Do you want buyers of your products or services to always depart feeling it’s good to buy from you? If YES, I ALWAYS make them feel they got more than they paid for. If you wonder how to do this without losing money, I explain HOW I DO IT successfully, below!
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Do you NOT desire to REAP profitable returns on the money you spend?
If YES, then I recommend you form the healthy habit of actively pursuing Variable Cost Reduction as a strategy in your farm business.
If you incur avoidable EXPENSES in starting or running your farm business, you’ll make it more difficult for yourself to break even.
So why do that?
The harsh truth is that what is considered normal in starting or running poultry farm businesses, especially on the small to medium business scale is out here in Nigeria especially, is based on a narrow range of options defined by mutual consent between certain "experts", support specialists, and a few influential Farm Business Owners in conjunction with vendors that serve them.
In other words, a lot of the available knowledge and information has not really been tested and refined to the point of ensuring that it affords a Farm CEO the most cost-effective and efficient way to start-up and operate his/her enterprise.
As a result, so much confusion exists as to what is possible, and how best to go about establishing and operating a profitable enterprise.
To make matters worse, the lack of SOPs to guide owners/farm hands in most privately run ventures continues to lead many aspiring and existing businesses to take avoidable wrong turns, which often times costs them in terms of excess money, time, effort and resources they end up expending.
Due to the above, what exists today in the Poultry Farm Industry is mostly a disorganized collection of independently run enterprises, operating often haphazardly, such that recording sustainable performance output on a predictable basis is hard to ensure.
In other words, the element of luck and chance plays too much of an influential role in the outcomes they record.
As a Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist, I bring over a decade of experience delivering performance enhancing workplace organization solutions, coupled with development of Enterprise Information Systems (custom Excel-VB apps) to facilitate timely decision making for profitable farm management, to serve my clients.
My passion for problem solving, and for developing unique, home grown solutions that save money, effort and time, drive me to actively explore, investigate and document Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to help even the most disadvantaged farmer, and those aspiring, achieve their goals, within the limits of their budgets.
Indeed, all over the world, man has routinely and repeatedly improved his fortunes by changing the thinking process used.
In farm business, the rule is no different. It works just the same.
The revelations I share in this DVD presentation confirm the above.
If you incur avoidable EXPENSES in starting or running your farm business, you’ll make it more difficult for your self to break even.
So why do that?
If YES, then I recommend you form the healthy habit of actively pursuing Variable Cost Reduction as a strategy in your farm business.
This DVD presentation discusses concepts, ideas and practices you can adopt.
The harsh truth is that what is considered normal in starting or running poultry farm businesses, especially on the small to medium business scale is out here in Nigeria especially, is based on a narrow range of options defined by mutual consent between certain "experts", support specialists, and a few influential Farm Business Owners in conjunction with vendors that serve them.
In other words, a lot of the available knowledge and information has not really been tested and refined to the point of ensuring that it affords a Farm CEO the most cost-effective and efficient way to start-up and operate his/her enterprise.
As a result, so much confusion exists as to what is possible, and how best to go about establishing and operating a profitable enterprise.
To make matters worse, the lack of SOPs to guide owners/farm hands in most privately run ventures continues to lead many aspiring and existing businesses to take avoidable wrong turns, which often times costs them in terms of excess money, time, effort and resources they end up expending.
Due to the above, what exists today in the Poultry Farm Industry is mostly a disorganized collection of independently run enterprises, operating often haphazardly, such that recording sustainable performance output on a predictable basis is hard to ensure.
In other words, the element of luck and chance plays too much of an influential role in the outcomes they record. Only few farm businesses have a firm understanding of their operations that enables them achieve repeatable and reproducible farm production and selling success.
My passion for problem solving, and for developing unique, home grown solutions that save money, effort and time, drive me to actively explore, investigate and document Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to help even the most disadvantaged farmer, and those aspiring, achieve their goals, within the limits of their budgets.
In most areas of life, success often comes mainly from a change in the THINKING employed by people about the activity they are engaged in. Indeed, all over the world, man has routinely and repeatedly improved his fortunes by changing the thinking process used.
In farm business, the rule is no different. It works just the same.
The revelations I share in my new DVD presentation confirm the above.
