Category Archives: My DN Travel News

You Do NOT Have To Be Expensive To Make Profits

September 18, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

No you don’t. And I explain why in this article, which was originally published – on Monday 6th December 2010 – as an issue of my static html based Self-Development Digest Newsletter here.

Myth: To Make Good Profits, Your Product Or Service Price/Fee Must Be High.

Fact: The above statement is NOT true.

It is important to avoid falling into the trap of thinking you need to charge a lot to make a lot of profits.

Companies like Richard Branson’s Virgin, have shown again and again, that substantial profits can be made from sales of affordably priced products and services.

The logic that makes this possible is simple. Just follow the tips outlined below, and you’ll soon be reaping VERY decent profits, while offering prices/fees LOWER than your rivals can afford to!

1. Aim to maintain low operational overheads:

How much does it cost to deliver your product or service to customers? Are you certain that you have captured all contributors to the cost of your operation? If YES, then whatever figure you end up with will be what you will mark up by some profit margin to arrive at your selling price.

Now, if others offer higher prices compared to yours, it would NOT mean they make more profits than you do.

This is because they are likely to have a different operating cost profile compared to yours. If you can get access to such details, you could compare to ascertain for sure what the case is.

However, a more practical option would be for you to ensure your costing has been done right. Then explore possible avenues to LOWER your operating costs over time.

This way, without increasing your prices further, you would increase your profit margins, and still delight your customers by offering stable, friendly pricing.

2. Work hard to build high volume, sustainable, long term patronage:

Many times, businesses do not do as much marketing as they should.

As a result the incoming volume of customer patronage tends not to be adequate or sustained.

This can force the company to employ give-away promos, or discount incentives to encourage more sales.

The reality is however that sales/marketing efforts can be intensified. This, combined with intelligent initiatives to generate valuable sales leads would make conversion rates up, resulting in increased sales.

Most importantly, effective after sales service and customer relations would attract repeat purchases and referrals (depending on the type of product or service).

3. Constantly employ creativity to re-invent your offering:

Think up new and better products/services to delight your customers. Explore creative ways to serve them. This will make them happy to stay with you.

And those extras – some of which could be designed to come at no additional charge – would give them something to brag about to their friends, associates etc.

The latter could in turn indicate interest in what you offer over time. Even if they do not, at least your name/brand would be impressed on their consciousness. In future, this could work in your favour.

Think about it. What are the factors that determine your price?

One would be the prevailing prices in the market place.

But sometimes checks reveal others are exploiting customers via exorbitant pricing. You stand to gain by offering more reasonable prices.

Branson hinted at this when he said he looked for places where companies were “taking the Mickey out of the customer“.

This made him aim to enter such markets with value adding, affordably priced alternatives, to compete with such companies.

Going by how long he has remained in business in most markets he has entered; it is obvious that what he advocates actually works.

You can benefit by adopting a similar philosophy.

Final Words: To Make Profits As Explained Above, You Are to Be Affordable – NOT CHEAP!

I cannot end this without pointing out that my experiences in serving some narrow minded clients. You are likely to meet them too.

The kind who demand the lowest (or if possible NO) price, in exchange for your product or service. Most times, they simply want to exploit you.

I have had such prospects/clients say all sorts of (honestly silly) things to me, just to have their way:

a. They said: “We don’t have money. Don’t worry, do it free for us and God will bless you”.

I responded: “Sorry, but I cannot afford to do that. Indeed, every time you pay to have me do it, it is actually God who is blessing me!”

b. They said: “Why not sell to us at a loss, since you are just starting, so that we can recommend (the product/service) to others, who will then buy from you”.

I responded: “I have already done that in the past for others, and by so doing proved that the value I offer is worth paying for. If I had continued that way, I would not have stayed in business long enough for you to discover me.”

Resist the Temptation to Give In – You’ll Only Hurt Your Brand!

Napoleon Hill once wrote that human beings rarely appreciate – and often discredit – anything they get for free or without effort.

My experiences confirm this to be a very accurate statement.

I urge you to be guided by it, especially if you operate in a society like mine – otherwise you could end up being used and dumped!

Remember: You do not have to be expensive to be profitable. BUT offering your products/services CHEAPLY – or worse at NO cost – is not likely to win you healthy profits that can sustain your business for the long term either.

