Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 109: Earn Extra Non-Farm Income at Zero Cost

September 30, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

By learning and creatively employing public speaking (and creative writing), farm business owners can effortlessly generate substantial ADDITIONAL income streams, outside sales of normal farm products.

Smart thinking farmers can do this IF they get more organized. Adopting a BOPMS can help. It will free you up from routine farm demands, so you can nurture this extra line of multiple income streams.

This issue of my speaking IDEAS newsletter provides details you can use.

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 30th September 2013

No:109

Title: Earn Extra Non-Farm Income at Zero Cost

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.tayosolagbade.com/blog

Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 109: Earn Extra Non-Farm Income at Zero Cost

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NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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Smart thinking farmers can do this, IF they get more organized. Adopting a BOPMS can help. It will free you up from routine farm demands, so you can nurture this extra line of multiple income streams.

This issue of my speaking IDEAS newsletter provides details you can use.

Discerning Farm Decision Makers Often “Get It” – But Most Others Rarely Do

Since 2006, I have actively updated my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas website. One purpose has driven me over all these years. It is to serve as a catalyst for empowering Farm Business Owners ANYWHERE, to make more profits.

To make them see the need to move to a superior level of doing what they do, if they hope to achieve superior outcomes.

Traditional experts may not be able to help them do that.

Why?

Because people steeped in tradition rarely have the courage to break away.

My training as an Agricultural Extension Services professional equips me to play the role I have chosen. But it is my exposure to World Class Process Management techniques that has really helped me see farm business performance improvement from a refined perspective.

Just like others, a farm business is a batch production process. As a result, it can – and should – be subjected to management, using best practice systems.

That’s why I conceived, and offer a Best Operating Process Management System(BOPMS)™ development and implementation service for farm businesses.

However, Integration of Best Practice, In Farm Operations, Is Not Something You Can Really “Learn” From Textbooks

Neither is it taught in a business school.

Most of it will have to come from input provided by competent experts.

Now, I do not claim to be the only one who understands this.

But I have moved around a lot over the past 10 years – and interacted widely with experts and CEOs of all kinds in the farming industry.

One thing is crystal clear to me:

If any others out here have even the slightest understanding of how to implement anything as beneficial as a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™ , they are doing a VERY good job of hiding it.

Hint: I wanted to add up to 4 exclamation marks to the end of the last sentence above. But I restrained myself. Know, however, that that is how serious I think this is.

Adopting Best Practice Will Boost Your Farm’s Reliable, and Reproducible, Profit Making Performance!

You cannot keep running your farm, without establishing formal systems for ensuring it works right on a consistent basis

If you do, you will not get the results you want, as often as you should.

And over time, that will deny you valuable long term gains. Even worse, when you get good results, you’ll NOT know what you did to get them.

As a result, you’ll be unable to REPRODUCE them next time around.

Consider This Example:

If your first batch of poultry layers goes through a full year without suffering a disease outbreak, it could be due to your team’s good management…or your incredibly good luck.

If it was due to more of the latter, you may be at a loss as to what to do if, by accident, your next batch of birds suffers a disease outbreak.

But if it was due to sound management practices based on a formal system, you would ALWAYS know what to do to keep disease out from each batch.

Of course no farm ever stays 100% free of infection.

But well managed ones rarely have serious – or repeat – occurrences. And that’s why their long term outputs and profitability are rarely disappointing.

A Best practice system will free you up to develop indirect, but highly profitable additional income streams.

This will happen because you’ll have less need to run around your business chasing employees to do what they are paid to do. The system will make it easier to get them to do their jobs. And it will provide YOU, the owner, with powerful tools (reports and performance indicators), to quickly identify anyone failing to conform.

Most importantly, you will discover you have less need to manually check that operations are carried out according to set standards.

The “FREE Time” a BOPMS Gives You, Can Be Channeled to Exploring Ways to Earn Additional Income – at Zero Cost

I honestly believe too many farm business owners are focused on traditional ways of making money.

Please understand. I’m not saying this because I do not yet have a farm.

Instead, I say it because in the course of providing support to farm business owners, I see them leaving too much money on the table.

That’s how the Americans put it. And why should you leave money on the table?

You Can – and Should – Make MORE Money Outside What Your Farm Produces!

1. Who says the only way to make money is by selling your farm products?

2. Who says you need to stay all the time on your farm?

3. Who says people who come to your farm should only buy farm products?

A. If You Run a Farm Business, Nothing Stops YOU From Charging Fees to Teach Others to Start Theirs

What stops you from developing a whole range of Training Modules, for teaching others how to run EVERY single type of farm enterprise in your business?

Indeed, what stops you from having a “Training and Development arm” of your farm business?

You need not employ new people. Your existing farm hands or operatives can do it – and you’d pay them agreed extras, based on what you make.

Please don’t say they’ll be too busy to do the above.

I’ve seen how many farm businesses out here run.

It’s their planning and implementation of operations that’s not right. More often than not, with proper workplace organization, YOU, and your existing hands will be able to play many other useful, income generating roles!

Take it a step further.

Again, what stops you from having an “Information Publishing arm” of your farm business?

Nothing – absolutely nothing! – stops you from authoring your own range of branded information products. For example, you could author information products on rearing different farm animals you actually rear on YOUR farm.

B. And Nothing – Absolutely Nothing! – Stops You From Offering PAID Consultancy & Advisory Services to Serious Enquirers

If you really want to do this right, you will leverage the fact that you own a farm business to boost your name recognition and credibility as an expert.

So many people are out there about to retire or resign.

Many dream of doing what YOU are already doing.

But most are not sure who to turn to, for expert information – and guidance.

Don’t deny them the opportunity to benefit from your real world relevant expertise. Don’t leave them open to being messed up, by some textbook expert!

1. What stops you from writing articles and offering talks, in which you share stories about real life farm management experiences you’ve had?

2. What stops you from having a few pages on your website, dedicated to promoting your range of branded information products?

People can make payments to download them, and use, without needing to come to your farm. Same applies to the range of training events you could offer. And also the consultation.

And you can also announce that you are available to deliver talks, run seminars and organize workshops if/when invited.

Again, for a fee. If you wish, offer a few free ones to test the waters.

If you think you – or your people – won’t have time, that would be because you’ve not adopted best practice systems in your farm business

In Guinness Nigeria, we did our jobs as managers, and still authored training modules – and work instructions – on different plants and processes.

Then we conducted training sessions, and competency assessments.

Rarely did any aspects of our jobs suffer. The company’s output instead grew, as more competent personnel “graduated” from our training efforts.

During the time most of this happened, I was a shift brewer. I, for one, authored many of such materials, while still working shifts.

It happened that way because we had best practice systems in place.

Any Competent Farm Business Owner Can Earn EXTRA Non-Farm Products Based Income

I tell many farm business owners how I earn income by selling my knowledge in form of information products. And also how I create and sell my farm support software products.

If I can do that without owning a farm, ANY serious farm owner can do it too.

You’ll make MORE money using the same overheads.

Even better, as you do what I propose, more potential buyers of your farm products will discover you, and choose to buy from you.

You will dramatically cut down time, effort and money you expend in running your business.

In other words, you will end up literally eating your cake and having it!

In essence, what I’m saying is: Don’t just think outside the box, GET YOURSELF OUT OF IT, so you can maximize your God-given potential!

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: No. 109: Earn Extra Non-Farm Income at Zero Cost” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking

[Monday]: No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:Grow Your Sales Log, and You’ll Always Be In Business!

