Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Would Your Friends Welcome A “Friendly” LEPER? (How to Discern REAL Friends)

This morning I came across the following quote while reviewing past tweets by Corey Jahnke (@CWJahnke):

“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

Do you have dreams or ambitions that haunt you because you keep letting a fear of making mistakes hold you back? Are you one of those who start each year setting ambitious resolutions only to falter when others question your sanity or ability to achieve? Have you ever felt “isolated” by disapproving friends and family members because you persisted in the pursuit of your valued goal, in spite of their advice to the contrary?

If yes, know that you are not alone. People, who achieve success by achieving the uncommon, often have to travel a lonely road to success.

Ask Nelson Mandela about the 27 years it took him (while “roasting” in jail) to bring apartheid rulers round to his line of thinking. The truth – as all success conscious people know – is that your conviction is what will see you through. Mandela’s conviction about his purpose led him to become a living legend today. But the road was not smooth.

When many people start out, they will often have heard stuff like those I’ve outlined above. However, as human beings we hear a lot, but consciously apply too little. Today’s fast paced world makes us even more distracted. We never pay close attention until something hits us where it hurts. Then we start looking for solutions – often desperately.

Human beings have a need to experience things in order to retain what they learn for the long term. That’s the reason why even when we were told as kids that the kettle is hot, very many of us never really listened to our parents until the day we got burnt while fooling around in the kitchen. The cycle repeats itself with our own kids.

To consistently succeed at anything you set your mind on, you must accept that intelligent mistake making will help you learn. You’ll need to take risks. Leave your comfort zone. Do the unfamiliar. Without going out on a limb, it is unlikely that you’ll be doing anything out of the ordinary or note worthy.

Making mistakes means you will not always come across as being “cool” to those other “safe playing” friends, relatives or associates watching from the sidelines. During the time you’re trying and failing at reaching your goals, some may be sneering or laughing in the background…sometimes to your face.

After the news has filtered out that you have (once again) “failed” at your new attempt, even those who stayed in touch may begin to carefully distance themselves. The could for instance fear mockery from others.

It is important that you welcome and relish periods like this, because they present you a perfect opportunity to know those who really like you for whom you are, and NOT just for what you are (e.g. a celebrity) or what you own (riches).

A lot of people miss out on gaining this extremely liberating insight into life. I come from a culture in which “friends” and relatives (no matter how distant) frequently announce their relationship to successful people to gain the respect and admiration of others.

Indeed, some celebrities get accused of failing to pay such friends and relatives visits whenever they are “in town” for instance They’ll say:So, you’ve forgotten us so quickly now that you’re successful? When was the last time you visited us at home? You’ve got to come over and stay the weekend next month. We absolutely insist.”

Fast forward to 2 years later, after the “celebrity” has run into a patch of bad times. Maybe he’s been the victim of an elaborate scam that forced him to adopt a modest lifestyle while trying to start over. The news would have spread quickly.

And when he shows up at the same relatives’ place to ask for a loan, he may be accorded a guarded reception. Suddenly there may be little if any enthusiasm to see him. And the entire proceedings during the short lived visit would be tense and uncomfortable for all present. When he gets up to leave, they most likely won’t ask: “What, you’re leaving so quickly?” If anything, they will appear in a greater hurry to get to the door than he is!

And that’s probably the closest most people not afflicted with leprosy, may ever get to experiencing what it feels like to be a leper. Like I tell people based on my personal experience, if you want to know those who really like you for who you are, watch what happens if/when bad times appear. If such times don’t show – and you’re keen – try the trick of “pretending” that things are not going well for you.

Note that it may take a while to see the ripple effects. People like this generally stick around to see if things will get better. If you keep it up long enough, they’ll show their true colours. Some will come to see what they can get off you in your vulnerable state. But most will simply disappear – and won’t even return your calls. You would have become a leper in their eyes. And no matter how “friendly you try to act, they’ll be resolute about keeping you at more than arm’s length.

The irony is that when a person is successful, but won’t let them get close to him/her, these same friends and relatives (and even strangers!) readily accuse him/her of being “unfriendly”.

Isn’t it funny how the successful person who chooses to be friendly and makes him/herself available to them, gets conveniently dumped or even ostracized as soon as misfortune befalls him/her?