You have been warned!

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

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

September 17, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adopt a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™

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

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

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

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

Take a batch production process like livestock farming for instance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Words

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

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

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

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

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

Some listen. Some don’t.

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

What will your story be?

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

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

September 16, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

Date: Monday 16th August 2013

No:107

Title: Two Ways to Make Extra Money at Zero Cost

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

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

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

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

Hi,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Same Philosophy Can Be Applied to Other Areas of Endeavour

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

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

1. Writing for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

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

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

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

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

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

Stop doing that to yourself!

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

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

2. Speaking for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

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

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

You can also use Public Speaking for Business Marketing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See how this works?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Words: To Get Started, Do What I Did

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments?

What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts!

Share this issue!

Do you know anyone who might benefit from reading this newsletter issue? Why not hit the forward button now, and send it to him/her with a short recommendation. You can also use share it via your social media channels. Thanks in advance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Send me an e-mail with your questions via tayo at tksola dot com. In the meantime, why not get started by subscribing here to get his 7-Part Course (How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker) . . . and receive his monthly newsletter (Speaking Biz Strategies Letter) at no cost.

Get mentored by Burt Dubin - coach of some of the world's highest paid public speakers

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

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

My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Your Writing Will Succeed, IF You Are Original…and NOT In a Hurry!

September 14, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Writing is not as easy as many people who do not do it for serious (especially formal business) purposes think it is. Such persons usually have not had to do it regularly and consistently, while maintaining quality, and volume.

On the other hand those who write for a living know that coming up with new, original write-ups that interest their target audiences can be quite hard.

Formal/professional writing, that is meant to get readers to do what the writer wants, is very far from being easy. It takes long hours of hard work/continual practice.

Business Related Writing is NOT for Persons Unwilling to Be Original

Being original takes effort…and time. And it makes readers appreciate written works more.

But not everyone is willing to make make such an investment in their writing.

For instance, content mills owners are unwilling to take time to write original peices. So they settle for mutiliated versions of other people’s writing.

Thankfully, Google’s new algorithm ensures they waste fewer people’s time – via search results pages – with each passing day

Business is generally a serious affair. People engaged in most aspects of it are looking to reap beneficial returns – often money. That makes them unwilling to waste their time reading material that’s basically duplicated content of poor value.

In the entertainment industry, gossip news websites probably constitute an exception to the above rule.

But that would be mainly due to the nature of the subject they treat.

Celebrities have a way of making people act irrational many times.

For instance, normally intelligent people can get quite irrational when it concerns a famous person they adore. That’s why some invest endless hours of their time, and considerable amounts of money, to buy and read anything written about celebrities.

Like I said, that is the possible exception.

Most other businesses and vocations seek attention from results focused individuals and groups. And they know it’s crucial that they successfully present themselves as being worthy of their target audience’s serious attention.So they are always on the lookout for cost-effective ways to do that.

More and more of them are now discovering that writing can be effectively used to achieve that marketing purpose.

But more importantly, they realise that coming across as unique and original in the writing content they offer, is crucially important!

This is why writers who work for them will always be challenged to deliver pieces free from plagiarism, and potential copyright issues of any kind.

It goes without saying, that damaged credibility can be very hard to repair – be it for a client who is a solopreneur, or one that is a corporate entity.

The “Fast-Food” Mentality Does Not Work in Business Related Writing

Here’s a truth that may be bitter to swallow: Someone in a hurry for results can try writing for business marketing. But the results will be mediocre.

This is one area of life that the “fast food” mentality that dominates society today simply will not work!

You see, there is a method to business of “Response Generating Writing”.

Take my case for example…

Maybe in future, when I can find the time, I’ll explore creative fiction writing. For now however, I’m more focussed on using creative (non-fiction) writing to generate sales leads.

That involves working to a well though out plan called a Web Marketing Strategy – based on which a Web Marketing System is developed and implemented.

Specifically, I write daily pieces on specific subject areas, providing useful information, and education aimed at attracting potential buyers of my products and services.

In other words, the writing I do is designed to build trust and credibility for me, in the minds of my readers, over time.

Some go on to make contact with me, and eventually engage my services.

Ghost-writing on their behalf, so they can generate sales leads (the way I do) is one of a number of services I provide to them.

