Category Archives: My DN Travel News

Entrepreneurship, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Should You Sell 3rd Party Adverts Or Your Own Content?

June 24, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Short answer: It depends. But in this article, I challenge Nigerians/Africans to do LESS copying and MORE creating of original content online, for use by others. For years, I’ve sold my own creative digital content to buyers in and out of Africa. (E.g my Ration Formulator, Poultry Farm Manager, Payslip Generator, and PDF Information products like my popular Feed Formulation Handbook).

I’m Not Alone: Many Others Do Even Better. But Our Numbers Remain Too Few!

This is the painful truth.

Creating original digital content (for possible sale) requires little or no capital investment. If you can think originally, and creatively implement ideas that come to you, your chances of hitting on a profitable niche product or service are high.

Sadly, too many Africans remain seduced by the easier option of “parroting” creative content originating from developed societies.

It’s so bad now, that journalists in our part of the world rarely do independent investigation/research of news stories today.

They simply wait for foreign media to publish, and they basically copy and paste to their own platforms.

Today, Nigerians/Africans make use of various web-based resources like Yahoo.com, Hotmail.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com, EzineArticles.com, Youtube.com – the list is endless.

Virtually all of these tools cost no money to access. Not surprisingly, numerous Nigerians/Africans find such places most attractive to be online! “Who no like better thing?” as we say in Nigeria. Everyone loves freebies, and there really is nothing bad about that.

But here’s my grouse: In contrast to our situation, Asians, Americans, Europeans…even South Africans have found a way to create THEIR OWN value adding systems online for the rest of the world to use (often times for a fee).

Examples include the home based highly skilled software/web developing young Indian; the European/American offering a variety of products for sale online, and the South African providing after hours office phone support service for foreign companies.

In contrast, what we (in Nigeria/Africa) seem extremely good at is rapid adoption of the latest creative content on the web.

Our presence on Facebook and Yahoo! alone is intimidating to say the least. Yet most of what we use them for are NOT value adding in any way!

I ask: Why can’t we introduce some creative concept or resource of our own online, to be adopted and massively used by the rest of the world?

For instance, if you are a consultant or specialist in engineering, you can choose to include Google adverts for visitors to your site to click – making you some money.

But, you could do even better by developing YOUR OWN branded content – publications/services etc – that visitors can be invited to purchase from you over time.

For instance, you could diligently add useful, relevant content to the site, to:

(a) attract new and repeat visitors

(b) boost their perception of you as a competent/credible specialist in your chosen field

(c) convince them to eventually purchase your information (packaged in various forms) or your services (e.g. consulting you or even inviting you to speak, work etc with them).

Every now and then I hear some chap announce the impressive earnings from his Google Ad words or other money earning scheme available on the web.

Quite often, I cannot help but wonder if he (and other Nigerians/Africans like him) realize they can develop their own original money spinning concepts to be deployed online for OTHERS across the world to use, make money from and share with others!

Why Most Nigerians Still Do NOT Offer Useful ORIGINAL Content On The Web

The big problem we have is that we do not like THINKING.

And that (i.e. thinking) is a crucial part of the creative process needed to develop original concepts.

Another thing we do not like is NURTURING the products of our thoughts into maturity.

We lack that aspect of emotional intelligence, which makes a person give up temporary comfort in pursuit of a valued goal.

Delayed gratification for most Nigerians is something to be avoided at all costs.

Anything we engage in must yield immediate benefit/returns – else we’ll discontinue it as quickly as possible.

But successful living requires more than that.

Back in 1998, I recall stumbling across a personal domain name service called “Namezero.com”, whose American owners chose to startup by offering EVERYTHING FREE for the first two years.

You got a free domain name (mine was tksola.com), with all the bells and whistles – a personal webmail account with massive storage space at you domain; plus domain URL forwarding and many other powerful features.

They were new on the net, and they wanted to WIN OVER huge numbers of potential customers by PROVING they were reliable and competent.

I signed up, like many other people on the web, and enjoyed a wonderful quality of service from these chaps for those two years.

In 2000 they announced to us via email that retaining our accounts with them would require us to make payment. By then most of us had had enough time to evaluate what they had to offer, and were convinced enough to pay to KEEP what we had with them.

I took up their wonderful bundled purchase offer, and paid for two years, making great savings.

My point is – those guys chose to offer something that already existed, in a NEW way, that added value to their target audience.

They believed in their idea enough to offer it FREE, and SERVE their potential customers for long enough to win them over as paying customers.

And they gained valuable experience providing their services to potential customers, addressing issues they raised, until the service became valuable enough to be offered at a competitive price.

How Nigerians/Africans Can Begin To Offer Useful ORIGINAL Content On The Web

We can invest time, intellect and energy into developing our own original variants of money-spinning web based solutions.

These would be targeted at the Nigerian/African population, but designed in a way that the rest of the world would still find them attractive enough to buy into.

We could start by writing our own e-books – instead of ONLY buying and selling those sold by others.

Then there are the membership websites offering useful information to a niche market. And there are countless other ways we can use the net to win over people from beyond our shores – using the net.

NB: I have already noted that some Nigerians/Africans already offer solutions like those mentioned. But the numbers are just too few compared to our potential!

Do you recall what used to be the case in the music industry here in Nigeria?

Back in the ’80s it was difficult to hold a party playing ONLY Nigerian music. Today, we all know our industry practitioners have continued to succeed in creating new music that is increasingly marketable to an international audience.

We can do the same with our Internet based resources by offering more original content that others will be willing to BUY from us. And the benefits – financially and socio-economically – will be tangibly felt in our societies.

By then, just like people no longer discourage their kids from going into music, we will find that more Nigerian parents will stop frowning at their kids spending long hours on the net or the PC.

Indeed, many Yahoo! boys (and those aspiring) are likely to “switch” over to more positive roles, bringing their unique skills to bear in the evolution of a new and legitimate way of earning online income.

Speaking of Yahoo! boys and their online scam activities…

Those of us who depend on income earned via adverts and affiliate programs (e.g. Google ad words) originating from developed societies MUST keep the following in mind:

If those in charge of those programs acted like Yahoo! boys, most cheque payments for their Nigerian participants would NEVER arrive!

And they would not be able to brag about making dollars online! This is why Nigerians starting ventures like I propose must be honest in their dealings.

But is it NOT a FACT that most of these foreign internet money making websites actively discourage use by Nigerians?

Paypal is a good example. Until recently, Nigerians could not even make legitimate use of that platform, to transact business online. And even now, with the recent entry into the Nigerian market, Paypal only allows Nigerians to send money. Receiving payments via Paypal remains a NO – NO for us!

The truth is however that, even before Paypal chose to let us in, many of our online money making Gurus in Nigeria have been using “IP hiding” software to register for and use Paypal!

Does that not imply some degree of “dishonesty” on their part?

Of course it does!

See what I’m getting at now?

We are forcing our way into other people’s money making systems, even as they work hard to keep us out.

That’s why most of our Gurus here cannot rub shoulders with their colleagues from developed societies without fear of being found out.

Would it not be better if we started our own online money making systems?

Would it not be better to do that even as we use payment systems that allow us generate income via online transactions among ourselves, and from outsiders?

After all, many of us today use ATM/Debit cards that enable online purchases/transactions.

Does that not make PLENTY of good sense?

Would it not benefit us MORE?

And isn’t that something we would all be proud to show to the rest of the world?

I say YES to all 3 questions. And that’s why many years ago, I stopped trying to get Google ads to work on my website.

I am a performance enhancement specialist. I sell my knowledge and expertise to a niche market – which does NOT include every person online!

So, why should I depend on Google Ads (alone) to make money online?

Should my website not be about me and what I can do to benefit those who need me/my services?

Yes, of course it should – and so should yours!

Visit www.briantracy.com or go to www.burtdubin.com. You will find that they all focus on offering their own content for sale to their visitors. These are individuals like you and I, who chose to “sell their own unique brands”.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT saying it’s a crime to have Ads on your website…

In truth, there are circumstances under which I may be willing to incorporate ads on my own website. Especially if they are reliably sensitive to the “context” of my website content(but that’s NOT easy to get!).

However, if you REALLY have – and know – your stuff, I honestly believe it makes a LOT MORE SENSE to offer (via adverts and other promotional strategies) your own products and services for your target audience to buy from you.

Indeed, you will be able to make significantly greater earning margins from sales of your own products than you would from sales of other people.

And that would be in addition to cementing your credibility as an expert in your field in the eye of your potential clients/customers.

To me, that makes bucket loads of SENSE!

What do YOU think?.

PS: This article is based on excerpts from an original piece published on 1st February 2010, by Tayo K. Solagbade – on www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Public Speaking, Self-Development

No. 147: Some Startup CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed (How to Help Them)

June 23, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Over a decade of delivering Best Practice Solutions to Farm Businesses, has revealed one interesting fact to me: Many who own farm businesses in Nigeria, do NOT have formal training in agriculture.

Yet, Despite Lacking Training in Agriculture, They Succeed!

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Click now to view the latest issue of Tayo Solagbade's Public Speaking IDEAS page

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 23rd June 2014

No:147

Title: Some Startup CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed (How to Help Them)

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/sdnuggets

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

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

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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. 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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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email it to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance

No. 147: Some Startup CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed (How to Help Them)

Yet, Despite Lacking Training in Agriculture, They Succeed!

Indeed, there is little to suggest those who studied agriculture do better that those who do not.

From the total illiterate who runs a thriving catfish farm (which even , provides training for aspiring others to start theirs), to the PhD holder who runs a commercial poultry layer farm combined with a feed mill (which provides milling services to other farm businesses).

This fact has significant implications.

Even Unschooled Persons, Given Enough Training, Can Run Successful Farming Ventures…

I still recall watching a video demonstration produced by a Lagos based aquaculture consultant, who graduated from the University of Lagos. In it, he shared a testimonial about one of the “graduates” of his monthly Catfish Farming Business Start-up workshops.

The illiterate Alhaji learnt how to competently inject female catfish to induce ovulation…to strip ripe eggs from the female fish…and to subsequently extract milt (semen) from male catfish, to use in fertilising the stripped eggs…which post hatching, he reared to table size!

In the past, most farm owners would not dare venture into fish farming without hiring a “graduate” of fisheries. This was because the latter were often the only ones who had the “competence” to carry out such delicate tasks.

They Can Do Even Better By Adopting Best Practice Operations...

I’ve noted that people who lack formal agribusiness training have been repeatedly able to start-up and run operations that succeed fairly well.

