The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.’

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He really wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim tried to hide in the back. ‘My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,’ said the CEO. ‘Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!’ All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, ‘The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!’

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, ‘Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!’ Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.

‘How could he be the new CEO?’ the others said. Then the CEO said, ‘One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!’

Lessons: Can you identify some lessons from this story? If your answer is NO, you may need to re-read the story again. I have identified some lessons and I will list them below:

1. Honesty Pays:
2. Be accountable to someone
3. The fact that everyone is doing something does not make it the right thing
4. Before every promion comes a test

Can you identify ANY other lesson(s) from the story? Share them below using the comment section.

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An elephant came to the edge of a stream of clear rushing water as it was thirsty. The elephant leaned over, dropped its trunk into the cool water and… plunk! “What? What happened?” the elephant cried. What the elephant fears most has happened. “I can’t see! My eye… it fell in the water! Oh nooooooh,” the elephant wailed in a panic, “I lost my eye!”

The fact is that the elephant’s right eye had popped out of its socket and fallen into the stream. The elephant searched frantically for the eye, groping with its trunk along the bottom of the stream. The more he groped, the cloudier the water became. That made him panic even more, and he started churning up great piles of sand, until he couldn’t see anything. Then the elephant heard the sound of laughter. This made the elephant to be more annoyed. Many of us find ourselves in this situation and we will do the same. Furious, the elephant looked around to see who it was, and saw a little green frog sitting on a log laughing.

“You think this is funny?” the elephant shouted. “I just lost an eye and that makes you laugh?” “Do you think this is funny?”

“What’s funny is to see how upset you are. Calm down and everything will be fine,” the frog replied.

The elephant felt a bit ashamed and took the frog’s advice. He stopped moving his trunk around, and soon the water became clearer as the sand sank to the bottom. And there in the stream lay his eye. He reached for it with his trunk and popped it back into its socket. And then he thanked the frog.

Lesson:

This may sound like a normal story but it contains great wisdom. There’s nothing funny about losing an eye. But what of the sudden panic, thrashing around in murky water, desperation? That’s exactly what happens when we lose control and panic. Our haste makes us blind to open doors around us. We become temporarily incapable of seeing the world around us objectively and rationally. But there is an antidote to panic: wait, calm down. Calm down and allow the situation to become clear. And the black clouds will disperse.

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Is time ever enough? Do we need more than 24 hours in a day to get things done? Have you found yourself in situations in which you wished you had more time? You are not in this alone. Many people have gone through this same phase. Some are still experiencing the same now. You wake in the morning, look at the tasks that you are meant to complete that day and you just tell yourself to forget it. You can’t see the way you can accomplish those tasks that same day.

This cycle continues everyday. The result? You keep pushing till tomorrow what you should do today. You told yourself at the beginning of the year that you are going to start that business part-time, go to school, take that course or even volunteer with that project. The reality now is that you are far from achieving any of your set objectives. You still live in the dreamland and you wonder how some people seem to be achieving results while you don’t.

The differentiating factor is how both of you use your time. Take out a sheet of paper now and try to document everything you have done from the time you wake up. Write down everything that you feel has taken part of your time. Are you proud of what you have written down? Do you think you can achieve your goals by keep doing what you have written down? When it comes to being as efficient and effective as possible, the obvious starting place is to make the very best use of your time. If you use your time carefully, you will have more of it for things that make the difference.

The fact that you finding it hard to combine your work with executing that business idea or that project means that you need to watch closely how you use your time. Look at the lists you have written down on the list. What can you stop doing, or do less of? Can you make more use of your time? For example, listening to audio messages or important podcasts on the way to work? Learn to prioritize, schedule and control your workload.

When you do these things well, you will be more efficient and better organized. Not only will you get more from your time, you will also get to implement some, if not all, of your business ideas.

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Technorati Tags: business, idea

Do you think you have got what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Then, our world needs more of you at this time. Entrepreneurs are the ones that will turn things around for good. If things would change, we need more entrepreneurs who are ready to face all odds and create solutions that we all have been waiting for. Entrepreneurs are known for their self-confidence, energy, flexibility and opportunism. They are accustomed to getting involved and expect positive results from their involvement. In other words, they are prepared to use energy and mental effort because they expect, and often receive, appropriate rewards.

