Category Archives: My DN Travel News

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News

How To Deal Effectively With Risks & Uncertainties To Ensure More Consistency In Your Farm’s Performance

March 18, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

As a Performance Improvement Specialist, with a bias for Farm Research & Extension Advisory Services provision, I encourage farm CEOs to adopt what I call a BOPMS™ i.e. a Best Operating Process Management System™ for Profitable Farm Management.

When implemented correctly, a BOPMS™ can – among other benefits – enable competent handling of the many RISKS and UNCERTAINTIES that plague our socioeconomic environments in Nigeria/Africa…AND which can lead to the demise of ill-prepared businesses.

This article discusses specific pro-active steps you can take, to minimise the impact of sudden and unexpected occurrences, that frequently occur in our prevailing socio-economic environment.

Implementing them can ensure that your farm business maintains reasonable consistency in output – and profitability.

FACT: Your Farm Is Prone To Risks & Uncertainties

A farm enterprise, like any other business is prone to risks and uncertainties occasioned by changes that may occur in the socio-economic environment it operates. Price fluctuations for example occur/affect all businesses but are more difficult to manage or accommodate in farm business planning and management.

Similarly, increases in wages “approved” via government policy/announcement cannot be easily absorbed in agricultural ventures. This is because the farmer will rarely – if ever – be able to increase his/her price to match the increase in labour so as to maintain his/her profit margin.

Some Examples Of Risks & Uncertainties That Can Affect A Farm Biz

1. Production Uncertainties

Weather changes and disease outbreaks can negatively impact on a farm’s performance. The problem is that the farmer typically may not be able to directly control them. For instance a disease outbreak from another farm may eventually spread to his/her farm. If s/he has taken precautionary steps (e.g. vaccination etc) the damage can be minimised. Weather changes are less easy to plan for however.

2. Price Changes

Sudden or unexpected changes in farm input and output prices tend to occur often in our economy. And they are particularly difficult to manage. This make farm planning more difficult to practice. Examples are wage increases, transport fare hikes, fuel price changes etc.

3. Government Actions & Policies

The farmer may not get notified early enough of a new government regulation that directly affects his/her farm business BEFORE he enters and commences a new season’s production run! Examples of such policies include guaranteed minimum prices, ban on import of certain essential inputs (e.g. feeds or feed materials) etc.

The farm owner will need to take crucial farm planning and management decisions within the framework of all these actions and policies by government – a very challenging task I dare say, especially in these parts!

4. Actions of Other People

Agriculture is practised by a growing proportion of Nigerians – even now in urban areas. Most of them however operate on small holdings – which are shared amongst a few. The challenge is that if a farmer diligently plans and manages various aspects of the farm and his/her neighbours do not, s/he would effectively be wasting his/her time.

5. Other Risks & Uncertainties

Water shortages, power failure, and other limitations especially caused by poor utilities/infrastructure as is common out here introduce another dimension of risks and uncertainties for the farm business owner to contend with.

Steps You Can Take To Deal With Risks & Uncertainties

The above listing is NOT exhaustive.

It however underscores the need for every farm business owner, to set up SYSTEMS to deal effectively with risks and uncertainties, if the farm’s performance is to be profitable and sustainable.

I offer a few ideas you can use, below…

1. Set definite objectives for your farm business

Decide what exactly you want the farm’s output to be and identify any of the above mentioned “obstacles” that could prevent attainment of that goal.

2. Draw up plans to pursue the objectives

You could for instance decide to start with a hatchery and two grow out ponds and then gradually add more ponds over time till the full capacity of 10 grow out ponds is achieved. This will allow you to gradually build your material and human resources to manage the enterprise in the face of various risks and uncertainties.

3. Implement your plans

There is no point setting objectives and drawing up plans if you do not decisively IMPLEMENT and follow them up to achieve the intended results. A farm business owner needs to make up his/her mind to follow through with whatever plan is decided upon – making needed changes/adjustments as the need arises.

4. Introduce Checks & balances

In our environment, pilfering and deaths resulting from disease outbreaks or accidents occur with some regularity if no checks and balances are put in place. That’s why you will need to entrench diligent record keeping of mortalities (deaths), wastes and losses that occur DAILY and analyse/trend those records to get a ‘feel” for what is “normal”,so that you can promptly detect unusual signs that could point to naughty practices by farm hands or even outsiders who break in.

5. Forecast likely price and output for the future

You will find it useful to periodically do “what if” analyses to determine how price or output changes you anticipate in the future will IMPACT your farm’s performance. This activity is often enhanced when an automated forecasting software tool is available. Click here to learn how I can build a custom software to do something like this for you.

Summary

You as the farm business owner must ensure your mind is finely tuned to market trends. You need to stay alert to price changes in the market – know when they are lowest and when they are highest and use this knowledge to guide your farm planning and decision making.

For instance it makes sense to plan for your broilers to be ready for sale towards a festive occasion when people usually buy such birds in large numbers, otherwise you may find yourself left with unsold stocks which keep getting fed – very expensively!

That’s why it is said that the EDUCATED farmer is the one who knows the DIFFERENCE between January and July as it pertains to making income.

This article is an educational commercial about an aspect of the Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS™) that SDAc’s CB Solutions can help you setup for your farm business.

In the BOPMS™, major emphasis is placed on the need to streamline operations(via best practice initiatives) in a manner that allows easy integration of PC automation to reduce time, effort and resources needed PLUS increase output and accuracy in the entire farming process,so that the business becomes MORE profitable. Click here to learn more.

NB: The original version of this article was first published online HERE on 1st June 2007 (i.e. a static html page, on Tayo’s Cost-Saving Farm Biz Ideas website).

1. What is a BOPMS™ for Farm Improvement? A Mind-Map Based Explanation by Tayo K. Solagbade (Video and Text Transcript)

2. Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas: Order a BOPMS™!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Public Speaking, Writing/Blogging

No. 133: To Succeed, Find Correctly Motivated Buyers

March 17, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 3 Comments

Why do people who buy YOUR services do so? Do you know? In this article, I explain why knowing the answer to that question, is the key to your long term selling success, as a service provider.

The insights I share can make you more effective in selling your services for the long term, IF you apply them.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Home | Subscribe | About | Contact

Publication: Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Newsletter

Date: Monday 17th March 2014

No:133

Title: To Succeed, Find Correctly Motivated Buyers

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

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

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

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

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

As a subscriber to my mailing list, you get to access over 10 potentially useful books and reports.

Click here to view the download page:

Can’t find it? No problem. E-mail me via tayo at tksola dot com and I’ll send you another. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to signup.

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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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No. 133: To Succeed, Find Correctly Motivated Buyers

Why do people who buy YOUR services do so? Do you know? In this article, I explain why knowing the answer to that question, is the key to your long term selling success, as a service provider.

The insights I share can make you more effective in selling your services for the long term, IF you apply them.

Societies Differ In the Value They Place on Specific Types of Solutions

This applies to both products and services, but more to the latter in my experience.

A person can easily make a living as a chiropractor in the USA. But s/he could literally starve trying to sell the same service in my home country, Nigeria.

Unless s/he’s smart enough to find enough of the few people who value such a service e.g. expatriates from societies where such a service is valued. Most Nigerians, even wealthy ones, would NOT pay worthwhile fees (if at all they show any interest) for such a service.

Possible exceptions would be instances when they see it as an opportunity to show off, or prove they belong to a prestigious social class.

Now that, could catch the money spending attention and interest of some who can afford it.

They would typically be people who buy to prove a point, and not because they need the service. They are people who sometimes spend to avoid being outdone by others. Crazy? Maybe. But it’s true!

Which brings me to the issue of buyers’ motives…

Let Me Illustrate With a Personal True Story…

One morning, a few years back, a real estate expert I’d interacted with over a series of months, initially by phone and later in person, called me up.

After we’d exchange pleasantries, he said:

“Look, I need you to come down so we can finalize and get started on building my website. I really need it now. When can we meet?”

For me, I had been a bit surprised. He’d always spoken as if he considered having a website a waste of time. So when we met, I asked him why he suddenly decided he was ready to use a website.

His reply confirmed his ego was still in the driving seat of his decision making. For me, that was NOT good!

He said “Come, let me show you this website” motioning for me to come to his side of the table, and look at his laptop screen display.

There I saw a beautifully designed real estate website with pretty pictures of properties for sale. It had all the bells and whistles installed. You know the type

I said “Is this the kind of website you want?”

“No. I want something better!” he replied, looking at me as if to say “How can you even ask me that?”

Then he added “Do you know the guy who owns this site, started out only few years ago. Last time we met, he was not doing anything special. But if he can own this kind of website, then I must have mine, or people will start thinking he’s bigger than I am!”

As he said those words, I knew it was potentially one of those nightmare projects that would never go well. So, I offloaded him gently, by pushing my fees higher than normal, to a point I knew he’d balk at

Over time, I’ve found that in my part of the world, farm business owners tend to be the most authentic of clients one can find. Most times their motives are based on the need to get real results – otherwise their investments go down the drain. And so, most times they take you seriously when they hire you.

