Be Your Own Boss (Entrepreneur Movement)

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.

     The World Photography Organization in partnership with ZEISS have announced the commencement of the second edition of the ZEISS Photography Award 'Seeing Beyond', with the theme "Meaningful Places". ZEISS started this competition to challenge photographers the world over to " look beyond the ordinary and capture the extraordinary things that exist in the world we live in, by documenting the importance of one or several places that bear significance to each other" . source: lensipre.zeiss.com

     The Africa Food Prize  is the preeminent award for recognizing the extraordinary individual or institution whose contributions to African agriculture are forging a new era of sustainable food security and economic opportunity for all Africans. image source: utibeetim.com

     The Africa Prize encourages ambitious and talented sub-Saharan African engineers from all disciplines to apply their skills to develop scalable solutions to local challenges, highlighting the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development. 

      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

    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 

      It's happy times for African entrepreneurs as MTN and Jumia have decided to partner to support the business ideas of young entrepreneurs in Africa with their Pan African Entrepreurship Challenge.   MTN Entrepreneurs Challenge.

      There are several reasons to open a website.  For a vast majority,  it is to make money,  adding value comes later.  But how do you make money on a website that can not even keep it's readers? You may have tried your best,  paid for ads,  spammed several pages and tried every means necessary,  but it's not working. Internet 

     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

      Many people feel that they just aren’t smart enough to be an entrepreneur, yet there seems to be no convincing evidence that a high IQ is a prerequisite for this lifestyle. We all know of successful businesses started by first-time entrepreneurs who dropped out of school, and according to many  sources , “street smarts” (experience) tends to trump “book smarts” (intelligence) every time.

     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 

     Leadership in business is not exactly the easiest task in the world, it involves decision making and risk taking. Some days,  the risks pay off,  other days,  it's an absolute failure.  Leaders are put under immense pressure on a daily basis and they need a bit of inspiration every once in a while to help with their tasks.        Below are a couple of quotes I have learnt to live by and adopt in my every day life that has made me a better person and an efficient leader Leadership 

     Leadership is a skill set every entrepreneur must possess.  Without it. businesses fail,  enterprises crumble and dreams die from wrong decisions.  We all have mentors we look up to and there are lessons we have learnt from their lives  ( business wise and otherwise) . Majority of entrepreneurs see Bill Gates as a role model  ( the ultimate role model)  as a matter of fact,  we have role models who have him as their role model in other words , he's your role model's role model ( pun intended) . If we are to learn about leadership,  we might as well learn from the very best. The man himself. Source: thetab.com

     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

      Marketing in the last decade has evolved from just TV adverts, posters and billboards to targeted and customer specific adverts on the internet.  The internet guarantees a wider reach and a bigger audience than TV,  posters and billboards combined. Facebook has been a key player and a veritable tool in the hands of internet markerters,  not just because of the numbers they can provide in terms of audience, but because they can ensure that your post ad gets to an audience interested in it. Let me tell you something creepy ( depending on your stand point) Facebook