If you are still thinking whether you are a born entrepreneur or you should venture into this route, I have identified some characteristics. These are often found amongst people who have successfully started a new venture:

1. drive and energy; 
2. self-confidence; 
3. high initiative and personal responsibility;
4. self-believe;
5. low fear of failure; 
6. risk-taker;
7. prepared for long-term involvement; 
8. seeing money as a measure of success;
9. effective use of feedback; 
10. pragmatic problem solvers;
11. Disciplined;
12. clear focus

Successful entrepreneurs have high self-believe. They believe that, to a large extent, what they do today determines the results they will get. Although luck may play some part but they believe that they can create their world. Are you ready to create your world? Do you think you have the traits required? Our world needs more of you. We need people who can take charge of their destiny and create the solutions that we have been waiting for. So, I will ask the question in another form…Are you ready for this experience? Do you have what it takes?  Stand up and be counted. We need to affect our world…

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Can you make money online? Are people even making money online at all. These are two of the questions that I am being asked on a daily basis. After reading a friend’s response to the question of making money online, I have decided to address some of the qualities you need if you will ever make money in any business. These are qualities found in an average entrepreneur. In case you are not too sure if it is possible to make money online, read Niyi’s latest write-up on this.

Have you got what it takes to be an entrepreneur at all? Entrepreneurs have self-confidence, energy, flexibility and are opportunist. I have not seen business owner who is not expecting positive results from their involvement. In other words, they are prepared to use energy and mental effort because they expect, and often receive, appropriate rewards. They have a mind who sees opportunities where others see adversity. If what you see  are constantly obstacles, you need to watch it. It is most likely entrepreneurship is not for you. 

In case you are still not sure if entrepreneurship is for you, take a look at the 15 characteristics below. These are often found amongst people who have successfully started and run new venture. Can you find anyone in expression in your life?

1. clear goal-setting.
2. drive and energy;
3. self-confidence;
4. high initiative and personal responsibility;
5. internal locus of control (that is, you believe your own behaviour determines what happens to you, more so than external influences);
6. tolerance of ambiguity;
7. low fear of failure;
8. moderate risk-taking;
9. prepared for long-term involvement;
10. seeing money as a measure of success;
11. not merely an end in itself;
12. effective use of feedback;
13. continuous pragmatic problem solving;
14. effective use of resources;
15. self-imposed standards

Successful entrepreneurs have high internal locus of control. They believe that, to a large extent, what they do determines what happens to them, more so than chance or the actions of others. This is linked to the need for autonomy and personal independence expressed by many entrepreneurs as their prime motivation for setting up their own firms. Now before you continue in your quest to start and run your online business, “do you have what it takes?“

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I have been busy with my school work for some weeks now and this has reduced the time I have to update my blog. A thought came to mind this morning and I feel I need to share it right away. Many things have been happening in the world these past few months. A lot of companies are declaring losses. As a result, many jobs are being lost. Your job may not have been affected but you always live with the constant fear that your job may be taken away from you soon. Your situation may be different. You may be your own boss and feel this does not affect you much. I will like you to have a rethink…

The goodnews is that you are not in this alone. A lot of people are going through the same thing as you. But they have been able to ride on every challenge that comes their way. They now live their dreams. How did they move from where you are to where you dream to be? They took the first step. They stopped the blame game. They became disatisfied with what the world presents and decided to do something about it. This is about getting started. Taking that first step.

It is so easy to moan about our present situation and complain that things are not how we want them to be. How can we break out of that moaning habit and actually do something? Having a commitment to take responsibility for your life is the first step. Making the decision to do something is another vital step – but actually taking action is the most important one. Accept now that you are responsible for what happens to you.

Now that you have accepted responsibility for your life, it is time to take action. Do you feel the things you want to achieve seem too big or too far off in the future? Break down each goal into little steps which will lead you to your dream. Are the things you are doing today moving you towards achieving your goals? If you answer “NO”, then you need to ask yourself “what small thing (or big thing, if you like) can I do today that will move me towards achieving my goal?” Make a commitment to do it no matter what it will take!

Do not wait for some far-off time when you think conditions may be right before you go for what you want. That perfect time may never come. Have you ever thought of what would have happened if everyone in the world is waiting for the perfect condition? We would definitely not have anything today. Decide today that you would do something about your situation…It doesn’t take a minute to make a decision. Make the decision now and follow up with required action.

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Have you been burning with a desire to be your own boss? Do you feel the constant “temptation” to quit your job right now. You may feel enough is enough. Maybe you are even sick of working for other people. To be your own boss means controlling your own destiny, having your own time and no bosses to report to. Basically, you can do whatever you want. But before you really jump into a new territory of being on your own, you have to make sure that you are ready, well equipped and have the right motivation.

So, what drives your motivation? What are the reasons why you are starting that business? If your reason for starting a business is only money, you will definitely not last long. Study has shown that the successful startup entrepreneurs are not driven by money. They are driven by passion to transform the lives of people around them. Lifestyle entrepreneurs should not just be wealth accumulators. Your focus should be more on how many problems you would be able to solve through your solution and not how much you would accumulate.

