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Hposh Diaries...... No more free Jobs! We have bills to pay

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 06 Februari 2014 0 komentar

I didn't get the email but my mentor told me:

"I'm sorry! You were not shortlisted to receive the 50k."

She tried consoling me.

Thank God it was a BBM chat. That made it easy for her not to see how my face expressed what I felt within me.

During the six months impasse between the Federal Government and ASUU, I had enrolled for the Global Entrepreneur's Week 50K challenge.

After submitting my essay, I made it to the pitch presentation.

It was at the pitch presentation that I had been hinted that my business plan doesn't reflect how money would be made immediately.

I understood better when I read the email.

Mine was a long term profit making business, they were looking for a short term investment.

Since I got into business, I've been disappointed mostly by those whom I had wholly trusted.

Rather than quit, I remain dogged and returned to my drawing table, only to come out bigger, better and stronger.

As at the time I made my pitch presentation, the website I represent had 15,000 daily views.

My number one goal this year is to make the site have at least 200,000 daily views before December 31, 2014.

The second goal was to make a profit of at least #100,000 per month. This implies, we must make over that amount monthly.

I had so much faith that I would get the 50k and use it to support my brand for expansion but after I failed I had to restrategize.

January was a boring month but I looked forward to February.

It's February 6, our daily views is now an average of 30,000. We've been able to get jobs half of the target we set for ourselves this month.

Apart from the supernatural force - God who I know has so much to do with this success, my team and I have been inventing and reinventing ourselves. We've been creating ideas and have started looking at the business side.

I told them, "No more free jobs. We have bills to pay. We have projects to launch. We have staff to pay. We have jobs to create. We have corporate social responsibility to fulfil etcetera etcetera.

Still wandering what my bottom line is? There is no limit to what you can achieve except the one you set for yourself.

The solution to that problem is within you. Uproot it!

See ya l8r....

Hposh

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Pine Events & Interieurs - Adeboye Segun #inthespiritofenterprise

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 04 Februari 2014 0 komentar

Tell us about yourself

Name: ‎Adeboye Segun.

Male Model, Event Planner, Interior Decorator

‎‎Tell us about your business

Pine Events & Interieurs
Started 2008
Services : Home & Office Interior Decoration
* Venetian Blinds
* Sales & Supplies of Duvet and Bedspread
* Event planning & Decoration
* Customised Branded Polo T-shirts

What is the idea behind the name Pine Events & Interieurs

I have got this likeness for Pineapple as a fruit,and the sweetness it possesses, while Interieur is a French word: meaning interior,having to do with inner part of something,especially in the home and office conduciveness.

So Pine Events & Interieurs add flavor,style,creativity,uniqueness,and quality to your events and interior decoration.

‎‎How did you get into this line of business?

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved the idea of being a creator and empowering others. I have got passion for what am doing at the moment with an artistic,and creative approach in planning,organizing, and managing events,also making sure that homes and offices are conducively clean,and properly arranged to entertain or welcome guest or visitors.

........As you know looking good is good business.

What are the main challenges you face and how have you overcome them.

Getting to execute impromptu jobs,especially when resources are not available or are difficult or scarce to get, mostly for events. Disappointments or turn down from clients,when you've given them ideas, prepared proposals and concept, just for you to notice that your idea has been contracted to someone else, it makes me go crazy

How will you summarize your journey so far?

It has not been easy, as you know, nothing good comes easy, but all thanks to God. I am not satisfied with my present position though, still need to expand to the greatest level.

Where do you see Pine Events & Interieurs in the future?

Pine Events & Interieurs, in the next couples of years and in the future will be ranked among the best, executing jobs for multinational companies. We'll be in a place where clients and members of the public cannot do without our services.

Given another chance, will you do this again?

I will always want to do business again and again,because of the entrepreneurship spirit of business mind I possess.

Think you might need Pine's services? Contact them on 08173919114 or 08029736265

Cheers guys!

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How to stay Motivated.......

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 02 Februari 2014 0 komentar

Sometimes you read stuff from others and you simply have to share. This short piece is from one of my teens at church. I like the points he highlights as well as the way he presents them. We all do need motivation every now and again, so this is worth the read.
Cheers..

Motivation is elusive

Yea, there are many times when you just don't care enough to try.... Found this picture on http://john.do/ and borrowed it because it just captures the struggle to stay motivated

Here are some of the most popular techniques.

1. Take a Break

Taking a break is an obvious fix, but effective. It clears your mind and can even increase your creativity: exposing yourself to new ideas can help you be more creative in your own field. Some people claim to have their best ideas in the shower, or when they’re not actively thinking about

2. Think about Your Customers

One big difference between online businesses and brick-and-mortar stores is the customer interaction, and it affects motivation. While small business owners might see smiles and happy faces all day, other entrepreneurs are (more often than not) staring at their computer screens.

3. Think about Your Team

If you forget why you’re doing this, your cofounders and employees might help remind you. Like your customers, they’re also benefiting from your work: they get exciting jobs and the chance to create something new.

4. Get Social

Talking to other entrepreneurs can be reassuring when you’re feeling down (This worked for me on Friday). In particular, it helps you realize that the ups and downs of start-up life are perfectly normal.

5. Get organized

If motivation is the drive to accomplish something, obviously we can’t feel motivated to do things we think are impossible. So when work starts to feel impossible, you can lose your motivation. To get it back, get organized and convince yourself that you can do it .

6. Do something new

A lack of motivation can also come from a feeling of boredom, and shaking up your routine may be just the ticket.

7. Take responsibility

Many people are drawn to entrepreneurship because of the independence. When motivation wanes, remembering that everything is on your shoulders – your actions will determine the success or failure of your startup – can be a motivator. Deadlines and penalties can motivate, even though they are negative incentives.

