Category Archives: My Ideas for Making Nigeria Better

It Takes Proven Know-How to Achieve Repeatable Web Marketing Success [True Story: How My 9 Year Old Domain Got Poached In May 2014, and I Used My Web Marketing System On a NEW Domain, to Build My Online Brand/Sales to a Higher Level Within 6 Months]

Two great quotes by a great man, who achieved great results in his chosen field of expertise:

It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am” – Muhammad Ali

It ain’t bragging if you can back it up” – Muhammad Ali

Quote - 'It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am' - Muhammad Ali : Click to download Wallpaper from source website

Image Source: http://orig06.deviantart.net

To paraphrase Ali with regard to BOTH quotes, on behalf of many competent experts, I’d say:

It’s hard to to be humble when you’re SURE you can deliver solutions that work!(That’s why experts who know their stuff rarely have difficulty CONFIDENTLY seeking out and telling potential clients what they can do for them).

Are you a cost-conscious and results focused business owner? This article explains why my ideas about Making Money Using Low to Zero Cost Web Marketing to Attract Profitable Buyers, should SERIOUSLY interest you.

For starters, the increasingly international recognition I enjoy (along with sales I make) today, as a trusted provider of multidisciplinary solutions, is based 100% on MY diligent use of the exact same strategies I advocate for adoption by others.

Not all of us can earn “super star celebrity” mentions that transform us into household names. In my opinion, NOT all of us need that kind of exposure to achieve our own definitions of success. But in the various niche markets we serve, we can achieve decent levels of “fame” that command reliable returns in form of new clients/buyers.

For instance, I am a practitioner, and advocate, of what I call “Silent Success”.

Briefly, by that phrase I mean achieving your set goals (financially and otherwise) without soliciting undue publicity. There are people wealthier than “celebrities” we see showing off riches on TV. They just don’t feel a need to tell the whole world, to prove it (Read “The Millionaire Next Door”).

That’s the philosophy I subscribe to – and it’s working for me.

My primary target audience preferentially get told what I’m doing and how it’s working well, for me, so I can interest them in getting similar results.

The result is that an increasing number of people in my growing network – especially on social media – are actual clients, or persons who discovered my work and chose to subscribe to my website newsletter. Most go further and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus, Youtube etc.

I am getting the notifications on an increasingly frequent basis. Every now and then there’s a new follower, new friend request, new like, multiple likes and page views etc.

It was NOT this good 3 to 5 years ago.

Just 3 years ago, most of the platforms I was on yielded little or no returns similar to the above. They were close to being dead. It was mainly my website and Youtube channels that delivered a decent stream of pre qualified prospects to me via search engine results.

Today, I can tell you that I continue to win more subscribers and clients who discover and reach out to me via Facebook, Twitter and Google plus. That is, in addition to the continued traffic of enquiries from my website and Youtube videos.

In other words, this is proof that I’m proficient at getting it right – and I continue to improve. My hard work of carefully studying and investigating and testing various experts’ ideas is paying off.

I must however add that it was NOT easy to get this far…and it’s NOT easy to keep it going either

Indeed, I would say I took a major leap forward as a direct result of a major crisis in my website ownership 2 years ago, that would ordinarily have killed my brand off completely.

Here’s what happened…..

In May 2014, my 9 year old website, which had garnered hundreds of quality back links (via my diligent article marketing syndication) and enjoyed quality traffic of pre qualified prospects was taken over by my former web hosts.

Suddenly, typing that URL led ALL the links to it (dating back 9 solid years) to a holding page. Next thing I knew, I was getting offers from the hosting company to buy my domain back at $75 USD!

What they did not count on was that I had been a diligent student of web marketing, checking what had been working for me, since 2005, and narrowing down to the truths about what was required for reproducible web marketing success.

By the time they pulled their stunt (read full story here), I had already come to the firm conviction that a domain name NO LONGER determined web marketing success – or failure.

So, I responded by laughing in the web host’s face, telling them to KEEP the domain, and announcing that TayoSolagbade.com, which I’d registered a year before, would be used to host all my website files.

Since I had over the years invested BLOOD tinged hours of sleepless nights learning web development, and using it to serve clients, for a fee, I naturally had the skills to carry out my threat and implement my plan.

Less than a month later, my website was back up – but on the new domain, and I proceeded to predict that it would turn out to be a reincarnated version of Spontaneousdevelopment.com on steroids. Within a period of 6 months, I’d recorded results proving that I was right.

Today, the massive visibility my web marketing system is giving me is apparent.

Indeed, it is likely that YOU, reading this, most likely found me via a search engine or other marketing platforms. Only few visitors to this website can claim to have been directly invited by me to visit.

Except those I go out of my way to offer what I consider potentially useful information or resources, I generally let my Web Marketing System do its work of attracting people who fit my target audience profile to contact me on their own.

For the uninitiated, a lot of the claims I’ve made here would probably sound like magic – or lies. Well, I’m sorry if you refuse to accept the reality of Web Marketing success that can be yours using proven strategies like mine.

However, I refuse to let your unbelief, or unwillingness to believe, keep me from letting others know they can dramatically boost the marketing reach and impact of their business promotion efforts, at a fraction of the conventional costs.

That is what the system I use, and which I recommend for adoption by others, does.

The best part is that there is NOTHING haphazard about my methods.

I know exactly what to do, and how to do it to get the same or better results. Even if I have to start all over again from scratch, it would only be a matter of time, before I begin getting the results all over again.

This is no exaggeration or attempt at bragging, but simply a statement of fact, based on my years of proven expertise.

There are certain things one can simply NOT afford to be shy about.

This is one of them.

People need my help, and it’s important that I make it available to as many as are willing to take it.

If that interests you, click here to contact me.

PS: In tomorrow’s article, I’ll explain why “You Cannot Sell Web Marketing as a Commodity!”…and how too many website owners – especially in Africa – are letting their web development service providers under-serve them by doing just that!

 

Temi & Oluoma’s No-Oven Charcoal Stove Cookies [Facebook page now LIVE!]

‘Temi (10) & Oluoma (7) are sisters who (with support from their family) use creative low cost recipes & a charcoal stove pot to bake cookies for sale.

This micro business venture began as a “skills acquisition project” Temi asked their Dad to let her do, after seeing videos of home made cookies baking.

Click here to continue reading…

Flyer - Temi & Oluoma's No-Oven Charcoal Stove Cookies

Is Olajumoke the Bread seller-Turned-Model Getting a Fair Deal?

I’ve wondered intermittently about this from the very beginning, but felt it was nothing to worry about given the high profile exposure that the entire development has so far enjoyed.

Even now, I’m not sure what to think…

However @HNNAfrica’s tweets asserting that Olajumoke the breadseller-turned-model is being exploited have now made me decide to wonder aloud

Click here to read the tweets

Note that I don’t care if s/he’s hating on the former breadseller or not, because some of her tweets raise very valid points!

And that’s why I intend to go further to find out what the truth is – about the following:

1. Does Olajumoke have an actual signed contract that she understands and which fully protects her interests plus earns her remuneration consistent with the roles she is being made to play?

2. If she is earning the great income her new found images suggests she is, why does the husband continue to dress like she is not?

I read their story. Their love kept them together during their years severe hardship. Is it possible she now HAS the cash to spend and has not thought it wise to give her hubby a wardrobe change?