A Web Marketing System (WMS) Will Increase Your Chances of Getting Found By Buyers with the Right Motives

It has been my experience that buyers with the right motives, tend to be fewer in number. For that reason you need to use more rigorous marketing strategies to find and attract them. This is why depending mainly on face to face, networking and “connections” to promote your service is not wise.

And that’s why I recommend using a combination of strategies.

At the core of your marketing arsenal, should be the intelligent use of what I call a Web Marketing System (WMS).

It does not give results overnight.

But done right, it will help GROW your name recognition and credibility as an expert at what you do.

I’m living proof of that fact …and I offer some recent examples to illustrate that fact:

This past weekend, I got a web contact form enquiry from a business owner from Barbados (a first…see below), for my Feed Formulation Products.

I also received a phone call from a UK based Nigerian, who told me he was just reading one of my articles, and wanted to know how to pay for my Ration Formulator™ software.

Then at 4.00a.m this morning, a chap who’d had a Facebook chat session with me, a year ago, about buying my Payslip Generator (or learning to build it himself), returned to post a request on my wall (see below):

Earlier in the week, I’d gotten a call from a Farm CEO based in Uyo, who confirmed he’d received the Feed Formulation learning package I’d sent him via DHL, following his payment.

Those are just a few examples. A number eventually result in actual sales. Some are good friends with me today, even though we’ve still never met.

There’s ONE main reason total strangers reach out to me, REPEATEDLY in the ways described above.

And that’s because I’ve used my WMS to put out credibility boosting information about the solutions I offer – in various formats (e.g. Ezine articles, Youtube videos, ebooks and free download resources of all kinds) – using a variety of channels (e.g. my website, on Facebook, Twitter, PInterest etc).

And this is not something I just did once, and sat back to enjoy benefits from.

No.

I’ve been doing it regularly for years. That’s the key: doing it over and over – but adding new content CREATIVELY.

That increases the mass of useful information linked to me, that’s relevant to what buyers with the right motives want. And so they get in touch.

Use Careful Observation, Combined With Critical Thinking, to Detect Buyers with the Right Motives

Why do companies hire Motivational Speakers to address their employees for one to a few hours? Why do meeting planners for trade associations invite experts-who-speak to deliver their trademark programs to their members?

Ideally, they want such speakers to help their members/employees perform better. Rarely would bias or favouritism be allowed to influence the process of choosing the RIGHT speaker for their event.

The reality in the real world I’ve had to offer speaking services as a Self-Development and Performance Improvement Specialist, has however tended to be a bit different.

You see, as a multipreneur, I offer a variety of solutions to different target audiences.

However, as stated above, I’ve found Farm Business Owners to be the most profitable group. So in line with the Pareto principle, I spend at least 80% of my marketing time/effort reaching out to them.

In whatever free time I have left, I try to connect with other groups. And I periodically make sales.

But between 2002 and 2005, my early start-up years, I’d not gained the above insights.

So I wasted (based on hindsight now) a lot of effort on marketing my Self-Development and Spontaneous Coaching™ learning events.

My objective was to get invited as a speaker and trainer in organisations.

What I discovered was that many (please note: NOT all) of the decision makers had different motives for engaging learning service providers.

Quite often, only people who were willing to play certain games (mostly unethical), or those who knew someone (who knew someone!) up “there”, got hired.

As a result, I found that I got repeatedly ignored.

Yet, I knew I could add value to many employees and their companies with my ideas. So I began putting them on the web via articles, special reports, a flagship Workplace Performance Improvement seminar offer, my Self-Development Bible etc.

Today, that strategy has paid off in some ways.

Take the example of my 10 item customisable Employee Workplace Morale Survey Quiz (approx 23.5KB).

I call it the “Employee Morale Gauge (available as an MS Excel workbook). I wrote an article based on it, titled “Are Your Employees Happy & Satisfied with Their Jobs? (A Ten Item Quiz That Can Help You Find Out)“.

In 2008, it was republished – with my permission – by India’s ICFAI University (with Sangeetha K. as author) in their 252 page journal titled “Employee Morale: Concepts and Cases” now on sale here(see item 14).

The article/10 item quiz has also been purchased by the Human Resource Development Manager of a US company, and at least one company in the UK currently offers it as a download for clients on their website.

Few Organisation in My Local Market Have Ever Shown Interest…Strangely (?)

Apart from speaking at the Centre for Management Development in 2002, and a few other gigs, I got little success as a speaker in my local market.

On the few occasions I got hired, I knew upfront before the decision came. I was basically able to sense that the decision makers wanted results.

They wasted no time on mind games of any sort! (See below)

But such opportunities were too few and far between.

So I gradually shifted towards serving farm owners more.

With the progress I’ve so far made, I’m now working on learning resources (e.g. my Practical Feed Formulation and Compounding Home Study Video Package ), and events.

Examples: My 4 to 6 hour Feed Formulation workshop, and keynote speeches on Best Practice) for Farm Business Owners groups and associations.

Final Words: Use a Similar Strategy to Succeed as an Expert-Who-Speaks

Form the habit of asking probing questions.

NB: I paraphrased Burt Dubin in that preceding sentence. He recommends getting decision makers to tell you what results they expect to see AFTER you are done (he teaches his students specific questions to use).

Then use careful observation (trust your gut instincts!), to intelligently choose who you invest time and effort in promoting your services to/respond to enquiries from…

…and HOW far you go to do so.

That way, you’re likely to pick the right clients to serve cost-effectively, and efficiently in terms of time and effort.

The best part is, you’ll be sure of not only getting well paid, but also getting great reviews, that you can use to promote yourself to others.

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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.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

He earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

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

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

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

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

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Useful Resources for Speakers

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

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]

2. Mid Range [Click here]

3. Budget Delight [Click here]

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

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Presentation Magic

A live example, including a complete audio recording of a program Burt created from scratch–on a topic he knew nothing about and never, ever presented before! See how you, guided by your personal Learning Guide, (Presentation Magic), can do this too and thrill audiences as often as you want.

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

more information

How To Create a Great Program Manual

Discover how you can produce a precious memento of you and your program. Capture over 44 model pages you can easily adapt for your use. Engage proven principles that add value to the experience of sitting at your feet and learning from you.

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

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).

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“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[Tuesday]:	No. 132: A Smarter Way to Learn (&/Or Teach) from Experience
Entrepreneurship[Tuesday]:	To Achieve Success, Protect Your Client Relationships
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Working As A Farm Hand Enabled Me Create My Self-Cleaning Aquariums
Career Development [Thursday]:	Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series is Now Available
Parenting [Friday]:	A Society That Does Not Reward Competence Will Develop Poorly Update: Saturday 15th March 2014 Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Workshop
Writing/Blogging[Saturday]:	Need Help to Raise Money for Your Farm Business?
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring

for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News

Need Help to Raise Money for Your Farm Business?

March 15, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

On 2012-04-17 at 23:15:18, Obinna N., a Mechanical Engineer with a well known multinational oil company wrote me saying: “i have a plot of land and i have just raised 2 million naira to start cat fish farming please i need to succeed, i need your help in every way possible thanks”

But I Never Saw That Message UNTIL this Morning: 2 Years Later!

I was reviewing entries in my website contact form enquiries database (some call it "Data Mining"), when I noticed his words.

To this moment, it baffles me that I actually missed such an emphatic message.

And I felt particularly bad, that despite the tone of the message, I’d not been able to reply the author.

So, I placed a call to him from my mobile phone this morning, and when he picked up, we had the following conversation:

I said “Good morning. My name is Tayo Solagbade. Am I speaking with Mr. Obinna N.? “

He replied (in a guarded tone) “Yes. How can I help you?”.

“Do you remember visiting fishfarmingbusiness.com in April 2012, and then coming to my Farm Business ideas website (www.iff.spontaneousdevelopment.com) from there, to send me a message about a catfish farm you planned to start?” I asked

His tone softened as he said “Yes I do.”

I went on “Did I ever get back to you with a reply at all?”

“No, I don’t believe you did.” he answered.

At that point, I told him how I’d just noticed his message for the first time, while reviewing my website contacts database.

I then asked if he had been able to start the business as planned.

He confirmed that he had, adding that the farm had 12 ponds, but that he’d so far only been able to stock 8 of them.

In response to my subsequent query, he confirmed that he’d been raising the catfish to table size, in the 8 ponds.

For the remaining 4 ponds, he told me he was trying to raise funds towards stocking them.

He also mentioned that he had started a hatchery, but for now engaged the services of an external resource person, to do the hatching for him.

He however added that he had plans to learn to do the hatching himself in the near future.

Speaking with him, I sensed that this gentleman was very serious minded about the venture he had started.

And that made me resolve to offer what little help I could, to help him progress towards his goals.

So I told him I knew a financial consultant who might be able to help him with raising funds that he needed.

I however emphasized that I was making no promises whatsoever, that this person would succeed in getting him the needed funding.

He said he would be interested in finding out what the person could do for him.

So I told him I’d send more details in an email later on.

I also noted that I would include other information I felt he might find useful.

About 1 hour ago, I sent him the promised e-mail message.

After doing that, it occurred to me that many other farm business owners, could find what I’d told him useful as well.