Here’s what you should take away from this: You can never be sure why people choose to befriend or associate closely with you – especially when you’re doing well. Develop the ability to better identify those who seek you out for selfish gain, so you do not waste energy investing emotionally or otherwise in building relationships with them.

To become successful – and stay that way – you must surround yourself with the right kind of people. True friends will readily support you regardless of what happens – even if you get falsely accused and it’s in the news. When the inevitable challenges come, if you don’t have such people in your inner circle, you could end up being a friendly leper no one likes!

 

Blogging, Article Marketing, & 21st Century Illiterates

Since 2003, I have actively used my writing (articles, reports etc) to promote different aspects of my business to potential customers. The (well) written word has always had this powerful effect on people.

I have learnt from personal experience – and observation of others over the years – that creative writing, weaving useful information with promotional copy, in a way that does not offend, can generate valuable sales leads.

In June 2012, after changing hosts, and re-organizing my website content, I launched this Word press blog to manage the changing content I have been serving to my different target audiences since 2005, when http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com first came online.

This blog aims to attract buyers for NOT one, but a variety of services (and products) I offer:

  1. MS Excel-based custom spreadsheet software development
  2. Web Marketing Systems Development (including web content writing)
  3. Best Practice Systems Development/Extension Advisory Services Support for Farm Businesses.
  4. Performance Enhancement Talks, Seminar and Coaching Programs for my target audience of Entrepreneurs, Corporate Decision Makers, Employees, Parents, Teachers & Students.

This Blog Is Part of a Larger Web Marketing System

Using my skills as a multipreneurial service provider, I deliver products and services that help clients achieve their goals at work and in life, with less effort, and at less cost.

This is what I do – and it’s why I call myself a Performance Enhancement Specialist. There’s a good chance that you belong to one or more of the groups I identified above. And that means I may be able to help you.

The above is why even as I publish new posts on this blog, I WILL progressively relocate my over 171 articles from my main website (http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com) into it, so that they can be more easily found by people who need them. This also will make it easier for me to update them – the static HTML pages built in Dreamweaver over the years, always made doing that a bit tedious in the past.

Data/statistics for my articles have helped me identify topics attractive to visitors fitting my client profile. I’ll be publishing posts here, to serve more of such audiences. By implication therefore, this blog is now an integral part of my re-invented Web Marketing System.

What I’ve enjoyed the most about using my Web Marketing System, is that it has repeatedly served as a SELLING TOOL with which I have closed profitable sales opportunities with clients. In many interactions with prospective clients, I have successfully used different aspects of my web marketing system in face to face meetings, to demonstrate to, and convince them to engage my services, or extend my mandate.

And this is apart from people who have purchased my products online after finding them through an article I wrote on a subject that interested them.

So, if you’re here and wondering why I have IMPORTED my write-ups labeled with dates going as far back as 2003, into this blog, the above clarification should hopefully have answered your question(s).

High Website Traffic May NOT Necessarily Win You Clients

Here’s the most important lesson I’ve learned in using my website as business marketing tool. This is a truth that I always make a point of alerting clients to – IF they listen:

You do NOT need tons of website traffic to sell your services. Depending on the kind of service you provide, it is actually possible to get more business than you can handle from as few as 1 to 3 clients in a year.

So, your website and all your web marketing efforts can be deliberately set up to CONVERT such high value/premium prospects into clients when they visit it.

If ten such people visit your site in one year, and one or two engage your services, you would be better off, than if a million visited but none stopped long enough to buy. Same rule applies when selling products. Some information products cost $29 USD. Others cost $3,500 USD. The two products may not target the same kind of visitors or require equally high traffic.

I operate this blog based on the above insight – gained from experience. And I also put my understanding of this fact, to the best possible use for my clients.

How I Can Help YOU

We all have our strengths. My greatest strengths are my adaptability/work related stamina, quick-learning skills, versatility and resourcefulness. I have used them to the benefit of my employers in the past, and clients MANY times since becoming self-employed over 10 years ago.

It’s those same multiple competencies that I now offer to any visitors to this blog who may seek solutions I offer. As long as you are sincere, and prepared to provide a clear brief about what you want done, you WILL get value for your investment in my services.