If that is so, who are her advisers regarding her personal life and the need to maintain the home front – especially with 2 kids to consider in her marriage?

NB: I read that the hubby was dashed something for his sliding door installation business, but can’t remember if it was money, an office or who did the “dashing”.

But I wonder if the dashing actually happened, of if it was just a pledge yet to be redeemed. His contrasting appearance in photos, next to his famous wife certainly suggests it’s not rubbing off on him much!

3. Does she even have a bank account of her own now?

I could be wrong, but I doubt she had one before her breakthrough. And if she does, does the balance in it today, reflect the new status she is being projected under?

4. Does she have anyone doing futuristic contingency planning with her?

Like leveraging her celebrity status to actually startup her own hairdressing/styling business that she can hire competent others to run for her? Something to generate valuable extra income outside her modelling. Something to fall back on in the not-so-predictable future, when the “romance” could end?

5. Maybe I should just ask: Is this young woman getting a fair deal like she would have gotten if her talent had been discovered in a place like London, New York or Paris???

At the moment, based on what I’ve read so far, I am not sure what to believe, but something just does NOT feel right.

Way I see it, systems need to be put in place to protect the interests of people who find themselves in situations of this kind. Considering her limited schooling and lack of english speaking proficiency, I would say the absence of such “protection” makes Olajumoke ripe for exploitation

I currently have no information, however, to believe any such thing is happéning to her. But I feel compelled to voice these thoughts, and I also plan to find out as much as I can about what the reality is, on this matter.

My spirit will give me no rest if I don’t.

Finally just so we’re clear:

If I get conclusive evidence of any hanky panky, I WILL shout for all to hear/read via every channel possible. Period.

PII 002: Deliver Promised Quality Consistently, and Buyers Will Feel No Need to Look for Alternatives

This week’s issue was inspired by Pius Adesanmi’s 2006 article titled “Ibo Made” republished on Facebook on Feb. 20, 2016 (click).

It was very articulate, and loaded with solid points. Definitely a good read. However I refuse to let my patriotic zeal blind me to the root causes I’ve identified to contribute in no small way to the problem highlighted in Pius’ article.

Yes it’s true that many Nigerians tend to look down on “Ibo Made” products…AND it is indeed true that our markets are flooded with substandard products imported from China – stifling local production…BUT is it (NOT) also true that some of “us” go to China to demand that imitations of original products be made to lower quality specifications for sale in Nigeria(?)

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE

Tayo Solagbade's Performance Improvement IDEAS(PI Squared) Newsletter

TayoSolagbade’s
Performance Improvement
IDEAS
(PI Squared) Newsletter

Logo - Tayo Solagbade's Self-Development Academy


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.

**********

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google PlusConnect with Tayo on LinkedIn.com

PII 002: Deliver Promised Quality Consistently, and Buyers Will Feel No Need to Look for Alternatives

This week’s issue was inspired by Pius Adesanmi’s 2006 article titled “Ibo Made” republished on Facebook on Feb. 20, 2016 (click).

It was very articulate, and loaded with solid points. Definitely a good read.

However I refuse to let my patriotic zeal blind me to the root causes I’ve identified to contribute in no small way to the problem highlighted in Pius’ article:

Yes it’s true that many Nigerians tend to look down on “Ibo Made” products AND it is indeed true that our markets are flooded with substandard products imported from China – stifling local production…BUT is it (NOT) also true that some of “us” go to China to demand that imitations of original products be made to lower quality specifications for sale in Nigeria(?)

We’re not kids here!

The Chinese export worldwide.

We all know the high standards they have to meet for their products to get accepted for sale in markets like the USA and other developed societies. Let’s not delude ourselves.

Nigeria is NOT the only export destination Chinese manufacturers have.

So, if they’re sending substandard products to Nigeria, we have to ask ourselves why they are not able to do the same thing elsewhere.

FACT: They are not exporting similar quality to the USA!

I use America as a reference point for other developed countries, who have an established quality control system designed to protect their consumer population.

In the USA, any product that fails to meet the minimum specifications gets locked out. No amount of begging, lobbying or offers of settlement, will help.

Ask Nigerians who got products rejected for failing to meet the specs specified under the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) program, and they will tell you.

No matter how badly, the USA wants to help other nations via trading, they will NOT lower their quality standards, endangering their consumers, to do so!

In Nigeria, even drugs used for medical purposes are sometimes imported without the proper checks, causing substandard versions or outright imitations to get in!

How is that even possible???

Considering the fact that majority of the importers of these items watered down Chinese made items are mostly our very own brethren, does that not amount to our shooting ourselves in the foot???

Word actually has it that many of our own people, involved in large scale imports, go abroad and instruct their suppliers to make substandard versions to lower costs, so they can reap higher margins when they sell them locally at normal prices!

Don’t ask me how they get through the country’s ports without this being discovered by the regulatory bodies that conduct required checks. Or maybe it’s discovered and they “settle” it among themselves.

What matters is that they Do get into the Nigerian markets regularly!

Another perspective: Among producers of made in Nigeria items, I see the absence of a DRIVE to deliver promised VALUE in a way that will make Nigerian buyers feel no need to look for “imported” alternatives

It’s a problem of the wrong mental attitude.

Now, in discussing this issue of the mental attitude of the Nigerian maker of products at any level, I refuse to focus on people in section or geographical region of Nigeria.

Like I’ve said in a previous post (click here to view) Nigeria can and should promote products creation from micro to SME and higher levels across the entire nation if s/he wants to see progress.

It makes no sense to create the impression that people from a certain region of the country are to engage in certain vocations to the exclusion of others.

We also need to provide technical/best practice education to those who choose to go this route so they appreciate the importance of producing to meet internationally accepted standards as a minimum requirement!

The truth is that right now, buying many made in Nigeria items (especially those with imported alternatives) can be like gambling with money.

Today it may end well for you, but some other day you end up feeling like you’ve been ripped off (I’m just being conservative here…it’s often not just a “feeling”).

It’s so hard to trust and believe in made in Nigeria products, when the makers themselves do no invest emotionally in their brands!

For instance, what happens when you take a bad product back to the maker or seller in Nigeria?

Quite often they refuse to replace or fix it, and will rarely offer a refund. The best you’re likely to get is an invitation to “add a little money” so they can sell you another one.

I was born and raised in Nigeria and have experienced/observed this with providers of products and services – both schooled and unschooled. People do business with a win-lose mentality most times.

If they can get money off you without giving you any product they’ll take the chance: And once your money ends up in their hands, getting them to pay you any more attention can prove quite difficult. Except you come to make an additional purchase, their after sales behavior can make you feel like you’re being a nuisance e.g. when you complain about faulty or bad product etc.

It’s hardly any different on the service provision front…

For instance, try getting your money paid for 1 year’s rent refunded by an estate agency in Nigeria after you discovered unacceptable defects contrary to what you were promised, and it will often take a serious tug of war!

Yet in Cotonou, just like my Beninese friends had always assured me was standard practice, last year, I got my money for an apartment I quit, handed back in full (less agreed expenses) within days in an amicable setting with the agent.

Same applies to buying products from markets in Benin Republic: The locals openly brag about the fact that they will never cheat their buyers.

Not once have I experienced the opposite.

[Don’t get me wrong. Issues do arise sometimes, but they are the exception NOT the norm!]