If YOU nurse the dream of starting a poultry farm business, but have been discouraged by start-up costs supposedly required, THIS new DVD information product CAN help you.
In it, I explain HOW you can (and WHY you should) intelligently start &/or run your dream poultry farm business at much LESS than the generally known costs….PLUS how you can operate MORE profitably and reap REAL profits in LESS time than most others who venture into the business.
My information has been obtained from serving/relating closely with, and studying real life practising poultry farm business owners (who are everyday people like you and me) for years.
Many had to start small (500 birds or less) and on a part time basis, due to limited funds before they gradually expanded their flock sizes to what they are today (5,000 or more).
To get where they are, they had to improvise many times in vaious areas of their businesses, to avoid incurring excess costs, so as to remain profitable.
In the last 9 months, I’ve been hired to prepare business plans for both broiler and layer farm start-up operations in Nigeria.
Due to my penchant for being thorough, I have gone out of my way during each project implementation, to gather additional real life farm operations and market data, so as to give the client a better basis on which to review the formal plan.
Indeed, last week, I travelled to Ibadan, with a long time client (who is looking to retire from city based consultancy service provision into a quite Poultry Farm based income earning vocation) to visit several poultry farms, with the owners as our hosts.
Why?
Well, it’s because finding what works for you, going by what I know from my own business experiences, and also from what many farm owners who have gone the same way have told me, enables YOU find cheaper and more efficient ways to achieve profitability.
Due to the presence of IKS, even the so called “experts” periodocally find it useful to stoop and LEARN from farm owners, in order to understand how the latter routinely get the results that textbooks say are not possible, or are hard to achieve.
In this home study DVD package, I outline and discuss key areas I have found, from my extensive investigation of farm businesses, which offer unique opportunities for existing, or start-up farm businesses to use IKS, to save substantial sums of money, and/or generate additional income streams beyond what they earn from direct sales of farm produce.
I narrate true stories and describe specific examples of what you can do, and how you can do it, to achieve the benefits mentioned.
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I’ll stick my neck out and say the following, based on what I have seen in working with Farm CEO clients for YEARS:
Anyone who wants to improve his/her chances of success in the poultry business, especially if you have a limited budget (and want to minimize indebtedness by way of “loans”) will find it worthwhile listening FIRST to this DVD presentation…BEFORE going out to buy or prepare a business plan, and definitely BEFORE starting the business proper!
Don’t start your poultry farm business without FIRST getting crucial information that will educate you to make the right decisions to boost your chances of success.
This new DVD presentation offers that. The truth is nothing else exists in the market like it. Most farm support experts readily recommed the same conventional approach to starting and running poultry farms. Buy cages, get a borehole sunk etc – most of which are NOT cheap to do.
I explain, in this DVD how many smart thinking farm CEOs have developed cost-effective alternative ways that work, to get around these high cost aspects. And I offer tips about how you can do the same, and where to do so.
Every buyer gets access to ask me questions about any areas s/he needs more details or requires clarification.
I have access to a growing network of Farm CEO Clients who readily give me information when I ask.
As a buyer of this product, I will support you with access to such sources, in addition to my unique best practice insights for profitable farm business management and products marketing.
I can tell you that having a business plan, no matter how well prepared will do you little good, if you do NOT have access to the kind of information I have put together in this DVD presentation. It provides you deep insights that will open your eyes to several ways to operate your enterprise, without spending as much money as most business plan experts or conventional thinking farm business owners will tell you.
Members of my Inner Circle will get this product at 65% off.
.
Many of us know (or have heard) about the ability of a group of animals called Ruminants to digest cellulose which we, and other non-ruminants would be unable to utilise in our own nutritional systems.
This article provides a brief insight into the features possessed by ruminants, and the complex processes that occur within their bodies, to enable them perform that unusual feat, seemingly without making any noticeable effort.
1. Ruminants do not have any incisors on the upper jaw, but instead have a dental pad.
However, they do have molars on both jaws.
When a ruminant swallows its food, it does very little chewing and the first place the roughage goes is the RUMEN, where bacteria and protozoa (microorganisms or microbes) produce enzymes to digest the cellulose and protein in the plant.
2. The food is later regurgitated by the anti-peristaltic movement from the rumen back to the ruminant’s mouth where the animal then “chews the cud” i.e. gives the food a thorough chewing which further breaks down the food.