Self-Development [Wednesday]: Make It Impossible for Anyone to Badmouth You Successfully

Career Development [Thursday]:One Zero Start-up Cost Lucrative Business YOU Can Do

Parenting [Friday]: When Cultural Beliefs Make Truth Telling a Taboo, Society Stagnates (True Story)

Writing/Blogging [Saturday]: Use Authority Status to Sell Anything

Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

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

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Entrepreneur.

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

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

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

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Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Here’s a tip: Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him.

Comments?

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You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

All three will get you to your desired destination of “speaking success-ville” – so long as you meet the requirements/play your part well (your fare, abide by the set guidelines etc). During the “flight”, the seat you have will determine how much personal service attention and preference the provider will accord you. It’s that simple

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

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Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Use Authority Status to Sell Anything

September 28, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

A few months ago, I got an email request from a lecturer friend (a Nigerian born Professor) based in South Africa. He wanted help in marketing his published works for sale online. If you do any form of formal writing (including publishing research papers as a lecturer in the academia), it’s always a good idea to explore the possibility of selling your written works. I’ve been doing that since 2005, through a variety of channels – both offline and on the web.

What you’re about to read is based on excerpts of the response I sent to my lecturer friend.

To Sell Successfully, You Need to Develop Authority Status

My friend is a highly qualified expert in agriculture. And many of his published works are already on sale in online journals. Because he is a recognized and accomplished professional in his field, people are naturally drawn to purchase his papers.

Academic papers on Agriculture in particular are often in high demand. Some websites require fees to access the agricultural papers listed on them. That’s why my friend feels he can earn substantial additional income by offering his papers for sale directly to buyers.

I – a non-academic person – have over the years, gotten people to send me N1,500 to over N13,000 to get my agriculture related publications (e.g. my feed formulation handbook), and other products (e.g. my ration formulation software).

That includes a Canada based Farm project manager, who sent $63 payment to me, via my brother-in-law’s Paypal email address(!) last November in 2012. Think just how confident this man had to be, to send money to a Nigerian, in Nigeria, via another person’s email address.

Before he did that, he’d called and spoken with me on phone, after watching the demonstration video for my Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator.

And our conversation lasted over 30 minutes. During that time, we talked about his interest in my app, how he could get money to me, since I lacked credit card payment processing…and the challenge of Nigerian 419 scams.

Like I said in an article I wrote about it back in January, this Canadian gentleman (who later revealed he was a priest!), took a massive leap of faith, to get what he wanted from me.

And he came back to say he was glad he did.

What could have convinced him to take a risk most other people would not?

It was the "authority status" he saw that I had. He discovered it from encountering my article, and videos relevant to his subject of his interest online.

That was what got him hooked.That is what keeps getting others hooked as well!

In essence I’m saying that once you become an authority in your chosen field, you can definitely can expect to attract buyers for your published works or writing..

But it has to be done right to achieve that outcome.

I Propose The Following:

1. Setup a proper website in your name using a Content Management System (e.g. Joomla or WordPress): that will make it easy for you to manage/update the site yourself – without needing to call your designer everytime.

NB: You will purchase a domain name – e.g. www.yourname.com, and a hosting account for one year or more.

I use hostgator.com, and I highly recommend them. Note that I do not resell their products. So I’m not saying this to earn referral income.

2. You could then setup an automated monetization system to sell your articles, digital files, videos or images directly on the website.

Even better, you could require visitors to pay a subscription fee to access your website daily, weekly monthly or annually.

In other words, your website would offer items for sale, and also offer access to your content for a fee.

Systems that do the above, work by sending money to you either via Paypal or Bank Transfer at the end of every month or shorter intervals.

Alternatively you can settle for the Bank/Wire transfer option. At month end, it arrives in your account.

Choose Your Payment Processing Platform Carefully

To sell online you need to setup systems to accept payment via a variety of digital channels.

Payment processing platforms now occur in growing numbers – in Nigeria, as well as globally.

Some are more popular than others. Also, your ability to easily, conveniently and safely use them depends sometimes on where you’re based.

I’ve had situations in which I signed up to use a US based payment processing service provider’s platform. They even got me to come on Skype for over 30 minutes to have my account setup. This was during a second contact period back in June 2013. (About a year earlier I had series of email exchanges with their representative, and a developer in the support department for over 2 months. Then I lost contact with them.)

The whole process took quite a while. For some weeks, nothing seemed to work right.

Then one day, I clicked on a post I’d set as "Premium" and the required subscription signup form appeared. It restricted access to the article’s content. I was elated.

As the weeks went on, I set a few other posts to "premium" and tested them by clicking their links on the blog.

Again, the subscription system came up, presenting differently priced options – for a week, month and one year access.

So I assumed all was well and stopped checking.

Then about 2 weeks ago, I found myself on a page with a link to one of those premium post. Out of curiousity, I decided to click to see the signup interface would appear.

Surprisingly the post simply opened for immediate and full viewing of ALL its contents!

Baffled, I checked and confirmed that I was logged out of the WordPress administrative interface – even though that should not have made any difference.

Then I tried checking from another computer. The same thing happened.

I felt like an idiot. It was impossible to tell how long it had been that way. And I was not interested in finding out why.

I’ve since disabled that payment processing system on my blog.

There’s no point keeping something that’s likely to make me look incompetent, and damage my credibility at any moment.

Before then, my attempts to use other global payment processing platforms on my website – as a Nigerian based in Nigeria – had been rejected.

Back in June 2013, I’d sought Patrick Meninga’s opinion about how to take my blog to the next level. He sent me the URLs to some affiliate marketing websites I could join. All rejected my applications. Some gave no reasons. A few said "we do not currently accept applications from your location." Or something like that

Ah…the joy of being a true entrepreneur. Rather than stump me, rejection actually motivates me. That’s why the above NEVER stopped me!

So, I looked closer home. There had to be Nigerian based providers that could offer something useful, I mused…

In the past one year, I have carefully researched payment platforms offered by Nigeria based providers. And I’ve tested a few.

What has however kept me from adopting the ones I tried has been the periodic "erratic" or "inconsistent" results I seem to get.

I often started out thinking I understood how I was going to get charged for something. I would read all the steps required and compute the charges associated.

Yet, every now and then I discovered what I received was lower than what I expected.

Another thing. More serious too…

One day, I sent money for a particular provider to make a payment on my behalf. A long delay followed, which had never happened in the past.

This led to my website hosting renewal payment deadline expiring. And my website got taken offline as a result!

The provider never offered an explanation or apology.

Not even after I wrote asking why, 3 full days after they confirmed receiving my funds, the payment I requested was never made to the hosting company.

You must understand that my expectations were not baseless.

In the past – and on more than one occasion too – this same provider had effected similar payments to the very same company on my behalf.

And they had done it within 6 hours of my depositing cash in the provider’s bank account.

That day, I reasoned that if this could happen when I sent money through that provider to others, then it could happen when people sent money to me, through the provider.

And I would end up looking bad!

The foregoing made me quietly stop using the service – despite knowing they offered all sorts of payment processing apps I could embed on my website.

Your experience may of course be different.

Whatever be the case, I make no recommendations. Research and make your own mind up about what to use.

As for me, I continue searching for a solution. For now, online sales for my information products happen mainly via this Lulu.com store.

After You’re All Setup, Make "Getting People to BUY", Your Number One Priority

And that requires doing smart online marketing, to get what you offer for sale, found via search engines.

That’s where the work will be.

I use my writing – based on intelligent Web Marketing System – to attract visits mainly via search engines, and social media.