However, one consistent trend I’ve observed (and it’s been there for decades, as noted in Prof. J. A Oluyemi’s “Poultry Production in Warm Wet Climates”), in Nigeria, is that most farm owners (even including those with formal training) do not have well organised farm workplaces.

Most of their daily routine operations are carried out in a haphazard manner.

One can therefore imagine that if despite lacking formal training, and failing to operate based on established best practices, they can do so well, their potential for even higher profitability and long term success can only be greater!

With best practice operation, apart from ensuring more predictable long term performance, they would also develop reliable competence to prevent problems (e.g. disease outbreaks etc), and/or recover from them.

To start a Poultry layer farm, for instance, there are well laid out rules and regulations guiding selection of chicks, housing, transportation, feeding, down to slaughtering and/or sales.

In developed societies, a start-up farm typically needs to meet stringent requirements to get approval to commence operations. Periodic checks by regulatory authorities ensure continued adherence or conformance.

This is why most farm owners in developed countries diligently keep farm records covering all areas of their operations – including data to facilitate tracing virtually all inputs and outputs to/from their processes.

And it is also why many of them tend to achieve optimal output and profitability relative to capacity.

In Nigeria However, Formal Best Practice Standards Simply Do Not Exist!

Some people seem to wake up one morning with an itch in their pockets following some financial windfall of sorts.

After doing a little thinking, a person could decide to start a poultry layer farm based on what s/he’s been told about profits to be had. Within a matter of weeks s/he contacts a hatchery to order chicks.

Now, maybe an old friend once told him his family owned a poultry business.

Rather than have a formal consulting relationship with a competent professional in this field, s/he would choose to ask that friend questions about what to do and how.

This really does happen quite often!

If s/he decides to be a bit more painstaking, s/he could visit the friend’s farm and take pictures of the structures and animal.

Next, s/he calls in workers to build pens, and install cages etc e.g someone who knows someone who does such work gets people in, mostly informally. S/he gets to pay as little as possible, because most times it’s like they’re “helping” as friends etc

As a result, most times farm owners who start like this simply “wing it” i.e. they try to cut as many corners as possible, to get rear their chicks into laying birds, while spending as little as possible.

These people often focus ONLY or mainly, on the money to be made from eggs sales.

The time, effort and money to be invested in getting the right quality of chicks and creating the right housing environment, coupled with proper balanced feeding, to ensure long term egg laying performance, is something they have little patience for.

Many Such Farm CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed i.e. Reading Up!

You see, one good thing about farm businesses is that, with luck (e.g poultry and fish farming) is that they can quickly yield useful returns that make lapses on the part of the owner NOT matter much.

They thus fail to realize how costly the “corner cutting” risks they blindly took could have been.

That is, until one day, when disaster strikes!

And then in trying to get help, they connect with a support specialist (like me). And I never stop being amazed to discover just how little they know about the farm businesses they run!

Yet books abound, as do websites, where one can learn virtually all one needs to know about starting up and successfully running farm businesses of all kinds.

Any smart farm business owner will arm him/herself with sound knowledge of the theory and practice of the enterprise s/he chooses.

Without this, s/he would be shooting in the dark.

Considering the substantial financial investment that starting some enterprises requires, this will seldom be a wise thing to do.

Yet many still do it till today – because they see others seemingly getting away with it.

On Example: A few weeks ago, I read through a Nairaland.com discussion thread. Certain individuals announced the launch of small scale commercial poultry farm operations.

Over a period of weeks spanning about 6 months, they shared details of the progress (or lack of it) that they were making.

However, the requests for help made, and responses to questions by others, given by the start-up farm CEOs, revealed that they’d begun in some cases without doing the most basic things.

In one case, a CEO posted an update explaining how the chicks received weeks earlier had to be moved out of the new broiler brooding pens, because the flooring was badly done.

It was so bad that sections had cracked open, over time resulting in infection, which led to complications – and deaths.

When asked about – among other things – vaccination regimes administered to the new birds, the CEO had basically no clue!

It was most disheartening to see that people adopted such a haphazard approach to embarking upon ventures so well practised by many for decades!

I Have However Discovered That Not All Such CEOs Were Being Lazy or Careless…

Like I’ve noted in past articles, most of my Farm CEO clients are actually persons who hold day jobs, and run their businesses on the side, employing trusted hands they can find.

As a result, time can sometimes be hard for them to efficiently manage. So they get overwhelmed. Especially in the peculiar Nigerian climate.

This probably explains why some have had to request my help in finding reliable persons to employ as farm managers etc.

While reflecting on this challenge, it occurred to me that it’s not easy to find a quick-start-guide that persons – especially those untrained in agriculture – can quickly and easily consult.

The few available are bulky publications with greater detail than most of these kinds of farm owners really need.

Such farm CEOs contact me more often these days.

When they buy my Ration Formulator app, rather than read through the detailed PDF guide I include with the app, some prefer to repeatedly call me at their own expense to have me verbally guide them in learning to use the app!

When this kept happening, I created one page annotated JPEG diagrams based on user interfaces from my app, which I began sending to each buyer.

I soon discovered – not surprisingly – that distilling the essential elements into such smarter formats made it easier for them to learn.

There was LESS to read, and more visuals to relate with.

If you know how the human brain works, you know people learn better when presented with graphic materials.

And That Brings Me to My “Take-Away” Message for This Week…

Don’t insist clients accept the way you present solutions you offer.

Instead, use feedback they give you – directly and/or indirectly – to develop better ways to help them make successful use of your products/services.

That will endear you to them in ways you cannot imagine. And that can only mean greater success, for you, for the long term.

In my case, rather than stop at questioning farm CEOs for NOT following best practices, I choose to THINK up ways to help those willing, to overcome this challenge.

I learnt to do this from the earlier mentioned experience with farm CEO users of my Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator software.

When they kept coming to me instead of studying the elaborate PDF I’d sent them, I used their questions to create “smarter” one page JPEG versions of my user guide. And that has worked quite well!

Final Words: The Above Explains Why I’ve Begun Writing a “Quick Start Guide for Poultry Farm Business”

One version will cater to owners of Broiler Farms, and another to CEOs of Layer Farm operations.

If you’d like to be notified when it becomes available, click here to let me know.

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Have a great week :-))

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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

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.

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 organisations, 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).

newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

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

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

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NEW: Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series Is Now Available

Click here to learn more

FREE TALK: How a Best Operating Process Management Sysem (BOPMS)™Will Earn Your Farm MORE Profits!

Download above PDF

FREE TALK: 3 Zero Cost Strategies to Attract Profitable Buyers for Your Farm Products!

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NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success

THEY WROTE…

“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000).

—————————–

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

*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

———————–

Click here to contact Tayo…




SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 146: Secret to Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (PDF Report)
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	To Achieve Success, Be Prepared to Give, In Order to Get (Lesson from an 11 year old boy, and his 13 year old brother)
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Request My Report on Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (Plus Read Answers to Questions You Have!)
Entrepreneurship[Thursday]:	To Succeed, Develop Spreadsheet Software for Co-workers (Conversation With a Multinational Employee About My Practical MS Excel-Visual Basic Coaching Service)
General [Friday]:	Conversation With a Prospect Seeking a Feasibility Study for a Startup Poultry Farm and Feed Mill
Writing/Blogging/Entrepreneurship [Saturday]:	The Secret to Finding the Right Vocation to Guarantee Your Success

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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

The Secret to Finding the Right Vocation to Guarantee Your Success

June 21, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It was on Sunday 6th July 1997 (my 27th birthday) that this photo was taken, with Nkechi (my wife), using my Olympus Stylus Camera’s timer. She was 22 at the time. It was our VERY first photo together. And it’s the one I LOVE the most! Tomorrow (Sunday 22nd June 2014) she turns 39. I arrived in Lagos today, about 5 hours ago to spend the weekend, and her day, with her.

We’ve now been together for 15 years!

Our first child was born in 1999. Then I was still in paid employment. After I chose to quit my job in 2002 (2 years after we got married), it became more of a roller coaster ride…

Since then, we’ve been through thick and thin together. And the strains stretched us to our limits. But we stayed strong (with support from loved ones) and NOW, with our kids, we’re one strong family building an exciting future.

Looking back now, it’s clear I chose “RIGHT”. 15 years are more than enough proof of it!

Just as in marriage, it’s important that you choose “RIGHT” in your life’s work or vocation…

In my case I scored a double in this regard.

That is, in addition to choosing the right partner to LIVE with, I also chose the right vocation.

And just like it’s was not easy getting this far in my marriage, it was not easy finding my feet in my chosen vocation.

Over 80% of what I do to earn a living today requires that I do a lot of creative thinking (e.g building custom Excel Software, Web Marketing) and writing ( web copywriting, freelance writing etc) for clients in different industries – BUT with special focus on Farm Business Owners.

And I did not settle on my line of work by accident.

Instead, it came from a careful review of my life’s experiences and achievements, dating way back to my time in the university.

After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Extension, I got an offer, as Best Graduating Student, to return and pursue a graduate assistantship in Unibadan, where I’d finished from. However, at about the same time I got an offer from a wine manufacturing company, to work as a trainee sales coordinator.

It was a start-up company. But what really got my attention was the fact that they’d taken the pains to retain a consulting firm to screen candidates through a gruelling selection process that culminated in a selection board final stage.

The 3 of us who made it through were taken to meet the MD/CEO, who turned out to be a retired brewer from one of the country’s large multinationals. We were told how his company used very (mostly over) ripe pawpaw fruits to make fermented table wines of different kinds, sold across the country.

I was immediately excited about being a part of that process.

And so I had no difficulty choosing not to submit my application for graduate assistant program to Unibadan (University of Ibadan).

Over a period of 6 months, despite having to go out on trade visits with the Ghanaian Sales Manager for the company, I found time to hook up with my fellow recruits who were based in the lab, and they took me through the entire brewing, fermentation and filtration process employed in making the wines.

It was so exciting for me.

A lot of what I learnt in 1994, in that wine making company, would in 2013 influence me to develop a process for using pineapple peels to produce drinks, after I moved to Benin Republic.

What I was not to know that by going the extra mile the way I did, I was actually preparing myself for the opportunity of working in a bigger brewing company.

During my 5th month working in the small wine company, I found myself in the final stages of the recruitment process being conducted by Guinness Nigeria, for new Graduate Management Trainees.

They also chose to have a selection board debate preceding the final selection interviews. I was elated. My previous experience had prepared me well. What was more, since I was applying for entry into the technical (brewing) function, I knew my time in the wine company would likely be taken to imply I would learn fast.

