get whatever degree you want, but the thing is when you come out, or graduate, you’ve got to be able to take what you’ve learnt from there, and monetize it.

You’ve got to be able to find a way to use what you learnt in school, to earn income without necessarily having to go knock on the door of a company to employ you.

You’ve got to be able to think creatively with the exposure that you’ve had to the institution that you’ve learnt from, and come up with ideas of how to earn income using the knowledge and expertise that you’ve gained.

If you’re somebody in mass communication for instance, you want to begin to think unconventionally.

How can you help, for instance, an up and coming artiste, market his new tracks and get attention from a potential buying public as against having to go and shell out a lot of money to some big name producer that probably may just exploit him or her.

How can you use your skills as a mass communication professional. All your training. Put that into the use of the web, and leverage some huge marketing platform to promote this guy, and then get a producer crawling to him or her, on his/her knees, asking “Look let me take your brand and build it to the next level as well. You’re good. I’ve checked you out on the web. You’re this, you’re “.

These are things that are possible, and in a variety of ways. I’m talking about entertainment now, but same idea can be applied in other fields. Look, I’ve already mentioned what I do.The field I’m in is a totally different field from what many people go into. So again the Internet allows you the opportunity to choose where you want to go, what you want to focus on. And because of the low operational overheads of using the web to promote yourself and to do what you do, you find out that you can actually keep going for a much longer period, even when you say you don’t have capital.

So all these issues about “I can’t get a job”, and “there’s no capital to start a business”, the Internet model invalidates that excuse for any person who may contemplate it!

That would be a cop out, and a sign that s/he is not serious.

Except you’re lazy and you do not want to use the creative abilities given to you by your God.

And that’s what I’m talking about in this pod cast. I’m saying that the thinking about how to create employment, how to create jobs has to be changed.

Those of you who have a role to play in finding jobs or creating employment for people, have to begin to think beyond what you’ve always known.

The model of running around on the streets applying for jobs, and then saying you’re giving people jobs.

What do you mean “giving people jobs”?

You can show people how to create jobs for themselves. How to create income earning models that probably don’t require them to work more than a few hours per week.

This is happening. The thing is some people keep saying it’s happening in only Oyinbo (White man’s) land. That is not true. It’s not only in developed societies.

Right here in Nigeria, there are so many local business models that can be taken online and operated profitably, even from the comfort of the home.

I am doing it already, and I am working with my children to make sure they learn how to do it. Because I have told my kids that none of them is going to be employed by anybody.

They will choose to get in and out of paid employment only to get experience and to get exposure.
But as far as taking care of themselves is concerned, and earning income, they will be able to do that as real life digital multipreneurs.

So, I hope I have been able to stir a bit of curiosity in your mind about this. It’s something that I have a passion for. I hope to see Africans drop all this muscle exertion and begin to look at more intelligent use of the intellect to create opportunities for themselves.

It’s the only way that Africa is going to catch up with the rest of the world.

We need to stop thinking that we need to use muscle power, run around physically and sweating around all over the place.

The people that use their intellect are the ones running the world. Take a look around you. That’s why Toshiba, Microsoft etc – they literally control us.

So if we want to really catch up with other countries, we must see that the thinkers in those societies are the ones leading. And the thinkers need to wake up in Africa, and begin to lead as well.

If you have any interesting in connecting with me on this subject, I’m open to taking any questions. Just fill/submit the web form linked below, to send me your message.

Note that I have no desire to meet any government person, and do not wish to be employment or hired by any government. If you want ideas or suggestions about how to go about this, feel free to get in touch – click here to send me a message.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Verbatim Text Transcript of Welcome Video message for Tayo Solagbade’s Home Study MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Programming Video Series on DVD

February 17, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Hi. My name is Tayo Solagbade.

This is the introduction to the Home Study Video version of my Microsoft Excel Heaven Visual Basic Programming Coaching.

Now, typically in order for you to get access to this series of videos, you would actually have become a member of my Excel Heaven Visual Basic Club – which is available for access on the web. You would have access to a private closed group on Facebook, and also to a password protected members-only section of my website.

This video series is the equivalent, or kind of alternative to the on-demand 4 day Practical Excel VB Programming Coaching Workshop that I offer.

I’ve offered this for years, since 2006, and it’s been something that has enabled me to share my expertise with a few people who saw the need to improve their abilities, in terms of how they could be productive using MS Excel.

No matter how much you think you know MS Excel, in term of using excel if you are not automating MS Excel using visual basic you are really really undercutting your self. I’ll tell you that. It doesn’t matter how much expertise you think you have, for as long as you are not using visual basic to automat MS Excel, you are not doing as much as you are capable of.

In fact you’re really, really, really crawling instead of flying. And there’s no exaggeration. All you have to do us go to ExcelHeaven.biz to look at some of the applications I have showcased there through my Youtube channel.

Now, in this video series which is like I said the Home Study equivalent of the 4-day practical coaching workshop.

You will learn first of all how to design your worksheets using best practice techniques. Best practice techniques in the sense that there is what you call an approach to designing your worksheets, setting up your tables, posting your data, that will enhance your ability to get the best possible results using Microsoft Excel.

Now if you do not observe those rules, guideline and practice those techniques, what will happen is tat you would make your use of MS Excel needlessly burdensome, cumbersome, full of drudgery and you know when you’re using an application like MS Excel which is the best reporting application on the planet, it would be a shame if you then begin to struggle as if you don’t have it.

Somebody said you lie on your bed the way you make it.

The way you design your worksheets and the way you setup your workbooks to function, ultimately determines how productive you can be in your data analysis, data recording, trending and report generation.

Now, the other thing you’re going to learn is how to use range names to make your formulas more powerful. This is not exactly part of automation, in terms of the fact that you don’t really do coding to do range name creation. But your understanding of how to use range names will make your ability to do your coding in terms of using MS Excel Visual Basic code to control Excel so much more effective.

So it would save you a lot of time in making references to different parts of your workbook and worksheet, in your coding. So much so that you won’t even have to stress yourself remembering the areas of the spreadsheet you want to refer to.

I know you may not understand that now…but if you’re a reasonably experienced user of MS Excel, you will know what I mean by this. But even if you don’t. don’t worry – it will be explained to you.

One of the opportunities you have with this home study version is that I’ll be providing little tips to help you quickly kind of catch up in terms of your understanding of certain important aspects of normal Excel.use that we need to ensure you have before you can appreciate the advanced concepts in Excel Visual Basic Programming.