On one occasion a trader agreed to meet with me on Sunday, even though shops never open on that day, when I phoned to say the pair of Jeans he’d sold me on Saturday evening as they rushed to close shop, turned out to be too small.

That kind of mental attitude and behavior in response to an after sales request , inspires trust and confidence in the buyer’s mind. Little wonder that I’ve continued buying from that same trader since 2013!

People want to know they will get value for the money they pay you!

In many cases, many sellers in the Nigerian space are unable (unwilling) to invest the time and effort needed to inspire the trust and confidence needed to attract and retain buyers.

Most who behave in this manner make the excuse that they face too many challenges, do not have time, and/or are worried about clients/buyers exploiting them.

Much as I agree that some of those fears may be valid, the truth remains that they stand to benefit a whole lot if they changed their mental attitudes.

Once majority of Nigerian producers across all levels, begin to provide solutions that local buyers verify to deliver value for money, such buyers will ignore imported alternatives

This idea is not far fetched.

Think about our music industry, and how it was 2 to 3 decades ago.

The quality of musical works produced by most of our musicians at the time (exceptions being artists like Fela) did not match what came in from the foreign music scene. As a result, our corporate organizations kept importing foreign acts for shows while local ones saw little or nothing of the big money.

Today, our musicians have proven they can make music matching that from other climes – and now Nigerians are putting their monies into the pockets of local artistes at a dizzying rate without needing to be asked.

Visit any Nigerian party – locally or abroad – and you’ll have a hard time hearing a foreign artiste’s song enjoying major playing time – if it gets played at all!

Reason: The music this new generation of artistes makes gives good value for money!

The same thing needs to happen with our made in Nigeria products and services, otherwise we will continue to complain like we’re currently doing!!!

In case you wonder, I practice what I preach …I deliver promised quality and value to ALL who pay me!

I have done so through most of my adult life – starting when I was in paid employment in Guinness Nigeria. There I excelled by doing a whole lot more than I was paid for, leading to rapid career advancement to Senior Management positions, ahead of my peers in less than 6 years of joining Guinness Nigeria).

Since quitting to pursue my dream of being self employed from 2002, I’ve diligently defied failure and adversity at various points over the past decade, to establish myself as a trustworthy international provider of a unique range of customizable solutions.

Example: Yesterday afternoon, I made my kids sit in (as part of their Personal Achievement Coaching session) on the second day of a Skype phone call support session I had with a Farm CEO based in East Africa’s Tanzania country, who had purchased my Excel VB Ration Formulator software by paying via Western Union last month (January 2016).

By the time he’d told me what other issues he was having, I deduced that he needed to watch the 4 part step-by-step video tutorial I’d created 2 years ago, for an Algerian PhD student who’d reached out to me.

I knew the in depth explanations I provided in that video series were likely to address most – if not all of – those remaining issues he was having.

So, after the call ended, my kids watched me put together an email containing instructions for downloading my 4 part tutorial, which I then sent to the Farm CEO.

This evening, I was typing this message, I got the email shown in the screen shot below from him:

Tayo Solagbade's Performance Improvement IDEAS(PI Squared) Newsletter PII 002: Email screenshot - This evening, I was typing this message, I got the email shown in the screen shot below from my Farm CEO client based in Tanzania

You will agree with me, that the message in that email -as well as its tone – is indicative of a person who is happy with the results he has since.

As the above story illustrated, not only do I work hard to ensure my products perform as promised, I also work hard to support ALL buyers to make the most productive use of them – thus giving those who buy from me value for money they pay me.

My mental attitude makes me persistently seek to give more than I get from others. It makes me constantly go the extra mile to be a source of increase and improvement in the lives of others.

With the exception of a few insincere ones – those I connect with often acknowledge and appreciate me so much that we become friend and they tell others about me!

It goes without saying that doing the above can be VERY hard work, but that’s why we’re told it’s best to choose a vocation that you have a passion for.

That way, even when things get hard, you will NOT feel it’s more than you can take.

This is the habit that Nigerians who want to succeed using the philosophy I advocate in this article, need to adopt.

Without it, we are VERY unlikely to make tangible progress as a nation.

PS: Regarding the valid point made by Pius that the “Ibo Man”‘s buyers often expected him to have 2 versions of what he sold i.e. original and the fake (where original was considered the one imported from abroad and fake, the one made by “Ibo Man”)

I argue that YOU alone can determine how your buyers treat you.

If they want to call you a name you’re not, RESIST it, and confidently let them know how you prefer to be addressed and/or treated.

In doing my business both on and off the web, I have never been afraid to apply this principle, and anytime a client or buyer has been unwilling to deal with me on my stated terms, I’ve ALWAYS taken it as a good sign that s/he was NOT a good fit for me.

Over time, I’ve attracted to myself people fitting my definition of ideal clients/customers, with whom I ENJOY relationships of mutual respect and consideration today.

My advice to Pius’ “Ibo Man” and others who aspire to success in dealing with buyers, to adopt a similar assertive disposition, if they want to achieve sustainable long term success at what they do. Period.

SDN Blog

New posts from last week*
Monday:

PII 001: The Secret to Succeeding by Creating Your Own Luck [FREE Podcast]

When I quit Guinness to pursue a longstanding dream of being self-employed, Andy R. Jones, then Benin Brewery Operations Manager, apart from uttering phrases like “Tayo simply refuses to Fail” while speaking at my send forth party, went further to send me the following super handwritten note in a Christmas card, days before I left: […]

[Tuesday]:

Succeeding Through Hard Work, Determination and Persistence: 3 Lessons from Nigeria’s Igbo Traders

If you think the title of this article is an attempt by a Yoruba man, to suck up to Igbos (who happen to be my in-laws), I’m sorry to disappoint you. It is NOT. What I share here are insights based on objective study and evaluation of the trade and commerce (and sometimes manufacturing/creative) activities […]

 

[Wednesday]:

Verbatim Text Transcript of Welcome Video message for Tayo Solagbade’s Home Study MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Programming Video Series on DVD

Hi. My name is Tayo Solagbade. This is the introduction to the Home Study Video version of my Microsoft Excel Heaven Visual Basic Programming Coaching. Now, typically in order for you to get access to this series of videos, you would actually have become a member of my Excel Heaven Visual Basic Club – which […]

 

[Thursday]:

As Conventional Income Generation Models Grow Obsolete, We Need to Embrace Smarter PC and Internet Technology Driven Alternatives!

This article is based on excerpts from another in my Performance Improvement pod cast series which covers a variety of subjects I have a business interest in. Examples include my farm business software, built using custom Excel VB, and my other customizable software used by clients in other industries. Not only do I build and […]

 

[Friday]:

A Smarter and Cheaper Strategy for Earning Foreign Exchange [Hint: It’s NOT Related to Crude Oil or Agricultural Exports…But It’s Cheaper And More Sustainable]

It’s become more apparent that we as a people in Nigeria still refuse to GET IT, when it comes to identify SMARTER strategies for earning TANGIBLE foreign exchange on a sustainable basis to boost our economy. Since I was a child capable of intelligent thought, growing up in Nigeria, most times the subject of foreign […]

 

[Saturday]:
N/A
[Sunday]:

THE FARM CEO (Issue 37): The Farm CEO™ Members-Only Website at www.thefarmceo.net: Password Protected Access for Subscribers & Clients, Is Bank Of Agriculture Giving Loans To Farmers? – Agriculture – Nigeria, How To Get Agric Loan in Nigeria: Ways Farmers Access Agricultural Loans – Practical Business Ideas – Best Small Scale Business Opportunities And Investment For 2016

If all goes according to plan, this 37th PDF issue of The Farm CEO will be the last of the weekly version. Like I mentioned in the last week’s issue, I’ve been re-thinking the content strategy for this publication to enable me deliver useful information to paid subscribers and clients in a manner that makes […]

 

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

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

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement

Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to

Farm Businesses and others.