A few weeks later, I got a formal letter, from Guinness, offering me employment.

Thankfully the MD of the wine company had always been like a father. I went to him and showed him the letter, along with my resignation. There was little time left in the offer window. I could not do otherwise. I was not surprised that he expressed happiness for me, and wished me well – even giving me tips about how to excel in the brewing world. We stayed in touch for years.

I joined Guinness and enjoyed an exciting 7 years of rapid career advancement.

Again, this was driven by the fact that I brought my passion with me. The work to be done interested me deeply. But at the same time, I had acquired an additional competence while working in the wine company.

Something told me to take part of my salary and register for introductory computer lessons at Lagos City Computer College. MS-DOS, WordPerfect, DBase, and Lotus 1-2-3 were topics covered, at a very basic level.

However, the interest I had made me spend my spare time exploring each subject as much as I could, using other people’s PCs at any opportunity I had.

I had no PC of my own. This was back in early 1994. Indeed I NEVER owned a PC of my own until 2004 – 2 full years after I became an entrepreneur. Before then I’d used computers in Guinness to develop custom spreadsheet software that automated brewers’ data recording and report generation.

As an entrepreneur, I got clients to provide me a PC with power supply and internet connection where applicable. All of that I negotiated into my terms of work with the client. And they always agreed.

What I’m trying to say in essence is that choosing the “RIGHT” kind of work to do, made it easy for me to excel…

And this has been the case at every stage of my life. I’ve always gone with my gut instinct i.e. how I feel about something.

I never let what others thought influence my decision.

It’s so important to get this right if you do NOT want to go through life making other people’s mistakes.

Listening too much to people about what you should choose can be dangerous. Most people do not know how to put themselves in other people’s shoes.

They are also generally very poor judges of character. In choosing a vocation, if they feel they will not enjoy doing something, they readily conclude others will not either.

In choosing a life partner, if they feel they cannot get along with a particular kind of person, they conclude others will not either.

Here’s my suggestion: Remind yourself at all times that YOU will be the one who has to live with the choices you make about your work or your life partner.

And that FACT should make you realise the need to TAKE YOUR OWN decision, regardless of what others think or say.

Nothing stops you from considering what you are told.

But always let your heart and good sense do the final decision making for you.

And of course, never fail to let the creator guide you as well.

Indeed once you let your heart speak to you, and if you keep an open mind, you’ll find that the creator NEVER stops talking to you…offering the WISE guidance you seek!

The problem is most of us fail to pay enough attention to realise it.

Everything I’ve said here is based on decades of hard won experience, dear reader!

Final Words: Tomorrow, I’ll be taking a special anniversary photo with my wife, to commemorate her 39th birthday anniversary.

And I’ll put up that photo, next to THIS one on this blog (and Facebook), then print out a special framed copy for our home.

For now, I invite you to rejoice with us :-))

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Conversation With a Prospect Seeking a Feasibility Study for a Startup Poultry Farm and Feed Mill

June 20, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Based on this blog’s schedule, I publish “Parenting” articles today, Friday. However on Tuesday, I published a “part-Parenting” article with a message on Entrepreneurship (Tuesday’s topic). So, to even things out, I now feature my email conversation with a Canada based Nigerian, who wanted a “feasibility study/business plan” for “a startup poultry farm and feed mill”.

This particular incident occurred about 6 years back…(there have been others since then, and I used excerpts from this exchange as a basis for responding to them)

At the time I’d been getting an unhealthy number of spam messages and phony emails.So, like others before him, I was not sure he was to be taken seriously when I first saw his web form request. And that informed the nature of the initial response I sent to him…

In case you decide you want to contact me on a similar theme (i.e. requesting a feasibility study/business plan), I suggest you read this to the end, so as to get a feel for what is required.

1. Kaffo first sent in this message via my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas website form:

——————————-

> kaffo2@xyz.com wrote:

>> On 2008-01-09 at 21:32:43,

>> name = SEGUN KAFFO

>> interest = Feasibility Study

>> comments = i am interested in commissioning a feasibility study/business

>> plan for a start up poultry farm and feed mill.

——————————–

2. Then I replied him as follows:

—– Original Message —–

From: “Tayo K. Solagbade”

Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 4:50 AM

Subject: Re: Feasibility Study

Hi,

Your request will require a meeting with me.

Past experience has made me decide to require
ANYONE who wishes to meet with me pay <text deleted> for that to happen. This amount will be 100% deducted from the actual fees I eventually charge to carry out a project for him/her.

If however it turns out that after meeting with me s/he decides for any
reason not to take it further, only 50% of that amount will be refunded.

My apologies for this seeming self-defeating approach, but I have had too
much of my time wasted by many people who were merely “curious”.

If/when you are ready, please call me on 0803-302-1263 for further details.

I encourage you to browse through every page on my IFF website (http://www.iff.xyzdevelopment.com/) to learn more about what I

offer. Call me to clarify any areas.

Regards

Tayo Solagbade

3. Then Kaffo sent his formal/detailed service request(after we had spoken on phone):

Kaffo went ahead and called me on my mobile line. We spoke, I recall, for about 20 minutes, in which I asked one another questions to our hearts’ content! Then we agreed that he would follow up with a formal request, having sorted out the grey areas in his initial enquiry.

Subject: Re: Feasibility Study

From: “segun kaffo”

Date: Wed, January 23, 2008 11:22 am

To: http://webmail.xyzdevelopment.com/src/compose.php?send_to=tayo%40xyz.com

Hi Tayo,

It was a pleasure having a preliminary discussion with you. I am contemplating a poultry project of about 7000 birds in 4 cycles. That is about 28000 for the first year. In the second year, I expect an expansion to about 15000 to 20000 birds per cycle or 80000 per year. It will be a broiler operation.

I plan to site the poultry in the vicinity of Epe. My starting point is to determine the viability of the project. This is where you come in. I need a feasibility study which will assist me in determining whether to proceed. This should cover the total capital cost, operating cost, land area required, feed cost/conversion, acquisition of day old, equipment etc.

Before you proceed, I would need to have an idea of what your charges would be – just a ball park figure is sufficient. If the amount is reasonable then I would commission you to proceed. This way I do not waste your valuable time. I propose to pay 25% of your fees to start. When you are about halfway complete, I will pay another 25% and the balance on completion and receipt of the study. I hope you will consider this as fair to both of us. Some element of trust is inevitable and I am willing to set the pace with the mobilization payment.

You should be able to e-mail me the work as you proceed. I will pay you by Western Union. Please let me know if you find the above arrangement suitable.

Regards, Segun

4. And I responded with this email:

Hi Segun,

Your original submission via my website form refers below:

——————————————

> comments = i am interested in commissioning a feasibility study/business > plan for a start up poultry farm and feed mill.

——————————————

I noticed you left out the “feed mill” in the project details you sent in(see excerpt above from your original web form submission). Was that an oversight or did you decide to leave it out deliberately? I ask because inclusion of the “feed mill” has implications for “costing” of the study preparation.

Ball park figure to prepare the study is <text deleted>. If you choose to include the “feed mill” then it will be <text deleted>.

As for payment terms, (70%) advance and (30%) on completion is preferable.You can be sure of getting regular updates thru a restricted (login) access page that I will update with FULL details of progress.

The finished report will come with an automated Excel-VB driven spreadsheet application that allows you as the “owner” to do what-if analyses to mimic possible changes that could affect the farm biz plan costings. For instance if a change in major feed ingredient prices occurs, projected costs for feed compounding would be affected.

The spreadsheet software containing your original startup data/projection could be updated in relevant places with the new prices to automatically generate revised estimates that guide decision making.

This is a critical element in farm planning and management especially for poultry enterprises that are so capital intensive and RISK-prone even as they are potentially highly profitable.

I prefer (as I believe most biz owners should) to see the feasibility study &/or biz plan as a business management tool that can be adjusted as the project is implemented over time to reflect changes/realities of the day. Making it “dynamic” is a good way to make effective use of it to achieve the biz goals one desires.

Hope this helps.

Regards, tayo

Final Words: Today, I DO NOT require a face to face meeting or payment, for an enquirer to “speak with me”…

A lot has changed over the years. I get much fewer phony enquirers today. So I no longer require face to face meetings or payment of any sort to take on requests of this nature.

However, you WILL have to call to speak with me on phone.

During our conversation I will ask you questions to clarify what you need. And you will of course ask any that you have.

After that exchange, we will continue the relationship via email, Skye chat or other online channels, having established a firm basis of understanding. I will find it difficult to proceed with anyone unwilling to go through this process.

In truth, I’ve never really bothered myself much about winning clients looking for feasibility studies or business plans.

However, I have come across a few enquirers both online and off the web, subsequent to this one.

But in most cases, I sensed they were more scared of me taking off with their money, if they paid in advance as I proposed. Trust is one thing that can be hard to find in the Nigerian society – especially business people.

Since they were not my primary target audience, I did not bother exploring ways to get around that problem.

However, it has always struck me that serious minded others looking for a reliable provider will be out there.

I’ve written this article – proactively – so if/when they reach out to me (or I notice them), I’ll simply email this article’s URL to them.

That’s how I’ve worked for years, and it makes me very effective and efficient. Many times I’ve used one or two URLs from my blog to convince a prospective buyer to make the purchase of my product s/he is contemplating.

Rather than having to sit down and think/write for him/her, I simply pick one of a number of already published pieces that explains what I have in mind, and send to him/her.

In many cases s/he replies asking “Ok. How do I make payment?”

So, that’s my motivation here.

I want to offer my services to those who need competent help, without having my time wasted by persons who are simply curious.

Click here to contact me if you’re interested.

Career Development, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

To Succeed, Develop Spreadsheet Software for Co-workers (Conversation With a Multinational Employee About My Practical MS Excel-Visual Basic Coaching Service)

June 19, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This article features excerpts from an online chat session I recently had with a friend who works for a multinational, about learning to build Custom MS Excel-Visual Basic Spreadsheet Apps at work. It’s a skill you can QUIETLY acquire, and use to attract career advancement opportunities of all kinds!

I KNOW, Because I’ve Done It Before!

Many of my past career development articles (here’s a popular one) offer details. My resume also provides case studies (click here to read).

That’s why I won’t waste time discussing the achievements I recorded using this skill. But I will say this.

Having that skill, and being willing to creatively – and selflessly – put it to use for the benefit of my colleagues and our employer (the company) was the key.