Take a tour of this blog, and review the depth and variety of experience based content on offer. Notice the deliberate effort made to include anecdotal accounts ane industry relevant research based information, to enrich your reading experience. That’s what will demonstrate to you that this blog is NOT an ego trip.

There’s more to see on www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

This blog is however NOT all there is. I say this at the risk of stating the obvious. I have set it up to make it easier to create, and maintain NEW useful content to visitors – some of who may fit my desired client profile.

However, I’ll also be incorporating links to different sections of the larger website in some of the write ups that are related to the theme or subject of any post I make.

Four key areas I will incorporate links for are:

(1). Creating automated MS Excel applications

(2). Developing low cost Web Marketing Systems

(3). Providing Farm Business Best Practice Ideas and Solutions

(4). Performance enhancement learning events

(5). Information products

FREELANCE WRITING

As you will see from the link provided at the top of this blog, I offer to write for interested persons. Since 2004, I’ve done A LOT of freelance writing for clients (in a wide variety of industries) in the course of developing web marketing systems for them.

Do You Have A Topic/Subject or Theme You would Like Me To Write A Blog Post About?

If yes, click here to send in details of your request for me to write on it.

You can use this as a risk-free way to evaluate the quality of my writing, if that aspect of my services interests you.

FINAL WORDS: About Article Marketing

From 2005, I leveraged articles marketing online, to attract traffic and generate pre-qualified leads for the services I offer as an MS Excel-VB Solutions Developer and also a Web Marketing Systems Developer.

Articles Marketing helped me achieve name recognition quite quickly. And it also helped me sell many of my information products.

However, following the recent Google algorithm updates, article marketing as a strategy suffered a drastic setback due to the abusive manner (frowned upon by Google) that some people had used it to create duplicate content online.

As a result, I’ve NOT submitted any new articles to Ezinearticles.com since December 2011, because I’m trying to decide on a safe and effective way to continue using that strategy. Some people have already thrown the Article Marketing baby out with the bath water. I believe that’s a mistake. And it might cost them later. A smart way is always to adapt.

That’s what I do quite well i.e. adapt. It is also why I love the following quote:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, unlearn or relearn” – Alan Toffer

I believe article marketing done with integrity still offers major benefit. And it can be done to complement one’s blogging efforts. You just have to spend time learning HOW.

Now that this blog is up, I’m beginning to gain clarity on how I can use my Ezinearticles.com submissions to complement my blogging efforts.

Tayo K. Solagbade | 02 July 2012

Update(25th Aug. 2012) – I have since resumed publishing articles on EzineArticles.com:

1. 14th Aug. 2012 – Speaking Success: Abuse Your Audience and Lose Credibility (True Story).

2. 15th Aug. 2012 Ideas for Exploring Low Cost Feed Ingredients, When You Have No Laboratory On Your Farm

Click here to view my over 170 other published articles at the Ezine Articles Directory:

PII 059: Read This And Understand Why Your Internet Access Is Sometimes Slow

Do you know what happens when you type a web address or URL (like www.tayosolagbade.com) into your Internet Explorer browser’s URL entry bar, and click “GO” or press “Enter”? Read this article to learn what happens, and how/why this process sometimes can become slow to the point that it frustrates users like yourself!

(TIP: This article is 10 years old this month. It was first published online via spontaneousdevelopment.com – now defunct – on 1st March 2007 | I republished it via tayosolagbade.com on Jun 29, 2012 – and I’m re-purposing it here, as a public service via tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets – my blog – today, 27th March 2017)

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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

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

Monday 27th March 2017

Logo - Tayo Solagbade's Self-Development Academy


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.

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

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google PlusConnect with Tayo on LinkedIn.com

PII 059: Read This And Understand Why Your Internet Access Is Sometimes Slow

Do you know what happens when you type a web address or URL (like www.tayosolagbade.com) into your Internet Explorer browser’s URL entry bar, and click “GO” or press “Enter”? Read this article to learn what happens, and how/why this process sometimes can become slow to the point that it frustrates users like yourself!