8. Learn to get focused.

9. Rediscover your inspiration

This is really the root. Remember why you were ever motivated in the first place: why you’re doing what you’re doing. Suck it up, If all else fails, a few entrepreneurs said, just suck it up. That
basically means: tell yourself that being unmotivated isn't an option. You chose this career, you chose this startup, and you are only one who can keep it going.

.....By Seun Jegede.

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Hposh Diaries...... What you have to do, do now!

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 29 Januari 2014 0 komentar

Hposh...

Don't get stuck in a rut, break free.........

How many times did I call you?

Stop giving excuses for failure.

Procastination is the hallmark of failure.

You should have written this article some days before now.

But you kept pushing it forward.

Can you count the number of outstading books you are yet to read.

6 months ago, you purchased over ten books.

In your 'serious mind' you would read them all before school resumes..

*yimu*

You are just in chapter 3 of El Rufai's 'The Accidential Public Servant'.

You stopped reading 'The Purpose Driven Life'.

The list is endless.

You promised yourself to write every single day of the year...

You should bury your head in shame now.

Remember you had the idea of Miss OAU and Most Beautiful Girl in OAU in 2008 before you even gained admission into OAU Pre-degree in 2009.

SMH for you Mr. Man.

How did you feel when somebody successfully staged the Miss OAU beauty pageant last year?

I guess you were fulfilled when someone else told you he is planning the Most Beautiful Girl in OAU show this year.

With the posters out and auditions date fixed for February 8th, it is certain the event will hold.

Have you published that book you had in mind?

Have you made that trip you were planning?

Have you written those business proposals you wanted to send to companies.

Have you asked that girl out?

How long will you wait till tomorrow to do what you can do now? *Emphasis here now*!!
Time waits for no man.

The best time is now.

Use it wisely.

#Gbam P.S Have you submitted your youwin application? 31st is here o!!!!

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Hposh Diaries...... Welcome to 2014

Posted by Unknown Senin, 06 Januari 2014 0 komentar

Happy new year fam!

I am super excited to be seeing another year. As far as resolutions and plans go..... guess what? I haven't done none of that! I have been stuck in last year. The last few weeks of the year up till last week were craaazy! Good crazy though, but still. One thing I learnt, if a printer says to you, the sky is blue, please go and confirm, even though we all know it is! Chai. They have nearly turned me into a mad woman. This is story for #inthelineofduty.

Meanwhile, Nanny Mcphee showed up today oo!! Halleluyaaaa. I had already activated a search for a replacement. The challenge with that though, is the learning process for the replacement, me and the kids! Who wants to keep going through that every year? Ain't nobody gat time for that! So when mama showed up today, I almost hugged her even though I had to do small shakara. Inside me I did like ten backflips!!!! Whoop Whoop!

Let the new year begin! Cheers to 2014.

This is a post from last week. Hposh's new year message.

Enjoy....

Hposh Diaries.......

Love and respect him without condition. Hehe

Less than 24 hours ago (I know this is not true anymore,*covers face*), we bade farewell to 2013 and ushered in a new year 2014. Let me join others in wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.

Back to work...

I know most of us have new year resolutions. The sad or interesting part of it for me is that I have no new year resolutions. No raised eyebrows please. I just want to leave each day at a time and solve one challenge then move on to the next.

As the new year starts to run, I'll share some useful tips with you. I hope you find them helpful:

1) Place value on your time

Be accountable for every second, minute, hour and day of your life this year. Ensure, you focus your energy productively on things that'll take you a step closer to the realisation of your dreams.

2) Place value on yourself

Nothing kills a man more than inferiority complex. God has fashioned all of us in a unique way that we have something exceptional to contribute to the growth and development of the world. Ever asked yourself why only you have your kind of fingerprints? You have a purpose to fulfil, don't brood over past failures, challenges or strained relationships.

3) Talking about relationships - don't be a hermit. Network!

Meet people. Care for people. Lend a hand. Support a charitable cause. Spend quality time with family and friends. Share your dreams with people of like minds. You'll be shocked how much contribution they can make to your life. Don't use people. Bear no grudges against any man. Humans, in their mortality will disappoint and hurt you, just let it go. It's one of those things.

4) Be money wise

You just don't have to buy everything you see or want. Set your priorities right. Invest your money wisely and manage it well.

5) Give - Give! Give! Give!

Give without expecting favour in return. Give to someone who cannot reward you. Make someone smile. Motivate and inspire someone each day.

6) Act now - don't procrastinate

It steals away time. Do what is right at the right time, in the right way and at the right place.

7) Respect God

That doesn't need too much of talk. Respect God!

Till I come your way next week, I say, have a blissful new year celebration. #peace

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Hposh Diaries...... The year 2013

Posted by Unknown Sabtu, 28 Desember 2013 0 komentar

Hposh Diaries.....

When I pinged my mentor yesterday to thank her for her support so far, she was embarrassed. I pinged my best female friend to thank her too, she was shocked. There was one person I did the same to who asked me what I wanted, I told him nothing. He too was amazed. It wasn't a Blackberry broadcast. So this made it kind of creepy.

I also appreciated some of my clients and my team members. It was the least anyone expected. Most of them didn't understand why I did that. It wasn't like I wanted something from them. But once in a while I do some soul search. I've been keeping it for too long but I just felt I should let it out. I love you all. You mean a lot to me. This year has been my best year ever. I don't know how I got here.