Click here to request the full video download and/or contact me about getting the Home Study Video Tutorials

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Self-Development

Succeeding Through Hard Work, Determination and Persistence: 3 Lessons from Nigeria’s Igbo Traders

February 16, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

If you think the title of this article is an attempt by a Yoruba man, to suck up to Igbos (who happen to be my in-laws), I’m sorry to disappoint you. It is NOT.

What I share here are insights based on objective study and evaluation of the trade and commerce (and sometimes manufacturing/creative) activities of a majority of people belonging to this major ethnic group of Nigerians.

1. Take Responsibility for Your Future

These guys (and for those that are married – their spouses), have a penchant for NOT wanting to sit back and wait for manna to fall from heaven, into their laps.

Note that I refer here to the ones engaged in trade and commerce for a living. Even when they are soliciting assistance or support from others, their attitude is often one of readiness to take personal action to achieve the breakthrough they desire.

I’d seen hints of that in my contact with them as a student in the university, whenever I visited the Oshodi market. I was often struck by how the young but energetic ones among them, undergoing apprenticeship, eagerly went after customers and worked to win sales for their “masters”. Years later, they would gain :”freedom” and get support to open their own shops. Most times these guys have no problems paying their way – in kind – to achieve their goals.

In one of my several night trips between Lagos and Benin cities, while still working as a young shift brewer in Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, I recall having to board a luxurious bus coming from a major Eastern city (Onitsha or so) and headed for Lagos.

I joined them at close to 12 midnight after waiting several hours, following my arrival from Guinness’ Ikpoba Hill premises, where I’d completed my afternoon shift.

When the bus arrived Lagos in the early hours of the morning, and we began disembarking, I was to discover that most of my fellow travelers were able bodied young Igbo men with LOTS of well packed goods in the cargo underside of the bus. It took me several minutes to draw myself away from watching them as they moved their stuff on to the ground. 30 minutes later, they were done, and had arranged another vehicle to transport them to their market destinations.

I thought to myself: These guys don’t sit around waiting for anyone to open doors for them. They take action to make things happen for themselves, with the mental attitude that anything else that comes their way will be icing on the cake they’ve already baked.

Being of similar mental disposition myself, I drew inspiration from seeing others not even in my intellectual line of work acting in a manner I could relate to. And that further boosted my determination to remain that way.

2. Make Problem Solving a Way of Life

Have you ever met an Igbo trader (does not matter what s/he deals in!) who readily admitted he could NOT solve your problem as an intending buyer. If you’re a Nigerian, I believe you know what I’m getting at here.

Just go to any market where the Igbos operate and ask for the item you wish to buy. Unless it’s a device used for building space ships, the person you speak with is likely to either:

(a) invite you to come in and see if what s/he has is what you are looking for…or

(b) tell you to follow him/her to the “other shop”

Never mind the fact that THAT “other” shop may not be his/hers. What matters is that their attitude of wanting – even insisting – on helping you find what you want, often leads them to make sales that others not as persistent as they are readily lose.

I recall going around puzzled for about 2 days in 2015, after I rented a bigger apartment in an area of Cotonou called Aibatin, looking for a place to buy a set of plastic chairs and table. Everywhere I went, the indigenous shop owners told me they did not deal in products of that nature. And in most cases they simply advised me to go to the Igbos.

It took me a while to get it, but eventually one of them told me such items were often exclusively brought in by Igbo traders, as he arranged for a bike rider to take me to one. Less than one hour later, I’d purchased and returned home with the new items. It’s amazing how these guys identify a gaping hole in their target market and then fill it in a way that makes them nearly indispensable!

Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes they can take it too far, for instance by trying to convince you what you SEE them showing you, which you tell them you do NOT want, is what you actually NEED.

They have a habit of trying – sometimes – to sell ice to the proverbial Eskimo. However, my experiences in dealing with them indicate you need only let them know that you are NOT gullible, for them to drop that act!

Otherwise, this habit they have is one that I believe every person who wants to excel in life needs to adopt. If people know you to be someone who often has the answers or information they need, and/or who knows the solutions to problems they have, they will frequently seek you out, and refer you to others. By implication, you are likely you get talked about – positively – a lot. Be it in paid employment or business, such a reputation can dramatically boost your ability to succeed and excel!

3. Be Willing to Learn Anything New That Will Make You Better

And this is the one that makes me proud to be a Nigerian when I travel. Ever traveled across the borders of African countries? It’s true that we get bashed reputation-wise, due to bad deeds of some naughty or disorderly Nigerians.

However, I must say that everywhere I have gone I have seen consistent level of grudging respect accorded Nigerians in general due to what nationals of other African countries I’ve visited see some of our people achieve.

Please understand that I am aware that other Nigerians who are not engaged in trade and commerce are out there doing great things. However, I have to say that the numbers in which Igbos do their thing as far as trade and commerce goes is impressive – in fact intimidating.

In Cameroon’s Douala, I was frequently told – during my 3 week stay – about Igbo traders based in a place called Kanyi-Abasi (not sure about the spelling, so what I’ve used here is the closest I’m able to conceived from the pronunciation).

That place is known to be the centre for sales of all sorts of spare parts. People came from far and wide to buy from them. I also learned that as a result of their success, many of the Igbos sent their kids to the very best schools in that Francophone African country.

In Benin Republic’s Cotonou (which I made my base from 2013), there is a place called Missebou. A section of that market is occupied by Igbo traders engaged in selling mainly second hand shoes and clothing.

My 2005 two week visit to Ghana also revealed similar presence of Igbos as traders. We all know the trend continues right into the South of Africa. The Igbos are a relentless forced that cannot but be reckoned with in trade and commerce especially.

But you’re probably wondering: “So? That’s nothing new. Everybody knows that!”

And you would be right. Indeed we all know the Igbos to be ubiquitous.

But here’s what struck me:

Compared to ALL the other tribes and ethnic groups in Nigeria (including mine – the Yorubas), the Igbos are the ones who often do NOT recognize any limitations with regard to where they can establish themselves and flourish.

I say this with regard to the fact, for instance, that Nigeria is surrounded by mostly French speaking nations. My love for traveling both within and outside Nigeria by road (and once by sea) has brought me in contact with people from different tribes.

What I noticed consistently as I traveled was that compared to their Yoruba counterparts in particular (who were often fewer anyway) over 90% of the Igbos I met were not only self-employed but also fluent French speakers.

I should add here though that most picked up their French from the streets, but in truth they knew enough to hold their own in the purely French speaking socioeconomic environment.

To put this in perspective, you must remember that being in those countries, they often have to attend to non-english speaking customers. If you’ve ever tried to make conversation in a language you are not familiar with, you’ll likely know that finding the right word to express your intended meaning can be both difficult and frustrating.

