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“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” – Anne Frank

Would you like to stop all the misery in your life? Would you like to stop annoyance in your life? Would you like to overcome the feeling of boredom? Would you like to enjoy every day as it comes? Would you like to live a happy, healthy, and wealthy life?

Most of us answer these questions with YES. But many of us too would find reasons why it can’t be that way. Are you one of them saying: “Yes, but … .”?

Sure there are many reasons for us not being happy, healthy, or wealthy. And certainly there are many reasons why we can’t become happy, healthy or wealthy neither. But the questions above don’t ask about the reasons that hold us back.

As long as we find somebody or something to blame for the circumstances in our lives, we have given away some of our personal power. Often we do that because we find value in these circumstances. These values could be as simple as having something to talk about. So these questions really help us to find out how ready we are to take the steps necessary to empower ourselves.

Once we are ready to say YES without any restrictions to the questions above, we too have the courage to take the first step. Here is my complete list of the 7 easy to follow steps towards self-empowerment:

1. Say YES to self-empowerment! Whatever you like to change, it starts with a yes. Take full responsibility for your decisions, actions, and outcomes. Be clear about your desire and what it takes to follow through before you even decide!

2. What are you proud of? Think about all your experiences in life. What did you learn from them? Make a list with all the learnings, achievements and successes you have had until now and add to it whenever you remember more. Journaling daily your successes and miracles are a good way to keep you into the state of being proud of yourself. Even something as little as a smile you gave to someone on the street counts.

3. What are you good at? Make a list of one hundred things that you are good at. It might take a while to have it complete. So I suggest you have the list in your wallet, diary, or close to your bed, so you can add whenever you realise another thing you are brilliant at. Do you find more than hundred things? Great keep adding!

4. What do you like about yourself? Often we are going on and on about all the thing we don’t like about ourselves. To build up on your self-esteem make a list of fifty things you like about yourself. This list too might take a while to be completed. And keep adding. There aren’t limitations at all.

5. Look for the positive aspects! In looking for positive aspects everywhere and in everybody  we focus on what is available instead of the things we miss. The more we acknowledge the good aspects in people, situations, and circumstances the more we nourish our own positive attributes.

6. Respect other people and their perspectives! Each person has their own experiences, achievements, qualities, values, and preferences. To be respectful of other people, to show interest in them and to listen attentively will certainly help you to stay in control of your own personal power. Keep your focus on what you may have to learn from the people in your life.

7. Be true to yourself! Even if you follow all the other six steps to be truly empowered you must be true to yourself. This means to listen to your inner voice and your body signals, to become aware of your passion and fears, and to have the courage to stand up for yourself. Self-empowerment means to be in power of your true self.

Personal power is all about accepting ourselves completely with all aspects of our own personality. The steps are easy to follow but they too might hold a lot of challenges. These challenges help us to overcome obstacles in our lives and even though they seem huge right now soon they will be another point on our list of achievements.

To say YES to a happy, healthy, and wealthy life is really taking the steps towards self-empowerment.

 

Source; Sandyseeber

Bank loans and venture capital aren’t the only ways to get a new business up and running. Countless entrepreneurs have started successful businesses without borrowing a dime. Known as bootstrapping or starting a business without outside capital, small business owners who’ve gone this route have had to rely on their resourcefulness, drive and creativity instead of cash to build successful enterprises.

“Being undercapitalized was a great thing for Barefoot,” says Michael Houlihan, co-founder of Barefoot Cellars and co-author of the upcoming book The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built a Bestselling Wine. “It forced us to think creatively and to be resourceful every step of the way.”

According to Houlihan, instead of having the luxury of throwing cash at every problem that surfaced, Barefoot Cellars had to create processes and procedures that stood up on their own merits.  As a result the company learned in the early days how to operate lean and to survive on a shoestring budget.

For Heather Whaling, founder and CEO of Geben Communication — which she started in December of 2009 and was completely self-funded — one of the key takeaways from bootstrapping her PR firm was incorporating a pay as you go mentality that is still in effect three years later (even though the business has grown more than 150% and she has six months of operating expenses in the bank).

“If we want to do something we make sure we have the funds available to do it,” says Whaling.

While getting a loan or raising capital may seem the easier way to bankroll your new business, here are some tried and tested ways to grow a start-up with little cash.

