Category Archives: My DN Travel News
Protected: Use This VBA Code Snippet to Make MS Excel Remind You to Save Your Work at Regular Intervals, to Avoid Data Loss!
[Recommended Article/Website] Librarians Love It, and Everybody (Including You!) Needs It: The Secret You Need to Know About Ebooks – and ONE website that spills it!
[I am constantly on the lookout for useful articles/websites I can recommend to my readers. This is one!]
Here are excerpts with the clickable link to learn more:
Earlier this year, the price on the blockbuster book, The Girl on the Train, was slashed from $11.99 to $1.99 for one day only.
Previously, Gone Girl was discounted from $9.99 to $2.99, and The Da Vinci Code was given away for free for one week. In all three cases, the discounts were only available for the ebook version.
Most people were completely unaware of these huge deals.A select group of readers, however, had the inside scoop on all these deals and more. They were using BookBub, a daily email that alerts readers to free and deeply discounted ebooks that are available for a limited time.
Over 5 million people have signed up for BookBub’s free service. Readers sign up with just an email address, and then select their favorite genres. Each day, BookBub sends an email with free and discounted bestselling ebooks in the selected genres.
Just click, download, and read on any device: Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone, Droid,
Create Solutions You Can Deliver From ANY Location and Experience True Freedom
Below: Text of email message I sent to a Farm CEO client in Nigeria this p.m regarding modifications he requested in the app to suit his reporting needs.
I used the French version of MS Excel to make the needed changes and return to him after verifying that the output was OK(see screenshots below).
Hi Jide, Find attached. 1. I used French version of Excel. That should not cause any problems since I made no major changes. Let me know if you notice any strange output or results. 2. Compress your expense heads under generic titles. Space provided on the report is the upper limit for number of expense heads. Stops at office cleaning. Will talk more later. Tayo
It is quite exciting to be able to deliver such a unique solution to clients/users from anywhere I am. Nothing defines freedom better!
I urge you to explore ways to develop and implement original solutions of your own to meet the unique needs of a target group or niche market you identify.
2 articles you may find useful reading:
- A Tried & Tested Strategy For Achieving Financial Freedom (Hint: Get My Audio DVD Information Product titled “Proven Ways to Generate Useful Passive Income”)
- The Best Way to Make Money
Learn more about my Excel-VB software development service here
Below: Screenshot of the page for user guide videos created for users of the app shown above – the Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager
How to Show True Patriotism That Can Make Nigeria Achieve Her True Potential
I fly the Nigerian flag high everywhere I travel by constantly striving to be an epitome of good ethical conduct and excellent performance at
You cannot show true patriotism with the words you utter alone. You need to act it out – with confidence, and conviction too. In other words you must walk your talk.
Too often we have people who say good things about Nigeria and profess undying love for, yet they readily engage in unbecoming conduct that gives Nigeria a bad name.
How to Show True Patriotism That Can Make Nigeria Achieve Her True Potential
Nigeria does not need adverts or jingles to tell people, especially foreigners, how great she is.
What she needs is simply for as many Nigerians as possible to form the habit of speaking/acting continually in a manner that gets Nigeria, and Nigerians talked (and thought) about in the best possible terms by as many people, especially foreigners, as possible.
If I can confidently buy clothes and shoes at pocket friendly prices in Nigeria’s Lagos for instance, where my family still lives, without being scared of getting cheated, I would have no need to wait till I return to Cotonou to buy those items(which is what I’ve been doing).
Unfortunately from my experiences over the past 3 years since I began shuttling between Lagos and Cotonoiu, I’ve found people I buy from in Benin to be more trustworthy and sincere.
They tell you the truth and give you what you pay for. In contrast many sellers in Nigeria do the opposite, often fleecing their customers for extra gain.
Late last year (2016) I had to return to Nigeria thrice in one week to replace laptop chargers sold to me by a vendor in Lagos’ Ikeja Computer Village.
The first time I came back to complain, the wonderful guy actually tried to make me pay for the replacement.
In Benin most sellers would gladly take back the problematic item and replace/fix it as may be necessary!
Why I say all this: My patriotism never makes me unwilling to point out and demand correction of any shortcomings I observe regarding my country or its people, whenever they occurs.
To accurately claim ownership of authentc leadership status, one must be willing to subject one’s self to the most ecxacting standards possible and meet/exceed them consistently.