Each mouthful of “bolus”, or mass of “ingesta” is thoroughly chewed and swallowed again, before another mass is regurgitated from the rumen. This process continues until the mechanical breakdown of the fibrous feed is completed.
3. The ingestion is passed into the RETICULUM and OMASUM where these parts of the stomach aid in the physical breakdown of coarse plant parts, that may have escaped the chewing which takes place in the rumen.
4. Finally, enzymatic breakdown (by digestive juices secreted from the wall of the abomasum) occurs in the abomasum which is similar to the stomach of the non-ruminants.
PS: T. K. Solagbade’s Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas mini site http://www.boostyourfarmprofits.bizoffers custom best practice farm management systems (and software) development at affordable rates to farm business owners in Nigeria/Africa.
We work with crop and/or livestock farmers to develop and implement intelligent decision making systems that help their farm businesses become more efficient and profitable, through low cost adaptation of technology, while building on indigenous knowledge systems.
NB: This article was first published online in February 2011.
This article titled ‘Poultry: Good Start for Better Future Performance‘ (written by DR. ADEBAYO KOLADE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS) ZYGOSIS NIGERIA LTD on www.farmingadvice.org) is the maiden article entry in my blog’s new “Recommended Website & Articles” category.
I found it rich with useful guiding information for rearing chicks in the critical brooding stage.
The author’s company “sponsored” what is apparently a “Technical Windows” discussion category on the magazine blog.
===Brief Article Preview===
Well begun they say is half done and hence the need to ensure a good start for chicks (broilers or pullets) in order to be able to realize their genetic potentials and of course optimum profit for farmers.
The commercial poultry farmer is interested in optimum performance of his birds, which would in turn lead to maximum profits. The best time to express this concern in the care of the birds is during the brooding period. Many farmers do not pay attention to the details until the birds are matured – by which time dramatic interventions have become rather late. With birds (as with other things in life), well begun is actually half done.
The first seven days of the life of the chick are the most important. During the first seven days….
Click here to continue reading on www.farmingadvice.org…
NB: THIS IS AN UPDATE ON A NEW ARTICLE I FOUND, WHICH – FROM MY EVALUATION, – OFFERS USEFUL INFORMATION MY TARGET AUDIENCE WILL APPRECIATE
I have a vision to make myself useful in so many valuable ways to Farm CEOs and other business owners, that they simply find themselves unable to stop thinking/talking about me :-))
To achieve that ambitious goal however, I realize that sometimes I will NOT have ALL the answers to their needs.
This is why I have committed to carefully searching for resources by other experts that I find to be competent, who I can refer my audience to.
If you know of any that would be worth featuring here, send me details via this form.
The Farming Advice Digest magazine is the maiden website entry in my blog’s new “Recommended Website & Articles” category. I believe every Farm CEOs will find www.farmingadvice.org a valuable addition to his/her self-improvement library.
Rather than bore you with a preview, I invite you to click here and visit the site now.
Note that I happen to have my reservations about the nature of blogging platform the owner has chosen to use.
However, it’s obviously working for him. Maybe in future, I may reach out with some suggestions.
For now, what matters is that even as it is, there is good quality content available for you to enjoy on http://www.farmingadvice.org/!
NB: THIS IS AN UPDATE ON A NEW WEBSITE I FOUND, WHICH – FROM MY EVALUATION, – OFFERS USEFUL INFORMATION MY TARGET AUDIENCE WILL APPRECIATE
I have a vision to make myself useful in so many valuable ways to Farm CEOs and other business owners, that they simply find themselves unable to stop thinking/talking about me :-))
To achieve that ambitious goal however, I realize that sometimes I will NOT have ALL the answers to their needs.
This is why I have committed to carefully searching for resources by other experts that I find to be competent, who I can refer my audience to.
If you know of any that would be worth featuring here, send me details via this form.
My DIY (Do-It-Yourself ) mental attitude is the reason I have relentlessly succeeded, in spite of myriad challenges, over the past decade as an entrepreneur. Many of the obstacles I encountered were intimidating, and would have stopped me permanently, if I had NOT possessed this DIY reflex.