No. 1: Start in the garage

Bill Gates isn’t the only one who can be successful starting a business in his garage. According to experts, a great way to save money is to run your business in a location that won’t require you to pay extra rent — whether it’s your garage, bedroom, basement or attic.

“Barefoot’s first office was a laundry room,” says Houlihan. “It wasn’t glamorous. But it held our files and a desk and most importantly, it allowed us to get the job done without spending any extra money.”

No. 2: Get paid upfront

Whether you are manufacturing a product or providing a service, the sooner you can get paid the quicker you can grow your business, which is why experts say it’s a good idea to try and get paid, even partially, up front. Whaling, who typically gets paid on a retainer basis, has clients make a down payment when they sign on. Not only does it mean money is coming in from the get-go, but it bolsters her relationship with her clients.

“The new client feels they have skin in the game if they paid,” says Whaling.

If you’re selling a product, Houlihan says a win-win strategy is to offer retailers a discount if they pay cash for the product or buy a large quantity. By doing that you can be ahead of your bills and the retailer wins because it is saving money.

No. 3: Barter for what you need

Bartering hasn’t gone the way of the dinosaurs, in fact it is alive and thriving and is a great way to get the goods and services you need without spending a dime.

“Find other start-ups that have what you need and need what you have,” says Houlihan. “A good place to start might be any suppliers that are also start-ups. They are cash-strapped like you and probably need to spend money they don’t have.” You can also use a barter company that specializes in handling business trades.

No. 4: Commit to keeping costs low

In order to build a business with little cash you need to first commit to keeping costs as low as possible. Once you make a conscious decision to do that, it’s easier to implement strategies to make that work. For Whaling it meant working out of her home for the first couple of years, outsourcing functions and using freelancers.

Barefoot Cellars also embraced outsourcing as a way to save money in the early days. According to Houlihan, he and his co-founder outsourced wine production, bottling and the logo that went on the bottles.

“If we’d had to pay for all of that space, equipment, and manpower up-front, we would never have gotten Barefoot off the ground,” he says.

No. 5: Get free advertising through non-profits

Let’s face it, you are going to have to advertise or market in order to build awareness and thus sales. But for many start-ups the funds simply aren’t there. To get around the costs of advertising, Houlihan says to partner with non-profits that you care about. Sure you’ll be giving your product or service away for free, but you’ll also reach potential customers that share the same beliefs and concerns that you do.

Houlihan says the best approach is to reach out to small, local non-profits and charities.

“We sought out organizations that believed in causes close to our own hearts,” says Houlihan. “We gained access to huge numbers of potential customers and gave them a ‘social reason’ to buy Barefoot wine.”

 

SOURCE; FOX Business.Com

 

Organized by

Rufai Oseni and The Dream Center

 

Rufai Oseni is a seasoned broadcaster, who believes in using the gift if knowledge to empower others. He is currently the morning show host on Inspiration fm 92.3 with prior experience with the BB.

 

Source: Eventbrite

Job seekers can spend a lot of time trolling job sites and sending resumes en masse without culling much of an employer response let alone landing an interview. While the job market is rebounding, employers still receive between 102 and 137 applications per job from both social-media networks and job boards, says a 2014 study from Brandon Hall Group.

Effective job search and generating employer interest requires careful thought, research and strategy. To help maximize your chances of finding a job that fits you and your desired career path, consider following these six steps.

1. Understand your job search criteria.

First, be able to articulate what it is you are looking for in a job. Figure out your top five priorities — whether it is company culture or a specific job position. “If you understand what motivates you as an employee, it will be easier to target your applications to opportunities that match your skills and ambitions,” says Paul Sandusky, vice-president of talent acquisition and development at Ceridian, an HR software company.

Also be flexible. “You don’t want your specificity to cost you your dream job at your dream company,” advises Mariah DeLeon, vice-president of people at workplace ratings and review site Glassdoor. She suggests that if you get to the point where you’re interviewing for a position at a company you want to work for but that isn’t quite the right fit, be candid with HR or the recruiter about your expertise and desire to work there. There’s always the possibility of a better opportunity opening up within that company.

2. Create a list of jobs that meet your criteria.

Once you’re able to articulate what you’re looking for in a job, use this criteria to guide you in your search. Create a list to keep track of information. Sheryl Sandberg used an Excel spreadsheet to organize her job search when she graduated from Harvard Business School. Use the format that best suits you.