I am not saying that accumulating wealth is not good but that should not be your main focus for starting that business. There is no way you will keep solving problems and money will not flow in your direction. So, take a second look at your motive before you drop that resignation letter. Along the way, you will be faced with so many challenges. These will happen when you least expect and they will test the motivation behind your business idea and your strength.

The only things that will sustain you will be your motivations – what drives you. Why did you decide to leave the comfort of a paying-job to embrace a life that is full of uncertainties? If money accumulation is the ONLY reason you are in business, it is most likely that you will not survive the storm when it comes. It is not too late to retrace your steps now. Take out some minutes right away, review your motivations right away and ensure that you are on the right track. If you feel if have had the wrong motivation(s), re-align yourself. So, what keeps you moving? Your decision to affect our generation or to enrich your pocket?

Look within and  re-assess the reasons WHY you are starting that business…

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Technorati Tags: motivation, starting a business, startup, business idea

I am glad we all made it to this new year. So, I will like to use this medium to say Happy New Year and to thank you for your constant visit to this blog. Your visit and comments last year were source of encouragement and gives me more motivation to keep updating this blog. However, if you feel there are some things that need improvement, do visit the contact me page and send me an email. I would be glad to hear from you.

As we start this great year, I will like to share with you one secret that can help you live your dreams / goals in 2009. You might have heard a lie that only selected few can succeed in life. Someone might have told you specifically that it will be hard for your business to succeed. They might have even pointed your attention to other businesses that are failing. Don’t believe that lie. The fact that other businesses are failing does not mean yours have to. Also, the fact the other people are loosing their jobs does not translate to you loosing yours. What then is the secret? Turn everything you have got into seed.

As long as you have seeds, you can create your world. The most interesting thing is that God has given everyone seeds to sow. God has based this world on the Law of Sowing and Reaping. If you want to reap yam tubers, the only way out is to plant yam seeds. You can not plant corn and expect to harvest cassava. What you plant is what you will receive. So, if you want to experience success in your business or career, you have to plant the right seeds. And this has to be on a daily basis. Planting your seed only once is not enough. You have to ensure that you keep putting your seed into the ground no matter what demands it places on you.

Words are seeds. Pay close attention to words coming out of your mouth every minute. If the first thing that comes out of your mouth each time your family members ask you for money is that you don’t have money, the truth is that you will definitely not have money. Rather than speak about your present situation, speak the future you desire into existence. What you are facing now might be the exact opposite of what you want. You might even be finding it hard to make a single sale but keep sowing your word seed. Don’t let negative word come out of your mouth. Guard your speech. Never speak of yourself in a discouraged or discouraging way. Always speak in terms of advancement. Water the seed of the future you desire.

Thoughts are also seeds. What you allow to go through your mind consistently will ultimately rule your world. Control your thought and you would control your world. Everything around you can be turned to seeds. You might feel and complain that you deserve more than you are being paid now at your place of employment. Your complain from now till eternity will not change anything. The power to change your world lies with you. See your work place as a fertile ground that needs your seeds. If anything needs to be done in the office, be the first person to take up the responsibility.

It may even be your business that is not giving the kind of returns that you expect. Instead of complaining, seek to offer your customers quality service.

Give your boss / customers more USE VALUE that the CASH VALUE you collect from him / them. Turn everything you have to seeds.

Learn to recognise the seeds God has given you and cultivate them. Once you cultivate your seed, the Law of Growth sets into place. Your wealth and dominion are tied to seeds. Value seeds! When you disrespect your seed, you will have to EAT from someone’s harvest and it will be at a cost. Start today to sow your seeds.

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Technorati Tags: Law of Sowing and Reaping, Law of Growth

Compliments of the season. As we get set for the new year, I will want us to take a look at an important question…”where do you see yourself or your business in 5 years?”. If you can not answer this question in 5 seconds, then you need to sit down right now and take a look at your life or business. Some years back, in my final year on campus, five of us were faced with this same question. We were about to graduate from the university and the future stared at us.

Each of us shared our picture of where we would be in 5 years. Looking back today (about 7 years after), I am proud to say that we have achieved everything that we shared at that time.  Now, take a look outside your office now…Spend the next 5 mins watching people pass before you. How many do you think out of those passing before you have specific goals in their life? Do you think they have any specific thing they are pursuing with vigour? I am sure if we decide to take a survey now, we would find very little. This is exactly why many achieve little.

Many people’s paychecks are not large enough to pay their bills because they have no goals. They have no concrete plans on how to improve their life or expand their knowledge so as to increase their value to the society. They wake up each day with their ship heading nowhere.This season is a time to set yourself free and set goals for your life and business.