You don’t verbally lay claim to leadership:
You must first of all demonstrate incontrovertible competence and proficiency. Doing so will help you command the recogintion of those matter (rhought leaders).
In the case of Nigeria as a nation, we must make the aforementioned happen before we can realistically expect her to be seen to be great.
To make Nigeria become the true Giant she has the (much hackneyed) potential to become, Nigerians must begin to act and speak in the ways prescribed above
PII 010: PC & Internet Technology Has Changed the Rules About Schooling and Money Making Or Income Earning [Hint: Those Who Resist The Change Risk Extinction]
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – Alan Toffer
Look around you. Regarding what is required to earn a decent living as an adult in society, the world has changed completely from what it was when your parents (and grandparents!) were young.
Back then, all you needed to do was “go to school, and get good grades” – and you were almost sure to get picked up to start a high paying job by a top company right from the grounds of your university!
That stopped being the case a long time ago.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
Tayo Solagbade’s
Performance Improvement IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter
NB: This PI Squared newsletter will be published weekly, on Mondays, in place of the Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, starting from today – 15th February 2016. I’m reinventing my Monday newsletter content and theme, to accommodate my vision of serving the growing audience of serious minded individuals and organizations reaching out to me, with information, education. news and research findings designed to help them do what they do better.
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PII 010: PC & Internet Technology Has Changed the Rules About Schooling and Money Making Or Income Earning [Hint: Those Who Resist The Change Risk Extinction]
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – Alan Toffer
Look around you. Regarding what is required to earn a decent living as an adult in society, the world has changed completely from what it was when your parents (and grandparents!) were young.
Back then, all you needed to do was “go to school, and get good grades” – and you were almost sure to get picked up to start a high paying job by a top company right from the grounds of your university!
That stopped being the case a long time ago.
Today, PC and Internet technology has changed (and continues to change) all the rules about schooling, money making/income earning etc.
The new reality is that only those who avoid making the mistake of resisting the changes…who instead “adapt” what they learn and do (and how they learn and do it), to today’s constantly and rapidly changing world, will be assured of sustainable authentic successes.
What is most noteworthy is that most of what needs to be learned, for one to succeed in this new dispensation is still NOT being taught in our conventional schools.
The onus is therefore on YOU to go out of your way to learn as much of it as you will need out in the real world.
Take it from me:
All you need to get started on your way to success in life today is the ability to read and write competently.
With that skill, you can learn virtually anything you want, to earn a decent living – without necessarily going into paid employment. Or if you take up a job, what you learn will equip you to profitably engage in income generating activities in your spare time, to complement your salary.
PC and Internet technology has made (and continues to make) it so easy and convenient to get the multidimensional kind of real world relevant education needed to excel today. in virtually any area of endeavour you apply dedicated effort to.
The days when you could only get ahead by presenting “degree certificates” to get jobs/earn income are long gone – never to return.
You need to wake up to this reality and arm yourself to deal with its potential implications for your income earning prospects.
You need to do this, not just for yourself, but also for your loved ones – especially your kids.
Many of my Best Practice Parenting articles on this blog feature true stories, photos and videos showing how I’ve been doing just that for my kids through the Personal Achievement Coaching for Kids (PACK) program I developed.
As a result they are acquiring real world relevant knowledge, attitudes and skills designed to enable them emerge as competent, independent minded income earning adults in society, who can hold their own wherever they go!
So how exactly do you go about doing this I.e arming yourself to deal with its potential implications for your income earning prospects?
It’s simple.
Start paying more attention to learning and developing practial/tried and tested techniques and strategies to take what you learn(ed) in your formal schooling, combined with what you learn elsewhere, to solve real life problems you’ve established that others will gladly pay for.
If you’re honest with yourself, you will acknowledge that many people who lack formal education already profit daily from doing the above all around you.
The formal schooling you have may give you an advantage over such persons, but that is only if you make the effort to apply it to your purposes in a manner that works.
If you succeed in evolving into the above described mode of life, you will leave the leagues of those to be called “illiterates” in this 21st century – and beyond!
NB: Do you need help going forward in making use of the ideas and insights I’ve shared above? If YES click here to send me a message.
New posts from last week*
Monday:
[Tuesday]:
[Wednesday]:
[Thursday]:
[Friday]:
What If You Never Had to Leave Home or Drive Around Anymore to Make ALL the Money You Need (?)
