Tag Archives: Based on a True Story

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, The Farm CEO

Tayo Solagbade’s Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager – Video Interview With Lagos Farm CEO After Problem Resolution [PII 055: To Succeed Even When Things Go Wrong, You Need Mastery of Your Craft – Part 2 of 2 | Based on a True Story]

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In this second and concluding part of yesterday’s newsletter, I feature the FULL video interview (with the verbatim text transcript). I recorded it with Thompson Obuseh, a Lagos based Poultry Farm CEO, after I’d resolved a major part of the “Compile Error” problem he’d been having, for 4 days with my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager on his 64-bit laptop computer.

Preamble/Background

On Sunday 26th February 2017, between 10:45 a.m. and 3p.m, I spent time with a young Poultry Farm CEO named Thomas Obuseh. It was the first time we were meeting face to face, in the flesh, since he first made contact with me on phone back in August 2016.

I’d made him an offer then which he’d not taken up. Then on Tuesday 20th February 2017 he’d called in at about 8a.m and 24 hours later, he’d made payment to take up a new offer I made to him.

However, over the next 4 days after I emailed him a personalized copy of the software, he had NOT once succeeded in making use of it, due to a nagging “Compile error” message it kept throwing on his Laptop.

I tried to support him remotely, to no avail. He was understandably disturbed – & even expressed doubts that the app worked!

To resolve the problem, I invited him to meet me in Ikeja, made upfront payment to his bank account to cover to/fro fueling of his car from his Victoria island based, so I could solve the problem – and prove that my app worked!

By the time we were done, I got him to take a photo with me and also recorded THE testimonial video you’re about to watch, of him sharing his feelings and observations about what had been done, and the experience he’d had using the app, in the few hours he’d used it.

Read Issue PII 055 of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter published yesterday Monday 27th February 2017, for details of how I identified the code module declarations (for Windows API calls I used in my app) that new requirements needed me to adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message to.

1. Read this video’s text transcript below, and the full story about what happened here

2. Watch 16 step-by-step User Guide Video Demos at www.tinyurl.com/15pfmVideos

3. You can contact me using the form at www.tayosolagbade.com/contact.htm

The PFM has been proven to work in Excel 2007 up to 2016 without ANY problems – and this is captured in video demonstrations.

The problem Thompson had is more of a rare exception, than the norm. Thompson himself estimated there will probably be only 1 in 50 buyers I would encounter with his kind of peculiar situation, in which his laptop is always plugged into the corporate network where daily automatic updates happen to its Windows and Office installations.

An Excel-VB app like mine, meant for private use by the owner, when run on such a laptop would be encounter restrictions designed to prevent unauthorized apps with potentially malicious code from running without limitations on it, since it could infect other PCs on the network if it was a virus.

In case you’re not aware, Excel-VB code has been successfully used to create harmful virus applications that have caused major damage in the past.

This is the reason why Thompson’s 64 bit laptop settings were stricter than those on other 64 bit computers I’d seen my app run on before meeting him.

Read Issue PII 055 of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter published yesterday Monday 27th February 2017, for details of how I discovered I needed to make changes in the code module declarations (for Windows API calls I used in my app) by adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message.

Below: Verbatim Text Transcript  of the Video Testimonial Interview with Thompson Obuseh which I recorded with him, AFTER we were done

Tayo: Right. So I’m speaking with Mr. Thomas. How do you pronounce your surname again?

Thompson Obuseh: It’s not Thomas actually. It’s Thompson Obuseh.

Tayo: Okay Thompson – sorry! Apologies for that. Okay, I know when we met this morning, I could see smoke coming (from your ears)

[Both laugh]

Tayo: So, so…maybe I should show my face [Camera turns to briefly show Tayo’s “mug” :-)]

Tayo: This is me O, guys Ehn! [Camera returns focus to Thompson]

Tayo: Now, it’s been a long time since I did a video, but I want to do this because this relationship has happened and I’m happy about the way we ended it. So ehm Thompson, we’ve had a session – about 2 hours right…probably more than that?