All tangibles objects began as goals or ideas in the mind of people. So, if you will achieve anything in life, it must be first exist in the form of an idea or goal. This is the starting point. Get out of the camp of many that just exist from day to day, week to week or even year to year without goal or a picture of what they want to achieve in life.

Spend this festive period to design a five-year goal for your life and business. Find half an hour when you know you will be free of all distractions. Use it to make a list of all goals that come to mind.  Include the most outrageous goals you can imagine. Don’t worry about whether the goals are realistics or unrealistics at this point. Just write down everything that comes to mind. After you have written down all your goals, now go over the list and carefully pick out the five which are the most important to you.

Be careful not to fall into the situation where your goals concern only your business or your career. Think of your marriage (even if you are still single), your friends and other important areas where you feel you can improve your life. Write these 5 down on a set of cards and paste them where you can see them everyday. You may need to put one of the cards in your wallet. Just ensure that your goals are visible to you. The result? Your life will always be focused on specific goals. And you will be making progress in all important areas of your life with a steady and consistent pace. Start today and carve out a goal for your life and business.

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Technorati Tags: business, goals, career

I woke up this morning and saw a link from a friend - Ayobami Oladejo. He has just been named the world’s greatest business mind. And virtually all the news media covered the story. World what?…some people  might say. How can this be? You may still be thinking in your mind.  But that is the truth. The guy has just won the award. And you too can do the same at this moment. I have just won the award myself. Surprised? Watch the video on this page. Then, remember to create your own link.

Everyone has what it takes to become the world greatest business mind. You just need start by believing in yourself. Yeah…the starting point is for you to believe that you can indeed be the world greatest mind. What is it that you want to achieve in life? What is your dream? Do you believe they are within your reach?

One thing you have to remind  yourself every time is that every major achievement in life starts with a dream. The whole world started with a dream by God. There is nothing in existence today that has not passed through the dream stage. Some years ago, I read that Bill Clinton was asked what he would like to become when he was about age 3. His reply? Your guess is as correct as mine. He did not mince word in his response. He replied that he would like to become the president of United States of America. No wonder, he became one of the most celebrated presidents United States has ever produced.

I am sure someone will be saying that can only happen in America. What about the likes of our own Pat Utomi (Leap Frog, Lagos Business School and Bank PhB), Bishop Oyedepo (Living Faith Church), Bose Ayeni (Tantalisers), Bunmi Oni (formerly of Cadbury Nigeria), Sunny Ojeagbase (SuccessDigest), Ayo Arowolo (Moneywise Club), Larry Izamoje (Brila FM)? These are people who have achieved so much in their fields. Their dreams have come true. There is nothing you can achieve in life without starting with a dream.

DREAMS can then be said to be an important foundation upon which all achievements are built. Through dreams, we determine indirectly what our future becomes. PICTURES mean Pick-Your-Future. So, do you think you can become the world’s greatest business mind? Start today to determine the course of your life by dictating the pictures you allow to stay in your mind.  You may need to watch the video on this page again.

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Technorati Tags: business

Millions each day (if not more) are afflicted with and effected by the habit of procrastination. How many times have we all said, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow”? Procrastination kills dreams faster than you can even have them. When we procrastinate, we take no action and consequently – nothing is born. There is need for you to take action irrespective of what you want. No obstacle is big enough to stop you from living your dream. God has deposited in you everything you need. No matter how big your goal is or the challenge on the road, you can achieve it if only you will take the first step today.

SO, GET STARTED NOW…Guess what? Tomorrow never comes. Yeah, it never does. Tomorrow only appears in the mind. Have you ever considered the fact that the tomorrow you were talking about yesterday is the today you are in now. I used to get frozen in my tracks, when it comes to reaching for my dreams. The idea of starting and running a successful business seemed so daunting that I didn’t know where to start… There was always something “more important” or “necessary” to do and my vision took a backseat… day after day after day. But I took the bull by the horn. I moved towards my goal. I started a business part-time but I ensured that I keep moving towards my goal. The steps may be small but I am definitely not stagnant.

I bet you know what I’m talking about too. You too can make the decision today to move towards your dream. First, have a clear picture of what you actually want. Then, make a commitment to do something in line with your goal every day. Give it everything you have got and ensure that you DO SOMETHING about it! It doesn’t matter how poorly you do it. Like Nike suggests, “Just Do It“.

Will you still watch your dream pass you by? Make a commitment to getting started today. This is YOUR season if ONLY you will decide to face your challenge and go for your goal. Remember, excuses will take you no where. Take ACTION NOW.