[Saturday]:
Giving Bribes Can Make You Money, But Ultimately Sorry
[Sunday]:
[Special Feature] Website Introduction to the World Famous Songhai Integrated Farming Centre
Protected: THE FARM CEO (Issue 43): Agribusiness Data Survey in Benin (Rabbits, Grasscutters, Snail etc; buying Maize, Soyabeans in tonnes, buying a tractor), Snail Farming Online Learning Resources List/Links, Do Not Use Book Values of Ingredient Nutrient Composition for YOUR Livestock Feed Formulation
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Tayo K. Solagbade* Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist *Creator of the Mastering Adversity for Perpetual Success Achievement Coaching Program 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 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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Protected: THE FARM CEO (Issue 43): Agribusiness Data Survey in Benin (Rabbits, Grasscutters, Snail etc; buying Maize, Soyabeans in tonnes, buying a tractor), Snail Farming Online Learning Resources List/Links, Do Not Use Book Values of Ingredient Nutrient Composition for YOUR Livestock Feed Formulation
[Special Feature] Website Introduction to the World Famous Songhai Integrated Farming Centre
I write this at 1.55a.m Sunday 17th April 2016, from Porto-Novo in Benin Republic.
I’m here to gather information about various agribusiness issues based on plans I have, as well as requests I’ve received from several Farm CEO clients back in Nigeria.
One popular landmark here is the headquarters of the world famous Songhai Integrated Farming Centre.
Songhai Integrated Farming Centre
Below are excerpts from home page previews of what they do, with links to learn more:
At its core, Songhai is a development process that is in continuing Evolution, it is a laboratory for Africa and the world, a prime mover for the creation of a better tomorrow.
1. BIO-PRODUCTION
Songhai’s farming methods emphasize protecting the natural resources and the environment.
To do this, we integrate producing agricultural crops, raising livestock and fish, and producing energy. This demonstrates our commitment to helping human beings eat healthier foods and live better lives.
2. BIO-ENERGY
Combining plant and animal by-products to create mulch takes advantage of and enhances the rich environmental capital of Africa. It also can be used to produce an additional desirable by-product: Bio-Energy.
3. BIO-PROCESSING
Healthy people are a valuable resource for Africa. Songhai’s food products have added value because they are made from local organically-grown products and are locally processed using the highest standards in our Songhai facilities.
4. SONGHAÏ LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
The Academy is built on a framework for training future leaders who are equipped to lead the Songhai movement and support the development of Songhai centers throughout the world.
5. BIO-CONSUMPTION
At Songhai, we promote African development by providing a one-stop market and by offering communication, restaurant, and hotel services. This reduces the flight of capital out of Africa, (capital being exported from Africa hinders development).
6. LIBRARY
Songhai’s multimedia library contains materials that describe what we have SEEN and HEARD and LEARNED on our journey of discovery. Read beyond words and believe it for yourself.
Giving Bribes Can Make You Money, But Ultimately Sorry
Do you give bribes – or are you considering giving to some persons(s) who asked?
If yes, I urge you to STOP right now and read this piece to understand why you’re better off NOT getting involved in doing it!
No one can make me give him/her a bribe to get ANYTHING I want – no matter how badly I need whatever that thing may be.
This has been my mental attitude and disposition all my adult life, from paid employment till date.
And it will NEVER change. Ever.
Even if you appeared to me with angelic-wings floating and glowing with a halo above your head, and assured me “God” would approve, I would still not be moved – because I have profited and progressed all my life by adhering with unflinching devotion to the universally applicable non-religious rules set by the Creator.
<H3>Giving bribes is one guaranteed way to run foul of those universal laws set by the creator, and it could lock you into a series of unpleasant consequences, which often – ironically – do not occur immediately.</H3>
I know that nothing good ever comes of breaking those rules.
Indeed, as I’ve hinted above, my experiences and achievements in life prove that the path I’ve chosen (not to ever give bribes) leads to multiple rewards.
Which is why I’m recommending it here.
Among other negatives, giving bribes, especially when it becomes a habit, destroys one’s sense of right and wrong.
It kills the conscience and makes one lose respect for law and order as well as the rights of others.
Simply put, you begin to feel, think and believe you can do – and get away with virtually anything by “buying your way through”.
You become a “monster” of sorts:
Yep.
It takes being a monster to feel, think and act that way.