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.

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

On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.

Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.

But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts

he’s published.

If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.

Click “Tayo, What Happened to

SpontaneousDevelopmentDotCom ?” to read a detailed narrative about how the above event occurred :-))

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

Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix

(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)

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

A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
==================

View Tayo Solagbade's video tutorials and demonstrations on Facebook Productivity Tips, Web Marketing, and for his Custom MS Excel-VB driven software applicationsJoin the SD Nuggets community on Facebook.comConnect with Tayo on Twitter.comConnect with Tayo on Google PlusConnect with Tayo on LinkedIn.com

Home |About | Contact | SD Nuggets™ | Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS | Web Marketing Systems | Freelance Writing | MS Excel® Heaven™ | Cost-Saving Farm Biz Ideas

 

A Smarter and Cheaper Strategy for Earning Foreign Exchange [Hint: It’s NOT Related to Crude Oil or Agricultural Exports…But It’s Cheaper And More Sustainable]

It’s become more apparent that we as a people in Nigeria still refuse to GET IT, when it comes to identify SMARTER strategies for earning TANGIBLE foreign exchange on a sustainable basis to boost our economy.

Since I became a child capable of intelligent thought, growing up in Nigeria, most times the subject of foreign exchange earnings has been discussed, it has always been MAINLY regard to sales of Crude Oil, and Agricultural Exports.

Fast forward many decades later, and I’m approaching my 46th birthday, yet nothing has changed.

Both the leadership and followers in Nigeria still cannot see that there are MANY more reliable alternative ways today, to earn substantial amounts of foreign exchange, on a long term sustainable basis, at much less cost, using much fewer resources, and in much less time!

This is the Information Age we’re in for heaven’s sake. A time in which PC and Internet technology drives virtually every area of our lives – even including the exploration of our crude oil (which now commands pitiful selling prices in the market) as well as our agribusiness endeavors.

I recently got a browser error message displayed in my attempt to make online renewal payment for a client’s website hosting using my Debit card, linked to my Paypal account.

The message shown advised that my card been “denied by the card issuer”: I had no clue what that meant.

By the time I called the bank’s support arm, they checked and announced that the funds paid in by my client were insufficient. In reality however my hosting provider platform was working with Nigeria’s N200 to $ 1 USD official exchange rate showing that I have well over the required amount.

Long story short, by the time I voiced the above fact, the bank customer service operator told me that N300 to $ 1 USD rate was set for online card transactions, due to the continued fall of the Nigerian Naira, was responsible!

Yet, NO notification was sent out to card users to that effect.

So users discovered that fact only at the point of payment! By implication of the above, my client, who’d I only recently hit with a price increase, to adjust for an earlier value drop, now has to absorb yet another hike to make the payment possible.

My point however is that this is all happening because Nigeria’s major means of earning sustainable amounts of foreign exchange is via crude oil and agricultural sales, for the most part. With the former providing the bulk of the earnings, effectively making us a mono-economy for decades, we were NOT ready for the drastic change in fortunes when it happened.

Now that the oil market is no longer so lucrative, our leaders and people are turning to Agriculture – which is not bad. However, in doing so they are adopting the same mental attitude employed in handling our generation of Forex earnings from crude oil sales.

By this I mean, for instance, that they are working to setup large plantations, agricultural estates, farm settlements and the like.

To be fair to them, such models are proven to be viable and in some areas are already working. The problem I see, which many of those involved seem not to, however, is the fact that this adopted approach takes A LOT of time, money, effort and resources.

This is why despite the lucrative prospects of venturing into agribusiness, so many who want to, have not been able to. And since government itself is no longer exactly swimming in a pool of free-to-spend cash, they are unable to give out as much financial assistance as they would like to.

Add to that the massive hole smashed into Nigeria’s coffers, by the political looters, most still being chased for possible recovery, and it becomes obvious that this capital and resource intensive strategy used for so long is simply not worth making our main focus.

We need to put in place something that can work faster, with much less (if possible zero cost) requirements, while at the same time impacting a larger number of our people.

Such a solution exists and has been in existence for decades.

But it is ALIEN to our society, for the most part. We are simply not used to functioning in such dimensions.

That is why it is understandable that up till this moment, despite ALL the pain, suffering, and lack visited on majority of us, we and our leaders still choose to ignore it or pretend it’s not there.

Yet if we were to adopt it, massive benefits can accrue to us a nation, within a much shorter period, and on a much more sustainable basis compared to what we currently have in place!

This solution requires deliberate use of the Creative Mind, the brain, the thinking faculties – in as many varied ways as possible, to earn income.

To some extent one could argue that we have elements of that happening already in Nigeria. That would be with regard to our entertainment industry. I won’t waste time explaining much.

One example should suffice.

What do David O, Tuface, Olamide, Sunny Ade, Wiz Kid, Seun and Femi Kuti, Lagbaja and so many other musicians getting international recognition do to make money?

Simple. They think up songs and strategies to deliver those songs to their target markets in a way that gets them invited to perform, and also earns them royalties from records sales.

But let’s get real here. Most Nigerian artistes don’t really know what it feels like to live on royalty earnings. The system we have here simply does not protect their interests that well in the respect.

As a result, they depend heavily on LIVE shows for their living. However Lagbaja, the Anikulapo-Kuti Brothers, Asha and other Nigerian acts who have established themselves by traveling and recording internationally, can boast of such royalty benefits being significant. Fela Anikulapo Kuti did that so well, that his albums continue to generate earnings for his offspring toda, MANY years after he’s passed on.

Most people in Nigeria don’t get it but THAT is another way foreign exchange earnings enter Nigeria.

Having said that however, even the music or entertainment creation model does not offer as much rewards to a large population like ours, compared to the solution I have in mind.

Among other things, getting started in music can often require having access to scarce funds. And this has caused some great talents to NOT take off in that industry.

The solution I advocate for adoption has much fewer barriers to adoption – even age is almost no limitation!

The fact that Nigerians in general have not adopted this solution I have in mind, does not imply we are dumb, blind or stupid.

No. It’s more of a problem of one-sided thinking caused by years of exposure to an environment in which VERY little critical thinking is done.

That is why we all think the same way about subject like these. We keep saying oil prices affect our dollar earnings. We forget some countries don’t even have Crude Oil to sell, yet they earn BILLIONS in US dollars annually!

A good example is India.

The Indians are leaders worldwide in software development and sales, and it earns them huge volumes of foreign exchange annually.

Unlike us, they did not sit around waiting for oil wells to be dug and oil to be drilled from them for sale to other countries at the huge expense we all know it takes to do it.

Instead, several decades ago they invested quality time and money to bring in top programmers to teach coding to Indian youths from primary school level on a formal basis.

It was a deliberate strategy that they diligently pursued until they began to turn our armies of young programmers, with the marketing skills to take whatever solutions they created and use the web to reach their target buyers.