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Technorati Tags: Start a business, goal, procrastination, dream, successful business, dream

• Family Vs Career: Striking the Balance
  Posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 in Career – Comments: (2)
  A businessman was at the pier of a small coastal fishing village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the boat were several large tuna. The businessman complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it to to catch them. The fisherman replied, “only a little while”. The businessman asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish and the fisherman replied that he had enough to supply his family’s immediate needs.
• Develop Your Strength to Seize Opportunities
  Posted on Friday, November 14th, 2008 in Choice – Comments: (1)
  Are you Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly without seizing them? Are you still waiting for your opportunities? You may have been told that opportunities knock on the door and you have been preparing for the day it will knock on your door for donkey years. But wait…what is opportunity? Does it really knock on people’s door? When does it knock?

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Technorati Tags: opportunity

My congratulations, therefore, go to everyone who still believes in hope and especially those whose dreams have been brought back to life. While we are still celebrating, I believe this is a good time to examine some of the lessons from this history-making victory. We all need to look beyond the euphoria and see the values that we can replicate in our lives. So, what are the basic lessons that are available to us all?

1. Obama had a dream: What is it that you want to do? Every major achievement in life starts with a dream. The whole world started with a dream by God. There is nothing in existence today that has not passed through the dream stage. Obama started the race to “White House” with a dream. Today, he did not only achieve his dream but also create history.  He became the first Black American president of the United States. There is nothing you can achieve in life without starting with a dream. DREAM is an important foundation upon which all achievements are built. Through dreams, we determine indirectly what our future becomes. We pick our future with our dreams. The question now is, what pictures are in your mind? You can start today to determine the course of your life by dictating the pictures you allow to stay in your mind.

2. Obama had a plan: If you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. Obama did not only have a dream, he was clear in his mind of how he was going to achieve his dream. His plan was so clear that many would have been surprised if he had not achieved his dream. Everybody could easily identify with his dream and plans. As such, people knew exactly how to come in. The saying that no one plans to fail is not really true. Once you fail to plan, you are definitely planning to fail. No one can effectively achieve an objective that he or she does not have clearly defined. We have got to think things through, decide what we want, and write out our plan. Dr. Stephen R. Covey suggests, “begin with the end in mind.”

3. Obama Prepared:- God believes in preparation. Obama run the most sophisticated election campaign in the world. Things didnt just emerge. A lot of efforts went into preparation. The campaign machine put into place didn’t appear from no where. It was the result of hours put into preparation. If Jesus Christ had to spend 30 years in the carpenter’s workshop preparing for a 3 1/2 ministry, we all have no excuse. We have to take this value serious if we are to turn our dreams into reality. God appreciates preparation and it shows in everything HE does.

4. Obama Performed: David Schwartz argues, “the only way to start, is to start.” The best laid-down plans, the most comprehensive preparation, can still lead to nothing unless we endeavour to take the necessary action. Obama followed through on the plan plans. He followed the months of preparation with corresponding actions.  No matter how strong and promising our plans and preparation are, once we fail to act, we would still be heading no where. The action step does not have to be perfect.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale observed, “If you put off everything until you’re sure of it, you’ll get nothing done.” The Bible confirmed this in Ecclesiastes 11:4 “He that observeth the wind shall not show; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap”.  History was not in favour of Obama but he still went ahead to pursue his dreams. Nobody gave him the chance of becoming Democratic Presidential Nominee not to talk ot becoming the 44th President of the United States.  So, do like NIKE suggests…Just Do IT.

5. Persist: – Will the road ahead be smooth? Will there be any adversity on the way? Obama’s road to white house was full of so many rough times. There were definitely challenges on the way but he persisted. The difference between the successful person and the one stalked by failure is not the adversity, everybody has that. The difference is your response – your attitude to the challenges you meet on your way. Do we regroup and hit it hard again, or do we just lay it down and quit? Many times we have made a u-turn when our success is actually around the corner.

Calvin Coolidge said, ”

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Failure is never an end. It should be seen as a bend towards another destination. Setbacks should be seen as the foundations upon which we build future success or the final excuse for failure. The decision is yours. Nearly everyone who develops an idea works it until it looks impossible and then gets discouraged. That is not the place to become discouraged. It is often at this point that many only see the obstacle and no longer sees their idea. They give in to discouragement, opposition and obstacles not knowing breakthrough is on the horizon. If only they were persistent.

It is therefore normal for someone to have obstacles before success. Even the dictionary puts the word obstacle before success. Obstacles are there to strengthen us and offer progressive measurement of our growing strength. Discouragement sets in when we misunderstand the purpose of obstacles. Persistence is a conscious decision. So, let us train ourselves to be persistent persons.