(TIP: This article is 10 years old this month. It was first published online via spontaneousdevelopment.com – now defunct – on 1st March 2007 | I republished it via tayosolagbade.com on Jun 29, 2012 – and I’m re-purposing it here, as a public service via tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets – my blog – today, 27th March 2017)

Do you know what happens when you type a web address or URL (like www.tayosolagbade.com) into your Internet Explorer browser’s URL entry bar, and click “GO” or press “Enter”?

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Note: URL means “Uniform Resource Locator” and is the address for a resource(e.g. website) on the internet. It actually represents a unique string of numbers called an Internet Protocol(IP) address e.g. 164.205.65.105. Since words/names are easier for people to remember than numbers, URLs are used to specify website addresses – while the internet server “interpretes” it to mean the “number String” address equivalent.

—————————————————–

The following describe the sequence of events that occurs:

1. Internet Explorer sends the web address(www.tayosolagbade.com) to your ISP(Internet Service Provider).

2. The ISP sends “www.tayosolagbade.com” to the nearest node of the Domain Name Server(i.e. DNS, which is actually a set of databases shared amongst servers that stores the numeric addresses of Web sites. A new domain name e.g. tksola.com is added “or propagated” to these databases during the first few weeks after the domain name is registered. Only after this has been done, will it be possible to type the domain name into a browser and not get a “Page not found” error message).

3. The DNS returns the site’s numeric(IP) address to your Internet Explorer(watch the status bar of your browser when next you’re doing this online).

4. Your Internet Explorer sends the IP address to a router, which checks the traffic on the Internet, and finds the least busy path to the server containing the website(www.tayosolagbade.com) that you’ve requested.

5. The server receives the IP address, acknowledges receiving it(your status bar may momentarily read “website found”), then places the request in a queue to wait until earlier requests(by you or others e.g. when many people are trying to go to yahoo.com) have been fulfilled by the server.

6. The server then sends the website’s default page(index.htm for example) back over the Internet to your ISP, which then sends it to your computer.

The process described in 1 to 6 above normally happens within seconds, even with a slow internet connection.

When you browse using a fast connection(e.g. broadband/ satellite), the entire process can occur in an instant.

However, sometimes when the ISP has a problem and/or its resources are overloaded say due to many users online at the same time, prolonged access times can result.

That’s when at steps 5 to 6 you find yourself waiting for what seem like prolonged periods for the webpages you requested to appear.

So, how does the above information help you?

Well, for one thing, you are now equipped to understand why this happens, when it does, so you should feel less frustrated, if at all.

Secondly, this knowledge puts you in a position to communicate more intelligently with the administrator/ support staff for your Internet connection about the problem.

Thirdly, this useful knowledge puts you in a unique position to educate other internet users who experience similar problems.

Share this with someone you know would benefit from it.

Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

Click to view larger screenshot

1. Click here to learn more about this app – watch demo videos etc

2. Click here to watch a 4 part video in which I demonstrate how to use this app to formulate rations using real life data sent to me by an Algerian PhD student.

Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.

EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER SOFTWARE

Click here to download a detailed PDF user guide and watch 15 screen shot user guide tutorials of the Monthly Poultry Farm Manager that I now offer Farm CEOs.

Click here to watch a screenshot demonstration of the Excel-VB Driven Poultry Farm Manager I built for a client farm business in Ekiti state, South West Nigeria.

Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.

SDN Blog™

New posts from last week*

Monday:

[Wednesday]:

[Thursday]:

Empower Your Child to Develop Market Relevant Income Generating Competencies [True Story]

[Friday]:

N/A

[Saturday]:

N/A

[Sunday]:

[VIDEO] Excel Heaven Tutorial  09: Using Relative & Absolute Cell Addressing To Save Your Time and Effort In MS Excel

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist & Founder of the MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club and Competition

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

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google PlusConnect with Tayo on LinkedIn.com

Home |About | Contact | SD Nuggets™ | Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS | Web Marketing Systems | Freelance Writing | MS Excel® Heaven™ | Cost-Saving Farm Biz Ideas

How To Be A Jack Of Many Trades™, And Why It Can Make You Succeed More Often (Based On Real-Life Practice)

Not many people have the ability to competently carry out multiple tasks simultaneously, and deliver satisfactory results on each task – consistently. Fewer still are comfortable with continually learning to do many things at the same time. Yet, in every society we find there are always a select few who seem to thrive doing just that. Expressions in daily conversation coined to describe such persons include “man-of-many-parts”, “one-who-wears-many-hats”, “multi-talented”, “multi-skilled”, “versatile” etc. This article describes an unusual – but well established – practice in which certain individuals intelligently combine their(sometimes self-taught) skills in a variety of related fields to successfully – and repeatedly – deliver desired results( to employers), or products and services(to clients/ customers).