Today, we know that many organizations in Nigeria use Indian software, which they often purchase RENEWABLE user licenses for – at premium rates in US dollars, all of which goes right into the Indian economy.

Yet I know of no single digital solution conceived and developed by Nigerians in Nigeria, that is purchased for use by Indians in India – whether as individuals or organizations.

It is also instructive to note that this happens with comparatively less effort and money being expended by the Indians – when compared to the costs we incur to get our crude oil to buyers!

In other words, the Indians (and other nations like them) are making low to zero cost use of the creative intellect of their nationals, across various age groups, to create foreign exchange earning solutions needed on a regular basis by people across the world.

[Hint: Note that I say the above as one who has made sales of my customizable Excel-VB Ration Formulator software to buyers in places like Canada, Philippines, England, Tanzania, Uganda and other countries but NOT ONE sale to anyone – so far – in India. Yet, over 90% of the enquiries posted under one of the most viewed videos for this aforementioned app were made by Indians who repeatedly request in their posts that I send them the app FREE…for some strange reason!]

If we in Nigeria are really serious about getting ourselves out of the mess we are in, with regard to having adequate foreign exchange earnings, we WILL have to look beyond the traditional capital intensive methods we’ve gotten so used to.

We will have to do something similar to what the Indians, Americans and many other developed countries are doing.

We will have to invest MORE time in using the creative intellect of our people, which comes at low to zero cost, to create solutions we can sell to a potentially unlimited global paying audience of eager buyers, just like the Americans and Indians have been doing to us for years.

Once we begin doing that, our own army of creatives will generate solutions that will attract buyers from abroad to pay in foreign currency.

Over time, that will add up like it does for India, giving us enough reserves to NOT have our currency fall so badly in value that prohibitive exchange rates stifle our ability to make online payments for what we want.

Succeeding Through Hard Work, Determination and Persistence: 3 Lessons from Nigeria’s Igbo Traders

If you think the title of this article is an attempt by a Yoruba man, to suck up to Igbos (who happen to be my in-laws), I’m sorry to disappoint you. It is NOT.

What I share here are insights based on objective study and evaluation of the trade and commerce (and sometimes manufacturing/creative) activities of a majority of people belonging to this major ethnic group of Nigerians.

1. Take Responsibility for Your Future

These guys (and for those that are married – their spouses), have a penchant for NOT wanting to sit back and wait for manna to fall from heaven, into their laps.

Note that I refer here to the ones engaged in trade and commerce for a living. Even when they are soliciting assistance or support from others, their attitude is often one of readiness to take personal action to achieve the breakthrough they desire.

I’d seen hints of that in my contact with them as a student in the university, whenever I visited the Oshodi market. I was often struck by how the young but energetic ones among them, undergoing apprenticeship, eagerly went after customers and worked to win sales for their “masters”. Years later, they would gain :”freedom” and get support to open their own shops. Most times these guys have no problems paying their way – in kind – to achieve their goals.

In one of my several night trips between Lagos and Benin cities, while still working as a young shift brewer in Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, I recall having to board a luxurious bus coming from a major Eastern city (Onitsha or so) and headed for Lagos.

I joined them at close to 12 midnight after waiting several hours, following my arrival from Guinness’ Ikpoba Hill premises, where I’d completed my afternoon shift.

When the bus arrived Lagos in the early hours of the morning, and we began disembarking, I was to discover that most of my fellow travelers were able bodied young Igbo men with LOTS of well packed goods in the cargo underside of the bus. It took me several minutes to draw myself away from watching them as they moved their stuff on to the ground. 30 minutes later, they were done, and had arranged another vehicle to transport them to their market destinations.

I thought to myself: These guys don’t sit around waiting for anyone to open doors for them. They take action to make things happen for themselves, with the mental attitude that anything else that comes their way will be icing on the cake they’ve already baked.

Being of similar mental disposition myself, I drew inspiration from seeing others not even in my intellectual line of work acting in a manner I could relate to. And that further boosted my determination to remain that way.

2. Make Problem Solving a Way of Life

Have you ever met an Igbo trader (does not matter what s/he deals in!) who readily admitted he could NOT solve your problem as an intending buyer. If you’re a Nigerian, I believe you know what I’m getting at here.

Just go to any market where the Igbos operate and ask for the item you wish to buy. Unless it’s a device used for building space ships, the person you speak with is likely to either:

(a) invite you to come in and see if what s/he has is what you are looking for…or

(b) tell you to follow him/her to the “other shop”

Never mind the fact that THAT “other” shop may not be his/hers. What matters is that their attitude of wanting – even insisting – on helping you find what you want, often leads them to make sales that others not as persistent as they are readily lose.

I recall going around puzzled for about 2 days in 2015, after I rented a bigger apartment in an area of Cotonou called Aibatin, looking for a place to buy a set of plastic chairs and table. Everywhere I went, the indigenous shop owners told me they did not deal in products of that nature. And in most cases they simply advised me to go to the Igbos.

It took me a while to get it, but eventually one of them told me such items were often exclusively brought in by Igbo traders, as he arranged for a bike rider to take me to one. Less than one hour later, I’d purchased and returned home with the new items. It’s amazing how these guys identify a gaping hole in their target market and then fill it in a way that makes them nearly indispensable!

Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes they can take it too far, for instance by trying to convince you what you SEE them showing you, which you tell them you do NOT want, is what you actually NEED.

They have a habit of trying – sometimes – to sell ice to the proverbial Eskimo. However, my experiences in dealing with them indicate you need only let them know that you are NOT gullible, for them to drop that act!

Otherwise, this habit they have is one that I believe every person who wants to excel in life needs to adopt. If people know you to be someone who often has the answers or information they need, and/or who knows the solutions to problems they have, they will frequently seek you out, and refer you to others. By implication, you are likely you get talked about – positively – a lot. Be it in paid employment or business, such a reputation can dramatically boost your ability to succeed and excel!

3. Be Willing to Learn Anything New That Will Make You Better

And this is the one that makes me proud to be a Nigerian when I travel. Ever traveled across the borders of African countries? It’s true that we get bashed reputation-wise, due to bad deeds of some naughty or disorderly Nigerians.

However, I must say that everywhere I have gone I have seen consistent level of grudging respect accorded Nigerians in general due to what nationals of other African countries I’ve visited see some of our people achieve.

Please understand that I am aware that other Nigerians who are not engaged in trade and commerce are out there doing great things. However, I have to say that the numbers in which Igbos do their thing as far as trade and commerce goes is impressive – in fact intimidating.

In Cameroon’s Douala, I was frequently told – during my 3 week stay – about Igbo traders based in a place called Kanyi-Abasi (not sure about the spelling, so what I’ve used here is the closest I’m able to conceived from the pronunciation).

That place is known to be the centre for sales of all sorts of spare parts. People came from far and wide to buy from them. I also learned that as a result of their success, many of the Igbos sent their kids to the very best schools in that Francophone African country.

In Benin Republic’s Cotonou (which I made my base from 2013), there is a place called Missebou. A section of that market is occupied by Igbo traders engaged in selling mainly second hand shoes and clothing.

My 2005 two week visit to Ghana also revealed similar presence of Igbos as traders. We all know the trend continues right into the South of Africa. The Igbos are a relentless forced that cannot but be reckoned with in trade and commerce especially.