Now, imagine trying to make a sale and being unable to communicate the benefits of your product…?

I mean benefits that make it superior to the one your non-english speaking prospective buyer is waving in your face. as his/her justification for wanting you to drop your price, and you will appreciate the challenge the Igbo trader in a non-english speaking society faces.

But guess what, I have had to buy stuff many times from Igbos who did not know I could speak English, talk less the fact that I was a fellow Nigerian – and often left with great respect in my heart for them.

Their resilience in learning what to say and how to say it, while in the middle of negotiations with a French-speaking customer told me volumes about the mental attitude that makes the average Igbo trader succeed against all odds.

Not only are they willing to learn a new language(s), they are also willing to learn new ways of doing things – including adapting to the cultures and practices of the societies in which they find themselves. Like I mentioned earlier, there will always be exceptions, and some of them do go about trying to break the rules in their host societies. But those who do that are fewer than those who don’t.

Final Words

I believe the above attributes, if encouraged in more Nigerians from an early age, regardless of whether they want to be in paid or self employment, will produce a nation of go-getters unafraid of working hard, to achieve their goals in life.

Right now, we have too many Nigerians young and old – not willing to do the work, but eager to get the pay!

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

PII 001: The Secret to Succeeding by Creating Your Own Luck [FREE Podcast]

February 15, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

When I quit Guinness to pursue a longstanding dream of being self-employed, Andy R. Jones, then Benin Brewery Operations Manager, apart from uttering phrases like “Tayo simply refuses to Fail” while speaking at my send forth party, went further to send me the following super handwritten note in a Christmas card, days before I left:

“..I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck.- Andy(R. Jones) ”

That was in 2001 – 14 years ago.

Over the years that have passed since then, I’ve pursued entrepreneurial success with the same diligent devotion to continuous self-improvement, with untiring persistence that Andy and other in Guinness came to know me for.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

NB: This PI Squared newsletter will be published weekly, on Mondays, in place of the Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, starting from today – 15th February 2016. I’m reinventing my Monday newsletter content and theme, to accommodate my vision of serving the growing audience of serious minded individuals and organizations reaching out to me, with information, education. news and research findings designed to help them do what they do better.

**********

PII 001: The Secret to Succeeding by Creating Your Own Luck [FREE Podcast]

“..I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck.- Andy(R. Jones) ”

That was in 2001 – 14 years ago.

Just like it happened in paid employment (though this turned out to be a LOT tougher and took much longer) I am now reaping the rewards of doing the same thing.

Today, apart from enjoying excellent relations with my clients, most of who see me more as a friend than a service provider or consultant, I am also getting more and more lucky in the way I attract new clients and customers for the growing range of solutions I offer!

Yes. That’s how some people would describe it. Luck. But luck can be seen to be good or bad, depending on how one chooses to view it. My mental attitude, as a student of Napoleon Hill’s Success Achievement Philosophy, and Wallace D. Wattle’s Science of Getting Rich is that luck is what you make of it.

And if you choose to ALWAYS see it as GOOD LUCK, and you go on to think and act to make it turn out that way, then that is what it will become for you.

This is what made Andy, and others who have seen me in action conclude I have the ability to make my own luck.

The truth is EVERY willing person has the ability to do the exact same thing. My life is proof of it, as are the lives of many authentic achievers on record in history.

This pod cast offers you ideas you can use, to learn how to adopt the right mental attitude that will enable you make your own luck. If you’ve ever let anyone convince you that someone outside of yourself is responsible for the seeming bad fortunes you’re having in life, I urge you to stop dis-empowering yourself in that manner.

No one can make anything happen in your life that you do NOT permit in the first place by way of the thinking habits you adopt. Not even people supposedly armed with evil spiritual powers (whatever that means) to harm you.

Listen to this pod cast and liberate yourself from today!

PS: Request the pod cast transcript

Whenever I post an audio recording/pod cast, I will create a downloadable verbatim text transcript version in PDF format, which will be available on-demand, for anyone who wants it. All you have to do is fill and submit a request form here (click here now to request it for the above pod cast).

See you next week!

SDN Blog™

New posts from last week*

Monday:

What if you could print your own money – anytime you need it? [Introducing Tayo Solagbade’s Performance Improvement IDEAS (PI Squared) Newsletter]

What if you could print your own money – anytime you need it? What if you developed the ability to make the money you need come into your possession, wherever and whenever the need arises. Many who practice the Christian religion, and who read the bible, may be familiar with the phrase “The Lord will […]

[Tuesday]:

Teach Kids to Develop (& Monetize!) Market Relevant Abilities EARLY In Life [VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: After Watching Short DIY Video, 12 Year Old Builds Battery Powered Toy Power bike Using Sticks from Sweets as Frames, a Rotor from Damaged DVD as Engine, Plastic Coke Bottle Covers as Tyres & a Microphone Battery from his Mother’s Church As Power Source]

This video (click here to watch in a new window) shows me test running the battery powered toy power bike built my 12 year old son, whose natural talent for creating electrical gadgets continues to excite and amaze me. He’s been like this since he was about 8 years old. I’ve written several articles in […]

[Wednesday]:

Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD

This is a due diligence update regarding my Excel VB club Membership Learning Opportunities. Some prospective club members recently expressed a preference for my branded auto run DVD based Step-by-Step Home Study Video & PDF tutorials. They made this request: A. So they can access the tutorials off line without incurring additional costs or inconvenient […]

[Thursday]:

Business Best Practice Ideas: You Do Not Have To Cut Corners To Make A Profit

Over the past decade or so, from the time I become self-employed in 2002, I have been “fortunate” to run into – and in certain instances – work quite closely with – some unscrupulous, or “not very honest”, entrepreneurs. In most cases, I was heartbroken to find that the impressions I initially had, tended not […]

[Friday]:

Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses

In a 2013 farm business ideas article (click to read it here), I wrote an article in which I made the case for Rabbit farming as a viable low cost means to boost availability of high quality protein towards raising the appallingly low per capita protein consumption in Nigeria/Africa. In my usual habit of walking […]

[Saturday]:

THE FARM CEO (Issue 36): Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses, The Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas Private/Closed Facebook Group Debuts, A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption

[Tagline: If it can help your farm business, you’ll find it in THE FARM CEO™ Newspaper ] This 36th issue of The Farm CEO features ONE page less than previous issues as the first of a series of new content changes I will be implementing to streamline it with what I’ll be doing on the […]

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement

Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting,

freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the

popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm

Manager™ software.

He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in

various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods

and others.

In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly

traveling across the West African region.

