Be Your Own Boss (Entrepreneur Movement)

My girlfriend broke up with me on a Monday... by that Friday I'd made my 1st million in one lump sum... She broke up with me because I didn't have enough money to visit her as often as she wanted.  Motivation

During the filming of #AskGaryVee Show 244, Taylor, a 22 year old fresh out of college, phoned in for advice on how she can build a business. What followed was one of the most important pieces of advice I have recorded and is applicable to almost all my community, but definitely to young people across the world between 20–30 years old. Here is how the call with Taylor played out word for word: Gary Vee

As far as business and entrepreneurship is concerned, branding plays a key role. Let's face it, you are first seen before you are heard. But being a brand is more than just being aesthetically pleasing. We have come to see that personal branding has become more of a necessity and requirement than a mere competitive edge. Unfortunately, many business men and entrepreneurs do not know this and have become prone to personal branding errors. In this post, we will learn of real life personal branding errors and mistakes and how to avoid them.

      We cannot deny how incredibly important social media has become in today's business world. Brands are built with more social media work these days. Unfortunately, if you are a small player or a startup, getting the attention of people on social media can prove to be a herculean task.  It is at this point that you need to focus on getting the attention of a social influencer just so you can leverage on their already established popularity. It is not as easy as it sounds but with the steps written here, you wont find it as hard as most people do. Influence

     A lot has been said about money,  like how it makes the world go round and how loving it is the root of all evil.  The thoughts of most people, most of the time,  revolve around money whether directly or indirectly.  Questions like "when am I going to pay off this debt?" "who can I borrow from? " " how do I pay the bills? " are given the right to roam free in our minds .  image source : simpleeconomist.com

     As far as business finance is concerned,  crowdfunding is a relatively new term but certainly not a new method.  Crowdfunding works with the same principle as fundraising, and it basically involves soliciting for funds, large or small, from individuals.      In recent time, crowdfunding has been made easier due to the presence of websites that help nonprofit organizations, businesses and people raise money.      Crowdfunding has become a useful tool in the hands of entrepreneurs to generate capital.  Here's how it works.  Crowd

     Failure is a terrible feeling! Forget the talk about rising up again,  being optimistic, and learning from experience , failure is a really bad thing!.  It leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who experiences it and does a number on the confidence of the person affected. Photo Credit: enevada.org

      So,  you have made the decision to become an entrepreneur and the only thing holding you back is the idea of what business to start. It could be because you have too many ideas in your head and you cannot settle for one,  or maybe you do not have any idea at all but you are convinced the entrepreneurial road is your path. The selection process is tricky and mentally exhausting but with the right kind of guidance,  it can be really easy.  If you're struggling to decide which niche best suits you,  the post will do you a lot of good. image credit : gembaacademy.com

      The process of hiring staff can be insanely tricky.  The decision to hire a person or group of people is one of the hardest and most important as it is these people that will determine to a larelge extent how successful you start up will be and how much it will grow.  The decision should be given a lot of thought and planned out meticulously.  Who is the right candidate? 

      Having to face a panel that would leave no stone unturned when scrutinizing your business idea or proposal is not exactly the easiest task in the world. It takes an insane amount of composure and belief in your plan to make your pitching perfect.  Composure may not be enough sometimes and questions may arise that would raise doubts about the viability of your idea. The Perfect Pitch

    About a year ago I was billed to speak at a public gathering,  my first ever speech. I was sufficiently prepared, at least I thought I was,  I rehearsed with a mirror more times than I can remember,  dressed like a boss to increase my confidence,  swaggered into the hall,  grabbed the microphone like a corporate Michael Jackson and stuttered for half the time allotted to me. I was sweating in an air conditioned room as I  prayed to God for time to fly and the crowd to disappear.  It was pathetic,  and I'm putting it mildly.  Stage fright 

   Somehow in our present version of reality,  the word 'Entrepreneur' has become more fashionable than it used to be a couple of years back, largely because of the scarcity of well paying jobs the world over.  More and more people want to run their own businesses,  some even have fantastic ideas but cannot get it out of their head because of the lack of necessary funds to bring these ideas to life.  Photo Credit: viconsortium.com

      Before you ask,  No,  this is neither a fraudulent get rich quick scheme or a bunch of BS. It is facts we all know but for one reason or another have chosen to ignore and relegate to the deepest recesses of our mind.  Let's start with a story of two men Money Growth 

     Too many people are of the opinion that being an entrepreneur pays more when you do it alone.  Let me tell you something about that theory,  it does NOT hold any water.  Gene Marks of The Marks Group once wrote "There was once a time when it was just me. I was providing computer services. I was working a lot of hours but I wasn't making much money at it.... Today I'm making a lot of money because I'm supervising 10 people who are providing computer services for me.  I'm making money off them. "      Sure,  you may be making a couple of bucks here and there but it is nothing compared to what you'll make if you decide to do it with people.  Here's why. Sole proprietor 

     The most important and fundamental need of any organization is the right kind of people with the right attitude to run the business.  They are called committed employees and their well being as well as their growth should be handled meticulously.      Employers should learn to understand the emotions and personalities of their staff in order to get the best out of them.  A successful businesses is made based on the effort of the team and your business will fail irrespective of your level of commitment if your team is not as committed. A great player does not make a great team.     Below are a few tips to help you grow your employees and assist them in their individual careers: Employees 

     Today,  I won't go on and on and on about how useful social media is for business growth.  There have been earlier posts about  harnessing the power of facebook  and  Snapchat .  Today,  I will be teaching you how to grow your social media presence and followership and trust me,  it can be pretty hard without the right guidance. Social media

      As you begin to to journey into the world of business,  you will realize that a name and reputation play a major role in determining the success of the business.  You will have to make a brand, a reputable one, out of your business.  In your attempt to establish yourself as a major player in whatever field you choose to go into,  there are rules you should play by and mistakes avoid.  Here are some common mistakes to avoid when trying to establish a brand.  Brand

     University life is a giant leap towards adulthood and if you intend to become an entrepreneur after University,  there's no amount of reading or attending of seminars or coaching that can prepare you enough for the real world.  The transition from amateur student entrepreneur to real life business man can be tricky and complicated.      To this end,  i have compiled a couple of lessons I have learnt in my own journey to help smoothen your transition.  I hope it helps. University Of Benin 

     In recent times social media has become an important tool for marketing.  Businesses that have learnt to use social media have seen significant growth  in revenue and reduction in the cost of advertising.     In the first part   of this social media series,  we learnt how to use facebook to widen our reach and expand our audience. Today, we'll be learning how to use Snapchat to grow our market.  Snapchat 

     The first step to starting any business or creating a brand is to have an idea of what you want to do. The idea is the very foundation on which every other thing pertaining to the brand or enterprise is built.  But what exactly makes an idea a good one?  I am of the opinion that it is the return on investment of that idea that determines how good the idea is.   Unfortunately,  it takes more than just a good idea to create a profitable venture. Good ideas on paper do not necessarily translate to success in reality.  What is the reason for this?   Good idea,  bad idea