But you’re probably wondering: “So? That’s nothing new. Everybody knows that!”

And you would be right. Indeed we all know the Igbos to be ubiquitous.

But here’s what struck me:

Compared to ALL the other tribes and ethnic groups in Nigeria (including mine – the Yorubas), the Igbos are the ones who often do NOT recognize any limitations with regard to where they can establish themselves and flourish.

I say this with regard to the fact, for instance, that Nigeria is surrounded by mostly French speaking nations. My love for traveling both within and outside Nigeria by road (and once by sea) has brought me in contact with people from different tribes.

What I noticed consistently as I traveled was that compared to their Yoruba counterparts in particular (who were often fewer anyway) over 90% of the Igbos I met were not only self-employed but also fluent French speakers.

I should add here though that most picked up their French from the streets, but in truth they knew enough to hold their own in the purely French speaking socioeconomic environment.

To put this in perspective, you must remember that being in those countries, they often have to attend to non-english speaking customers. If you’ve ever tried to make conversation in a language you are not familiar with, you’ll likely know that finding the right word to express your intended meaning can be both difficult and frustrating.

Now, imagine trying to make a sale and being unable to communicate the benefits of your product…?

I mean benefits that make it superior to the one your non-english speaking prospective buyer is waving in your face. as his/her justification for wanting you to drop your price, and you will appreciate the challenge the Igbo trader in a non-english speaking society faces.

But guess what, I have had to buy stuff many times from Igbos who did not know I could speak English, talk less the fact that I was a fellow Nigerian – and often left with great respect in my heart for them.

Their resilience in learning what to say and how to say it, while in the middle of negotiations with a French-speaking customer told me volumes about the mental attitude that makes the average Igbo trader succeed against all odds.

Not only are they willing to learn a new language(s), they are also willing to learn new ways of doing things – including adapting to the cultures and practices of the societies in which they find themselves. Like I mentioned earlier, there will always be exceptions, and some of them do go about trying to break the rules in their host societies. But those who do that are fewer than those who don’t.

Final Words

I believe the above attributes, if encouraged in more Nigerians from an early age, regardless of whether they want to be in paid or self employment, will produce a nation of go-getters unafraid of working hard, to achieve their goals in life.

Right now, we have too many Nigerians young and old – not willing to do the work, but eager to get the pay!

 

Rabbit Farm Business Startup As Alternative to Traditional Livestock Businesses

In a 2013 farm business ideas article (click to read it here), I wrote an article in which I made the case for Rabbit farming as a viable low cost means to boost availability of high quality protein towards raising the appallingly low per capita protein consumption in Nigeria/Africa.

In my usual habit of walking my talk, I have since gone far in my efforts to get involved in starting my own rabbit farm business (as part of an integrated Farm Business Support Centre offering I’m working to launch in Benin Republic).

While a student in the University, I’d operated a micro rabbit farm business in the backyard of my parents’ Lagos-Gbagada home.

Back then, I would sell my slaughtered and roasted rabbits, wrapped in foil paper, to health conscious seniors like Mrs. Lois Omagbemi (mother-in-law to Mary Onyali, the former African sprints champion).

Today, I’m keen to get my farm CEO clients and those aspiring, to see Commercial Rabbit farm business as the worthwhile venture that it really is. A quick google search on the web will show that the awareness of this lucrative venture has grown a lot in Africa.

My earlier mentioned article (click here to read it) highlights key benefits accruable from engaging in rabbit farming, so I will not repeat them here.

Instead, this article is meant to share with you excerpts from an exchange I had with an aspiring farm CEO working a day job, who showed interest in venturing into commercial rabbit farming, after a paid consultation session.

The recommendations I make to aspiring farm business owner today are being more and more influenced by what I’ve seen happen to other farm CEOs I’ve served over the past few years.

Nigeria in particular is a market with too much unpredictable variability.

For instance Bird Flu for poultry and Swine Flu for pigs are examples of diseases that diligent efforts of other countries’ government agencies in collaboration with their farmers have largely brought under control or eliminated.

Sadly, in Nigeria, I was shocked in Feb 2015 (i.e. last year) when an elderly Kano based Farm CEO told me over 700k birds had been lost to Bird Flu even though little news of it was known to the public and the government was doing more of talking than acting to end it.

That’s why the problem remains till now!

All of that led me to conclude that Catfish and Rabbits would offer less risky and more pocket friendly opportunities i- hence my decision to focus on recommending micro livestock like rabbits and fish.

Unless you have personal funds to invest immediately for a large scale operation, I feel most people need not invest in an elaborate business plan to startup

Like any other business, putting a business plan together will often be advisable. However, where it concerns rabbitry, I have a slightly different orientation. Like I told the farm CEO I mentioned above, when we met in his home, you can start very small with 3 to 4 does and 1 buck (or possibly 9 to 12 does and 3 bucks etc), and rapidly multiply them to a large operation in just one year.

My observations out here have taught me that it pays to startup small with a business like rabbitry (especially since you have a day job) to ensure one gets the hang of rearing them competently.

The best part, is that you can start small in January and arrive December with a big operation due to the rabbit’s unique high reproductive and growth capability.

That low cost start-up approach is one I personally prefer most people start with.

To encourage those who choose to go that small size startup route, here’s a 4 part zero cost offer of support I’d like to make as my own contribution to your DIY efforts. It’s what I had in mind to do all along if you went for it:

1. I will research and send you information about, and contact details for individuals and organizations you can connect with to get startup rabbit breeding stocks and other requirements.

2. I will gladly accompany you to examine rabbit stocks with providers you connect with. While there, I will interview the operators to establish the quality of the rabbit gene pool they work with, the breeding procedures they follow etc, so as to reasonably ascertain reliability of what they offer. It goes without saying though that one can never get 100% certainty.

3. It would be my pleasure to provide hands on practical rabbit farm management training for you to get you started in your operations. I will send you downloads links to 2 comprehensive manuals on rabbit farming, so that the hands on training will not take much time, or effort.

4. I will help you proactively search for buyers, and also share the many processing and sales/marketing ideas I have used successfully to sell my own raised rabbits.

5. When the rabbitry business is stabilized (6 months all being equal), you can then look at ways to integrate catfish farming – and again it would be my pleasure to help in any way I can.

The only thing you’ll have to do to make ANY of the above happen in terms of my support, will be to cover my expenses.

It would make me very happy to see you succeed in starting your own business in a manner that is convenient and pocket friendly. I believe it is possible to do so with rabbit and fish farming. But I am convinced those who are able to master rabbit farm business the way I advocate will have a massive competitive edge in the marketplace.

I say this based on the personal plans I have to launch mine, after years of careful observation and study of healthy living driven diet trends here in Nigeria/Africa. I will be putting my insights and expertise at your disposal.

That’s my token contribution offer, to support you in achieving your stated goal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must be my client in order to take advantage of the above zero cost support offer. Click here and here as well as here, to review products and services I offer, that you may wish to order (such as the Excel-VB Ration Formulator, the Poultry Farm Manager, the popular Feed Formulation Handbook and other information products).

Now, having said the above, if you’d still like to have something of a formal
document to work with, say to guide your expansion plans, here’s another offer.

I can use mainly my email and phone contacts, as well as online research where possible, to put together what would possibly be best referred to as a Feasibility Report for a Low Cost Rabbit Farm Business Startup.