His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars

and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).

In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical
Manager.

In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting.

Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’

competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc).

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS

newsletter.

You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your

personal and work related productivity.

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to

SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix

(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old, NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
==================

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, The Farm CEO, Writing/Blogging

THE FARM CEO (Issue 36): Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses, The Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas Private/Closed Facebook Group Debuts, A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption

February 15, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

[Tagline: If it can help your farm business, you’ll find it in THE FARM CEO™ Newspaper ]

This 36th issue of The Farm CEO features ONE page less than previous issues as the first of a series of new content changes I will be implementing to streamline it with what I’ll be doing on the pages of the new Farm CEOs Club Facebook Group. Basically, subscribers will be invited to become members and the content generated there will be used to source highlights to feature here.

Here are the headlines, reviews – and links – for this week’s featured news items:

this issue

[URL] Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses P.1

[URL] The Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas Private/Closed Facebook Group Debuts P.2

[URL] A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption! P.2

[URL] FREE Advert Spaces P.3

Below: Screenshot of the cover for Issue No. 36 of THE FARM CEO (Monday 8th February 2016)

Subscribe to THE FARM CEO, and get this new issue, as well as ALL back issues, in addition to your full subscription of 48 weekly issues.

1) Useful feed formulation/other findings from trusted sources

2) Cost-saving ideas from farm visits as I travel across West Africa.

3) Ads by farm providers/suppliers of all genres.

4). Special promo price offers of my Software and Book products

Full details at http://tinyurl.com/TheFarmCEO

1 year’s subscription = 48 issues.

Subscription Fee = $36 USD (approx) N6.8k [You get my $82 USD Feed Formulation Handbook FREE, as well as FREE Bi-weekly ads for YOUR biz]

ARCHIVES: Click here to view previews of ALL past issues of the newspapers

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE EDITION

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses

February 13, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

In my usual habit of walking my talk, I have since gone far in my efforts to get involved in starting my own rabbit farm business (as part of an integrated Farm Business Support Centre offering I’m working to launch in Benin Republic).

While a student in the University, I’d operated a micro rabbit farm business in the backyard of my parents’ Lagos-Gbagada home.

Back then, I would sell my slaughtered and roasted rabbits, wrapped in foil paper, to health conscious seniors like Mrs. Lois Omagbemi (mother-in-law to Mary Onyali, the former African sprints champion).

Today, I’m keen to get my farm CEO clients and those aspiring, to see Commercial Rabbit farm business as the worthwhile venture that it really is. A quick google search on the web will show that the awareness of this lucrative venture has grown a lot in Africa.

My earlier mentioned article (click here to read it) highlights key benefits accruable from engaging in rabbit farming, so I will not repeat them here.

Instead, this article is meant to share with you excerpts from an exchange I had with an aspiring farm CEO working a day job, who showed interest in venturing into commercial rabbit farming, after a paid consultation session.

The recommendations I make to aspiring farm business owner today are being more and more influenced by what I’ve seen happen to other farm CEOs I’ve served over the past few years.

Nigeria in particular is a market with too much unpredictable variability.

For instance Bird Flu for poultry and Swine Flu for pigs are examples of diseases that diligent efforts of other countries’ government agencies in collaboration with their farmers have largely brought under control or eliminated.

Sadly, in Nigeria, I was shocked in Feb 2015 (i.e. last year) when an elderly Kano based Farm CEO told me over 700k birds had been lost to Bird Flu even though little news of it was known to the public and the government was doing more of talking than acting to end it.

That’s why the problem remains till now!

All of that led me to conclude that Catfish and Rabbits would offer less risky and more pocket friendly opportunities i- hence my decision to focus on recommending micro livestock like rabbits and fish.

Unless you have personal funds to invest immediately for a large scale operation, I feel most people need not invest in an elaborate business plan to startup

Like any other business, putting a business plan together will often be advisable. However, where it concerns rabbitry, I have a slightly different orientation. Like I told the farm CEO I mentioned above, when we met in his home, you can start very small with 3 to 4 does and 1 buck (or possibly 9 to 12 does and 3 bucks etc), and rapidly multiply them to a large operation in just one year.

My observations out here have taught me that it pays to startup small with a business like rabbitry (especially since you have a day job) to ensure one gets the hang of rearing them competently.

The best part, is that you can start small in January and arrive December with a big operation due to the rabbit’s unique high reproductive and growth capability.

That low cost start-up approach is one I personally prefer most people start with.

To encourage those who choose to go that small size startup route, here’s a 4 part zero cost offer of support I’d like to make as my own contribution to your DIY efforts. It’s what I had in mind to do all along if you went for it:

1. I will research and send you information about, and contact details for individuals and organizations you can connect with to get startup rabbit breeding stocks and other requirements.

2. I will gladly accompany you to examine rabbit stocks with providers you connect with. While there, I will interview the operators to establish the quality of the rabbit gene pool they work with, the breeding procedures they follow etc, so as to reasonably ascertain reliability of what they offer. It goes without saying though that one can never get 100% certainty.

3. It would be my pleasure to provide hands on practical rabbit farm management training for you to get you started in your operations. I will send you downloads links to 2 comprehensive manuals on rabbit farming, so that the hands on training will not take much time, or effort.

4. I will help you proactively search for buyers, and also share the many processing and sales/marketing ideas I have used successfully to sell my own raised rabbits.

5. When the rabbitry business is stabilized (6 months all being equal), you can then look at ways to integrate catfish farming – and again it would be my pleasure to help in any way I can.

The only thing you’ll have to do to make ANY of the above happen in terms of my support, will be to cover my expenses.

It would make me very happy to see you succeed in starting your own business in a manner that is convenient and pocket friendly. I believe it is possible to do so with rabbit and fish farming. But I am convinced those who are able to master rabbit farm business the way I advocate will have a massive competitive edge in the marketplace.

I say this based on the personal plans I have to launch mine, after years of careful observation and study of healthy living driven diet trends here in Nigeria/Africa. I will be putting my insights and expertise at your disposal.

That’s my token contribution offer, to support you in achieving your stated goal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must be my client in order to take advantage of the above zero cost support offer. Click here and here as well as here, to review products and services I offer, that you may wish to order (such as the Excel-VB Ration Formulator, the Poultry Farm Manager, the popular Feed Formulation Handbook and other information products).

Now, having said the above, if you’d still like to have something of a formal
document to work with, say to guide your expansion plans, here’s another offer.

I can use mainly my email and phone contacts, as well as online research where possible, to put together what would possibly be best referred to as a Feasibility Report for a Low Cost Rabbit Farm Business Startup.