Doing so eventually made me a workplace champion who got rewarded REPEATEDLY with amazing career advancement opportunities!

And I earned those opportunities, in a fraction of the time it took others to record similar career. progress.

Why? Because no one else could do what I could do. And no one else was willing to put in the time, effort and sacrifice like I did. All that made me stand out. And the company’s decision makers took notice – eventually.

If you want to achieve the same, or better results, you WILL have to keep the foregoing in mind. Very important!

The gentleman who converses with me below, works with a large multinational. The details of our conversation are useful in that he asked questions and I offered details that basically spell out what ANYONE ELSE (including YOU, reading this now) may find useful.

Especially about how I can help you learn how to develop Custom Automated MS Excel-VB Software Apps, for your employer – or indeed clients!

TIP: SG is simply a place holder for his actual name, which I’ve removed for the obvious need to protect his privacy.

====Transcript Begins=====

[3/7/2014 2:26:10 PM] SG: Tayo Solagbade, how u dey now??

[3/7/2014 2:27:23 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Hey SG. I’m good. Nice to connect with you again

[3/7/2014 2:27:53 PM] SG: yes ooo, me too.

[3/7/2014 2:28:44 PM] SG: I was looking thru ur self development nuggets and I was amazed at how far u have developed in this area

[3/7/2014 2:28:59 PM] SG: with fact u r also a motivational speaker??

[3/7/2014 2:29:40 PM] SG: I may need your services on Advanced Spread(sheet) usage for my work….what does that look like??

[3/7/2014 2:30:39 PM] SG: I use MS Excel (Spreadsheet) in its basic form but there is d need to apply advanced touch for d sake of efficiency and better output…

[3/7/2014 2:31:33 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Ok. Gimme a moment…

[3/7/2014 2:31:40 PM] SG: ok….

[3/7/2014 2:39:07 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Hi SG. Had to call up a boiler plate response I normally send to enquirers. Take a read through below, then let me know your thoughts. Should take you a minute or two:

[3/7/2014 2:39:21 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Yes, I offer one-on-one coaching, and/or video tutorials and PDF for users of MS Excel in different areas, and at different levels of expertise.

However, most times what I create are custom and “Job Based” learning resources, NOT general/abstract ones.

For instance the learner is asked to specify tasks that s/he wants to be able to use MS Excel to (more) COMPETENTLY carry out on his/her job.

A. What tasks do you want to get done more competently?

B. How do you currently get them done?

C. What MS Excel functions or tools do you feel you need to master, and why?

Then I ask the person to (if possible) supply samples of raw data and/or workbooks s/he uses (dummy data can be posted in them for confidentiality).

S/he would specify what his/her expectations are, in terms of what s/he hopes to learn and be able to do.

Using the information supplied, I am typically able to create:

1. detailed screen shot PDF guides that give step by step instructions, with images, on how to execute each task in Excel.

2. Video tutorials that demonstrate the LIVE process of carrying out each task.

Now, unless the learner does not supply relevant work related sample data and resources (e.g. worksheets), ALL guides and tutorials are created using examples based on the learner’s familiar real life worksheets and data.

This ensures you achieve experiential learning that you can put to immediate use on your job, to achieve your desired goal.

So that’s an outline of my methodology.

Next Steps:

If you decide to take this forward, we need to have a formal “Needs Analysis” Conversation, during which I’ll ask you the above questions, plus others, to get a firm understanding of your needs.

Typically I call you via mobile phone (or Skype if possible).

You will also be able to ask me any questions you have.

Duration: 30 minutes at the most.

NB: Payment of a N10,000 (Ten thousand naira) fee is required to book this needs analysis session.

And it is required 100% in advance.

After the session, I send you a formal PDF report of what I propose to prepare for you as learning resources, and what the required investment is.

I include, in addition, my experience based recommendations of how you can go about learning what you need by yourself, in case the DIY approach appeals to you.

If however, you choose to engage me to prepare the custom PDF guides and/or video tutorials for you, you get a 100% refund of the N10k payment made for the needs analysis session.

Let me know what you think, and/or if you’d like to book the Needs Analysis session.

[3/7/2014 2:40:28 PM] SG: ok, I will be right with you when done reading thru

[3/7/2014 2:40:42 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Ok

[3/7/2014 2:44:48 PM] SG: ok am thru, I will like to book d Needs Analysis Session….but let me inwards and put together the areas I need assistance…..

[3/7/2014 2:45:10 PM | Edited 2:45:48 PM] SG: as for d down payment, it will be handled as required above..

[3/7/2014 3:25:55 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Ok. <text deleted>

<text deleted>

[3/7/2014 4:34:35 PM] SG: I could plan a trip to Cotonou to see you, I’ve been once or twice.

<text deleted>

[3/10/2014 12:06:37 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Just seeing this. Just call +229-66-122-136 when you get in. Interestingly, I just popped in Saturday nite to check details of a hotel in Oko Oba towards Saturday’s workshop on behalf of a Farm CEO who paid to attend from Warri. Wow. The fuel scarcity nuisance’s ripple effect are still being felt out here!! <text deleted>

<text deleted>

[3/10/2014 12:07:39 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Will return to Cotonou this p.m or tomorrow morning. My mobile number in Benin will not work while I’m here, so my number here is best: 08033021263

[3/10/2014 12:08:36 PM] SG: ok

[3/10/2014 12:08:44 PM] SG: I will call u shortly bro…

NB: When the above chat happened, I was in Lagos-Nigeria to see my family. So, about a minute late SG called my mobile line and we spoke a bit more on what he wanted to do, and how I could help. We concluded by agreeing that he would get back to me when he was ready.

Then, late last month, when I was sending out updates to my contacts on Skype, about my domain name change from spontaneousdevelopment.com to tayosolagbade.com, it occurred to me that I had to do same to him – when I saw a Skype prompt that he’d logged on. Note that I was back here in Cotonou by then.

[5/21/2014 10:14:32 AM] Tayo Solagbade: Hi SG.

This is a due diligence update.

Following the events I reported in my email newsletter about poaching of my 9 year old domain (spontaneousdevelopment.com) I’ve moved my website to www.tayosolagbade.com, and reinvented it in line with my new plans.

My new website has links to full details of the events that made me accelerate my plans to launch tayosolagbade.com. Click About Tayo to learn more.

Like I said, this is just an FYI update I’m sending out to ALL contacts – so no one goes looking for me at. spontaneousdevelopment.com

With kindest regards,

Tayo

[5/21/2014 10:15:50 AM] SG: ok, thanks bruv.

<text deleted>

[5/21/2014 10:22:18 AM] Tayo Solagbade: Sorry. Something came up. Have to go offline. Talk later.

[5/21/2014 10:51:10 AM] SG: ok

[5/21/2014 10:54:38 AM] Tayo Solagbade: Back now. By the way, going by your last conversation with me, you may be interested in the Excel-VB software “bazaar” I’m offering – like I said, I’ve reinvented myself. There’s so much value I’ve kept locked up while conflicted about how to go about giving it out. Now, I’m crystal clear…if you’re interested in this one, let me know…See http://excelheaven.tayosolagbade.com/

[5/21/2014 10:56:56 AM] SG: I am interested but d constraint now is u r not in Nigeria so we can meet and I show u d things I want to b able to do with Advanced Excel VB scripts

[5/21/2014 11:00:29 AM] Tayo Solagbade: That’s not really a problem. I come to Nigeria on agreement with clients e.g. people travel from as far as Akwa Ibom, more recently Umuahia, to meet with me in a feed mill premises at Oko Oba in Agege where I take them through the theory and practice of the science of feed formulation and compounding. Once they pay the agreed fee for materials and training, we simply agree date and time, and make it happen. Most happen via referrals from past clients.

[5/21/2014 11:02:49 AM] Tayo Solagbade: In your case, we can agree to meet. Last time I told you a N10k situation analysis fee would be needed. If you want us to meet in the flesh to review and discuss details in the flesh, a N25k payment is all that’;s needed. We then agree date and time and I come to Nigeria for our meeting, which will be in Ikeja (I have a meeting venue that I use).

[5/21/2014 11:03:54 AM] SG: ok…

[5/21/2014 11:04:15 AM] SG: I need these skills in Excel/VB scripting….

[5/21/2014 11:04:31 AM] Tayo Solagbade: Alternatively if you want me to come to your office, you arrange the transportation to/fro. Either way, you can be sure of getting MORE value than you pay for. There’s a lot I can show you how to do that will make you shine MORE than I did in your company

[5/21/2014 11:04:36 AM] SG: I’ve looked through d embedded video, quite nice snippet.

[5/21/2014 11:06:26 AM] Tayo Solagbade: You should dig into the old videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/TKSolagbadeSDAc

[5/21/2014 11:09:48 AM] SG: so Tayo, its now N50k down payment??

[5/21/2014 11:10:15 AM] SG: last time we discussed, u said its N10k down payment or so….

[5/21/2014 12:36:52 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Hi SG. Our connection went down here. Back on now. I think you should read BACK through this Skype thread to understand the “payments”.

[5/21/2014 12:37:11 PM] SG: ok

[5/21/2014 12:39:15 PM] SG: I’VE READ THRU…

[5/21/2014 12:39:19 PM] SG: its OK..

[5/21/2014 12:42:37 PM] Tayo Solagbade: Just to clarify: For the needs analysis session I told you I would ask you certain questions via phone/email.

Then I would prepare a formal report for you, with which you could embark on a DIY approach.

That was what the N10k was meant for.

We would NOT need to meet.

Now, if you don’t want to DIY, after getting my report, you could choose to hire me to “coach” you, in which case I would give you a fee for that, once we agree what you need to learn.

Then I would create a variety of learning resources based on my assessment of your job based needs.

However if we have to meet for starters to do the needs analysis, it’s N25K for me to meet with a client in person. But Not N50K.

[5/21/2014 12:46:34 PM] SG: ok…got it.

[5/21/2014 12:46:41 PM] SG: clear now..

====Transcript ends=====

For over 18 years, I have used spreadsheet programming to solve real life problems at first in, and later out, of paid employment.

My resume describes case studies in which I automated daily routine data recording and report generation in the departments I worked. That happened during my short 7 year stay in Guinness Nigeria.

As an entrepreneur, since 2004, I have built all sorts of applications initially for as low as N5,000 for individuals…

As time went on, Hotels, Hospitals, Farms, Consultants etc, began paying me N25,000 to as much as N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) to build custom MS Excel-VB driven software applications for their use.