And I avoid spreading myself too thin, jumping on every platform.

The Pareto rule applies to every aspect of life – including business.

Facebook, Twitter are the key social media channels I focus my energy on in terms of social media marketing.

That’s why my blog posts are setup to auto publish to both channels via RSS feed.

I know there are others coming up. But I’d rather maximize use of those two first. With time, I’ll discover what others would be worth adding to my arsenal.

Setup a facebook page to promote your works. Invite visitors to your website, and readers of your articles to stop over and LIKE the page in exchange for a "gift".

Link from your articles, and website/blog to the page. And from all of them to the sales pages or online stores for your publications.

Most importantly, setup a promotional email newsletter in which you will send out short previews of your available papers to your subscribers.

At the bottom of each email, the reader will be invited to visit the website, the blog, as well as facebook and twitter pages/profiles.

Another thing you can do is: Create a profile at a place like www.ezinearticles.com to publish short article-type excerpts of your papers, as promotional pieces.

Through a combination of the above efforts (and others), people will likely begin to discover your website and papers for sale.

It Will Pay For Itself

What I have given you in this article, is a basic description of how it is done. It does not yield success over night.

But it always works, if you do not relent in your efforts!

I use it, and I also develop and implement it for clients. The results are always positive, as long as it’s done right.

If you have the quality of content people will want to buy, you can implement the above plan to get it to them.

I call it the Development of a Web Marketing System. Get in touch if you want me to help you set yours up.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

One Zero Start-up Cost Lucrative Business YOU Can Do

September 26, 2013 Tayo Solagbade

You should read this article if:

(a). You have formal training and/or experience in Accounting/Finance and wish to acquire a new skill to double your income.

(b). You (or someone you know) lack a job and need to earn income. \

(c). You (or someone you know) is retired or preparing to retire or resign or have been laid off.

You can learn to do what I do (and do better than I am doing) – earning good income by developing useful custom MS Excel Visual Basic driven software for those who need them.

I have no formal IT training or certifications. Yet my work continues to attract newer and higher profile clients.

At the risk of sounding like I am bragging, the truth is I have also come across many people with all the formal IT qualifications.

Many hold on tightly to salary jobs. They often cannot demonstrate practical problem-solving competence that comes close to mine.

That proves you do NOT need any formal qualifications to learn to do what I do.

Just be interested enough to diligently apply what you learn.

I Make This Offer Especially to Persons Who Think Lack of Money or Capital is a Problem

I assure you it is not. I wasted all the money I left Guinness with, after I resigned to start my business in 2002.

It was subsequently, IN SPITE of my…

lack of capital
lack of an office (up till this day)
lack of financial backing
…and lack of people who believed I could make money providing spreadsheet solutions…

… that I built this brand which is now gaining wider recognition in the market place.

A Warning: This is Not a "Fast-Food" Income Earning Opportunity

The natural human instinct makes us lean towards business opportunities that offer the great rewards FAST, with minimal effort.

Lots of online offers one sees today make such promises.

Most are scams.

The opportunity I describe here does NOT fall into that category however.

It requires those interested, to expend generous amounts of intellectual and physical glucose.

They will have to:

(a) learn and become competent and…

(b) deliver results to clients/customers…

…so that they are PROFITABLY rewarded with money and other benefits.

One Thing I Can Tell You: If You Put in The Required Effort, you WILL Get The Rewards

I have ample evidence to back up ALL the claims I make here about this vocation.

And I would welcome any invitation to furnish details at any venue, and before any audience.

This is a business that I have been personally engaged in as a service provider since 2002 – over 10 years ago.

I started it from Lagos, Nigeria. But I’ve been based in Benin Republic since April 1, 2013.

Yet, this business is responsible for my being here in Nigeria for my 4th day running.

Right now, I’m in the farm house of a client farm business owner at 3.42a.m, typing this article.

My transportation, feeding and accommodation are being taken care of by him (AFTER my fees have been paid).

This business is called "Preprogrammed and Custom Spreadsheet based solutions Development"…or "Built-In Excel Solutions Development"

But prior to my starting-it-up, it did not exist in any tangible form here in Nigeria.

Today, I’m still yet to run into anyone offering this unique service, formally, as a service provider our here.

You can quote me on that. I have had to create a market for this service single handed.

In the past I used to get laughed at by friends, relatives and prospects.

But I adopted variants of intelligent business marketing techniques like Power Positioning and Top Of Mind Awareness, as well as Public Speaking for Business Marketing, combined with smart Web Marketing Systems implementation.

Today, prospects seek me out and engage my services AFTER discovering me via what I did for others, or through the Internet.

Just How Profitable is This Line of Business?

Let me answer this way:

Clients have also paid me as much N250, 000 (divide by N162 to get dollar equivalent) to purchase my existing customisable applications, or have me build one from scratch in 30 working days.

If you have lived/worked in Nigeria a while, you will know that getting paid that kind of money to develop custom software of this kind – without "connections" – means the clients believe you offer true value.

If You Have Formal Training and/or Experience in Accounting/Finance, Pay Attention!

You can dramatically boost your income earning potential as a consultant, if you develop proficiency in spreadsheet solutions development.

Around 2008, the Lagos state Government intensified its tax collection drive, requiring companies to fulfill their obligations in this regard.

New and old clients have sought out and paid me handsomely to build/modify my applications to compute their taxes, as a result.

One example was a project in which I built custom Excel-VB driven software to automatically compute Monthly Profit & Loss Report (i.e. Manufacturing Account, Trading Account etc) for a Lagos based small scale factory with a N5million monthly turnover.

I worked closely with a seasoned financial consultant to finish that project. Imagine what YOU can do!

But It Goes Beyond Financial Data Management – You Should Build Enterprise Information Systems (EIS)

Before you start thinking this is about building software equivalent to off-the-shelf accounting software, let me add this.

Most of the work I do today has to do with developing application to generate Key Performance Indicators for managing the "operations" and "processes" in businesses.

Non-financial data handling (e.g. medical records, client records, farm production records) are the major areas I’ve had to develop solutions for. To give you a good idea of how the applications I build help day to day business decision making, click here to watch two videos:

1. A video demonstration of a Poultry Layer Farm Management software I built this month (September 2013), for a farm business in South West Nigeria

2. A video presentation of a mind-map describing the benefits of adopting a Best-Operating Process Management System (BOPMS) – based on a custom EIS.

Get in Touch to Learn How I Can Help YOU Acquire This Competence.

You can start earning income EVEN…

a. without quitting your day job

b. without having capital

c. and without owning a PC of your own

When I first started there was a 12 month period when, I did not own my own PC. I got clients to provide everything, including power supply!

Visit my Excel Heaven mini-site at : http://www.excelheaven.spontaneousdevelopment.com to learn more about what I do – including the coaching service I offer.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Grow Your Sales Log, and You’ll Always Be In Business!

September 24, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

“Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two – and only these two – basic functions: Marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are ‘costs’.” – Peter Drucker

NB: This article is based on excerpts from an issue of my Self-Development Digest newsletter published in November 2008.

I share (by way of 3 tips) my hard won knowledge and experience in selling – profitably – in a VERY difficult business environment. Since these ideas worked for me in Nigeria, they will work for you anywhere…just like they’ve been working for me here in Benin Republic for over 6 months now!

1. Develop a Practical Marketing Strategy Suited to Your Target Market

In April 2002, I sent out my first introduction letters and flyers to many big and not-so-big name companies – within and outside Lagos.

I kept doing this for at least the first three (3) years – in addition to placing newspaper adverts. But very little reward came of it.