Among others, I would go through my Farm CEO client contacts (in and out of Africa) to get relevant
additional details to combine with what I get locally in putting it together – including the aspect of integrating with catfish farming.

I would also visit their farms – and other well known farming establishments I have contacts in – to get more information for the feasibility report, since that’s my zone. Another thing: I could even explore buying high performing breeding stock for you to startup with! (You cover expenses of courses).

Note one of the major differences here (compared to the elaborate business plan option) is that I would not move around locally in Nigeria to identify, connect with and get farm specific data via face to face meetings. It would not be as comprehensive, but it could give you something to study as an action plan
implementation guide.

[IMPORTANT NOTE: Again you MUST be my client to take advantage of it.]

Now, the above report may also prove useful after you’ve started small and grown your rabbitry say for 6 months

By then you would have your own farm specific data that we would be able to post into my template’s spreadsheet tables for the feasibility study to generate real world reports/analyses that we can then present to convince prospective investors with!

The above in my opinion, will inspire more confidence in the minds of those we approach, because they will see on-farm proof of how rabbit farming can rapidly generate returns on a small investment. More importantly, they would be impressed with your demonstrated efforts to start where you are, with what you have.

If this additional adapted feasibility report offer idea appeals to you, or you would like to have a full featured, comprehensive business plan prepared for you, click here to send me a message.

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Self-Development

Business Best Practice Ideas: You Do Not Have To Cut Corners To Make A Profit

February 12, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

In most cases, I was heartbroken to find that the impressions I initially had, tended not to be accurate representations of what they did in reality. I say “fortunate”, because I learnt quick, valuable lessons as a result, that now make it possible for me to write THIS article for the reader’s benefit.

Quite a number of these individuals seem willing to – every once in a while – allow themselves a little indiscretion here and there.

Some are greedy cheats, and will go out of their way, given the slightest opportunity, to take advantage of another person – even if s/he is a relative!

Yet they KNOW it is wrong to deceive or defraud customers, clients – or indeed anybody.

James Cook in his book, “The Start-up Entrepreneur” was obviously familiar with the widespread nature of this problem, and hammered quite a bit on the need for entrepreneurs to be ethical in all their business dealings, at all times. The fact remains that no matter how many people openly engage in dishonest or fraudulent business practices, it will still be wrong for YOU to do the same thing!

But Why Do People Do It?

We must not be too abstract in the way we discuss this problem. To understand it, one could ask the question: Why do some people in business appear to so readily succumb to the temptation to cut corners?

The truth is that many who embark on entrepreneuring with honest intentions, often encounter traumatizing trials, challenges, setbacks and disappointments. In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill acknowledged that an individual, due to the pressure of a prolonged period of adversity may become temporarily dishonest, in a bid to secure some relief for the pain s/he feels.

So the necessary suffering that a person undergoes in the pursuit of a challenging goal might make him/her do one or two things that are dishonest, for a while. Ideally however, his/her conscience would eventually force him/her to take corrective action to discontinue the bad habits.

Where it becomes a problem is when the affected person, or another who does not even have such a problem – but who seeks a quick and easy route to success – makes engaging in dishonest or insincere acts a regular habit. In other words, s/he adopts routine and repetitive corner-cutting or crooked dealings, as a preferred alternative route to reach a desired goal(s).

You Do Not Need To Do It

I want anyone confronted with this kind of challenge to understand that IT IS POSSIBLE to weather those rough periods of adversity without engaging in unethical business conduct.

Simply dig in, learn quickly from your experiences, and correct your mistakes. Keep in mind ALWAYS, the proven fact that periods of difficulty and hardship WILL help you develop psychological stamina, and become more resourceful in dealing with problems you encounter while pursuing your goals.

Again, and at the risk of sounding boastful, I know this to be true because I’ve been there. Had it not been for those terrible losses and disappointments that I have continually overcome in pursuing my goals, I would not have become as self-confident, as I am today, when it comes to discussing entrepreneuring or what it takes to persistently pursue challenging life goals under situations that appear utterly hopeless and discouraging.

What Will You Do, If/When Confronted With A Fraudulent/Tempting Offer ?

Before you give me an answer, I will ask you to read the following statement I use to guide myself: “you will never know if you will steal, UNTIL the day you find yourself presented with a perfect opportunity to do so, in a way that you can be certain no one will ever find out that you did it”.

Now that you have read it, think about my preceding question again.

Do you KNOW for certain what you will do if/when confronted with a tempting proposition to do something dishonest or unethical in business(or elsewhere) in exchange for a reward/return you place a high value on?

For many, what they are willing to do is usually dependent on how they feel it will make them look to those who KNOW about it. This is the reason why people keep getting caught for corruptly enriching themselves: they ALWAYS think no one will find them out!

I believe every person who desires to achieve authentic success, must be able to successfully say NO to the above stated type of fraudulent/tempting opportunity (i.e. one known only to him and which s/he is sure no one will find out about).

It however takes HAVING a compelling vision, strong values, plenty of self-discipline, great will power and an achievement orientation, to behave in this manner consistently – especially when you experience painfully prolonged periods of lack and hardship.

Work Hard To Immunize Yourself Against The Temptation Of “Corner Cutting”

You must work hard to develop the needed moral strength to resist the temptation when it does come…and it will! In the case of the entrepreneurs described above, they allowed their desperate desire to succeed quickly, to cloud their judgment of what was proper and ethical, and consequently adopted shameful practices.

Sometimes clients or customers may push the point(where they consider “switching from honest to dishonest”), by refusing to pay up after the entrepreneurs had delivered requested products or services.

Especially in societies where entrepreneuring is not yet widely accepted as a viable means of earning a living, and social welfare schemes are absent or in their infancy.

When this happens, those entrepreneurs who are unable to stay strong under these conditions, look for ways to cushion the “pain”: they begin to cheat those who do bring business to them! Having said that, there are certain entrepreneurs who don’t need any “tempting”, because they are just naturally greedy cheats – perpetually on the prowl for unsuspecting persons they can take advantage of.

BUT the truth must be told: Whether or not you have been cheated by clients, punished, exploited, or betrayed, there is absolutely no excuse for becoming fraudulent in your dealings with others.

You won’t last long if you go on doing that. So, it’s up to you to decide where you want to stand. I hope when you take your decision, it will be the right one: which is to act with integrity at all times, in all your dealings, be it in business or life in general.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD

February 11, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

They made this request:

A. So they can access the tutorials off line without incurring additional costs or inconvenient delays that periodically occur with the web based versions, due to poor connectivity.

