I first published this article online in 2012 on a 3rd party website as a guest post. It discusses five powerful financial performance indication tools YOU can quickly and easily compute to determine your farm’s financial state of health.
![5 Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business' Health [Hint: Download MS Excel Report Generation Template]](http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/5tools.png)
Read the full piece below, and learn how to download a resource Excel Workbook that contains example report generation formats for ALL 5 performance indicator tools discussed in it.
In 2007, I got hired by the “Warden” of a popular large non-protestant congregational church in Lagos, to build this Excel-VB driven Church Records Manager app.
This happened a few weeks after I’d completed the maiden phase of a large automation project for his consulting firm, which involved generating dynamic reports from a National Scale Primary Health Care Database (the project continued in phases for about 4 years).
NB: The client paid for it from his own pocket as a “donation” (At the end of this post, I explain how you can get it free).
I actually up-sold the idea to him while we were working on the database project, and he mentioned challenges he was having using a large unwieldy MS Excel spreadsheet to handle the different church records in his spare time.
This client remains a friend (and mentor of sorts) today.
Last year, when I paid him a visit in his office, he requested my help in resetting the app for use in the Church office, following some changes to the computer setup there.
In building the app, I’d worked closely with him (and the church’s office staff).
Each time they requested for a particular feature, I often found that it was related to one that I’d taken care of in a previous client’s project, and so I only needed to make slight modifications to adapt it to suit their needs.
From generating automated notifications and reminders of members’ birthday anniversary celebrations, to allowing dynamic query of the database (using various field parameters), to enabling tracking of bank related handling of church monies for reconciliation – and more.
Due to budget limitations, my modeless floating dynamic menu driven data entry forms (like the ones in my Bank Transactions Monitor (BTM) ™Excel-VB Driven App) could not be incorporated into it, to reduce manual data entry effort required.
That notwithstanding, this basic app’s novice-proof GUI design made it unnecessary for the user to be Excel savvy. Typically, as is the case with my other apps a user could get started using it competently within a few hours of interaction.
The screenshots below highlight some of the key interfacess in the app
NB: This is a standard feature I found useful to include in all my apps. Very intuitive. Anywhere in the app, this menu can be called up by pressing the ENTER key while the cursor is on the spreadsheet. Alternatively, the Main Menu button placed at the top of the spreadsheet interfaces can be clicked to load the menu.
Note that I’ve also built Excel-VB apps that link to a backend database to retrieve data to be used for trending/analysis and report generation. However, I’ve found that clients (mostly individuals/SMEs) have preferred everything to be in Excel, because they felt their needs were relatively small.
Below: Dialog box shows the user lodgement details picked by the app for posting into the column for the selected bank account. A reconciliation table is auto-updated and used to compare with the bank account balances on a weekly basis.
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Self-Development Academy (SDAc)’s Excel Heaven™ was founded by Tayo K. Solagbade in 2002, as the FIRST provider of On-Demand Preprogrammed Custom Spreadsheet Solutions for individuals and businesses in Nigeria/Africa.
We offer Workbook Auditing/Optimisation and VBA Automation; Custom Spreadsheet Software Development; Sales; Job-Based Spreadsheet Coaching; and Consulting/Advisory Services on effective application of spreadsheets for business use.
Call +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin).
See video demos here.
Visit our Excel Heaven mini-site : here.
1. Click here to download a 9-page MS PowerPoint Slideshow which explains in FULL details what you will be learning – and doing.
2. On the page linked here, you can watch a video version of the above slideshow, and some sample tutorials/demo videos.
LAGOS—Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, yesterday, arrived Nigeria unannounced. The 32-year-old tech enterpreneur surprisingly made a sudden visit and inspection of activities at the Co-Creation Hub, Yaba Lagos.
Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg with Nigerian tech entrepreneurs
His arrival to Nigeria is not unconnected to the ‘Facebook for developers’ workshop’ for Nigerian engineers, product managers and partners holding today (Wed 31/8/2016) in Lagos.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/facebook-founder-zuckerberg-arrived-nigeria-unannounced/.
When a “teacher” at a religious retreat, in discussing “Creation” told children that a white couple could NOT produce a black baby, none of them raised any objection.
But when she went on to say a Black couple could equally NOT produce a white baby, 2 siblings – a 13 year old boy and a 10 year old girl – reacted.
The girl tried to stifle a giggle. But she was out in front, so the “teacher” readily noticed, and asked what was funny. She quickly said “Nothing”.
But her brother raised his hand and said “Aunty, black people can give birth to white babies”. The “teacher” promptly told him that was “not possible”, and continued with her lecture.