2013 started on a very rough note. I resumed school with little or no pocket money. It was so hard keeping my dreams alive. I had bills to pay, materials to buy, a team to lead, a vision to accomplish. 'How would this ever work out?'. I thought. We launched my online magazine in June 2012 and it's been challenging and interesting ever since.

Apart from my parents my friends became my caretakers. They provided accommodation for me, since I spent all my money on starting a brand. They gave me food to eat because I didn't have much to spend on that. They defended me, believed in me and till today still stand by me.

For over 4 months, I was without a smart phone. I couldn't work. My sponsor of life came to my rescue. He has invested so much in me. He's been my pillar of support no matter how challenging finances are for him when I make my requests.

My comedian uncle, his friends and family have always been behind me. My parents and my family too played their role efficiently and effectively.

The turning point came in June 2013 when I met her. She subscribed to our monthly PR plan which we handled to the best of our capabilities. You need to know what #5,000 meant to me. It covered something reasonable.

At last, I heaved a sigh of relief that I was a businessman adding value. For someone to pay us for a service, I felt so good. After the first semester exams, I wasn't planning to go home for our supposedly 2-weeks break.

Things got a new twist when she asked me to work with her. I was to stay with her for the 2 weeks but ASUU in all their majesty turned it to over 5 months. The last few months have been my best ever.

Having someone believe so much in you and not dictating what you should do for you. While I used her internet, car and other resources for free she still paid us for doing PR for her. She referred us to the best clients ever, introduced me into the business world, the challenges, the tactics and the networking.

You are awesome boss.

Did I mention her family? God bless them for me.

I've met so many people this year and they made this year count.

To all of you I say a big thank you.

When I finally get to my promise land, I'll write my autobiography and mention your names including the influences you've had on me.

Oh! How can I forget to mention my godmother of life. She's a newscaster at a popular TV station. I harass her everytime I'm broke. I am always...because I spend money on so many investments. I pray they yield rewarding dividends soon.

Then my uncles...you guys are great.
To those who still think I'm joking. I still hold my dream of being the richest man in the world.

...Emotions, feelings, love, relationships. I've had a lot of them.

Shout out to anyone I've ever dated. I'm sorry I let you go. Despite not giving you so much attention, you still had faith in me.

To those who broke my heart...you've taught me that life is full of shxx...what matters is how we respond to it.

I love you all.

I owe you so much.

If not for anything but for you, I'll make my dreams come true.

#bless

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Hposh Diaries...... Top lessons from Mandela's life

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 11 Desember 2013 0 komentar

Hposh has done a good job of highlighting some of the key things to note from the life that the man, Mandela lived. Short and sharp, no need for story. Enjoy!

Oh and while you're at it, I'm looking for a funny caption for this picture I stumbled on!! hahaha. Who's going to give it a go and take the prize?

Hposh diaries.....

I don't want to talk about myself today. I want to pay my own tribute to former South African President and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela who died at the age of 95 last Thursday 5th December 2013. You all know his history so I won't bore you with any more of it.

To say that Mandela changed the world is an understatement. Madiba came, he saw and he conquered. While speaking with someone recently he said "After Jesus the greatest person on earth is Mandela" (you have the right to your opinion). What kind of man goes to jail for 27 years under those inhuman circumstances without breaking? He suffered emotionally, mentally, financially and healthwise. Never the less, he remained undaunted. After his release, he became South Africa's first democratically elected President. He refused to run for a second term and there was no record of him paying back his former oppressors in their own coins. He not only forgave, he also forgot. What a man!

Just examining Mandela's life, I have discovered some secrets of success in life.

Some of the are:

1) Hold on to your dream, no matter what happens.

2) Be prepared. Everyday you witness the rising of the Sun, make sure you are better than the person you were the day before. Get more skills, read more books, listen to more tapes, build your character, nurture positive relationships. Success is when opportunity meets preparation.

3) Stay focused. Distractions will come but do not give in. Failure comes when we take our eyes off the goal.

4) Make sure your dream is worth dying for. If all you dream about is to make money, you are doomed to fail. Nothing is more important that adding value, making an impact.

5) Never Give Up! Challenges will come. They should make you better not bitter.

6) Your destiny is in your hands. "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Whichever way, you are right" - Thomas Edison. People will desert you. Resources will fail to come. Those close to you will lose faith in you. When things get rough and tough, remember that you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.

7) Be positive! Say only things that are right. Speak life, wealth, hope, happiness! Nothing works better than the power of the mind.

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Hposh Diaries...... Part 1

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 03 Desember 2013 0 komentar

Hi guys, we have a new guest blogger for Wednesdays. Let me introduce to you, Hposh.

He has dreams to take over the world, to be the world's youngest billionaire. Can he? Will he? Only time will tell..... In the mean time, he shares his thoughts and actions with us as he works everyday towards realizing this huge dream!

Hposh diaries..... Part 1

source - http://www.discoveryfinance.com/millionaire-billionaire-club.html

For a while now, I've been yearning to write. I've stored several poems, proses and articles in my head but refused to pen them down. Sometimes I read other people's articles online and I'm like 'Oh My God! That should be my article.'

My favorite brand slogan is "Just Do It" by Nike. Many a time, we all know what and who we want to be. I want to be an actor. I want to be a writer. I want to be an Engineer. I want to be a business man. I can't imagine how long you've been trying to be what and who you want to be.

Come to think of it, what would have happened if Thomas Edison didn't invent the electricity bulb? How would we have traveled across several oceans and mountains if the Wright Brothers had not built the first airplane. Let's bring it back home. How would Lagos have been if they had not constructed the third mainland bridge? Now you get the point?

Every human being on this planet is blessed with at least one unique talent. It's up to us to discover our potentials, hone our skills, market our products, solve a problem and get enriched by it.