What is however important to note, is that the process takes time, diligent effort, and persistence…not forgetting creative thinking.

I’ve Done What I’m Asking You to Do, With Increasing Success, For Over a Decade

It all began in 2002, when I started out as a self-employed multipreneural service provider.

The going was not easy. Challenges – very painful visits of adversity – have come my way over and over again since then.

Sometimes I would get good results, and then a period of “famine” would follow.

But I persisted despite all of that.

Until I began to gain better insight, into how to use my writing more effectively for low to zero cost business promotion.

That (i.e. low to zero cost marketing of my solutions) was the motivation for me.

You see, I lacked the funds to utilize traditional business marketing to create awareness about what I offered.

So, writing became my first choice – by necessity, not by preference.

But over time, with better results, and improved proficiency, I realised it was a smarter and more effective – and complementary – alternative to the more conventional methods!

Final Words: If You Stop Hurrying, and Strive to Be Authentic, Your Writing Will Succeed!

Today, the continually improving results I’m getting, clearly tell me I’m on the right path.

If you really think about it, this is not surprising, since what attracts people most times is honesty, originality and authenticity.

I have all three!

Regular readers of this blog will have come across pieces in which I did as Burt Dubin advised, and basically “appear psychological naked” to my readers.

It’s what he advises experts-who-speak, that he mentors, to do in their speaking (and by implication, their writing).

Anyone who is in a hurry to get results is unlikely to be willing to do what I recommend above, with the required commitment.

And that, is probably the ONLY reason they will be unable to get useful results – like I do – from writing!

My DN Travel News, Parenting

Trying to Use Others Can Cost YOU Success (Advice you need to give your child)

September 13, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Sigh. It keeps happening. Despite the many valuable opportunities it denies those who do it, they keep doing it. I refer to the tendency some have, for wanting to prove they are better than others. And the sometimes shocking contempt they display for those they (try to) “unfeelingly use” to achieve their selfish ends. Read this article to learn why your child must think and act differently, to make the most of herself in life!

Insecure Persons Abound In Society: Learn to Identify, and Protect Yourself from Them

Once you seem to be equally (or more) competent than they are in a specific area of endeavor, they feel threatened. Next thing you know, they’ll start speaking and acting funny. They’ll begin “competing” with you. But most times you’ll be unaware they nuirse such feelings towards you!

Beware of people like this.Learn to identify them, so they don’t hurt you. They display tell tale habits.

For example: When you buy a new car, they immediately decide to change theirs. If they see you with a new smartphone, they quickly whip theirs out, and ask “Can yours do this?” (In the latter case, there may be exceptions who are just out to have good fun with you).

If they witness you speaking French to a foreigner who’s lost his way, they want you to know they speak Spanish or some other language. Or they’ll tell you they have a relative or friend who does.

And if they don’t do that, they’ll claim “You know, if I wasn’t so busy, I’d learn to be fluent in XYZ language too. But there’s just no free time to spare!“. They’ll say that, most times forgetting that YOU managed to become fluent, despite being just as busy as they are, if not more!

No matter how trivial the issue is, they always read an “I’m better than you” meaning into anything their perceived rival does. And they constantly seek ways to correct the psychological imbalance they feel.

You Don’t Need to Prove You’re Better Than Anyone: It’s an Unhealthy Way to Live!

I’ve written about it in the past. And today, I still tell my kids it’s unwise to go around with that kind of unproductive mental attitude.

This need some people feel to compete with others who harbor no such feelings towards them. It is a serious problem and has been since the dawn of mankind. It is the reason why jealousy and envy continue to destroy relationship between/among different groups of people…including relatives.

This attitude prevents those who have it from taking advantage of help extended to them by those they needlessly resent.

What they need is to act – daily! – in line with an Emancipated Thinking Habit™ (see image below)…

A True Story That Illustrates How Trying to Use Others, &/Or Prove You’re Better, Can Cost YOU!

A few years back, I had a discussion with a long time associate, who shared the following true – and very instructive – story with me.

Tim, an independent consultant, made contact with Ike – a business promotion service provider – whose work he encountered while with a client. (Note: Names used are not real).

Ike possessed an unusual combination of skills that apparently enabled him achieve considerable marketing reach and impact at low cost. Not just for himself, but also his clients.