Thompson Obuseh: More like 2 hours

Tayo: More like 2 hours. Okay and ehm Thompson came (driving) all the way down from Ajah

Thompson Obuseh: Yes. It’s even beyond Ajah sef. Abijo – that’s where I stay.

Tayo: Oh really?

Thompson Obuseh: Yes, I stay in Abijo. I just dey say Ajah because…

[Video cuts off due to run down of my workhorse Blackberry Smartphone’s battery]

Luckily, I’d gotten my 18 year old son to lend me his Gionee E3T Smartphone as a backup in case that happened (Experience having taught me well in the past!).

So, about 2 minutes later, we started the interview all over again – but only after I’d gotten Tom to teach me how to use the touch screen interface of the phone.

By way of interest, I am yet to embrace those kinds of devices due my bias for the key based use of mobiles. As a result, my kids use cooler looking and more expensive mobiles than I do! Why? Well, that’s a subject for another day.

====

Tayo: Just a minute O. Okay. Alright, so ah, this is Mr. Thompson Obuseh. Ah I was just making a comment that when we first met, after I got directions to get him down to this place in Omole Phase 2, I’m serious, smoke was coming from his ears

[Both laugh]

Tayo: We had been on phone for 4 days or 5 days sef, and it was not funny. He was getting compile errors from the Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager, and me I could not understand where compile error was coming from.

Anyway, long story short, I had to direct him to meet with me. You know, we were all blowing grammar on the phone.

I said “Let’s just meet and sort this thing out once and for all!”

Ah, he’s going to speak now. We’ve finished…we’ll we’ve gotten some things started. At least we have sense of direction and I just want him to comment on how he feels NOW!

[Both laugh]

Thompson Obuseh: Well, I’m a lot (better) because I invested some amount of money and I was not getting results. Like every customer

Tayo: Naturally…

Thompson Obuseh: Yes. Naturally, like every customer if you don’t get service for what you have paid for…

Tayo: You start wondering…

Thompson Obuseh: Yes, you have to wonder. But now I think there’s a sense of direction. He’s been able to resolve let’s say 50% of the problem. I can now use it, but the others as they should come up, he promised to fix them.

Tayo: Yeah. Okay, good. And eh, what would you say in terms of, how do I put it now, the application itself. How easy it is to relate to? How to you find it?

Thompson Obuseh: Ah, from what I’ve seen, just like I saw online, I think it’s good…the interaction is perfect. You just need to have the basic knowledge of Excel just to use it. Yes. You can interact with it excellently.

Tayo: Right, so this is me speaking. Let me show myself [Laughter]

Thompson Obuseh: You can show yourself

Tayo: Yeah, you told me about how to do it, but you know, me and this thing, you guys are seeing us abi? [Laughter]

Tayo: Okay so, we’re  making fun of ourselves now. It turns out that Thompson’s wife speaks French and teaches French. So, since I speak French, that’s another dimension to the whole thing. Anyway but it’s been a useful experience for us today, and ehm I’m sure we’re gonna sort this out to final point. And then I’ll be using Thompson’s version for any other person that comes with this wahala of compile error. I just carry am throway – “Take, no disturb me!” [Laughter]

Thompson Obuseh: (Jokingly) Well, it’s good. maybe you just have to give me some commission

Tayo: Yeah, no…we’re going to…what we’re even going to do is, this video, we’re going to say, without Thompson coming up with his compile error thing, I wouldn’t have had a need to come and look at it and actually meet…I cannot remember when last I met with anybody. Because I’ve been selling and people are just using it, and we talk, and they say I’m made entry, I had this…plotted this chart…

So when this happened…he rightly pointed it out, I don’t disagree, that having the opportunity to do this has created a new dimension in terms of level of users. Because there are some users who will have this problem he’s having and we’ll be able to have an answer for them.

Thompson Obuseh: Instant answer. Once he’s just…say don’t worry, this is what we’ll do.