Some might even wish to gain access to the contact details of the financial consultant I sent him.

That’s what made me decide to publish excerpts from that message as part of THIS blog post.

If you’re a farm business owner, and after reading what follows below, would like me to send you the two JPEG images of the financial consultant’s business card, and flyer, just get in touch with me via tayo at tksola dot com.

NB: If you have NOT someone previously made contact with me as a farm business owner, I WILL require you to FIRST of all call me on +229-66-122-136, so I can ask you a few questions.

===Email Message Excerpt Begins===

Dear Obinna,

Re: Your Request of 2012-04-17 at 23:15:18 On My Website

Our phone discussion about one hour ago refers. It still baffles me that I never saw your web contact form request (see my email), but it was great to learn you’ve started, and are doing fairly well.

I’m also glad that I can offer some information that may prove useful towards helping you take your business to the next level. Especially regarding raising funds to stock your remaining ponds.

PART 1:

See JPEG images of Mr. Adeniyi E.’s complimentary card and flyer attached to my email.

I’ve known him since April 2007, when he convinced Mr. Temitayo F., (his boss, at the time, and MD of ….Hospital…in …Lagos) to engage my services.

Over the years, we’ve gotten quite close, especially in the process of helping him and his team, make use of my Payslip Generator software, in preparing salaries for over 100 staff of the hospital.

I got to witness the results of how he REPEATEDLY, helped the company raise funds from their hospital’s bankers (and how he used their cash flow income to successfully pay it back!), by leveraging his inside knowledge and expertise as a seasoned auditor, and financial expert.

Indeed, when he departed to start his consulting on… he left them a brand new ambulance (purchased via yet another bank facility he helped the hospital secure), as a parting gift!

In 2008, he even helped me setup an accounts system, for a manufacturing client I built a custom production management software for in Surulere.

This is what informs my confidence in referring you to him.

However, like I have told you, understand that you MUST do your own DUE DILIGENCE, and also take responsibility for the outcome of your choosing to act on the information I supply.

NB: I have NOT spoken to Mr. Adeniyi E., about you. I assume you’ll let him know I gave you his details. But if you want me to speak with him first, let me know. It would be my pleasure :-))

PART 2:

Below, I offer links to articles I’ve written, that I believe you may find useful (some are published as Guest Posts on a popular ago-business website – www.africabusinesscommunities.com):

A. To prepare your farm towards getting a loan/grant facility.

B. To pursue ways to cut your feeding costs.

C. To setup a sound farm operations data recording and report generation system to aid timely, and cost effective planning/decision making.

====Begins====

1. Five Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health

http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/index.php/rss-abc-blogs/200894-5-po

2. Five Proven Ways to Boost Farm Profits without Raising Prices – By Tayo K. Solagbade

http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/index.php/rss-abc-blogs/200661-5-proven-ways-to-boost-farm-profits-without-raising-prices

3. Reducing Catfish Feeding Costs (A Secret Weapon) – Part 1 of 2 – By Tayo K. Solagbade

http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/index.php/rss-abc-blogs/200529-reducing-catfish-feeding-costs-a-secret-weapon-part-1-of-2

http://www.tinyurl.com/tksBPArticle3

4. Reducing Catfish Feeding Costs (A Secret Weapon) – Part 2 of 2 – By Tayo K. Solagbade

http://www.africabusinesscommunities.com/index.php/rss-abc-blogs/200576-reducing-catfish-feeding-costs-a-secret-weapon-part-2-of-2

http://www.tinyurl.com/tksBPArticle4

5. Why You Need a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS) for Your Farm Biz

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/pfmgr.html

http://www.tinyurl.com/tksBPArticle5

6. To Succeed, Make Working in Your (Farm) Business More Attractive to Employees

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/to-succeed-make-working-in-your-farm-business-more-attractive-to-employees/

http://www.tinyurl.com/tksBPArticle6

7. Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series – Now Available!

http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets/your-practical-feed-formulation-compounding-home-study-video-series-is-now-available/

http://www.tinyurl.com/tksBPArticle7

====Ends====

I wish you well in your venture, and do let me know if there is any other way I can be of service :-))

With kindest regards,

Tayo

===Email Message Excerpt Begins===

Final Words: Do You Need Funding For Your New, or Existing Farm Business?

If yes, I feel a need to point out that you’ll need to have good farm operations and financial records.

Without those, it will be near impossible for any funds source to accurately evaluate your business for eligibility. All farm operations or production data must be diligently recorded daily, for all aspects of your business.

That is what your financial adviser will refer to, in order to help you prepare a loan package.

If you’ve not been keeping accurate and regular records, you need to start now, before you seek funding support.

And that’s why the articles I listed in the above message, about the need to adopt Best Practices in your farm business, are important.

Make time out to read them.

One of them even explains Five Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health.

Those are Financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be used by investors, or financiers, to decide whether or not to award your farm business, the funding you seek.

Goodluck!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Update: Saturday 15th March 2014 Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Workshop

March 14, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Around 12 noon today, Ekere A., a Farm CEO in Uyo called me on my mobile, here in Cotonou, to confirm that DHL just delivered the Feed Formulation learning package I sent to him.

I’d had to constantly liaise with DHL (via their website tracking system and by phone) from Tuesday, when I sent the package from their Allen Avenue office in Ikeja.

Right up till this morning, when I called their Uyo office to confirm when it would be delivered to him.

It was a relief to have him call and confirm receipt.

My vision is to do my best possible to help EVERY person who connects with me achieve his/her expressed goals as it relates to solutions I offer.

What follows below is a description of what I’ve decided is the best way forward with respect to the above:

Yesterday, I also spoke with Akpos C. U. a Warri based Poultry Farm Biz owner who paid to attend the workshop, because he intends to start his own feed mill soon.

He purchased the software and handbook last year, and we’ve been in constant touch since then.

On several occasions he has called to ask my opinion on alternative ingredients he could use in his ration formulation.

Sometimes I would compile information and email to him.

On Jan 24th this year, I came to Lagos to train Steven E. a Farm CEO who traveled down from Umuahia.

When Akpos C.U called me about 2 weeks ago, he expressed the desire to attend a practical training in feed formulation.

I then told him of the recent session with Steven E. and how Steven had request to meet with me again, because some areas were still not clear to him.

Akpos said he was interested and I promised to get back to him.

I had also been in touch with Uchenna A., a Farm CEO in Abakaliki. He bought the software in early 2013.

But had been having problems using it, and my discussions with him revealed he also lacked a sound understanding of the science of feed formulation.

So I recommended he attend a practical session – noting that I had others who were looking to do the same thing.

We discussed twice after that, and he expressed interest in coming down to Lagos for the workshop.

My purpose was to get Steven, Uche, Akpos and 3 others Farm CEOs who’d shown interest, to meet during the training, and possibly share ideas/contact details so as to support one another after the event.

However my visit to Nigeria last weekend revealed that contrary to my expectations, the ripple effects of the fuel scarcity were still being felt.

So when Ekere A. stated that he would prefer to have materials sent to him, it occurred to me that I could do that for others, by preparing a package that includes the home study video series.

When I mentioned the home study package option to the others, they chose to go for it. Who could blame them?

It promised to save them time and cost, as well as STRESS.

However, this option does NOT in ANY way deny you access to the LIVE workshop. In fact, it GUARANTEES you FREE access…

That’s right.

Every buyer of the home study pack, as long as s/he can get down to the venue, on the date/time that will be be announced, will be granted FREE access to my LIVE practical workshop training on feed formulation and compounding.

In other words, buying the package does NOT deny you access to my live workshop whenever I hold one.

All I would want is to have at least 3 or more participants at a go, to make it easy on myself. But my passion is to help as many people as possible gain the competence they need.

Yesterday, Akpos and I discussed the prevailing situation with regard to lingering effects of fuel scarcity in his area, and Lagos. I told him how others had expressed similar sentiments, that things were not yet back to normal, and how some had opted to purchase the home study pack.

We then agreed to put things on hold for a week or more, while I send him the home study video package.

The idea is to let things get back to normal, and we can then re-group to have the workshop at a new date, when fuel scarcity, and attendant problems, would not be an issue.

So that’s where we are now.

I’m currently preparing the home study video package for those who made payment.

Let me re-emphasize.

The workshop has been postponed, until such a time that I verify that attendees will not experience undue stress trying to travel down/move around Lagos, to attend the event.

I’d wrongly assumed things would have returned to normal in Nigeria, with regards to fuel availability, by the date fixed.

Sadly, it’s turned out not to be so.

While we wait, you may wish to consider purchasing the home study video package, and learn in the comfort of your home.

See details at:

http://wp.me/p3ZIAN-14a

Remember: As a buyer of the home study package, you become eligible to attend my LIVE Practical Feed Formulation workshop FREE.

To contact me, send email via tayo at tksola dot com

NB: The above post is based on a broadcast just sent to ALL subscribers on my website mailing list.

My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting, Writing/Blogging

A Society That Does Not Reward Competence Will Develop Poorly

March 14, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Chimamanda Adichie left Nigeria for the USA at the age of 19. Today, she’s in the news again for winning yet another award as a writer. Isn’t it wonderful that a person from just about anywhere in the world, can go to the USA, and succeed on merit?