Poverty or wealth is a state of the mind. You see a lot of people nag about the terrible situation of the country, yet others are finding solutions to problems and getting paid for it. Rather than talking about things that are not right, find a way to do the right thing.

My name is Hposh (should I use my real name). I'm a writer, an actor, a creative thinker, and an entrepreneur. Every morning when I wake up, my mind tells me I owe the world a lot. I'm very ambitious and I want to be the richest man on earth one day. I owe the world best selling books, blockbuster movies (because I'll still go into film making), amazing scripts and stories, multinational corporations and many more. I have a dream and I know it will come true. What I don't know is how and when it will be fulfilled. One thing I'm sure of is I will be on FORBES list before I turn 30. It's going to be a bumpy road. Am I ready for it? Only time will tell.

Dreams come true. This is my dream. What is yours? The right time to start is now. Just do it! Join me on this intriguing journey as I share with you my past, my present, my future. An insight into my relationships, my dreams, my projects, my challenges and lots more. This could just be my autobiography.

This is Hposh Dairies...

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Global Entrepreneurship Week Kicks off! 16/11/2013

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 15 November 2013 0 komentar

The long awaited week is here. The week for celebrating entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. If you are in Nigeria and haven't registered yet for any of the activities in Nigeria, please do so here;

GEW 2013 Registration

The event kicks off tomorrow with a walk, it's going to be fun trust me, so get out of bed early tomorrow and come join us at 7am at the VI campus of the Enterprise Development Center. I know many of us could use some exercise too, hehe!! Don't be lazy now, come out and walk for entrepreneurship! Let's make those office workers jealous. :-)

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10 lessons from Sara Blakely for Nigerians

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 28 Agustus 2013 0 komentar

The week has been sort of a lazy week. It used to be easier for me to get home take a brief nap and get up to work till late; once the boys had gone to bed. I haven't been very successful at this lately. The "naps" have been just it, goodnight nap! It was so bad yesterday that I didn't even know when my husband walked in to the room. I must have been talking nonsense because he claims we had a mini conversation when he came in. I have no recollection of this conversation. I woke up at 2 a.m, but couldn't function so I went back to bed.

I have mustered all the energy within me to stay up tonight. So let's get on with today's post. How many of you caught the Sara Blakely interview on CNN? It was my brother in-law, Tosin who told me it was on and asked if I was watching. He knows I like such things and this one was really captivating. Unfortunately, I was on the road, as usual. But as I got back, I searched for her on the internet, watched her interviews and read up about her. Hers is a remarkable story and her personality makes it even more interesting. It's worth reading up on and sharing. She's the world's youngest self made female billionaire at the moment. If you missed the feature, follow the link below;

Sara Blakely - Spanx

A couple of reviewers have done their "10 lessons from the Sara Blakely story". Most of them are from the American perspective. I am going to try to bring it home!

10 lessons from the Sara Blakely story;

1. Believe in your dream

To be honest, even I would never have imagined how such an invention would be the next big thing. It just sounds so ordinary. To think that, just tweaking an existing product to make it more comfortable would make that much of a difference is simply amazing.

She mentioned that even the lawyers thought she was pulling a candid candid camera stunt on them when she came to talk to them about her idea. Lol!! She could have allowed this to discourage her, to make her feel this was stupid, but she kept on. She called up several companies to help build the prototype and none of them was interested but she kept going because she believed in the idea. Eventually she got someone to do the prototype.

Sometimes you might have an idea and hear things like, "that can't work in Nigeria", "why would anyone buy that", or "that's so stupid", if you believe enough in your idea, by all means do something about it!

*By the way, I saw a spanx at a lingerie store in Lekki yesterday. I am not into body shapers, but I just wanted to buy it because of Sara!

2. Keep it simple

Innovation does not always have to be novel or out of this world. Look around you. There are everyday things that exist but could be better. Sara just wanted to be able to wear her white pants and feel great and comfortable without cellulite on display and she went on to create a lasting solution to that.

Perhaps there's something bugging you, it's probably bugging several others too. If you've found a fix, share it without shame.

3. Timing is important

Don’t share too soon. Sara said she kept her idea secret from her family and friends for a while. In her own words “Ideas are the most vulnerable in their infancy. Family and friends often express concern or doubts (out of love) that can stop people dead in their tracks. Share once you’ve invested enough of yourself in it, to the point when you know there is no turning back. If you share too soon, ego has to get involved and you will spend more time explaining and defending your idea rather than pursuing it. But definitely tell the people that can help move your idea forward.”

4. Convert your friends and family first

Her mother, grandmother and other friends and family were the first to test her product after she made the prototype. I have said it before on this blog, if your friends and family do not know anything about what you do, there is a problem.

You might say, oh, they don't believe in me, they think I'm a failure, they don't take me seriously, yada yada. If you can't convert them, how are you supposed to convert the world?

5. Never underestimate the power of Media

Face it, you need the media and not just social media here. TV, radio, magazine and so on. I know you must be thinking, where am I supposed to get the money for that. Let's borrow a leaf from Sara, she took a long shot and sent her product as a gift to Oprah with a hand written note to say how much she inspired her!

A lot of us feel too big for "famzing" as we have named it these days. I agree, there's a thin line between stalking and "famzing" and really, if you don't do it right, it can get annoying. But there's no harm in following strong media personalities on twitter, re-tweeting their tweets, sending them messages when the time is right (Not just on twitter!) and so on. There is no shame in this matter, you have to throw away shame!

*famzing - Derived from the word familiar, describes a person who unashamedly tries to get noticed by a person or join their circles.