For instance, this website (www.tayosolagbade.com), my newsletter, indeed my entire business life would have “died” years ago, if I had not formed the “habit”.
Example: Click here read how despite losing my 9 year old spontaneousdevelopment.com domain in May 2014, I built a superior reincarnation of my website on www.tayosolagbade.com all by myself, in a matter of weeks!
(NB: In a related article written about 7 years back, I described myself as a Jack of Many Trades. Click to read it).
TIP: Consistent with the theme of this article, was the over 3 hour battle it took me to send it out as an email broadcast to my newsletter subscribers. From 10pm Nigerian time on Monday 17 Dec 2012, till well after 1a.m the next day(I was still based in Nigeria then), my Etisalat internet connection simple went to sleep for some strange reason at the time I need it to be awake the most.
And that was happening NOT for the first time!
Luckily for me, I’d already published the newsletter as scheduled on this blog which auto-published to my Facebook business fan page and personal profile, as well as my Twitter page via RSS Graffiti.
As you can imagine, it turned out to be a good thing that I knew enough to set it up this way. Otherwise, I’d have been unable to publish the online version when due!
If you live and work in a developed society, the need to do things yourself sometimes, may not readily appeal to you.
However, for people, like me, in less developed social environments, like mine, one often has to develop multiple interests and competencies to make up for the shortage of RELIABLE solutions.
A few years ago, I met a Nigerian gentleman who had just returned from the USA where he’d been away for about 5 years. During that time he had made a bit of name for himself as an author and speaker. His published book had sold quite well in the small town he was based.
And the local media had given him enough coverage to make him close to being a celebrity of sorts. From what he and his pretty Austrian wife told me, it was at one of his book signings that they met – and fell for each other.
My friend wanted to republish one of his popular books from the USA with a local printer. He also wanted to produce an audio version of the book. This was part of the plan he had to launch himself into the Nigerian market.
According to him however, the problem was that there seemed to be no standard service providers like those in the USA that could do what he wanted. He said back in the states he would simply hand over his manuscript to his agent, and virtually everything needed to get the book published would be handled by the latter.
Out here, he complained about having to run around looking for business centers to type and typeset his manuscript. And then there were countless errors that he had to sit with a computer operator to work through and correct.
To make matters worse, by the time I got involved I discovered they were typing his manuscript in Corel Draw!
My friend had no idea the business centre operator was using an inappropriate software application for his work.
He said “I just want it done! Back in the states I never had to get involved like this. I know nothing about all of this stuff”.
To cut the long story short, I had to really get involved in helping him find the right places to get the help he needed.
And that included going out of my way to locate a studio where he and his wife could produce the quality of recording they wanted for the book’s audio version.
Here’s what he asked me at a point: “So how come you know about all these things?
You’re not even a book publisher or anything!”
My answer was that I’d learnt the hard way that it was better to know a little about most things I planned to engage others to do for me. That equips me to assess what they do for me – and also contribute intelligently to the process – even do a few things on it by myself, should they be unavailable.
Now, what my friend went through can happen to anyone in one form or the other.
Maybe you won’t be coming to speak or provide your expert service here in Nigeria. But right there in your base
things can still go wrong.
How ready will you be when that happens?
(NB: I recall reading New York Times stories that described the experiences of people who’d failed to heed warnings
issued about Hurricane Sandy. Some of them got trapped – a few even lost their lives, because they failed to prepare for the unlikely but possible!)
Maybe she’s a tech savvy person who prepares all your Power Point presentations, or does your graphic designs for your client projects for instance.
I hate to think negative too…:-)
But what if for some reason, she becomes temporarily unavailable?
Do you have ready access to someone else you can reliably reach out to? And if not, do you have any idea of how to prepare a Power point presentation as impressive as those she does for you by yourself?
What about preparing your speaker one-sheets? Or creating passable designs that can meet the client’s expectations?
God forbid you discover a wrong phone number or mistyped email address on the newly prepared speaker one sheet you want to give a meeting planner. Or maybe there’s a wrong phone number on the website header image/banner to be used for a client’s website.
If you had requested a copy of the raw Corel Draw or Photoshop file used to prepare
the speaker sheet or website graphic, maybe you’d be able to quickly edit it, and produce a corrected version.