Tayo: Yes, no need to asking questions. Just say “Oh, that’s the problem you’re having? here is the solution! We’ll call it “The Thompson Solution” {Laughter]

Tayo: Alright, cheers men

Thompson Obuseh: Alright, bye bye.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, The Farm CEO

PII 055: To Succeed Even When Things Go Wrong, You Need Mastery of Your Craft – Part 1 of 2 | Based on a True Story

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Nothing beats being a master of your craft. You need to invest endless time, effort, money and any other necessary resources, to become as proficient as possible at it, so that ANYTIME those you serve demand for your problem solving attention, you will not be found wanting.

It is with regard to my Excel VB Solutions Development that I have narrated the true story featured below, in this week’s issue of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter.

Yesterday, Sunday 26th February 2017, between 10:45 a.m. and 3p.m, I spent time with a Lagos based Poultry Farm CEO named Thomas Obuseh. It was the first time we were meeting face to face, in the flesh, since he first made contact with me on phone back in August 2016.

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

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

Monday 27th February 2017

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 055: To Succeed Even When Things Go Wrong, You Need Mastery of Your Craft – Part 1 of 2 | Based on a True Story

Nothing beats being a master of your craft. You need to invest endless time, effort, money and any other necessary resources, to become as proficient as possible at it, so that ANYTIME those you serve demand for your problem solving attention, you will not be found wanting.

It is with regard to my Excel VB Solutions Development that I have narrated the true story featured below, in this week’s issue of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter.

Yesterday, Sunday 26th February 2017, between 10:45 a.m. and 3p.m, I spent time with a Lagos based Poultry Farm CEO named Thomas Obuseh. It was the first time we were meeting face to face, in the flesh, since he first made contact with me on phone back in August 2016.

tom-pre-solution-thb

I’d made him an offer then which he’d not taken up. Then he’d returned last Tuesday, on 20th February 2017 – calling in at about 8a.m in the morning. About 24 hours later, he’d made payment to take up a new offer I made to him.

In my usual manner, I proceeded to use details he supplied to me about himself and his farm business, to personalize the PFM and accompanying products, which I emailed to him.

I could however never have predicted what happened over the next four days.

The drama began with Tom writing in to say he’d been unable to launch the spreadsheet app, because each time he tried to do so, it returned a “Compile error”.

Past experience with other users who’d initially struggled, made me ask if he was using a computer running a Mac OS. He sent me – in response to my request – screenshots of his PC’s specs as well as that of the error message returned by the app. I noted he was using a 64 bit HP ProBook – so the Mac issue was ruled out.

Long story short, my mind went to the possibility of a 32-bit vs 64-bit conflict. But I had problems accepting that possibility because not only had I successfully run the app on 64 bit computers myself, but I had also seen others do the same – including the manager of a neighborhood café I use.

So, I had a dilemma. In the past, I’d had to follow tips provided on the Microsoft website to adviSe a client in 2014, to step down his Excel version from 64 bit to 32 bit via custom install from the disk.

He’d reported getting a different error message – shown below – from that seen by Thompson:

“Microsoft Forms… Could not load an object because it is not available on this machine”

The problem I had in Tom’s case was however that all he got was a “Compile error” message, so I could not make much of it. I needed more information, and I knew the best/quickest way would likely be to interact directly with the computer on which this was happening.

At a point, Tom wrote an email saying he believed my app did not work – and he challenged me to prove that it did by getting it to work on HIS own laptop!

I replied that I had told him there were other clients who used the app. I told him my suspicion was that his was a unique/peculiar problem that was NOT general to others.

After some heated debates on phone and email, I decided to invite him to meet with me, so I could address the problem he was having. Luckily, this was made easy by the fact that he lived in Lagos, and I was also in town.

By the time we met at Omole Estate Phase 2, I promptly removed the password protection from the Visual Basic Editor. Then I ran the Workbook Open procedure again, with the password removed.

This resulted in more descriptive information being added to the error message that appeared.

Compile error:

The code in this project must be updated for use on 64-bit systems.

Please review and update Declare statements and then mark them with the PtrSafe attribute.

Once I saw that, I immediately knew what the problem was, and what I needed to do. It was the modules in which I’d used Windows API calls that contained the  lines of code throwing the error.