6. You can figure it out, you have the ability

One of the things I learnt during my MBA is that if you don't know, you can always find out, by asking an expert or doing research yourself. These days, life has been made a lot easier with greater access to information than ever before - almighty Google is your friend.

The ability to process information and apply it to your advantage is one of the skills you need to be a successful entrepreneur. Sara knew nothing about Patents nor did she know anything about manufacturing undergarments, but she did not let this stop her.

7. Do not spend what you do not have

She had $5,000 which is an equivalent of about 1.3million naira in Nigeria. If you had that money, what would you do with it? Many of us would probably rent an office space, brand a car, hire staff maybe and then hope for a miracle. Lol!!

Money is a resource that is not unlimited. Start-ups should never compare themselves to large, established companies. To cut cost on the patent, Sara took time to read up and write most of the patent for her product. Be true to yourself, only you know your true financial position.

8. Patience is key

It took a whole year to fine-tune her idea and another year to get her first big sale. Many of us want everything now. You spend money you do not have to set up a fancy office, so you look good on the outside and then put yourself under unhealthy pressure to recoup your investment. Even worse, you go and borrow money to keep up the facade.

9. Sell like your life depends on it!

The only way to get anywhere is to come up with ideas and then sell them. STRONGLY. How many companies have you visited with your proposal? How many sales pitches have you made? You don't mean business, until you mean business.

Notice how many phone calls Sara made before she got invited by Neiman Marcus. Was she nervous? Yes she was, as nervous as hell as she tells us in her story, but she went still with her lucky red back pack (Even though her friends begged her to get a Prada)!! The rest is history.

Oh and by the way;

10. WE NEED ELECTRICITY!!!

I put this here for our politicians and representatives. I still find it so difficult to comprehend how we are borrowing money to go to space when something as basic as electricity is still a day dream!!! Its absolutely ridiculous.

Until this becomes our countries absolute priority, I don't see how enterprise or any other thing can thrive as it should. In the mean time as our dear Sound Sultan sang - "Go buy candle" hehe (this is an example of "famzing" by the way. I tweeted at him three times today already. Tomorrow, it'll be another celebrity)

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The birth of Trezorlandia.......... Abraham Lincoln and failure

Posted by Unknown Senin, 17 Juni 2013 0 komentar

I apologize, I have been MIA, my body revolted against the late nights I was keeping. Seeing as I am not ready to go over to the other side yet, I had to respect my body and take it easy. Plus the father’s Day preparations got the better of me.

I know we are expecting to continue with the Dangote story, but I can’t afford to ignore the most significant part of my entrepreneurship journey, how and when Trezorlandia was born.

The birth of a dream…..

At the interview with Tony Hadley, he asked me a question, it was one of the questions we had rehearsed a couple of times in school, but I could not give him the rehearsed textbook answer, because he had this look that made me feel like he really wanted to know. “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” For the first time, I didn’t just blurt out the textbook type answer, I thought long and hard and for some reason I said, I see myself running an online shopping business. That was the first time any thought about owning my own business had come to me and of all places for that to happen! Lol!

I got the job and carried on happily with it but I always just had this nagging feeling, like I could be doing more. I sold wristwatches on the side, Ankara fabrics too as well as anything sell-able to my colleagues. My office was not too far from the market so once again, most of my break time was spent combing the stalls. Then one day it hit me, I wanted to help purchase and deliver gifts. This was something I had been doing for fun back in school and even at work. I didn’t know what to call it or if it was possible to build a business around that so I hit the web. Believe it or not, something that sounded like such a novelty idea already existed as Gift consulting! I immediately knew for sure that I wanted to be a gift consultant.

When you have that aha moment, you best be surrounded by “cheerleaders” or you would never take off. My brother, Kehinde, my friends on the 9^thfloor, Utibe and Zainab were my first set of cheerleaders. I shared my idea with them and they were even more excited than I was. I could go on and on about this but I have a note on facebook that captures the story. I cannot say it better now than I did years ago when it really happened. If you’d like to know please follow the link below;

About the name Trezorlandia

When you start a business, what are the first steps to take? There’s no hard and fast rule, but there should be best practices. In my case I didn’t follow any laid down principles, I just wanted to start and I did what I felt I needed to do;

Shareholders: I knew I couldn’t go it alone, I needed a team. I thought of people who I could work with on building the business and involved them, my brother for PR (Public relations), My friend, Emiola for purchases offshore (I also felt she had a knack for selecting gifts) and my husband for IT. This was my own idea at the time. I wasn’t thinking of money, I still had a job and was financing most of the business from my salary.

Another way to go though, would be to get shareholders to finance the business capital (money you need for the business), this is known as Paid up Capital. Paid Up Capital in simple terms is the amount of a company's capital that has been funded by shareholders, it can be less than a company's total capital because a company may not be financed solely by equity (shareholder’s money). Before you go this route however, do a proper analysis of your startup costs, ensure that you only spend money on the important things.
Logo Design: I went through a process of selecting a logo. I engaged about three different people and my partners and I looked through loads of logo designs. As simple as this process sounds, it was not that simple. Making decisions can be tasking. At last one of my brother’s talented friends, Munachi Duru designed the winning logo. I saw it and just knew! There was a connection and my partners felt it too.
Set up a facebook page: This is a free (everybody say “Free”, free is good) and fast way to build your market. I come from a large family and I harassed and harassed every one of them to like my page and suggest to their friends. I owe a lot of the likes I have on the page now to my brothers Adeleke and Kehinde and my sister Tolu. Till date I have never used the paid facebook adverts and I have 1,805 likes.
Create engaging content: It is one thing to create a facebook page and another thing to keep it active. My head was always spinning and I read a lot online. There’s so much information out there about anything you want to do. This helped me keep my page fresh. I also realized this was an all new type of business in Nigeria and I had to educate the market on why they needed the services of a gift consultant. I put out a few notes and featured a few videos.
Company Registration: I immediately engaged a lawyer and registered the name Trezorlandia. This has its good and bad parts especially if you haven’t got your accounting sorted. Now I would suggest you hold out a bit and do a pilot run before you go ahead to register the business. I say this because at the time of registering the business, I did not take into account the tax issues associated with it. And years went by before I really started to trade officially with the already registered name.
Account Opening: It is very important to separate your personal finances from you business finance. I am just getting really strict with this. Ensure that all your transactions, as much as possible, are done through the business account. Nowadays you have to have your TIN (Tax Identification number) before you can open a company account.
Website: This I need to dedicate a whole post to, remind me later.