Later at home, the kids told their father about the incident, and they all laughed.
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Tayo K. Solagbade* Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist *Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist & Founder of the MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club and Competition Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to Farm Businesses and others. Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners). Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm Manager™ software. He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods and others. In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly traveling across the West African region. His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details). In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager. In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting. Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’ competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc). When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS newsletter. You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook. Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your personal and work related productivity. ====
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This video demonstrates the steps I described in the answer to my FACEBOOK PRODUCTIVITY QUESTION (posted 4th December 2011) – which was as follows:
“Sometimes you want to tell OTHERS about a certain Facebook post, that interested you. The “Share” feature does NOT work in cases when you need to share the Post in a comment or outside Facebook(e.g. via email). You NEED the URL of the Facebook post. Do you know “How to get the URL or Link of a Facebook post or status”?”
Watch the video (click here now) to learn how…
View the original post of this question at http://www.facebook.com/tayo.solagbade/posts/2630753884206
Update – 23rd December 2019 – new article published titled PII 184: Educate Your Child to Reliably Make Money by Herself, to Meet ANY Needs She Has – Anytime She Wants [HINT: If you are a parent to kids you REALLY LOVE and desire success for, you NEED TO READ THIS!]
Take a careful look at developed societies (e.g in Europe, Asia, America) and you will notice that possession of income earning (vocational) “skills” is just as valued as acquisition of academic degrees and certifications for paid employment.
Sadly the same cannot be said for Nigeria.
This is apparent from the massive armies of university products we continue to churn out who often either end up unemployed (even unemployable!) or grossly underemployed.
With this reality facing us, the need for a new educational strategy has been apparent for a long time. But most affected nations out here seem to be at a loss for ideas on what to do and how.
However, a few are gradually narrowing down to doing what matters. And some, with their leaders showing the way.
One Example: Click here to see a photo in which President Magufuli of Tanzania shows off his sewing skills
The truth is very few: and those that do are often NOT proud to show it off like Magufuli is doing here in a SUIT!
This probably explains why many of our political leaders/civil servants have a large appetite for what Fela once described as “Pen Robbery” in one of his hit songs.
We need more “vocationally skilled” leaders (adults/parents/teachers/leaders in politics and business etc) to be raised in Nigeria/Africa, so they can train youths with similar competences, if real sustainable development is to happen.
Read: Tanzania starts training tailors as regional ban on second hand clothes loom – By This Is Africa on August 24, 2016
Below are excerpts from a piece I recently sent out via Whatsapp, in which I share ideas based on what I’m doing to give my kids a more balanced exposure to “education”.
Academic education is not enough anymore. Time we spend on it is too much. Half that time is better spent giving income earning vocational education. Unfortunately we have wrong quality of people teaching in our schools.
The best among us who should be involved in teaching feel it is beneath us. So we leave it to the least gifted/competent among us who settle for teaching after failing to secure better options.
Unlike Mrs. Abiola Solagbade, my Montessori trained retired teacher mother, they are NOT motivated. The teaching job is a last resort for them.
They feel no passion to do it – and do it right. Little wonder that they readily cut corners by accepting money to do unethical things like awarding marks not merited. And of course that’s why we have Special Centres and people buying/sell results and certificates.
How can we expect a system like that to produce authentic quality of EDUCATION???
It can’t. It won’t.
Even the child that gets good grades academically without corner cutting suffer major exposure to character deforming display of morals and values by teachers, parents and other adults who openly engage in these shameful acts without suffering any negative consequences.
It would be naïve to assume THAT will not make a lasting impression on the psyche of that child – no matter what lectures you give him/her at home about knowing right from wrong, and the value of honesty, integrity, hard work etc!
What a price to pay!
My kids will learn vocational skills alongside relevant school subjects on a need to know basis based on discussions I’ve had with them about what they would like to do/become in life.
Computer based learning systems with teachers teaching school subjects according to the curriculum for the UK Waec exams equivalent are accessible for interested persons.
People get degrees and other certifications through distance learning. My kids have been trained to leverage technology to acquire Functional Education.
Homeschooling is being embraced worldwide. Wearing school uniform does NOT guarantee learning. Leaving home to attend school is NOT the only way to learn. Especially if you want to get a complete/balanced education.
Kids are being made to spend tooooooo much time in school reading/writing, and tooooooo little time is left for them to Think and Do and make sense/productive use of what they see and are taught.
My kids are being given that balanced mix. Indeed once a child can read and write, the thinking and doing is more important that any other schooling inputs.
