‘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…
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(?)
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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” alternativesIt’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 alternativesThis 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:
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. |
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| 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: […]
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[Tuesday]: |
Succeeding Through Hard Work, Determination and Persistence: 3 Lessons from Nigeria’s Igbo TradersIf 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 […]
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Verbatim Text Transcript of Welcome Video message for Tayo Solagbade’s Home Study MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Programming Video Series on DVDHi. 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 […]
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| [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 […]
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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 […]
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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 2016If 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 […]
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What if you could print your own money – anytime you need it? What if you developed the ability to make the money you need come into your possession, wherever and whenever the need arises.
Many who practice the Christian religion, and who read the bible, may be familiar with the phrase “The Lord will meet you at the point of your need”.
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Tayo Solagbade’s
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SDN Blog™ |
New posts from last week* |
| Monday: |
No. 230: Post Employment Survival Strategies & Biz Startup Ideas [Hint: Signup for my Confidential Business Startup Ideas Support Service]Tough economic times, fewer jobs for those seeking, and more job losses looming on the horizon for people in industries we once thought to offer job security, ALL combine to make the message in this issue of my newsletter most relevant and compelling! You will want to read this write-up if you are: a. preparing […]
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[Tuesday]: |
Do You Really Need Employees?I once read a document which featured interesting statistics like the following: “About three quarters of all U.S. business firms have no payroll. Most are self-employed persons operating unincorporated businesses, and may or may not be the owner’s principal source of income… Since 1997, however, non employers have grown faster than employer firms.” – U.S. […]
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The Need to Set the Right Example by Being Useful at Home (Even If You’re Busy)Do Experts Wash Dishes? Do YOU? You read that right: I mean YOU, reading this right now. Regardless of your gender, or professional status, the above question is meant for YOU. Here’s a more elaborate version of it: As a startup or established expert in your field of interest or specialization, should you bother doing […]
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Business Startup Ideas Support Service: Signup Procedure DetailsIn this article, I outline the formal procedure for my “Business Startup Ideas Support Service” signup and provision – which I announced in Issue No. 230 of my weekly newsletter (Click here to view) For any person who is interested in this service…we will have a meeting (which does NOT have to be face to […]
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Business Startup Ideas Support Service: Curious Persons Not WantedIn this sequel to yesterday’s piece on the “formal procedure for my Business Startup Ideas Support Service signup and provision“, I explain the justification behind my insistence that clients make a paid commitment from the start, to demonstrate their seriousness of their interest in my solutions. In other words, I do NOT offer any options […]
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Protected: Week 2 – Video and PDF Home Study Tutorial Introduction to MS Excel-Visual Basic Automation [GIFT: Send Me Your MS Excel Based Invoice & I’ll Send It Back Fully Automated, With Step-By-Step Video & PDF Home Study Do-It-Yourself Tutorial]Hi, Welcome to the second week of your coaching as member of my Excel-VB club. To access this page, you will have used the PASSWORD emailed to your in box. Hope you’ve been able to review the content on the page I sent you a link to last week. It contains preliminary notes and sample videos […]
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******* NEW: Speaking Ideas: 25 Articles and True Stories for Experts Who Speak and Those Aspiring (Volume 1) |
****** Download above PDF |
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NEW: KUKURU DANGER™: 5 True Stories About the Adventures – & Misadventures! – of a School Age Child Trying to Find Purpose in Life
Download above PDF |
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Tayo K. Solagbade*
Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist
Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)
Tayo K. Solagbade is a Location Independent Performance Improvement
Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to
Farm Businesses and others.
Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting,
freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).
Tayo is the author of the Self-Development (SD) Bible™ and the
popular Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. He is also the developer of its accompanying Excel-VB driven Ration Formulator™ and the Poultry Farm
Manager™ software.
He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in
various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods
and others.
In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.
On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly
traveling across the West African region.
His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars
and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).
In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical
Manager.
In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting.
Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’
competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc).
When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS
newsletter.
You can connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.
Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your
personal and work related productivity.
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 :-))
Succeed by Emerging from Adversity Like a Phoenix
(TayoSolagbade.com launches extra Hosting plan with FREE Web Marketing!)