2013…… 16 June 2013

It’s father’s day today. I finished my delivery runs early and still made it to church, especially since I didn’t make it last week. I teach in the teen’s church and feel like I let them down when I don’t show up. A lot has happened since my last post, but I cannot begin to bore you with everything, so I picked one that made me think a lot. First I must thank my cousin Jide Ogungbesan for his feedback on the blog. I am more than proud of him :-)

On Saturday, my mum asked me about the youwin grant! Omo, I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her I didn’t get it. She would conclude that enemies are after me and ship me off to MFM prayer city camp for deliverance. No way! I mumbled something that made her believe it wasn’t out yet (may God forgive me) and truncated my visit pronto.

On my way home I started thinking about Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and co. We are told they failed so many times and yet did not give up until they fulfilled their dreams. We are then expected be encouraged by the story of these men and just follow suit, but who has read the story about how they handled these steady stream of failures as they claim? That’s the bit I need to hear about, living through the failures. Thomas Edison, they say made 1,000 failed attempts before inventing the light bulb! I am thinking 1,000!! 1,000!! Haaaa. How did he not run mad, how did he not give up? How?! I just need to know…….

I have downloaded the biography of Abraham Lincoln; I hope I get some insights to share when I am done reading. In the meantime, I'll continue to cope the only way I know how. (watch out for my entrepreneur's survival tips later)

Entrepreneur Tips

Please refer to the top on steps I took when starting my business. They may not be the gospel, but you can get some insights as to what to do and maybe what not to do.

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Banking Consolidation........ @asktrezorlandia @oyamagng

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 07 Juni 2013 0 komentar

The Banking Consolidation…..

Enter Soludo with the banking consolidation and reforms, banks were scrambling to survive. It was a case of acquire, get acquired or die. We had to transform as well, we embarked on an overhaul of our IT system, moving from Kapiti (a truly ancient version of it) to finnacle, we also acquired two banks, Nigerian American Merchant bank and Cooperative Development bank! It was a clash of cultures, software systems and accounts.

I know everyone had their fair share of pressure but IT ehn, e no get part two (second to none, for those of you who don’t do pidgin). It was bad enough that we were already perceived as “those people that cause trouble and make our work hard” by other units of the bank, then now there was so much more to deal with. We were doing Monday to Sunday, closing very late and in the midst of this I had to deal with the mainland to island commute and be at work for 7, 7:30 and we wonder why life expectancy has dropped to 45years. Tufia! (i.e God forbid)

It was obvious we needed new direction and a strong leader on management level or close to save our drowning IT unit. Then came Mr. Oni, a high flying all rounder from Accenture. The task ahead of him was huge, but he did all he could to measure up. At this point however, I was feeling like I was in a tornado, no purpose, no direction, no hope. It was that time again, I had to get out…….. To be Contd.

Life Skills Learnt

Be prepared! The banking consolidation favored those who saw the future. They were in the know.
It’s not obvious in the post, but I learnt to “document” every single thing. I would try to tell my boss (before Mr. Oni) something verbally and he would say, “document it” by this he meant through a mail (for mail trail) or a memo. This was a period of immense heat and you could get fired for any slip ups.
I was on every committee you can imagine like the IT steering committee for one, it was like I had secretary written on my head. Well I learnt how to write minutes from being every meeting’s secretary and believe me, it’s a skill! Lol

2013…….06 June, 2013

At the end of each day, especially the not so fruitful days, I sit down and review the day, did I achieve anything, what did I do, what did I not do and then I look for things that I need to do better or new things I need to try. I need to step up my marketing, seriously step it up, this is a no brainer and sounds so very basic, but it is not at all (especially when there is no money!)

I recently found out that one young Ife student who attends my church runs a social media marketing service, Oyamagng; he’s a twitter maestro and is not doing badly for himself. He runs social media campaigns for small growing companies like me. If you run a small business, or need to introduce a new product, you should try them out; encourage young enterprising students who are not yahoo yahooing! Anyway I have engaged the young man, we’re one week into this father’s day campaign and I’m feeling his work.

I now have a new handle called @asktrezorlandia, its dedicated to answering questions about gifts e.g. what can I buy for my boss, what can I buy for my daughter, what kind of flowers should I send for a birthday and so on. I thought about setting it up a while back but never came round to it, then when I engaged oyamagng and gave him his brief voila, I check my twitter timeline and what do I see “introducing #asktrezorlandia a platform for getting ideas for gifts”! Talk about running with a brief, this boy is on fire. So I had no choice but to sharply go and create the handle that had been in the cooler for yonks. I do hope the handle @asktrezorlandia would be to gifts what @Gidi_traffic is to dealing with Lagos traffic. AMEN!!! J

I also finally sent out that mail introducing Trezorlandia as a supplier of corporate gift items to the people on the list I compiled. I figured, I can send to the ones I have for now and I’ll send when I have more. If not I would still be compiling this said list a year from now. By the way, I didn’t get one single reply, imagine that. Maybe I need to re-word the body of the mail or edit the subject, I need ideas! Uncle Leke Alder where are you?

Entrepreneur tips

Do something every day that you haven’t done before. No matter how small. Nothing is irrelevant; continuously improve on the finer details of your business.
Just do it! You’ve been playing with this thought in your head for some time, how do you know it’ll fail without even trying?
Build a team, we know you have skills in every area, still you can’t do everything yourself. Dispel the thought that you have no money to pay for services, consider forming mutually beneficial alliances with people and other companies.

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Baptism of fire...... Some great news

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 05 Juni 2013 0 komentar

FCMB 2004……

I was posted to the IT department, just where I wanted to be. The orientation for the bank’s newbies was great. Fela Durotoye was one of the facilitators, it was my first time of really considering entrepreneurship (imagine that! At a bank’s orientation training), Fela is one hell of a talker! He didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear nor what the bank wanted him to tell us, he told us what we needed to hear. Well Fela, if you do get to read this ever, just want you to know, I heard you!

I once again found myself in the midst of men, but I felt at home, I was one of the boys, more or less J. It was fun fixing people’s IT problems. I was assigned to the helpdesk and loving it until aunty Kareemat (she managed the stock broking software) decided to resign! The mantle of receiving the hand over note fell upon me, barely 3months from joining the team! Breaathe, don’t panic, she gave 3months notice, surely that’s enough to get a hang of the software and take it on, I consoled myself with this. Only for aunty to take her leave days in lieu or whatever it is they normally do. Gbaga! This was how the stock broking software became my baby, prematurely. It was my baptism of fire; I thought I knew pressure till there was an AGM or IPO or Dividend payment. I lived through this till Ayo Anegbe was re-hired ( I mean it, re-hired, they went to fish him out!) to take over. Life was good; I went back to the helpdesk and just did support work for Ayo.

Life skills learnt

You think you’ve reached your limit till you are stretched a little more. You’ll be surprised what you can live through (said in Yago’s voice, from Aladdin). My boss then would say, “it’s not rocket science”, I used to hate hearing this back then, but it’s true, you can deal with anything, just remember “it’s not rocket science” and if it turns out that it is indeed rocket science you have to face, then….. Run! Just kidding.

2013…. 05 June 3, 2013

Good news came in today; my application to become a ccHub member has been approved. God knows I could use some of that after the youwin and BET disappointments (story for another day). I heard about the ccHub at some training and I knew I had to join that community, there’s something about being surrounded by brilliant people (especially techies, I am biased, I know). You want to be surrounded by people who are doing great stuff rather than sitting back and complaining about the government (boo hoo!). The things those young fellas are churning out from there kwa! Budgit is there, efiko mobile is there, smids animation, name them, I must rub shoulders and minds with them. I am so happy and can’t wait to start working from the hub.

So today I started compiling my list of corporate communications and branding people’s contacts. I need to mention here that I supply corporate gifts, so if you are reading this and know someone I should be talking to, please send me a mail. Tell me where and when and I’ll be there in a flash. I am humble like that. Lol!! I need to expand my revenue streams before I run down. I know there are a million and plus one people doing corporate gifts, but I refuse to be deterred; I will find innovative ways to deliver value.

I logged on to Xero (my newly subscribed to, online accounting software) today to update invoices and payments. I think I am getting a hang of this. Oh accounting, where is thy sting?

P.S
No mention of business today, because there was no business!! Sighs… One of those days

Entrepreneur tips

There will be good days and not so good days, whatever happens, keep moving.
The people your surround yourself with matter, find an enabling environment and key in to it. It helps keep you motivated which is really important.

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My first Resignation..... Integrity in Business

Posted by Unknown 0 komentar

Fast forward 2004……

All the highs of Tara systems started to wear off when my take home pay could no longer take me home. Something about me (can be good or bad, depends), when I want a change, I want it so badly, I can’t see straight, I start to get very restless, like someone is choking me. It gets really bad and at this point, nothing else matters. So although no job offers had been made from the handful of interviews I had attended, I resigned! My very first resignation letter J, bye bye Seni Williams.

My colleagues then thought, “this girl is mad”. You don’t have another job and you resign, who does that! Oh well, I only sat at home for about 2 weeks, because believe it or not FCMB called me for a final interview, with my 2’2. The interview was with one of the Executive Directors at the time, Biodun Oyapero and I was so sure I wasn't getting the job! You see, I had this fancy CV template I got online and copied “summa cum laude” straight from it because I thought it sounded cool, didn't even know what it meant *embarrassed*. Well, Mr. Oyapero’s eyes went straight there and the discussion was about just that! Yikes! He asked me, were you top of your class and I say no and he goes so why do you have “summa cum laude” on your resume….. blank stare*. He could have thrown me out just then (some interviewers get that nasty), but he was gracious enough to explain what it meant to me before dismissing me. So it was a great shock, a pleasant one too when I got a call to come and pick up my letter. Yaaay me!

Life skills learnt

Don’t just sit there and wait, make a move:
You can seek advice from other people about life decisions, but in the end it all comes back to you. It’s about you, you have to know what you want and go for it. Don’t stay there if it’s not working for you, overcome your fear!

2013…. 04 June 3, 2013

Ok, I know this is not exactly the 4^th of June, but I typed most of this yesterday but didn’t get to post it because of other pressing issues like homework! Doing homework with my older son is like a huge task and I used to leave it to the lesson teacher till I realized he wasn’t really learning anything, yes the assignments were done, but more like a dictation. I am so firing him, but how to do this is a current dilemma I am in! Anyway, so we do homework now and the shouting and screaming that came with it initially has reduced (don’t look at me like that! It’s not easy). I had to tell myself, I survived engineering, I can do this! Yes!