You do NOT need to look like one: that’s why we have some outwardly good looking people with terrible character.
<H3>The worst part is what giving bribes does to your self-confidence: </H3>
You lose the moral courage to speak with confidence in public to correct bad behaviour by others.
You live in fear that your indiscretions will be exposed.
In essence you lose your voice, and become a prisoner of your “secrets”.
You become prone to blackmail by those who know what you know about yourself.
What a terribly unfulfilling way to live!
That’s why I know I will never stoop so low as to give or accept a bribe of any amount to or from anybody!
Avoid Shortchanging Your Business In Web Marketing (Ideas to Attract High Quality Sales Leads)
What follows below are excerpts from a promised follow-up email I sent to a columnist with a national newspaper in Lagos-Nigeria (after speaking with her on phone) regarding a piece she did on “Email Marketing”.
In it, I suggested possible perspectives she could adopt in informing and educating here readers to make more successful use of the web for their businesses.
==Starts=
Re: Our Phone Conversation About Your Email Marketing Column Piece in The (name removed) Newspaper…
Hi (name removed),
It was great speaking with you earlier today.
Like I told you when I called, I believe VERY MANY business owners in our part of the world are shortchanging themselves in the way they use their online presence.
By this I mean NOT just their websites, but the other web based resources they periodically make use of in a bid to promote the products and services they offer.
Your write-up in The (name removed), in which you shared tips for using an Email Signature told me you possessed insights that indicated you would appreciate the bigger picture of web marketing that I paint for clients I work with.
Before I go on, let me state CLEARLY here, that I am NOT trying to sell anything to you or your readers.
Instead, my purpose for reaching out to you (and others I’ve connected with in the past) is to point out other complementary tools, techniques and strategies that can be used in an integrated self-sustaining manner to generate a continuous stream of quality pre qualified prospects/leads, that one can convert to buyers/sales.
To address your request for details about me, I’ve included links below to some of the generic resources I use in my work…
1. Below is a link to an article on my blog that offers prospects insights into what I mean by a Web Marketing System (WMS):
http://tayosolagbade.com/
sdnuggets/what-you-need-to- achieve-web-marketing-success- 4-tips/ 2. Click the link below to view a 2 page PDF that uses a mind map to provide an overview of who I am, and what I do – with links to related resources including a resume that describes my background from a past life over a decade ago, in paid employment.
http://tayosolagbade.com/
uploads/WhoIsTKS.pdf 3. Here’s a link to a PDF speaker-one-sheet for a talk I’ve recently begun offering, following my observation that so many CEOs still do NOT get it:
http://tayosolagbade.com/
uploads/wms-talks-offer.pdf
The contents of the PDF highlight additional ways I advocate more business marketing decision makers THINK, and ACT if they want to reduce their Cost Of Sales/Cost of Customer Acquisition (COCA) – which is a useful way to BOOST PROFITS without needing to raise prices of one’s products/services.
As I noted when we spoke, I’m hoping you’ll find something useful in the materials relating to web marketing that I’ve referred you to, that may help you better articulate other ideas you decide to share with your column’s readers.
The results I get from using this approach, at zero cost, convince me many African business owners are denying themselves TOO MANY zero cost opportunities to make the most profitable use of the Internet access and websites they PAY good money for.
If you have any queries or need clarifications, let me know.
With kindest regards,
Tayo
PS:
a. By the way, I should add that I came up with most of my own ideas/concepts from YEARS of trial and error trying to apply what I learnt from studying some of the top web marketing minds in the world.
What I now call a Web Marketing System is the condensed version of what I found worked for me, as a business owner in Africa’s peculiar market, dealing with Africa’s peculiar buyers (whose web based buying behavour is VERY different from that of counterparts in developed markets/economies.)
To achieve the above, I had to become comfortable with BREAKING the rules and coming up with my own ways of getting the results I wanted. It is, for instance, why my signature is often VERY long (I have several signatures, for different target audiences).
I mention the above because of the tip you gave in your write-up, about the length of an email signature. The one I’ve used here is the generic version that goes out with ALL my website contact forms’ auto response messages.
b. Once again, I must emphasize that there are no strings attached to this offer of mine. I’m NOT trying to sell anything to you. You do NOT even need to mention me. My purpose for reaching out, is to influence MORE information and education being given out to readers from informed columns like yours, so that more African businesses can get better results using PC and Internet technology.
==Ends=