But if you had NOT requested a copy of the raw document, or you did NOT know how to carry out simple editing edits of that kind using the relevant application…you’d risk making a poor impression on the client. Indeed, it could cause the client to lower his/her rating of you!
The truth is that even the most reliable of people – your trusted assistant or highly reputable provider inclusive – can sometimes make mistakes or fail to come through for you when it matters.
We are all human after all – which is why one must always have a fall back plan in place.
Will you be prepared with an alternative plan if/when that happens? Or will you just try to wing it?
That implies repeat business, even referrals, are likely to come from them for you.
Ironically, you may only need to know a little about most things, to achieve this significant impact.
Interestingly, learning those little things may just require PROACTIVELY spending a little time with those who do those things for you normally.
Or it could mean making out time to read – and practice what you learn from – a self-help (or DIY) tutorial!
In the end, quite often, you’ll find you have a LOT to gain, and nothing to lose by adopting this attitude, and acting diligently on it all the time.
They will enjoy a lot of positive attention and recognition from their peers and adults alike, for being that way. Attention that will over time earn them financially rewarding personal and career advancement opportunities.
Good luck!
PS: I practice what I preach…
And that’s just one of so many things they have learnt how to do. You can do the same for your kids. They will be forever grateful to you :-))
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 :-))
A Proven Strategy to Find Profitable Buyers Regardless of Your Domain Name
NB: This article was first published online via spontaneousdevelopment.com in 2012
In 2003 my second year as a startup entrepreneur, I had the opportunity to benefit from the wisdom of the managing partner in a popular management training firm.
I had gone to introduce my service on website marketing strategy development to his organisation, in a bid to interest them in having a website newsletter set-up to ENHANCE the effectiveness with which they stayed in touch with people who attended their many training events.
It was during this session that the veteran banker turned trainer offered me some eye-opening tips on how to startup/build my business successfully.
1. Looking At Business From A Financial Angle Is Outdated
Financing your business is not the most important thing to consider. What is crucial is that you adopt a strategic planning focus – instead of just budgetting. Typically, rather than concentrate majorly on where money to start up/run the business will come from, you will do well to think about how to define your target market and how to win its REPEAT patronage that will ensure you have enough revenue coming in to KEEP the business going AFTER it starts up.
In fact, you might just find that working this way could lead you to find prospective clients/customers WILLING to buy into your business thereby easing your startup capital sourcing efforts.
2. A Market-Relevant/Adaptable Business Strategy Is Essential
From my observations over the years since I entered into business, I am convinced that strategy is one of (if NOT) THE most underutilised and yet the most important element in business development.
You see, a lot of people TALK about strategy, but few ever USE it. Many claim to have one, but rarely APPLY it with any degree of consistency in running their business operations in a way that could yield useful information/results to guide their business decision making.
Yet when we look around at successful businesses across the world, it is consistently obvious that those which demonstrate an acute awareness of WHERE they want to go, and who take PROACTIVE action based on understanding of their target market/careful planning to get there, often end up leading the rest of the pack.
And what happens when you lead ( in product innovation, street-smart marketing etc)? Of course, you get more noticed by those who NEED what you have to sell, which ultimately leads to more sales – and profits.
3. But Budgetting Comes A Close Second
My coach however added that the fact that strategy precedes budgetting does not make the latter unnecessary. Once you have your strategy, you will be able to ESTIMATE what amount of time, effort, labour and capital (money etc) you will need to complement/implement it.
Working this way ensures you end up spending very little of your preciously limited money/time engaging in activities that will not help you move your business in the direction you want to go. A well thought-out strategy gives you focus, and ultimately helps you achieve maximum results with minimal expenses.
4. You Must Be Market Focussed
I will quickly confess that it took me YEARS to really get this one into my head, especially as it relates to going about daily marketing of my products and services to the right market. So don’t feel too bad if you find yourself struggling with it for a while too. Note however that in my experience, being market focussed does not mean you will only look to do/offer what the “market” say they want or need.
Sometimes what you have to offer may actually have the potential to DO MORE for the “market” than they realise. This could happen because for them it would be an “un-felt need” – something the “market” does not currently perceive to be relevant to their needs, but which when pointed out by you would suddenly register in their minds as the important need you have already identified it to be.