Adichie and Lupita Nyong’o are two great examples.

They came in as outsiders, and they’re getting objective appraisals based on merit.

In Nigeria, Is Finding Authentic Success on Merit – Especially as an Outsider – Possible?

Let me share a true story that offers some useful insight…

Back in 1997, the Cameroonian owner of a small French language coaching centre I attended in Benin City, became good friends with me, during the 3 months he tutored me. I attended when off duty from work as a young shift brewer in Guinness.

One day he told me he was attending the election of new executives for the Edo State branch of NAFTA – National French Teachers Association. I think that was the name.

If I recall correctly, the venue was an auditorium in Edo state’s University of Benin, or maybe it was Igbinedion Education Centre. It’s been a while now, so I’m not sure.

Anyway my teacher had a fellow Cameroonian male friend, who I will call “Oyam”, who’d worked some years as a teacher in a secondary school in Benin City.

Oyam had published 2 books (to help French learners) with a local printer. And he also had audio tapes that taught proper pronunciation.

As an adult learner aiming to consolidate my fluency in the language, I had bought one of the school teacher’s books, and found it very practically helpful. This was after attending a 3 month intensive training course in my teacher’s language school (for which I paid N35,000 in total).

Oyam had been very active in the association, and made his ambition to be elected president known to all.

By the end of that day, he lost that election with the lowest number of votes. And the winner was a Nigerian who struggled to speak French and had not produced any works of his own.

My friends were however not surprised.

They had always told me how those of them who chose to work in Nigerian schools often had to change their names and claim to hail from areas like Calabar, and border towns like Ikom (which I passed through on my 1st visit to Cameroon).

In fact, a year before, my teacher had taken me to visit some of his countrymen he’d found working as French teachers, under adopted names, in some schools.

When I asked why they did so, one such Cameroonian teacher explained that he had learned the hard way.

And what he learned was that if he wanted promotion on merit, consistent with his demonstrated competence as a French teacher, he had to hide the fact that he was NOT a Nigerian!

He then explained how he’d been forced to keep moving from school to school, wondering why Nigerian French teachers who often were not half as competent as he was often got put ahead of him. This happened, no matter how long he stayed there, and despite the fact that he often did most of the work.

Simply put, as a foreigner, he found he rarely stood a chance against a Nigeran. In some cases, a fair minded school owner/proprietor would ignore complaints and appoint him. But the others would generally make things difficult by refusing to cooperate with him!

He said he sometimes overheard them saying: “How can someone come from another country, to lead us, while we’re here?”

And that was when he decided to change his name, and claim to be from close to the border area, but that he’d spent some growing up years in Cameroon.

The next job he got with a big school afterwards saw him get appointed Head of department within a few months!

That was where my teacher and I visited him.

How Many Foreign African Nationals Who’ve Lived for Decades In Nigeria Stand Any Chance of Getting Elected Ahead of a Nigerian?

Today we know about Nigerians in the UK and USA who occupy public office.

But have you ever wondered if foreign African nationals who have lived here for decades, can get elected into public office, or positions in private organisations (e.g. clubs, associations, universities etc) on merit?

Do we even have one example in the Nigerian senate today for instance?

Are we to assume that we do not have Africans from other countries,who have made this place home for them and their families, who can be useful in service?

What signals do such people get in relating with us?

Some may have ideas that they believe can benefit us. But our attitudes could make them keep away from offering themselves for service.

I say this above because I’ve met many such people living quietly in Nigeria!

But look at Botswana, South Africa, USA and you’ll see Nigerians who arrive and get appointed right to the top of the hierarchy, based on their demonstrated competence in the universities there.

I know a number of persons who have experienced this.

These countries, especially the USA, had to evolve to become this way, by moving away from extreme racism.

The successes since recorded over there, by Achebe, Soyinka, Adichie, and many other excellent Nigerians prove those countries have done it progressively for decades.

My Question is: Can the Same Be Said For the Nigerian Society?

Does a nobody from another country stand a chance of achieving – based entirely on merit – the highest levels of success and recognition, IN NIGERIA, if s/he is starting from zero?

Indeed, can a complete nobody who is a full blooded Nigerian, born and raised in Nigeria, reasonably aspire to authentic success, based entirely on merit IN NIGERIA, if s/he is starting from ground zero?

Just like we see happening in the USA for our people in Diaspora?

My personal experiences and observations, over the past 12 years, make me fear the answer to all those questions is NO.

That’s Why Nigerians who Win Visa Lotteries to USA Often Rejoice, and Party, and Even Give “Testimony” in Church!

They do that because they are so sure they will get a better chance of being rewarded on merit for their efforts over there!

The truth is that a society that rejects the culture of rewarding merit and competence, will suffer poor socio economic development.

And that is why Nigeria suffers lack of progress today, even compared to many smaller and less endowed nations.

It affects virtually every area of our lives – including the schools our kids attend.

One example: Parents pay teachers to ensure their kids score ahead of all others. It’s so rampant today.

This ensures the best students who study hard, and whose parents do not try to influence the process, end up losing out!

And we see the results in school leavers who demonstrate poor evidence to back up the credentials they carry around!

And that’s why many gifted and highly competent Nigerians rarely stay in the country. Most find ways to go where they will be allowed to flourish.

If things are to change, we have to start from the basics…from the home, beginning with ourselves, our family members, and then from there into larger society.

Unless we do that, mediocres will continue to dominate in the Nigerian society!

Final Words: We Have to Make The Right Choices In the Best Interests of Our Country!

One night in late 2012, I attended an event organized by Adichie’s NGO (through which she provides writing training courses to young writers from across Africa), in conjunction with Farafina, an indigenous publishing house (see Kachifo.com).

The event was held at Lagoon Restaurant, on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria. And it had many notable writers and poets in attendance, including Adichie herself, of course.

It was sponsored by Nigerian Breweries, and I recall Timaya was the artiste invited to perform.

There were books by many up and coming as well as established writers on display, for sale. What I learned that day, from observing proceedings (including presentations to writers who’d completed their training), told me Adichie is keen to help us rise to the international standards that will benefit us a people, by re-discovering our passion for African story telling.

But I cannot help wondering whether the larger Nigerian society will embrace this obvious need to change…

Yet, we need to, so that our new generation of writers, for instance, can get due reward and recognition right from their own society.

If we do not, they will be forced to seek what is due to them abroad, like so many others have done in the past.

And our nation will continue to suffer the negative effects of that trend.

The choice is ours to make!

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, The Farm CEO

Your Practical Feed Formulation (& Compounding) Home Study Video Series is Now Available!

March 13, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 6 Comments

It’s taken a LOT OF HARD WORK, but I knew it would be worth it.

This is because I get to offer many busy Farm CEOs who’ve contacted me” a viable alternative to traveling down to attend the forthcoming LIVE workshop in Lagos, Nigeria.

And it’s a better option compared to even holding a webinar online – considering that in this part of the world, Internet connectivity is generally poorer and also expensive.

On my part, this home study package now makes it unnecessary for me to go through the hassles of managing the logistics of preparing for live workshops etc.

Indeed, I’m sure many people will appreciate being able to watch/listen REPEATEDLY, as compared to attending a live event and not being able to recall all that took place etc.

Now, to ensure maximum value is derived by buyers, I’ve decided to offer a COMPLETE package with this home study video series.

The fee for the complete package is NOW N50k(Up from N25k on 10th April 2014 at 05:30).

But all members of my Farm Biz Ideas club, enjoy a lifetime 40% discount on my products and services.

That means they only pay N30k (Up from N15k on 10th April 2014 at 05:30)..

So, each buyer will get a parcel delivered via courier (or s/he can pick it up), containing the following:

A. The FULL set of home video CDs that run for approximately 4 hours.

I use EACH page of the handbook as a basis for providing detailed explanation and instruction, on the theory and practice of Feed Formulation/Compounding.

BELOW: One page flyer I’ve created to announce this On-Demand Feed Formulation for Farm CEOs Workshop (http://tayosolagbade.com/ffworkshop)

Read: On-Demand Feed Formulation for Farm CEOs Workshop [Hint: FREE Entry for Owners of Tayo Solagbade’s Feed Formulation Handbook & Software]!

B. One printed/spiral bound copy of your personalized version of the Feed Formulation Handbook.

C. A CD ROM containing the following:

1. Your personalized copy of the 70 page PDF Feed Formulation Handbook.

2. Your personalized copy of the latest 2014 version of the Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator software, which auto computes ration formulas using the Pearson Square technique described in my Feed Formulation Handbook.

NB: This new version is actually a distributable EXE version which does NOT require enabling of macros, and is tamper proof. I’ll soon have a video put on my Youtube channel to demonstrate. It works in MS Excel, but behaves like a full fledged software application. All past buyers – regardless of whethere they buy this home study video series get it FREE.