I promptly made modifications to the code modules in a way that enabled the app launch fully to the login screen – and beyond. When this happened, Tom’s face lit up. It was the first time since he purchased the app, that he was seeing it working like I’d demonstrated it in the video he’d watched, in deciding to buy it.

While I worked, I deliberately engaged him in conversation and learned from Tom that he worked as a Network Administrator on a 9 to 5 job, and that his laptop was always plugged into the corporate network where daily automatic updates happened to the laptop’s Windows and Office installations.

On hearing that, I told him that updates downloaded to a computer on a corporate network would be designed to minimize chances of unauthorized application being run without restrictions on it.

An Excel-VB app like mine, meant for private use by the owner, when run on that kind of laptop would likely encounter restrictions I may not have provided for.

Note here, that Excel-VB code has been used to create harmful virus applications that cause major damage in the past.

When I made this point, Tom nodded in agreement, and went on to add that he estimated there was a 1 in 50 chance that I would encounter a user with his kind of situation – to which I exclaimed saying; “Now, you see what I meant when I said yours was a peculiar situation!”

We went on to spend over 2 hours looking through the various data entry and reporting interfaces in the app, as I gave him practical tips on how to use it.

At the same time, I also shared real life examples of how to make use of the app to monitor and manage farm operations to ensure timely decision making for optimal performance.

We ended by agreeing to work via email, as I proceed to make the remaining needed changes in the code module declarations by adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message.

For now, he’s able to commence posting of farm data from paper records prepared by his farm hands.

By the time we parted, we’d shared a lot of banter, and he even arranged for me to converse, in French, with his wife, who works as a French Language Instructor with a Lagos based institution.

Before he drove off, I got him to take a photo with me and also recorded a testimonial video of him sharing his feelings and observations about what had been done, and the experience he’d had using the app, in the few hours he’d begin using it.

me-tom-post-solution

At the risk of stating the obvious, it was my confidence in my Excel-VB coding ability that made me invite Tom to come down with his laptop, so I could fix the problem once and for all.

Indeed, I actually made upfront payment to his bank account to cover to/fro fueling of his car for that purpose. That was how determined I was to solve the problem – and prove that my app worked!

I have been selling my Excel-VB Poultry Farm Manager (PFM) since 2009. I began selling my Excel-VB Ration Formulator software in 2004.

Over the years, I’ve had Farm C.E.Os. from within and outside Africa, by from me – but majority of my buyers continue to come from within Africa, and especially Nigeria, my home country.

The point to note however is that I CULTIVATE and ENJOY healthy relationships with my buyers long AFTER they buy from me.

Some buyers initially need my help to identify why they had issues, but I have NEVER needed to change my code to get it to work!

This experience with Tom, is one that has enabled me demonstrate in a new way, that I deliver on my promises and practice what I preach.

THAT is what I do: I SOLVE problems for those who connect with me, using the solutions I develop. And if a buyer encounters difficulties in trying to make use of my solutions, I ALWAYS adopt a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE to SOLVE whatever challenge s/he may be faced with.

The above is what I successfully DID today, with the Lagos based Farm CEO shown with me in this above shown photo taken just before we parted AFTER our meeting.

If you make mastering your craft a deeply ingrained habit, like I do, you WILL also be able to succeed in spite of setbacks or problems you encounter in your practice of it!

PS: Tomorrow, in the 2nd and concluding part of this article, I will feature the video testimonial by Tom.

tom-vid

sdn-pre-flyer

Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulator

Click to view larger screenshot

1. Click here to learn more about this app – watch demo videos etc

2. Click here to watch a 4 part video in which I demonstrate how to use this app to formulate rations using real life data sent to me by an Algerian PhD student.

Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.

EXCEL-VB DRIVEN POULTRY LAYER FARM MANAGER SOFTWARE

Click here to download a detailed PDF user guide and watch 15 screen shot user guide tutorials of the Monthly Poultry Farm Manager that I now offer Farm CEOs.

Click here to watch a screenshot demonstration of the Excel-VB Driven Poultry Farm Manager I built for a client farm business in Ekiti state, South West Nigeria.

Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.