In otherwords, being market focussed really means KNOWING the type of people who make up your market – their demographics, psychographics etc – well enough to correctly determine what you have to offer that they will BELIEVE can REALLY benefit them, and which they will ultimately TAKE ACTION to purchase from you at a PROFITABLE fee. (Note the deliberate emphasis on profitable).
In developing your strategic plan there are certain checks he (my coach) recommends your carry out in the industry you plan to serve:
A. Customers
– What is their bargaining power?
– What is their vigour of purchase?
– What is/are their reason(s) for buying?
When you have a reasonably representative sampling of answers to the above questions, you will be better equipped to tailor your product/service offerings to meet the needs of such customers in a manner that enables you profit from providing them.
B. Suppliers
– Identify the sources you will use for your supplies.
– How will you find the best bargains in PURCHASING your supplies? (Why spend more when you can spend less, and SAVE money to be used to cover other running expenses?)
– Identify the best sources for your utilities – water, power supply, telephone etc
C. Competition
– What “Power” and “Vigour” do your individual competitors have in the market you all share?
– What types of competitors are they? Direct (Provide similar/identical products or services)? or Indirect (Offer ALTERNATIVES to what you provide)
Who determines what happens in the industry e.g Pricing etc? Do you have any influence or do they have more clout/power/control ? What will you do to “protect” yourself?
D. Complimentary Product
You may want to explore/forge alliances with others who offer your target market some products/services that increase customers’ need for YOUR products and services.
E. Potential Entrants
What other business operations can startup in your target market in the future that could affect your business? You will need to be on the lookout for new/latest developments in this respect, so as not to be taken unawares by unexpected changes that could result.
A new entrant could – for instance -increase demand for a key input you use in your production operations leading to its limited availability and higher prices. If you are NOT ready for this when it happens, you might find yourself in trouble.
The above points demonstrate how essential it is to go beyond just planning to find money for your business. You will need to develop a strategic plan that will be used for daily decision making to ensure profitable long term operation of your business.
Because the strategic plan goes beyond budgetting, a typical business plan will not necessarily be enough to do it with – but the business plan could be a useful foundation to build on in developing/implementing an effective business strategy.
And just in case you are wondering how the above ideas helped me, I will let on that they have – over time – enabled me evolve a CUSTOM software development/marketing strategy that works very profitably in a market where software piracy is widely practiced.
Believe me, when I say that I only began to get my best results when I found myself completely broke – reinforcing the points made above that having a STRATEGY that works is of more crucial importance than having MONEY to work with!
Download this PDF ebook to read the true story of how I literally single-handedly created a market for my Excel-Visual Basic solutions development service in Nigeria/Africa.
Since 2004, I’ve helped individuals and businesses in Nigeria/Africa (in recent years Asia/America as well) get MORE productivity boosting value out of the Microsoft Excel® on their PCs, at a fraction of what it would cost them if they purchased an off-the-shelf software application.
When I began, NO MARKET existed for solutions of the kind I now sell so readily today. I’ve had to single handedly build demand for them using creativity and persisistence, over the past decade…
I kept doing this even as I pursued other income generation opportunities.
Despite all the effort I put into creating different flyers, sending our letters, creating case studies to demonstrate the potential benefit of spreadsheet automation, I never got more than one or two invitations for discussion after which I was never called back!
This gentleman engaged me to build a menu-driven e-version of a 314 page paper-based Department of Petroleum Resources document(Environmental Guidelines And Standards for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria – EGASPIN), for a client company in the Oil & Gas Industry.
I had previously built a website for his company, during which time I had told him about my Excel VB Solutions Development Services.
He would later offer me the DPR project, and even though it wasn’t my idea of how ExcelVB could be best applied, I felt it was at least a start.
Since then, I’ve developed other applications to demonstrate the various uses to which Excel VB solutions can be applied if off-the-shelf commercial software are not flexible enough or are too expensive for their purchase to be justified.
Instead I used them to show prospects (via demonstration) what could be done for them, should they have a need to get more out of Excel.
But since those early years, I have used feed back from various clients to develop a range of time tested apps that I now sell, with on-demand customization to clients in various markets.
Some of my passive income generating custom Excel-VB apps include my Payslip Generator, Ration Formulator and more recently, my Poultry Farm Manager.