Among others, I would go through my Farm CEO client contacts (in and out of Africa) to get relevant
additional details to combine with what I get locally in putting it together – including the aspect of integrating with catfish farming.

I would also visit their farms – and other well known farming establishments I have contacts in – to get more information for the feasibility report, since that’s my zone. Another thing: I could even explore buying high performing breeding stock for you to startup with! (You cover expenses of courses).

Note one of the major differences here (compared to the elaborate business plan option) is that I would not move around locally in Nigeria to identify, connect with and get farm specific data via face to face meetings. It would not be as comprehensive, but it could give you something to study as an action plan
implementation guide.

[IMPORTANT NOTE: Again you MUST be my client to take advantage of it.]

Now, the above report may also prove useful after you’ve started small and grown your rabbitry say for 6 months

By then you would have your own farm specific data that we would be able to post into my template’s spreadsheet tables for the feasibility study to generate real world reports/analyses that we can then present to convince prospective investors with!

The above in my opinion, will inspire more confidence in the minds of those we approach, because they will see on-farm proof of how rabbit farming can rapidly generate returns on a small investment. More importantly, they would be impressed with your demonstrated efforts to start where you are, with what you have.

If this additional adapted feasibility report offer idea appeals to you, or you would like to have a full featured, comprehensive business plan prepared for you, click here to send me a message.

Teach Kids to Develop (& Monetize!) Market Relevant Abilities EARLY In Life [VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: After Watching Short DIY Video, 12 Year Old Builds Battery Powered Toy Power bike Using Sticks from Sweets as Frames, a Rotor from Damaged DVD as Engine, Plastic Coke Bottle Covers as Tyres & a Microphone Battery from his Mother’s Church As Power Source]

This video (click here to watch in a new window) shows me test running the battery powered toy power bike built my 12 year old son, whose natural talent for creating electrical gadgets continues to excite and amaze me.

Click to watch video - Teach Kids to Develop (& Monetize!) Market Relevant Abilities EARLY In Life [VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: After Watching Short DIY Video, 12 Year Old Builds Battery Powered Toy Power bike Using Sticks from Sweets as Frames, a Rotor from Damaged DVD as Engine, Plastic Coke Bottle Covers as Tyres & a Microphone Battery from his Mother's Church As Power Source]lick to watch video

He’s been like this since he was about 8 years old. I’ve written several articles in the past – including one about how at the age of 10, he revived the laptop batteries I discarded, and used them to build a crude but functional rechargeable lamp using the bulb he picked up from a damaged one. Last year, I wrote about his talent for playing the recorder and harmonica (including putting up downloadable audio samples).

This time around, as part of our home schooling for income earning life skills project, I’d made him and his siblings watch a series of 2 to 3 minute You tube videos about how to build:

(a). balloon powered toy cars and

(b). battery powered cars and bikes – with tyres made from plastic Coca Cola bottle covers.

By the next morning, the 12 year old’s sisters came running to inform me that he had already built a functional balloon powered car made from carton paper, drinking straw, rubber band and plastic coke bottle covers – just like the videos they’d watched the night before.

I was NOT surprised. He’d played back the videos repeatedly till well past midnight, on my laptop, when the rest of us were watching TV or asleep. He was in his elements!

After watching the toy car run for a while, I asked why it always tended to veer leftwards. He replied that he was not sure. From the narrative in the video we watched, I suspected it would be the alignment of the parts.

The video showed where the builder had sketch out the “chassis” and measured out the sides of the paper to hold the wheels. Looking at the one made by my son, it appeared the tyres were not properly aligned and the paper itself not evenly cutout.

So I told him to consider taking it apart and rebuilding it from scratch. He groaned.

I told him the finishing of such products was the key to succeeding. If your finishing is poor, few people will be interested in what you’ve created. He knew I was right and nodded in agreement. But, “I want to make the power bike before I go back to the balloon car” he voiced.

He’d taken the words out of my mouth. I’d actually wanted to ask him if he could give building the battery powered toy bike a try…

I challenged him to see if he could make it ready, so I could take it with me as a gift the for kids of a client I was to meet with, along with his spouse for a paid consulting session, in their home.

24 hours later, just before I left, he had his battery powered toy bike  running, BUT it kept falling off to one side, after a few seconds.

In other words, it was not ready. So I left telling him to keep at it, so I could see it on my return.

Long story short, my boy got it working – with some creative improvisation informed mainly by lack of access to refined materials and tools used by the creator of the video we’d watched. The video below says it all; I am so proud of him – and of his 14 year old brother who provided support (and is also very good with his hands – more mechanically inclined and especially gifted in handicraft fabrication)/

This is the role I play in the lives of all my kids. I act as a collaborator and catalyst to help the nurture their minds and abilities. That is the role a parent needs to play – one that NO TEACHER can play as well as a determined parent can.

I share my stories not to brag, but as a public service wake up call to parents who are willing to listen, that they should take ownership of giving their kids a more real world relevant and balanced education, BEFORE it is too late!

Our Next Step: Monetizing His Talent/Genius

As the title of this article indicates, I argue that it’s crucial for parents – and societies – to guide kids to identify, nurture and ultimately monetize any talents or abilities they have, as EARLY as possible in life.

Why?

Because – as we all know – life can get VERY depressing when one is unable to achieve financial independence. When you lack money to meet your needs and wants, it tends to make you feel limited and unfulfilled.

When you know you have undergone ALL the formal schooling you were told you needed to be able to function competently in society, and you STILL find yourself unable to achieve financial independence, that can be VERY painful.

Trust me dear reader, THAT was the hole from which I had to use my self-taught skills and abilities to climb out of despite all my academic brilliance through university, and my exceptional performance in paid employment.

Truth be told – when I stepped into the real world of my society, in Nigeria, I quickly discovered that MERIT, based on demonstrated competence, ranked VERY low on the criteria that determined if one achieved business success or not.

For that reason, after trying without achieving sustainable success doing things the “normal” way offline, I turned my skills and attention to the online world, and began to offer the SAME solutions to the SAME people (Nigerians) – later reaching to African countries and beyond.

Today, it is on record, from MANY articles I’ve shared true stories in, that I earn passive income from sales of my custom Excel-VB software and Information Products, which I create based on needs I identify in my target niche markets.

The instincts and insights which guide me to do the above, so well today, that I enjoy an international following of clients and fans for my Customizable ExcelVB software as well as my Cost-Saving Farm Business Support solutions, are what I want to help my kids develop MUCH earlier.

It is for this reason that I’ve asked my son to take apart THIS his first attempt at the battery powered toy bike, and rebuild it so it no longer falls over like it periodically does.

Like I explained to him, that’s when we can proceed to confidently offer it for sale to the target market I have in mind. This is the Best Practice Mental Attitude that guided me in developing the growing range of passive income generating products that I have today.

In other words, I want him to start a new micro business based on this product.

His 14 year old brother who has worked with him on this and other projects is recording a video of the process as I type these words, so that we can SHOW how he does it, to remove any doubts there might be about the veracity of the claims I’ve made here.

NB: I found it quite interesting that each time I asked him if he needed money to buy anything to make the toys, he readily told me he knew where to find the needed items, at zero cost.

In no time he would be out the door and off to look around the estate grounds, grocery shops, collecting the needed items. That’s why some of his finished products don’t look as neat as those in the videos he watched.