SDN Blog™

New posts from last week*

Monday:

PII 054: Boost Your Success Achievement Using These 4 Services

[Tuesday]:

Two Learning Resources to Educate Farm CEOs and Other Stakeholders On the Need to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset

[Wednesday]:

Equip Your Kids to Deal With Abuse of Any kind and Excel [Hint: TV Talk Show Relationship Expert Psychiatrist/Author Answers Question by Male Caller Claiming to be Abused by His Wife]

[Thursday]:

Download the “PRACTICAL LIVESTOCK FEED FORMULATION HANDBOOK” – BY TAYO SOLAGBADE, Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist

N/A

[Saturday]:

The FARM CEO (Issue 75): Top 11 Articles on Best Practice Farm Business Management for Profit – by Tayo K. Solagbade, Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist & Founder of the Farm Business Support Centre

[Sunday]:

[TRUE STORY] He was NOT smiling when we met, face to face, for the first time, today – because of My Excel-VB Poultry Farm Mgr!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Best Practice Farm Business Support Specialist & Founder of the MS Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club and Competition

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

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

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Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, Farm Biz, General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

PREVIEW: Choosing The RIGHT Feed Formulation Software (What You Need to Know) – Based on a True Story

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A recent prospective (Catfish Farm CEO) buyer of my Excel-VB Ration Formulator app, wrongly opined that it could not be used to formulate feed for Catfish, because my feed formulation handbook used poultry based examples.

You’re likely to find my response (the last of the messages reproduced in the thread below) useful for choosing the right feed formulation app. [Note that you’ll need the password for Issue 05 of THE FARM CEO™ to access this full blog version]

1. First his web contact form enquiry came in…

——Original Message——

From: olayinka <name removed for privacy>

To: tayo at tayosolagbade.com

Subject: TayoSolagbade.com FFApp Demo Request

Sent: Jul 5, 2015 06:08

On 2015-07-05 at 05:08:04,

The following information was submitted:

From Host: 41.220.69.101

name = Olayinka <name removed for privacy>

submit_by = <name removed for privacy>

company = Farm Manager

address =

city =

states =

country = Nigeria

phone = 0816<removed for privacy>

how_found = Google search

interest = Cat fish farming

comments = Request for the DEMO version of Tayo’s Excel-VB Ration Formulator

2. Then I replied him as follows…

Re:(Your Enquiry) – ExcelVB driven Ration Formulator
| Jul 5 (2 days ago)

Hi,

Thanks for your message, and your interest in the solutions I offer.

I am currently unable to offer EXE demos of my ExcelVB apps due to problems with the compiler I use to convert the automated workbook to hacker proof EXE version.

Without that protection, if I send out the MS Excel workbook As Is, it will not be a demo, but the real thing, and therefore very hackable.

I cannot afford to make that mistake.

But here’s an offer:

You can meet me at the event I’m running from 4pm today for CEOs and those aspiring, and I will gladly demonstrate the app’s use to you.

=Details Below=

Proven Ways to Earn Passive Income

Work LESS, Earn MORE MONEY, Be Happier!

FREE 1 HR TALK

Sun 5th July 2015 @4p.m

Sherryville Arcade, Berger Bstop-Lagos

See Flyer here (click) [Note to reader: You also view the DVD autorun menu here]

=Ends=

It might interest you to know that I will be explaining in that talk, how my ExcelVB software have been generating passive income for me from buyers in and out of Africa, since 2004.

If the above does not work for you, then I recommend you take a leap of faith and buy the app, like my international buyers do – most recent being from Uganda.

Feel free to call and ask me any questions you may have. Any day and any time at all.

With kindest regards,

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Location Independent Performance Enhancement Specialist & Multipreneur

http://www.tayosolagbade.com

===============

3. He then responds with the following queries…

From: Olayinka <name removed for privacy>

Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2015 07:57:11 +0100

To: <tayo at tayosolagbade.com>

Subject: Re:(Your Enquiry) – ExcelVB driven Ration Formulator

Thanks for your prompt response. Kindly provided answers to the following

1. How much does the app cost?

2. What is the content of the package?

3. Mode and duration of delivery?

Cheers.

Yinka.