3. Your personalized copy of the detailed PDF user guide for the Ration Formulator

4. Your personalized copy of my 30 page PDF introduction to livestock feed formulation ingredients.

5. A copy of my PDF report titled “10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Feed Formulation”

6. Each buyer also gets a limited trial version of my Poultry Farm Manager software

7. CDs containing 8 video tutorals/demonstrattions of how to install and use the software

(NB: See list of the tutorial videos for users of the software, and what they demonstrate below)

7. Lastly, a PDF invoice covering the payment you made and listing the items delivered to you.

This extended version of the Ration Formulator stores 3 FORMULAS for easy retrieval (*Space for 7 EXTRA feed ingredients now provided in the table). And it allows you to export them into a separate worksheet outside of the application. I’ve sent it out FREE to every past buyer who requested it.

As a FULLY paid buyer, you get ALL future upgrades FREE. Your payment makes you a member of my Farm Biz Ideas club, so you get a lifetime 40% discount on ALL other products and services.

Read full details of what you get as a member of the club at: http://tayosolagbade.com/workshop_ffhb_ideas.htm

======

Eight (8) Demonstration Videos For Using the Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

Below is a screenshot showing the videos as they will be found in the “video demonstrations” folder on your CDROM.

Below, I offer short descriptions of what each video demonstration is about.

What to do to Watch the Videos

When you click the “Watch Videos” button on the CDROM’s autorun menu, click the name of the video you want, to watch it.

Video 1 – enabling_macros

How to Open the Ration Formulator in MS Excel

Video 2 – login_update_feed_ingredients

(Posting the names of your feed ingredients and their nutrients composition into the software’s nutrients composition table)

Video 3 – ration_formulation

How to Use the Ration Formulator to derive a balanced ration formula – part 1

video 4 – ration_formulation2

How to Use the Ration Formulator to derive a balanced ration formula – part 2

video 5 – 2013-FREEUPGRADE Version

Features of the new, free upgrade version introduced in January 2013

Video 6 – 2013-FREEUPGRADE Version

Space Added For 7 Extra Ingredients, in free upgrade version introduced in January 2013

Video 7 – Copying the files to your PC

Demo created for Yakub – a past buyer. Useful for others

Video 8 – copying data from MS Word to Feed Ingredients Nutrients Composition Table in the software

Demo created for Yakub – a past buyer. Useful for others

What to do to Watch the Videos

When you click the “Watch Videos” button on the CDROM’s autorun menu, click the name of the video you want, to watch it.

Below: Screenshot of the autorun CDROM containing the Ration Formulator, and videos, sent to a Farm business CEO buyer in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

Below: Screenshot of shipment tracking report for the parcel I sent to the Farm business CEO buyer in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. As at 9a.m this morning (Thursday, 12th March 2014, it arrived their Portharcourt office.

From what I was told when making the order at their Allen office in Lagos on Tuesday at about 1p.m, it should arrive at the destination this p.m. I’ve already sent word to him to that effect.

===

If you need details about how to order my new Feed Formulation and Compounding Home Study Package, get in touch with me via tayo at tksola dot com.

Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Working As A Farm Hand Enabled Me Create My Self-Cleaning Aquariums

March 12, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 5 Comments

In 2002, I apprenticed on Muyiwa Adediran’s Belewo specialised fish rearing farm for a period of about six (6) months. This was in line with my plan to acquire skills and knowledge to eventually startup my own Integrated Fish Farm later on. During this time I would come in on specified days (usually Sundays) to work full time – 7.00am till 7.00pm – as a farm hand.

Learning By Working As A Farm Hand

My daily activities included cleaning the concrete ornamental fish breeding tanks, checking the tanks containing paired male and female ornamental fish (Gourami’s and Paradise mostly) for floating bubbly masses of fertilised eggs etc.

If I found any, I would quickly remove the male(s). If I noticed hatched fries in a tank, I would use a hose to siphon them into a plastic jar, which would be used to move them into glass tanks in the nursery section of the farm.

I also checked the water quality and level in the concrete ponds holding adult catfish – making necessary water changes and topping up with fresh water where necessary. Then there were the wooden vats containing catfish fries, which I checked for dead fries or fingerlings, removing any that I found. Over the course of the day, I would prepare and add appropriate feed to the different fish groups in the respective sections.

Putting What I Learned To REAL-LIFE Use

Not long after I completed my last week on that farm, I began preparing marketing flyers offering aquarium building services to individuals and business. One Friday afternoon, I visited the business premises of a well known and highly successful alternative medicine practitioner.

During my presentation, I explained how my natural aquariums NEVER go green with algae growth, due to the balanced ecosystem I am able to establish by taking advantage of natural processes like the Nitrogen cycle. That process deliberately cultivates friendly bacteria (in a gravel bed), along with live aquatic plants.

He got curious and asked if the same principles could be used to “clarify” the water in the waterfall/fish pond at his house, which had gone so green that the fish in it could no longer be seen. I responded in the affirmative.

He invited me to his home, the next day (Saturday), where he commissioned me to do an evaluation of the problem, and propose an action plan. Realising that I lacked the field experience to successfully carry out a project of this scope on my own, I promptly contacted Muyiwa Adediran, briefing him on the problem, with a view to enlisting his help towards doing a competent evaluation.

Muyiwa was able to find time to go to the site with me, and with his guidance, I prepared a report for the client, stating the findings and proposing possible lines of action to be followed to correct the problem.

Below, I offer highlights of the ideas contained in the report, which you may find useful for application to your own situation:

The report was titled “ELIMINATION OF ALGAL GROWTH/WATER DISCOLORATION PROBLEM”

During the Preliminary inspection visit conducted, I made the following observations:

a. That the water in the fall’s “basin” was colored by green algal growth. As a result, transparency/visibility was severely impaired making the fish difficult to observe.

b. That the sides and bottom of the water fall “basin” were also covered by algae.

c. That there was floating debris (appearing to be mainly leftover fish food) on the pond water surface.

The findings of the MAJOR/ROOT CAUSE of the algae growth and water discoloration were given as:

Green algae proliferation caused by excessive light entry into water in basin. This was deduced especially because the waterfall was located in an open area, where the wind-transported spores of algae could readily gain access to it.

Other Possible contributors that could be investigated were also mentioned viz:

a. The type of fish food used; the feeding regime observed and also hygiene practices employed. For instance, I asked what happened to residual food not eaten up by fish in the event of overfeeding.

b. The nature/source of water could also contribute to the problem. I suggested that it probably had high amounts of essential plant nutrients favored by algae. (The report however emphasised that this could only be verified AFTER aquatic plants had been introduced to compete).

The SOLUTION proposed: The following were proposed for mitigation or possible eradication of the problem:

a. The base/sides of the water fall “basin” to be covered up with epoxy-resin layer of a thickness to be specified. The objective was to create contrasting underwater background that would enhance water transparency, and fish visibility.

b. Dense luxuriant growth of live aquatic plants like Vallisneria spiralis (Water Grass), Cabomba Caroliniana (Water Fan), Lagarosiphon Muscoides (African Elodea) etc to be initiated. The plants introduced will mostly be fully submerged. (Measurements had already been taken during the preliminary inspection)

The upper layer of water in the “basin” would be left free of vegetation to allow for easy sighting of ornamental fish varieties present. The luxuriant plant growth would filter out some of the light, while simultaneously consuming most of the essential nutrients in the water, so that the green coloring algae could be “starved” and their growth drastically reduced.

c. If fish food type or feeding regime/hygiene practices were identified to contribute to problem, necessary recommendations/guidelines would be given as appropriate.

d. The client might wish to consider incorporation of underwater lights to better accentuate waterfall beauty/fish visibility – especially at night. In this regard, the concept proposed was similar to that used in swimming pools.

e. The client might wish to consider applying gloss paint to the railing/walls that run around the waterfall. This would make cleaning of those surfaces (due to its proximity to wet soil) easier if/when need for it arose.

Summary

It is important to note that the report presented to the client proposed adoption of a NATURAL solution to the identified cause of the problem. Other options were considered. But none were evaluated to be as reliable, affordable and long-lasting as the natural method.

I offer the above report content summary as possibly useful reference information for persons who may encounter a similar problem in the course of managing similar water based facilities – including their aquariums.

Get a FREE Chapter Preview of my Practical Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook

The complete handbook is available as an ebook at http://www.lulu.com/sdaproducts. But you can get a free chapter preview here.

Learn more about the Custom Spreadsheet Software Development & Best Practice Extension Advisory Services that Tayo offers farm businesses, through his Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas mini site.

You can learn more about my Natural Self-Cleaning Aquariums For Schools, Offices, Homes and Hospitals here.

NB: This article was first published online on this page of Tayo’s Farm Business ideas mini site, on 17th November 2009.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

To Achieve Success, Protect Your Client Relationships

March 11, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Yesterday I spent about 2 hours in the accounts section of a medium sized hospital client company (in Ikeja, Lagos), who have been using my Excel-VB Driven Payslip Generator since April 2007.

They had called me while I was in Cotonou about 3 weeks ago

The app, according to the department head, was giving negative NET PAY values, when they tried generating Personal Income Tax Summaries from the 2013 data.

That information was needed by the auditors who were visiting.

I asked them to send me a copy of the workbook app, but someone inadvertently sent me the PDF printouts generated from the app.

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get a clear idea of what they meant.