These are just some of the lessons I am applying to my life. Have you learnt anything? Use the comment below to share your thought and let’s us put hand together to create the world we all can believe in. We will succeed.

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Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, Obama, Stephen R. Covey

PRINCIPLE  1: Eagles fly alone at high altitude and not with sparrows or other small birds. No other bird can go to the height of the eagle. Stay away from sparrows and ravens. Eagles fly with Eagles.

PRINCIPLE 2: Eagles have strong vision. They have the ability to focus on something up to five kilometers away. When an eagle sites his prey, he narrows his focus on it and set out to get it. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it. Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.

PRINCIPLE 3: Eagles do not eat dead things. They feed only on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals, but eagles will not. Be careful with what you feed your eyes and ears with, especially in movies and on TV. Steer clear of outdated and old information. Always do your research well.

PRINCIPLE 4: Eagles love the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the storm’s wind to lift it higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagles uses the raging storm to lift him above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

PRINCIPLE 5: The Eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursuing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her. Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases it. He has to catch it before it falls to the ground. He then brings it back to the female eagle.

The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a higher altitude and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of catching the twig which shows commitment. Then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her. Whether in private life or in business, one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.

PRINCIPLE 6: The Eagle Prepares for Changes: When ready to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach. The male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth and picks thorns laying them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns. When this first layering is complete the male eagle runs back to earth and picks more thorns, lays them on the nest; runs back to get grass it on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders. Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again.

Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare When the scared eaglets again jump into the nest, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. Next, mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back before they fall and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly.

The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes; The preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success; The being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result into our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow, get out of the nest and live on. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns. The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly bad actions they have good intentions for us.

PRINCIPLE 7: The Eagle Knows when to Retire: When an Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits & items that burden us without adding to our lives.

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Technorati Tags: vision, Eagle, success

The easiest way to instantly increase your current client base is to regain your inactive clients. It is not only less costly to maintain existing clients, it is easier for you to introduce your new lines of products or services to them. They have purchased from you before and hence can make up their mind on time as regards subsequent orders. So, what do you do now?

You must identify how many of your old clients are no longer actively purchasing from your company. You will then go a step further by finding out why they cease to be your customers. Here are some reasons why some of your clients may have stopped buying from you:

1. Something totally unrelated to you happened in their life that has caused them to stop dealing with you.
2. They probably have every intention to start dealing with you again but just have not gotten around it yet.
3. They experienced a problem during their last purchase.
4. Your after-sales service is not helpful to them.
5. They can no longer benefit from your product or service.

You can keep naming the reasons. You may need to call up some of these clients and find out from them. This will definitely benefit you. The best way to reinstate your lost clients is to simply contact them. Make an appointment to visit them or call them if a visit is not possible. You can also choose to send them a letter. Tell your lost clients that you noticed that they have not been buying from your company and that you sense that something is wrong. Make sure that you communicate both humility and concern. Remember to focus on them and their well-being.

If your client falls under category number one stated above, your call will awaken them into buying again. If your client falls into category number two, you must take the opportunity to tell them how much you value their business and apologize for the problem they encountered. Do something special to make up for the inconvenience they experienced. At the end of the day, you may not be able to win all your inactive clients back but you will surely have a clear understanding of how to keep your customers. And the end result? Your revenue will be on th increase.

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Technorati Tags: sales, customers

The business relationship you have built with your customers, employees and vendors is the only competitive capital you have. You must nurture a network of personal and business relationships. This takes effort and diligence. Always remember that everyone is a prospective client. So, treat everyone that way. Try to stay in touch with the people you meet through e-mail or other forms of communication methods.

Always ensure that you follow up with someone that you meet within twelve to twenty-four hours. You can simply send the person a quick note through e-mail or even an SMS and leave mental reminders as to who you are. Remember, you are going through all the trouble to meet other people. You might as well make sure that you are noticed. By the way, e-mails are very convenient but there is nothing like a handwritten thank you note to catch a person’s attention. You can also go one step further by calling the person to follow up.

If you want to build and maintain relationships successfully, you must build on your first meeting. Learn the art of staying in touch with your contact. Always remember that it is only through repetition that you can become a fixed element in your contacts’ memories. Much after you have established this relationship, you can ask them to introduce you to their network of contacts. This might be set of people who might be interested in your business. Not only will a referral get you in the door, this will enable you to grow your network.

One point worth noting is that it takes patience to grow your network. You must be patient when it comes to building relationships. This takes time and the last thing you want to do is to rush things. Ask for nothing at the beginning of the relationship. Focus on what you can give. Give more than you can get. Wait until you have gained people’s trust. When you are trusted, they will refer business to you without you having to ask. So, what do you think?