Sent from Samsung tablet

==============

4. And I respond as follows…

Re:(Your Enquiry) – ExcelVB driven Ration Formulator
| Jul 5 (2 days ago)

Thanks for getting back.

My responses are inserted below each of your questions…

1. How much does the app cost?

It sells for 12,500.00

Note however, that you must be very familiar with the science of practical feed formulation and compounding, if you wish to make successful use of any software in formulating balanced rations for livestock.

Mine is no exception.

For this reason I always recommend that a prospective buyer, if not proficient in feed formulation, also purchase and diligently study my Handbook on the subject, which sells for N8,000.00 to buyers within Nigeria (It sells for $82 USD in my online store at http://www.lulu.com/shop/tayo-solagbade/practical-livestock-feed-formulation-handbook/ebook/product-20817463.html)

2. What is the content of the package?

You get the following items:

A. A zipped folder containing your personalised copy of the latest version

of my Excel-VB application which auto computes ration formulas

NB: Your password to login to the Ration Formulator app will also be included in the email.

B. A workbook named RF-Export.xls (for storing derived formulas, if you

want) which MUST always be placed in the same location as the app

C. A workbook named data-appended.xls which was used in the 4 part video

tutorial demonstration created for this app at

http://tinyurl.com/RealRationDemo

D. Your personalised copy of the detailed PDF userguide for the Ration

Formulator [Name = screenshots_RATIONFORMULATOR.pdf]

E. A zipped folder containing 4 print-ready screenshot annotated JPEG images that I created to provide additional quick-start details for users

F. [If you paid for it you will also get] Your personalized copy of the Feed Formulation Handbook (PDF)

G. [Based on 6 above you will also get] Your personalised copy of my PDF Annotated Pictorial Introduction to Feed

Ingredients, which all buyers of my Feed Formulation Handbook get FREE, with my compliments.

See a preview of what it looks like, at http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/annotated-pictorial-introduction-to-livestock-feed-formulation-ingredients/

[Note to reader: Click here to view an updated version of the above article on the annotated PDF]

H. Lastly, you get a PDF invoice confirming payment received from you, plus the above details of items delivered to you.

3. Mode and duration of delivery?

Once your payment is confirmed, I will commence personalizing the items you paid for. They will be delivered via email to you within 24 to max 48 hours.

Now, most buyers opt to receive my software and handbook via email, as attachments.

However, every now and then some have paid relevant fees to ALSO have me Fedex courier them the digital products on DVD to Kano, Uyo, Warri, Jos etc.

This option enables them get the full length video tutorials so they can watch them offline without incurring Internet bandwith costs.

See the video tutorials at http://tinyurl.com/RealRationDemo

View other details at www.boostyourfarmprofits.biz – click Feed Formulation.

Hope this helps.

With kindest regards,

Tayo

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

================

5. He replies stating that he will go on to buy…asks for payment details

From: olayinka <name removed for privacy>

>Date:05/07/2015  9:45 AM

> To: tayo at tayosolagbade.com

> Subject: Re: [Delete Preceding Email] Re:(Your Enquiry) – ExcelVB driven Ration Formulator

> Thanks. I will pay for both the software and the handbook. Kindly > forward your account details. I will make online payment between 2 and 4

> pm today after our church service. Also let me know the cost of courier service to Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

Yinka.

================

6. So I send him the account details…

Bank: <removed for privacy>

Account Name: Tayo Kayode Solagbade

Account Number: <removed for privacy>

On the Fedex fee to your end, I do not have confirmed information I can give you now, as the Fedex office will not open till tomorrow.

What I can do is offer what I know from the waybills issued to me by Fedex Allen Avenue for delivering to past buyers in other states:

1. PHarcourt: N3,250

2. Kano: N2,950

3. Jos: N3,900

4. Warri: N2,910 (I believe your fee cannot be higher than this one , given that Oyo state’s closer to Lagos than Delta, so, in the interest of expedience, I suggest going with this. Decision is yours to make).