That’s why we have many unschooled or poorly schooled people who succeed in life by doing what they are good at. That’s what real education is about: finding out/narrowing down to what you’re good at, then doing it to achieve the success you want in life.
It’s simple. But it works. My life is proof of it. That’s why I’m determined to empower my kids to get a similar kind of education – as against mere (mind-numbing) conventional schooling.
See this Facebook page (https://facebook.com/TemiandOluomasCookies above on which my 2 daughters (supported by their brothers) showcase their baked creations and share insights into the experience based learning they are undergoing.
Finally, the article linked below was published on 27th August 2014 – exactly 2 years ago. We’ve come a LOOOOONG way since then!]
[Note: (a). PMA = Positive Mental Attitude (b). The link to a downloadable PDF version the kids’ project preview]
I share my ideas here to give some insight into what I’m doing.
My kids are getting an important foundation for succeeding anywhere. There’s a lot of verbal coaching and experience sharing that takes place daily, in addition to the experience based learning.
Parents would be wise to pay attention to what each child needs in this regard. Most teachers/schools don’t. I do – because I have passion and vision to support my kids to overcome the annoyances I’ve encountered in society.
Speaking and writing good English is NOT enough today. Neither is getting 1st Class from the university. Those who are honest with themselves will agree that this is true!
It is said that in order to criticize constructively, one must first of all make genuine effort to understand that which we wish to criticize.
I’ve found that to be quite true.
One must NOT wait for schools to come up with money-collecting half baked ones they do. Make out time to find out what appeals to each child and help him/her get started.
It’s never too early to help your child find passion driven purpose in life – and you’ll make your parenting of him/her easier in the process!
Click here to request a copy of part 3 of the 4 part step by step demonstration video I got my 13 year old son to make, which we plan to sell with a PDF guide online as well as during LIVE workshops I intend to help him organise for interested kids
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUtfIs0iENE to watch a highlight/promo video I made showing the first battery powered bike he made.
I’m sharing it just to give everyone an idea of the fact that my home IS actually a real world school. We have similar videos for baking bread, pizza, cookies, cakes etc by the kids.
My vision is open my “home-school” (online with short stay on site options) at some point in the future to help other people and their kids learn to use our tried and tested model.
Click here if you would like to be notified when we go LIVE.
This week’s Performance Improvement Ideas (PII) newsletter features an article from my archives.
It discusses one of several scenarios for potential application of custom Excel-VB programming as a low cost, user-friendly means to effective and efficient data handling and report generation in Patients Records Management for Hospitals/Clinics or Medical Centres.
At the end, I append a link to a PDF White Paper I published based on a research paper an old client engaged me to write in 2007, on development of a low cost networkable Hospital Management Information System (HMIS)™ for a South Western state in Nigeria.
The thinking advocated in this piece, can be successfully applied in a wide variety of situations. If you need help adapting them to suit your peculiar needs, get in touch with me using this form.
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Tayo K. Solagbade* Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist *Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist & Founder of the MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club and Competition Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to Farm Businesses and others. Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners). Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm Manager™ software. He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods and others. In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly traveling across the West African region. His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details). In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager. In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting. Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’ competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc). When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS newsletter. You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook. Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your personal and work related productivity. ====
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[This article was sent to members of my Excel-VB Club earlier today, and published here without password protection so interested others can benefit]
In introducing you to Excel-VB Programming, over the past weeks, I’ve demonstrated (using screenshot images and video tutorials) the important steps regarding How-To “Enable Macro” code in a workbook to run in your copy of MS Excel.
You will have noticed warning prompts thrown up by Excel anytime you try to open workbooks containing VBA code. This happens based on the default security setting in your copy of Excel.
There is an option provided to enable macros automatically, by default – but unless you’re sure no danger of unsafe workbooks being brought in, standard recommendation is that users always leave a layer of protection by requiring macros to be enabled.
This is especially if you’re not sure of the nature of code in workbooks you open e.g if they are from 3rd party sources you are NOT familiar with.
I still recall switching to Excel-VB from Lotus 1-2-3 Macro programming, and reading lots of material about potential dangers associated with downloading/opening Macro enabled workbooks from untrusted sources.
Back then there were tales of people having their PC files erased/damaged. Others have had banking and other sensitive data stolen.
Since those early days however, macro viruses have dropped off the radar in terms of occurrence.
They have maintained the security restrictions and warnings in place right into the latest versions of the application.
That has proven to be a wise strategy, because, as the article featured below reports, macro viruses have recently begun staging a comeback.
Click below to read the full piece:
