Thursday, November 27, 2008
How to successfully manage your employees
Hire wisely
Most businesses hire bodies for particular jobs rather than people to help build a future. Your business is only as good as each individual employee’s contribution to its functioning. Therefore, look for the three I’s when you hire: intelligence, initiative and integrity.
For every position, from receptionist to packing clerk, hire only the best you can find. Conversely, if you have current employees who are not performing well, consider whether they are a wise investment of your money.
Build a team, not your ego
Many employers let their egos dominate their interactions with their employees. Stop the pattern. Instead, trust your employees to do their jobs. Make each employees feel that they are an invaluable member of the company team.
Let each employee know they are an integral parts of the company’s end product. Set the example for positive interaction at all times between members of the team even when ideas or performance must be corrected.
Reward well
When you get good employees, reward them financially and emotionally. Be sure their pay is at least market rate. Take time often to acknowledge each employee’s contribution. The two biggest loyalty builders are two simple words- thank you.
Be hands on
Know each employee’s job and how to do it. This not only gives you an automatic reserve employee and trainer (yourself), but has an added bonus. If you show an employee that you are willing to learn his job, you are communicating that you believe their work is worthwhile and valuable.
Make your employees versatile
In a small company, every employee should know how to do at least two jobs, particularly on the technical and service sides. For critical tasks, at least three employees should know how to do each job. Thus, you always have an on-the –premises reserve who can step in when needed.
Give away tasks but not ultimate leadership
What is it you do best? Are you the ideal man, the best salesman in your company, the organizer? Find your best talent and then delegate all other tasks to your employees. Train them appropriately to do their job, let them know you have confidence in their ability to perform well, and then let them do their jobs.
Adding responsibility with confidence will increase your employee’s willingness to work and their pride in the company’s end result .At the same time, you must maintain ultimate leadership. In any well run ship, the captain makes final decisions and you are still the captain, albeit a benign one.
Communicate
You must talk with your employees, solicit their suggestions and positively correct their mistakes. Conversely, you must create an atmosphere where employees are willing and able to talk with you. The two best sources of information on how your business is doing and how to improve it are employees and your customers. Pay attention to both.
Give your best and encourage the same in your employees
Pride in the company and its product or service always begins at the top. If you give a half effort or let a sloppily produced product to go out the door to a client, you are sending a message to your employees that you do not respect your clients or your work.
Your employees will adopt that view as well. If you set the example of giving the extra effort, pitching in when needed, caring about your fellow team members, working as a unit to be the best in your particular business, and taking care of the bottom line, your employees worth having and keeping will follow suit.
Encourage innovation and creation
Give your employees a stake in the future. Once a month, have a meeting where the employees make suggestions on how to improve your product, service, efficiency, or bottom line. Give positive encouragement for the process.
Have a second in command
No general goes into battle without a major who can take over if he is felled by a bullet. You are your business’ general and must act accordingly. Find someone you trust within your company who has the same goals ideals and a similar business style. Train him/her appropriately. Let others know he/she has your confidence and authority when you are gone.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
CAN I KNOW YOU ?
By Deolu Akinyemi
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I decided to dust up one of my audios yesterday, and I’ve been listening to it since then. It’s an audio by Harvey Mackay, and it’s about building powerful networking relationships. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s an area where I believe I have serious room for improvement. Peter Drucker once said - “More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject”. Since there is no course or formal training on networking, it’s knowledge we must all invest in getting, and a life course we must all sit… and before this sounds like mere education, please know sincerely that I am building my network, and I’ll like to get to know YOU better.
If you are thinking, I’m an employee, what do I need to network and build powerful relationships for? Well, be sure that you will not be an employee for life, even if you want to be. The age of collecting 35yrs service award golden wristwatch is far gone, and even if you have that temperament, you’ll have to retire someday - Either to read newspapers and earn passive income, or to engage in one hobby or the other, either way, you’ll still need people, so why not start building those relationships now.
Harvey Mackay talked about a one day course he attended in UCLA - 77 Reasons why you should fly first class. As much as it sounded interesting and funny to me, I could identify with it. You are not worth more than your network, in fact your networth is your network. Before we plunge headlong into how to network, who to network and the right objectives for networking, let’s first understand what Networking is, and what it is not.
So what is networking? According to ‘The Networking Book’ by Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps, ‘Networking is people connecting with people, linking ideas and resources.’ The book ‘Power Networking, 55 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success’ states that networking is not: 1) Selling; 2) Using people for your gain; 3) Coercing or manipulating someone to do what you want; 4) Putting friends, neighbors, associates on the spot; or 5) Badgering people about your business.
Networking is not a shotgun quick fix approach to getting to know people so that you can convert them to business tomorrow, it’s a gradual building of relationships with people with the interest of knowing them, and exchanging value with them over time. Real networking is longterm relationship building with people linking ideas and resources for the greater good of both parties.
Here are a few key thoughts on networking
1. Establish Relationships
Typically try to know people well. Don’t just network for the purpose of business, be genuinely interested in people. No one cares what you know until they know how much you care. Harvey Mackay says they have 66 questions their employees have to know about their clients that will stun the CIA. We need to know details about our network or clients, also about our employees, and people.
2. Be Generous
Many people establish relationships because of what they can get, that’s not good enough. Look not only at what you can get, but also at what you can give. How can you help? How can you add value.
“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity” - Keith Ferrazzi
3. Reach out to Strangers
If you are in a crowd and you stay to yourself, then you isolate yourself. Every stranger is an opportunity to meet one more person. Every flight is an opportunity to interact with one more person. Every training is more valuable for it’s network than it’s information. If you go for a seminar, bond with someone, learn the art of listening, and of introducing yourself.
In Creativity Cafe, “Strangers are just friends who haven’t yet met!” - Peter Rosen
4. Be Honest
Don’t cun your way into a relationship. Be honest about your true intentions, don’t schedule a meeting to interview someone if you really want the person to interview you for a job. If you need help be upfront and straightfoward, don’t be discovered to be phony. Honesty is still the best policy, and integrity and trust are still the universally accepted capital for business.
If you are thinking, I’m an employee, what do I need to network and build powerful relationships for? Well, be sure that you will not be an employee for life, even if you want to be. The age of collecting 35yrs service award golden wristwatch is far gone, and even if you have that temperament, you’ll have to retire someday - Either to read newspapers and earn passive income, or to engage in one hobby or the other, either way, you’ll still need people, so why not start building those relationships now.
Harvey Mackay talked about a one day course he attended in UCLA - 77 Reasons why you should fly first class. As much as it sounded interesting and funny to me, I could identify with it. You are not worth more than your network, in fact your networth is your network. Before we plunge headlong into how to network, who to network and the right objectives for networking, let’s first understand what Networking is, and what it is not.
So what is networking? According to ‘The Networking Book’ by Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps, ‘Networking is people connecting with people, linking ideas and resources.’ The book ‘Power Networking, 55 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success’ states that networking is not: 1) Selling; 2) Using people for your gain; 3) Coercing or manipulating someone to do what you want; 4) Putting friends, neighbors, associates on the spot; or 5) Badgering people about your business.
Networking is not a shotgun quick fix approach to getting to know people so that you can convert them to business tomorrow, it’s a gradual building of relationships with people with the interest of knowing them, and exchanging value with them over time. Real networking is longterm relationship building with people linking ideas and resources for the greater good of both parties.
Here are a few key thoughts on networking
1. Establish Relationships
Typically try to know people well. Don’t just network for the purpose of business, be genuinely interested in people. No one cares what you know until they know how much you care. Harvey Mackay says they have 66 questions their employees have to know about their clients that will stun the CIA. We need to know details about our network or clients, also about our employees, and people.
2. Be Generous
Many people establish relationships because of what they can get, that’s not good enough. Look not only at what you can get, but also at what you can give. How can you help? How can you add value.
“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity” - Keith Ferrazzi
3. Reach out to Strangers
If you are in a crowd and you stay to yourself, then you isolate yourself. Every stranger is an opportunity to meet one more person. Every flight is an opportunity to interact with one more person. Every training is more valuable for it’s network than it’s information. If you go for a seminar, bond with someone, learn the art of listening, and of introducing yourself.
In Creativity Cafe, “Strangers are just friends who haven’t yet met!” - Peter Rosen
4. Be Honest
Don’t cun your way into a relationship. Be honest about your true intentions, don’t schedule a meeting to interview someone if you really want the person to interview you for a job. If you need help be upfront and straightfoward, don’t be discovered to be phony. Honesty is still the best policy, and integrity and trust are still the universally accepted capital for business.
5. Network Selectively
“You never know, someone might say yes” - that’s marketing for dummies, not intelligent people. Don’t go around networking every tom dick and harry. Be selective. Take time to build a profile for the type of people who what you have to offer will appeal to, or who you can be of genuine help to. Speak to people predisposed to what you have to offer, not just anybody that breathes.
“A friend of the whole world, will come to ruin” - The Holy Bible.
6. Reciprocate
Networking is a two way street. So if someone has assisted you, make it a priority to help her down the road. However, do not expect something for someone just because you did something for her. Sometimes that person may not be in the position to help you. However, personally I believe that if you help someone out of the goodness of your heart, it is the ‘order of the universe’ that someone will help you one day. And remember, it has been said, that it is better to give than to receive.
“Give and it will come back to you, in good measure, shaken together, and running over, shall me give to your bossom” - The Holy Bible.
7. Value contacts ahead of contracts
When relationships and contracts clash, go for relationships. Business deals are really relationships between people. People will do business with you because the know you, like you, or trust you. Get a Rolodex (I just learnt that one, it’s a device that is used to store contacts), George bush, and Clinton had some of the best disciplines known ever of keeping people fresh in their minds, that’s why they became president. Keep people fresh in your mind, know them, know about them.
8. Find a Creative way to stay in touch
We met before is an acquaintance, not a relationship. Relationships are cultivated, nourished, developed. It requires calling, mailing, sending sms, and visiting. It requires knowing birthdays, staying in touch, helping out, linking up.
If I score myself on networking, with you for example, I certainly am not doing well. I have however identified this, and I want to really be better. I want to be top 5 Networkers in Nigeria. I want to know people, deeply, to support them, help them and connect them. I’m not doing poorly, but I have great room for improvement. There are so many people that check this site daily for example that never say a word, never drop a comment, just come in, share it with friends and walk. I need you, all of you. Get in touch with me, let me know you, let’s build a relationship. I’m tired of counting hits, I want to count people, people that I know well, people I can help and people that can support me.
It’s the right season and time… our future, the future of our nation and of our children, depend on our abilities to connect today. What are you doing about your network?
“You never know, someone might say yes” - that’s marketing for dummies, not intelligent people. Don’t go around networking every tom dick and harry. Be selective. Take time to build a profile for the type of people who what you have to offer will appeal to, or who you can be of genuine help to. Speak to people predisposed to what you have to offer, not just anybody that breathes.
“A friend of the whole world, will come to ruin” - The Holy Bible.
6. Reciprocate
Networking is a two way street. So if someone has assisted you, make it a priority to help her down the road. However, do not expect something for someone just because you did something for her. Sometimes that person may not be in the position to help you. However, personally I believe that if you help someone out of the goodness of your heart, it is the ‘order of the universe’ that someone will help you one day. And remember, it has been said, that it is better to give than to receive.
“Give and it will come back to you, in good measure, shaken together, and running over, shall me give to your bossom” - The Holy Bible.
7. Value contacts ahead of contracts
When relationships and contracts clash, go for relationships. Business deals are really relationships between people. People will do business with you because the know you, like you, or trust you. Get a Rolodex (I just learnt that one, it’s a device that is used to store contacts), George bush, and Clinton had some of the best disciplines known ever of keeping people fresh in their minds, that’s why they became president. Keep people fresh in your mind, know them, know about them.
8. Find a Creative way to stay in touch
We met before is an acquaintance, not a relationship. Relationships are cultivated, nourished, developed. It requires calling, mailing, sending sms, and visiting. It requires knowing birthdays, staying in touch, helping out, linking up.
If I score myself on networking, with you for example, I certainly am not doing well. I have however identified this, and I want to really be better. I want to be top 5 Networkers in Nigeria. I want to know people, deeply, to support them, help them and connect them. I’m not doing poorly, but I have great room for improvement. There are so many people that check this site daily for example that never say a word, never drop a comment, just come in, share it with friends and walk. I need you, all of you. Get in touch with me, let me know you, let’s build a relationship. I’m tired of counting hits, I want to count people, people that I know well, people I can help and people that can support me.
It’s the right season and time… our future, the future of our nation and of our children, depend on our abilities to connect today. What are you doing about your network?
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
TWO TRAVELLING ANGELS
keep reading to the bottom of the page -- don't
stop at the feet (You'll see).
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night
in the home of a wealthy family.
The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.
Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,
'Things aren't always what they seem.'
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.
After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.
Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?
The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused.
The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.
'Things aren't always what they seem,' the older angel replied.
'When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I
noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.
Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the
wall so he wouldn't find it.'
'Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him
the cow instead.Things aren't always what they seem.'
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
WE NEED BOTH BLESSINGS AND DIFFICULTIES
You need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
People who live in affluence for all of life (such as many people in Nigeria) can easily become so accustomed to wealth, blessings, and prosperity that they can easily forget what blessings they actually have. However, if those possessions are taken away, those people will certainly look at life with a new perspective, realizing how much they really had.
You don't realize how much you have until you don't have it anymore.
God knows the importance of balance; that is, the importance of having both blessings and difficulties. There are several scriptures that speak about this balance. For example in 1 Peter 4:13, we are told: Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Notice how we participate both in suffering and in joy.
Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:7, Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. They experienced both suffering and comfort.
Don't become too comfortable with what you have, because when you forget that the things you have are a blessing from God and when you start to assume that they are guaranteed possessions, it is quite possible that God will take them away from you in order to teach you that you need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
The people who hear God's voice best are the ones who know his word most.
Jesus said to his followers, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). If we hold to his teaching, meaning live in it, abide in it, and follow it, then we will know the truth. That's exactly the way hearing from God works. When we abide in his word, we will know his voice, which is truth.
All of scripture is God talking to his people. So, in order to hear from God, you must know scripture.
God has given us scripture, and he calls it his word. It is the word of God. And we refer to it as God's word. So, how do you know when God's talking to you? Because he talks through his word.
In order to hear God talking to you, you must know his word. The more you know his word, the better you'll hear his voice.
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People who live in affluence for all of life (such as many people in Nigeria) can easily become so accustomed to wealth, blessings, and prosperity that they can easily forget what blessings they actually have. However, if those possessions are taken away, those people will certainly look at life with a new perspective, realizing how much they really had.
You don't realize how much you have until you don't have it anymore.
God knows the importance of balance; that is, the importance of having both blessings and difficulties. There are several scriptures that speak about this balance. For example in 1 Peter 4:13, we are told: Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Notice how we participate both in suffering and in joy.
Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:7, Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. They experienced both suffering and comfort.
Don't become too comfortable with what you have, because when you forget that the things you have are a blessing from God and when you start to assume that they are guaranteed possessions, it is quite possible that God will take them away from you in order to teach you that you need both blessings and difficulties, because one without the other is neither.
The people who hear God's voice best are the ones who know his word most.
Jesus said to his followers, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). If we hold to his teaching, meaning live in it, abide in it, and follow it, then we will know the truth. That's exactly the way hearing from God works. When we abide in his word, we will know his voice, which is truth.
All of scripture is God talking to his people. So, in order to hear from God, you must know scripture.
God has given us scripture, and he calls it his word. It is the word of God. And we refer to it as God's word. So, how do you know when God's talking to you? Because he talks through his word.
In order to hear God talking to you, you must know his word. The more you know his word, the better you'll hear his voice.
Custom Search
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
NAFDAC BANS 22 NIGERIAN,INDIAN COMPANIES
By Victor Sam
Published: Wednesday, 22 Oct 2008
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control on Tuesday, banned from any further operations in the country, 22 national and Indian companies.
It also blacklisted 40 other brand of drugs from further production and sale within Nigeria, asking people never to buy and consume such drugs.
It said the companies had indulged over time in the forgery of NAFDAC registration numbers and those of other companies to sell their fake and substandard products.
The Director-General of the agency, Prof Dora Akunyili, stated these during a meeting with the new Country Representative of United Nations Children’s Education Fund, Dr. Suomi Sakai, in Abuja.
She said the companies would never be allowed to do business again in Nigeria because ‘they have refused over time to stop the forgery of NAFDAC registration numbers’.
Akunyili said the Indian companies would ‘never be allowed again in Nigeria because despite entreaties, they were hell-bent on producing drugs that would kill millions of Nigerians.’
She said, “NAFDAC has just released a list of additional companies which have indulged in producing and selling fake products to Nigerians.
“They have over the years, forged NAFDAC registration numbers and also copied the registration number of other products to perpetuate their criminal acts.
Henceforth, those companies and drugs would never be allowed to be sold and consumed in Nigeria again and by next week we will begin the mopping up of these drugs and companies.”
The banned Nigerian pharmaceutical companies are Medicare Pharma Limited, Maza-Maza, Lagos; O’Nell Pharma and Healthcare Limited, Baptist Church Street, Lagos; Food and Pharma Limited, Ijora, Lagos; and, Sped Pharmacy Limited, Fegge, Onitsha.
Others are Nexus Pharma Limited, Idumota, Lagos; M/S Sanchuks Global Associates Limited, Onitsha; and, M/S Tmoore Int’l Co. Nig. Limited, Kano.
The India companies banned are Empree Medicament (I) Pvt, Honga; Baader Schullz Laboratory; S.I.R. Pharma Pvt Limited; M/S Europa Biocare P Limited; and Alpa Laboratory Limited.
Meanwhile, the director-general, said on Tuesday in Abuja that more than 100,000 applications were received for less than 1,000 vacancies declared by the agency recently.
Akunyili told the News Agency of Nigeria that the number would not deter the agency from employing qualified professionals that would prosecute the war against fake drugs.
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Published: Wednesday, 22 Oct 2008
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control on Tuesday, banned from any further operations in the country, 22 national and Indian companies.
It also blacklisted 40 other brand of drugs from further production and sale within Nigeria, asking people never to buy and consume such drugs.
It said the companies had indulged over time in the forgery of NAFDAC registration numbers and those of other companies to sell their fake and substandard products.
The Director-General of the agency, Prof Dora Akunyili, stated these during a meeting with the new Country Representative of United Nations Children’s Education Fund, Dr. Suomi Sakai, in Abuja.
She said the companies would never be allowed to do business again in Nigeria because ‘they have refused over time to stop the forgery of NAFDAC registration numbers’.
Akunyili said the Indian companies would ‘never be allowed again in Nigeria because despite entreaties, they were hell-bent on producing drugs that would kill millions of Nigerians.’
She said, “NAFDAC has just released a list of additional companies which have indulged in producing and selling fake products to Nigerians.
“They have over the years, forged NAFDAC registration numbers and also copied the registration number of other products to perpetuate their criminal acts.
Henceforth, those companies and drugs would never be allowed to be sold and consumed in Nigeria again and by next week we will begin the mopping up of these drugs and companies.”
The banned Nigerian pharmaceutical companies are Medicare Pharma Limited, Maza-Maza, Lagos; O’Nell Pharma and Healthcare Limited, Baptist Church Street, Lagos; Food and Pharma Limited, Ijora, Lagos; and, Sped Pharmacy Limited, Fegge, Onitsha.
Others are Nexus Pharma Limited, Idumota, Lagos; M/S Sanchuks Global Associates Limited, Onitsha; and, M/S Tmoore Int’l Co. Nig. Limited, Kano.
The India companies banned are Empree Medicament (I) Pvt, Honga; Baader Schullz Laboratory; S.I.R. Pharma Pvt Limited; M/S Europa Biocare P Limited; and Alpa Laboratory Limited.
Meanwhile, the director-general, said on Tuesday in Abuja that more than 100,000 applications were received for less than 1,000 vacancies declared by the agency recently.
Akunyili told the News Agency of Nigeria that the number would not deter the agency from employing qualified professionals that would prosecute the war against fake drugs.
Custom Search
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
HOW TO GROW SMALL-SCALE BUSINESSES
Culled from the punch, Tuesday, October 7, 2008, page 4.
It is true that doing business in Nigeria can sometimes be frustrating. The situation is not help by pervasive decay of supporting infrastructure. This reality puts a lot of pressure on small businesses.
But experts say that no matter how harsh an environment may be, an entrepreneur can scale the hurdle if he adheres to certain rules.
They also say that how fast a business grows depends on the vision of the owner(s). A management consultancy, Mr. Cajetan Chukwuma, says that every businessman must know that the world is a global village and that businesses are competing across borders. According to him, size is not always an issue, noting that a business that starts small can become big if the owners have the right vision.
All one needs, according to him is environmental scanning, which involves identifying the opportunities in one’s business environment and the use of the relevant tools to access them. He explains that for anyone to succeed in his chosen business, he must be sure that a market exists and that he is the right sector at the right time.
He advices that for a business to grow, the owner must leverage on proven strategies, which include the use of internet, imbibing networking, moving to the international scale, developing a value chain and utilizing a franchise. On the benefit of using the internet, he says. ‘’ The use of internet allows small businesses to establish effective inter-business collaboration and also achieve global competitiveness since all site on the internet are equal.’’
Chukwuma also explains that imbibing networking allows small firms to establish formal and informal cooperation. He says, ‘’ Networking with research centres, local institutions and others provides external support at different stages of the business.’’ On the application for franchise to expand a business, he says it is a symbolic relationship between two businesses with specific roles, responsibilities and reciprocal obligations. From the franchise’s perspective, he explains that it enhances expansion rate through lower capital and staff requirements that are needed for growth through operating in branches. Commenting further, Chukwuma adds that franchising also aids in improving market penetration and reduces risks.
He says ‘’For the franchisee, it opens new business opportunities, creates access to well-established production systems and procedures; provide expert services and opens new markets.’’ He also says that developing a value chain through consumers and supplies help every business. This, he notes, is done with the objective of maximizing revenue and profitability by accessing higher value market and creating an environment that drives higher quality.
Experts also assert that in order to grow a business, particularly in Nigeria, the owner must take a comprehensive view and scan the environment through the use of SWOT analysis. This, they opine will help entrepreneurs understand the peculiarities of the environment and the ways to operate optimally.
The managing Director, Global Access Consult, Mr Ismaila Yusuf, says that SWOT, an acronym for STRENGHTS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS, is a strategic planning model that is used to evaluate and specify the objective of the business. Yusuf adds that internal analysis examines the capabilities of the firm’ internal environment, which is done by looking at the organization’s strength ( the core competence of the business) and the weakness ( a limiting factor that can inhibit growth).
Yusuf explains further that the external analysis helps a firm to identify the factors that pose opportunities ( importance business areas that have not been explored) and those that pose threats ( obstacles that could make a business lose focus). He says that a business that intends to compete favourably with others in the same industry must be ready for continuous innovation and acquisition of knowledge. According to him, an important point in growing a business is that the owner of a business must show adaptive thinking by embracing change. This way the turnaround period is shorter and the business booms.
ESSENTIAL TIPS
· Use the internet extensively.
· Get a franchise.
· Be focused.
· Embrace change.
It is true that doing business in Nigeria can sometimes be frustrating. The situation is not help by pervasive decay of supporting infrastructure. This reality puts a lot of pressure on small businesses.
But experts say that no matter how harsh an environment may be, an entrepreneur can scale the hurdle if he adheres to certain rules.
They also say that how fast a business grows depends on the vision of the owner(s). A management consultancy, Mr. Cajetan Chukwuma, says that every businessman must know that the world is a global village and that businesses are competing across borders. According to him, size is not always an issue, noting that a business that starts small can become big if the owners have the right vision.
All one needs, according to him is environmental scanning, which involves identifying the opportunities in one’s business environment and the use of the relevant tools to access them. He explains that for anyone to succeed in his chosen business, he must be sure that a market exists and that he is the right sector at the right time.
He advices that for a business to grow, the owner must leverage on proven strategies, which include the use of internet, imbibing networking, moving to the international scale, developing a value chain and utilizing a franchise. On the benefit of using the internet, he says. ‘’ The use of internet allows small businesses to establish effective inter-business collaboration and also achieve global competitiveness since all site on the internet are equal.’’
Chukwuma also explains that imbibing networking allows small firms to establish formal and informal cooperation. He says, ‘’ Networking with research centres, local institutions and others provides external support at different stages of the business.’’ On the application for franchise to expand a business, he says it is a symbolic relationship between two businesses with specific roles, responsibilities and reciprocal obligations. From the franchise’s perspective, he explains that it enhances expansion rate through lower capital and staff requirements that are needed for growth through operating in branches. Commenting further, Chukwuma adds that franchising also aids in improving market penetration and reduces risks.
He says ‘’For the franchisee, it opens new business opportunities, creates access to well-established production systems and procedures; provide expert services and opens new markets.’’ He also says that developing a value chain through consumers and supplies help every business. This, he notes, is done with the objective of maximizing revenue and profitability by accessing higher value market and creating an environment that drives higher quality.
Experts also assert that in order to grow a business, particularly in Nigeria, the owner must take a comprehensive view and scan the environment through the use of SWOT analysis. This, they opine will help entrepreneurs understand the peculiarities of the environment and the ways to operate optimally.
The managing Director, Global Access Consult, Mr Ismaila Yusuf, says that SWOT, an acronym for STRENGHTS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS, is a strategic planning model that is used to evaluate and specify the objective of the business. Yusuf adds that internal analysis examines the capabilities of the firm’ internal environment, which is done by looking at the organization’s strength ( the core competence of the business) and the weakness ( a limiting factor that can inhibit growth).
Yusuf explains further that the external analysis helps a firm to identify the factors that pose opportunities ( importance business areas that have not been explored) and those that pose threats ( obstacles that could make a business lose focus). He says that a business that intends to compete favourably with others in the same industry must be ready for continuous innovation and acquisition of knowledge. According to him, an important point in growing a business is that the owner of a business must show adaptive thinking by embracing change. This way the turnaround period is shorter and the business booms.