This enabled him spend considerably less time, money and effort to get marketing exposure he wanted.

In contrast, Tim enjoyed recognition from existing clients – and they gave him referrals. But he was less proficient in his business promotion for generating new sales leads outside established contacts.

He knew it, and sincerely wanted to improve on that aspect of his marketing. At least he told Ike so.

It Soon Became Obvious That Tim Only Sought to “Exploit” Ike

Tim began enquiring about services Ike offered.

Over a period of weeks however, Ike noticed Tim’s “conversations” suggested he had ulterior motives.

For one thing, each time Ike replied to the enquiries (by email or phone), nothing ever came of it.

Tim always found an excuse to not take a decision.

Instead he would come up with a new twist to the request. For instance, Tim intermittently asked – subtly – that Ike introduce/recommend him (i.e. Tim) to his (Ike’s clients), so he could offer his consulting service to them.

Ike considered the request strange given the fact that he did not have any clients with such a need.

What was more, he knew such a move could back fire in many ways against him if was not careful.

He had yet to really get to know Tim – and had not even had any business dealings with him.

Yet, Tim repeatedly made propositions along those lines, rather than take up the main issue he claimed to have sought Ike out for!

But That Was Not All!

Tim also repeatedly suggested they do joint ventures of various kinds. That was not a bad thing.

But 9 times out of 10, what he proposed strongly indicated he wanted to use Ike’s skills to look good!

For instance, he kept asking Ike come up with learning material they could use/sell at a learning event. Knowing that Ike was skilled in this area, he would then ask if he had any already written.

Ike would often suggest they both prepare material specifically for the event, to add useful value to attendees. Tim would counter that he was too busy, and that Ike would be better off doing that, then letting him see!

Final Words

These one-sided “me, myself and I” requests from Tim were obvious signs of dis-honest intentions.

Luckily, Ike saw through them.

So, he protected himself, by avoiding committing himself to anything.

And he also gradually withdrew from Tim, knowing their relationship would never be win-win.

People who behave like Tim will always lose more than they get.

Let your child know s/he must think and act differently (click here), IF s/he wants to make the most of herself in life!

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

Use Your Job Loss Experience to Achieve Greater Success

September 12, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

How?

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

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

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

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

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

Implications of Jobs Loss Will Differ for Every Individual

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or turning unpleasant circumstances to your advantage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

YOU Can Be One of the Rare Exceptions!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My DN Travel News, Self-Development

To Change Your Circumstances You Need To Change Your Mindset!

September 11, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

How far two people go in life (in terms of their pursuit of success and achievement) will most often depend on their individual mind sets. When something unpleasant happens to you, your mind set determines how you see it.

You’ve Probably Read or Heard About the Analogy of the Glass Cup Filled to the Middle with Water

A pessimist regards it as half-empty. The optimist regards it as half-full.

Neither would be wrong in his/her assessment of the fill level in the glass cup.

However, each person’s adopted view often determines how s/he feels about a situation or an issue. And that will influence what s/he will subsequently be prepared to do to change it.

As Human Beings Our Natural Instinct is to View Anything We Dislike as Bad for Us

When something we value is running out, we feel like we’re losing. That’s negative, and not pleasant.

But when it’s growing or increasing, we feel like we’re progressing. That’s positive, and pleasant.

However, the truth is there will be times when what we find unpleasant may actually be a blessing in disguise!

For instance, exposure to lack (of money etc) could teach us prudence in spending. Or even train us to endure hardship.

The creator has unique ways of passing lessons to us.

We must therefore learn to be more perceptive in evaluating every experience we have, each day.

Sometimes What We Dis-like May Be What We Need to Get What We DO LIKE!

For instance, when we fall ill, we may have to take medication – or at least stay in bed to get well. The drug may come in form of bitter tablets which we do not like swallowing.

Yet they could be the only available option to get us well.

Some people are so outdoor loving/active that a doctor’s order to stay in bed would feel like a death sentence to them. Yet, if they fail to do it, a worsening of their diagnosed health condition could result.

You can choose to see any bad experience you have the same way e.g. a job loss.

See it as a challenge for you to make a better change in your life e.g. to choose a new career path, explore a different vocation or start a business.

It could be unpleasant, and even difficult/painful for a while, but eventually, it would yield positive benefits for you.