At a point in 2006, I decided to begin offering my products for sale to an online audience, after testing them with clients for a few years. The following are most popular at the moment:

1. Excel-VB Ration Formulator (which sells along with my popular Practical Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook)

2. Excel-VB Advanced Payslip Generator (Watch video 1 and video 2)

3. Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager

The above are the ones which I’ve put up and been getting enquiries about, and selling to clients.

However, so many others remain on my PC, that I’ve built for business of all sizes in different industries. You can browse through a one page listing with preliminary descriptions of some of them at .See http://excelheaven.tayosolagbade.com/.

If you’d like to get started learning to develop apps like those I create, click here to contact me.

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

Request My Report on Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (Plus Read Answers to Questions You Have!)

June 18, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Two days ago, in issue 146 of my Speaking IDEAS email newsletter, I invited Farm CEOs to request my new PDF report: “Secret Strategies for Finding Bulk Buyers Online, for Your Farm Products“. Before that day ended, a US based Farm CEO – a long time subscriber – had submitted a web form request!

Below is a transcript of the generic message I sent her.

If you’re interested in getting the PDF, read on to learn what you need to do.

Dear <Name Removed>,

Thanks for your interest in my offer…

1. The PDF report is available ONLY to persons willing to signup for my formal “Needs Analysis” session

During that session, I ask questions to get a feel for the unique circumstances of your farm business, with regard to the challenge of sales and marketing to win good buyers.

This will help me gain a firm understanding of your needs, in terms of how you can succesfully adapt the ideas in my report to achieve your goals.

2. Payment of a N10,000 (Ten thousand naira) – approx. $61 USD – fee is required to book this needs analysis session.

And it is required 100% in advance.

You can use www.xe.com or www.coinmill.com to get the exact exchange rate based USD equivalent.

3. Once that payment is made, I’ll email you the PDF report: “Secret Strategies for Finding Bulk Buyers Online, for Your Farm Products”

And in that email, I will ask you to give me a date/time you’d like the Needs Analysis Session to hold.

4. Next, I will (typically) call you via mobile phone (or Skype if possible).

And I’ll ask you my questions, and also tell you some important things I left out of the PDF, which you need to know, to make the best use of it.

You will also be able to ask me any questions you have.

Estimated Duration of the session: 30 minutes to 1 hour (at the most).

BUT WHY IS A NEEDS ANALYSIS SESSION NECESSARY?

I require ANYONE who indicates interest in this report to demonstrate that s/he is READY to put the contents of my report, and what I also share via our subsequent conversations, to use.

There is no room in this particular offer for persons who are simply curious.

So, if a farm CEO contacts me, I expect that s/he is actually looking for a SOLUTION to the real challenge of finding profitable bulk buyers for the long term.

If YES, then we will be able to take the next required steps.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE NEEDS ANALYSIS SESSION?

After the session, I send you a formal Action Plan PDF, which details specific steps you can take ON YOUR OWN to implement a system that will attract bulk buyers.

But I also include an offer to WORK with you to develop and implement a Web Marketing System to do the above and more.

If you choose to engage me to develop and implement the WMS for your farm business, you get a 100% refund of the N10k payment made for the Needs Analysis Session.

I give you this refund by purchasing, on your behalf ONE year website hosting and domain name registration e.g. for www.yourfarmname.biz.

Why? Because anyone who wishes to use the system described in my report WILL need a website presence.

Then you will be told what the next steps are to complete the process.

WHAT USEFUL BENEFITS WILL YOU GET FROM TAKING UP MY OFFER?

Basically, my purpose is ultimately to help Farm CEOs own a system that finds bulk buyers for them 24/7 – even when they sleep.

And what I propose to do is NOT wishful thinking. It’s already being done by others, but most employ a rather cumbersome, and haphazard approach.

My report describes 2 PROVEN strategies. One basic, and the other advanced, and deplyed with smart web based automation that I help setup.

So, I aim to help farmers LEARN how to be more deliberate and systematic in planning and implementing their marketing to be REPEATABLE, and RELIABLE.

Using such systems…

1. You get to maximize your profits

2. You get to maximize your farm output

3. You get to maximze manhours of your farm hands – and yourself!

4. Running your farm business eventually takes you MUCH LESS time, effort, money and resources than it normally would.

5. And you have peace of mind for the long term – no worrrying or fretting about what to be done next, and when, to find new or repeat buyers.

WHY AM I SO SURE MY APPROACH WORKS?

This is not an experiment I’m conducting. I’ve already proven it works, many times over in DIFFERENT industries – including farm business.

You see selling farm products is NO different from selling any others.

Indeed, farm products are actually EASIER to sell because people simply cannot do without eating!

So, once you find an effective system for attracting the right kinds of buyers, you’re VERY unlikely to ever have to worry again about making sales.

I say all this as one who NEVER has to chase clients, or buyers, to buy my products or services.

They ALWAYS call me, and they usually do so READY to pay whatever my fees are. I say this with every sense of responsibility and integrity.

Ever since I began using the system that enables me attract such high quality prospects, some years back, I simply stopped making cold calls.

But from conversations with many Farm CEOs, it appears they cannot believe they can have it so good, especially because there are competitors to worry about.

My vision is to help those who are willing overcome this “unbelief” by SHOWING them how to do it, and SUPPORTING them where necessary.

Let me know if you’d like to book the Needs Analysis session (click here), and we can get started.

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

To Achieve Success, Be Prepared to Give, In Order to Get (Lesson from an 11 year old boy, and his 13 year old brother)

June 17, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

This photo, is of a handwritten “contract” of sorts recently sent me by my (11 & 13 year old) sons. It reads:

“Tayo, we will do anything you and mummy ask us to do without grumbling, but we need a deal. The deal is if we do anything for anybody in this house without grumbling, you promise to buy us a ball. If it is a deal, sign here (my name appears with a line over it!).

NB: The “cover” reads “To Tayo”. From: <their names>…and it was signed by the 13 year old “instigator”…LOL!!

This happened a few weeks ago, when I visited my family in Lagos – Nigeria

They dropped it on my laptop, and promptly went into hiding!

Not sure what to expect, they pushed their (9 year old) sister to say: “Tayo, look there’s a letter for you on your laptop”.

By the time I read it, I burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Hearing that, they came out from their hiding places, grinning mischievously.

But they still pressed to know if I agreed!

I thought back to the many tasks I’d given them since moving to Cotonou last April (2013), and how well they’d generally performed.

Their mother had already trained the 2 eldest boys to do most kitchen chores, including cooking for the others – even when she’s not home.

On my part, each time I came home, I tried introducing something new I wanted them to learn or do. I assigned them various sections in the compound to sweep and weed out weekly.

Then I also challenged them to make pineapple peel based drinks and cakes I taught them to prepare, and find ways to sell them.

They did most of it, though sometimes it became a battle, and tempers flared a bit…!

As these thoughts went through my mind, I also recalled how I’d told them to always think of ways to negotiate for whatever they wanted.

Even with adults…including ME!

To never accept the options they were given without trying to see if better bargains could be struck.

Again, even with adults…including ME!

By the way, here’s why I keep saying “even with adults”…

It’s because in our culture, sometimes the need to show respect to adults, creates a mental block in the minds of young Africans, when they have to relate with older persons.

This makes some of them get taken advantage of when they become business owners, and have to serve older persons who have a tendency to be exploitative.

That brings me to the issue of why they do not call me “Dad, Daddy or Father”…

Actually, they dare NOT do that. I mean, call me “Dad, Daddy or Father”!

Over 3 years ago, I made it clear to all – including their (now 4 year old) baby sister, that I would not tolerate having any of them refer to me that way.

My experiences in dealing with so many adult Africans, both in and out of business, was primarily responsible for this decision.

As I type these words, I have a near septuagenarian client, that I did multiple jobs for last year, but who still owes me N100, 000…and has SHOWN he’s unwilling to pay up.

During our interactions, he repeatedly used his age as a bargaining chip (directly and indirectly) to get me to grant him concessions e.g. letting him pay in 2 parts as against one time up front, like all my other clients.

Indeed, he paid that way for the first project I did for him.

Yet despite the fact that I gave him that concession, and finished the project, he NOW no longer takes my calls.

Out of curiosity, to confirm if it was deliberate, I recently tried calling him from a relative’s mobile.

Even though I only tried once, he called back about 3 minutes later!

When my relative said she never called him (I deliberately did not tell her I’d used her phone, until AFTER), he still asked her if she was sure!

Yet just one hour after that, I REPEATEDLY called him from my mobile line. He neither picked up nor called back!

Experiences like the above made me decide to prepare my kids to be assertive in relating with older persons.

And if they find anyone demonstrating poor integrity, they have been taught what to do.

By letting them call me by name, I’m demystifying the myth about adults being infallible, not lying etc, which are subtly propagated in our culture out here.

Where did I get this idea? From the late legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti…who did the same with his kids!

But most importantly, my kids are being taught to avoid trying to get something for nothing…like some others do so often!

In the past they would simply walk up to me or their mother and say “I want a Coke.” Or sweets etc.

They had absolutely no conception of where money came from, or that it had to be earned!

All they knew was that it could be used to buy stuff they liked. Mostly fun stuff. Nothing productive.

So, I began asking them to tell me what they were willing to do to get the money they asked for.

And soon, we had all sorts of agreements.

Sometimes they would wash my car, or run errands they previously ducked, for their mother.

We found a mutually acceptable way of measuring what N50 (fifty naira), for instance, was “worth” in terms of work done. And we would agree a task to be done based on that understanding.

When they completed it, I gave them what they asked for.

Over time, when I saw they always spent it all, I told them I wanted to see them use their money for something productive – that if possible, yielded more money.

Next thing I knew, they began saving and buying themselves new slippers, biros, notebooks. Things they normally would have gone to their mother for.

They continue to learn of course…

The above “experiences”, I believe, led them to write me that “contract letter”!

Taking another look at my it, as they stood waiting for my response, I realized my plan was working…

But I also could not help wondering what I’d started!

I however knew if I backed out from the “deal”, they could be demoralized, even though we were all laughing about it.

Yet I felt it would be wrong to let them believe there had to be a reward promised, before they did chores at home, or went on errands for their parents.

So I told them I’d give them my response in a few months.

But that until then, I expected them to do all assigned tasks without grumbling anyway.

There were feeble protests, but they agreed.

And to their credit, they have been doing that for the most part.

That’s why I know I’ll be signing that “contract” this month (June) – specifically on their mother’s birthday, which comes up in a few days!

And I’ll be presenting them their balls – on that day too – as a surprise.