Tayo

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

=====

7. Then there was a BIG silence all through the rest of that day (Sunday)… and right through daytime on Monday, until close to 7p.m, when he writes to say this…

NB: I barely had time to even remember or think about this delay from his end, because I had to prepare for and deliver my 1 hour talk on Passive Income Generation on that same Sunday – it ended up lasting from 5 to 8p.m as against the 1 hour I planned. Monday was my 45th birthday, and I still used most of it to respond to my DVD promo offers and also prepare/send out my newsletter.

On Mon, July 6, 2015 6:49 pm, olayinka_oladeji wrote:

> The preview of the Handbook suggests that the emphasis of the software is

> on poultry. I am into fish farming and hence of the opinion that I may

> not enjoy the full benefits of the resources. Tx anyway for your time.

>  Yinka.

> Sent from Samsung Mobile

8. About an hour or so later, I send him the response below, with a PDF attached, ending by wishing him well as he continues his search…

—————————- Original Message —————————-

Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: [Delete Preceding Email] Re:(Your Enquiry) – ExcelVB

driven Ration Formulator

From:    “Tayo K. Solagbade” <tayo@tayosolagbade.com>

Date:    Mon, July 6, 2015 8:00 pm

To:      “olayinka_oladeji” <olayinka_oladeji@yahoo.co.uk>

Cc:      “Tayo K. Solagbade [ReInventing]” <tayo@tayosolagbade.com>

————————————————————————–

Thanks for your message…

This response is not designed to make you change your mind.

===End of preview===

Click here to continue reading the final message … [Note that you’ll need the password for Issue 05 of THE FARM CEO™ to access this full blog version: See full details about subscribing at http://tinyurl.com/TheFarmCEO]

General, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

A Powerful Tool for Solving Your Website’s RSS Feed Problem (Based on a True Story)

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When I posted my video based blog last Thursday, no RSS feeds appeared for it on my Facebook wall. But I assumed it was a glitch from the RSS syndication service I use. When it happened again the next day, I knew it was time to be concerned! This article explains how I spent 2 hours investigating and eventually rectifying the problem.

RSS feeds can be powerful tools for driving (actually “PULLING”) traffic to your website

That is, if they are properly setup and used.

And also if you churn out content that’s perceived as useful by your target audience.

I estimate that mine have always brought me over 80% of my website traffic. When you publish a blog post, and within seconds you see the number of views rise, it’s often due to people subscribed to your RSS feeds.

They see your published feeds much more readily than others. But you will rarely know who they are, except for those who choose to signup to your mailing list.

A growing number of people today want to avoid adding to the avalanche of e-mails they get. So they prefer to use RSS feeds to decide who to follow and what to read.

Smart website owners realize that maintaining valid RSS feeds is crucial to their ability to PULL traffic in…

This is why they always check that their RSS feeds are working.

In my case, every now and then I click the link to my Feed burner managed RSS link, and watch to ascertain it loads correctly.

The screenshot below shows what it normally looks like.

In my case, every now and then I click the link to my Feed burner managed RSS link, and watch to ascertain it loads correctly.
In my case, every now and then I click the link to my Feed burner managed RSS link, and watch to ascertain it loads correctly.

But even if I did not click on the RSS link, another readier way I can check is by watching my feeds on Facebook.

Having setup my RSS feeds to appear on my Facebook profile each time I post a new blog, all I have to do is check that the preview for that new post appears on my wall.

The screenshot below shows an example.

Having setup my RSS feeds to appear on my Facebook profile each time I post a new blog, all I have to do is check that the preview for that new post appears on my wall.
Having setup my RSS feeds to appear on my Facebook profile each time I post a new blog, all I have to do is check that the preview for that new post appears on my wall.

 

Well, last Thursday, that did not happen: Nothing appeared on my wall!

When I noticed that, I shook it off as being due to a possible glitch in the syndication service I use (i.e. RSS Graffiti).

But the next day when I posted another blog, and my wall was again left bare!

At that point I knew there was a problem – and its impact on my posts was immediately obvious.

The one from the day before had recorded less than 5 views. Normally, there would have been at least 20 to 25 views within 24 hours.

Indeed before I lost my 9 year old former domain (spontaneousdevelopment.com), most of my posts would have gotten up to 50 or more views within 24 hours.