A person who lacks the ability to endure hardship, will not be useful to his/her children if/when life throws a challenge of adversity at his family.

The creator knows this, and that’s why he sometimes lets seemingly bad stuff happen to us. Rather than hurt us, they are meant to – proactively – toughen us up, for a future need, we may not yet see. Take it from me. I HAVE been there more times than I can count!

That’s Why I Stopped Believing in Coincidences

Over the past ten years, my experiences have taught me that there are no coincidences. Your experiences arise from choices you make, against the background of guidance quietly offered by your creator.

Unfortunately, most of us have not learned to listen carefully enough, to make choices in line with the creator’s promptings.

This is the reason why we sometimes take a while to turn our circumstances around.

Do you see what I mean now? It really so simple!

I say this from over a decade of personal experience, learning to listen and act properly myself.

What I’ve learnt now enables me more consistently achieve changes I want in my circumstances.

Give what I’m saying here serious thought. Doing so could reveal truths you need to make progress!

Get Started By Learning about Others Who Changed Their Circumstances

A good way to begin is to read about others who overcame adversity, and/or setbacks to succeed.

Many repeatedly dug deep into themselves to find new inspiration, and change their situations.

All it took was a mind set shift. Specifically, a refusal to view what happened to them negatively.

So many such stories can be found online. Google will throw up enough to get you started.

You can also speak with any persons you know – or discover – to have achieved authentic success in a similar manner. (NB: Emphasis on authentic success here, is very deliberate. Today, we have more phony people telling fake success stories. Beware!)

Now, even if you cannot find such persons to talk to, stories available on and off the web (in autobiographies) can do wonders for you. They were all I had to accompany me during many lonely years of struggles and persistence.

And they proved to be worthy companions!

Reading them taught me the patience and endurance I needed to overcome delays, disappointments and setbacks that came my way.

Today, I’m better equipped to confront and defeat adversity, than I ever was when I started out in 2002, as an entrepreneur.

That’s why I truly believe YOU can also change your circumstances, by changing your mind set – and acting based on it, to achieve your goals.

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News

Your Business Should Free You, Not Restrict You

September 10, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It would simply not be necessary!

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

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

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

How?

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

Final Words

Think about it for a moment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You’ll be glad you did.

My DN Travel News, Public Speaking

No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?

September 9, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

A person who needs help may not always be ready (or willing) to make effective use of it when it comes.

Strange, but true. Not many people realise this. Yet it is often what keeps some from succeeding, despite getting lots of help from various quarters!

I know it’s debatable. And like everything else in life, there will be exceptions. But my careful study of this particular issue for years, has revealed a distinct trend.

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

Date: Monday 9th August 2013

No:106

Title: Are You Ready to Be Helped?

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

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

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

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

Hi,

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

No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?

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

**********

A person who needs help may not always be ready (or willing) to make effective use of it when it comes. Strange, but true. Not many people realise this. Yet it is often what keeps some from succeeding, despite getting lots of help from various quarters!

I know it’s debatable. And like everything else in life, there will be exceptions. But my careful study of this particular issue for years, has revealed a distinct trend.

When people get given, without exerting serious effort to get, they are likely to become laid back.

This is why so many organisations which give monetary “AID” rarely record situations in which recipients wean themselves off such programs.

Instead, majority of beneficiaries simply wait for it to come. They know the AID givers will always return with new/more aid!

There are also others with access to well connected, and influential people, who open all sorts of doors for them. Yet they never record authentic achievements.

But Some People Lack Helpers, Yet Still Manage to Achieve Authentic Success

In contrast to the above, we have unknown, unconnected persons from unprivileged backgrounds, who lack any form of support.

They know no one important or influential. Yet, despite these multiple limitations, they go on to record phenomenal successes – wherever they go.

It always seems so unlikely. Yet it has happened countless times. History has many examples on record.

Those who misuse help they get, sometimes resent such disadvantaged persons who succeed with little or no help.

They find it hard to understand how a person can achieve so much, despite having so little.

Funny isn’t it?

One would think they would consider it a wake up call. But people differ, I guess.

Success Is Not a Function of Who You Know, or What You Have

What they fail to understand is that success is no respecter or status, position, or influence.