First published online: 2006

(This article is one of twenty-five(25) contained in Tayo Solagbade’s Ebook titled “25 Articles/True Stories On Self-Development, Entrepeneuring & Web Marketing To Help You Succeed More Often) Continue reading

Do You Need A Business Plan, If Your Biz Idea Is New, Untested Or Unproven?

Business plans can be very useful instruments for raising capital from prospective investors and also for managing daily operations of the business post-take off. However, preparation of business plans is normally based on review/analysis of historical data from similar businesses operating in the market place. The situation however becomes different, when someone comes up with an idea for a product or service that is totally new i.e. unheard of, untried or unproven in the market place. There would be no reliable pre-existing data with which to do say a SWOT analysis. Any attempts would for the most part be based on weak assumptions and mostly conjecture. This article offers any start-up nursing such unproven business idea(s) a proven path to follow based on the real-life experiences of others who were faced with a similar dilemma at some time in their entrepreneurial careers.

First published online: 2005

This article is one of twenty-five(25) contained in Tayo Solagbade’s Ebook titled “25 Articles/True Stories On Self-Development, Entrepeneuring & Web Marketing To Help You Succeed More Often) Continue reading

If You Lack Capital, Intelligent Multipreneuring Can Help You Succeed!

Much of this article probably goes against ideas held by majority of people, but the truth is that when a person is willing, that which the majority regards as impossible, can become that which can be done with adequate intelligent effort.

In our daily conversations certain expressions we use(such as “man-of-many parts”, “multi-talented” “utility player”, “multi-skilled”, “wears many hats” etc) indicate that we acknowledge that some of us have such abilities – and are therefore potential Multipreneurs. However, sometimes human beings tend to question and/or resist attempts by such individuals to make use of their skills in a formal manner e.g. in business.

This article offers suggestions based on real-life experiences about how a person can increase chances of securing needed financing, by intelligently applying his/her multipreneurial abilities.

WARNING! In order to get maximum value from this article, the reader must keep an OPEN mind free from the influence of whatever societal myths s/he is familiar with about doing more than one thing at a time.

If you cannot do that, then you are NOT ready to use the information provided here.

You may find it useful to read my detailed article titledHow To Be A Jack Of Many Trades™ And Why It Can Make You Succeed More Often before you read this one.

“The mind is like a parachute. It only works best when it is open” – Anonymous

Keep This In Mind For When You Meet A (Potential) Multipreneur!

The fact that YOU find it difficult to switch from doing one thing to another, at will or within a short space of time DOES NOT mean every other person will experience similar difficulty. You simply cannot impose your limitations on others in that manner. If you think it’s not possible, no matter who you are or what you think you’ve achieved, that does NOT mean it’s not possible.

Someone else, a child even, with the appropriate skills set, desire and self-belief(as Napoleon Hill would say) would bring that same thing to reality. Examples abound as to how this has happened in the past. So, when a person chooses to market not one but a number of potentially income generating skills to different markets, do not be quick to cast aspersion on the person. He might be just as good as he says he is in all of them to justify wanting to earn a living by offering service or products using those skills.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” — George Bernard Shaw

Essential Qualities A Startup Entrepreneur Needs

1. Mental Stamina.

If you have been doing any reading about what it takes to startup a business as an entrepreneur, you will have read that you need to be able to deal with (and recover quickly) from setbacks; work long hours etc. You need to have mental stamina or the ability to persevere. I mention this particular attribute because I believe it is the most crucial for ANY entrepreneur to have. Without it, no matter how gifted, talented, or skillful a person is, s/he may just not be able to carry on long enough to achieve the success s/he desires.