B. Because they are not able to travel down to attend the LIVE training in Lagos.

So, starting this weekend I’ll be creating step-by-step tutorials for them based on the contents of my 4 Day Excel VB Programming Workshop flyer linked below(click here to view it).

There will also be real life case study videos showing the steps I followed in using Excel VB programming to build the following commercial spreadsheet software that I have sold for years:

a. Automated cash book (built in 2006 for a Large Akoka based private hospital and later sold to an Ikeja based private hospital)

b. Automated Payslip (and Bank Salaries Payments Schedule) Generator – used by 2 large Lagos based private hospitals, with over 120 employees, since 2007.

c. Automated Invoice Generator (built for a small IT firm on Lagos Island in 2004 and sold to over 5 other businesses).

d. Automated Income & Expense Manager (built in 2006 for a business centre in Opebi, Ikeja and now sold to over 70 individuals and businesses in and out of Lagos. Very popular.)

You can think of this Home Study DVD product as a recorded version
of my On Demand 4 Day Workshop.

The advantage it offers is however the fact that you will be able to watch and re-watch each video anytime you want, and as often as you want – in addition to being able to read/print the accompanying PDFs.

You will be able to ask me questions via phone/email about what you watch that is not clear. During LIVE meetings, the DVD will provide a useful basis for discussing what you need to know and do.

The tutorials will be completed and dispatched on DVD via Fedex from Monday 22nd Feb 2016.

Price for DVD = N30k

NB: Other tutorial videos showing how to build my other commercial apps listed below can be included on request.

1. Automated Church Records Manager

2. Clients Contacts/Records Manager

3. Membership Records Manager

4. Hotel, Restaurant & Bars Manager

5. Clinic Records Manager

6. Pure Water Business Manager

7. Manufacturing Business Manager

8. Supermarket Business Manager

…And others at www.excelheaven.biz

My tutorials demonstrate how Excel VB can be used to dramatically boost productivity by automating routine and repetitive tasks in MS Excel

This helps to save time, effort and human resources needed to get data recording, analyses and report generation tasks done on time and with minimal or no avoidable errors.

All things being, equal, I will soon put up this new Home Study Video and PDF series on the paid members only section of my website for members to access online.

Click here to contact me if you have any questions or require clarification.

Learn more about my Excel VB Club offer here

You can view the Private Closed Facebook Group for the Excel-VB Club here.

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Self-Development

Teach Kids to Develop (& Monetize!) Market Relevant Abilities EARLY In Life [VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: After Watching Short DIY Video, 12 Year Old Builds Battery Powered Toy Power bike Using Sticks from Sweets as Frames, a Rotor from Damaged DVD as Engine, Plastic Coke Bottle Covers as Tyres & a Microphone Battery from his Mother’s Church As Power Source]

February 10, 2016 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

He’s been like this since he was about 8 years old. I’ve written several articles in the past – including one about how at the age of 10, he revived the laptop batteries I discarded, and used them to build a crude but functional rechargeable lamp using the bulb he picked up from a damaged one. Last year, I wrote about his talent for playing the recorder and harmonica (including putting up downloadable audio samples).

This time around, as part of our home schooling for income earning life skills project, I’d made him and his siblings watch a series of 2 to 3 minute You tube videos about how to build:

(a). balloon powered toy cars and

(b). battery powered cars and bikes – with tyres made from plastic Coca Cola bottle covers.

By the next morning, the 12 year old’s sisters came running to inform me that he had already built a functional balloon powered car made from carton paper, drinking straw, rubber band and plastic coke bottle covers – just like the videos they’d watched the night before.

I was NOT surprised. He’d played back the videos repeatedly till well past midnight, on my laptop, when the rest of us were watching TV or asleep. He was in his elements!

After watching the toy car run for a while, I asked why it always tended to veer leftwards. He replied that he was not sure. From the narrative in the video we watched, I suspected it would be the alignment of the parts.

The video showed where the builder had sketch out the “chassis” and measured out the sides of the paper to hold the wheels. Looking at the one made by my son, it appeared the tyres were not properly aligned and the paper itself not evenly cutout.

So I told him to consider taking it apart and rebuilding it from scratch. He groaned.

I told him the finishing of such products was the key to succeeding. If your finishing is poor, few people will be interested in what you’ve created. He knew I was right and nodded in agreement. But, “I want to make the power bike before I go back to the balloon car” he voiced.

He’d taken the words out of my mouth. I’d actually wanted to ask him if he could give building the battery powered toy bike a try…

I challenged him to see if he could make it ready, so I could take it with me as a gift the for kids of a client I was to meet with, along with his spouse for a paid consulting session, in their home.

24 hours later, just before I left, he had his battery powered toy bike running, BUT it kept falling off to one side, after a few seconds.

In other words, it was not ready. So I left telling him to keep at it, so I could see it on my return.

Long story short, my boy got it working – with some creative improvisation informed mainly by lack of access to refined materials and tools used by the creator of the video we’d watched. The video below says it all; I am so proud of him – and of his 14 year old brother who provided support (and is also very good with his hands – more mechanically inclined and especially gifted in handicraft fabrication)/

This is the role I play in the lives of all my kids. I act as a collaborator and catalyst to help the nurture their minds and abilities. That is the role a parent needs to play – one that NO TEACHER can play as well as a determined parent can.

I share my stories not to brag, but as a public service wake up call to parents who are willing to listen, that they should take ownership of giving their kids a more real world relevant and balanced education, BEFORE it is too late!

Our Next Step: Monetizing His Talent/Genius

As the title of this article indicates, I argue that it’s crucial for parents – and societies – to guide kids to identify, nurture and ultimately monetize any talents or abilities they have, as EARLY as possible in life.

Why?

Because – as we all know – life can get VERY depressing when one is unable to achieve financial independence. When you lack money to meet your needs and wants, it tends to make you feel limited and unfulfilled.

When you know you have undergone ALL the formal schooling you were told you needed to be able to function competently in society, and you STILL find yourself unable to achieve financial independence, that can be VERY painful.

Trust me dear reader, THAT was the hole from which I had to use my self-taught skills and abilities to climb out of despite all my academic brilliance through university, and my exceptional performance in paid employment.

Truth be told – when I stepped into the real world of my society, in Nigeria, I quickly discovered that MERIT, based on demonstrated competence, ranked VERY low on the criteria that determined if one achieved business success or not.

For that reason, after trying without achieving sustainable success doing things the “normal” way offline, I turned my skills and attention to the online world, and began to offer the SAME solutions to the SAME people (Nigerians) – later reaching to African countries and beyond.