It comes more readily to those who desire it most strongly. People most willing to take practical steps to get it. People who are prepared to stretch themselves, to achieve their dreams.

Such people will keep chasing their desired goals, even if no help comes to them.

Those are the kinds of people who are ready to be helped!

Their mental attitude of perpetual readiness equips them to make effective use of any help they get.

Because they hunger deeply for success, they will often seize opportunities that come their way with both hands.

If anyone gives them an appointment, they make a point of being on time.

If told to send in a speaker one-sheet to organisers of a special event for instance, they can stay up all night – if necessary – to get it in before the deadline.

In other words, they simply do not fool around!

For them, procrastination is abomination. And action taking towards achieving their desires is a way of life.

Anything that does not move them closer to their goals is considered a distraction, and dispensed with.

The above attitude – and attributes – make them succeed, even if/when no help comes their way.

Interestingly, that is what tends to convince even total strangers, to become their devoted helpers!

That demonstrated commitment to succeeding no-matter-what, wins the confidence of others, who consequently become convinced any help they give will not go to waste.

Challenge Yourself to Make the Best Possible Use of Help You Get

People may offer you support (in cash or other forms), towards achieving your goal.

But that, on its own, may not guarantee your success.

As a results-focussed expert, actively seek ways to make any support you get count for something.

Remember: Not everyone will get offers of help. What’s more, we will not all know influential/powerful persons, who can open doors for us. In addition, we must remember that we are not all equally gifted.

The above are reasons why it pays, to be ready to take good advantage of ANY help that comes our way!

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

SD Nuggets Blog™	New posts from last week that may interest you! *
Public Speaking [Monday]:	No. 105: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)
Entrepreneurship [Tuesday]:	Nine(9) Sure Signs & Symptoms That Indicate You Need To Adopt Best Practice Systems In Your Business
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	Why Won’t LinkedIn Stop Sending Me Email Invitations, Months After They Agreed To?
Self-Development [Wednesday]:	You’re Not Crazy to Follow Your Inner Voice
Career Development [Thursday]:	Create Learning Resources to Boost Employee Performance
Parenting [Friday]:	Your Teenager Giving You Problems? Hurray!
Writing/Blogging [Saturday]:	Up-sell to Offline Clients Using Your Online Writing (True Stories)
Want me to write for you? Click here…

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

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

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

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

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

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

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

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

Comments?

Share this issue!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download this flyer as PDF:

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/uploads/burt_new_flyer.pdf

My DN Travel News, Writing/Blogging

Up-sell to Offline Clients Using Your Online Writing (True Stories)

September 5, 2013 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

I read online articles written by different freelance writing experts about how to get clients. I’m however a bit of an unusual kind of freelance writer.

[NB: I’d planned to auto schedule this post to appear on Saturday, in line with the normal schedule, but I’m getting an error message. Since I’m travelling, I’ve decided to publish now, as connectivity is not too reliable where I’m headed.]

For one thing, I have a multidisciplinary bias. In addition, I actively use my online writing to sell different products and services both on and off the web. I’ve been doing this for many years now. And it often works quite well – profitably I mean – for me.

Here’s One Recent Example...

I was introduced to the owner of an Integrated Farm some time ago. Within an hour of discussing my Pineapple peel based drink, we’d hit it off in terms of a mutual area of interest. He gave me some tips about how to progress my Pineapple peels based drinks idea – including possible strategic partners.

Then he took me up on a side comment I made about how he could save money e.g. by using earthworm farming to generate quality protein meat for fish reared on his farm.

I told him I’d also written articles on rearing of Daphnia in glass cultures to feed catfish fingerlings. This would eliminate the need to spend money on the expensive packaged Artemia.

At a point, we went online to review a few websites of companies rearing earthworms. He saw, and believed.

Then he showed me his website – the one put up for the farm by a young relative. It was static html based. The content was all text, and sparse.

It did not in any way do justice to the advanced farming setup he’d shown me in pictures and videos on his I-pad.

I had to tell him the website design and content needed overhaul.

I did so because I cared, and felt the website would better generate sales leads for him, if he corrected that defect.

To explain, I showed him a “Jooma!” website I’d built for a new client here in Cotonou. I noted the fact that the content was written – and setup – to be response generating.

Then I added that his needed to be so treated, if he was to get optimal value from his online presence.