3. Read the job description carefully.

Reading the job description during your job search may take up time up front, but it is a major time-saver in the long run, because you won’t be applying for jobs for which you are an unlikely candidate.

“Companies generally have limited flexibility on their mandatory requirements, be it a particular university degree or specific job experience,” Sandusky explains. “[However] you should apply to a position if you are confident you can do the job, just be prepared to explain precisely how your skills or experiences are applicable to the opportunity at hand.”

4. Customize your resume and cover letter.

Once you have your hit list of jobs that meet your criteria, customize both your cover letter and resume to speak to the company, position and job requirements. Having multiple “versions” of your resume can be an effective way of tailoring your experience to a particular role or industry, Sandusky says.

DeLeon recommends that after applying online, try to email your resume and cover letter to someone who is likely in the hiring and decision-making mix, such as a manager or director in the department you’d like to work in.

5. Activate your referral network.

Employee referrals and word-of-mouth are the most common means of external hiring. Many job openings are not advertised, which is why attending relevant industry events and conferences, career-related lectures, seminars or training sessions can pay off. Reach out to alumni networks, career and interest-driven organizations and meet-up groups to let people know you’re looking and ask about open positions.

Also, let your friends know that you’re looking and ask if you can email them your resume to provide an informed idea of your experience and skills. Chances are, at least one of your friends is a connector — one of those people who knows everybody and builds relationships quickly — who knows of several people who can provide either guidance, a connection or a referral.

6. Follow up.

If you’ve submitted your resume and application and haven’t heard a response, send a follow-up email to ensure HR or the hiring manager has received the application, DeLeon says. “Your note can be short, but you should reiterate why you want to work for the company and what you bring to the table that will ultimately help the business move forward.”

Following up after an in-person or phone interview — ideally on the same day of the interview — is not only a common courtesy but it reinforces that you are genuinely interested in the position while helping keep your name top of mind amongst those who are hiring, Sandusky says.

While there isn’t a magic bullet when it comes to finding a job, focusing your job search on quality over quantity is generally the way to go in your career.

 

Source; Entrepreneur.Com

Entrepreneurs are individuals who bring an idea to life — we’re creators, thinkers, innovators. And we have some help there: Multiple strategies for ways to think, interact, and implement are at our fingertips. Think what the world would be without Facebook or Uber.

Both of those billion-dollar companies created new industries. Uber for example, started as a mobile, on-demand car service, yet has fueled the creation of many other on-demand mobile industries, from Sesh, a mobile-tutoring app, to Wag, a mobile dog-walking app.

As Lori Greiner from Shark Tank once said, “Entrepreneurs need to be willing to work 80 hours a week, to avoid working 40 hours a week.” The amount of time and money you devote to your startup will be drastic, but the payoff may be exponential.

Looking back on my own startup experience, with my watch/sunglass company Yes Man, I cherish the time I put in before my launch: My passion was sky-high and I couldn’t wait to get my products into people’s hands. Now, as my company grows, my motivation stems from seeing people wear what we create. As an entrepreneur, you too need to figure out your vision early on. AirBnB, for example, was born to make people feel that they belong anywhere. AirBnB’s founders had started their platform to host attendees of conventions. But they soon realized that there was a bigger picture.

So, take a lesson: Every entrepreneur and company should understand the big picture; it’s what scales your startup and attracts investors. Though starting a company is one of the hardest challenges a person can face, there are reasons why you will never regret it. Here are four of them:

1. Fulfillment

In an interview, I was once asked what was the driver behind my business. At first I thought the obvious answer was “money,” yet after thinking more, I realized that the coolest part of being an entrepreneur is seeing people use what you have created. Every time I see someone rock Yes Man watches or sunglasses, I get this incredible feeling of fulfillment.

2. Personality

Most entrepreneurs create businesses that cater to their needs or personalities. I have never heard of a founder who doesn’t personally use the products his or her business creates. Entrepreneurship enables you to create something for yourself and then share it.

3. Freedom

Entrepreneurship gives you the ability to work wherever and whenever you want. Entrepreneurs are not restricted to the 9-to-5 workday. You can work when you want, not when the time reads “9 o’clock.” There is nothing quite like having the ability to completely control your schedule.

4. Value

Entrepreneurs who create successful businesses enjoy the pleasure of being able to provide for others. This doesn’t just mean creating jobs; it can also stem from your business expenses, involving what you buy to run your business, to the value your products add to other companies. A great example of this is Honest Tea: Its tea leaves are sourced from rural farmers in India and China, who probably couldn’t survive without this income. Honest Tea’s purchase of these leaves helps these small communities provide for themselves.