2. Other Attributes.

Various authors, and books have described the many qualities that make a good or successful entrepreneur. There are even quizzes designed to help the aspiring entrepreneur discover how suited s/he is to successfully functioning as an entrepreneur. “Googling” the search string “What attributes does a person need to succeed as an entrepreneur”, should turn up a few useful links that you can follow to learn more about this subject.

3. Ability To Juggle Many Tasks Or “Multipreneur”.

You may find you need to be able to do many different things at the same time. As some experienced writers on this subject have admitted, you will during this period have to do most of the work by yourself.

That includes preparing the business plan, keeping your business data/records(especially to enable you cater for the legal tax obligations etc), planning for marketing/advertising, sales and so on. Many of these activities you will probably be able to leave to employees in the future(if you business is the type that requires such), but at the beginning, you will need to demonstrate reasonable mastery of these tasks to move your business forward.

Robert Kiyosaki recommends to persons in paid employment planning for a future in business or self-employment, that they plan to work in as many different departments of their companies as possible with the main intention of learning how those they are not familiar with function. That way, when they eventually startup their learning curves would be shorter or less steep.

Do You Really Lack Capital? Really??

Sometimes individuals who wish to startup their own business ventures complain of lack of capital. But history is replete with examples of people who had little or no capital and still managed to get their businesses off the ground and up to a point here they found willing investors.

Dan Kennedy once wrote that he had become convinced that all the noise being made about lack of capital was nonsense. I particularly found quite instructive Dan’s advice to prospective investors in this regard. He told them their money would be likely well spent if they sought out and invested in the business run by a startup who had demonstrated that she could survive on her own without capital. Very good thinking!

How Do You Survive Without Capital?

1. Develop ways to keep more of your revenue in your pockets or coffers as tangible profits – negotiate better; get concessions when you make purchases, maintain low overheads/running expenses.

2. Find a way to get the things you want done, without having to spend money e.g. product or service barter exchange.

But how do you do all this?

Using Multipreneuring To Get Around The Problem Of INADEQUATE Capital

Let’s face it, if you are anything close to a true entrepreneur, you never really lack capital at startup. This is because you will have one or more assets that your belief in your business ideas will convince you to sell to raise needed capital. What you will encounter is INADEQUATE capital. The money you raise may not be enough to meet your needs.

It is my strong conviction that if more people can learn to acquire multiple self-taught competencies(relevant to their chosen business interests), they will not only increase their chances of succeeding in business, but also “immunise” themselves against potentially devastating setbacks, since they would be able to fall back on their skills set to either prevent, avoid or recover from such setbacks.

You will only save significant amounts of money when your skills are self-taught.

Therefore learning HOW TO LEARN should be the first priority you have. Buy a book, tape, CD tutorial etc that teaches how to do something you need to learn. Diligently apply yourself for as long as necessary, and until you have the desired proficiency. Then put your new skill to use in a way that benefits your business.

As I said elsewhere, sometimes having multiple marketable skills can help you attract “bread and butter” jobs to tide you over the periods of slow patronage you may encounter in starting or running your business. Being able to earn income through a variety of channels, based on multiple skills, certainly increases your chances of sourcing needed capital to push your business forward and/or win the confidence of prospective investors.

Anything Wrong With A Humbling HUMBLE Beginning?

Even if you have what you consider adequate capital, that should not be reason to spend carelessly. You can still adopt the prudent approach.

And if you do NOT have enough capital, you need to ask yourself some questions:

1. Can I get this done myself?

2. If I can’t, can I learn how to do so in enough time to get the business off the ground on schedule?

3. Or can I get someone to do it for me without my paying cash(maybe you offer a service using a special skill you offer, equivalent in value. As a multipreneur, the chances of one or more of your marketable skills coming in useful as a negotiating tool are high).

If a startup entrepreneur can acquire the skills to function intelligently as a multipreneur, her chances of success will increase, because she would accumulate less avoidable overheads/operating expenses, and therefore retain more of her earnings as profits.

In addition she would be able to turn potential setbacks into profitable outcomes.