I also showed him pages on my Farm Business Website where I’d used slideshow galleries to present information in a visually engaging manner to visitors. Then we looked at the embedded You tube videos, and descriptions weaved around them on my website.

24 hours later, he’d given me an advance payment cheque to do something similar for him

That project was completed over 2 weeks ago.

Just yesterday, after days of discussion, I showed his a draft for an Information Product I proposed to author in his name, for sale on his farm – and website.

That discussion ended with him saying he would like to have me complete the product. To sell the idea successfully, I simply pointed out that his farm already did what was to be documented in the book.

And he, as an expert, was already competent.

In effect, by letting me create the Information Product, it could be used to attract buyers, and others interested in being trained or accessing consultation with him.

That would create passive income generation opportunities, to complement what the farm already generates.

And to prove that this idea would work, I simply showed him how my popular Feed Formulation Handbook, and its accompanying software page.

I explained that despite NOT having a farm of my own, the products continue to generate income for me.

My relentless web marketing gets my sales pages found via Google and other search engines.

Prospects send in email requests for payment details. Then they deposit/transfer between N8, 000 to N20, 500 depending on what they want.

After that, I customize the products and email to them. A simple and straight forward process!

He liked the sound of that, saw that it was a viable idea, and told me he wanted it.

All I’ve described above was mainly due to my online writing – which I use for marketing.

I do not contribute to offline magazines, newspapers or journals (yet).

Everything I do is online. But I’ve learnt to use what I have online to build credibility and win sales offline.

If I can do it, you can too.

Myth: To Make Good Profits, Your Product Or Service Price/Fee Must Be High.

Fact: The above statement is NOT true.

1. Aim to maintain low operational overheads:

2. Work hard to build high volume, sustainable, long term patronage:

3. Constantly employ creativity to re-invent your offering:

Think about it. What are the factors that determine your price?

Final Words: To Make Profits As Explained Above, You Are to Be Affordable – NOT CHEAP!

I have had such prospects/clients say all sorts of (honestly silly) things to me, just to have their way:

Resist the Temptation to Give In – You’ll Only Hurt Your Brand!

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

Adopt a Best Operating Process Management System (BOPMS)™

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

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

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

Final Words

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

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

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

The Same Philosophy Can Be Applied to Other Areas of Endeavour

1. Writing for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

2. Speaking for Money (and Marketing Exposure)

You can also use Public Speaking for Business Marketing.

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

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

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

Final Words: To Get Started, Do What I Did

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

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

Comments?

Share this issue!

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

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

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

Business Related Writing is NOT for Persons Unwilling to Be Original

The “Fast-Food” Mentality Does Not Work in Business Related Writing

I’ve Done What I’m Asking You to Do, With Increasing Success, For Over a Decade

Insecure Persons Abound In Society: Learn to Identify, and Protect Yourself from Them

You Don’t Need to Prove You’re Better Than Anyone: It’s an Unhealthy Way to Live!

A True Story That Illustrates How Trying to Use Others, &/Or Prove You’re Better, Can Cost YOU!

It Soon Became Obvious That Tim Only Sought to “Exploit” Ike

But That Was Not All!

Final Words

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

Implications of Jobs Loss Will Differ for Every Individual

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

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

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

YOU Can Be One of the Rare Exceptions!

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

You’ve Probably Read or Heard About the Analogy of the Glass Cup Filled to the Middle with Water

As Human Beings Our Natural Instinct is to View Anything We Dislike as Bad for Us

Sometimes What We Dis-like May Be What We Need to Get What We DO LIKE!

That’s Why I Stopped Believing in Coincidences

Get Started By Learning about Others Who Changed Their Circumstances

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

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

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

Final Words

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No. 106: Are You Ready to Be Helped?

I know it’s debatable. And like everything else in life, there will be exceptions. But my careful study of this particular issue for years, has revealed a distinct trend.

But Some People Lack Helpers, Yet Still Manage to Achieve Authentic Success

Success Is Not a Function of Who You Know, or What You Have

If told to send in a speaker one-sheet to organisers of a special event for instance, they can stay up all night – if necessary – to get it in before the deadline.

Challenge Yourself to Make the Best Possible Use of Help You Get

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

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

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I had to tell him the website design and content needed overhaul.

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