Over time I learned one hard lesson:

Finding the RIGHT clients for your products and/or services may not require you to do what others do.

I did NOT win a single project using those methods.

You have to develop something that works for you. Of course you can start by borrowing ideas from others.

But make sure to look carefully at your business environment, and come up with your own unique ideas. Mix it all up in as many creative ways as possible, then go out and TEST, TEST, and TEST!!

What I have said above is what I did years ago. And I still periodically do it today, to improve the results I get.

When I arrived in Benin Republic, I had to do it all over again. And it’s worked again!

It took me nearly four (4) years of hard work to get the “formula” right.

When I started out, finding clients was a haphazard process.

You see back in Nigeria (and here in Benin) reliable business directories and yellow pages – to search for prospective clients – are not easy to find.

The few available listings are often disorganised/unstructured and NOT comprehensive.

Over time, especially due my limited resources, this problem made it necessary for me to ultimately adopt what I call a 100% door-to-door, foot soldier marketing of my products and services.

In the process, I gradually learnt what to say and how to say it to get hired or make a sale. But I also learnt that pavement pounding was an inefficient way to market what I offered to those who needed it.

In short, I discovered that a lot of the stuff in imported sales and marketing books would NOT work without intelligent adaptation. They needed to be modified to accommodate unique socio-economic realities of our African societies.

Over time, I learnt to develop a marketing strategy suited to the environment in which I operate.

Today I get called up by prospective clients looking for custom spreadsheet software solutions I offer – instead of having to go looking for them.

More than 95% of the new or repeat business I have gotten has come as a result of my phone ringing. Either due to an existing client needing me again – or prospective client calling based on a referral.

Read my article titled: “To Win Profitable Clients More Frequently, Find & HIT Your Prospect’s Exposed Felt-Needs Nerve!”

2. Regularly Create NEW Products Addressing Your Target Audience’s Needs:

People will buy a software solution if it does something they want, which they CANNOT get from off-the-shelf commercial software.

In Nigeria, pirated copies are so widely available in the market, that selling your custom software for profit can be tough.

That was why I set about offering real-world relevant solutions that addressed unique peculiarities businesses faced – which existing foreign software did not cater for.

The result: Dramatic increase in clients’ perception of the relevance of the solutions I offer.

The lesson: Sometimes the market may be rejecting you because you have not yet done enough THINKING i.e. about how to communicate the value you offer that can benefit them.

You must be willing to “research” why they reject you, to identify what they really want. Never take it personal. The same people who reject you today will embrace you tomorrow if you get this right.

Just do the required thinking to narrow down to what they need…

The title of the book by Napoleon Hill was not a mistake: “Think and Grow Rich”!

3. Implement An Aggressive Zero Receivables Policy:

This is probably the most important one.

Ensuring that I get the ALL the money from EVERY sale into my hands, pockets or account.

Getting people to pay for almost anything they buy from you in my part of the world can sometimes be a big problem.

I believe (as a client of mine often says), that what you permit grows.

After some unpleasant experiences in my earlier years, I started by requesting 100% advance payment for my services. People paid – but I got to a point that I saw it was stopping me from getting more business.

So I began asking for 50 – 75% advance, and then offering the client up to 10% off if s/he chose to pay everything ONCE.

That way, I got my money in, and did not have to wait long periods, making endless calls and visits to get my balance.

In the few instances when a client tries to delay payment without convincing reasons, I simply use the strategy of “Confronting Without Being Combative”, to bring pressure to bear.

Very rarely has this failed to work.

Read my article titled: “To Win More Often in Life, Master the Art of Non-Combative Confrontation”

My reputation with my clients in this regard has earned me nicknames such as “Ijebu” – because according to them I do not joke about money”. But it has worked, and I enjoy very good relations with most of them – one in which there is mutual respect and consideration.

Others have noticed it:

For instance, another service provider with the same client once asked me:

“Mr. Solagbade, why is it that you always get paid immediately and my payment is often delayed?”, after he witnessed me collecting on three different occasions.

I think you can guess what I told him!

Final Words

Herman Holtz – the renowned (now late) consultant’s consultant, was right:

Any business that is making SALES (that is getting CASH in, NOT credit sales) is very unlikely to fold up. Even if it is mismanaged in every other area of its operations.

For as long as sales continue to come in, there will be CASH to keep running the business.

An outage of cash will bring even the biggest giant of a business to its knees.

Here’s ONE sign that could suggest a company is not making enough sales to keep going (or is engaged in undisciplined spending):

It obtains an overdraft facility from the bank to cover daily operating expenses!

The minute that happens, all sorts of bad things can follow, until it has to close shop!

Here’s hoping the above information will help you grow your sales log, so your business can flourish

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

September 23, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Not all prospects go on to become buyers. Having great qualifications, a nice office, and proficiency in your chosen vocation may not always be enough to make people buy. A few factors, some having little to do with those criteria, can influence “buyers” purchase decisions.

A prospect may decide s/he does not “believe” you. Or s/he may feel uncomfortable with you. For instance, unbelievable as it may sound, a prospect may choose to NOT hire you, because you remind him/her of an ex-spouse!

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 23th August 2013

No:108

Title: How to Sell More Successfully

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 108: How to Sell More Successfully

**** **********

NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

**********

Not all prospects go on to become buyers. Having great qualifications, a nice office, and proficiency in your chosen vocation may not always be enough to make people buy. A few factors, some having little to do with those criteria, can influence “buyers” purchase decisions.

A prospect may decide s/he does “believe” you. Or s/he may feel comfortable with you. For instance, unbelievable as it may sound, a prospect may choose to NOT hire you, because you remind him/her of an ex-spouse!

These are realities of life. Yet, they can be quite difficult to remember when prospects contact us.

Since Prospects Can Be So Fickle Minded, Your Best Bet Is Attract Them in Large Numbers

When many of us get enquiries for our products or services, we typically begin pushing to close the sale.

That’s not a bad thing.

Depending on what you’re selling (and who to) however, things may or many not turn out okay.

An eagerness to close the sale could put off the prospect. And if s/he happens to be one who thinks you remind him/her of something or someone “unpleasant”, you’d be making your case worse!

But most people who hurry to sell don’t realise this.

When the prospect asks for (sometimes unfair) discounts/concessions, they quickly grant them – all in the hope of selling.

The irony is that despite saying so many “yes-es” to a prospect’s demands, s/he may still not buy. And that can be quite painful.

But Nine times out on ten, you’d only be that “pained”, if you lacked OTHER serious prospects!

Think about it, and you’ll see I’m right.

Imagine you have prospects constantly bombarding you with emails, phone calls, and face to face visits.

Do you really think one or two who never call back or buy would really bother you that much?

Quite unlikely – because you would be able to turn your attention to OTHERS still clamouring for it!

Only when we lack enough prospects, does departure of some, tend to bother us.

That’s the way the human mind works. If you have others waiting to “hear from you”, with respect to the enquiry they made, you’ll naturally say “Oh well, I better follow up with others.”

Hopefully, you get the point I’m making here.

When I Used to Go to Prospects, I Discovered It Was Too Much Hard Work, for Too Little Gain

In my first few years as an entrepreneur, I did a lot of pavement pounding. Over time, I came to realise that the kinds of products and services I offered could not be effectively and profitably sold that way.

I can never forget how I repeatedly got laughed out of people’s offices – in Lagos. This happened most often when I went to introduce my Custom Excel-VB Driven software Development service.

I lost count of people who told me no one would pay me to build software for them using MS Excel Visual Basic.