These are of course not big numbers, but their fidelity is rarely in question. And I periodically get sales leads that I sometimes convert to sales via this channel – from within and outside Africa too.

That’s why I would say an RSS feed is a reliable indicator of the quality of your web content.

You don’t know them. So they don’t have to worry about you feeling offended if they do not read your stuff.

If it’s good they will click and come over to read.

If it’s not, they’ll ignore it.

Which is why I reckon more with people who have large RSS feeds in partcular – and to some extent those with large mailing lists. Both often have prequalfied prospects (or potential buyers) in there…

As for people who brandish huge website traffic figures, I believe that’s not as useful an index of performance as the aforementioned. And I say this from experience. Traffic regardless of source makes no sense. We want human beings potentially interested in what we offer.

Getting traffic by any means is not an efficient way to get such people. And it can often cost more than it saves or makes for you. My experience based opinion of course :-))

To find out what was wrong, I went to my blog and clicked the RSS link. Sure enough, I got a scary error message.

Here is it (in part):

“Error on line 200 at column 331. Input is not proper UTF8…indicate encoding…”

I did not know what to do. It had never happened to me before. And I had never read about it either.

But I knew I needed to take corrective and timely action fast. So, like the rule on the web says, I began “Googling it!”

I Googled everything I could think of relating to “repairing RSS feeds” (like this and this). All sorts of website articles came up (like this and this). And I also came across nifty Word press plug-ins (like this one) developed to solve a certain kind of RSS feed problem.

As you can imagine, I hungrily read through the various articles sharing tips about how to solve RSS feed problems the author had encountered.

I also watched videos (like this one) created by website owners who managed to find solutions to their own RSS feed problem version.

But none of the solutions I found online worked for me. Not a single one!

At this point I began to get a bit scared.

I felt like someone who’d been told by a doctor that there was no cure for the ailment he’d been diagnosed with.

But something told me to keep searching. So I Googled some more.

That was when an article appeared in which the author recommended using the popular RSS Feed Validation service, to check what exactly the problem with my feed was.

I’d used that service 2 years back, in checking that my RSS feed was valid.

But I never knew it could be used to TRACE the cause of an invalid feed.

So, this turned out to be a useful learning experience for me!

Within a few seconds of getting to the Feed Validation Service website, I’d generated a report that yellow-highlighted the HTML content in EACH of the blog posts featured in my RSS feed.

And it indicated what line numbers the invalid entries were on.

If you’re familiar with Word press, you know that when editing a post in TEXT mode, you can see the HTML code for the content in it.

If you’re familiar with Word press, you know that when editing a post in TEXT mode, you can see the HTML code for the content in it.
If you’re familiar with Word press, you know that when editing a post in TEXT mode, you can see the HTML code for the content in it.

 

So, all you have to do is search for the offending bit(s) of code (identified by the Feed Validation Service) in each post, and either modify, or delete it.

Then save that post, and click to view the RSS feed again. If you’ve removed all invalid ones, the feed will display normally.

Also, clicking “Check” on the Feed Validation button for your RSS feed will generate a new results page with this message:

“Congratulations! This is a valid RSS feed.”

Also, clicking “Check” on the Feed Validation button for your RSS feed will generate a new results page with this message:
Also, clicking “Check” on the Feed Validation button for your RSS feed will generate a new results page with this message:

When I saw that for my feed, I went back to my Facebook post (where I’d earlier announced the problem), to share that I’d resolved it. (See screenshot below)

And I also promised to explain how I did it.

When I saw that for my feed, I went back to my Facebook post (where I’d earlier announced the problem), to share that I’d resolved it. (See screenshot below)
When I saw that for my feed, I went back to my Facebook post (where I’d earlier announced the problem), to share that I’d resolved it. (See screenshot below)

With THIS blog post you’ve just read, I have now fulfilled that promise.

Hope you found it useful.

And if you have any questions, do let me know what they are, in the comments.

I wish you well!

PS: The Feed Validation also noted some minor improvements I could make by removing items that could impede “interoperability with the widest range of feed readers”. I’m already working on that.