However his demonstrated attitude is likely to enable him carry out his products creation/development very cost effectively, leaving ample room to reap useful profit margins if he decides to make money selling them.

And why not? I am convinced it’s the way to go. That’s why I’ve resolved to work with him on that aspect, once we establish that he’d got it right.

My plan is for us to – for instance – apply creative paint job to new toy bike, then sell it with a standing offer to provide FREE repair services to any buyers.

The interest from his 2 year old brother (Tayo Solagbade Junior) as well as 4 older siblings proves we can succeed in attracting parents with kids to buy these repairable toy cars and bikes from my son.

For me therefore, THIS is yet another opportunity to further coach him and his siblings on the crucial importance of developing and monetizing a market relevant expertise, like I do for a living!

Helping Kids Understand Money, and Money Making Via Passive Income Generation – A Crucial Imperative

Over a week ago, my kids made their first cash withdrawals from their respective individual accounts.

Since mid January, I’ve been introducing my kids to the formal world of banking so they can take their micro business training more seriously. I did not own a bank account till I was 23, serving in Niger State’s Lapai LGA in 1993. The pain and embarrassment that my  ignorance about money and related issues made me resolve to give my kids a different experience.

That’s why each visit has seen them carry out tasks like filling withdrawals slips, transfer forms, deposit slips etc. And we discuss – and practice in real time – various aspects of bank related activities – including use of the ATM/Debit cards on and off the web.

They already EACH have a webmail account setup on my website and linked to their respective accounts, so that we already see the various bank notifications and alerts on the Blackberry smartphone I bought for them to use in their web based home studying.

The bank messages provide additional opportunities to coach them more about ways to make use of their accounts.

My 10 year old girl asked: “Tayo, will the money grow?” (after they had each deposited N2,000 (Two Thousand Naira) I’d handed to them, into their individual accounts).

I replied: “Of course it will. Simply make sure you do the stuff I teach you, about making money, along with others you learn by yourself, then pay the money you make into your account. In no time you’ll see your money growing.

Then I made an offer: “If you like you can make some money working for me. I have some tasks I need done on my website. If you can do them, without serious errors, to my satisfaction, I ‘ll pay you as my “Virtual Assistants”.

Her reply: “YES!”

Action Plan: We’re now working on the modalities to get her started !

The others don’t seem so keen – yet. I anticipate that might change when the SEE her actually get paid!

They already have their own Blackberry with an active subscription, so the rest will just be a matter of agreeing when to work, what to do, and how much to pay.

Most of the work, for now, will be updates of URLs on my blog from the defunct spontaneousdevelopment.com to tayosolagbade.com. I’ve tried my best to do it myself, but hundreds remain. So I definitely need help – and what better way to get such help, than to coach my kids to do it for REAL pay as Virtual Assistants!

Final Words: My understanding of money and the need for real world relevant money making knowledge, attitudes and skills was NIL when I completed my schooling.

And it caused me lots of avoidable hardships during that June 12 presidential elections crisis ridden year & even later.

I’m determined to ensure that my kids do not arrive adulthood with THAT kind of handicap!

What about YOU???

See photos below…

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[FREE DOWNLOAD EDITION] THE FARM CEO (Issue 34): Hope Agwulonu – Abuja based Farm CEO – Publishes 60 page Quick Start Guide to Catfish Farming Business – Download Your FREE Chapter Preview, Chapter 1: The Serious Biz of Catfish Farming, Why Farm CEOs Need to Read Non-Farm Related Articles, Are You a CEO/Expert With Practical, Experience? [Hint: CEO Spotlight Interview Invitation],Your Own Money Making Information Product Built by Me!

[Tagline: If it can help your farm business, you’ll find it in THE FARM CEO™ Newspaper ]

This year’s 4th issue of The Farm CEO™ features is FREE to download for non-subscribers (click here now).

It features highlights from Hope Agwulonu’s newly published guide book for Catfish Farm Business practioners, enthusiasts, support specialists and even students.

Like I’ve told as many as will listen, I do NOT believe I need to do it all, with regard to providing useful guide book publications on the various aspects of Best Practice Farm Business Management. Many authentic farm business owners can share wisdom, about how to successfully run the businesses they are engaged in.

This is why I have adopted the strategy of encouraging interested Farm CEOs to get their unique knowledge, insights and experiences published in book form, for use by others looking to follow in their footsteps.

I use my Ghost-Writing service to support clients in various fields (e.g. Legal Consulting, Leadership Training, Business Coaching, Farm Business etc).

Title: Quick Start Guide to Catfish Farming Business -by Hope Agwulonu, CEO of Progidence Farms Limited, Abuja – Nigeria

Subtitle: How to Start Your Own Low Cost Catfish Farm Business

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE EDITION

PREVIEW

Beyond the generic information found in most manuals, this 60 page publication, despite being a quick-start-guide, offers useful best practice/real world relevant information in different chapters – as shown in the chapter headings outlined below.

CONTENTS 1

Chapter One | The Serious Business of Catfish Farming 2

Chapter Two | Choosing a Location for Your Farm 7

Chapter Three | Construction & Mode of Operation 14

Chapter Four | Production of Catfish for food (&/or fingerlings etc for sale) 23

Chapter Five | Prevention & Treatment of Diseases 33

Chapter Six | Harvesting Operations and Procedures 41

Chapter Seven | Finding Profitable Buyers 45

Chapter Eight | Record Keeping for Performance Measurement & Decision Making 51

Conclusion | Next Steps? 58

References | Recommended Reading 61

About the Author 63

AUTHOR (Hope Agwulonu’s) NOTE

“Catfish farming is serious business. Not just by virtue of the lucrative returns it yields when done right, but also due to the heavy demands it places on the owner to keep it running that way (i.e. profitably!) for the long term. In my experience at Providence Farms Ltd, not everyone can make a success of catfish farming. Certain qualities are required which are more important than just having the money or required capital. This book highlights the key attributes you need to succeed in Catfish farming, and also discusses theoretical requirements in conjunction with practical considerations you will need to provide for, if you wish to successfully start and run your own profitable Catfish farming business, without stress, and with peace of mind.” – Hope Agwulonu, CEO, Progidence Farms Limited

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******

Here are the headlines, reviews – and links – for this week’s featured news items:

[PDF] Hope Agwulonu – Abuja based Farm CEO – Publishes 60 page Quick Start Guide to Catfish Farming Business – Download Your FREE Chapter Preview P.1

[PDF] Chapter 1: The Serious Biz of Catfish Farming P.2

[URL] Why Farm CEOs Need to Read Non-Farm Related Articles P.2

[URL] Are You a CEO/Expert With Practical, Experience? [Hint: CEO Spotlight Interview Invitation] P.3

[PDF] Your Own Money Making Information Product Built by Me! P.3

Below: Screenshot of the cover for Issue No. 34 of THE FARM CEO (Monday 25th January 2016)

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Screenshot of the cover for Issue No. 34 of THE FARM CEO (Monday Monday 25th January 2016)

Subscribe to THE FARM CEO, and get this new issue, as well as ALL back issues, in addition to your full subscription of 48 weekly issues.

1) Useful feed formulation/other findings from trusted sources

2) Cost-saving ideas from farm visits as I travel across West Africa.

3) Ads by farm providers/suppliers of all genres.

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Full details at http://tinyurl.com/TheFarmCEO

1 year’s subscription = 48 issues.

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