So back to business, the delivery yesterday went well, eventually. The cake survived the long wait without falling apart. Delivering cream cakes is a lot of work. We picked up the cake and headed out but couldn’t reach the recipient to clarify her address on time (the thing with surprises ehn!). That was how we were left holding on to a cream cake in Lagos hot sun. Come and see panic! I had to find a solution fast; I buzzed people I knew in the area. SOS!! Who has a fridge to keep this cake while we try to reach the birthday girl? Luckily my good friend Okwudili has a fridge in his office and was reachable (this too is key in Nigeria, networks can kill you in an emergency).

After a few hours, we reached the birthday girl and guess what the address wasn’t too far from Okwudili’s office, whew! We delivered and were heading back when I reach for my hand bag and find a missing piece of the hair accessory themed hamper there!! Oh no! Not like she would have noticed, it was a surprise gift anyway and there were a lot of things in the hamper already but I couldn’t let it go. At first I thought, I can’t turn back joo, I’ll just keep it and put it in another hamper later but I was uncomfortable. So yea, I turned back. I tried not to look at my staff’s face, sure she was thinking, this madam sef get wahala too much! Whatever! We were in Yaba and had to still go to Adeniyi Jones to customize a bathrobe but I had to give this back. Luckily, we hadn’t gone too far off and the road was free.

All in all, it was a good day; I didn’t open Xero to update my accounts though! Between homework, typing this halfway and dinner, yours truly more or less passed out on the couch.

Entrepreneur tips

Prioritize! In all of your business pursuits make time for the things that matter.
In business you are constantly looking for solutions to problems, apart from the overall problem that you built your business around in the first place. Your brain has to be alert, keep calculating, and keep planning. Perhaps I should call next time before picking the cake, maybe.
You need people, business is not a walk in the park and you can be tempted to bury your head in it and forget family and friends DON’T. After all is said and done, they’re all you’ve got plus, you can’t just spring up out of the blues to ask for help.
Integrity matters. You think you’re trying to prove something to someone else, but no, you need to prove it to yourself. Let it be part of you. You must be known for it if you want to build a sustainable business.

See Pictures below of the cream cake that almost gave up and the birthday hamper

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The beginning..

Posted by Unknown Senin, 03 Juni 2013 0 komentar

2001….

Someone asked what I wanted to be 10years from now and I said I just want to be happy. That’s all I could think of after surviving unilag chemical engineering with no extra year (trust me, this was a big deal! Don’t laugh). Honestly I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do next. I thought of travelling, studying French, acting, anything but more books.

Then that moment comes when you realize you need money to do anything plus you need somewhere to go every day before your parents drive you crazy. This was how I began my job hunt armed with my miserable 2’2 degree. That’s how it now looked to me as doors were slammed in my face. So much for my dreams of plenty oil money! Isho.

A dear friend at the time advised me to consider a career in information technology and this was how I got my first chance with Mr. Seni Williams. Working in Tara was like the best thing that happened to me then. I was full of enthusiasm, eager to learn and try new things and Seni Williams was the type of boss that would throw you into the deep and leave you. It was here that I developed research skills. You couldn’t be given a task and go back to Seni to say, I don’t know. I don’t know ke!! When there was Google and Ayotunde Itayemi (genius! I bet he’ll freak out when he sees his name here. hehe).

Life skills learnt

Unilag – Determination, Hard work, Friendship (I met the most amazing people), Problem analysis and dare I say Chemical Engineering (hahaha)

Nobody is an Island, you need people. I survived chemical engineering because of the wonderful family I had there. Till today many of us are still supporting each other. No business can survive without people, you need a team, you need to know how to relate with, motivate and generally manage your team or else you cannot succeed.

Tara Systems – Research, Just ask (No shame in that), nothing is impossible, IT appreciation, Web design

As an entrepreneur you are constantly doing research, looking for ways to re-invent yourself, your business, keeping yourself abreast of what is trending in your industry, doing research on what the customers want at every point in time (because customer needs and tastes are constantly changing) and so on.

My time in Tara taught me that nothing is impossible; someone somewhere has done what you are trying to do. It’s on Google or just ask your own Ayotunde Itayemi

2013…. 03 June, 2013

A client I had lost contact with called me today. I was so happy, last week was so dry. Business on a Monday is a good sign! And it’s a birthday hamper, putting those things together gives me great joy. Can’t wait for the delivery tomorrow, that look on the recipient’s face when they see the hamper coming their way, priceless!

On the other hand, I am still working on my accounts with Xero, the new accounting software I recently got introduced to. Omo, the thing is not a easy something. Accountants try. We should appreciate what they do. I have a headache but this is because I haven’t really been keeping good records. It’s all scattered everywhere. This is where Mofe comes in, my new accountant; together I hope we can keep proper records going forward.

Entrepreneur tips

- 1. Open a book to record money that comes in and money that goes out in relation to your business daily! That simple. Unless you are running a charity or mom and pop shop (As Seni Williams used to say), you must sort out your accounting. It paints a picture of the state of your business.

- 2. Keep receipts of everything as much as possible. Sort them out week by week. I.e. staple the ones for each week together (I am still trying to get used to this myself, I hate paper!). But you’ll need them for tax and audit.

- 3. Build a customer database with full name, email address and phone number at least. You want to constantly be in touch with your customers. My mentor told me that it costs less in time and money to keep and existing customer than to get a new one. It’s so true.

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