They are thinking the process will start AFTER we “sign”.

But, for me, they have already proven themselves worthy.

So it will just be for them to continue

Now, even though this piece is based on relations with my kids, my message is actually for ADULT entrepreneurs!

Many entrepreneurs out here need to realize getting paid for work by a client, is ONLY the beginning.

That’s such an obvious fact – yet many act like they do not know it!

Which is why we keep hearing stories about persons getting paid to do a job, and becoming difficult to get a hold of right after.

Or, if at all you can reach them, they tell silly stories, delay in giving progress updates, abandon projects half-finished, or deliver poorly finished work…to clients who trusted them enough to pay up!

Some claim they do that because a client(s) did that to them in the past. VERY childish excuse!

I’ve experienced exploitative clients, and over the years developed smart strategies to protect myself

Every business owner simply needs to do the same.

There’s no need to turn crooked because of it!

If you don’t know how, go online and read articles (there are tons of them) written by others like you (including me – here’s one), about the subject.

My most recent experience with the elderly client has made me STOP letting any clients pay me in part. Except a client I have absolute trust in.

And there are a few like that – we’ve been together for YEARS.

But I also have some I’ve known less than 2 years, who have shown themselves trustworthy.

For the rest, they have to meet my terms, or we agree NOT to work together.

If you choose to take from clients, without giving what you promised, you break a natural law.

There are forces in nature that will ensure you pay for what you’ve done.

And when it happens, you may find yourself worse off, than you have ever been before.

So, like they say in my language (Yoruba): Se rere (Do good…ALWAYS!)

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Public Speaking, Self-Development

No. 146: Secret to Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (PDF Report)

June 16, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

When poultry Farmers in Jos, reportedly asked the MD of Grand Cereals and Oils in Plateau state to buy up their excess eggs arising from a market glut, he challenged them to find outlets for their products, but offered to buy some, and donate to schools.

He’s since swung into action to fulfill his promise as reported on his company’s blog, and on the Vanguard news site.

I However Believe Farm CEOs Must LEARN to Do Their Own Marketing!

They need to take ownership of finding buyers, and stop “pleading” for help to make sales and keep profits.

In my opinion, that makes a mockery of the whole idea of being a “business owner”.

And there’s no need for that!

Burt Dubin (speakingsuccess.com), once wrote in a business marketing article for experts he coaches to speak as follows:

“Be a markerter first, an expert next, a speaker last”…

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 16th June 2014

No:146

Title: Secret to Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (PDF Report)

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/sdnuggets

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

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

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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email it to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance

No. 146: Secret to Finding Bulk Buyers Online for Your Farm Products (PDF Report)

He’s since swung into action to fulfill his promise as reported on his company’s blog, and on the Vanguard news site.

I However Believe Farm CEOs Must LEARN to Do Their Own Marketing!

They need to take ownership of finding buyers, and stop “pleading” for help to make sales and keep profits.

In my opinion, that makes a mockery of the whole idea of being a “business owner”.

And there’s no need for that!

Burt Dubin (speakingsuccess.com), once wrote in a business marketing article for experts he coaches to speak as follows:

“Be a markerter first, an expert next, a speaker last”…read more

In several other articles accessble here(click), he hammered on the same theme…see excerpt below:

“You must make yourself a competent marketer of your speaking services. Only then do you go to deliver your speaking services. So you get to figure out who to call”...read more.

My comment: ALL CEOs, in ANY line of business, who want profitable results, MUST accept the above stated truth!

Your Success In Marketing, Will Determine How Well Your Business Does…

That is, assuming, of course, that your competence in delivering to satisfy the buyers’ needs is not in question.

Since 2004, I’ve related with Farm CEOs buyers from across Nigeria (and also parts of Africa/beyond).

With Nigerian Farm CEOs in particular, I’ve identified ONE weakness common to 80% of them.

And it’s shared by CEO clients I’ve worked with in other industries (real estate, interior design, consulting, IT etc).

What is this weakness I’ve noticed in 80% of Nigerian Farm (and other) CEOs?

Well, it’s a seeming severe aversion for developing and implementing an intelligent, reliable, and REPEATEABLE system for finding PROFITABLE potential buyers for their products and services.

They say they want more buyers, and more sales. And they want as much profit as possible per sale.

But their daily actions suggest otherwise.

They focus too much on routine daily operations, and spare little thought for planning their marketing.

Instead they wait till their products are ready, and then depend on “existing” buyers, for sales. As a result, insightful buyers (who know they lack alternatives) sometimes make them “unfair” offers.

And they may be forced to accept, to avoid losses or costs of keeping market ready stocks on the farm!

“Many Roads Leading to the Marketplace!” (A Proverb)

The above phrase is based on a well known proverb in my country. Yorubas and Igbos use it quite a bit.

And it brings me to what is really the point of this week’s issue of my newsletter.

I argue that we do not – and need not (probably cannot!) – all use the same marketing channels, methods or strategies, in the same way, to find buyers.

1. For one thing, we run different kinds of business or offer varying genres of products and services.

2. In addition, we operate in different socio-economic environments.

3. And not just that, we also have different personalities, educational backgrounds, preferences and of course different target audiences we’re aiming at.

Simply put therefore, what works well for me, may not work so well, or at all for you. So, even when you learn from others, never be afraid to put your own twist on it!

That’s Why I Favour a Cost-effective Marketing Approach That Is Adaptable to Unique Needs

Indeed, using such an approach, we can both be involved in the same business (e.g. fashion design) and I could employ a completely different strategy from yours, to win new, or generate repeat, sales.

The difference would be mainly be in the time, effort, and resources that go into doing it our different ways – and of course the QUALITY of results we get.

And if we’re each smart, we’ll constantly test and explore new ways to get better results. Every smart business owner – be you a solo act or a multinational – needs to think this way.

NB: What I just said IS the Continuous Improvement aspect of using Best Practices in your operations!

If You Knew a Strategy That Could Win New Buyer At Lesser Cost, Would You Adopt It?

Incidentally, this is not the first time I have asked that question in my writing.

If your answer is YES, then I have a new report prepared that describes 2 such strategies you can use.

The first one has actually been used – online of course – by a smart thinking Nigerian farm CEO, since 2012.

He did it and got impressive results using an online discussion forum to recruit bulk buyers – from other states! – to buy his Eggs, in bulk, from his farm in Oyo State, South West Nigeria.

One month in 2012, he began using it. And a few later, the first prospects, on their own, began finding him!

He began by offering to deliver to EACH buyer with his new farm.

But at a point he got so many buyers coming to “Pick Up” that he actually announced he could no longer deliver to any buyers.

Think about it. He came online to post invitations to potential buyers because he needed buyers.

He was so in need that he offered to deliver to them, if they so wished.

Then this system – which he was paying NO MONEY to use – worked so well, that he got more demand from buyers than he could cope with!

Wouldn’t you just LOVE to learn what that system is, and how your farm can make similar use of it?

If YES, get in touch here for details…click now.

Final Words: Stop Limiting Your Thinking About Where You Can Find Buyers!

I spoke with a Farm CEO client in Jos, about a week ago. He told me one out of every 3 homes in Jos rears egg laying birds. Some do not produce to sell – only for consumption.

According to him, that was why egg selling farms sometimes struggled to make good sales.

I replied that each CEO simply needed to change his/her mindset, and think more creatively.

For heaven’s sake, must your buyers be from your neighbourhood, state…or even country???

Of course not :-))

Human beings with the same number of other body parts like you get buyers from across the world!

Some are actually home based businesses in Nigeria/Ghana etc who export farm based products of all kinds (e.g. Shea Butter, Pepper etc) as far as the USA!

If Jos is so full of eggs, why not look for buyers outside of Jos???

If you asked “HOW”, I’d reply “Now you’re talking!”

First, it need not involve spending money you do not have.

The Farm CEO in Oyo state likely knew that taking out a newspaper ad (which has a mere 24 hour shelf-life!) was NOT the answer.

That would simply eat up any margins to be had from the eggs sales. And there was no assurance that any sale would be made that way.

So he wisely adopted the use of the web – which offers TIMELESS MARKETING benefits.

Doing so involved doing more WORK. But he could afford that!

What he did was so simple, even a 10 year old could have done it. I exaggerate NOT.

No special IT or web skills needed.

Just smart thinking…of which we are all capable, if we put in the effort!

I describe everything he did in my special “blueprint” report.

But I also describe a second approach, much more advanced compared to that used by the Oyo state CEO, that yields even better results – for the LONG TERM – with even less effort.

Click here to request details of how to get it.

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Have a great week :-))

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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

Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organisations 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).

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).

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 his Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

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.

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[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

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Useful Resources for Speakers

Burt Dubin’s monthly Speaking Biz Strategies Letter [Signup & get a 7-Part Email Course on “How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker“]

Get Burt’s mentoring at any of the 3 levels below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here]

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Publications

Burt Dubin’s latest book: “On Being a Master”

Download Chapter 1 Preview as PDF

Visit the “On Being a Master” website

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Showmanship Stratagems

Discover these secrets of making your programs more interesting and valuable to your clients and audiences now.

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Presentation Magic Manual with new pages added plus 3 audio CDs.

more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.

No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.

more information

Download above PDF

Download above PDF

—

NEW: Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series Is Now Available

Click here to learn more

FREE TALK: How a Best Operating Process Management Sysem (BOPMS)™Will Earn Your Farm MORE Profits!

Download above PDF

FREE TALK: 3 Zero Cost Strategies to Attract Profitable Buyers for Your Farm Products!

Download above PDF

NEW: Coaching Program for Farm Products Marketing Success

THEY WROTE…

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*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business).

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Click here to contact Tayo…




SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking[Monday]:	No. 145: A Few People Can Make Life NEEDLESSLY Miserable for Many, IF Not Called to Order (Case Study: My Experiences at the Nigeria-Benin Republic Seme Border)
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	Why School Prepares People POORLY, to Succeed OUTSIDE Paid Employment
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	The Cheapest, Most Reliable Way to Find Buyers (Hint: It’s NOT What You Think)
Entrepreneurship[Thursday]:	Why You Need To Develop A Healthy Respect For Money
General [Friday]:	When She FACES the Real World WITHOUT YOU, Will the Preparation You Gave, be Enough to Help Your Child Succeed?
Writing/Blogging/Entrepreneurship [Saturday]:	If You Have a “Bankable Idea” Your Brain Can be Your Collateral (2 True Stories About People Who Did It)

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Entrepreneurship, General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

If You Have a “Bankable Idea” Your Brain Can be Your Collateral (2 True Stories About People Who Did It)

June 14, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

The above screen shot shows my Facebook post quoting Ben Murray Bruce, President of Silver bird Entertainment as saying: ‘…My collateral is my brain…”. Basically arguing that financiers (individual or corporate) need no physical collateral from people with “bankable ideas”.