Quick example. As a multipreneur, apart from speaking and training on Self-Development, I offer custom excel VB spreadsheet automation, web design, and freelance writing services. While working on two different projects in 2004 (a webdesign job, and an excel workbook automation job), I lost access to the laptop I was using due to a fall out with my partner.

In order for me to complete the projects for my clients, I negotiated with one of them, who runs an IT/Telecom company, to have a computer system built for me as part payment for the web design job I was doing for him.

He agreed – for the obvious reason that it meant he got to pay me less cash. In addition, he had many of the needed components for building the computer system left over from previous projects. So, just over a week later I had a brand new computer system, AND I was able to finish off both projects!

While starting up, I chose to function as a multipreneur in order to make myself more capable of giving value to my identified target audience who have varying needs due to the different areas of endeavour they are in.

This ability later became even more valuable when I discovered I could get many other resources I needed, but lacked cash to purchase, by simply offering to use one of my many skills in exchange for the item(s).

As a multipreneur, I have had many instances in which I got things done without spending half as much as my fellow entrepreneurs simply because I took out time to learn how to do it myself.

No matter how you look at it, an entrepreneur who can function as a multipreneur, is likely to have more choices open to him/her when it concerns raising capital or securing alternative means of getting access to needed resources.

By putting yourself in a position where you have more options to choose from, you increase your chances of succeeding. When one door closes, your other skill(s) might just open your eyes to another possible route to achieving your intended purpose!

Still not convinced? Or worried about what others will say? Read my detailed article titled How To Be A Jack Of Many Trades™ And Why It Can Make You Succeed More Often.

PS: This article was first published 6nline in 2006.

Are Your Employees Happy & Satisfied With Their Jobs?(A Ten Item Quiz That Can Help You Find Out)

During my time in paid employment, I often discussed extensively with other employees within and outside my company about the workplace, employment conditions, boss-surbodinate relationships, job satisfaction etc.

Most times people I spoke with dwelt more on the monetary remuneration/benefits they received from their companies as a means for deciding whether or not to be “happy” with their jobs/companies.

But in certain instances I found that some (like me), wanted more than that – such as freedom to express their individuality in doing their work; more recognition from the company for their contributions etc.

This article explains why – I believe – decision makers need to work hard to measure(possibly using a short Employee Morale Gauge quiz like the one I developed) and nurture the morale of their employees/team members IF the organisation is to progress.

(Published Online: 7th May 2007) Continue reading

Compete ONLY Against Yourself – And Enjoy The Rewards Of Being A Truly Liberated Mind!

Due to the way some people have been brought up – coupled with the programming done on their minds in formal schooling systems – they believe that to get ahead in life, they need to compete with another person. That’s why you find people who claim to be friends(sometimes even relatives) working hard to outdo one another.

One frequent fallout of their desperation to better(or get “one-up” on) each other is the absence of true sincerity, love and free, candid expression of feelings that would normally be expected to exist in such relationships.

I believe anyone who wants to get great fulfillment in life, must live without carrying the burden of anxiety caused by a need to keep up with, or outdo another person, in order to look good/appear successful.

This article explains why competing ONLY against yourself(like I do!) will help you live a more productive, fulfilling and LONGER life.

First published online: 2006

(Based on excerpts from Tayo Solagbade’s Self-Development Bible : Ten Ways You Can Use Self-Development To Create The Future You Want) Continue reading

Judge People By What They Can Do, Not By How They Look!

Many of us have also heard the saying that “Appearances can be deceptive”. I once heard someone say in an American sitcom that “clothes don’t make a man”. Then there is the dictum “You cannot judge a book by its cover”. This last one makes me ask why therefore people who should know better STILL insist on judging others by how they look at a point in time.

First published online: Mar 13, 2008 Continue reading

A “System” That Can Produce Millionaire African Writers

On page 36 of the Daily Sun (Nigerian Tabloid) of Tuesday June 21, 2005, a report was published titled “Our System can’t produce millionaire writers”. It was written by Amaka Adetula based on an interview with Nduka Otiono – a Poet and Secretary of Association of Nigerian Writers (ANA).

[NB: This write-up is based on an original piece written/published online on spontaneousdevelopment.com (in 2005)]

Nduka’s commentary on the state of writing in Nigeria was indeed illuminating. Continue reading