Eventually, we agreed that they go back and use their old manual Excel workbooks, to prepare at least the January and February records for the auditors.

I promised to stop over whenever I came into the country to help resolve the problem, so they could finish off the summaries for the remaining 10 months of 2013.

They asked when that was likely to be.

I told them that having just returned from another visit to attend my father’s 80th birthday anniversary celebration, I did not expect to come down for at least another month or two.

I was not to know I would get consecutive requests from farm CEO clients, for access to learning resources on Feed Formulation!

Neither did I imagine that those requests would result in my offering a workshop event that some would promptly send payment in for!

Anyway, I had to come in to Lagos on Saturday night, so as to check hotel room rates on behalf of a prospective attendee who’d sent his payment.

My plan had been to return on Sunday evening.

This was so I could complete preparation of a pack of my printed handbook and CDROMs containing my Ration Formulator, video demos, the PDF handbook and other e-books. They were to be sent by DHL to a Farm CEO in Uyo, who had sent in payment for that purpose.

But a lot of unexpected developments ended up making me stay on till today, Tuesday.

One of them was my discovery that the small generator used by my family in my home in Lagos, was due for servicing. It worked, but not very well. I realized if I did not get that done, it would stop working in a week or two.

But going around for two hours on Sunday turned out to be a waste of time.

None of the generator mechanics was open for business. Who could blame them? Everyone needs a rest!

So, we managed to use the generator again for the day. Then on Monday (i.e. yesterday) morning, I had it dropped off at the mechanic’s place.

Having done that, my plan was to visit the ATM to cash some money, then pick up the generator (usually takes 30 minutes to an hour for servicing to be done on it) and drop it off at the house, so I could be on my way back to Cotonou.

But that was not to be.

The ATM I used at Zenith bank’s branch at Berger took my card, asked me all the right questions, then made some noises and ejected the card without giving me the N5,000 cash I’d asked for.

Puzzled, I put my card back in and checked my balance, only to find that it was less by N5, 000!

That was a first for me.

It was apparently a common occurrence however, because when I called one of the guards outside the bank, he simply asked me to relax.

“The money will soon be credited back to your account. But just to be safe, I suggest you get to the branch your account is domiciled and lodge a formal complaint” he confidently assured me.

So, I went down to Allen Avenue and there I was assured the guard was right.

“Don’t worry, the money will be back in 24 hours.” the lady at the Customer Service section told me.

In the meantime, I took the cash I needed from the banking hall and left.

Just as I got out, I remembered my promise to the hospital client. They were located just about a 10 minute walk from where I was.

Recalling how important the tax summaries were to them, I knew I had to show up.

So I did. And they were thrilled. For 2 hours we worked on the problem while sharing jokes and discussing current affairs e.g the recent fuel scarcity crisis.

Eventually we discovered an expense column inadvertently hidden, with entries, caused the negative NET PAY values.

While I was there, anyone not familiar with our relationship would have assumed I also worked in that department.

The best part is the Accountant who first hired me to develop the app in 2007, left to start his own consultancy few months back. Yet the other team members still relate normally with me.

For both parties it’s always been a win-win.

My point? Our relationship is a very close one, in which both parties relate to one another with mutual respect and consideration.

And that’s why it’s lasted this long: all of 7 years. Other clients who failed to allow a similar relationship to be forged, left me no option but to tactfully withdraw!

After I left the hospital, the thought popped into my head that the ATM incident which forced me to come all the way down to Allen Avenue, instead of zooming off to the border as I’d planned, was indeed a blessing in disguise!

That was not all.

About an hour later, the CD/DVD writer drive on my laptop failed to work, when I tried burning CDs to send with the handbook via DHL to the buyer in Uyo (I’d seen a DHL office at Allen avenue and decided to sent the pack from there).

Once again, the thought occurred to me that my inability to leave due to the ATM glitch, had indeed been a blessing in disguise.

If I’d already returned to Cotonou, I would have had to return to Nigeria’s computer village in Ikeja, to replace it…because the few computer shops in Cotonou that I’ve been to tell me they get their supplies by travelling down to Nigeria.

And I’ve found that apart from a better price, and quality, we have more skilled and knowledgeable PC repair chaps in Nigeria, than in Cotonou.

So yesterday, at around 7p.m I got the drive replaced with a new one, and endured 2 hours of traffic hold up to get home by 9p.m.

Then I sent a phone text message to the Farm CEO in Uyo telling him what had happened, and that I would send the package from DHL this morning.

I did the above to keep him in the loop, by letting him know what progress I’m making with regard to fulfilling the order.

Lastly, before I left Lagos, I picked up the generator from the mechanic, and tested it at the house, for my people to use.

Then, having freed myself from worrying that I left anything undone, I travelled back to Cotonou, and made my way to a cafe at 10.20p.m.

That’s where I’m typing these words right now :-))

Final Words: No Matter What Goes Wrong, NEVER Let Your Clients (Relationships) Suffer

My message in this article is that quite often what appear to be bad experiences usually have some useful benefit accompanying them.

But one will only discover those benefits if s/he CALMS down, does NOT fret or worry or panic, and strives to make progress in spite of the adversity.

That’s what I’ve learnt to do over the years, and it has very often led me to achieve multiple instances of success, by using my difficulties as stepping stones.

I apply this philosophy without fail in handling all my affairs with my clients, and business associates.

No one wants to hear excuses or listen to complaints. When people engage you to do a paid job for them, they expect to get value for their money, And they expect you to be forthright with them. No sharp practices, no stories.

One example: The Farm CEO in Uyo that I mentioned above, paid N10,000 to have me send him the package via DHL from Cotonou.

However, due to the problem that made me stay back in Lagos longer than I planned, I decided to prepare the pack and send it from DHL’s office in Allen Avenue. This was so as not to lose time and delay delivery to his farm and resort premises in Uyo.

By the time the package was weighed and the fee applied, I only had to pay appoximately N4,000.

So, that meant the buyer had a N6,000 balance remaining from the N10,000 he’d sent me for use as courier fee.

I promptly sent him a message stating the foregoing, and that I will call him to find out how to get the money back to him.

That is the right and sensible thing to do. And it can only inspire more trust and confidence in you, in the mind of your client.

You can do the same. Keep a positive mindset always, no matter what happens to you. And always deal with integrity with your clients.

They will reward you with more business, and even referalls, for doing so.

I’m living proof that this is so!

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

Coming Soon: Practical Livestock Feed Formulation (and Compounding) Home Study Video Series

March 8, 2014 Tayo Solagbade 1 Comment

Update: The Home Study Video Package is now available – click HERE.
I share below, my personal story as a practical example of how you can monetize what you know in different ways, You will learn how a combination of requests from buyers, and difficulties meeting unique challenges they faced with what I had, helped me conceive an idea for a new product to fully meet their needs!

I’ve been responding to enquiries from prospective attendees of the Feed Formulation Workshop scheduled for Saturday 15th March 2014.

And I’ve also been following up with subscribers to my mailing list, who I recently sent an email invitation to, for the event.

My attention has been mainly focused on those who are past buyers and already members of my Farm Business Ideas club.

You see, it’s always best to target people who have a potentially long term interest in what you offer.

People who are serious minded about achieving their goals in the area you offer solutions.

Such people will rarely take anything you do, or say, lightly.

This is why I get between 12 to 23% open rates in the email broadcasts I send to my Farm Business Ideas mailing list.

I love Mailchimp.com: Their automated email newsletter manager helps me see exactly what’s going on with my subscribers.

As a result, I know which of my broadcast messages they respond most to, and that guides me to send more of such kinds of messages.

For instance, I have three main groups of mailing lists I write to.

But the farm owners group has been by far the most responsive. Following them is the Public Speaking Ideas newsletter subscribers group. And bringing up the rear are those who subscribed to get my SD Nuggets blog updates.

Now, I recognize there will be overlapping areas of interests.

Indeed, I’ve found that some subscribers from other groups, have also consistently shown good responses to broadcasts I’ve sent to the farmers group.

What I’ve been able to deduce over time is that such persons often aspire to start their own farm businesses in the future.

Many are actually still in paid employment, but thinking of starting on the side.

So in subscribing to my blog updates, they wanted to access my career development and self-development articles as well as the Farm Business and Entrepreneurship articles.

And This Probably Explains Why They Order my Farm Workshop Products (Even Paying N10,000.00 for DHL to send it to Them!), Instead of Coming for In Person Training

One example. Today alone, I have spoken with three different persons, two of whom are still in paid employment. The third is self-employed but quite busy.

They all expressed interest in attending the event, but the date was just not right for them.

I had however been expecting that to happen…

You see, I’d heard about the fuel scarcity crisis that had gone on for 2 weeks (but is now clearing up I’ve been told) in Nigeria.

That had made me worry about how easy attendees from outside Lagos would find it to attend.

And that group (i.e. Farm CEOs based outside Lagos) happen to make up over 90% of those on my mailing lists!

This made me decide to create a special video series to ADD to the home-study pack I sell normally.

That way, interested persons would have a viable alternative to traveling down for the event.

And it would mean savings in traveling costs, hotel costs, and energy!