A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
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Home |About | Contact | SD Nuggets™ | Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS | Web Marketing Systems | Freelance Writing | MS Excel® Heaven™ | Cost-Saving Farm Biz Ideas
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[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
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE EDITION
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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
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE EDITION
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.
4). Special promo price offers of my Software and Book products
Full details at http://tinyurl.com/TheFarmCEO
1 year’s subscription = 48 issues.
Subscription Fee = $36 USD (approx) N6.8k [You get my $82 USD Feed Formulation Handbook FREE, as well as FREE Bi-weekly ads for YOUR biz]
ARCHIVES: Click here to view previews of ALL past issues of the newspapers
This is a generic introduction page that is accessible without a password. All other pages for members of the club will require you to use your USERNAME and PASSWORD, which will be emailed to you.
Welcome, and congratulations for joining my Excel Heaven Visual Basic Club. If you’ve NOT yet done so, take a moment to LIKE my Facebook page via http://www.tayosolagbade.com/fbk, so you can keep track of latest updates I publish. Click here.
See the private/closed Facebook page for the club at https://www.facebook.com/groups/736287616508718/
By taking the decision to learn how to automate MS Excel using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you’ve put yourself on track to boosting your productivity in terms of your data handling, analysis and report generation abilities.
Whether you an independent consultant or career person in paid employment, knowing how to automate MS Excel using VBA is a tried and tested means to outperforming your rivals or competitors.
[RECOMMENDED: Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD]
If I told you otherwise, I would be lying. I’ve been doing spreadsheet automation for business users for 2 decades now. So the expertise you see on display on my site was not acquired in a short time. However, I have developed smart methods for teaching what I know to willing others: The keyword there is WILING.
For instance, my own kids, who range in age from 9 to 16 years old are undergoing home based tutoring as members of the Kiddies version of my Excel-VB club. I do this because I intend for them to gradually take over selling of, and modifying/customizing the software I sell to clients.
It is You need to be prepared to do LOTS of reading, and WATCHING/LISTENING in addition to even MORE DOING, based on your unique work related needs.
As long as you’re willing to do the work required, I assure you that you WILL develop the competence to automate MS Excel in a way that enables you deliver performances that boost your prestige, recognition and INCOME.
Take your time to study the resources linked to below. It is crucial to your ability to make the most of what you will learn about Excel Automation as a member of my club. If you have ANY questions or need clarification on ANY aspects, do NOT hesitate to call or email me.
Click the links below to watch the video version of my 9 page Slide show Presentation, which explains details of what you will be learning – and doing.
[NB: Check your email for the 9-page MS Power Point Slide show I have sent you]
Who is This MS Excel Heaven™ Visual Basic Club & Competition For and Why…?
The Justification for Adopting Excel VB Automation: Many Africans still don’t get it!
MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Competition: To compete, you must be a member of SDAc’s Excel-VB club
[Video 4 of 9] MS Excel Heaven VB Competition: But Why a Competition on MS Excel-VB Automation?
Video 5 of 9: Eligibility and Features/Requirements for Membership
Video 6 of 9: What You Can Do: Participate or Partner…!
Video 7 of 9: Get World Class Excel-VB Solutions Development When You Join My Club
Video 8 of 9: Brief Bio – About Me – In Paid/Self-Employment
[RECOMMENDED: Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD]
Click the links below to watch sample MS Excel Automation Screenshot Tutorial Videos designed to give you an idea of what my learning videos look like. As may be necessary, some of the videos I provide access to may come with PDF versions that you can print out and read.
a. Create a Macro to Format Your MS Excel Invoice in Different Currencies [Part 1 of 2]
b. Using Index/Match Formulas & Sum Product Formulas for Report Generation [Video Tutorial Preview]
[NB: What I demonstrate in this video is actually automation of a sophisticated National Distribution report for a Multinational Telecoms Company. But this particular automation was achieved without use of Visual Basic code. All I used were 3 advanced functions, combined in different ways to tap information from a database table and generate different report scenarios.]
c. This list will be updated…
[RECOMMENDED: Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD]
Watch the videos below, to see examples of the dummy-proof, custom automated Excel-VB apps I build, being used by me. If you do the work required, with diligence and commitment, using the learning resources I give you, be sure that over time you WILL be able to build even better apps than these.