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Technorati Tags: business, success, business relationships

Developing your mental muscles will give you the power to accomplish anything you want in life. It will ensure that you are always ahead of your peer. Moreover, it will prepare you for the opportunities that lie ahead and it will make sure that you are not missing opportunities. If you are looking at ways of developing your mind, you may need to read my previous write-up on developing your mind. I was able to highlight some of the things you can do to ensure that your mind is charged for what lies ahead.

Another way you can spend your spare time is to work on your pet-project. What is it that you have always wanted to do? What is your passion? What is it that you would rather do than what you are being paid to do now? Your spare time is an opportunity for you to try your hand on it. The beauty is that you don’t have to resign from your present place of employment before you start. You can start by devouting your evenings and weekends to the fulfilment of your passion. You only need to tell yourself that you will give it all it takes. It is going to place a lot of demand on you and it might mean that you will cut out froma lot of activities. But I bet you, it is worth every minute you commit to doing this.

Many successful business men started this way. Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Bill Gate etc. all started this way. So, why can’t you take this route? One other advantage this will give you is that you will be able to learn how to fail forward. Since you are only committing part of your resources to this, the failure of the project or the business will not harm you but create a platform for you to learn how to do things in a better way. You will learn many ways in which you should not do things and this might turn out to be an invaluable lesson you will need if you eventually decide to pursue your passion full time.

You can also use your spare time to build your network. God has not created us in isolation. He created us to work with others on a daily basis. I have not seen anybody that live his dream to the fullest without the help of others. If the successful people already make use of this principle, it will do you much good to take this serious. One of the last things you will want to happen to you is to need help and for nobody to be available to help you. So, start today by sowing into the emotion bank of people.

Make it a conscious effort to reach out to others anytime and anywhere. You must make sure that your social and event calendar is always full.The more connections you establish, the more opportunities you are given to make even more connections. What are you waiting for? Start today. Send that email. Make that call. Invite a colleague out for lunch or dinner. Include other people and watch your web of contacts grow.

These are some of the ways I spend my spare time. What about you? Share your thought and let us learn from your experience. You will defintely succeed.

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Technorati Tags: business owner, business, employment, opportunities

“All objects remain in a state of rest until a force is applied” Newton’s law of motion

This is true of many of our aspirations in life. Things will definitely not move until we move. Action orientation is a major requirement for success. The question now is “How do I start?” or “where do I start from?” Even now, I know you are still battling with that question in your mind. I have since discovered one fact in life, a job begun is a job half done. You may not have the clear picture of what you want to do but you need to start some how.

The problem with most of us is that we feel we do not have what it takes to start. You know what? As long as you hold the belief that what you need to start is what you do not have, you will not start. And off course, you can not finish what you have not started. You have the magic… You have what it takes to run a successful business.

Do you have what it takes? In my studies of what it takes to be an entrepreneur, I discover that entrepreneurship requires character. You can not just wake up today and start a business. There are some characteristics that you must possess. I have been able to identify some of these. Look through them and see if you truly possess what it takes to own and run a successful business.

Guts: Guts means you must have an entrepreneurial instinct, which is an overwhelming desire to have your own business. You must have the guts and dedication to be completely devoted to your goal. Incidentally, devotion to your goal is much more likely if you have a love for your intended business. Life is too short to start a business that doesn’t give you satisfaction and joy. And, through good times and bad times, you will stick with something you love.

As Solomon said,

“There is nothing better for men (and women!) than they should be happy in their work-so let them enjoy it now.”

Brains: While appropriate educational credentials are important, entrepreneurial “brains” means more than scholastic achievements. To become a successful entrepreneur, you must have a working knowledge about the business you plan to start before you start it. Common sense combined with appropriate experience is the necessary brainpower. Prudence, follow through and attention to detail are very important.

Capital: I should have addressed this issue first. You will need seed money of your own plus sufficient cash to maintain a positive cash flow for at least the first year. Many businesses can be started on a very small scale with a small investment. Then, as the business grows and you gain experience, cash flow from your business can be used for growth. In some cases you don’t need starting capital to hire other people because you might start by doing everything yourself.

The “do it yourself” start is a good way to learn everything about your business and also makes you better qualified to delegate work to others later on. You can control your risk by placing a limit on how much you invest in your business. If you think you have all these in place, then, start something in line the kind of business you want to start now. You do not have to start it full time. Start something now even while you are still working at your present employment. Some people started their businesses this way and some other will still do. What are you waiting for? START NOW…

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Technorati Tags: success, successful business, entrepreneur, business

Motivations to hold on came from the pictures of future I carry within me and the desire to succeed. What will happen to all the dreams? The great plans? My aspirations for the year? My community development work with the youth – led initiatives I was working on before the start of service year? The questions were countless and it was as if I would not be able to provide the solutions. Almost everybody around me at that time did not know the solution either. Nobody, I mean, really knew what lies ahead.