Many times I was mocked by prospects who called me on my mobile days or weeks after I visited them. They would ask, “So, how’s business going?” – even as they laughed out loud.

It’s Smarter to Create a System That Generates Regular Enquiries, from Serious Prospects.

At a point, I made up my mind I would learn how to make clients COME to me.

So I deliberately began using my website to promote my solutions. Over time, with results I got, I developed what I now call a Web Marketing System.

Today, I have made sales of Excel-VB applications I built to people I have never met. E.g my Livestock Ration Formulator and my Automated Employees Payslips Generator.

And I’ve also been hired to build applications from scratch for different sized businesses.

From those lean early years when no one took me seriously, I now get enquiries via email, and phone on a regular basis, for this service – and related products.

People come across my web marketing resources online – on youtube, my blog, and facebook/twitter – and they realise I can help them.

To avoid feeling disappointed, pressured or frustrated when prospects fail to buy, create a system for attracting enquiries from prospects as possible on a regular basis.

Some Real-Life Examples of Results I Get, From Using The Strategy I Propose

By the time you read this, I’ll be back on a farm in South West Nigeria, installing an Excel-VB driven Poultry Layer Farm Management software on the farm office PC.

Then I’ll train the farm manager to use it.

The owner hired me to develop the app, about a month ago. This was right after I finished moving his static html based website to a database driven Joomla! version, he paid me to setup.

In case you’re wondering, while doign the website job, I upsold the idea of having a farm management software to him. I showe him online articles I’d written on that, and followed with a demonstration of the application on my laptop.

Just 2 days ago, I exchanged phone calls with an enquirer, after he contacted me via email. I’ve since sent him details of the required investment. He wants me to develop a similar application for his own layer farm operation – also in Nigeria.

By way of interest, this second prospect found me online, while searching on Google.

I’ve attended to three other enquiriers, this week – this time, for my feed formulation software. The most recent being today – Sunday!

It’s Much Easier to Sell When Prospects Come to You…and Not the Other Way Round!

No matter what you sell – including your speaking service (which Burt Dubin can help YOU master) – the same principles apply.

Create a system that attracts potential buyers – regularly (emphasis on regularly is deliberate).

Many people who are exceptionally gifted in their fields are unable to make the above happen in their businesses.

Various experts who do it successfully have their own “systems”.

I call mine a Web Marketing System (WMS).

Today, I help clients develop and implement a similar system, for promoting their own products and services.

Click here to read a 3 part series I wrote on it a while back.

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: No. 108: How to Grow Your Sales, With Less Effort…and Peace of Mind” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking [Monday]:	No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Adopt Standard Operating Procedures to Succeed More With Less Effort (This Works for Solopreneurs and Large Organisations)
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	You Do NOT Have To Be Expensive To Make Profits
Career Development [Thursday]:	Use Your Personal Interests and Hobbies to Succeed at Work
Parenting [Friday]:	“Professors” Cannot Afford to Resist New Ideas
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Are Businesses Faking Online Results?
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

==================

Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Comments?

Share this issue!

What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

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Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Are Businesses Faking Online Results?

September 21, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Yes they are. Apart from my experience-based opinion, this article features real life evidence in form of a Channel 4 TV Dispatches investigative video report exposing how businesses manipulate social media statistics.

It’s a sad reality. But I doubt that any conscious adult would really be surprised to learn this is happening. It’s however the scale on which it’s occurring – given the capability of the web – that’s mind boggling.

They Say One Thing & Do Another

When I first started using the web as an entrepreneur in 2002, I saw everything through rose coloured glasses. It was a perfect world, where everything worked as people said it did.

Over the years one scale after another has fallen from my eyes. Steps prescribed by many (but of course NOT ALL!) experts yield nothing like they promise or claim to get.

A lot happens behind the scenes that the average person cannot detect or unravel.

If no one is buying back links, why do people still keep sending so many emails offering them? And if no one is buying Facebook likes, Youtube views etc, how come I still get such offers?

They’re obviously getting patronage – else they would have gone out of business long ago!

In light of the above, how do I know that expert did not BUY his own thousands of LIKES and VIEWS?

Yet he may offer to “teach” me how to get similar results by writing articles and publishing a newsletter!

A Real Life TV Report That Confirms What I’m Saying

So you can have someone using doing naughty things Google says not to e.g. buying links. They go to great lengths to cover their tracks.

The idea is often the same. To do everything possible (legal or not) to get themselves in front of as many eyeballs as possible online.

Click here to watch this shocking investigative TV report video trailer. In it, film-maker Chris Atkins uncovers how some businesses purchase fake Facebook ‘likes’, Twitter followers and YouTube views to promote themselves.

See what I mean??

For me, what’s important here is that we will probably NEVER know those who have used the services of the crooked guy in the video. Even worse, many of us may have taken serious business decisions based on the results people like that have shown us!

When I took care to begin studying these groups of people, I noticed they had a few things in common.

They often employed hype in their copy and offers, targeting large numbers of people promising to turn your fortunes around overnight.

And you rarely needed to do anything, know anything or how to do anything!

Just jump on by paying a little cash and you’d be made for life.

Now, in my candid opinion, only greedy and/or lazy people take up such offers. And I’m neither. Which explains why I’ve never been “had” by them.

Of course what they offer rarely works as promised. But these guys are good at “selling” their stuff :-))

They always have a follow up that explains what steps you need to take to improve your luck. At some point they’ll also bring in another “expert” who’s decided to do YOU a favour, by sharing some new “secret” formula with you.

You’re asked to jump on to his/her list to learn the new XYZ formula. Eventually, you may have to pay a little cash to LEARN…and LEARN…and LEARN….!!!

Right now, in my honest opinion, there’s a webinar and teleconference pandemic on the web. Everybody is teaching something someone else needs to learn.

For the bad guys amongst those offering these events, it seems to me that their key strategy is building of mailing lists. Then they relentlessly “work” those lists.

Someone’s bound to buy something eventually – especially when they keep sending tempting offers that will be potentially appealing to the more lazy/greedy of their subscribers.

NB: Keep in mind that some of these guys have mailing lists running into hundreds of thousands of subscribers. You can therefore imagine how lucrative this whole arrangement can get!

Google’s Algorithm Updates Confirmed My Suspicions

Yep. Must give thanks to the good guys at Google. They sometimes set-up things in ways that punish innocent website owners too. But very often that ends up being only a temporary side effect of any new measure they take, to sanitize the results they give their users.

In time, if the good guys who are affected keep doing the right things, they eventually get plenty of love from Google. I know this because that’s what I’m getting today.

About a year ago, I certainly could not say that!

**So What (and/Or Who) Do YOU Believe Now?**

Sorry, but I can’t help you there. You will have to do your own thinking

A good first step will however likely be to purge yourself of any laziness or greed. That way, when they come with their offers, your thinking will be much smarter!

However, having watched the above mentioned video, my worst fears have been confirmed. I no longer know what to believe about certain aspects of using the web.

If one man with 1,000 facebook IDs can work overnight to add LIKES to a client’s page, imagine how many people MUST be using his services!!

That’s why I never let the number of Facebook likes or Youtube views anyone waves in my face, sway me.

But that’s not the only thing I NOW question: Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just too daft to get it right…or some “dark forces” are against me

You see, after taking time and great pains to test/develop something that works for me online, I sometimes deliberately announce it in an article. Just to see what will happen.

On more than one occasion, I’ve noticed some strange occurrences.