Part 1 of 3: Preparing Your Company(or Client Company)’s Pay slips Using MS Excel
Part 2 of 3: Preparing Your Company(or Client Company)’s Pay slips Using MS Excel
Part 3 of 3: Preparing Your Company(or Client Company)’s Pay slips Using MS Excel
[Part 1 of 2] Tayo Solagbade’s Excel-VB Election Results Compiler & Reports/Charts Generator
[Part 2 of 2] Tayo Solagbade’s Excel-VB Election Results Compiler & Reports/Charts Generator
Excel VB Business Contacts Manager for Speakers Marketers Consultants and Entrepreneurs
I included the above examples for illustration. There are many more video demos in my Youtube channel, of my commercial Excel-VB software that I sell to a global paying audience. Click here to visit my channel.
1. Excel-VB Ration Formulator – watch 3 part video here.
2. Poultry Farm Manager – watch 16 videos here.
RECOMMENDED: Get My Home Study Excel-VB Programming Video Tutorial DVD
NOW LIVE: 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
I am VERY excited that this e-book is finally available for sale in Hope’s online store. We’ve worked hard over the past 3 months to get it done, and I’m proud of the final product we’ve ended up with.
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 on Record Keeping for Performance Measurement, Diseases Treatment & Prevention, Harvesting Operations & Procedures, Finding Profitable Bulk Buyers (& Low Cost Processing for Storage/Sale)
Click the link below to visit the store:
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/quick-start-guide-to-catfish-farming-business/17621857
A short URL that is easy to remember is: www.lulu.com/spotlight/hopeagwulonu OR http://www.tinyurl.com/hopeagwulonu
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Back in 2012, I had a discussion with a new member (let’s call him Nhoj) in one of the groups I belonged to on Linked In. He pointed out a worrying trend he had observed.
Specifically, he expressed concern that a rather unhealthy majority of people in that particular group were openly “hard selling” to other members, making little or no effort to add value by sharing ideas and contributing to discussions.
Nhoj had effectively spoken my mind. I told him so, adding that before joining the group he had complained about, I already belonged to three other groups on Linked In: One for speakers, another on speaker marketing, a third on book writing. Within days of joining the first group however, I discovered – just like he did – a massive difference in the quality of interaction amongst its members, compared to the other three.
For instance in the other 3 groups I joined, aspiring and competent experts continually shared ideas and experiences/insight in a mutually rewarding – and collaborative – atmosphere. Very rarely was ANY hard selling done. There was so much sincerity. A win-win atmosphere.
In contrast, I found that the members of the group Nhoj referred to, relentlessly bombarded themselves with pushy sales messages, day in, day out. There was great activity (e.g. volume of posts), but very little quality interaction.
It was obvious that majority of the members of this group were “programmed” to TAKE from others. Most of them were just there to sell something.
Unfortunately, people with this kind of mindset are competitive minded about the WRONG things. The truth however, is that if they want to succeed, they’ll need to adopt a more collaborative approach in their interaction with other group members.
Business persons who understand the ethical way to use social media, often appreciate the need to first of all establish a mutually beneficial (or as Nhoj put it – “symbiotic”) relationship with others, in order to make meaningful progress.
We have plenty of historical evidence that proves that it pays to follow this enlightened path. A high profile example is that of the late Steve Jobs, who partnered with competitors like Microsoft, to take the industry to the next level (as Richard Branson, another genius of similar temperament, recently recalled in one of his syndicated articles).
Now, in case you’re reading this, and wondering, I’m NOT asking you to engage in some selfless altruistic gestures of helping others out, just for the sake of it. On the contrary, I actually believe it pays to focus on making money or building revenue through Linked In. After all, Guy Kawasaki, in a 2007 article, provided statistical proof, that Linked In was widely acknowledged to be the best no-nonsense medium to do just that, when compared to its peers.
In a place like Linked In, the culture is more refined – with emphasis on building trusting relationships via quality interactions.
There is emphasis on first offering useful value of some sort, with a twist or spin off that could yield potentially beneficial returns, to one or more of the participants.
Most important is the willingness of all members to contribute, with honesty and integrity, even when they KNOW there is a chance, that NO DIRECT benefits will accrue to them from doing so. In essence, I am saying each member should participate on Linked In, FIRST, with the intention of being of use/service to fellow members. In the course of doing so, s/he will become known, recognised and appreciated for the quality of his/her contributions. THAT would be one benefit.