Today, it is on record, from MANY articles I’ve shared true stories in, that I earn passive income from sales of my custom Excel-VB software and Information Products, which I create based on needs I identify in my target niche markets.

The instincts and insights which guide me to do the above, so well today, that I enjoy an international following of clients and fans for my Customizable ExcelVB software as well as my Cost-Saving Farm Business Support solutions, are what I want to help my kids develop MUCH earlier.

It is for this reason that I’ve asked my son to take apart THIS his first attempt at the battery powered toy bike, and rebuild it so it no longer falls over like it periodically does.

Like I explained to him, that’s when we can proceed to confidently offer it for sale to the target market I have in mind. This is the Best Practice Mental Attitude that guided me in developing the growing range of passive income generating products that I have today.

In other words, I want him to start a new micro business based on this product.

His 14 year old brother who has worked with him on this and other projects is recording a video of the process as I type these words, so that we can SHOW how he does it, to remove any doubts there might be about the veracity of the claims I’ve made here.

NB: I found it quite interesting that each time I asked him if he needed money to buy anything to make the toys, he readily told me he knew where to find the needed items, at zero cost.

In no time he would be out the door and off to look around the estate grounds, grocery shops, collecting the needed items. That’s why some of his finished products don’t look as neat as those in the videos he watched.

However his demonstrated attitude is likely to enable him carry out his products creation/development very cost effectively, leaving ample room to reap useful profit margins if he decides to make money selling them.

And why not? I am convinced it’s the way to go. That’s why I’ve resolved to work with him on that aspect, once we establish that he’d got it right.

My plan is for us to – for instance – apply creative paint job to new toy bike, then sell it with a standing offer to provide FREE repair services to any buyers.

The interest from his 2 year old brother (Tayo Solagbade Junior) as well as 4 older siblings proves we can succeed in attracting parents with kids to buy these repairable toy cars and bikes from my son.

For me therefore, THIS is yet another opportunity to further coach him and his siblings on the crucial importance of developing and monetizing a market relevant expertise, like I do for a living!

Helping Kids Understand Money, and Money Making Via Passive Income Generation – A Crucial Imperative

Over a week ago, my kids made their first cash withdrawals from their respective individual accounts.

Since mid January, I’ve been introducing my kids to the formal world of banking so they can take their micro business training more seriously. I did not own a bank account till I was 23, serving in Niger State’s Lapai LGA in 1993. The pain and embarrassment that my ignorance about money and related issues made me resolve to give my kids a different experience.

That’s why each visit has seen them carry out tasks like filling withdrawals slips, transfer forms, deposit slips etc. And we discuss – and practice in real time – various aspects of bank related activities – including use of the ATM/Debit cards on and off the web.

They already EACH have a webmail account setup on my website and linked to their respective accounts, so that we already see the various bank notifications and alerts on the Blackberry smartphone I bought for them to use in their web based home studying.

The bank messages provide additional opportunities to coach them more about ways to make use of their accounts.

My 10 year old girl asked: “Tayo, will the money grow?” (after they had each deposited N2,000 (Two Thousand Naira) I’d handed to them, into their individual accounts).

I replied: “Of course it will. Simply make sure you do the stuff I teach you, about making money, along with others you learn by yourself, then pay the money you make into your account. In no time you’ll see your money growing.

Then I made an offer: “If you like you can make some money working for me. I have some tasks I need done on my website. If you can do them, without serious errors, to my satisfaction, I ‘ll pay you as my “Virtual Assistants”.

Her reply: “YES!”

Action Plan: We’re now working on the modalities to get her started !

The others don’t seem so keen – yet. I anticipate that might change when the SEE her actually get paid!

They already have their own Blackberry with an active subscription, so the rest will just be a matter of agreeing when to work, what to do, and how much to pay.

Most of the work, for now, will be updates of URLs on my blog from the defunct spontaneousdevelopment.com to tayosolagbade.com. I’ve tried my best to do it myself, but hundreds remain. So I definitely need help – and what better way to get such help, than to coach my kids to do it for REAL pay as Virtual Assistants!

Final Words: My understanding of money and the need for real world relevant money making knowledge, attitudes and skills was NIL when I completed my schooling.

And it caused me lots of avoidable hardships during that June 12 presidential elections crisis ridden year & even later.

I’m determined to ensure that my kids do not arrive adulthood with THAT kind of handicap!

What about YOU???

See photos below…

1. A Tried & Tested Strategy For Achieving Financial Freedom (Hint: Get My Audio DVD Information Product titled “Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income”)

2. [PDF] “Resisting Corruption as a Nigerian in Nigeria: Is it Impossible?” (IDEAS for Making Nigeria Better)

3. Your Child Needs Strength of Character to Successfully Resist Corruption

4. Read more of my Best Practice Parenting articles here.

5. Download and listen to my FREE MP3 audio report titled “The Dangerous Miseducation of Today’s Kids, by Schooled Elites, About What It Takes to Succeed in the 21st Century – and Beyond“

Fast forward many decades later, and I’m approaching my 46th birthday, yet nothing has changed.

I recently got a browser error message displayed in my attempt to make online renewal payment for a client’s website hosting using my Debit card, linked to my Paypal account.

Now that the oil market is no longer so lucrative, our leaders and people are turning to Agriculture – which is not bad. However, in doing so they are adopting the same mental attitude employed in handling our generation of Forex earnings from crude oil sales.

We need to put in place something that can work faster, with much less (if possible zero cost) requirements, while at the same time impacting a larger number of our people.

This solution requires deliberate use of the Creative Mind, the brain, the thinking faculties – in as many varied ways as possible, to earn income.

But let’s get real here. Most Nigerian artistes don’t really know what it feels like to live on royalty earnings. The system we have here simply does not protect their interests that well in the respect.

The fact that Nigerians in general have not adopted this solution I have in mind, does not imply we are dumb, blind or stupid.

Instead, several decades ago they invested quality time and money to bring in top programmers to teach coding to Indian youths from primary school level on a formal basis.

Yet I know of no single digital solution conceived and developed by Nigerians in Nigeria, that is purchased for use by Indians in India – whether as individuals or organizations.

If we in Nigeria are really serious about getting ourselves out of the mess we are in, with regard to having adequate foreign exchange earnings, we WILL have to look beyond the traditional capital intensive methods we’ve gotten so used to.

You could be also providing Excel solutions as an employee in an organization or as an entrepreneur or independent consultant.

Apart from the foregoing, I also serve clients by providing Web Marketing Systems, in the use of the Internet to find profitable paying buyers for their products and services.

That’s why a key vision I have is to show more Africans especially and any other interested persons, how to make intelligent use of the zero cost Internet access s/he has.