ESSENTIAL TIPS
· Use the internet extensively.
· Get a franchise.
· Be focused.
· Embrace change.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
7 REASONS WHY FEMALES GET HURT IN RELATIONSHIP
I wonder why I keep putting off the sequel to the piece “LOVE WAN TITI” despite my readers craving to see the conclusion. Well to tell the truth, I have not been sleeping well so I have lost all effort to write. I forced myself to sleep at 3.00am this morning after entertaining myself with the DVD - 24, Season 5. The film was so gripping that I forgot the time and the fact that I had to work the next day. I was immediately awoken at 6.00a.m to do my normal chores before bolting to work when this article I am about to write came to me
Self Centeredness
Most females enter relationship (consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously) with a self centered motive. No wonder comments like “he has not asked me to marry him and I have let go of other suitors”, “all men are bad”, “I have feelings for that guy and he is not asking me out”, etc. Since females are crammed and mostly stuck on relationship issues, it suffices to say that they make no effort to understand the male counterpart. If the male counterpart does not meet their preferences, they get worried unnecessarily and develop a pattern of helplessness. They fail to see their contribution in the whole relationship problem and continue casting blame. This in itself is one of the greatest issues of relationship amidst other self imposed vices.
Openness in Communication
Females have a firm belief that they are wired naturally not be open in dealing with their male counterparts. Imagine a female going steady with a guy for 3 years and expecting to get married without voicing her intentions. Why spend 3 years with a guy and you can not tell him how you feel? Why believe that you will lose something by speaking openly with a guy you intend to marry? The only thing you will lose is pride and fear. My dear females, you are not wired to be closed, you chose to be closed because you are afraid of the outcome of being open.
The Weakling Mentality
Females actually believe they are the weaker sex so they allow the man define their happiness. The cultural conditioning gives them this “I need to be pampered and taken care of” mentality. Truth the told, you are created to be a help-meet to a man not to be pampered by a man. You may not be as physically strong as a man but you have a stronger influence. What you lack, you are compensated by other sense of strength. Females fail to maximize their potential for the good of the relationship but sit back defining set of roles for themselves.
A female friend complained to me that she has been slapped by her husband and she wanted a divorce. Then I asked what she did but she claimed she did not do anything. I asked her if her husband had a mental problem and she looked at me obviously shocked with the question. She said no. I asked her if she has ever heard or seen her husband slapped other females like his colleague or even her sister. She said no. So your husband woke up one morning looked at you and slapped you. She did not wait for me to explain as she called me a chauvinistic pig. After much discourse, she finally made me understand she had nagged and insulted him because he failed to keep to a promise of buying her a shoe.
Trust is not Love
Many females do not know the difference between trust and love. The story above indicates females’ inability to love without trust. From my friend’s story, that was the first time the man hit him and she was obviously shocked at his reaction. Since, I can not judge the man without hearing his own side of the story, I told her she was expected to love her hubby and trust God. Man is fallible, no matter how wonderful he appears and perfects himself to be. If females have it in the back of their mind that every man out there is not perfect, it will easier for them to transit issues flawlessly. They will commit their man to God, and confirm his strength not emphasize on his weakness. Jesus loved humans but did not commit himself to them because he knew they were weak.
Lack of Kingship
Most females lack Kingship; they fail to understand their rights to protect their relationship territory. God made man; male and female he made them. The first assignment he gave this male and female is to dominate their territory. Most females do not know their role as partner to their husband. They are expected to lift their families to God and bear the burdens of the relationship with the man. A girl is going out with a guy and she is praying for the guy to ask her hand in marriage instead of praying for the guy’s solvency to life’s issues like financial, political and social. She expects to be a liability instead of an asset to the man. She looks down upon herself and tells God that only this man can make her happy. If you pray for the man’s success (not putting one leg out and one leg in), God will reward you with the man.
Commit to the Relationship
Females get overwhelmed by deep emotional turmoil so in order to free themselves; they look for the easy alternative which is to guard their heart from such pains. This alternative could easily be avoided if their perspective to relationship was different- commit to the relationship not to the man. The man is subject to change because he is human and it may be difficult to handle such evolution. You will be able to adapt to his new state of mind of the man, if you commit to the relationship instead of the man. An example is a man that looses his job and decides to drink as a solace to his problem. If you commit to the man, it will be difficult to pray for him without seeing him in the light of his present position. This nullifies your belief which is a prerequisite for answered prayers.
Lack of Purpose
Before a woman enters a committed relationship, she is expected to have a defined purpose which should align with the purpose of the proposed man. When a female has a purpose, it is easy to decipher your emotional weakness when choosing your life partner. If you base your relationship on an ephemeral stuff like the kind of car he drives, how good he is in bed or how tall he is, you will end up getting hurt after 2 years into that said relationship. Choose your partner based on purpose so you will have something to hinge on during crisis which is inevitable.
Self Centeredness
Most females enter relationship (consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously) with a self centered motive. No wonder comments like “he has not asked me to marry him and I have let go of other suitors”, “all men are bad”, “I have feelings for that guy and he is not asking me out”, etc. Since females are crammed and mostly stuck on relationship issues, it suffices to say that they make no effort to understand the male counterpart. If the male counterpart does not meet their preferences, they get worried unnecessarily and develop a pattern of helplessness. They fail to see their contribution in the whole relationship problem and continue casting blame. This in itself is one of the greatest issues of relationship amidst other self imposed vices.
Openness in Communication
Females have a firm belief that they are wired naturally not be open in dealing with their male counterparts. Imagine a female going steady with a guy for 3 years and expecting to get married without voicing her intentions. Why spend 3 years with a guy and you can not tell him how you feel? Why believe that you will lose something by speaking openly with a guy you intend to marry? The only thing you will lose is pride and fear. My dear females, you are not wired to be closed, you chose to be closed because you are afraid of the outcome of being open.
The Weakling Mentality
Females actually believe they are the weaker sex so they allow the man define their happiness. The cultural conditioning gives them this “I need to be pampered and taken care of” mentality. Truth the told, you are created to be a help-meet to a man not to be pampered by a man. You may not be as physically strong as a man but you have a stronger influence. What you lack, you are compensated by other sense of strength. Females fail to maximize their potential for the good of the relationship but sit back defining set of roles for themselves.
A female friend complained to me that she has been slapped by her husband and she wanted a divorce. Then I asked what she did but she claimed she did not do anything. I asked her if her husband had a mental problem and she looked at me obviously shocked with the question. She said no. I asked her if she has ever heard or seen her husband slapped other females like his colleague or even her sister. She said no. So your husband woke up one morning looked at you and slapped you. She did not wait for me to explain as she called me a chauvinistic pig. After much discourse, she finally made me understand she had nagged and insulted him because he failed to keep to a promise of buying her a shoe.
Trust is not Love
Many females do not know the difference between trust and love. The story above indicates females’ inability to love without trust. From my friend’s story, that was the first time the man hit him and she was obviously shocked at his reaction. Since, I can not judge the man without hearing his own side of the story, I told her she was expected to love her hubby and trust God. Man is fallible, no matter how wonderful he appears and perfects himself to be. If females have it in the back of their mind that every man out there is not perfect, it will easier for them to transit issues flawlessly. They will commit their man to God, and confirm his strength not emphasize on his weakness. Jesus loved humans but did not commit himself to them because he knew they were weak.
Lack of Kingship
Most females lack Kingship; they fail to understand their rights to protect their relationship territory. God made man; male and female he made them. The first assignment he gave this male and female is to dominate their territory. Most females do not know their role as partner to their husband. They are expected to lift their families to God and bear the burdens of the relationship with the man. A girl is going out with a guy and she is praying for the guy to ask her hand in marriage instead of praying for the guy’s solvency to life’s issues like financial, political and social. She expects to be a liability instead of an asset to the man. She looks down upon herself and tells God that only this man can make her happy. If you pray for the man’s success (not putting one leg out and one leg in), God will reward you with the man.
Commit to the Relationship
Females get overwhelmed by deep emotional turmoil so in order to free themselves; they look for the easy alternative which is to guard their heart from such pains. This alternative could easily be avoided if their perspective to relationship was different- commit to the relationship not to the man. The man is subject to change because he is human and it may be difficult to handle such evolution. You will be able to adapt to his new state of mind of the man, if you commit to the relationship instead of the man. An example is a man that looses his job and decides to drink as a solace to his problem. If you commit to the man, it will be difficult to pray for him without seeing him in the light of his present position. This nullifies your belief which is a prerequisite for answered prayers.