One example:

Up till 20th August 2013, my Excel-Heaven Custom Spreadsheet Software Development Service facebook page had been getting steady trickle of LIKES weekly. This began mainly after I began linking to it, and the related website, more often in my blog posts and email newsletter issues.

But since the day I wrote an article criticizing buying of Facebook LIKEs, and also highlighting the new results I’d been getting without buying LIKEs , NOT ONE SINGLE new LIKE has been added to that page.

“Strange” does not even begin describe it. Scary is more like it. I mean, what kind of coincidence is that???

Note that the day Iwrote the article, it already had 39 LIKES. On the day I published the post, the page had gotten 42 LIKES. Just within a 48 hour interval.

But from that day I published thepost discussing those results, NOTHING…

Hmm…make what you will of that.

As for me…”I know what I saw“(like the guy in the horror movie told his disbelieveing friends!)

So, What About Me. How Can You Be Sure I’ve Not Been Lying (or I’m Not Doing So Now)?

It’s only fair that anyone ask me the above question. I may be screaming foul play and still be a part of the whole mess.

People do that in real life – that’s what “duplicity” entails.

The simple answer in my case is however “No”.

I do not, have not, and will not lie about what I do online – or the results I’m getting.

I have no need to.

You see, I’m based in Africa. Over here, Internet use remains a fairly expensive venture for most people. And connectivity can be often quite erratic – making it even more costly.

This means I need to ensure I make the most productive use of my time online.

I’ve kept my website – www.spontaneousdevelopment.com – constantly updated, via relentless web marketing, since July 2005. Over 8 years!

If I was not getting decent rewards for my web marketing efforts (by way of sales of my products and services), I would have shut it down long ago.

I would not be so committed to publishing articles Mondays to Saturdays (sometimes Sundays) here.

But that’s not all.

My clients would NOT pay MORE money for me to write (or re-write) their website content. Or to ghost-write articles/special PDF reports on their behalf, for web marketing systems I setup for them.

That’s mainly because they KNOW that MY web marketing was what led them to find me – often via search engines.

In other words they know it works… and that makes them willing to PAY me to do it for them!

Final Words: In the End Though, You’ll Have to Take My Word for It…Or Move On

Of course, like I said earlier, you’ll probably have no choice but to take what I say as the truth.

Those who have the skills, or means, to do relevant checks should be able to verify some claims or assertions I make. Some people send in enquiries via my contact forms just to “see”.

I do my best to respond to their enquiries.

Sometimes, to avoid having my time wasted, however, I “ask” certain email enquirers to call me.

I should mention that my website’s terms of service allow me to mention names, reproduce emails, and discuss details, relating to transactions I engage in (up to a point), with enquirers.

Most of the names I mention in my articles are for real people – subscribers, some clients or both (e.g Oladipo Mann stayed a subscriber to my newsletter for over 3 years, before finally buying my Feed Formulation Handbook, and software).

Sometimes I include photographs.

And I also know that some of my past clients/buyers would gladly take a call from ANY interested person(s), to speak on the details of their interactions with me.

If you’re an enquirer, email me via tayo at tksola dot com if you want to do that.

That’s the best I can do.

If it’s not enough, just ignore ME, my articles, websites, and of course any products and services I offer.

That should keep you safe :-)))

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Adopt Standard Operating Procedures to Succeed More With Less Effort (This Works for Solopreneurs and Large Organisations)

September 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It won’t matter if you work alone or employ staff/operatives. To get the best results, setup proper systems for running your business. This is what solopreneurs and large businesses that succeed for decades do.

I’ve studied individuals who setup such formal systems for managing their own businesses. And I’ve also worked in a large organisation that monitored and managed its processes using similar systems.

What I learnt helped me realise what to focus on in my own business, so as to make long term progress towards my goals. No matter how tough things get, these systems help you make the most of every situation you encounter – until you breakthrough.

People who do not have this knowledge often operate their businesses in a more or less disorganised manner. Rarely are decisions proactively reached. Seldom does accurate forecasting happen.

Most decisions tend to be taken on the spur of the moment. Performance indicators do not get computed or reviewed. And Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are often non-existent.

Such a disorganized setup can hardly be expected to produce consistently acceptable output. For the simple reason that nothing is under control!

The following ideas can help you prevent such unfavourable situations from developing in your business:

Adopt a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™

If you’ve been reading my business articles, you’ll have come across this concept before.

By BOPMS™, I refer to a way of working, that enables you turn out optimal output, cost-effectively in a timely manner.

To do this, carefully examine what it takes to deliver your chosen product or service to satisfy buyers, while earning profitable returns.

Then tailor your mode of operation to achieve that outcome as often as possible.

Take a batch production process like livestock farming for instance.

It is always advisable to hire and train farm hands to run, say a poultry layers farm, based on established industry standards.

That implies YOU, the owner must educate yourself – and stay informed – about those standards.

(NB: So many useful resources exist on and off the web that you can consult. Email tayo at tksola dot com, if you want me to send you a list of a few exceptionally useful ones I have found over the years.)

One example: For best results, commercial poultry layers should be fed about 110g of feed per day.

Using that value, you can accurately project your likely need for feed purchases, for a day, week, month or year.

And you would build in allowances for waste – in line with your farm’s unique needs.

Without reliable knowledge of operating standards like the feeding rate mentioned above, a layers farm owner would most likely engage in haphazard feed purchases.

Excess feed inventory could occur, and depending on storage conditions/shelf life, if not used on time, feed spoilage could result. What’s more, purchasing too much feed could lead to tying down vital funds. When you need funds in other areas, you may come up short of cash!

(Remember: The above scenario can apply to virtually any other kind of business.)

And that’s why a farm business owner will be better off setting up a BOPMS™ to guide decision making along those lines. A key requirement for the foregoing, will be the establishment of SOPs.

Establishing SOPs Requires Providing Job Descriptions & Also Work Instructions for Employees

Some people may consider the following to be over kill. But I’ve seen enough locally and internationally, to know it makes a world of difference.

Job Descriptions basically outline the roles, responsibilities and tasks for each job title holder in your business. They must be prepared to ensure no confusion arises when people act based on them.

Work Instructions will guide operatives/employees on specific steps to take in carrying out given tasks.

They will also indicate measurements/amounts to be used, purchased etc. Whenever changes are made to the “operating procedure”, the Work Instructions will be updated, and old versions retired.

Training of old and newly recruited operatives will often be based on the Work Instructions’ contents (with reference to the Job Descriptions where relevant).

And they will be used to establish competence of every trained employee. Only those who pass competency assessments will be “certified competent” to handle relevant tasks without supervision.

They would know what to do, how to do it, and the importance of doing it right, first time, every time. The result would naturally be consistent and reliable volume and quality of output on a regular basis.

Slogans like Right First Time, Every Time arose from a need smart businesses identified to do the above!

Final Words

To get predictable results in your business using the above described approach, you must demonstrate a firm commitment to implementing the system at all times.

Otherwise, all sorts of things would repeatedly go wrong e.g. missed delivery deadlines, product complaints etc…none of which would endear you/your company to clients and customers.

Like I said earlier, even self-employed individuals (e.g. independent consultants) need to operate in this manner, to reap profits at lower cost.

In my case, as a solopreneur, one of the instruments I use to get it Right First Time, Every Time, is a Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) document. Plus I have a Code of Ethics that I strictly abide by.

In working with clients who have employees, I always urge them to adopt a BOPMS™.

Some listen. Some don’t.

The difference is always obvious in the quality of results they get.

What will your story be?