And so for today’s pod cast, my focus is on the subject of job creation by organizations and governments.

So if people can work and earn money while doing a lot less running around, then it means they get to keep more money in their pockets.

I’m talking creating value like I do, selling applications to people, writing books in various forms…

What individuals are doing for themselves in pockets all over the continent, and earning a living by it, using the Internet, is what a government that has critical thinking stakeholders in it, can use to create a special system that will enable people to empower themselves to have jobs.

Even the need to get a university degree is dying. It’s no longer the ONLY or most relevant model – at least not for everyone. Indeed, for the majority, that need has diminished.

Nobody is going to just dish out money to anybody. People want you to solve their problems!

If you’re somebody in mass communication for instance, you want to begin to think unconventionally.

So all these issues about “I can’t get a job”, and “there’s no capital to start a business”, the Internet model invalidates that excuse for any person who may contemplate it!

Right here in Nigeria, there are so many local business models that can be taken online and operated profitably, even from the comfort of the home.

We need to stop thinking that we need to use muscle power, run around physically and sweating around all over the place.

This video series is the equivalent, or kind of alternative to the on-demand 4 day Practical Excel VB Programming Coaching Workshop that I offer.

Now, in this video series which is like I said the Home Study equivalent of the 4-day practical coaching workshop.

The way you design your worksheets and the way you setup your workbooks to function, ultimately determines how productive you can be in your data analysis, data recording, trending and report generation.

I know you may not understand that now…but if you’re a reasonably experienced user of MS Excel, you will know what I mean by this. But even if you don’t. don’t worry – it will be explained to you.

1. Take Responsibility for Your Future

In one of my several night trips between Lagos and Benin cities, while still working as a young shift brewer in Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, I recall having to board a luxurious bus coming from a major Eastern city (Onitsha or so) and headed for Lagos.

2. Make Problem Solving a Way of Life

Just go to any market where the Igbos operate and ask for the item you wish to buy. Unless it’s a device used for building space ships, the person you speak with is likely to either:

Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes they can take it too far, for instance by trying to convince you what you SEE them showing you, which you tell them you do NOT want, is what you actually NEED.

3. Be Willing to Learn Anything New That Will Make You Better

But you’re probably wondering: “So? That’s nothing new. Everybody knows that!”

Now, imagine trying to make a sale and being unable to communicate the benefits of your product…?

Final Words

Tayo Solagbade’s Performance Improvement IDEAS (PI Squared) Newsletter

PII 001: The Secret to Succeeding by Creating Your Own Luck [FREE Podcast]

Just like it happened in paid employment (though this turned out to be a LOT tougher and took much longer) I am now reaping the rewards of doing the same thing.

The truth is EVERY willing person has the ability to do the exact same thing. My life is proof of it, as are the lives of many authentic achievers on record in history.

PS: Request the pod cast transcript

==== [IMPORTANT NOTE:====

Here’s an article Tayo wrote, to inspire others to defy adversity, and bounce back to even greater reckoning at what they do EVERY time:

And he wrote the one below, to explain why losing a domain name, no matter how old, NO LONGER determines your online success or otherwise:

Below: Screenshot of the cover for Issue No. 36 of THE FARM CEO (Monday 8th February 2016)

Subscribe to THE FARM CEO, and get this new issue, as well as ALL back issues, in addition to your full subscription of 48 weekly issues.

In my usual habit of walking my talk, I have since gone far in my efforts to get involved in starting my own rabbit farm business (as part of an integrated Farm Business Support Centre offering I’m working to launch in Benin Republic).

The recommendations I make to aspiring farm business owner today are being more and more influenced by what I’ve seen happen to other farm CEOs I’ve served over the past few years.

Unless you have personal funds to invest immediately for a large scale operation, I feel most people need not invest in an elaborate business plan to startup

To encourage those who choose to go that small size startup route, here’s a 4 part zero cost offer of support I’d like to make as my own contribution to your DIY efforts. It’s what I had in mind to do all along if you went for it:

The only thing you’ll have to do to make ANY of the above happen in terms of my support, will be to cover my expenses.

Now, having said the above, if you’d still like to have something of a formal document to work with, say to guide your expansion plans, here’s another offer.

Now, the above report may also prove useful after you’ve started small and grown your rabbitry say for 6 months

Quite a number of these individuals seem willing to – every once in a while – allow themselves a little indiscretion here and there.

But Why Do People Do It?

You Do Not Need To Do It

What Will You Do, If/When Confronted With A Fraudulent/Tempting Offer ?

Work Hard To Immunize Yourself Against The Temptation Of “Corner Cutting”

BUT the truth must be told: Whether or not you have been cheated by clients, punished, exploited, or betrayed, there is absolutely no excuse for becoming fraudulent in your dealings with others.

So, starting this weekend I’ll be creating step-by-step tutorials for them based on the contents of my 4 Day Excel VB Programming Workshop flyer linked below(click here to view it).

You can think of this Home Study DVD product as a recorded version of my On Demand 4 Day Workshop.

NB: Other tutorial videos showing how to build my other commercial apps listed below can be included on request.

My tutorials demonstrate how Excel VB can be used to dramatically boost productivity by automating routine and repetitive tasks in MS Excel

This time around, as part of our home schooling for income earning life skills project, I’d made him and his siblings watch a series of 2 to 3 minute You tube videos about how to build:

So I told him to consider taking it apart and rebuilding it from scratch. He groaned.

24 hours later, just before I left, he had his battery powered toy bike running, BUT it kept falling off to one side, after a few seconds.

Our Next Step: Monetizing His Talent/Genius

Truth be told – when I stepped into the real world of my society, in Nigeria, I quickly discovered that MERIT, based on demonstrated competence, ranked VERY low on the criteria that determined if one achieved business success or not.

It is for this reason that I’ve asked my son to take apart THIS his first attempt at the battery powered toy bike, and rebuild it so it no longer falls over like it periodically does.

NB: I found it quite interesting that each time I asked him if he needed money to buy anything to make the toys, he readily told me he knew where to find the needed items, at zero cost.

Helping Kids Understand Money, and Money Making Via Passive Income Generation – A Crucial Imperative

Action Plan: We’re now working on the modalities to get her started !

Final Words: My understanding of money and the need for real world relevant money making knowledge, attitudes and skills was NIL when I completed my schooling.

RELATED ARTICLES

…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!

Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====

Now, having said the above, if you’d still like to have something of a formal
document to work with, say to guide your expansion plans, here’s another offer.

You can think of this Home Study DVD product as a recorded version
of my On Demand 4 Day Workshop.