Lack of Purpose
Before a woman enters a committed relationship, she is expected to have a defined purpose which should align with the purpose of the proposed man. When a female has a purpose, it is easy to decipher your emotional weakness when choosing your life partner. If you base your relationship on an ephemeral stuff like the kind of car he drives, how good he is in bed or how tall he is, you will end up getting hurt after 2 years into that said relationship. Choose your partner based on purpose so you will have something to hinge on during crisis which is inevitable.
76 THINGS YOU CAN DO
By Scott Hughes
Most people aren’t Warriors, and I’m fine with it. Most people do things that don’t make sense. I’ve learned to accept the non –sense that fills this world. [Part of being a Warrior is accepting that most other people are not Warriors, and accepting them.] Still, the point is that people do things that don’t make sense. They whine, complain, and cry over problems they can easily change. They get depressed over problems they cause for themselves.
For example, lazy people often whine that they don’t make money. Selfish people complain that they don’t have more friends. Most people sabotage all their romantic relationships and then complain that they don’t have a lover.
Granted, sometimes when something bad happens to a person it’s a bad luck. For example, you could be sitting in your well-built home while reading the newspaper and a tornado could tear your home up. However, usually when you don’t like what’s happening in your life, it’s your own damn fault. It’s your own fault if you’re fat, lazy, uneducated, lonely, etc.
In the following, I list 76 things that you can do to be more successful. You choose to do them or not. If you choose not to do these things, then you have no right to complain about your problems; your problems are your fault!
1. Stop watching television.
2. Stop eating fast food.
3. Stop eating pizza and fried foods.
4. Stop driving places that you could easily walk to.
5. Read at least 1 book a month.
6. Take classes in what interests you or your vocation.
7. Work enough to support yourself, and if needed get a new job or second job to make enough to support yourself. Never stick with a job doesn’t pay enough to support yourself no matter how much you work.
8. Pay off your debts and don’t go in debt. You can pay off your debts if you avoid needless expenses, such as cable, overpriced clothes, impractical decorations, unhealthy snacks, jewellery, etc.
9. Don’t buy a car on finance, and don’t buy an expensive car if a cheaper one that works is available.
10. Wake up early and get all your work done as quickly as possible. That includes household chores, as well as your employment.
11. Drink alcohol less or quit.
12. Do drugs less or quit.
13. Don’t smoke cigarettes.
14. Don’t eat foods with high fructose corn syrup.
15. Don’t drink soda.
16. Don’t eat sugary foods at all.
17. Don’t drink more than 1 glass of juice per day.
18. Stand up straight and have good posture.
19. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them.
20. Smile.
21. Be polite.
22. Keep your promises.
23. Wear a watch, if you can afford it.
24. Eat breakfast.
25. If you eat cereal at any time, choose your cereal based on healthiness not tastiness.
26. Exercise at least 3 days per week.
27. Walk often.
28. Always write with correct spelling and grammar.
29. Never speak worse about a person behind their back than you do to their face [feel free to say nicer things about a person behind their back than to their face.]
30. Don’t gossip and don’t have a big mouth.
31. Never judge other people harsher than you judge yourself.
32. Make new years resolution, but make one every day instead of every year.
33. Volunteer
34. Forgive, but never forget.
35. Don’t have skeletons in your closet.
36. Keep as few secret as reasonably possible.
37. Despite the rule before this one, keep your friends’ secret.
38. Politely tell people that you will not betray your friends’ trust, when you are asked about their secrets and such.
39. Volunteering [i.e. activism] is more important than voting. If you can do both, good for you. If you only have time for one, volunteer instead of voting. If makes more of a difference.
40. Privately question your own values.
41. Avoid questioning other people’s values, especially in public.
42. Listen more than you talk.
43. Use journal to count how many calories you consume per day.
44. Use journal to count how many calories you burn per day.
45. If you want to loss weight, burn slightly more than you consume. If you want to gain weight, consume slightly more than you burn. If you are happy with your weight, try to burn the same amount as you consume.
46. Weigh yourself daily at the same time[s].
47. Write your daily weight down in a journal.
48. Never allow the police to search you, your car, or your belongings if you don’t have something to hide.
49. Never tell other people that you think they or something they are doing is immoral or sinful.
50. Keep your moral values and religion to yourself. Use them to direct your own actions.
51. Ask people how they are often and listen to their answer.
52. Laugh at other people’s joke, but not your own.
53. Shower at least once per day.
54. Wash your hands, even if you aren’t an employee.
55. Take care of the elderly, which includes spending time with them and talking to them.
56. Avoid going places where you need to be waited on.
57. Wait on yourself wherever possible.
58. Make your friends look good.
59. Avoid lying.
60. Don’t pretend to be more successful, popular, etc.
61. Treat other people as if they are better than they are. Treat them as if they are more successful, popular, etc.
62. Don’t brag about your talents, instead, surprise people with them when they just happen to be called upon.
63. Sit up straight.
64. Keep your house clean.
65. If you have either of them, keep your car and office clean.
66. Stretch daily. [I do yoga most mornings.]
67. Dance.
68. Take dancing lessons if you could use improvement.
69. Ask other people [e.g. your friends, your co-workers, your boss, etc.] what their favorite book is, and read it.
70. Ask their favorite song or band, and listen to it.
71. Ask their favorite movie, and watch it.
72. Don’t be camera shy.
73. When your alarm goes off in the morning [if you use one], don’t press snooze.
74. Make a budget and follow it.
75. Say “I love you” often to the people you feel this way about.
76. Always turning off lights when leaving a room, unless of course there are in the room. For that matter, conserving any unnecessary electricity usage is the future of humanity.
Most people aren’t Warriors, and I’m fine with it. Most people do things that don’t make sense. I’ve learned to accept the non –sense that fills this world. [Part of being a Warrior is accepting that most other people are not Warriors, and accepting them.] Still, the point is that people do things that don’t make sense. They whine, complain, and cry over problems they can easily change. They get depressed over problems they cause for themselves.
For example, lazy people often whine that they don’t make money. Selfish people complain that they don’t have more friends. Most people sabotage all their romantic relationships and then complain that they don’t have a lover.
Granted, sometimes when something bad happens to a person it’s a bad luck. For example, you could be sitting in your well-built home while reading the newspaper and a tornado could tear your home up. However, usually when you don’t like what’s happening in your life, it’s your own damn fault. It’s your own fault if you’re fat, lazy, uneducated, lonely, etc.
In the following, I list 76 things that you can do to be more successful. You choose to do them or not. If you choose not to do these things, then you have no right to complain about your problems; your problems are your fault!
1. Stop watching television.
2. Stop eating fast food.
3. Stop eating pizza and fried foods.
4. Stop driving places that you could easily walk to.
5. Read at least 1 book a month.
6. Take classes in what interests you or your vocation.
7. Work enough to support yourself, and if needed get a new job or second job to make enough to support yourself. Never stick with a job doesn’t pay enough to support yourself no matter how much you work.
8. Pay off your debts and don’t go in debt. You can pay off your debts if you avoid needless expenses, such as cable, overpriced clothes, impractical decorations, unhealthy snacks, jewellery, etc.
9. Don’t buy a car on finance, and don’t buy an expensive car if a cheaper one that works is available.
10. Wake up early and get all your work done as quickly as possible. That includes household chores, as well as your employment.
11. Drink alcohol less or quit.
12. Do drugs less or quit.
13. Don’t smoke cigarettes.
14. Don’t eat foods with high fructose corn syrup.
15. Don’t drink soda.
16. Don’t eat sugary foods at all.
17. Don’t drink more than 1 glass of juice per day.
18. Stand up straight and have good posture.
19. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them.
20. Smile.
21. Be polite.
22. Keep your promises.
23. Wear a watch, if you can afford it.
24. Eat breakfast.
25. If you eat cereal at any time, choose your cereal based on healthiness not tastiness.
26. Exercise at least 3 days per week.
27. Walk often.
28. Always write with correct spelling and grammar.
29. Never speak worse about a person behind their back than you do to their face [feel free to say nicer things about a person behind their back than to their face.]
30. Don’t gossip and don’t have a big mouth.
31. Never judge other people harsher than you judge yourself.
32. Make new years resolution, but make one every day instead of every year.
33. Volunteer
34. Forgive, but never forget.
35. Don’t have skeletons in your closet.
36. Keep as few secret as reasonably possible.
37. Despite the rule before this one, keep your friends’ secret.
38. Politely tell people that you will not betray your friends’ trust, when you are asked about their secrets and such.
39. Volunteering [i.e. activism] is more important than voting. If you can do both, good for you. If you only have time for one, volunteer instead of voting. If makes more of a difference.
40. Privately question your own values.
41. Avoid questioning other people’s values, especially in public.
42. Listen more than you talk.
43. Use journal to count how many calories you consume per day.
44. Use journal to count how many calories you burn per day.
45. If you want to loss weight, burn slightly more than you consume. If you want to gain weight, consume slightly more than you burn. If you are happy with your weight, try to burn the same amount as you consume.