When I mentioned this option, every one of them told me to let them know when the videos are ready!

No surprises there ;-))

Indeed, I wonder why I did not think of it earlier.

Based on the above, I’ve now decided that…

For those who will physically attend the event, a recording of the LIVE proceedings will be done and put on one CDROM.

And a copy will be handed to each person before s/he leaves.

Subsequently, I’ll pack that along with the video series created, and offer it as a Complete Home-Study Package on Practical Livestock Feed Formulation and Compounding.

This will make it unnecessary to organize LIVE workshops in future, except for people who request it.

I believe this is the way to go, because today, more people use a similar strategy to enable learners cost-effectively and conveniently.

Below Is a Template of the Message I Normally Send to Buyers of my Products

===Start of message template===

Hi <name of buyer>

Find attached the following:

A. A physical copy of your personalized version of the Feed Formulation Handbook

B. A CD ROM containing the following:

1. Your personalized copy of the 70 page PDF Feed Formulation Handbook

2. Your personalized copy of the Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator software which auto computes ration formulas using the Pearson Square technique described in my Feed Formulation Handbook.

3. Your personalized copy of the detailed PDF user guide for the Ration Formulator

4. Your personalized copy of my 30 page PDF annotated pictorial introduction to livestock feed formulation ingredients.

5. A copy of my PDF report titled “10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Feed Formulation”

6. Lastly, a PDF invoice covering the payment you made.

C. A printed copy of the invoice covering the payment you made and listing the items delivered to you via email, and physically.

See the email I’ve sent to you for FULL instructions and other details you need to make use of the Ration Formulator™ software.

Note that this extended version of the software stores 3 FORMULAS for easy retrieval (*Space for 7 EXTRA feed ingredients is also now provided in the table).

And it allows you to export them into a separate worksheet outside of the application. I’ve sent it FREE to every past buyer who requested it.

As a FULLY paid buyer, you will also get ALL future upgrades FREE.

Note also that your payment makes you a member of my Farm Biz Ideas club – meaning you get 40% discount on ALL my other products and services.

Read full details of what you get as a member of the club at : http://spontaneousdevelopment.com/workshop_ffhb_ideas.htm

With kindest regards

Tayo K. Solagbade, <location, date, time> (NB: I may be in Lagos or Cotonou, or elsewhere, when responding to the order)

===End of message template===

Once the Video Series Is Added, Buyers Will Be Able to Learn Practical Feed Formulation In Their Homes!

Once the complete self-study video series is ready, I will add an extra line in the above message stating that the CDROMs containing the videos are also enclosed.

Are you interested in learning the theory and practice of feed formulation at your own pace? If yes, you’ll want to pick up my home study package!

Interested persons would simply place their orders, and I’d send the package down via courier.

Just like I’m currently in the process of doing for a Farm CEO who sent in payment from Uyo.

The video series will be ready from the date of the forthcoming workshop i.e. Saturday 15th March 2014.

For details of how you can order them, click here to send me a message.

Final Words: You Can Also Monetize What You Know Like I’m Doing!

All you need to do is think creatively.

If there’s something people currently pay to learn from you…or something you know well, that people would be willing to pay for, you can write a manual and/or create a home study video series “teaching” it.

That way, people can buy those “learning resources”, instead of having to meet you physically, or online, for a LIVE session.

[NB: In this part of the world, poor connectivity, and high costs make online learning a bit unattractive for now e.g. webinars, even when free! This is why offering videos they can watch on their own PCs makes sense for me and my buyers, for instance.]

We see successful experts offering “home study” packages like those described above, but it never occurs to us that we can also offer it.

To protect yourself however, you may want to tie sales of this offer to some others.

In my case, as shown above, the video series is bundled with my handbook and software. That makes it more valuable to the prospective buyer.

And by implication, your offer becomes open to a larger number of potential buyers, including persons limited by distance, free time, money etc.

The best part is you do the work once, and reap passive income repeatedly into the future!

General, My DN Travel News, My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better, Parenting

Asking Questions Can Stop People From Exploiting You (Lessons From My Seme Border Experience)

March 7, 2014 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I took the picture below, today at the United Bank of Africa (UBA) branch, on the Nigerian side of Seme border. I stood outside because the hall where the ATM machines stood was too hot for me. The air conditioners had broken down, and a long queue of people had built up.

Since I considered myself “highly inflammable”, I felt it was safer to stay out of such a hot area, till my turn came to use the ATM

A Warri based Farm CEO wants to attend my forthcoming Feed Formulation Workshop in Lagos, Nigeria. I had to cash funds he sent me (via ATM), to prepare his workshop pack of printed handbook and CDROMs containing promised PDF ebooks, my Ration Formulator™ software, video tutorials etc.

Why Did I Not Use ATMs Within Benin Republic, You Wonder?

Believe me, I’d have loved to. It would have saved me over 2 hours of to/fro commuting I had to do from Cotonou, to the Nigerian end of the border at Seme, and then back to Cotonou again!

However, since my arrival in this Francophone nation last April, I have been unable to find a single ATM machine with a Mastercard logo on it.

The bank I use (Guaranty Trust Bank) has no branch in Benin. Before travelling, I’d called their support lines,and been assured the Naira Denominated Debit Mastercard issued to me would work “with any ATM Machine in the world.”

Stupidly, I believed them.

Then one day in Cotonou, I visited a branch of UBA, and asked where I could use the ATM.

The lady asked: “Is your card Visa?”

I replied that it was Mastercard.

She then told me the machines would only recognise Visa cards!

Since then I’ve come to learn that in virtually all the Francophone African nations, the ATM machines most widely available have Visa logos on them.

Isn’t is strange that my bank’s people did NOT know that???

So I’m in the process of opening an account with another bank with branches across most countries. In the meantime, I have to visit the border, as explained above, to cash funds sent by buyers.

But that’s not why I’m writing this article.

Asking Questions Can Stop People From Taking Advantage of You!

I’m writing this piece to share a true story that you can learn from, about why it’s good to ask questions.

You see, after I’d cashed the money I needed, I headed back to the Benin Republic end of the border. As usual, I made sure to pass through the relevant passport stamping and yellow card inspection points.

But Today, I Had a Series of Truly Odd Experiences Crossing the Border!

At the Nigerian end, I entered the left side of the Immigration’s container office, and with a few seconds got my passport stamped out, and handed over the N100 payment always demanded.

Next I entered the room on the right, where another immigration officer looked up at me.

I recognised him from a previous encounter (He’d insisted the photo in my passport was of a person who looked much older than me, even though we looked alike. I’d laughed in his face, to his displeasure. Then I told him the person to blame was his colleague at the Immigration Passport office in Ikoyi who took a photo that made me look older!)

I greeted him politely: “Good morning Sir. Nice to see you again.”

He grunted “How are you?” as he inspected my passport and scribbled my details in his journal.

I replied that I was fine. Few seconds later, he was done. Then he looked up and said “N200”

“Huh?” I replied in confusion, wondering what he was asking for.

He said “Pay N200” Mr ehm (looking again at my passport now) “Tayo Kayode Solagbade”.

I knew what to do: PLAY DUMB…

So I said “I don’t understand Sir. Last time you asked me to pay, I told you I’d already paid N100 in the other office, and that normally my details are just recorded here. After I leave here I only pay N200 at the Beninese entry point where my passport is stamped in”.

He said “Last time you said that I let you leave without paying, but it’s not a right you know?”

I replied “Well I’m sorry sir, it’s just that I’ve never had anyone ask me to pay twice before. What I’m familiar with is what I just said.”

Realizing I wasn’t going to give in, he looked away and said: “Okay, forget it. Take your passport.”

“You mean I can go Sir?” I deliberately asked

“Yes, you can go. Have a nice day” he replied impatiently handing my passport to me.

I took it, and thanking him – politely again – left.

As I Walked Towards the Benin Republic Entry Point, I Felt the Worst Was Over. How Wrong I Was!

Just as I passed a post mounted next a barricade to stop cars, a guy dressed in jeans and t-shirt, called out to me. He was standing right next to a uniformed immigration officer who looked at me with disinterest as I responded.

I walked back to him and said: “Yes?”

He said “Can I see your passport?”

Feeling he was an immigration officer not dressed in uniform for some reason, I gave him the passport. He looked at it, then handed it back. Next he asked “Do you have any money on you?”

That got the alarm bells ringing in my head. But again, since we were right next to a uniformed officer I chose to play along. “Not much I replied.”

“How much CFA and Naira?” he pressed

By this time I was getting irritated and it showed on my face. “Why do you want to know?” I asked evasively.

He said: “It’s because of the bad people who carry fake money. That’s why we’re checking. Just let me see what you have on you, and if none of it is fake, you can go.”

I looked over at the uniformed man and he was paying us no attention, even though I knew he could hear us. I dipped my hands in my pockets, and showed him a few one thousand naira bills.

He said “Is that all?”

I replied that I had a few CFA coins. He nodded and said “Okay, sorry to have disturbed you.”

As I Walked Away, I Did Not Know That Yet Another Strange Experience Awaited Me!

Just as I neared the Benin passport stamping post, I heard someone call out to me.