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

September 16, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

You already make money from your business. What if you could make extra money using your expert knowledge and skills – without needing to spend more? Unless it is illegal or dishonest, a low/zero cost opportunity to gain additional (sometimes passive) income – or marketing exposure – should never be passed up.

Forget what others will say – or think. Below I explain zero/low cost ideas you can adopt to grow yourself, and complement your income.

This won’t apply to everyone – but reading it could just trigger ideas you may find useful. So, stay with me here!

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 16th August 2013

No:107

Title: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 107: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

**** **********

NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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You already make money from your business. What if you could make extra money using your expert knowledge and skills – without needing to spend more? Unless it is illegal or dishonest, a low/zero cost opportunity to gain additional (sometimes passive) income – or marketing exposure – should never be passed up.

Forget what others will say – or think. Below I explain zero/low cost ideas you can adopt to grow yourself, and complement your income.

This won’t apply to everyone – but reading it could just trigger ideas you may find useful. So, stay with me here!

This Applies to Solo entrepreneurs As Well As CEOs of Large Multinationals

I spent seven very useful years in Guinness Nigeria. During that time I saw how a deliberate strategy of Variable Costs Reduction, was used to turn the company’s fortunes around within less than 3 years.

But it took changing the way people worked to achieve that.

Even when we could afford to buy new plants, the decision makers challenged us to aim for savings in the production process, towards financing our planned purchases.

They made us implement the workplace organisation and best practice systems we were trained on, to churn out the same or better output at lower costs.

The results were amazing. What we initially thought impossible became daily realities we took for granted.

At a point, we achieved the year’s target volume output in 6 months!

In case you don’t see the link, that translated to doubling the company’s profit…ultimately.

The lesson I learnt was: Rather than dip your hands in your pockets, every time you need new inputs in your business, make the business generate the needed funds. You end up far better off that way.

The Same Philosophy Can Be Applied to Other Areas of Endeavour

Even in running the home. I know this from doing it myself. It’s just the HOW that differs a bit.

For persons in business, I discuss two examples below….

1. Writing for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

You’ve probably had moments when you’ve considered writing a book – or a special report – based on your unique knowledge and insights.

You do know you have knowledge, and especially insights, that others lack…don’t you? If you did not know it before now, then take it from me – you DO.

If truth be told, you probably know it, but are scared to own it. That’s the way most people are wired.

For instance, you’ve probably read stuff written by your peers that you privately consider “incomplete” or “inadequate”.

But you hesitate to voice your own opinion by writing or speaking on the same subject.

Stop doing that to yourself!

Make your views available for your target audience to read. They need to make better sense of the subject. You can help them do that, and reap useful benefits in return.

And if you do a good job, many will gladly pay to read what you write.

2. Speaking for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

Closely related to writing is the business of speaking for money.

I’ve written a lot about this over the years. With proper packaging, promotion and presentation of your “expert” self (to paraphrase Burt Dubin), you can get paid to speak to individuals and groups.

You can also use Public Speaking for Business Marketing.

With individuals, you would “speak” as a coach, mentor or consultant. With groups or organisations, you would act in the forementioned roles, and also a “lecturer, facilitator, seminar leader” etc.

Just as with writing, people will see you as a valuable provider of useful knowledge and information.

Enquirers about certain services I offer are asked to pay N10, 000 (about $60 USD) to speak with me for thirty minutes to one hour on it.

Now, some experts would call that peanuts. But in my local market – and to the audience that seeks that service – it’s proved just right.

What’s more, I use it mainly to ensure I do not have my time wasted. That’s why if they go on to hire me, they get the N10,000 refunded to them, via a deduction from fees they pay me for the full project.

Anyone who refuses to pay that fee has to go elsewhere. Those who take the leap of faith always get value for their money.

Note that most times these people find me via my written works e.g. articles, PDF e-books and reports.

In my write-ups, I mention the fact that I offer a speaking service. Likewise, in the promotional material for my talks, I announce the fact that I offer freleance writing (and other) serveces.

At speaking event venues I offer information products on CD/DVDs, and in print form in “back rooms”.

See how this works?

You Can Use Writing and/or Speaking to Directly or Indirectly Earn Income

Do a search online and you’ll see that people with similar expertise to yours already write in your field. Some author books reports (e.g. PDF, Epub mobile format) for free or a fee.

Others get paid to write for print magazines or websites. Many of course write for themselves on their own websites.

They also get invited for paid speaking gigs. Many times meeting planning decision makers use their writing to assess the potential value such experts can deliver as speakers.

That’s why to boost your chances of making money from speaking, you really want to do lots of writing!

Avoid Fooling Yourself Into Thinking You Don’t Have Time to Write

The problem you’ll have will rarely be a lack of time.

Believe me. Every month, I publish a new article on my Self-Development (SD) Nuggest blog daily from Mondays to Saturday (sometimes Sundays).

During that same period I often write for clients on widely differing themes like education, legal consulting, poultry farming, hearing and speech improvement etc.

For myself, I also write and sell information products on different subjects/themes.

Yet, not once have I ever been found wanting by any client.

The key is proper self-management, planning and discipline – backed by passion for what you do.

The marketing exposure I get from doing all the above, increases the appeal of my range of products (custom spreadsheet software) and services (web marketing, farm business support, freelance writing etc).

That enhanced appeal got me chosen to be guest Speaker at the 2012 edition of the Annual Entrepreneurial Lecture, organised by Yaba College of Technology’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.

The above ideas can enable you make more money faster, with less effort/expense, doing what you love!

Final Words: To Get Started, Do What I Did

I made a habit of visiting this guru’s website, and reading ALL his articles on speaking, writing and marketing. He’s been around for over 3 decades, and is recognised worldwise as an authority on all those topics (read what accomplished experts say about him in this PDF).

By creatively adapting what I learnt from reading (and listening to) his – and some other people’s – stuff, I developed the ideas I’ve shared above. Do what I did, and you’re bound to come up with even better ideas to sell yourself successfully.

…plus, if you really want to fly high, invest in a few of his products and services, and the sky may not even be your limit!

NB: Today, I represent him as sole agent on the African continent.

Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?” in the subject line.

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	To Change Your Circumstances You Need To Change Your Mindset!
Career Development [Thursday]:	Use Your Job Loss Experience to Achieve Greater Success
Parenting [Friday]:	Trying to Use Others Can Cost YOU Success (Advice you need to give your child)
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Your Writing Will Succeed, IF You Are Original…and NOT In a Hurry!
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.

For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.

Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.

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Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Comments?

Share this issue!

What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

For over 25 years, Burt Dubin has provided a variety of speaker mentoring products and services to clients worldwide.

Download this flyer as PDF: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/uploads/burt_new_flyer.pdf

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

Use Your Job Loss Experience to Achieve Greater Success

September 12, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

If you’ve lost your job, you’ll want to read this piece. But even if you’ve not, it’s possible you (now, or in the future) will know one or more persons who have. If they are having a hard time dealing with it, or getting their lives back on track, you might want to send them the URL to this article

No Matter How Good You Are, Your Salaried Job Won’t Last Forever

Some people love being in paid employment being in paid employment. But in life, nothing lasts forever.

Even if you’re the most competent person in your company, you could lose your job.

How?

Well, the company could run into some bad fortune, and have to close shop.

The owner could sell it to a bigger company who may decide to do a manpower shuffle. That process could make them ask anyone who does not fit into their plans to leave.

The problem is that seldom do people who get asked to leave see it coming. Especially those who love salaried employment.

That’s why when it happens, it typically throws them into panic and confusion.