I saw his point, and agreed with him.

However, like I said in my post (and as the comment of a friend –Chukwudi Ernest Awazie – indicates) nothing has changed since he said those words, about 10 years ago!

But a question Ernest inserted right at the end of his comment got me thinking…

He wrote:

“…But, is that the recent or has been happening norm in developed countries?”

That question inspired me to write THIS article.

We need to appreciate how things we struggle with, WORK in other climes, to understand what we CAN do in our world, to make things work better.

Virtually every word that follows below was typed on the small keyboard of my Blackberry Pearl 9105 smart phone, under 20 minutes.

I did not stop till I was done. If you are familiar with that phone, you know it does NOT allow for two-handed typing.

That should give you an idea of how INTENSE I was in putting this together. I simply could NOT bear to wait till I put on my laptop!

Hopefully, you’ll find this to be useful reading…

Maybe I’m asking for too much from Nigeria, it’s people and the organizations they run.

You see decades ago, in developed societies. Even before Thomas Edison’s time, “Bankable Ideas” had ALWAYS enjoyed access to ready financing.

People who had such ideas earned the recognition and support of those with access to what was/is aptly called “Risk Capital”.

How else do you think Edison managed to keep going “trying” many different experiments and failing for so long before breaking through?

E.g. Until he discovered the tungsten filament that made his invention of the light bulb possible?

Remember that he had to maintain a lab, with equipment and staff to pay salaries too.

Without funding, he could not have gone far.

Note also, that Edison only had a few months of formal schooling. So that would have been a handicap of sorts at first!

And since he had not yet succeeded in a major way, at the time, he had no serious claim to fame that could have gotten him funds.All he had were his ideas – and the practical purposes to which he applied them for ALL to see!

With courage, and persistence he proceeded.

The people who went on to back him were not bankers. They were mostly wealthy individuals or groups, who saw an opportunity to grow their fortunes via mass marketing profits, if his idea, that they saw had useful potential, worked.

And it eventually did.

Those financiers were not eternally patient either. Some complained whenever they felt “results” were taking “too long” in coming.

One account I read has it that Thomas Edison once told those not comfortable with the rate of progress, to feel free to pull out.

In other words, he wanted them to be in it for the long haul, like he was. They had to be willing to trust his judgment, and genius.

His famous statement (below) was made when an associate suggested there was no point doing more experiments, since he’d not gotten any results:

“Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.”

(Source: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/07/edison-lot-results/ )

Talk about keeping the right perspective about what you’re doing. That’s what Edison did that made him so successful.

Those who stuck with him reaped the rewards for their patience.

Without “Risk Capital” invested in the idea from “Edison’s brain”, the light bulb we all take for granted today, would not exist.

Who knows, we would probably have continued using some advanced “lantern” of sorts!

Everything I’ve Said Above Also Applies to Edison’s “Rival” of Sorts: Nikola Tesla

Tesla achieved fame and recognition for his achievements in electricity generation – filing an impressive number of patents under his name.

I’ve used lots of anecdotes from Edison in past articles. This article offers one or two from another man who used his “brain as collateral”.

Below is a screen shots that shows an excerpt of how Tesla went from being penniless, after losing his company, to starting a new company, and going on to even greater successes.

Note that during the “interval” before he found new success, he had to actually WORK as a ditch digger, for $2/day! He was quoted as having questioned the value of his education during this period.

Dear reader. I believe I know what Tesla felt to have made such a comment…

Some of my entrepreneurship talks involve telling my audience how I developed a near hatred for “traditional schooling” during the really dark YEARS I endured as a startup in NIGERIA.

Today, I’ve channeled that “anger” towards re-orienting all who will listen, about the need to augment what one learns in school, with practical lessons about what it takes to survive in the real world.

Click here to read an absorbing Wikipedia account of Tesla life history.

As you read it, notice the common theme of how with each loss or setback he suffered, Tesla he simply reused his “brain” as collateral to attract funding to enable him bounce back, continue work, or take it to the next level.

That’s what Ben Bruce was referring to!

Thank heavens for “Risk Capital” and the great minds that have been granted access to it!

A lot of today’s wonderful man made innovations and inventions would never have seen the light of day, without them.

Note, in the screen shot below, how ONE wealthy individual on his own “invested” a hefty $100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Dollars) with Tesla.

This was apparently for pursuit of further research work in a specific area the giver hoped to reap benefits.

Sadly, Tesla diverted the funds into a new project he was working on. But the point being made here is that Tesla’s brain was the only collateral involved in that exchange!

The above shows that people of means can be won over, by an individual’s demonstration of COMPETENCE and PASSIONATE COMMITMENT to a cause.

And when you combine all that with being (what I like to call) an “Ideas Generator” and “Genius” – which both Edison and Tesla epitomized, it will rarely matter how badly you fall.

Your reputation would basically speak for you!

You will be most likely to subsequently find people willing to give you the money you need without asking for ANY collateral to secure it. That is of course, IF you do as Edison suggest by not giving up, and PERSISTING instead!

If you’re someone looking for financing or other forms of support for your idea, take note of what I’ve said above.

It’s the key to “attracting” and winning over those who can help you.

Entrepreneurship continues to flourish in most developed societies across the world up till THIS DAY, for the above reason.

In other words, it is still happening.

People with bankable ideas are still getting financing they need without using physical collateral.

The PC and Internet technology revolution has even taken it to a whole new level!

It’s now really up to every society to make the most of what’s obviously possible.

Do your research and you’ll see that what I say is true!

Interestingly, this also happens here in Nigeria/Africa, but not on the scale that it would have the incredible wealth generating impact that it does in places like America. Out here, the examples are few and far between.

I can say this because it has happened to me – as an entrepreneur – over the years.

But it has always been on a much smaller scale, that it could be.

Why?

Because we are basically, we are too risk averse for our own good.

Only when that changes will we – as a people – reap the fortunes of innovation and creativity that other societies we wish to emulate do!

In Nigeria/Africa, wealthy individuals, and businesses/finance houses that have funds, need to look out for good ideas to invest in, like their counterparts in developed societies do.

And when they find them, they need to apply the thinking described above, which has helped developed society produce the world’s top entrepreneurs, who in turn now create wealth for their economies.

My DN Travel News, Parenting, Self-Development

When She FACES the Real World WITHOUT YOU, Will the Preparation You Gave, be Enough to Help Your Child Succeed?

June 13, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

If you hold a degree, and plan to make your child get one too, I congratulate you!

However, let me ask you this question:

“AFTER s/he leaves home and begins FACING the real world as an INDEPENDENT adult, will your child be HAPPY with the preparation you gave him/her?”

In case you did not know it, YOUR role as a parent, is to PREPARE your child to succeed in the real world s/he met you in.

S/he trusts that you will give him/her ALL the tips and know-how s/he needs…not some – but ALL.

And if you know you do not know ENOUGH, s/he expects you LOVE him/her enough to admit it, and get help e.g. by reading articles like this one. And also by reading the works of enlightened thought leaders on this theme – like Robert Kiyosaki, Sir Ken Robinson, and Seth Godin, among others.

Let’s be honest. A degree really is NOT all one needs to succeed in life…

Truth is, it’s just one of a number of possible “weapons” you can put in your arsenal. That’s the truth. Many degree holders across the world can be found working for others who do NOT have more than a high school education.

That’s a good enough indication, isn’t it? Yep.

Now, it is not my desire to belittle your hard earned degree(I hold one too by the way!).

I know you ache to help your child earn one too. However, not everyone NEEDS a degree to excel in life. That’s the hard truth. And we have countless glaring examples all around us that prove it. Yet, people with degrees sometimes feel a need to defend that “route” to success.

I have an obligation to share the truths I discover, about life, and what it takes to succeed in it.

First of all, we have to arrive at what I call a basic definition of success. For me, it is a level of competence and achievement demonstrated by any individual to meet his/her basic needs and responsibilities.

To what needs do I refer?

Well, think Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (food, clothing, shelter etc). I would say those rank first in importance for more or less all human beings. Now, when my child becomes an independent adult, and is able to INDEPENDENTLY cater for him/herself (and any dependants – spouse/kids), with regards to those needs, s/he would be successful.

I see a lot of that happening here in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

People are able to meet their daily needs using their skills and basic formal education. Even those who do not have degrees are able to cater for their dependants by simply working hard at what they do. So, they are successful in that sense.

A second level of success would then be the pursuit and achievement of personal goals and ambitions.

It is a bit difficult to identify upfront what one’s child would want in life, once s/he can meet her basic needs as mentioned above. However, I argue that as parents we have a duty to carefully study each child and deliberately equip him/her with knowledge, attitudes and skills that will boost his/her ability to achieve whatever purpose s/he may eventually set his/her sights on.

We are not to control or manipulate our kids to follow a predefined path set by us. Instead, we should make them active partners in deciding what they should do, and where they should go.

And at all times we will be wise to let THEM do the THINKING, when it comes to making the final decision.

This is what it means to take OWNERSHIP. And letting them do so will make them mature into competent adults, who can function effectively even when they no longer have ready access to us (e.g. they move to a new country or we’ve passed on etc).

What age is right for College? Indeed should age matter at all?

I think age need not matter. Instead a person’s READINESS is what is really essential.

I’m not just playing devil’s advocate here. Instead, I’m thinking back to what I saw back on campus.

In my faculty, we had a gentleman we fondly called “Baba Oyo”. He was the oldest of all of us in the faculty, and if you crossed him, he never hesitated to let you know that.

But he proudly pursued admission and I believe finished his degree programme in Agronomy with honours.

If my estimates are correct, when I was graduating at 22, Baba Oyo was well over 40.

Probably older.

Technically speaking, he could have been my father. Now, at around the same time, I read in the Guinness book of records that some eleven or twelve year old, had become a professor somewhere in America or so.

It was shocking for most of us to read that.

In my case, I thought back to when I was 12, and could simply not imagine myself comprehending any of the subjects I’d taken during my 5 year degree programme in Agricultural Extension Services.

Talk less of what it would have taken to do a PhD!

One thing was certain – that “professor” guy was definitely a prodigy of some sort. And people like him are the exception, not the norm. Also, I’m not sure how “normal” his childhood would have been, and how that may have affected his social (read: interpersonal) skills etc.