He was not in uniform, and was dressed in jeans and t-shirt, like the guy I’d just finished with.

Now, this individual was not standing next to any post or barricade. It was just a short distance to the Beninese entry post.

“Let me see your passport” he demanded.

Without thinking, I gave it to him, wondering why this unusual set of checks were happening repeatedly.

Suddenly, just as he opened the passport, I saw a hand reach out from behind him and snatch it.

Then the person stepped out smartly dressed in a green guinea brocade. He was a slender, fit looking guy who looked to be in his thirties.

He handed my passport to me and motioned for me to follow him, as he walked briskly away.

I looked back and saw the guy I’d been with quietly step backwards behind a parked trailer.

Now I was totally confused. Before I could say anything the guinea brocade guy said

“How could you just give him your passport like that?” he asked

“I don’t understand why you people behave this way. Why didn’t you ask him for his identification first. Don’t you know those guys are just thieves? If you’d stayed long there, they would have robbed you of all the money you had on you” he finished.

I was opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water, in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

“I thought he was a non-uniformed operative” I said lamely.

“But you should have confirmed. These guys are everywhere and you people must be careful” he countered, all the while walking briskly towards the Beninese end.

I could not help feeling that once again a guardian angel had been sent to save me, in one of my rare moments of zero street smartness!

As I thought about what had just happened, my encounter with the first guy began to make sense.

His role had apparently been to check if I had money on me!

By getting me to show it to him, the others watching got confirmation of that.

As I walked away, he must have signalled the others down the road to work on me. And I guess this gentleman who’d intervened, had seen the progression of events and decided to act.

“But why are such people being allowed to carry out criminal acts right at the Nigerian end of the border, with all the government and security operatives present?

Would it not have been better to simply round them off, and keep them out, rather than let them rob people under their noses?” I asked.

I rephrased that question twice. He ignored my queries on both occasions. So I shut up, thinking to myself that such absurdities are what make corruption difficult to fight in Nigeria.

A few moments later, we arrived the Benin end.

I thanked him and promised to keep his warning in mind when next I visited the border.

Final Words: Lessons You Can Learn (and Also Teach Your Kids!)

Notice from the story that I successfully used questions, and subtle resistance, to avoid being made to pay more than I was supposed to pay.

But I was later almost fooled by crooks allowed to roam freely within an area that should have been secured against their entry!

That’s to say one should always be alert at all, times, even in a supposedly secure area!

So, Here Are Useful Lessons I Learnt From This Experience, Which I’ll Also Be Sharing With My Kids

This is especially important, in these times that kidnappers and other evil people have gotten more daring and creative in Nigeria.

1. Once a person is not in uniform, asking for his/her identification becomes necessary, before you do whatever s/he asks!

2. In addition, check and ensure that the identification provided is authentic.

3. If you’re not sure how to do that, insist on involving a uniformed officer (in the case of a child s/he should call out to another adult for help).

4. Try checking to also be sure that whoever you call is not party to the arrangement!

5. And lastly, do not let him/her (or them) take you to a corner, or remote or secluded area. Insist on staying in the open, or as close as possible to the officially designated areas with security.

It goes without saying, of course, that no one can be 100% effective at detecting efforts to con him/her.

However, keeping the above points in mind, and staying alert to tell tale signs you observe, can save you.

Lastly, keep your faith in your creator strong. And make sure to do His will at all times.

That way, even if you’re unaware of the bad intentions of those you’re relating with, your God will send a guardian angel to pull you out of there!

It’s happened to me VERY many times.

Believe, and the same will happen to you as well.

PS: By the way, the above final tip, has nothing to do with religion. It works for anyone who truly believes – and acts with faith – IN the creator. That includes even a person who practises NO religion. I’m living proof of that!

FACT: Your Farm Is Prone To Risks & Uncertainties

Some Examples Of Risks & Uncertainties That Can Affect A Farm Biz

1. Production Uncertainties

2. Price Changes

3. Government Actions & Policies

4. Actions of Other People

5. Other Risks & Uncertainties

Steps You Can Take To Deal With Risks & Uncertainties

1. Set definite objectives for your farm business

2. Draw up plans to pursue the objectives

3. Implement your plans

4. Introduce Checks & balances

5. Forecast likely price and output for the future

Summary

This article is an educational commercial about an aspect of the Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS™) that SDAc’s CB Solutions can help you setup for your farm business.

Related

Have You Downloaded Your Gifts?

No. 133: To Succeed, Find Correctly Motivated Buyers

Societies Differ In the Value They Place on Specific Types of Solutions

Let Me Illustrate With a Personal True Story…

A Web Marketing System (WMS) Will Increase Your Chances of Getting Found By Buyers with the Right Motives

At the core of your marketing arsenal, should be the intelligent use of what I call a Web Marketing System (WMS).

I’m living proof of that fact …and I offer some recent examples to illustrate that fact:

There’s ONE main reason total strangers reach out to me, REPEATEDLY in the ways described above.

Use Careful Observation, Combined With Critical Thinking, to Detect Buyers with the Right Motives

The reality in the real world I’ve had to offer speaking services as a Self-Development and Performance Improvement Specialist, has however tended to be a bit different.

What I discovered was that many (please note: NOT all) of the decision makers had different motives for engaging learning service providers.

Take the example of my 10 item customisable Employee Workplace Morale Survey Quiz (approx 23.5KB).

Few Organisation in My Local Market Have Ever Shown Interest…Strangely (?)

But such opportunities were too few and far between.

Final Words: Use a Similar Strategy to Succeed as an Expert-Who-Speaks

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

SPECIAL PRODUCT FEATURE

“Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets”

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Useful Resources for Speakers

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Publications

THEY WROTE…

But I Never Saw That Message UNTIL this Morning: 2 Years Later!

So, I placed a call to him from my mobile phone this morning, and when he picked up, we had the following conversation:

At that point, I told him how I’d just noticed his message for the first time, while reviewing my website contacts database.

Speaking with him, I sensed that this gentleman was very serious minded about the venture he had started.

About 1 hour ago, I sent him the promised e-mail message.

That’s what made me decide to publish excerpts from that message as part of THIS blog post.

===Email Message Excerpt Begins===

Final Words: Do You Need Funding For Your New, or Existing Farm Business?

If you’ve not been keeping accurate and regular records, you need to start now, before you seek funding support.

It was a relief to have him call and confirm receipt.

Yesterday, I also spoke with Akpos C. U. a Warri based Poultry Farm Biz owner who paid to attend the workshop, because he intends to start his own feed mill soon.

On Jan 24th this year, I came to Lagos to train Steven E. a Farm CEO who traveled down from Umuahia.

I had also been in touch with Uchenna A., a Farm CEO in Abakaliki. He bought the software in early 2013.

However my visit to Nigeria last weekend revealed that contrary to my expectations, the ripple effects of the fuel scarcity were still being felt.

Every buyer of the home study pack, as long as s/he can get down to the venue, on the date/time that will be be announced, will be granted FREE access to my LIVE practical workshop training on feed formulation and compounding.

Let me re-emphasize.

In Nigeria, Is Finding Authentic Success on Merit – Especially as an Outsider – Possible?

Anyway my teacher had a fellow Cameroonian male friend, who I will call “Oyam”, who’d worked some years as a teacher in a secondary school in Benin City.

Oyam had been very active in the association, and made his ambition to be elected president known to all.

In fact, a year before, my teacher had taken me to visit some of his countrymen he’d found working as French teachers, under adopted names, in some schools.

He said he sometimes overheard them saying: “How can someone come from another country, to lead us, while we’re here?”

How Many Foreign African Nationals Who’ve Lived for Decades In Nigeria Stand Any Chance of Getting Elected Ahead of a Nigerian?

I say this above because I’ve met many such people living quietly in Nigeria!

My Question is: Can the Same Be Said For the Nigerian Society?

That’s Why Nigerians who Win Visa Lotteries to USA Often Rejoice, and Party, and Even Give “Testimony” in Church!

And that’s why many gifted and highly competent Nigerians rarely stay in the country. Most find ways to go where they will be allowed to flourish.

Final Words: We Have to Make The Right Choices In the Best Interests of Our Country!

But I cannot help wondering whether the larger Nigerian society will embrace this obvious need to change…

It’s taken a LOT OF HARD WORK, but I knew it would be worth it.

So, each buyer will get a parcel delivered via courier (or s/he can pick it up), containing the following:

BELOW: One page flyer I’ve created to announce this On-Demand Feed Formulation for Farm CEOs Workshop (http://tayosolagbade.com/ffworkshop)

Read: On-Demand Feed Formulation for Farm CEOs Workshop [Hint: FREE Entry for Owners of Tayo Solagbade’s Feed Formulation Handbook & Software]!

(NB: See list of the tutorial videos for users of the software, and what they demonstrate below)

Eight (8) Demonstration Videos For Using the Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

What to do to Watch the Videos

Video 2 – login_update_feed_ingredients

Video 3 – ration_formulation

video 4 – ration_formulation2

video 5 – 2013-FREEUPGRADE Version

Video 6 – 2013-FREEUPGRADE Version

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for Africa Based Experts(PDF…Click!)