They can be at a loss about what to do. Sometimes, this leads to depression, especially they are unable to get another job, or find something else to do, to earn income.

Implications of Jobs Loss Will Differ for Every Individual

From unmarried young persons, to aging career persons with spouses and kids.

In each situation, the pressures -0 social and financial – will differ. Those who have dependants are likely to experience more challenges dealing with the sudden loos of income, than those who are single, and living alone.

Having said that, most times a job loss has more than financial implications for those affected.

There are psychological implications as well. Most responsible adults like to feel they are being productive or useful.

For instance, it can be frustrating to find yourself with nothing to do, and nowhere to go on a Monday morning. Especially if for months or years you’ve been going out to a 9 to 5 or even shift job.

Not everyone is Self-directed and Can Easily Switch to Entrepreneurial Mode: Yet, Doing So Can Turn the Disappointment of Job Loss into the Blessing of a Lifetime!

I know not everyone would prefer to start a business when they lose their jobs.

However during the phase when you’re searching for another job, you might want to consider doing something entrepreneurial, to get some cash in, and to fund your new job search.

When you get the job, you may then choose to stop.

Or you could keep doing it on the side – so you can have something to fall back on when you retire. And it would contribute an additional income stream even while you’re employed.

Success in life is often about using bad experiences as stepping stones to good experiences you want.

Or turning unpleasant circumstances to your advantage.

Successful people do that habitually. And that’s why they succeed!

I’ve read true stories about successful persons, whose journeys to achievement were triggered by a job loss experience.

In other words, the job loss served as a wake up call for them. But they only succeeded because they chose to respond to that call.

Those who fail do so because they choose to sit down and moan about life being unfair to them.

Take my advice: Don’t be like them, and waste a valuable opportunity to GROW, and succeed!

Most People Squander the Opportunity to Use a Job Loss Experience to Move Higher In Life

They immediately adopt a negative view of it, refusing to see any useful outcome it might bring.

One reason I believe this happens is that today’s humans have lost their inner sight. By this I mean the ability to see beyond to immediate and obvious.

To competently use their sixth sense to make accurately interpret experiences they have.

As I’ve said in a past article, our increasing dependence on the comforts of technology, is responsible for creating that weakness in us.

That’s why some of us easily panic and experience frustration when things go wrong. They are unable to sense the hidden or underlying benefit to be had from it.

YOU Can Be One of the Rare Exceptions!

You can make your story different. Not just for yourself, but for the sake others who will be inspired by your consequent achievements.

If you’re reading this article because of someone you know/care for, that’s what you need to tell him/her when you send the URL across.

There’s no magic formula. And it’s not likely to be easy either.

But if you choose not to let the loss you’ve experienced get you down, it won’t.

Simply resolve to see it as what it is: a potential opportunity for you to improve your fortunes in life.

Don’t stop at just “seeing” it that way however.

Also think and act about it in a manner consistent with the positive view you’ve adopted.

For instance, every single day explore new employment opportunities, business start up ideas or other avenues to success.

Intelligently seek guidance from competent others to making productive use of your time and efforts.

As time goes on, the results you get will help you decide what areas to focus on more.

And eventually, you’ll discover what specific one to narrow down to, till you succeed.

No one can tell you exactly how the future will unfold for you.

But diligently apply yourself. And believe that your creator will guide you to take the right decisions, and meet the right persons.

Do that with determination and persistence, and you will eventually succeed.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You

September 10, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

If you own a business – with employees – that won’t make money/do well unless you’re there, what you have is NOT a business, but a job! This article offers guidance to help you get maximum value from your business – even when you’re not physically present. Indeed if you do it right, you’ll develop a system that actually lets you stay away from your business, and return to find it doing just as well as (if not better than) you left it.

As an extension professional, my aim is to provide farm business owners with useful information and education, to guide them in daily running of their farms. Especially in the routine planning and decision making they have to do. In certain cases, I develop resources to enhance their ability to do what they do better.

Examples include my custom Excel-VB driven Farm Operations Management software, or my increasingly in-demand Practical Livestock Feed Formulation handbook, and the Ration Formulator software that goes with it.

I’m Using Farm Businesses as a Basis for Discussion – But This Applies to ANY Business

I provide Farm Business Problem Solving and Performance Improvement services. Doing so brings me in regular contact (online and off the web) with people running all kinds of farm enterprises.

But I also serve clients who own other kinds of businesses (with my web marketing systems development, software development, and other services).

A common limitation many farmers have, keeps them from truly enjoying the benefits of owning their own businesses.

It’s not just those who run farms that face this challenge. Many business owners experience it as well.

I refer to the inability to setup self-sustaining systems that ensure their businesses can run profitably, without need for constant intervention from them.

They literally have to physically supervise all key stages of their farm production processes to get results. Anytime they fail to do this, the chances of things going wrong dramatically increase.

What a terrible way to live as a business owner. To not be able to take time off and be confident that things will happen as you need them to!

But it does not have to be that way. And I explain how you can avoid living like that, using a real life example below.

Building a Best Practice Farm Management Software, to Free the Owner from Routine Monitoring Tasks & Decision Making Headaches (True Story)

I’ve been back in Nigeria since last week, this time travelling with my client to his Integrated Farm in South West Nigeria. We have spent time briefing his staff, and managers on the new paper based recording formats I’ve developed for use by the farm hands.

Daily entries into those one-sheet forms will capture operations data for the layers section. From eggs laid, to mortalities recorded, total feed used, and so on. At the end of each day, the forms will be signed off by each operative, and vetted by the supervisor/farm manager. Then they will be forwarded the administrative team, who will post the data into the software.

The application will then – via a series of dynamic drop down menus – be used to automatically generate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like Hen Day Percentage. Feeding Rates etc.

The KPIs are also charted for trending purposes over time. That enables farm planning and decision making happen more intelligently.

For instance, when you see a sudden spike or trough in the plotted lines, you’ll instantly know something’s changed. And that knowledge will guide you to identify what you – and/or your staff – did right (so you can do more of it) or what you – and/or your staff – did wrong (so you can stop doing it).

By the time you get used to managing your farm operation in this manner, you will find it’s become much easier than when you started.

You’ll actually discover you know what to expect from your farm operation at any point in time.

When You Know What to Expect, You’ll Be Better Prepared to Deal With Whatever It Is

In other words you’ll encounter few, if at all any, surprises in the daily running of your business.

That realization will give you confidence. And the confidence will empower you to free yourself from the need to ALWAYS be at work on your business.

It would simply not be necessary!

The ability to accurately and regularly monitor your farm KPIs would equip you to know how things are going.

And they would also forewarn you of unhealthy trends that the ordinary eyes would not see.

Uninitiated farm hands will be amazed at your ability to deduce when they do things they should not.

How?

Well, if they keep doing wrong, it will show up in your KPIs – unless you did not set up your standards properly!

Final Words

Think about it for a moment.

Would it not be a heavenly experience to NOT have to run around chasing your farm hands to do the right things daily?

Would you not be glad to have access to a system that x-rays what’s happening on your farm for you?

A system that clearly points to areas you are likely to encounter problems BEFORE they happen?

One that routinely serves you information that equips you to correct anything that’s going wrong, before major damage or setbacks result?

I think it would be great to have such a resource. And so do my farm business owner clients!

That is why they readily adopt the use of a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™.

A key component of the BOPMS™ is the use of custom Farm Management Software which generate KPIs like those mentioned above.

To enjoy FREEDOM and peace of mind, in running your business – even one that’s not farm based – adopt best practice principles, as described in this article.

You’ll be glad you did.