Being an entrepreneur, then, is a whirlwind of an experience. You will have your highs and lows, but nothing can compare to the feeling of creating your own business. Value your vision and your business will follow.

 

Source: Entrepreneur.Com

Founders’ Secrets is an initiative of The Dream Center that provides a platform of learning, sharing and interacting, between professionals and ongoing start-up business owners and leaders, from various sectors, to draw from them their start-up stories, and how to build a successful entrepreneurial empire.
The July edition which was held at the Alvan Ikoku Hall of The Dream Center, was graced by CEO Lagos Angel Network Tomi Davies, a recognized expert in the IT- led Transformation of businesses, who led the deployment of the first Wimax 16e based 4G mobile broadband network in Nigeria .
It started in an interactive mood where participants were asked to write down and share with all, their business vision clearly and comprehensible. This session discovered a lot of great business potentials like:
Daniel: To go into large scale Animal Husbandry focusing basically on Snailing and fish production
Obinna: To set up a community pharmacy that provides affordable care for the masses
Tomi: To promote positive livelihood amongst women
IK: To be the most impactful brand consultant in business
Temitope: To democratize finance for low cost housing by providing a platform for meeting business experts
And many more…
Tomi Davies then introduced himself and gave a full detail of his own vision and passion. He introduced the audience to his website and how they can get his authored materials.
In his words “This morning I’m going to teach you how to write a ‘POEM’ for your business”. The Poem would therefore not mean the usual nursery rhyme but an acronym for ‘Proposition’ ‘Organization’ ‘Economics’ ‘Milestone’.
He further taught that Proposition determines the values, market, problem, solutions, competitors and the customers, the trick to any business is to know your customers. You get paid from the proposition, the organization receives the money from you. So you must make your proposition greater than your organization. The quality of your organization determines how good your proposition is, Staffs, Board of Directors, Advisors, Suppliers, Vendors and all those that will deliver revenue for your business makes up your Organization.
Economics is all about money, it measures the revenue streams of your business and it’s about the proposal and the organization.
The Milestones are seen as the business drive. Your business strategies are usually tied up to your milestones, visions comes to life through the milestones you have achieved and milestone is about time, they are the expression of the vision for your business.
After the theory and practical explanation and discussion of what POEM is, and how it applies to building a successful business, there was the questions and answers session. This particular segment of the event was one big one everyone waited patiently for. The session was moderated by Mr Dayo Israel, and it lasted for 10 minutes. Here are some of the questions asked, and Tomi Davies answers:;
Q: How can one expand his business to capacity?
A: Get a compelling story, get a plan for expansion and document your business problems, opportunities and solutions. Your Proper Documentation (framework) will enable banks to release funds for expansion.
Q. How do you break down a big vision?
A: The journey of a thousand years starts with a step. Always start with your customers that will bring the vision to life. Think big, start small and scale fast.
Q. How can we turn challenges/weakness to strength in our business?
A: Figure out your segment for the industry, and team up with others in the same industry. Don’t do things that are common to all.
Q; What makes your ideas stand out?
A: It is usually the TEAM, not the ideas.

Renowned economics professor and management expert, Pat Utomi has given President Muhammadu Buhari tips on how he can draw prospective investors to the country.

Utomi who spoke during a live programme on Monday, July 27 monitored by Naij.com spoke on the gains of President Buhari’s recent visit to the United States.

He said that one of the ways to engage prospective investors is to invest in Nasarawa state’s solid minerals. He stated that the states solid minerals is a huge investment, adding that the state should look for the global value gains of the solid minerals and concerns for leading mining companies.

Utomi also said that there is a role for both government and private sector in the country. He said the role of the private sector should be wealth creation, while that of the public sector should be a facilitating role.

He added that we must have an entrepreneurial public sector that works very closely with the public sector.

“It is such a patriotic engagement that private sector gains don’t really go the pockets of the leaders of the sector it goes to the country. It brings tax, provides opportunity for actualization, creates jobs and builds power for the country,” he said.

The renowned economics professor said that a country that is in commercial power is respected and that the partnership between the public0 and private sector should go together.

Meanwhile the professor of political economy, has revealed his preparedness to work with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari if he is given the opportunity.

Source; Naij