As s/he continues to build credibility, “trusting” members would find it easy to “consider” his/her products/services or refer others. Even better, some may propose joint ventures, or partnerships of sorts, with attractive benefits.
The result would be that COMPETENT business people, with win-win dispositions, would continue to discover opportunities to progress together via groups that operate as described above. TRUST would be established, and this would ease the way for useful interactions to take place.
The first group Nohj referred to, did NOT seem to have many members who understood the need to operate in this manner. And THAT is the major difference between them and members of other groups. That shortcoming is very likely to deny many of its members, the long term benefits enjoyed by compliant groups.
Even though I’ve used Linked In as a case study, the point I’ve made in this piece actually applies to the use of other social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc) for business purposes.
PS: This article was first published online on Monday 6th February 2012 in my Self-Development Digest newsletter, via Spontaneousdevelopment.com (my 9 year old former domain – now defunct.
This excellent article by (a REALLY CLUED UP fellow Nigerian), in my candid opinion, is a wake up call for those who still don’t realize that 99% of us are responsible for killing the Naira.
And unless we change our spending habits, nothing the CBN governor will significantly improve the Naira’s fortunes for the better on a sustainable basis.
Long story short: You need to curb your unhealthy appetite for foreign made tangibles and intangibles!!!
Read the full article:
I’ve been studying and researching him for some time now and have downloaded articles, videos and audios by reporters from BBC, Al Jazeera, AFP, CNN etc, based on visits they made to his facility in Ghana, to see his amazing locally made talking SUVs and other tech products like TVs that go off when you clap, and doors that speak when you knock and open ONLY if someone is in.
Over 2 decades ago, Ghana’s Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo began producing hand-built SUVs made using over 80% locally fabricated parts, including branded engine blocks molded in his foundry, using an ingenious process involving crushed palm kernel shells. Today, his Made-in-Ghana cars are gaining international attention.
Image credit/source: http://africarm.org/an-insight-into-the-world-of-kantanka-automobiles-the-history-present-and-the-future-2824/
The best thing about this man is that he continues to train thousands of Ghanaian youths in his hands-on training school, regardless of their religious beliefs or preference.
Note also that this Apostle’s church, with branches across Ghana is 100% indigenous and self funding via a chain of businesses from which he finances the motor manufacturing arm, and also give out scholarships and free homes to citizens in need.
In fact only the tires (and I think the radiators) used in his cars are imported. When he began years ago, he worked with a small team over 6 months to build one single SUV by hand.
I have watched one of the training videos. It is amazing.
If Nigeria’s Innoson – which mostly assembles imported cars – can adopt a similar strategy, he won’t be affected by lack of government patronage.
Apostle Safo was ignored by Government and private sector investors in his country for decades. Only in the last 3 years or so has he begun to get major attention from them.
Before then he refused to be discouraged and simply channeled funds from his multiple businesses into the car making.
Note that he does not hold a university degree in engineering!
Today, his son who is a licensed pilot runs the company and is now leading a move to export their unique range of cars, which now enjoy patronage from local celebrities and others.
http://www.hulkshare.com/
http://africarm.org/apostle-
http://africarm.org/report-by-
http://www.ghbase.com/get-
http://africarm.org/bbc-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
It’s amazing that Nigerians and Africans are not celebrating this guy, and sending people to learn from him!!!
Some call it “Modern Barter”: Done right, it can dramatically boost your sales, as well as profit margins, beyond what you’re currently able to achieve.
Sadly, many business owners still do not know “barter exchange” is an option they can adopt. As a result, their business transactions, and resulting growth tend to suffer NEEDLESS cash flow limitations!
Read the TRUE story about how my “barter exchange” habit won me a new client on New Year’s day (2016) – including tips on how YOU can do it too. I also highlight a Harvard Business Review/other reports that prove bartering of products/services is practiced globally – and works.
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“(Tayo Solagbade) is amazing and I think he is going to produce some impressive results online…” – click here to read full comment by Patrick Meninga (US based 6 figure income blogger who gained fame for building a $2,000 per month adsense website and selling it for $200,000). —————————– “Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)* *Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to start his own business). ———————– Click here to contact Tayo… |
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Tayo K. Solagbade* Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist *Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) 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 DevelopmentManager, 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 computerise 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. 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 his Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter(which he uses to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent). 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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