Well, if you go by the fact that he paid N100,000(One Hundred Thousand Naira) 100% up front(I can supply FULL evidence to back up this claim), I guess one could say he was quite convinced that it would be worth it.
And I did not disappoint.
That project was completed within ten (10) days, because I got him to specify exactly what he wanted up front. That way I was able to progress without having “scope” changes introduced by him subsequently based on after-thoughts etc.
Today, I have his completed/signed copy of my Job Completion/Feedback Form (which I would be willing to make available to any interested persons to see) indicating that what he got was indeed to his satisfaction.
Not long after I finished that first project, I visited Ghana, to explore opportunities for business partnerships/collaboration, but was unable to make much headway from meetings I had, during my 2 week stay.
Basically, the owner realised the business had grown too big for paper-based recording and analysis of daily sales and expenses to be adequate for performance monitoring and measurement.
Also, whilst trying to source funding to expand the business, from his bankers, he found they wanted certain detailed historical records of the operations over a period, which were not exactly obtainable in an easily retrievable format in the paper based records.
I successfully completed that project, and later created demos to promote my work to other clients, based on it. As the years passed, I won more complex projects that challenged me to take my work to the next level.
At a point, I realized I had to find ways to add to what I knew, so as to deliver more robust solutions. Eventually, following weeks of research online, apart from useful websites and discussions I learnt from, I purchased the excellent book titled “Professional Excel Development”.
It came with a CD containing very useful workbook examples based on the book’s contents. And they all had their Visual Basic modules accessible.
In no time, I began using what I learnt to build a superior breed of applications. And that has enabled me deliver better value to buyers of my apps, for much greater remuneration.
From people in developed societies and even amongst my own countrymen, a seeming stereotype has periodically surfaced in the feedback I’ve gotten.
After browsing through my Excel Heaven website, watching demo videos and downloading sample apps I offered…
1. A Singaporean gentleman (also an ExcelVB developert) wrote me from saying the degree of sophistication of my apps made him doubt that I could be based in Nigeria, as stated on the contact page.
It took calling him from my mobile phone, to convince him it was true. We’ve been online friends since 2007, and even shared ideas on client projects we’ve had to handle over the years.
2. A Pakistani inquirer challenged me to chat with him on Skype, if I was sure my Poulry Farm Manager app existed.
Within 10 minutes of responding to his questions, including posting some screenshots, he post: “Wow. It is good to see something like this coming out of Africa”.
I found that quite amusing.
3. A Nigerian business owner wanted to know if I did my coding myself, or whether I just (like so many do) represent a foreign software development firm, who do all the work, based on specs I send them, and send me the finished apps.
I told him how I began building spreadsheet software using self taught skills from back when I was a trainee brewer in Guinness.
I did it in my spare time. It was not my job. But over time my apps got adopted for formal brewery level reporting, and I enjoyed company wide recognition and rapid career advancement for my efforts.
I only began using MS Excel VB when the company moved from Lotus Smartsuite to MS Office. So, I have been doing this for quite a while – 2 decades to be specific. Hopefully that explains how I am able to turn the quality of apps people see, and use, all by myself.
I work with no one. No partners. I work alone writing my code, designing my spreadsheet and graphic user interfaces to meet clients needs and specifications.
Customizable Excel-VB Driven Poultry Layer Farm Manager Software (Video Demonstration)
Watch screen shot demonstration video of the Excel-Visual Basic Driven Poultry Farm Manager I build from scratch, or customize/scale down to suit the needs of different farm business sizes.
It allows users make daily entries of farm production/operating data.
Click here to watch on YoutubeAnd it instantly generates Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), like Mortality Rates, Feeding rate, Feed to egg conversion ratios, Hen Day Production Percentage (HDP) %, and other parameters.
VIDEO 1: Tayo Solagbade demonstrates how to use the newly introduced “Extra Ingred!” button on the main floating data entry form of his popular Excel VB driven Ration Formulator
Clicking it loads a smaller drop menu driven data entry form that can be used to add up to 7 extra feed ingredients to a ration.
You are now able to formulate rations with 19 ingredients instead of 12 as used to be the case.