46. Weigh yourself daily at the same time[s].
47. Write your daily weight down in a journal.
48. Never allow the police to search you, your car, or your belongings if you don’t have something to hide.
49. Never tell other people that you think they or something they are doing is immoral or sinful.
50. Keep your moral values and religion to yourself. Use them to direct your own actions.
51. Ask people how they are often and listen to their answer.
52. Laugh at other people’s joke, but not your own.
53. Shower at least once per day.
54. Wash your hands, even if you aren’t an employee.
55. Take care of the elderly, which includes spending time with them and talking to them.
56. Avoid going places where you need to be waited on.
57. Wait on yourself wherever possible.
58. Make your friends look good.
59. Avoid lying.
60. Don’t pretend to be more successful, popular, etc.
61. Treat other people as if they are better than they are. Treat them as if they are more successful, popular, etc.
62. Don’t brag about your talents, instead, surprise people with them when they just happen to be called upon.
63. Sit up straight.
64. Keep your house clean.
65. If you have either of them, keep your car and office clean.
66. Stretch daily. [I do yoga most mornings.]
67. Dance.
68. Take dancing lessons if you could use improvement.
69. Ask other people [e.g. your friends, your co-workers, your boss, etc.] what their favorite book is, and read it.
70. Ask their favorite song or band, and listen to it.
71. Ask their favorite movie, and watch it.
72. Don’t be camera shy.
73. When your alarm goes off in the morning [if you use one], don’t press snooze.
74. Make a budget and follow it.
75. Say “I love you” often to the people you feel this way about.
76. Always turning off lights when leaving a room, unless of course there are in the room. For that matter, conserving any unnecessary electricity usage is the future of humanity.
Monday, September 22, 2008
NIGERIAN BLOGGERS CONFERENCE
The conference started with the second stanza of the national anthem and at the conference, my eyes was opened to opportunity on how to convert my blog to money making machine. For example read what Olugbenga Aijotan said about “Online Advertising Media; Beyond Google Adsense” which he presented at the bloggers conference. It focused basically on the need to embrace corporate advertising on blogs with high traffic. It goes beyond slapping adsense codes on blog sites. While adsense is the best way to start online advertising, it is important that bloggers that command traffic and constant hits to their blogs should consider blog sponsorship as a way of increasing revenue.
I personally see the emergence of a new blogging industry that the corporate world will want to associate with. It will give so much credibility that at some point, blogging will become a source of living for many bloggers.
Earlier on in the conference; Gbenga Sesan generally dished out blogging 101. He took the audience through the definition of a blog and how his passion for blogging was stirred by the fact that he wants to live footprints. Gbenga also saw blogging as an avenue to publish articles that most nigerian newspaper do not feel comfortable publishing. Gbenga did said something that thrilled me, and that was the fact that he does not blog on negative news as there are bad news about Nigeria already.
Olumide on the other hands, and from his presentation, did talked about owning a personal domain and the issue of “findability” as owning a domain name enables blogger to keep ranking in Search Engines even if blog sites were moved. He further stressed that Owning a domain name shows seriousness about blogging.
Anu did expose more on RSS & RSS readers. most blogs do come automatically with RSS, but not many people uses an RSS reader. Anu did speak about the ease of being updated about feeds from blogs that have just updated their blogs. RSS readers sure definitely save as much as 50% of time used in checking blogs to see if they’ve updated or not.
Other topic that were openly discussed include driving traffic to blogs, How to make money with blog, carving out a niche & new media.
Deolu spoke more about why blogs die in the first place.Consistency and patience matters. He also spoke on “online space” as similar to owning a land that has a value that is directly relational to the function of development, use and activity.
After the sessions, the conference was closed with the second stanza of the national anthem. we then did some paparazzi photo shoot (whatever you call it…lol) and then some networking. Don’t envy the man, who is eating fruits, he planted the tree 20 years ago. Plant your own now.
I personally see the emergence of a new blogging industry that the corporate world will want to associate with. It will give so much credibility that at some point, blogging will become a source of living for many bloggers.
Earlier on in the conference; Gbenga Sesan generally dished out blogging 101. He took the audience through the definition of a blog and how his passion for blogging was stirred by the fact that he wants to live footprints. Gbenga also saw blogging as an avenue to publish articles that most nigerian newspaper do not feel comfortable publishing. Gbenga did said something that thrilled me, and that was the fact that he does not blog on negative news as there are bad news about Nigeria already.
Olumide on the other hands, and from his presentation, did talked about owning a personal domain and the issue of “findability” as owning a domain name enables blogger to keep ranking in Search Engines even if blog sites were moved. He further stressed that Owning a domain name shows seriousness about blogging.
Anu did expose more on RSS & RSS readers. most blogs do come automatically with RSS, but not many people uses an RSS reader. Anu did speak about the ease of being updated about feeds from blogs that have just updated their blogs. RSS readers sure definitely save as much as 50% of time used in checking blogs to see if they’ve updated or not.
Other topic that were openly discussed include driving traffic to blogs, How to make money with blog, carving out a niche & new media.
Deolu spoke more about why blogs die in the first place.Consistency and patience matters. He also spoke on “online space” as similar to owning a land that has a value that is directly relational to the function of development, use and activity.
After the sessions, the conference was closed with the second stanza of the national anthem. we then did some paparazzi photo shoot (whatever you call it…lol) and then some networking. Don’t envy the man, who is eating fruits, he planted the tree 20 years ago. Plant your own now.
Friday, August 22, 2008
TRAINING THE MIND
When a baby is born, the parent and every one around the growing baby tend to directly or indirectly tame the baby into an adult, but once the child becomes an adult, almost everyone expects the adult to take care of him or herself. But most adults are surprisingly deteriorating in self development. This article from mind tools online learning course is an awakening call to all that the mind and brain are trainable and at any age as well.
Illustration
Training the mind
Develop your thinking skills
The best tool for thriving in a constantly changing environment is a mind that is open, flexible, and capable of generating innovative solutions. The strategies, exercises, and tips in this article will expand your thinking and heighten your creative prowess. Learn to view uncertain situations as opportunities to be grasped, and discover how to benefit from the thinking skills of those you most admire.
Tips
-Break free from your mental limitations
Learn how the brain works as an organising and connecting tool, and how your brain can become more effective at storing and relating information as a precursor to creativity and innovation.
-Awaken your feeling mind
Recent research suggests that the mind is the seat of emotions as well as thoughts. Find out how positive and negative emotions can impact your ability to think and innovate.
-Find opportunity in uncertainty
Incubation — the downtime that fosters creative problem solving — is an important aspect of innovation and invention. Learn how to make your brain take a vacation so you can take advantage of serendipity and chance.
-Collaborate to innovate
Forget the largely mythical notion of the lone creative genius. Learn how to enhance your creativity and ability for innovative thinking by interacting with others who may be very different from you.
Debunking myths about innovative thinking
Everything that ever was, is, or will be starts with someone thinking of a new idea (what we call “creativity”) and then taking the action to make that thought a reality (“innovation”). But how does creativity and innovation happen? The first step to broadening mental horizons is to get into a positive mindset. Let us start out by addressing some of the misconceptions around what it takes to be a creative, innovative individual. Which of these myths have you bought into?
-Creative individuals are born, not made
Incorrect. Once upon a time we believed that the intelligence and mental agility that support creativity and innovation were “fixed.” That is, you were pretty much stuck with the brain you were born with. Neuroscientists have since discovered that the brain is immensely flexible or “plastic.” Indeed, the process of learning something new (involving thinking and experiencing in new and broader ways) actually changes the brain’s physical structure.
Those structural changes, in turn, enhance the brain’s ability to organise information in a way that makes it easier to be creative. Check out the work of Dr. Edward de Bono, Prof. Reuven Feuerstein, and Professor Howard Gardner on Google or Wikipedia to find out more about this fascinating topic.
-Innovation comes from the work of a lone, creative genius.
Not true. US inventor Thomas Edison may be credited with more patents and inventions than just about any other person in history. But perhaps you weren’t aware that he ran what is often considered to be the first research and development laboratory. Or that his success was actually attributable to the combined efforts of many, unsung staff members?
For every Bill Gates or Steven Spielberg there is a Steve Balmer or Kathleen Kennedy working alongside (often behind the scenes), contributing to bring their creative efforts to the world. Even your favorite TV show employs a team of writers rather than just one special individual!
-Creativity only thrives without confines or constraints
Wrong again. Ever heard those famous words, “Houston, we have a problem.”? Check out the DVD of Apollo 13 and marvel at the problem-solving genius of the space mission crew and ground control staff when faced with the seemingly impossible task of getting the craft and its human cargo safely back to earth rather than continue its trajectory to the moon. Many would argue that it is the drive to overcome limitations (such as was the case in this famous example) that fuels true creativity.
“Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations.” Rollo May, existential psychologist.
Mind 101: The Mental Filing Cabinet
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard, The ServiceMaster Company
This section introduces you to the latest understanding on how the brain works as an organising tool, or mental filing cabinet, and its amazing ability to cross-reference information that lies at the heart of creative thinking.
-Increase Your Experience
Making a commitment to seek fresh experiences (such as every month learning a new skill, reading a different genre of books, or subscribing to a magazine you would not normally read) not only makes you a more interesting person, it also enhances your creative potential.
How? An active brain is continually restructuring itself, becoming increasingly complex and efficient as new neural pathways are created, strengthened, and interconnected. This matrix of mental super-highways means that you are more easily able to link new information to what is already stored in memory — the basis of learning.
Like the most efficient filing system you can possibly imagine, your mind cross-references stored knowledge at astounding speed. Those “aha” moments typical of creative thinking are the result of your mind making connections between the knowledge you are learning and what you have already stored. Increase that store of knowledge through many, varied experiences and you will increase your potential of “aha” bursts of creative inspiration.
-Doing and Reflecting
Psychologist David Kolb’s four-stage model breaks down experiential learning into things that we do (the stages of “concrete experience” and “active experimentation”) and what we think about (“reflective observations” and “abstract conceptualisation”).
The exercises contained in these lessons represent the “doing” piece and will stimulate your mind with new content to connect! By learning more about yourself as well as the world around you, you are taking important steps to becoming more innovative. Just relax! Your mind does this for you automatically. All you have to do is provide it with fresh stimuli.
Become a divergent thinker
We tend to describe creative individuals as thinking “outside of the box.” Psychologists call this “divergent thinking.” The good news is that anyone can learn to think this way, with practice.
Open-Mindedness:
Generating new ideas requires a different kind of thinking than finding the “right answer” to a mathematical problem. Unfortunately, the ways we are typically educated, and the requirements of standardised testing, tend to over-emphasise the latter, which psychologists have termed “convergent thinking.”
Science, mathematics, and technology are all areas where convergent thinking tends to be appropriate. But what about topics for which there is no single, “correct” response? For that you need to tap into “divergent” thinking.
For example, let us imagine someone hands you a brick. In Math class you are asked to take the brick’s measurements in order to compute its mass. Obviously your answer is either correct or incorrect, using convergent thinking in the process.
But in your creative writing class, as an exercise in divergent thinking, you are asked to come up with many different uses for a brick as you can think of in fifteen minutes. There is no right and wrong answer to this challenge, but the longer your list the more creative you are likely to be!
The more you practice divergent thinking, the greater your capacity to think of new ideas. Here is an exercise to get you started: Take a fresh look at everyday objects. Challenge yourself to come up with novel uses for a pen, a shoe, a bar of soap, or a rope.
In a journal article outlining different tests for creative abilities, E.P. Torrance, asked readers to imagine that humans had six fingers on each hand instead of five. His question: What would be some of the repercussions or implications of that change?
Time yourself and see how many ideas you can come up with in three minutes.
Illustration
Training the mind
Develop your thinking skills
The best tool for thriving in a constantly changing environment is a mind that is open, flexible, and capable of generating innovative solutions. The strategies, exercises, and tips in this article will expand your thinking and heighten your creative prowess. Learn to view uncertain situations as opportunities to be grasped, and discover how to benefit from the thinking skills of those you most admire.
Tips
-Break free from your mental limitations
Learn how the brain works as an organising and connecting tool, and how your brain can become more effective at storing and relating information as a precursor to creativity and innovation.
-Awaken your feeling mind
Recent research suggests that the mind is the seat of emotions as well as thoughts. Find out how positive and negative emotions can impact your ability to think and innovate.
-Find opportunity in uncertainty
Incubation — the downtime that fosters creative problem solving — is an important aspect of innovation and invention. Learn how to make your brain take a vacation so you can take advantage of serendipity and chance.
-Collaborate to innovate
Forget the largely mythical notion of the lone creative genius. Learn how to enhance your creativity and ability for innovative thinking by interacting with others who may be very different from you.
Debunking myths about innovative thinking
Everything that ever was, is, or will be starts with someone thinking of a new idea (what we call “creativity”) and then taking the action to make that thought a reality (“innovation”). But how does creativity and innovation happen? The first step to broadening mental horizons is to get into a positive mindset. Let us start out by addressing some of the misconceptions around what it takes to be a creative, innovative individual. Which of these myths have you bought into?
-Creative individuals are born, not made
Incorrect. Once upon a time we believed that the intelligence and mental agility that support creativity and innovation were “fixed.” That is, you were pretty much stuck with the brain you were born with. Neuroscientists have since discovered that the brain is immensely flexible or “plastic.” Indeed, the process of learning something new (involving thinking and experiencing in new and broader ways) actually changes the brain’s physical structure.
Those structural changes, in turn, enhance the brain’s ability to organise information in a way that makes it easier to be creative. Check out the work of Dr. Edward de Bono, Prof. Reuven Feuerstein, and Professor Howard Gardner on Google or Wikipedia to find out more about this fascinating topic.
-Innovation comes from the work of a lone, creative genius.
Not true. US inventor Thomas Edison may be credited with more patents and inventions than just about any other person in history. But perhaps you weren’t aware that he ran what is often considered to be the first research and development laboratory. Or that his success was actually attributable to the combined efforts of many, unsung staff members?
For every Bill Gates or Steven Spielberg there is a Steve Balmer or Kathleen Kennedy working alongside (often behind the scenes), contributing to bring their creative efforts to the world. Even your favorite TV show employs a team of writers rather than just one special individual!
-Creativity only thrives without confines or constraints
Wrong again. Ever heard those famous words, “Houston, we have a problem.”? Check out the DVD of Apollo 13 and marvel at the problem-solving genius of the space mission crew and ground control staff when faced with the seemingly impossible task of getting the craft and its human cargo safely back to earth rather than continue its trajectory to the moon. Many would argue that it is the drive to overcome limitations (such as was the case in this famous example) that fuels true creativity.
“Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations.” Rollo May, existential psychologist.
Mind 101: The Mental Filing Cabinet
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard, The ServiceMaster Company
This section introduces you to the latest understanding on how the brain works as an organising tool, or mental filing cabinet, and its amazing ability to cross-reference information that lies at the heart of creative thinking.
-Increase Your Experience
Making a commitment to seek fresh experiences (such as every month learning a new skill, reading a different genre of books, or subscribing to a magazine you would not normally read) not only makes you a more interesting person, it also enhances your creative potential.
How? An active brain is continually restructuring itself, becoming increasingly complex and efficient as new neural pathways are created, strengthened, and interconnected. This matrix of mental super-highways means that you are more easily able to link new information to what is already stored in memory — the basis of learning.
Like the most efficient filing system you can possibly imagine, your mind cross-references stored knowledge at astounding speed. Those “aha” moments typical of creative thinking are the result of your mind making connections between the knowledge you are learning and what you have already stored. Increase that store of knowledge through many, varied experiences and you will increase your potential of “aha” bursts of creative inspiration.
-Doing and Reflecting
Psychologist David Kolb’s four-stage model breaks down experiential learning into things that we do (the stages of “concrete experience” and “active experimentation”) and what we think about (“reflective observations” and “abstract conceptualisation”).
The exercises contained in these lessons represent the “doing” piece and will stimulate your mind with new content to connect! By learning more about yourself as well as the world around you, you are taking important steps to becoming more innovative. Just relax! Your mind does this for you automatically. All you have to do is provide it with fresh stimuli.
Become a divergent thinker
We tend to describe creative individuals as thinking “outside of the box.” Psychologists call this “divergent thinking.” The good news is that anyone can learn to think this way, with practice.
Open-Mindedness:
Generating new ideas requires a different kind of thinking than finding the “right answer” to a mathematical problem. Unfortunately, the ways we are typically educated, and the requirements of standardised testing, tend to over-emphasise the latter, which psychologists have termed “convergent thinking.”
Science, mathematics, and technology are all areas where convergent thinking tends to be appropriate. But what about topics for which there is no single, “correct” response? For that you need to tap into “divergent” thinking.
For example, let us imagine someone hands you a brick. In Math class you are asked to take the brick’s measurements in order to compute its mass. Obviously your answer is either correct or incorrect, using convergent thinking in the process.
But in your creative writing class, as an exercise in divergent thinking, you are asked to come up with many different uses for a brick as you can think of in fifteen minutes. There is no right and wrong answer to this challenge, but the longer your list the more creative you are likely to be!