After years of studying trends in societies in Africa and abroad, I’ve come to one realization.

No matter how early or late you go through college (or any other level of formal schooling), the bottom line is that one day you’ll have to take all you’ve earned (your degrees etc) and go out to get a job.

That’s when some brilliant ones who finished school 2 years earlier, but have been unable to get jobs (or are looking to get better ones) get joined in the labour market by the slower chaps.

One then wonders, at this point, what the earlier rush to “graduate” first, was about!

Sadly, very few people leave college to start their own businesses. At least not as a first choice.

Usually they would have gone round trying to get hired for a good length of time, and only afterwards considered “starting” something of their own.

In other cases, they may have gotten employed somewhere, but the pay may have been horrible. Or maybe the pay was good, but the working conditions were horrible. Or maybe the pay and the working conditions were good, but they kept feeling unfulfilled.

Whatever the case, only after trying the paid employment angle for a while, do most people consider or embrace self-employment.

Self-employment is not an easy route either. But it offers much richer rewards in multidimensional terms.

You’re your own boss, set your work hours, fees/prices, and work with people you “like”.

And you usually tend to get self-employed doing what YOU LOVE.

This is crucial for most self-employed persons that succeed.

Here’s another useful benefit of pursuing self-employment: You can get started doing “something” that may yield useful income.

For instance, a smart chap could purchase a resellerclub.com reseller license for $25 (I paid $199 in 2010 for mine), and begin selling to individuals and companies.

Zero overheads. Unlimited income earning potential. Repeat sales via annual renewals. All equals inevitable success for a NON-LAZY person!

Guess what?

You only need to be able to read and write to do that business! And you do not even need to own a PC of your own. I should know. It’s a side business I do, which I intend to coach my kids to do as well!

NB: In contrast, a person looking for a job must FIRST find a wiling employer!

The problem I have with conventional schooling systems, is they DO NOT tell students about this 2nd option of Self-Employment possibilities

And even where they do tell them, they do not tell them ENOUGH.

Why?

Because most of those teaching in traditional schooling systems are those who know no other way to earn a living.

They were trained to think like employees, and to see acquisition of formal schooling, as a preparation for some form of paid employment.

Since one cannot give what one does not have, they end up passing the same mental attitude to their students.

The latter then get into the real world, and have to struggle on their own to discover that there IS another viable alternative (of self-employment) they can pursue.

Imagine if the students had been told about it earlier, while they still studied?

Maybe MORE of such students could have done their studying, with the mindset of hitting the ground running as well schooled start-up entrepreneurs!

See what I mean?

It does not have to be an “EITHER – OR” situation.

This is not some competition or battle of egos here.

I never knew I had that choice. I just assumed the right thing to do was to finish school and get a job.

But now I know better. And I’m putting what I know to use for the benefit of my kids.

Like I said to undergraduates in Benin Republic’s University of Calavi, last year (2013), I’ve told my kids to “hold formal schooling in their left hands”, and pursue the study of what works in the real world, AT THE SAME TIME, with their “right hands”.

My role is to be their guide. To give them ideas, suggestions and insights based on where I’ve been, and what I’ve done – both good and bad(or not-so-good hee hee).

Everything I know can be of use to my kids (same applies to YOU). And I support them as they individually give me signs of what options they want to adopt.

I have achieved great success in coaching other people’s kids over the past 15 years, using this same approach.

And this is why I believe that doing this WILL help my kids become competent adults, who will demonstrate the ability to successfully function as employees and/or entrepreneurs in their adult lives.

When I say “as employees and/or entrepreneurs”, I mean it is possible (and I have clients who live this way) to hold down a normal 9 to 5 job, and still start-up and run a successful business that (may or may not) employ(s) others.

My kids will be given the preparation to function that way, should the need to do so arise.

The vision I have is that by the time they leave home, as independent adults, they will look back at the “well rounded” preparation I’ve given them – with help from the Creator – with gratitude.

If you want your child to be truly happy with you in ADULTHOOD, after s/he leaves home, and has to face the world on his/her own, I suggest your seriously consider using the ideas shared in this article!

I’m Not Alone: Many Others Do Even Better. But Our Numbers Remain Too Few!

But here’s my grouse: In contrast to our situation, Asians, Americans, Europeans…even South Africans have found a way to create THEIR OWN value adding systems online for the rest of the world to use (often times for a fee).

I ask: Why can’t we introduce some creative concept or resource of our own online, to be adopted and massively used by the rest of the world?

Why Most Nigerians Still Do NOT Offer Useful ORIGINAL Content On The Web

But successful living requires more than that.

My point is – those guys chose to offer something that already existed, in a NEW way, that added value to their target audience.

How Nigerians/Africans Can Begin To Offer Useful ORIGINAL Content On The Web

Do you recall what used to be the case in the music industry here in Nigeria?

Indeed, many Yahoo! boys (and those aspiring) are likely to “switch” over to more positive roles, bringing their unique skills to bear in the evolution of a new and legitimate way of earning online income.

But is it NOT a FACT that most of these foreign internet money making websites actively discourage use by Nigerians?

We are forcing our way into other people’s money making systems, even as they work hard to keep us out.

Would it not be better to do that even as we use payment systems that allow us generate income via online transactions among ourselves, and from outsiders?

I say YES to all 3 questions. And that’s why many years ago, I stopped trying to get Google ads to work on my website.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT saying it’s a crime to have Ads on your website…

No. 147: Some Startup CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed (How to Help Them)

Yet, Despite Lacking Training in Agriculture, They Succeed!

Even Unschooled Persons, Given Enough Training, Can Run Successful Farming Ventures…

They Can Do Even Better By Adopting Best Practice Operations...

To start a Poultry layer farm, for instance, there are well laid out rules and regulations guiding selection of chicks, housing, transportation, feeding, down to slaughtering and/or sales.

In Nigeria However, Formal Best Practice Standards Simply Do Not Exist!

As a result, most times farm owners who start like this simply “wing it” i.e. they try to cut as many corners as possible, to get rear their chicks into laying birds, while spending as little as possible.

Many Such Farm CEOs Fail to Do the Easiest Self-Preparation Needed i.e. Reading Up!

And then in trying to get help, they connect with a support specialist (like me). And I never stop being amazed to discover just how little they know about the farm businesses they run!

On Example: A few weeks ago, I read through a Nairaland.com discussion thread. Certain individuals announced the launch of small scale commercial poultry farm operations.

I Have However Discovered That Not All Such CEOs Were Being Lazy or Careless…

When they buy my Ration Formulator app, rather than read through the detailed PDF guide I include with the app, some prefer to repeatedly call me at their own expense to have me verbally guide them in learning to use the app!

And That Brings Me to My “Take-Away” Message for This Week…

In my case, rather than stop at questioning farm CEOs for NOT following best practices, I choose to THINK up ways to help those willing, to overcome this challenge.

Final Words: The Above Explains Why I’ve Begun Writing a “Quick Start Guide for Poultry Farm Business”

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

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

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Publications

THEY WROTE…

We’ve now been together for 15 years!

Just as in marriage, it’s important that you choose “RIGHT” in your life’s work or vocation…

It was a start-up company. But what really got my attention was the fact that they’d taken the pains to retain a consulting firm to screen candidates through a gruelling selection process that culminated in a selection board final stage.

A lot of what I learnt in 1994, in that wine making company, would in 2013 influence me to develop a process for using pineapple peels to produce drinks, after I moved to Benin Republic.

A few weeks later, I got a formal letter, from Guinness, offering me employment.

However, the interest I had made me spend my spare time exploring each subject as much as I could, using other people’s PCs at any opportunity I had.

What I’m trying to say in essence is that choosing the “RIGHT” kind of work to do, made it easy for me to excel…

Here’s my suggestion: Remind yourself at all times that YOU will be the one who has to live with the choices you make about your work or your life partner.

Indeed once you let your heart speak to you, and if you keep an open mind, you’ll find that the creator NEVER stops talking to you…offering the WISE guidance you seek!

Final Words: Tomorrow, I’ll be taking a special anniversary photo with my wife, to commemorate her 39th birthday anniversary.

This particular incident occurred about 6 years back…(there have been others since then, and I used excerpts from this exchange as a basis for responding to them)

1. Kaffo first sent in this message via my Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas website form:

2. Then I replied him as follows:

3. Then Kaffo sent his formal/detailed service request(after we had spoken on phone):

4. And I responded with this email:

Final Words: Today, I DO NOT require a face to face meeting or payment, for an enquirer to “speak with me”…

However, it has always struck me that serious minded others looking for a reliable provider will be out there.

I KNOW, Because I’ve Done It Before!

If you want to achieve the same, or better results, you WILL have to keep the foregoing in mind. Very important!

====Transcript Begins=====

[3/7/2014 2:29:40 PM] SG: I may need your services on Advanced Spread(sheet) usage for my work….what does that look like??

For over 18 years, I have used spreadsheet programming to solve real life problems at first in, and later out, of paid employment.

At a point in 2006, I decided to begin offering my products for sale to an online audience, after testing them with clients for a few years. The following are most popular at the moment:

If you’d like to get started learning to develop apps like those I create, click here to contact me.

Below is a transcript of the generic message I sent her.

BUT WHY IS A NEEDS ANALYSIS SESSION NECESSARY?

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE NEEDS ANALYSIS SESSION?

WHAT USEFUL BENEFITS WILL YOU GET FROM TAKING UP MY OFFER?

So, I aim to help farmers LEARN how to be more deliberate and systematic in planning and implementing their marketing to be REPEATABLE, and RELIABLE.

WHY AM I SO SURE MY APPROACH WORKS?

I say all this as one who NEVER has to chase clients, or buyers, to buy my products or services.

Let me know if you’d like to book the Needs Analysis session (click here), and we can get started.

NB: The “cover” reads “To Tayo”. From: <their names>…and it was signed by the 13 year old “instigator”…LOL!!

This happened a few weeks ago, when I visited my family in Lagos – Nigeria

I thought back to the many tasks I’d given them since moving to Cotonou last April (2013), and how well they’d generally performed.

By the way, here’s why I keep saying “even with adults”…

That brings me to the issue of why they do not call me “Dad, Daddy or Father”…

As I type these words, I have a near septuagenarian client, that I did multiple jobs for last year, but who still owes me N100, 000…and has SHOWN he’s unwilling to pay up.

Yet just one hour after that, I REPEATEDLY called him from my mobile line. He neither picked up nor called back!

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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

Get Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring
for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

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