Waking up the following morning, I discovered that I had joy unlimited – the joy of seeing my dreams achieved. There and there, I decided to effect the change that would lead to the fulfilment of my dreams. I made up my mind to secure a placement first within the city and then sort out things with the State Director much later. He was the only person everybody believed could do anything to the posting.

My dreams paved way for action and the actions to the result – redeployment to the city. In a matter of days, I got a new place in the city and was able to effect the desired change of location. The roads seemed too far but the passion derived from the dreams saw me through. This experience taught me two great lessons as regards life. “If you want the rainbow in life, you have to be willing to put up with the rain!” and “If you really want to live, you would better start at once to try!”

Sometimes, patience, perseverance and time are the simplest ingredients to achieving your personal success. If you really think about it, most great achievements were not born until lots of time, enormous patience (with yourself) and unwavering perseverance prevail. So, let us now consider few people whose simplified formula for success: “P.P.T.”, (Patience, Perseverance and Time) spawned great products! Every minute somewhere in the country a “Tantalizers’” fast food centre is satisfying people’s need. Can you imagine a business which opened its door (or “Arches”) some few years ago still so strong today with so many outlets across the nation? Well, its founder Bose Ayeni, sure did. Mrs. Ayeni, was no inventor. But she recognised a great idea when she saw one.

From being a mother and no job in view, she started packaging few businesses with a monthly allowance she got from her husband – Mr. Folu Ayeni. She discovered an opening in the Fast Food Business and that happened to be a meeting of interest and opportunity. Tantalizers did not take off on a easy as funding became a hard nut to crack. Finally! It took a loan from a friend to kick start the dream eventually. But the truth is that Tantalizers would have started anyway though it would be more painful. Bose Ayeni is a simple woman with a simple plan to achieve huge success. Today, Tantalizers is being listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Chances are you are reading this article in a room with the use of lighting. Well, you can thank Thomas Edison for that. Did you know that history had it that Edison failed over 9,000 (that is thousand) times before perfecting the light bulb! How many of us would have thrown in the “proverbial” towel at 20 failures, 150 failures or at the 8000th failure? In my opinion, Thomas Edison’s picture should be under the definition “perseverance” in Webster’s dictionary! I believe you are in agreement with my suggestion. After Edison had invented and produced the light bulb, a reporter asked him how it felt to fail over 9,000 times. Edison replied, “I was glad I found 9,000 ways not to invent the light bulb!” From this point forward Edison went on to receive 1,093 patents, more than any other person in U.S. history. Wow!!!

I am sure of us would say that the examples do not apply to you. What about Ubong Essien (Achievers’ manual), Austin Okere (Computer Warehouse Group), Biodun Shobanjo: Jewel of Advertising, Fola Adeola (Guaranty Bank & Fate Foundation), Jimoh Ibrahim (Global Fleet Group and NICON Group), Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and the Sweet Sensation Stories? As you can see, the common traits between Bose Ayeni, Thomas Edison and all the people mentioned above is simple and direct: Belief, Perseverance, Patience and Time. Whatever it is you are trying to achieve in your precious and valuable life, I am convinced these traits must be present. Especially, belief! If you do not believe, you will not achieve. So, don’t give up now. Give it one more trial and you will succeed. Push the right buttons.

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Technorati Tags: dream, success, Thomas Edison

Here are some way to do this in an effective way.

1. Attain a high level of expertise: Before you start promoting yourself, it is important that you take pains to obtain extra skills and that you possess a high level of expertise. You need to stand out in your field if you are to get and keep business. Seek out new training courses and mentors. Find a way to get your name out there without looking like you’re trying too hard.
2. Speak in front of an audience: When you get a chance to speak in front of an audience in a conference, meeting or even just a get-together, use the opportunity to promote your skills and knowledge – and your business.  Speak on any subject relevant to your line of business where you have knowledge. This will not only increase your confidence in public speaking, but will also advance your popularity and help you begin to develop a good reputation.
3. Find a way to publish: You can start by writing articles related to your line of business in newsletters or periodicals. You can also write a column where readers can post their questions and problems and you can provide solutions to those problems. Eventually, you could also write a book on the subject. Once that book is a success, your reputation will be solid.

For the complete list of ways in which you can promote yourself, visit morebusiness.

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Technorati Tags: business