All past buyers get it free. Just get in touch via tayo at tksola dot com
It was challenging going through the repeat rejections from those I approached with this service for 2 years. But not once was I discouraged. For one thing I knew what I was offering had enabled me achieve phenomenal success as a process manager – over a 7 year period – in the fast-pace corporate multinational I worked in.
I had repeatedly developed – in my spare time, and with no formal IT training – custom spreadsheets that dramatically boosted workplace productivity. It was because I had seen how useful my applications had been to such a large organisation, that I was convinced other organisations would make similar huge savings by adopting custom spreadsheet solutions.
Back in Guinness, it started like that, until I developed applications that helped individuals finish weekly/monthly reports in a fraction of the time it used to take them – and with more accuracy and reliability. In no time at all, four of my applications were adopted for brewery level reporting. When I entered into business, I knew I only had to continue showing prospects what could be done till someone developed enough interest.
I also tried approaching many IT Training organisations that I noticed offered training in Excel(especially advanced Excel).
But I found repeatedly to my surprise that either the person in charge of the Training had never heard of Excel VB, or s/he believed there could be no value to be had from teaching employees how to automate Excel using VBA, so they could develop in-house solutions cheaply(th way I did as an employee).
In most cases, these IT training persons insisted that developing executable applications using the standalone Visual Basic programming language, and other more conventional coding languages was “better”.
What they failed to realise was the truth stated by a Microsoft Certified Professional, Pierre Leclerc, who runs a widely recognised and successful Excel Spreadsheet automation business (http://www.excel-vba.com).
“Let’s say that VB is for programmers and VBA is for users (or developers). Personally, I took hundreds of hours of training in VB but I do all my work in VBA (Excel and Access). You don’t need to learn VB to be good at VBA. I adopted VBA because most of the functions I need to organize and analyse data are pre-programmed in Excel and Access. It costs a lot less to develop financial and management applications in Excel and Access than to re-invent the wheel and do everything in VB.”
By the way, if you’re still wondering what the difference is between Excel VBA and Visual Basic, click here for an explanation.
UPDATE: Good news. Apart from 65%discount on ALL my products/services, every member of my InnerCircle now gets ONE of my products of his/her choice FREE(e.g my Poultry Farm Manages, Ration Formulator, Payslip Generator etc). Read the updated offer pdf click here and let me know which product you want. Tayo K. Solagbade
Watch a Clinical Audiologist client I have served since 2007, speak about me in an impromptu video below, or on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mA_reF_WIY&feature=youtu.be
“Join MY Inner Circle at www.tayosolagbade.com for $160 USD per year and Get custom Farm Business Software, Business Plans, Information Products, Freelance Writing, plus Web Marketing, & Software Development Services – ALL at 65% off for LIFE! ” – Tayo K. Solagbade
NB: Those who pay $200 will get lifetime membership. Such persons won’t need to renew their membership annually and they still get 65% Discount Off EVERYTHING I offer for Life!
Every Inner Circle member gets a PERSONAL login username and password access to benefits.
I recorded this video in his office (on 8th Dec. 2014) and DELIBERATELY left it unedited, as you’ll hear us…
===Starts===
(Tayo Solagbade’s voice in Yoruba) “E duro, e duro. Oya” (i.e Yoruba for “Wait, wait. Okay”)
“Mr. (Tayo) Solagbade is a very industrious person. Very very committed to his work. He’s always full of ideas and solutions to problems, and for me, he is somebody that can give some great ideas to a business person that is facing some difficulties in any field you may think you are.
I’m in a clinical setting and he has been offering some great solutions to problems we face everyday. I listen to his relations with many of his clients. Some are into Agricultural sector, some are into legal sector, and he has been helping them to improve their practice, and to do better business.
He has a very good customer relationship. He knows how to relate with people, how to talk with people, how to flow with people.
And he’s somebody that when you enter into conversation with him, you ke(ep) on talking without having to end it. (Tayo’s slight laughter in background). He’s good. Good (laughs).”
===Ends===
PDF membership certificates will be issued to members.
Quarterly ($40 USD) & 6 Monthly ($80 USD) memberships available, but 50% off, not 65%.
You can pay:
a. in cash or b. by purchasing paperback books from my online store equivalent to $160 USD.
Examples of What You Get at 65% Off…
Alternatively…