The more you practice divergent thinking, the greater your capacity to think of new ideas. Here is an exercise to get you started: Take a fresh look at everyday objects. Challenge yourself to come up with novel uses for a pen, a shoe, a bar of soap, or a rope.
In a journal article outlining different tests for creative abilities, E.P. Torrance, asked readers to imagine that humans had six fingers on each hand instead of five. His question: What would be some of the repercussions or implications of that change?
Time yourself and see how many ideas you can come up with in three minutes.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
SOLUTION TO FOOD SCARCITY
4.0 SOLUTIONS TO THE FOOD SCARCITY IN NIGERIA
4.1 Our government should have maintenance sectors/departments which look into the standardization of transportation.
4.2 Our government should extend roads from urban to rural areas to easy transportation of goods and services.
4.3 High cost of petroleum should be reduced to the minimum.
4.4 Excess crude fund should be invested in agriculture to catalyse the provision of foods both in the rural and urban with adequate infrastructure, especially power, mechanization farming, private sector investments and railways.
5. With human capital development, our government should do the following.
(a): empower our farmers to start planting various crops now such as these.
Maize. Cocoa
Rice Cassava
And others crops.
So that we can have massive harvest such as these:
CASSAVA MAIZE HARVEST
COCOA HARVEST
RICE BAGS OF RICE
Planting & Harvesting Periods for Major Exportable Agricultural Commodities in Nigeria
CROPS
Planting Periods
Harvesting Periods
COCOA
APRIL – JUNE
OCT – MAR.
OIL PALM
MAR. – AUG
FEB – SEPT.
RUBBER
MAY – JUNE
MAR – JULY
CASHEW
MAY – JULY
MAR – APRIL
SOYA BEAN
MAY – AUG
SEPT – OCT
GINGER
MAY – JUNE
DEC – JAN.
COTTON
JULY – AUG
OCT, DEC – JAN
GUM ARABIC
MAY – AUG
Throughout the year
COFFEE
MAY – JULY
Throughout the year
PINEAPPLE
MAY – JUNE
DEC – FEB.
BENISEED
MAY – JUNE
NOV – DEC
SHEANUT
MAY – JUNE
JULY – AUG.
GROUNDNUT
Early season
MAY – APR.
JUNE – JULY
Late season
JULY – AUG
OCT – NOV.
CHILLIES
APR – MAY
OCT – DEC.
RICE MAY-JUNE NOV-DEC
CASSAVA MAY-JUNE DEC-JAN.
MAIZE MAR-APR OCT-NOV.
(b): Our government should provide high incentives, salary scheme, housing with constant power supply, internet services, machines for planting, harvesting, cultivating alongside with support for research and the implementation of their findings to agriculture for graduates from various higher institutions and youths who have the passion to go into the agricultural sector, This will reduced unemployment in our country.
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
Domestic production of agro-raw materials should be encouraged in our country.
Industries should be involved in the dissemination of information on raw materials specifications so that suppliers could meet their demands.
Efforts should be made to improve value addition in the agricultural sector by encouraging secondary and tertiary raw materials production.
An appropriate model should be worked out to assist indigenous researchers to perfect and take findings to the market
Government should provide appropriate legislation to support Guarantee Minimum Price (GMP) and encourage industries to commit a certain percentage of their profit to backward integration.
Controlled atmospheric storage technologies or hermitic storage should be developed by Research Institutes with private sector participation.
The private sector should utilize the existing livestock and raw material potential in the country to encourage their production both for domestic consumption and export
A forum for interaction of stakeholders should be coordinated by RMRDC.[Raw Material Reproduction Redevelopment Commission.]
Stakeholders advised the Government to review the degree to which oil resources are continuously used for domestic budgets and ensure that substantial amount of this money should be used for the development of infrastructure and amenities such as:
- Power generation.
- Roads
- Water supply
- Capital Equipment and Structures for Research
Industries should optimize the use of indigenous crops and other under utilized plant species.
Industrial Agro Raw Materials Production Advisory Centers should be established and put in place by RMRDC in the zones to act as advisory centers, and co-ordinate interaction of stakeholders on sectoral basis to encourage production and value addition.
The Federal Government should strengthen the Nigerian Agricultural, Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB), and reduce the interest rate to 5%.
Our leaders should have the mindset to the development of agriculture in our country.
Change in our constitutions that will favour food productions in our nation.
Seminars should be organized to inform Nigerians on the important of food production in our country at various Christian, Islamic and traditional gathering and impact such information to agricultural development in our country.
5.1 CONCLUSION
‘Don’t envy the man who is eating fruits, he planted the tree years ago, plant your own now.’ With this research, future occurrence of food scarcity would be averted if our government would considered the recommendation listed above and then Nigeria should be able to feed herself and one-quarter of the world population.
4.1 Our government should have maintenance sectors/departments which look into the standardization of transportation.
4.2 Our government should extend roads from urban to rural areas to easy transportation of goods and services.
4.3 High cost of petroleum should be reduced to the minimum.
4.4 Excess crude fund should be invested in agriculture to catalyse the provision of foods both in the rural and urban with adequate infrastructure, especially power, mechanization farming, private sector investments and railways.
5. With human capital development, our government should do the following.
(a): empower our farmers to start planting various crops now such as these.
Maize. Cocoa
Rice Cassava
And others crops.
So that we can have massive harvest such as these:
CASSAVA MAIZE HARVEST
COCOA HARVEST
RICE BAGS OF RICE
Planting & Harvesting Periods for Major Exportable Agricultural Commodities in Nigeria
CROPS
Planting Periods
Harvesting Periods
COCOA
APRIL – JUNE
OCT – MAR.
OIL PALM
MAR. – AUG
FEB – SEPT.
RUBBER
MAY – JUNE
MAR – JULY
CASHEW
MAY – JULY
MAR – APRIL
SOYA BEAN
MAY – AUG
SEPT – OCT
GINGER
MAY – JUNE
DEC – JAN.
COTTON
JULY – AUG
OCT, DEC – JAN
GUM ARABIC
MAY – AUG
Throughout the year
COFFEE
MAY – JULY
Throughout the year
PINEAPPLE
MAY – JUNE
DEC – FEB.
BENISEED
MAY – JUNE
NOV – DEC
SHEANUT
MAY – JUNE
JULY – AUG.
GROUNDNUT
Early season
MAY – APR.
JUNE – JULY
Late season
JULY – AUG
OCT – NOV.
CHILLIES
APR – MAY
OCT – DEC.
RICE MAY-JUNE NOV-DEC
CASSAVA MAY-JUNE DEC-JAN.
MAIZE MAR-APR OCT-NOV.
(b): Our government should provide high incentives, salary scheme, housing with constant power supply, internet services, machines for planting, harvesting, cultivating alongside with support for research and the implementation of their findings to agriculture for graduates from various higher institutions and youths who have the passion to go into the agricultural sector, This will reduced unemployment in our country.
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
Domestic production of agro-raw materials should be encouraged in our country.
Industries should be involved in the dissemination of information on raw materials specifications so that suppliers could meet their demands.
Efforts should be made to improve value addition in the agricultural sector by encouraging secondary and tertiary raw materials production.
An appropriate model should be worked out to assist indigenous researchers to perfect and take findings to the market
Government should provide appropriate legislation to support Guarantee Minimum Price (GMP) and encourage industries to commit a certain percentage of their profit to backward integration.
Controlled atmospheric storage technologies or hermitic storage should be developed by Research Institutes with private sector participation.
The private sector should utilize the existing livestock and raw material potential in the country to encourage their production both for domestic consumption and export
A forum for interaction of stakeholders should be coordinated by RMRDC.[Raw Material Reproduction Redevelopment Commission.]
Stakeholders advised the Government to review the degree to which oil resources are continuously used for domestic budgets and ensure that substantial amount of this money should be used for the development of infrastructure and amenities such as:
- Power generation.
- Roads
- Water supply
- Capital Equipment and Structures for Research
Industries should optimize the use of indigenous crops and other under utilized plant species.
Industrial Agro Raw Materials Production Advisory Centers should be established and put in place by RMRDC in the zones to act as advisory centers, and co-ordinate interaction of stakeholders on sectoral basis to encourage production and value addition.
The Federal Government should strengthen the Nigerian Agricultural, Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB), and reduce the interest rate to 5%.
Our leaders should have the mindset to the development of agriculture in our country.
Change in our constitutions that will favour food productions in our nation.
Seminars should be organized to inform Nigerians on the important of food production in our country at various Christian, Islamic and traditional gathering and impact such information to agricultural development in our country.
5.1 CONCLUSION
‘Don’t envy the man who is eating fruits, he planted the tree years ago, plant your own now.’ With this research, future occurrence of food scarcity would be averted if our government would considered the recommendation listed above and then Nigeria should be able to feed herself and one-quarter of the world population.
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